Stacy Friedlander is the lead medical assistant in an ophthalmology practice of ten physicians. The eye clinic has patients, literally, from all over the world. Several of the physicians are leaders in their specific area of ophthalmology, such as Dr. Keeler, who specializes in retinal diseases.

Today, Stacy is going to interview a potential new employee, Sarah Banks. Sarah is currently finishing a CAAHEP-approved medical-assisting program at a local college and is searching for full-time employment. She has some on-the-job experience dating back to when she was an after-school receptionist for a general practitioner, but that was more than ten years ago.

The clinic tends to hire medical assistants who are certified, experienced, and very capable of dealing with patients from different age groups, races, and cultures. However, Sarah is being considered for the position because, first of all, her father is a personal friend of Dr. Keeler and, second, qualified medical assistants are difficult to find because of the high demand.

What should Stacy do to prepare for the interview with Sarah?

Considering that the practice is limited to ophthalmology, would any special requirements be warranted in a medical assistant who was going to work in this area?

Considering that the clinic\'s patient population is mixed by age and race, would any special requirements in a medical assistant be warranted in this case?

Is it proper procedure for Sarah to be applying for this position given that she has not yet completed her medical assisting program?

Should Stacy, given the circumstances, invest a lot of time in interviewing Sarah? Why or why not?

Should Sarah\'s ten-year-old job experience be factored into Stacy\'s decision to hire Sarah or not?

If Stacy decides not to hire Sarah, does Stacy need to personally contact the reference and thank him anyway, given that he is a friend of Dr. Keeler?