Primary Care Medical Assistant 1 (9253C), University Health Services #88567

University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The University Health Services at UC Berkeley seeks a Primary Care Medical Assistant to support clinicians and care teams in a busy campus clinic. You will handle patient intake, registration, vital signs, and documentation with a patient-centered approach.

Under supervision, you will assist with examinations, manage workflow, and help ensure smooth clinic operations to deliver high-quality medical care for students, faculty and staff.

Qualifications

• Customer service and professional conduct when assisting patients.
• Verbal and written communication to document patient information clearly.
• Interpersonal skills to interact respectfully with patients, families, and staff.
• Ability to follow written instructions, clinical protocols, and procedures.
• Knowledge of medical terminology and HIPAA/privacy requirements.
• Familiarity with electronic health records and patient scheduling systems.

Responsibilities

• Greet patients, verify eligibility, register patients, and collect required forms.
• Schedule and adjust patient appointments to support clinic efficiency.
• Take vital signs and room patients per unit guidelines.
• Document findings and communicate with clinicians as needed.
• Assist with examinations, specimen collection, and point-of-care testing.
• Ensure patients leave with correct paperwork and referrals.
• Maintain clinic flow and equipment, stock supplies, and handle routine maintenance.
• Support the advice line and coordinate with nursing staff.

Skills

Customer service

Verbal communication

Written communication

Interpersonal skills

HIPAA knowledge

Medical terminology

Adaptability

Education

High school diploma or GED

Medical Assistant Diploma (Required)

CA phlebotomy certification (CPT1) - preferred

Tools

EHR systems

Job description

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. Together, we change the world.

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. Together, we change the world.

Departmental Overview

University Health Services (UHS) serves the campus by providing a comprehensive campus-based health center providing fully accredited primary medical care, counseling and psychological services and innovative health promotion programs for students, faculty and staff. The UHS provides on-campus medical and mental health care and coordinates off-campus care through a network of community specialists and hospitals. Departments serving students include general medical, speciality and urgent care clinics, counseling and psychological services, laboratory, pharmacy, physical therapy, radiology and health promotion. In addition, the UHS administers a major medical insurance plan, the Student Health Insurance Plan. UHS provides services to students Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 6:00PM and on weekends.

Approximately 65,000 visits occur annually including Primary Care, Urgent Care, Occupational Health, and Specialty Clinics. Services are designed to enable students to get the most from their educational experience, minimizing the impact of illness, injury and emotional distress on their academic careers. Medical care and wellness programs for faculty and staff are designed to meet their occupational health needs and minimize lost work time. These visits generate ancillary encounters with the Radiology, Clinical Laboratory, Physical Therapy and Pharmacy departments. The Counseling and Psychological Services department sees an additional 15,000 visits per year.

Position Summary

Under direction and supervision, the Primary Care Medical Assistant supports clinicians and health care team members in providing for patient needs and rendering the best possible care.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is September 18, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

Clinic Reception - 15%

• Greets patients, verifies eligibility, accurately completes registration of patients and verifies that compliance forms are complete.
• Schedules/reschedules patient appointments, using a computerized appointment system to maximize clinic efficiency. For Specialty Clinic: Schedules appointments for the speciality physicians.
• Able to set priorities in balancing clinical operations/clinician support with administrative duties.
• Directs or escorts patients as necessary. Assures that patients leaving the area have appropriate instructions, forms and referral information.
• Reviews incoming faxes and distributes to appropriate clinical personnel to handle.
• May assist with running and clearing weekly unresolved appointments.
• Assists with submitting tickets to IT for kiosk or computer issues.

