Transferable Skills for Medical Office Administrators

The healthcare industry is one of the most rapidly expanding sectors of the U.S. economy. An aging population and various other factors are driving high demand for people to fill healthcare jobs – not just physician and nurse positions, but also the many supporting roles which are essential in allowing our healthcare system to function smoothly and provide effective care to patients. One such position is that of medical office administrator. In this article, we’ll explain what medical office administration professionals do and how the skills that you depend on in this role will serve you well even if you decide to follow a career path outside the healthcare industry. 

Medical Office Administrator Job Description 

In doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics, outpatient care centers, and other medical facilities, a medical office administrator takes on a wide variety of duties which allow other professionals to devote more of their attention to purely clinical tasks.  

This can include checking in patients for appointments, scheduling new appointments, processing insurance payments, and helping patients record their medical histories. They might also answer phones, order supplies, handle mail, and carry out other routine office tasks. 

Medical Office Administrator Skills 

Success as a medical office administrator requires a certain degree of understanding of medical terminology and processes. However, many of the most important skills that you utilize on a daily basis in a medical office administrator position will translate well into jobs in other industries. Let’s take a look at some of them. 

1. Representing the Company 

As a medical office administrator, you might be the first person that a patient interacts with upon arriving at the facility to receive care. It’s important that you project a friendly demeanor that makes a good first impression. You’ll also be interacting with patients to handle matters related to billing and scheduling, and you’ll need to be professional and attentive in these interactions as well. The interpersonal skills you develop in these tasks will serve you well in any role where you represent your employer to customers.  

2. Communicating Effectively 

Medical office administrators need to be able to communicate well with colleagues and patients in a work environment that can be fast paced. They need to be able to understand sometimes complex medical information and synthesize it down to its essentials in simple terms. Being able to communicate well is a universally applicable job skill.  

3. Getting the Details Right 

Medical office administrators often have to take down patient medical histories, update patient records, and process billing and insurance claims. These are duties where attention to detail is important because mistakes can lead to wasted time and frustrated patients, or possibly even errors in the care patients receive. Being detail-oriented will give superiors, colleagues, and clients confidence in you in any job environment. 

4. Being Able to Multi-Task 

As you might have guessed, medical office administrators often have to juggle different responsibilities. The ability to smoothly adapt to changing priorities and switch from one task to another while handling everything with equal competence and efficiency is another characteristic that will be invaluable in a wide variety of jobs. 

Becoming a Medical Office Administrator 

Pursuing a job in medical office administration opens up opportunities in the expanding healthcare industry, and it will also help you learn skills that employers look for and which you’ll be able to rely on wherever your career takes you.  

The Institute of Medical and Business Careers (IMBC) offers a medical office administration training program which can have you prepared to work in this role in as little as nine months. Students have the option to attend classes on-campus, take a mix of on-campus and online classes, or complete the program entirely online. 

If you want to start an exciting new career in healthcare and build important, universally applicable job skills, contact IMBC to learn more about our medical office administration program today!