We surveyed 8,685 medical assistants to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical medical assistant. Here are the results.
How much intelligence is required as a medical assistant?
Low
High
Working as a medical assistant typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.
Can I learn to become a medical assistant?
Intrinsic Talent
Acquired Talent
A career as a medical assistant typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.
Is it easy to get a job as a medical assistant?
Easy
Hard
It’s typically difficult to find a job as a medical assistant. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for medical assistants.
Do medical assistants work full-time or part-time?
77% of medical assistants work in full-time roles while 23% work part-time.
Is being a medical assistant stressful?
Low
High
Stress is not uncommon amongst medical assistants, with daily work sometimes being quite demanding.
Is being organized important as a medical assistant?
Low
High
Organization is considered a very important trait for medical assistants, and is critical to success in the field.
How competitive is the workplace for medical assistants?
Low
High
Competition at work is not common for medical assistants.
Does being a medical assistant require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?
Low
High
Medical assistants will have to sometimes face time pressure on the job.
Are medical assistants allowed to express themselves creatively?
Low
High
Medical assistants rarely get a chance to express themselves creatively.
Do medical assistants have control over the direction of their work?
Low
High
Medical assistants tend to have a set and inflexible work schedule that they are unable to deviate from too much.
Is being a medical assistant physically demanding?
Low
High
Being a medical assistant may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.
Are medical assistants exposed to a wide variety of work?
Low
High
The workload of a medical assistant changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.
Does being a medical assistant require attention to detail?
Low
High
Attention to detail is a vital skill for medical assistants, as small mistakes can make or break one's ability to succeed in the career.
Does being a good medical assistant require compassion and empathy?
Low
High
Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a medical assistant.