Intake and Checkout - 70%

• Documents chief complaint, and all patient interactions according to established guidelines.
• Takes vital signs and rooms patient as per unit guidelines.
• Documents findings and reports abnormal findings to RN or clinician.
• Instructs patient in specimen collection and performs specific testing as defined by assigned unit., i.e. check visual acuity using Snellen chart and urine dipstick, etc.
• May assist with examinations and procedures, using sterile techniques as indicated.
• Reviews after visit summary and assures the client receives appropriate paperwork before they leave.
• Assures that patients leaving the area have appropriate instructions, forms and referral information.
• Assists in maintaining smooth clinic operations and optimal patient flow: demonstrates initiative in carrying out duties. Notices issues with and offers solutions to workflow issues.
• Handles the advice line, answering more complex questions and referring as necessary. Does not include triage, assessment or advice.
• Schedules/reschedules patient appointments, using a computerized appointment system to maximize clinic efficiency. For Specialty Clinic: Schedules appointments for the speciality physicians.
• Swabs patients for Strep, Influenza and COVID tests, supports staffing various surveillance sites for COVID tests.
• COVID related care as determined by unit.

Clinic Maintenance and Supplies - 10%

• Demonstrates ability to use equipment correctly and safely. Notices and reports any problems with equipment.
• Performs maintenance on equipment as required.
• Keeps inventory of supplies and restocks in assigned area, as needed, including patient education material. May be responsible for ordering clinic supplies.
• Unpacks and shelves goods received: must be able to lift supplies.
• Cleans and stocks rooms in assigned areas as per protocol.
• Processes contaminated articles, prepares packs for sterilization and sterilizes equipment as needed and per infection control guidelines.

Other duties as assigned - 5%

• Professional and career development: staying up to date on required trainings, latest trends, policies/procedures and best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated customer service skills, including the ability to respond professionally and courteously to patient needs, questions, and concerns.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills to obtain, convey, and document patient and work-related information clearly and accurately.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills to establish effective working relationships and interact respectfully with patients, families, colleagues, and individuals from diverse backgrounds, identities, cultures, and lived experiences.
• Ability to understand and follow written instructions, clinical protocols, and established procedures related to patient care.
• Knowledge of medical terminology applicable to a healthcare setting.
• Familiarity with electronic health record (EHR), patient scheduling, patient tracking, or comparable healthcare information systems.
• Ability to accurately obtain and document patient information and recognize when findings or patient concerns should be escalated to appropriate clinical staff.
• Experience with clinical support activities such as taking vital signs, rooming patients, specimen collection, point-of-care testing, or assisting with examinations and procedures.
• Knowledge of patient privacy and confidentiality requirements, including HIPAA and requirements applicable to medical records.
• Skilled in organizing and prioritizing work while managing competing patient-care, clinic, and administrative responsibilities.
• Ability to adapt to changing unit priorities and workload demands while communicating effectively and collaboratively with supervisors regarding workload management.
• Skilled in managing challenging patient or workplace interactions professionally and resolving or escalating concerns appropriately.
• Familiarity with infection prevention, equipment safety, and other safety practices applicable to a clinical environment.
• Possesses the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Education / Training

• Graduation from high school (or GED) and one year of appropriate experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Licenses / Certifications

• Current BLS/CPR certification (Required)
• Current Medical Assistant Diploma (Required)
• Current CA phlebotomy certification (CPT1) (if performing phlebotomy) (Preferred)

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $27.88 (Step 1) - $30.76 (Step 6).

• This is a non-exempt, bi-weekly paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

Other Information

• This recruitment has 2 openings.
• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.
• This position is governed by the terms and conditions in the agreement for the Patient Care Technical Unit (EX) between the University of California and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The current bargaining agreement manual can be found at: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/ex/index.html

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Physical Exam

• Employment is contingent upon passing a physical exam.

Mandated Reporter

This position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter required to report the observed or suspected abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, or elders to designated law enforcement or social service agencies. We reserve the right to make employment contingent upon completion of signed statements acknowledging the responsibilities of a Mandated Reporter.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

“Misconduct” Means Any Violation Of The Policies Or Laws Governing Conduct At The Applicant’s Previous Place Of Employment, Including, But Not Limited To, Violations Of Policies Or Laws Prohibiting Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Or Other Forms Of Harassment, Discrimination, Dishonesty, Or Unethical Conduct, As Defined By The Employer. For Reference, Below Are UC’s Policies Addressing Some Forms Of Misconduct

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.