Medical Assistant (MA) - Pulmonology Clinic
Posted Sep 15, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Describe a time you had to administer a medication or vaccine and something didn't go as expected. What happened and what did you do?
What they are checking: comfort owning and reporting clinical errors or near-misses rather than hiding them
Tell me about a time you had to calm down a patient or family member who was scared or upset in the exam room.
What they are checking: de-escalation skill and bedside manner under stress, called out directly in the posting
Describe a day where the schedule got backed up and patients were getting frustrated waiting. How did you handle it?
What they are checking: ability to manage patient flow and communicate proactively under time pressure
Tell me about how you work with the nurses and physicians on your team when a patient's plan changes quickly.
What they are checking: teamwork and clear handoff communication within a coordinated care model
What would you do
A patient comes in for a pulmonary function test but is coughing badly and seems more short of breath than usual. What do you do before starting anything?
What they are checking: judgment about when to escalate to a provider versus proceeding with a scheduled task
This job involves a lot of physical work, lifting up to 35 pounds, sliding transfers, being on your feet all day. Tell me about a time you had to physically assist a patient who couldn't move easily on their own.
What they are checking: realistic understanding of and readiness for the physical demands of the job
If a physician asks you to do something and you're not sure it's within your scope as an MA, what would you do in the moment?
What they are checking: knowledge of scope-of-practice boundaries and willingness to speak up rather than defer blindly
How do you keep patient information confidential when you're juggling front desk tasks, phone calls, and the exam room all in the same shift?
What they are checking: HIPAA awareness applied to a busy, multitasking ambulatory environment, not just textbook knowledge
About the work
Walk me through how you'd take vitals and get a patient ready for a pulmonology visit, someone who is short of breath and anxious.
What they are checking: whether the candidate has a real, practiced clinical workflow adapted to a respiratory patient population
Tell me about your experience with phlebotomy and specimen collection. How many draws would you say you've done and what's your comfort level?
What they are checking: verifying the preferred phlebotomy skill against actual hands-on volume, not just a checkbox
This clinic sees patients with COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension. What do you already know about these conditions and how it might change the way you room a patient?
What they are checking: whether the candidate has specialty-specific clinical knowledge versus general MA experience only
How do you document in the electronic health record during a busy day so nothing falls through the cracks?
What they are checking: discipline around real-time charting accuracy versus catching up hours later, which creates risk
Point-of-care testing is part of this role. Walk me through how you'd run a test at the bedside and make sure the result gets to the provider correctly.
What they are checking: attention to lab protocol and closed-loop communication so results aren't lost or delayed
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.