CSP Mini-Lesson 15, Spring 2008
Mini-Lesson Standards: (1) Use appropriate communication techniques with different
groups. (2) Match non-verbal and verbal feedback to the circumstances. (3) Show
courtesy and respect to customers and clients.
Mini-Lesson Correlations: Communication, English, customer service
The Doctor’s Right Arm
Medical assistants are so important in doctors’ offices that they are often called the
doctor’s right arm. Some medical assistants like to work in the clinic with patients
(known as the “back office”), and others prefer to handle administrative tasks, such as
billing insurance companies, making appointments, and organizing medical records (called
“front office” tasks).
Depending on the assigned responsibilities, a medical assistant may prepare
patients for examinations, assist during exams, develop X-rays, sterilize equipment, use
medical diagnosis and procedure codes for billing, schedule appointments, answer the
telephone, and update and file medical records. All medical assistants communicate with
patients.
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Page 1 of 14
The Doctor’s Right Arm (Continued)
They must be very careful never to divulge confidential information from the patient’s
chart. They use medical terms during their work each day.
Medical assisting is one of the fastest-growing career areas and many jobs are
expected to be available in the future.
What skills and personal qualities do you believe are necessary in order to be a
successful medical assistant?
Skills needed by a medical assistant:
Personal characteristics needed by a
medical assistant
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Doctor’s Office
Patients and other telephone callers to the doctor’s office may be anxious, upset, or ill.
Circle the most appropriate telephone manner for a medical assistant to use and draw a
box around the least appropriate.
a.
Cool and reserved
b.
Hearty and outgoing
c.
Warm and caring
d.
Formal and detached
Repeat That, Please
Doctors take only emergency calls and want the medical assistant to screen other calls.
When taking messages, a medical assistant tries to obtain all the information the doctor
needs. In the telephone call below, an insistent and difficult patient calls the office.
The patient’s portion of the conversation is given. Write what you will say in an attempt
to obtain the information.
Do not allow the patient to speak to the doctor. Ask what the symptoms are, when
they started, whether pain is present, and what the patient has done for the problem to
this point. Tell the patient that you will be happy to ask the doctor to call back when he
finishes examining the patient he is with presently.
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Repeat That, Please (Continued)
Patient:
“This is _______________. I need to talk to Dr. Barash.”
You:
“Is this an emergency?”
Patient:
“No, but I’m leaving the house, and I want to talk to Dr. Barash before I
go.”
You:
_______________________________________________________
Patient:
“You aren’t listening to me. I want to talk to the doctor now because I won’t
be at home later.
You:
________________________________________________________
Patient:
“Just put me through to him. I’ve been his patient for ten years, and
I know he would want to talk to me.”
You:
_______________________________________________________
Patient:
“What is your name?” The doctor’s not going to be happy when I tell him
you wouldn’t let me talk to him.
You:
_______________________________________________________
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Empathy Needed
Medical assistants often encounter patients who are in pain or scared. Two such
patients are described below. Write a few lines to describe what you will say to each
patient. You must be empathetic (putting yourself in the patient’s place) without
providing any specific medical information. Be kind and courteous, without being pitying.
Patient: My husband is having some tests done and I’m waiting. I’m nervous about his
condition. He doesn’t look good to me. He says he feels okay, but I think he’s just trying
to keep me from being worried. His father died of a heart attack at 57, and my husband
is already 56. I see his chart on your counter. Will you let me review it? I’d like to see
what the doctor thinks may be wrong with my husband.
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Page 5 of 14
Empathy Needed (Continued)
Patient: My baby isn’t walking yet, and she’s eleven months old. My friend’s baby is only
ten months’, and she’s already walking. She’s my first child, and I’m worried about her.
It seems like she cries too much and sometimes she doesn’t eat well.
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Page 6 of 14
It’s Greek to Me
Many scientific and medical terms are based on Latin and Greek. If you can recognize
the Latin and Greek root words in these terms, you can usually figure out the meaning of
the words.
Using a dictionary, the library, or the Internet as a resource, find the Latin and
Greek roots in the following list of words. Give the definition of the word, identify the
root word, and supply the definition of the root word. An example is given.
Latin or
1.
2.
3.
4.
Definition
Word
Definition
Greek Root Word
dehydrate
To remove water from
Latin
de
away
Greek
hydor
water
keloid
of Root Word
________________
______________
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________________
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________________
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________________
______________
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hypodermic ________________
______________
___________
________________
______________
___________
pharmacy
