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Medical office assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Marina Orobinskaia,

Jamie Myers

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical medical office assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for medical office assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 24.2% of medical office assistant resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a medical office assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 medical office assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how medical office assistants use patients:

Communicated closely with patients to ensure they are managing their current medications properly, and maintained accurate, up-to-date medical records.
Completed insurance authorizations; verified appropriate insurance status prior to patients' appointment.

2. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how medical office assistants use patient care:

Coordinate patient referrals by obtaining all information, insurance verification and authorization required for accurate and timely coordination of patient care.
Prepared patients for procedures provided basic patient care and examinations as directed and assisted physician with procedures.

3. Vital Signs

Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Here's how medical office assistants use vital signs:

Front Office/Back Office/Referrals/Obtained authorizations/Obtained patients vital signs and roomed patients/Administered immunizations/Assisted doctor with routine exams
Recorded patient histories, monitored and recorded vital signs, and immobilized/splinting patients with orthopedic devices under directions of the provider.

4. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how medical office assistants use customer service:

Support providers by answering telephone calls, scheduling appointments, registration, processing referrals and providing excellent customer service to patients.
Informed knowledge of medical procedures and customer service, Recorded medical histories and schedule patients for hospitalization or other procedures.

5. Medical Terminology

Here's how medical office assistants use medical terminology:

Performed secretarial duties, utilizing knowledge of medical terminology, and clinic, and laboratory procedures.
Review doctor's recommendations with each patient in detail, translating medical terminology for better understanding.

6. Phlebotomy

Here's how medical office assistants use phlebotomy:

Performed medical office duties including checking vital signs, history gathering, phlebotomy, and assisting physician with medical/neurological procedures.
Performed all phlebotomy in office* Scheduling, insurance data entry, and office coverage* Assisted doctor in ultrasound guided procedures

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7. Exam Rooms

An exam room in a hospital is a place where patients are examined by medical representatives. In several cases, the exam room distinguishes the doctor-patient relationship and is a critical component of the overall care process.

Here's how medical office assistants use exam rooms:

Assisted and prepared medical exam rooms including sanitation and sterilization of equipment prior to minor surgeries and patient exams.
Prepared exam rooms between patients; maintained medical supply and/or office supply inventory.

8. Patient Flow

Here's how medical office assistants use patient flow:

Maintain sufficient patient flow by coordinating and monitoring patient schedules; verify insurance coverage and necessary authorization of services.
Coordinate physician schedule and maintain patient flow by communicating patient arrival or delays.

9. EKG

Here's how medical office assistants use ekg:

Provided assistance during medical emergencies and administered EKG.
Conducted preliminary patient screenings by assessing vital signs, recording patient information, preparing patient rooms, and performing EKG tests.

10. Blood Pressure

Here's how medical office assistants use blood pressure:

Blood pressure checks; collected/prepared laboratory specimens.
Assisted and performed numerous medical office procedures such as blood pressure and weight measurements, urinalysis, BTA and Compass scans.

11. Phone Calls

Phone calls are a wireless or wired connection made over a telephone or a mobile phone between two people. Two parties are involved in a phone call, the caller and the receiver. A caller dials the number of the one he wants to call, and the recipient hears a bell or a tune to which he picks up the call. The call establishes a connection between them through which they can communicate. The voice is converted into signals and is transmitted through wired or wireless technology.

Here's how medical office assistants use phone calls:

Perform all administrative duties and day-to-day operations, including answering phone calls, handling all patient documentation and scheduling appointments.
Provided proper disposition of telephone calls received and originated from the practice for coordination of patient appointments and correspondence.

12. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how medical office assistants use data entry:

Maintained organization of all outpatient records including data entry and record analyze for outpatient insurance requirements.
Maintain medical information and data entry in electronic medical records system NUEMD Medical System.

13. Excellent Interpersonal

Here's how medical office assistants use excellent interpersonal:

Maintained excellent interpersonal, project coordination, and vendor management skills.
Greeted patient while using excellent interpersonal skills.

14. Front Desk

Here's how medical office assistants use front desk:

Performed front desk duties and responsibilities including answering phones, scheduling patient's appointment, insurance verification, authorization and referrals.
Front Desk Reception Receive patients upon arrival, verify insurance and billing information Deliver patients to appropriate destination.

15. Insurance Verification

Here's how medical office assistants use insurance verification:

Obtain all insurance verification, maintains calendar reminder for patient's follow-up and communicated with physician regarding schedules and patient messages.
Documented and entered in patient medical information upon check-in, handled patient co-pays, billing, and medical insurance verification.

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What skills help Medical Office Assistants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on medical office assistant resumes?

Marina Orobinskaia

Program Coordinator, Bellevue College

Experience, good program attended.

What soft skills should all medical office assistants possess?

Jamie Myers

Education Program Associate, Allied Health Coordinator, Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton

Critical thinking, problem-solving, dependability.

What hard/technical skills are most important for medical office assistants?

Jamie Myers

Education Program Associate, Allied Health Coordinator, Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton

Computer skills.

What medical office assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Janice Noteboom, MHA/Ed., CMA (AAMA)

Faculty Coordinator of Allied Health/Medical Assistant Program Director, Midstate College

duties vary, depending on the medical office/hospital/urgent/specialty clinics
where they are employed. Below are some specific job duties that are very
common in the day-in-the-life of a Medical Assistant (these duties include, but
are not limited to the following):
 Greeting patients and checking them in at the Waiting room window
 Collecting vital signs from patients
 Answer phones as needed
 Assist with scheduling patient appointments
 Data entry of patient information in an electronic medical record (EMR)
 Using various computer applications
 Transmitting prescription refills
 Insurance coding & billing
 Obtain or completing procedures for preauthorizations/hospital
admissions/outside testing/etc.
 Collecting specimens for Point-of-Care testing or send outs to reference
labs
 Venipuncture/Examination Assistance to provider/other duties as needed

Do you want to know more?

List of medical office assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a medical office assistant resume and required skills for a medical office assistant to have include:

Patients
Patient Care
Vital Signs
Customer Service
Medical Terminology
Phlebotomy
Exam Rooms
Patient Flow
EKG
Blood Pressure
Phone Calls
Data Entry
Excellent Interpersonal
Front Desk
Insurance Verification
Patient Charts

Triage
Office Equipment
Test Results
Patient Referrals
Medical Equipment
CPT
Patient Demographics
Treatment Rooms
Insurance Forms
Telephone Calls
Insurance Coverage
HIPAA
Medical History
Medical Procedures
Patient Examinations
Hippa

Office Procedures
Prescription Refills
Lab Results
Patient Education
Scheduling Patient Appointments
Medical Billing
Patient Data
Insurance Eligibility
Patient Registration
Surgical Procedures
Word Processing
Patient Insurance
ICD-9
Patient History
Computer System

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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