medical support assistant interview questions

8 Common Interview Questions for Medical Assistants
  • Tell Me a Little About Yourself. …
  • What Are Your Strengths? …
  • What Are Your Weaknesses? …
  • How Much Experience Do You Have? …
  • Tell Me About a Difficult Situation You Have Been in at Work and How You Handled It. …
  • Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years? …
  • Why Do You Want to Work Here?

A medical assistant is someone who provides support to health care professionals in a clinical setting. When hiring for this position, employers are looking for someone with a basic medical background and a willingness to learn. They need an individual who can carefully follow directions and provide excellent patient care. In this article, we help you prepare for an interview for this role by sharing common medical assistant interview questions and sample answers.

Medical Support Assistant Interview Questions

How do you ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained?

Indicates the candidates knowledge and understanding of the medical industrys rules and regulations.

Interview Questions for Medical Support Assistants:

Illustrates the candidates communication and customer service skills.

Have you ever assisted with any medical office procedures?

Showcases the candidates work history and their experience with medical situations or terminology.

Interviews for Top Jobs at US Department of Veterans Affairs

Medical Support Assistant Interview

Application

I interviewed at US Department of Veterans Affairs (East Orange, NJ)

Interview

Didn’t have a interview. Was by name selected due to an internship completed within the department. Onoboarding is a long process. HR seemed clueless at times. Entire process from job offer to first day took 4 months.

Interview Questions

  • Provide two words to describe yourself

Medical Support Assistant Interview

Application

I applied online. I interviewed at US Department of Veterans Affairs

Interview

Performance based questions. You can look up online to prepare. The interview is structured and limited to a certain time. It typically three or four questions from a panel. Make sure to answer every part of each questioned asked.

Interview Questions

  • Tell us about a time where you had to make a difficult decision. What did you do? What was the outcome?

Jobs similar to medical assistants

If youre interested in the medical industry, there are many positions that you can consider. Heres a list of 10 jobs that are similar to medical assistants:

1. Physician

2. Nurse

3. Nurse practitioner

4. Physicians assistant

5. Hospital administrator

6. Nurse administrator

7. Hospital receptionist

8. Medical biller

9. Medical technologist

10. Hospital security officer

Interview questions with sample answers

Use these interview questions with sample answers to guide your own responses:

Do you have strong computer skills?

A medical assistant may be responsible for filling out and billing patient forms, administering patient prescription refills and inputting patients information. All of these tasks require you to have computer skills, which is why an employer may ask this question. If you are looking into a medical assistant position, you want to be able to quickly adapt to new computer software and systems. In your answer, explain what previous computer experience you have. Its especially impressive if this experience is in a healthcare setting. Show the employer that you are a quick learner.

Example: “In my previous role as a medical receptionist, I learned how to operate a variety of medical software systems quite well. We even went through an entire system transition, and I found it quite easy to adapt to an entirely new system. Along with navigating a computer well, I have really good typing skills. I timed myself and found out that I can type an average of 60 words per minute. I also have a lot of experience typing data into spreadsheets, which I understand is important for this job.”

In-depth questions

Employers ask in-depth questions to learn your strategies for success if you were to work for them:

  • If you were to get this job, would you be able to follow the HIPAA guidelines?
  • How do you stay motivated during long shifts?
  • What steps do you use to stay calm when working with a difficult patient?
  • How would you ensure a patient is complying with our procedures?
  • What do you hope to learn in this role?
  • What value would you add to our team?
  • What would you do if a physician is falling behind schedule?
  • How would you help a nervous patient feel comfortable?
  • How would you accommodate a patient with disabilities?
  • What would you do if a fellow staff member was breaking the HIPAA guidelines?
  • Why do you want to work in health care?

    An employer might ask you this question to learn more about your interest in this field. While some people choose to work as a medical assistant for their entire career, many others use it as a career stepping stone. This question helps employers understand your intentions for wanting to work in this challenging yet rewarding environment. Before your interview, take some time to reflect on why you want to work in healthcare. Rather than discussing high wages or job security, try to provide an answer that is a bit more wholesome. Explain why you like working with patients.

    Example: “I got into healthcare because I enjoy being around people. I love getting to hear each patients stories and learn a little bit about their lives as I check them in and get their vitals. Having a job where I get to talk to patients all day long is a good fit for me. I also have always loved science, especially biology and anatomy. As I pursue nursing school, I feel like this job would teach me a lot about patient care. I would love the opportunity to work alongside doctors and nurses.”

    Questions about experience and background

    Employers ask these questions to see if you have enough relevant experience for their position:

  • How much health care experience do you have?
  • Are you comfortable answering phones and greeting guests?
  • Tell me about any phlebotomy training you might have.
  • What experience do you have taking patients vitals?
  • Are your CPR, emergency treatment and AED certifications current?
  • Do you have any experience with medical billing and coding?
  • Do you have experience working with prescriptions?
  • What is your favorite part of being a medical assistant?
  • What is your least favorite part of being a medical assistant?
  • Do you plan to complete any continuing education?
  • FAQ

    How do I pass a medical assistant interview?

    Tips to Prepare for Your Medical Assistant Interview
    1. Research the company. …
    2. Compare the job requirements with your skills and experience. …
    3. Prepare answers to common interview questions. …
    4. Plan what you’ll bring with you. …
    5. Plan what you’ll wear. …
    6. Be mindful of nonverbal communication. …
    7. Follow up with your own questions.

    What are the duties of a medical support assistant?

    As a medical support assistant, you’ll perform clerical and office duties and provide customer service. You’ll answer phones, greet Veteran patients, schedule appointments and consults, help determine a clinic’s daily needs, verify and update insurance information, and more.

    How do I prepare for a support worker interview?

    Top 10 Support Worker Interview Questions and Answers
    1. Can you tell me about yourself? …
    2. What is your interpretation of a Support Workers role? …
    3. What would you bring to the position? …
    4. What was a challenging experience you encountered and how did you deal with it? …
    5. How do you assess a client’s needs?

    What are your strengths medical assistant?

    Pick one or two strengths that are important for the job, such as communication skills, empathy, ability to handle both administrative and clinical duties, responsibility, patience, etc, and one weakness that either isn’t central for the job, or you can quite easily improve on it.

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