Medical assistant careers are in high demand across the country. Even so, getting your first position without any prior experience can be challenging. Newly certified medical assistants must be creative in order to stand out against other applicants. With Prism Career Institute, find out how to get noticed by employers with expert healthcare resume writing tips for medical assistants.
Key Takeaways
- Write a strong resume objective that tells employers why you are interested and how you would be a valuable addition to the team.
- Demonstrate your well-rounded skillset and bypass trackers by highlighting a combination of clinical training, administrative expertise, and soft skills.
- List your externship experience to demonstrate prior experience and provide helpful references.
What Is a Good Resume Objective for an MA?
The resume objective is a concise paragraph at the top of your resume that describes your reason for choosing the medical assistant career path. Employers receive numerous applications, especially for desirable positions like medical assistant. The resume objective is the first thing they see, so a substantial one will help you stand out. A solid objective requires only a few sentences:
- An introduction that lists your strengths and skills
- A statement about why you are interested in the MA position
- A conclusion explaining how your skills would be a valuable addition to the team
Take your time to craft a strong resume objective. This is a valuable opportunity for you to make an impression on a prospective employer. If you show them how your skills, education, and enthusiasm will benefit the position, you will have an advantage over other applicants.
What Skills Should You List on a Medical Assistant Resume?
Next, it’s time to tell employers what you are capable of. Healthcare employers look for a combination of clinical, administrative, and soft skills. By emphasizing all three, you establish yourself as a well-rounded candidate who is equipped to handle all aspects of a dynamic job. You also stand out on applicant tracking systems that look for specific resume keywords.
Clinical Skills
Your clinical skills are what you use while providing patient care. While medical assistants aren’t as involved in the clinic as practical nurses, they still perform basic tasks to assist nurses and physicians. Medical assistant clinical duties may include:
- Vital signs assessment
- Specimen collection and processing
- Patient preparation and rooming
- Wound care and dressing changes
- Sterilization and infection control
Administrative Skills
Medical assistants also play a role in administration. Accurate and efficient administration is essential to delivering a smooth patient experience without avoidable delays in their care. Some phrases to use include:
- Electronic health records (EHR) systems
- Medical coding basics
- Insurance verification
- Insurance pre-authorizations
- Patient scheduling and registration
- Medical record confidentiality
- HIPAA compliance
Soft Skills
Medical assistants deal with all kinds of people every day. They need to be empathetic, compassionate, and professional, so that patients trust them to deliver a high standard of care. When discussing soft skills, use words and phrases such as:
- Patient communication and education
- Multitasking and time management
- Active listening
- Attention to detail
- Team collaboration
- Conflict resolution
Should You Include Your Medical Assistant Externship?
Finally, list your medical assisting experience. If you’re just starting out, you won’t have much to name. This is where your externship comes in handy. Your medical assistant externship is a valuable chance to gain experience before entering the workforce. That experience isn’t just to help you build hands-on skills and confidence; it’s also a great addition to your resume.
If this is your first time getting a medical assistant job, then listing your externship is a good choice. The externship tells employers that you have at least some workplace experience. It also gives them contacts who can provide more information about your performance. Make sure you correctly label your position as an extern for a specific department or specialty. If properly listed, the externship will remain a helpful listing until its place can be filled by full-time roles.
Let Prism Career Institute Help You Build the Perfect Resume
Your resume is the first impression you make. Prism Career Institute’s career services team provides invaluable healthcare resume writing tips to help students highlight their skills and get noticed by top employers. Contact us today to speak with an admissions advisor or to enroll in one of our programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as Cherry Hill and West Atlantic City, New Jersey.
FAQs about Healthcare Resume Writing Tips
How should I list my certifications on a healthcare resume?
You should list your primary healthcare certifications immediately following your name in the resume header. Additional certifications can go in a dedicated “Certifications and Licenses” section at the bottom. Always spell out the full certification title, issuing organization, issuing date, and expiration.
What keywords should I include on my resume to get noticed by healthcare recruiters?
To find resume keywords, look up medical assistant job listings to see how they describe the skills required. Matching job listings is a good way to make sure your resume gets through the filters.
What is the ideal length for a medical assistant resume?
The ideal length for a resume is one page. By keeping all information on a single page, you make it easy for employers to skim your skills and certifications while determining your suitability as a candidate.