Medical assistant virtual jobs are abundant nowadays. This is a highly sought and in-demand position given the landscape of the healthcare industry today. More and more practices and medical professionals require virtual medical assistants’ services. They have become more than just assets, they’re almost becoming a necessary addition to their workforce.
Virtual medical assistants can be incredibly multifaceted. They handle various administrative tasks ranging from answering incoming telephone calls and emails to researching information for their doctors. They can be customer service representatives and research assistants wrapped in one profession. Every medical office in the world strives better when a virtual medical assistant is helping them.
Job Market Overview
There is no better time than today to become a medical virtual assistant. However, this position is also incredibly competitive. If you peruse the job market for medical virtual assistant jobs, you’ll have that, while there are a lot of positions open and many doctors and organizations are hiring, there are also many applicants vying for these positions.
Due to this role’s high demand, there are a lot of medical virtual assistants out there. After all, despite the high-pressure environment and skill required to excel in this career, it is also high-paying and the benefits are incredible.
Many medical virtual assistants today are exceptionally skilled and experienced. However, this does not automatically that any newcomer has no chance of entering the workforce. In fact, this is far from the case.
There are many employers out there who are hiring entry-level medical virtual assistants. Like new assistants, these employers are also new to this innovation. A vast majority of those who are hiring entry-level assistants have never worked with a virtual assistant in the past. Consider this as an opportunity for you to enter the industry and gain experience.
With that said, you can be a virtual medical assistant no matter your experience and skill level. All it takes is a bit of training, dedication, and of course, knowledge.
Types of Medical Assistant Virtual Jobs
If you are considering joining the healthcare world as a virtual assistant, you should know that there are different kinds of medical virtual assistant job types out there. While a medical virtual assistant can be multifaceted and diverse, some positions call for more specialized roles and skills.
Many employers out there only need assistance in particular areas of their practice, thus the existence of these roles. This is great for those who are exceptional in one aspect of the job, but middling in others.
With that said, take a look at the types of virtual medical assistant jobs that are open today and see which ones fit you most.
Virtual receptionist
A virtual receptionist is in charge of handling a doctor’s customer service. They are required to have excellent communication skills, high empathy, and extreme patience. The medical field can be a rough industry considering it deals with people who are going through health-related problems. A virtual receptionist needs to be able to handle these patients with empathy and care.
On top of answering and directing patient phone calls and emails, a virtual receptionist also handles assisting in referrals and medical record requests. However, the biggest aspect of this job is handling appointments and responding to inquiries.
Administrative assistant
An administrative assistant handles the tasks done by doctors that do not concern clinical tasks or patient care. Doctors spend a lot of time doing paperwork and completing administrative tasks for their practice. An administrative assistant removes this burden from the doctor so they can focus on their patients, and even their personal lives.
This job includes tasks such as collecting patient demographics, data entry, gathering insurance details, chart preparation, collecting and forwarding PHI (patient health information), and productivity management, among a few others.
Virtual medical scribe
Virtual medical scribes create SOAP notes for doctors during patient encounters such as appointments and procedures. Scribes are needed to provide clinical documentation so that the doctors can give their patients their full and undivided attention during these said encounters.
This job is particularly tricky. This requires machine-like precision and accuracy. The documentation needs to be perfectly accurate down to the last letter. That said, this job is best suited for those who have excellent listening skills and keen attention to detail.
Medical biller
A medical biller handles a doctor’s financial transactions and insurance matters. They create invoices for patients and clients and make sure everything is accounted for. On top of that, medical billers ensure that a patient’s insurance policy is active and that their information is accurate and up to date.
They also handle the submission of claims and mitigate disputes whenever they arise. It is the duty of a medical biller to maximize revenue generation while also minimizing the claim rejection rate.
Remote patient monitoring officer
While somewhat similar to a virtual receptionist, a remote patient monitoring officer’s job is a tad more specific. They provide remote support and education to a doctor’s patients. They are responsible for giving answers to whatever questions a patient may have regarding procedure, medication, diagnosis, and more.
A remote patient monitoring officer is also in charge of keeping track of a patient’s health progress outside of the hospital. They communicate with patients to keep track of their recovery, medication needs, and potential setbacks.
All-around virtual medical assistant
While specialized roles and positions exist, many doctors also require the services of an all-around virtual medical assistant. This is the most common and sought-after position in the field. All-around medical assistants handle everything from customer service to administrative tasks. They collect messages for doctors and ensure their office is meeting productivity standards.
All-around virtual medical assistants are responsible for a vast majority of a doctor’s practice. Anyone who manages this position needs to have the proper abilities and qualifications to do this job well.
Required Qualifications
Becoming a virtual medical assistant, let alone excelling at it, is no simple feat. This requires great skill and a multitude of qualifications. There are certain abilities and requirements one will need to have and acquire before they can join the healthcare workforce as a virtual medical assistant.
Considering that, before you create job alert notifications and apply for medical assistant positions, make sure you meet these qualifications first.
Technological fluency
When you become a virtual medical assistant, you will need to handle various software and applications for your client. It is an absolute must for a medical assistant to be well-versed and knowledgeable in these software and applications.
You’ll be using various word-processing applications and third-party software to handle scheduling appointments, medical records, security management, and more. That said, you’ll need to be technologically fluent if you’re to become a virtual medical assistant. You’ll need to adapt to new technology and understand them quickly to get your job done efficiently.
Certifications
Medical assistant jobs don’t always call for a degree. However, certification is another story. Certified medical assistants gain more traction and receive more jobs than non-certified ones. That said, you’ll want to take up online classes and courses and receive medical virtual assistant certification to make yourself more qualified for the job.
