To write a great medical assistant cover letter, demonstrate your ability to interface effectively with patients, physicians, and multidisciplinary teams in fast-paced clinical environments. Tell your unique story within the medical field, emphasizing how your professional values align with the organization’s culture and mission statement. This guide provides examples and expert tips to help you craft a winning medical assistant cover letter and land your next job interview.
Medical Assistant Resume Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
How To Write a Medical Assistant Cover Letter
Writing a great medical assistant cover letter can often be difficult, as day-to-day job responsibilities tend to be similar for these types of roles. To make a positive impression on the hiring manager, emphasize how your contributions have positively impacted patients and medical teams for previous organizations. Below, we’ll provide additional guidance to help you craft each section of your medical assistant cover letter:
1. Contact information and salutation
List all essential contact information at the top of your medical assistant cover letter, including your name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn URL. Be sure to address the hiring manager by name — Mr. or Ms. [Last Name]. If you can’t find the hiring manager’s name, use a variation of “Dear Hiring Manager.” Avoid salutations such as “To Whom It May Concern,” as these types of greetings are generally considered outdated.
2. Introduction
Craft a powerful opening paragraph to introduce yourself and convey your interest in the job at the start of your medical assistant cover letter. Feature one or two notable achievements to draw the reader in and entice them to read further. Be sure to emphasize key clinical skills and medical terminology that match the job description. For instance, if a hospital is focused on evidence-based care, feature this skill set directly in your introduction.
In the example below, the candidate focuses on their experience interfacing with patients across a wide range of ages and demographics. They also emphasize their ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams in high-volume clinical settings. Using a similar approach to capture the nuances of your background will ensure your medical assistant cover letter leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
Example
I’m reaching out to you regarding the medical assistant job with San Diego General Hospital. With over eight years of experience, I excel in collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality care to diverse patient populations, including both geriatric and pediatric patients. My background in high-volume medical environments would benefit your team.
3. Body paragraphs
Continue to demonstrate your qualifications and career achievements in the body paragraphs of your medical assistant cover letter. Start by mentioning something specific about the hospital’s culture, mission statement, or reputation and how this aligns with your background. This shows you’ve researched the organization prior to applying, which can help differentiate you from other applicants during the job hunt.
In addition, emphasize your ability to communicate effectively with physicians, nurses, and patients in fast-paced health care environments. It’s important to show the hiring manager you’re the right culture fit on your medical assistant cover letter.
Example
San Diego General Hospital’s mission statement and commitment to health equity strongly aligns with my professional values as a health care provider. Providing equal access to quality care is a pivotal issue within the medical community, and I can support your mission based on my career accomplishments:
- Delivered clinical and administrative support to registered nurses and physicians, obtained patient medical history and documentation, and communicated with empathy and compassion, contributing to a 95% patient satisfaction rating
- Coordinated with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality care to diverse patient populations and support DEI initiatives
- Maintained exam rooms in accordance with OSHA standards for health and safety, sanitized exam instruments, and ensured compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols
4. Medical assistant skills and qualifications
Featuring clinical skills and qualifications on your medical assistant cover letter is essential. That said, your approach should be different from the resume, as it’s impractical to feature a long list of skills. Instead, tactically integrate key terms from the job description into your paragraphs using natural language. Below, you’ll find a variety of skills to consider highlighting on your medical assistant cover letter:
| Key Skills and Qualifications | |
|---|---|
| Acute care | Calendar management |
| Clinical operations | Communication |
| Customer service | EHR |
| HIPAA compliance | Medical billing and coding |
| Medical support | Office administration |
| Patient-centered care | Patient education |
| Patient management | Patient relations |
| Pediatric care | Phlebotomy |
| Process improvement | Vital sign monitoring |
5. Closing section
In the conclusion of your medical assistant cover letter, feature a call to action (CTA) that invites the hiring manager to schedule an interview. Further emphasize how your background within the health care field can help support the delivery of quality patient care for potential employers. Be sure to thank the hiring manager for their time and consideration in the final sentence.
Example
I’d like to schedule an interview to further discuss how my leadership experience within the medical field could benefit your team. You may contact me via phone or email at your convenience. I appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Aliya Jackson
Medical Assistant Cover Letter Tips
1. Highlight your clinical knowledge
Hiring managers want to see your comprehensive understanding of clinical terminology and health care policies. When crafting your cover letter, draw attention to key clinical terms that match the job posting. This shows potential employers you have the necessary qualifications to provide quality care in fast-paced, hospital environments.
2. Emphasize communication and interpersonal skills
Empathy, compassion, and interpersonal skills are essential for any health care professional. Hospitals require you to communicate effectively with diverse patient populations and multidisciplinary teams. As you build your content, emphasize this aspect of your experience in your introduction and body paragraphs.
3. Feature patient-centered care and patient advocacy
Highlight your background in patient-centered care and advocacy. The wide adoption of these care standards is due to the integral role they play in driving positive outcomes. Patient-centered care helps you to build relationships that empower your patients, giving them increased agency during treatment.
Medical Assistant Text-Only Cover Letter Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
Cameron Malfara
Medical Assistant | [email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | San Diego, CA | LinkedIn
January 1, 2024
Lori Taylor
Hiring Manager
San Diego General Hospital
(987) 654-3210
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Taylor:
I’m reaching out to you regarding the medical assistant job with San Diego General Hospital. With over eight years of experience, I excel in collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality care to diverse patient populations, including both geriatric and pediatric patients. My background in high-volume medical environments would benefit your team.
San Diego General Hospital’s mission statement and commitment to health equity strongly align with my professional values as a health care provider. Providing equal access to quality care is a pivotal issue within the medical community, and I can support your mission based on my career accomplishments:
- Delivered clinical and administrative support to registered nurses and physicians, obtained patient medical history and documentation, and communicated with empathy and compassion, contributing to a 95% patient satisfaction rating
- Coordinated with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality care to diverse patient populations and support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives
- Maintained exam rooms in accordance with OSHA standards for health and safety, sanitized exam instruments, and ensured compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols
I would like to schedule an interview to provide more insights into how my experience delivering quality care in high-volume hospital environments would benefit your organization. You may contact me via phone or email at your convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Cameron Malfara
Medical Assistant Cover Letter FAQs
1. Why should I write a medical assistant cover letter?-
Not every hospital will require a medical assistant cover letter during the application process, but including one might be what puts you over the edge if the hiring manager is conflicted. The cover letter lets you tell more of your story as a health care professional and convey your personal values and unique approach to patient care.
2. Are cover letters becoming obsolete?-
Many believe that cover letters have become obsolete. According to a LinkedIn poll conducted by Forbes, 70% of correspondents voted that cover letters are no longer needed during the application process. What these numbers won’t tell you is that while cover letters aren’t always required, writing one demonstrates your enthusiasm and genuine interest in the role you’re applying for. This can sometimes make all the difference in generating interviews during the job search.
3. How long should my medical assistant cover letter be?-
It’s always best to keep your medical assistant cover letter concise and focused, limited to three or four paragraphs. Providing too much information risks overwhelming the reader and distracting them from your most relevant qualifications. Prioritize capturing your most notable health care achievements and experience, omitting mundane job duties and generic phrases.
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