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It’s Greek to Me (Continued)
Latin or
5.
6.
7.
Definition
Word
Definition
Greek Root Word
of Root Word
dysentery
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________________
______________
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centigrade
postnasal
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Instructor’s Guide
Careers in almost any medical field are plentiful, and medical assisting is no exception.
Some medical assistants like “to see the blood.” These are the ones who prefer a job on
the clinical side. Others prefer to spend their time on office operations, and still
others like to work in a small medical office where they can perform both types of
duties. One way to expand the lesson is to ask students to describe some of their
personal characteristics and to analyze which side of medical assisting would best fit
their personalities. Suggest that the students meet in small groups and decide which
type of medical assisting career would be most suitable for each member of the group.
To help students understand the stress that many people feel in a doctor’s office,
ask a few class members who dread seeing the doctor to describe how they feel when
they enter a medical office. Then ask volunteers to suggest what a medical assistant can
do to help relieve these feelings. On the other side, ask students who never worry about
visiting the doctor to describe ways that they can pass along their attitude to other
students.
For more information on the career of medical assisting, invite students to visit the Web
site below:
http://www.medicalassistant.net/
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Instructor’s Guide (Continued)
A portion of this week’s Mini-Lesson is taken from Hands-on-Academics, Series I-English.
Hands-on-Academics consists of lessons on 64 popular careers and can be purchased in
formats for: (1) general career courses, (2) academic courses (English, math, science,
social studies), or (3) career cluster programs. For more information about Hands-onAcademics, or other CSP products, please visit our Web site where you can request free
sample products be mailed to your office.
www.careersolutionspublishing.com
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Page 10 of 14
Solutions to Activities
The Doctor’s Right Arm
Skills needed by a Medical Assistant
Characteristics needed by a Medical Assistant
Basic understanding of medical terminology
Cooperation
Knowledge on how to work well with patients
A caring attitude
Understanding of sterilization procedures
Interest in people
Billing and insurance knowledge
Team player
Telephone etiquette
Respect for others
Organization skills
Confidentiality
Doctor’s Office
Most appropriate: Warm and caring
Least appropriate: Formal and detached, or cool and reserved
Repeat That, Please
Suggested answers are given. Other answers are appropriate.
Patient:
“This is _______________. I need to talk to Dr. Barash.”
You:
“Is this an emergency?”
Patient:
“No, but I’ m leaving the house, and I want to talk to Dr. Barash before I
go.”
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Solutions to Activities (Continued)
Repeat That, Please (Continued)
You:
“The doctor is with a patient at the moment. I will be happy to ask him to
call you back. Or I can take a message and give it to him.”
Patient:
“You aren’t listening to me. I want to talk to the doctor now because I won’t
be home later.
You:
“I am sorry, but the doctor has asked me not to interrupt him when he’s
with a patient unless there is an emergency. Will you tell me the reason for
your call?
Patient:
“Just put me through to him. I’ve been his patient for ten years, and
know he would want to talk to me.”
You:
“If you will you tell me when you will be returning home, I’ll put a note on his
desk immediately telling him that you need to talk with him.”
Patient:
“What is your name?” The doctor’s not going to be happy when I tell him
you wouldn’t let me talk to him.”
You:
“My name is _______________, and I know the doctor will be happy to
talk with you. Will you give me your number, please?
The medical assistant graciously says, “Thank you for calling” at the end of the
conversation.
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Solutions to Activities (Continued)
Empathy Needed
Patient: My husband is having some tests done.
Tests are the way the doctor has of finding out if your husband is healthy or has a
medical problem. Very often, tests come back negative, and the patient goes home in
perfect health. The doctor is just taking a precaution. Unfortunately, the patient’s folder
is confidential and only the doctor can share its contents.
Patient: My baby isn’t walking yet.
Babies walk, talk, eat, and sleep at different months of development. Your baby seems
happy and healthy, so I’m guessing that she’s perfectly fine. Let’s see what the doctor
says.
It’s Greek to Me
1. Dehydrate: to remove water from

Greek: hydor, which means “water”

Latin: de, which means “away”
2. Keloid: a tumor like growth of scar tissue

Greek: kel, which means “tumor”

Latin: eidos, which means “form”
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Solutions to Activities (Continued)
It’s Greek to Me (Continued)
3. Pharmacy: dispensing drugs

Greek: pharmakon, which means “drug”
4. Hypodermic: applied beneath the skin

Greek: hypo, which means “under”

Greek: derma, which means “skin”
5. Dysentery: intestinal disorder

Greek: dys, which means “difficult, disordered”

Greek: enteron, which means “intestine”
6. Centigrade: contains 100 gradations

Latin: centum, which means “one hundred”

Latin: gradus, which means “a step”
7. Postnasal: behind the nose

Latin: post, which means “after”

Greek: nasus, which means “nose”
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