A certification makes you more attractive to doctors and employers. This shows you are a willful learner and you have taken the initiative to educate yourself before entering the industry.
Excellent communication skills
Communication plays a huge part in this job. After all, you’ll be in charge of answering incoming telephone calls and emails for your doctor as a virtual assistant in the medical field. Your customer support services call for this skill. Your daily tasks require you to communicate with patients and collaborate with peers and other healthcare practitioners.
That said, hone your communication skills. Learn how to speak to every person from every demographic. Learn how to be a better listener. Most importantly, learn how to use language efficiently so that anyone you speak with is able to understand you more easily.
Time management
A virtual assistant role is a remote position. This gives you the freedom to work anywhere you want, even at home. Remote work gives you a lot of leeway and freedom. However, it also comes with its caveats. For one, it’s easy to lose grasp of time when you do work from a remote location compared to working in an office.
That said, if you’re to become effective in this role, you’ll need to have excellent time management. Your employers should never have to call on you when you’re needed and being late for anything is never an option.
Accuracy and efficiency
The support services you provide in your job require you to be accurate and efficient at all times. You handle a lot of sensitive information all the time. A minor mistake can have major repercussions when you work in this industry. Failure, no matter how little, should never happen.
This is an ability you develop over time rather than learn overnight. However, it is also something you’ll have to actively keep in mind as you go through your days as a virtual assistant in the medical world. Every employer will require this skill when they hire assistants.
The ability to work under pressure
The medical field is a high-pressure environment. If you’re unable to work under pressure, you will cave easily and will not survive in this role. That said, be prepared for any situation and work as usual no matter how high-pressure a situation can be.
This is an industry that handles the lives and welfare of others. It is the primary care of doctors and healthcare professionals to ensure that everything goes well, from top to bottom, no matter what scenario arises. This includes you. You’ll need to be able to work under pressure for the sake of your doctor’s patients and overall practice.
Adaptability
The medical field is no stranger to change. It is a fluid industry that sees change and innovation on a regular basis. Practices, regulations, procedures, medicine, and tools change all the time. Virtual medical assistants need to be able to adapt to these changes quickly without compromising work quality.
This too is an ability that is learned over time and is gained through experience. However, adaptability is also acquired through anticipation and willingness. Whenever change arises in the job, a virtual assistant must be willing to adapt. They must be willing to learn new information and apply them accordingly.
Security awareness
Security is of paramount importance in the medical industry. Data and information must be retrieved through only secure means and avenues. Quality measures must always be taken whenever protected health information and sensitive patient data are handled.
These regulations are to protect the patients and the doctor’s practice. HIPAA regulations are put in place to ensure the safety and security of the patients’ information. A virtual assistant needs to be aware of these regulations.
Multitasking
If your aim is to be an all-around virtual medical assistant, you’ll have to be capable of multitasking. There will be days when you’ll be handling a plethora of tasks and jobs at once. You’ll be assigned to do data entry as well as manage phone calls and emails at the same time.
This is commonplace in this industry and this role. As a virtual assistant, you will be asked to complete many tasks in a short amount of time, which means you’ll have to do multiple tasks at once to meet deadlines. It can be intensely grueling, but you can handle the job easier when you’re able to multitask without issue.
Experience in the medical field
While this one isn’t particularly necessary, many doctors and employers seek the services of a virtual assistant who has experience in the medical field. Many virtual medical assistants today are former nurses, pharmacy techs, medical students, and more.
However, as mentioned, this isn’t necessary. If you do not have experience in the medical field, you can still penetrate this industry through skill, certification, and the connection to proper networks.
How to Apply for Virtual Medical Assistant Jobs
Past knowing the roles and qualifications, your next step in this process is to look for positions you can apply to. Thankfully, in this day and age, there are a lot of avenues for you to choose from.
With that said, complete your certifications, ready your curriculum vitae, and explore the following avenues so you can become a virtual assistant in the medical field today.
Search for online job boards
One quick and easy way to apply for virtual assistant jobs is to go through online job boards. There are a lot of websites online you can explore for jobs. These websites also allow you to enable job alert notifications so that you can immediately know whenever a position becomes available.
Join virtual assistant groups
There are virtual assistant groups on various social media platforms you can join. These groups are filled with notices, job offers, and advice from other virtual assistants on how you can earn a position for yourself. On top of that, joining a virtual assistant group online also allows you to network with other people in this career. It’s a good avenue for you to learn the ins and outs of the industry if you’re new to this world.
Create an online presence
It’s best for you to create an online presence for yourself when you become a virtual assistant. Websites such as LinkedIn and Facebook are good places for you to create a platform for yourself. Give yourself online visibility and allow yourself to be seen by doctors who are looking for virtual assistants more easily. This avenue also allows you to network directly with healthcare professionals.
Join a medical virtual assistant agency
One of the best ways to earn a position as a virtual assistant is to join a virtual assistant agency. You won’t have to explore job boards yourself, you won’t have to look out for job alert notifications, and you won’t have to compete with other VAs to apply for a position. On top of that, you’ll receive proper training and education for your career ahead.
VMeDx, for example, will train you and prepare you better for the role you will handle down the road. On top of that, we will also look for doctors for you to work with. We will pair you with the right doctors so that your abilities and talents are utilized to their full potential.
Conclusion
Becoming a virtual assistant is a grand undertaking. However, this job can be incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. It will treat you amazingly as long as you are willing and able to learn and excel in this industry.
That said, if you want to become a medical virtual assistant today, join VMeDx and we will shape you to be the best virtual assistant you can be. Receive proper training and education and be paired with the perfect doctor to work for. Don’t wait too long. There are positions out there that are longing to be filled. Make sure it is you who takes that position by starting as quickly as possible.