"I'd describe my management style as collabourative. Leading a practise means I work with a wide range of people with different skills and responsibilities. So, we must collabourate well to work successfully. I encourage everyone on my team to express their ideas and concerns so we can work on them together. It improves communication and team morale, allowing us to prioritise patient care."

"If I noticed an employee was underperforming, I'd schedule a private meeting with them to discuss it. I'd ask them what was going on as it could be something in their personal life or they may not understand a certain task. I'd work with them to come up with a solution, such as time off to spend at home or extra training. Then, I'd monitor them for a few months to look for improvement. If there wasn't any, I'd consider a written warning."

"I have a checklist for integrating new employees into the practise. It includes tasks such as, showing the employee around, introducing them to our team, and going over our policies. I also have a file that includes information about the practise that the employee can keep and refer to whenever they want. I then match the new employee with an existing one to shadow them for the first few days. This helps the new employee get to know their colleagues and their new role."

"I was responsible for creating, implementing, and monitoring the budget at my last practise. I updated the budget every quarter to ensure it was accurate and used budgeting software, such as Scoro, to work efficiently."

"The biggest mistake I made at my last practise was not scheduling enough employees in my first week. I underestimated the amount of walk-in patients, so we were very understaffed. Through this experience, I learned what days and times were busier so I could schedule more employees accordingly. I also learned to ask for help from employees that have been with the practise longer as they know it much better."

"I completed the medical office manager certificate programme at Humber College. I learned about human resources, operations, our country's healthcare system, and business ethics. Since completing the programme, I've been a practise manager for three years at a small, private clinic."

"I enjoy learning about medical advancements and ways to improve my practise. So, I read medical magazines and journals when I can, such as The Medical Post or Hands in Healthcare. To improve my management skills and knowledge, I enjoy taking online courses. For example, I recently took a project management course from the University of Toronto."

"In my previous role, I had a desktop computer, a laptop, and a tablet. On these devices, I used practise management software called NextGen Healthcare Software to keep track of patients, our finances, and inventory. We also had common devices, such as a printer and phone that I used all the time."

"To ensure the practise never runs out of supplies, I take inventory regularly. I usually allot a specific day of the week to inventory and tell my team to let me know if we're low on any supplies before then. To keep track of everything, I use InventoryCloud which keeps things organised."

"To keep patient information private, I access their files on our encrypted server when no one is around. This ensures no one else can see the information. If I need to talk to a patient in person or on the phone, I go to an empty space so no one can overhear the conversation. I also ensure to never mention patients with family or friends to preserve their privacy."

"My greatest skills as a practise manager are my communication and leadership skills. My communication skills help me offer guidance and talk to my colleagues and patients easily. My leadership skills allow me to encourage my team to do their best and prioritise patient care."

"To contribute to a positive experience for patients, I keep the practise organised and schedule physicians appropriately. This limits wait times for patients and ensures physicians don't become overworked so they can provide excellent service. I also encourage receptionists to direct any patient concerns they can't solve to me. I then address these concerns immediately with the patient's best interest in mind."

"I had several responsibilities in my previous role as practise manager at a clinic. I completed payroll, ordered supplies, hired new staff, maintained medical records, submitted insurance claims, and developed new policies. Throughout the day, I would also monitor my team and offer help when they needed it to provide excellent patient care. I also ensured our practise was running safely, efficiently and adhering to relevant laws."

"I have had a disagreement with a patient once that didn't come to their appointment. Our practise's policy was to charge patients for not coming to their appointments or cancelling them on time. We remind patients of this every time they make an appointment. The patient came in the next day to argue the charge and I explained the policy. They said they didn't know and demanded I refund them. I told them I couldn't but would be happy to reschedule their appointment. They agreed, and we posted a notice with our cancellation/no-show policy to prevent further disagreements."

"I always prioritise tasks that directly involve patient care. For example, scheduling an appointment or submitting an insurance claim for a patient is more important to me than paying the practise's bills. I also ensure to prioritise tasks that need to be done by the end of the day. I'll get those done first so I remember everything."