A Medical Assistant Sample Resume – Tips and Guidelines
Having a professional resume is critical when looking for a medical assisting job. Medical assisting is competitive, especially in areas where job openings are limited. Your resume should adequately display your education, skills and abilities and help you stand out from the crowd. Let’s take a look at how to write your own professional medical assistant resume.
Resume Sample
Your resume should reflect the job you’re hoping to get and your related skills and experience. If you are proficient in both administrative and clinical, you can combine all your skills into one resume. Or, focus on either clinical or administrative skills if it is relevant to the job. Below is a professional medical assistant resume sample that focuses on administrative and clinical:
Key Skills:
· Working knowledge of medical terminologies, with key focus on orthopedic terminology
· Proficient in using orthopedic office equipment, including cast cutters and suture/staple removers
· Ability to multitask and manage busy patient loads
· Working knowledge of wound care, including debridement, infection management and bandaging
· Ability to proficiently manage front office responsibilities, including appointment setting, medical insurance and billing and medical records
· Ability to operate autoclaving units and perform instrument sterilization
· Working knowledge of universal precautions and infection control
Educational Qualifications:
· Associate of Applied Science, Medical Assisting; 1996. Commonwealth College, Virginia Beach, VA
· Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate; 2000, WITC, Rice Lake, WI
· Medical Coding Certification, 2005, CPC-H, American Association of Professional Coders
· CPR certified, current, American Heart Association
Experience:
Clinical Medical Assistant, Orthopedics
St. Mary’s Orthopedic Center, Norfolk, VA
2009-Current
Key Responsibilities:
· Provide one-on-one assistance to orthopedic surgeon in a clinic setting
· Rooming patients, collecting vital signs and health histories. Performing preoperative health histories
· Remove staples, sutures and casts. Provide wound care as directed
· Handled narcotic pain medications, prescription refills and worked closely with pharmacy
· Performed in-house autoclaving
· Performed bedside minor surgical assisting
· Handled medical insurance, appointment setting and coordinating medical records
References:
1. Dr. Ryan Oldstadt, M.D
2222 MD Street. Norfolk, VA 22222
(888)555-5555
2. Kathy Nurse, R.N. Nursing Supervisor
1111 Nurse Street. Norfolk, VA 22222
(888) 555-5555
Writing Your Resume
There are many ways to create a resume. If you recently graduated from medical assisting school, you likely learned how to write a professional resume. If you’ve been in the workplace for a while, you may be unsure how to write a resume. Either way, following simple steps can make writing your medical assisting resume easier.
Your resume should contain these essential components:
· Your contact information.
Include your name, address, phone number and email address. This information is placed at the very top of the resume.
· Career Objective
The career objective tells a prospective employer why you are interested in the job and why you’re the best person for it. The career objective should be a personal statement about why you truly feel this job could be the best fit for you and you for the job. In the career objective in the resume sample above, you see the objective is written from a personal viewpoint. Be careful not to use a ‘cookie cutter’ career objective found in many resume samples.
· Key Skills
Include a brief list of your strongest skills, in both clinical and medical assisting if appropriate. Be sure to focus on skills related specifically to the job you’re applying for.
· Education
List relevant post-secondary education related to the job you are applying for. Be sure to list your medical assisting education and any related certifications. If you’ve earned a college degree in another area, which may still be beneficial to your skills, be sure to include it. Be sure to include the name of the college you attended, the year you earned your degree and the type of degree or certificate earned.
· Work Experience
The work experience section allows you to list any relevant work experience for the job in which you are applying. Start with your most recent employment first. Be sure to list the name of your employer, your position and the dates in which you were employed. Don’t feel you need to list all employment; simply stick to your work history related to health and medical assisting. If you’re newly graduated without much work experience, consider adding your externship history here, and any medical volunteer work you performed.
· Relevant certifications, experience or education
Include any additional certifications or continuing education you’ve received in this section. Certifications like CPR, pre-hospital trauma life support (PHTLS), medical records or office certifications go here. Lastly, include two or three professional references.
The Cover Letter
The cover letter accompanies your resume and acts as a brief way to introduce yourself to your prospective employer. A cover letter should be short and to-the-point; no more than one-half to one page in length, or about 3-4 paragraphs. Your cover letter should include why you’re applying for the position and a summary of your work experience, education and skills. Let’s look at a sample cover letter:
Dear (Insert the name of the person you are contacting here. If you don’t know whom to address the cover letter to, call the company and find out. Be sure to spell the name correctly.),
I am applying for the position of orthopedic office coordinator. I’m a highly motivated and reliable CMA with an excellent employment history in orthopedic medical assisting. Most recently, I’ve served as the clinical office manager for a three-physician pediatric orthopedic clinic, for the past three years. My responsibilities include coordinating orthopedic surgeries, providing clinical care for pediatric patients and directly assisting the orthopedists with minor surgery and clinical procedures. I hold several certifications, including medical coding for orthopedic practice and pediatric advanced life support.
You’ll find that my qualifications and work experience make me highly qualified for your open position. I’d be glad to meet with you to further discuss the position and how I can best serve your clinic. Please find the enclosed resume and professional references for your perusal.
I look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to contact me via phone or email, at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Your CMA
Ultimately, take your time when writing your medical assisting resume and cover letter. Keep your resume no longer than 1-2 pages in length, and be sure to paint a clear picture of your skills and abilities. Revise your resume and cover letter as needed to fit the job opportunity you are applying for, for a better chance of landing your dream job!
Learn more about Writing a Medical Assistant Resume
I’m a Medical Assistant graduate but was never hired. It’s been three years now and I really would like to gain employment in the field. I know I would need on-the-job training because I’ve been out for so long. Could I seek some training or shadowing on my own?