5 Tips for Mastering Your Keyboard Skills as a Medical Office Admin

One sure-fire way to shine in your new career in medical office administration, it to hone your keyboard skills. Proficiency in this particular ability will empower you to transcribe medical docs, compose emails, log digital records and carry out general word processing tasks efficiently and effectively. And while you’ll learn and practice the specifics of this skill in your medial administration courses/medical assistant training program, we thought knowing a few practice tips to try could give you the competitive edge when looking for, or playing out, your new role as a MOA.

5 Key Tips for Mastering Your Keyboard Skills as a Medical Office Assistant

1. Set Yourself Up for Comfort and Success

Posture and positioning are everything. As you’ll be sitting for long periods of time, you want to ensure that your workstation is ergonomically correct. Start by maintaining good posture, with a straight back and feet planted flat on the ground underneath your desk below the keyboard. The positioning of your hands should be at a 180-degree angle with the keyboard, while keeping a distance of approximately 50-60 centimetres between your eyes and the screen. Being keenly aware of how you’re feeling as you work, noting any discomfort and adjusting, as well making sure that you take regular breaks to stretch your legs, will ensure you’re able to do your job for many years and maintain your optimal health.

2. Practice Proper Hand Placement

Right from the start you want to ensure proper hand and finger placement on the keyboard. It will feel awkward at first, but over time it will become second nature and do wonders for your efficiency. Set yourself up by positioning your fingers over the home row keys (left hand over the A, S, D, and F keys, and the right hand over the J, K, L, and ; keys) with your thumbs resting gently on the space bar. This is your base point, and then you reach out from there to connect with other keys and return each time to this starting position.

3. Hone Your Touch Typing

Touch typing is your ability to use all your fingers to type without looking at the keyboard; this is a stellar and must-have skill. As you can imagine, two-finger typing won’t cut it on the job, as you can only get about 20 words per minute to the page and a 600-page document would take you about 30 minutes. With touch typing mastered you can average about 50-70 words per minute and that document would take you about 7-9 minutes. Not only does this skill save time, allow you to keep your eyes on the letters being typed, therefore improving accuracy, but as you cut out the step of looking from page to keyboard back and forth, the act of typing is less taxing on your brain and your stamina at work is much improved. Win, win, win.

4. Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

The prize is your endgame – that you’ll be able to touch type with ease and accuracy at a head-spinning, promotion-inspiring rate. But when you’re learning it’s essential that you remember that proper positioning of your body, setting your fingers at your starting point every time, focusing on accuracy rather than speed and keeping your eyes on your screen rather than your hands, will have you learning properly in no time.

5. Practice Ensures the Wow Factor

As with developing any skill, practice is the key to mastery. The more you work on your skills the better you’ll get. Make sure you practice every day; take your time; don’t rush and be easy on yourself as you make mistakes, try again and find your way. Before you know it, you’ll be wowing your team with your stellar keyboard skills.

Your ability to type with ease, accuracy and speed is a foundational skill for being able to do your job with proficiency and how you tackle typing for long periods will reduce strain and allow you to maintain your comfort day to day. You will glean myriad skills at medical assistant college and by the time you have your medical administrative assistant diploma, as long as you’ve applied yourself to honing those keyboard skills, you’ll have all you need to thrive in your new career. It all just takes a little dedication, patience and practice.

You’ve got this!
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Still determining if a career in MOA may align with your interests? Take the “Anderson College Medical Office Admin Career Training Readiness Quiz”

If you haven’t launched your career yet, and are looking for a first or second career in this in-demand healthcare field, we’re here to help you explore becoming a Medical Office Administrator. Book a virtual appointment with our Admissions team today and let’s see if we can get you into the next class!

Quick Links to Fuel Your Success!

We want to make sure you have what you need to succeed! Check out these reference links:

• Medical Office Administrator Courses & Programs at Anderson College
• 5 Skills to Give you the Leading Edge as a Medical Office Admin (andersoncollege.com)
• A Fast-Paced Day in the Life of a Medical Office Administrator
• Patient Confidentiality and YOU – For Medical Office Admin Graduates