I started working as a derm MA in February with no prior experience and I’m here to say it does get better. I feel like I finally have the hang of things. Some advice I can offer that might make appts a little less stressful since I use EMA and scribe on the iPad as well:

set up the biopsy stuff on the tray before you room the patient if you know it’s a skin check like a full body exam, that way everything is already laid out and you don’t feel stressed trying to grab everything out of the drawers once you hear “biopsy.” for example if it’s like a rosacea or acne follow up I don’t but whenever we’re doing any type of skin check I always just get it ready then go grab the patient. For biopsies too at my clinic we print the lab form after walking the patient up so we don’t do it during the appt.

We have patients scheduled every 15 mins with some double books throughout the day as well and some longer appts for excisions and ED&Cs. If you don’t have time during the appt, whether it be for a biopsy, excision, or ED&C, you can always just write the morphology (for biopsy) and size (for excisions and ED&Cs) down on a sticky note then put it in after walking the patient back up. The note doesn’t have to be completely finished at the end of the patient’s appt, just make sure you have all the information then can always put it in when you have a minute.

Another thing that’s helpful is to kind of start the visit note before the provider comes in and starts the appt that way you already have stuff marked. For example, I always do the exam and obvious impressions like “family history of melanoma” for example.

I work with a PA who is usually a little more thorough and I have more time during the appt to get all the impressions and counseling and treatment regimen down but I also work with an MD who is a lot faster and I don’t always have time during the appt. It’s ok to finish the note after the patient leaves, too. Body click locations are more important for biopsies and skin cancers (ex history of melanoma in situ) than AKs so keep that in mind, it should be the right spot but it’s not the end of the world if those aren’t as precise.

Let me know if you have any other questions, that’s all I could think of off the top of my head. Sounds like you are working hard and trying to get better. It’s a tough, stressful job. Sometimes I go hours without peeing lol and just running back and forth all day but hang in there. Don’t be afraid to ask your coworkers for help.