My Day as a Medical Assistant
This past summer going into my junior year, I worked as a medical assistant at a dermatology practice. The experience was nothing short of amazing—reassuring me that the medical field is where I belong. I went in with a curiosity to learn from the bottom and gained so much more than I expected.
My day started bright and early—a frightening 7 a.m! As a college student who hadn't woken up before 9:30 a.m. in years, I was nervous about the first alarm. Luckily, my nerves were enough to jolt me out of bed. I slipped on my scrubs and headed out the door. I was surrounded by a wonderful staff, which was another great perk of this job. It truly takes a team to run a practice. I greeted my fellow medical assistants, as well as the doctor and physician assistant on duty for the day.
Immediately after clocking in, our first patients were already waiting eagerly in the lobby to be taken into the exam room. While some mornings I just wanted to sit down and wake up slowly, other times I’d make sure to grab the patient’s data sheet so I could room the first one.
Before rooming a patient, we logged into our electronic medical record system to see who had checked in for the day. From there, I clicked on the patient I was going to see and ensured their medications, allergies, and personal/familial skin disease history were up to date. Once I confirmed everything based on the sheet they filled out in the waiting room, I called their name and brought them into the exam room.
This is where I introduced myself and explained who I was working with. I confirmed their date of birth and asked them about their concerns, or “chief complaint.” I then presented this information to the provider, and we went back in together to address the issue.
My favorite part of the day was scrubbing into surgeries. We typically performed 1-3 surgeries a day, each lasting thirty minutes to an hour. Though I fainted during the first surgery I observed, I quickly overcame that fear and grew to love assisting in surgeries. It’s definitely not for the weak-stomached!
After seeing over 60 patients a day, I clocked out around 5 p.m.
If you are also interested in the medical field, my advice is to get a job where you can have a hands-on role in your future career. While I’ve always loved the idea of becoming a doctor or a PA, I had never truly experienced what it would be like. This summer gave me that opportunity, and the reassurance that I am on the right path is incredibly comforting.