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Job Title: Portamedic
Type of Company: My company is a sub-contractor for a life insurance company. When individuals apply for life insurance we provide them with a brief medical exam and conduct a brief medical history interview.
Education: certificate, Medical Assistant, Shawsheen Valley Technical High School Adult Education Program (Billerica, MA)
Previous Experience: I worked as a waitress and enjoyed working with people, but I didn't like the inconsistent money. I wanted to do something where I could help people.
Job Tasks: As a portamedic I receive my orders the day before an exam. I call to confirm my appointments and let people know what to expect. I complete some pre-exam paperwork so that when I am at a potential insurees house I have less paperwork to do. When I arrive for an appointment I introduce myself and begin my work. I first ask for the drivers license and application of the insuree. I verify that the person I am speaking to is who they should be and I do some in-depth questioning about their medical history, doctor and family history. I weigh the patient, take their height, blood pressure and pulse. I ask them to urinate in a cup and then I pour it into two testing tubes. I draw blood into two vials and I review their application. I collect all my paperwork and mail it to my office. When I get home I put one tube of blood into the a centrifuge and spin it to separate it. I then ship the containers to a lab for testing.
There are times when insurees cannot urinate and then a second appointment needs to be made. There are also times when I can't find a vein for a blood draw and again another appointment needs to be made.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: The best part of the job is interacting with different people. Talking to them about their lives and making them feel at ease during their appointment. The worst part is people forgetting about their appointment, canceling at the last minute, not being able to find a vein to draw blood and finding out at the last minute what my day looks like tomorrow.
Job Tips:
1. Be flexible with your schedule. Go when you are needed so you can make a consistent income. Don't say no to an appointment for no real reason.
2. Get as much training in phlebotomy as possible.
3. Remember this is a customer service business. Be kind to everyone, even if they are not being kind to you.
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