How to Become a Patient Access Representative in South Carolina

As a stable position in the medical field, becoming a Patient Access Representative in South Carolina can be a great way to take customer service experience or healthcare experience and channel it into a rewarding professional path.

While making a career change is arguably one of the most stressful things to do in life, having a convenient guide that gives you the right steps to take can make it easier.

That is why we have compiled the right steps to becoming a patient access representative in South Carolina below.

Steps to Become a Patient Access Representative in South Carolina

1. Research openings and job growth for Patient Access Representative roles in your area

If you live in a particularly rural part of South Carolina, it may be tougher to find patient access specialist openings compared to larger cities in this state.

Before you decide that this is the right career for you, you’ll want to see if there are openings that match your preferred commute time.

If the closest patient access representative roles tend to be an hour or two away, that might be alright with you but it also might be frustrating.

See if this industry tends to hire candidates close to your area before settling on this as a career path to pursue.

2. Try to shadow a Patient Access Representative

If you are in the early stages of career exploration, it can be helpful to call up local businesses and hospitals that hire patient access representatives to see if they would be willing to let you “job shadow” for a shift or part of a shift.

This will give you a better idea of whether this environment is right for you.

3. Finish a Patient Access Representative training online or in-person

If you have zero experience in the field, completing an online or in-person Patient Access Representative training can give you a sense of accomplishment and competence before you even clock into your first day on the job.

For those who are looking to switch from another field, this training can help you orient yourself to the requirements and style of this new role before you start.

4. Get some customer service experience under your belt

What many of the hiring managers who look for good Patient Access Representative candidates need is a candidate who already understands basic customer service skills.

If you know how to de-escalate conflicts with a customer, actively listen, and problem solve in a customer service setting, you will be leagues ahead of candidates who have no experience providing customer service.

This will not only help you get hired, but it will also help you stay grounded and confident on your first day on the job.

5. Alternatively, build up your medical office experience on your resume

If you want customer service experience that directly applies to patient access settings, gaining volunteer or paid experience in a medical office can be the perfect idea.

When you work as a medical office administrator or volunteer with a medical clinic in a client-facing setting, you have the opportunity to sharpen skills that will be attractive to those who want to hire a new patient access representative for their team.

6. Submit your application for Patient Access Representative openings

Once you have the right amount of experience under your belt, it’s time to start sending out those applications.

After applying for a patient access representative role, you can always give the potential employer’s human resources department a quick call to follow up on the application a few days later.

This will show the hiring manager that you are highly interested in the role.

It will also give you the opportunity to demonstrate your customer service skills and phone etiquette briefly through a quick phone call.

If they reject you over the phone, you can use this opportunity to inquire about what made your qualifications less desirable than other candidates.

With this feedback, you can work on improving your skills for pursuing employment in the future.

7. Go to interviews to find your new job

Like with most jobs, you will probably have to go through an interview or multiple interviews before you receive that shiny job offer letter you want as a future Patient Access Representative.

During the interview stage, make sure to show up to your interviews at least ten to fifteen minutes early with a clean, neat professional presentation of yourself.

Ask questions that show that you are interested in the job and make sure to highlight any prior experience that makes you a good match for the role.

8. Say “yes” to the right Patient Access Representative job offer

Once you have at least one Patient Access Representative job offer letter in tow, the journey to becoming a Patient Access Representative is almost over.

If you have received multiple offers, you should consider the pay, benefits, and commute time as you decide which one to choose.

Salary

The average salary for Patient Access Representatives in SC is about $43,291 to $53,178.

Regional Salary in South Carolina