Medical Secretaries handle all tasks related to office and records management in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics and private practice.
If you are interested in becoming a Medical Secretary and are looking for guidance on how to get started in your new career – we can help. Partnership For Healthcare specialize in entry level healthcare careers and in particular we provide information and guidance on the best schools and training programs available to you in your area.
Your Medical Secretary Career FAQ’s
- What does a Medical Secretary do?
- How much do Medical Secretaries make?
- Which are the top Medical Secretary programs near me?
What does a Medical Secretary do?
Medical Secretaries perform a variety of tasks in a doctor or dental office to keep things running as smoothly as possible. They do a wide range of tasks to make sure that patients are able to keep all of their information in order and to make sure that doctors can do their work with minimal fuss. There is an extensive list of little things which secretaries do every day and include:
Tasks and responsibilities
- Maintaining records
- Scanning insurance cards,
- Collecting co-payments,
- Checking you in for appointments
- Assist with reports, take histories
- Arrange hospitalization
- Order surgical supplies
- Make sure that schedules don’t clash
- Answering phones
- Greeting patients
Medical secretaries are an integral part of any healthcare office. They make sure that the office is functioning smoothly, that records and patient paperwork is all kept straightened out and things like appointments are maintained. While not nearly as well paid as doctors or dentists, without a good secretary, much of the office would descend into chaos and these doctors would lose many patients. They are the grease which keeps everything running smoothly.
Advancement in this field usually means moving up to greater responsibility in other administrative jobs.
How to become a Medical Secretary?
Most will do at least have a high school diploma and some on the job experience. However, if you want to stand out, it’s a good idea to have something like an Associates degree (two years) and have taken courses in things like billing, office procedures, health records, insurance, law and ethics in medicine and hospital admissions. Some may also opt to specialize in things like gynaecology which will require more specialized training.
If you’re interested in this healthcare career, it’s a good idea to make sure that you have your high school diploma, you are taking (or have taken) some post-secondary schooling in something related to your field and have some experience from volunteering. This way you stand the best possible chance not only of landing a job, but also of getting well paid for it. It’s also important to keep up your education by upgrading related skills whenever you can so that you can continue to find great employment and always stay on top of your job.
Related Healthcare Careers
Of all of the different medical jobs, the closest one is probably certified medical assistants who can do paperwork as well as deal with patients. Bookkeepers and medical coders and billers may also fill some of the same niches. And of course, Administrative and Executive assistants fulfill the same niche in different arenas.
Becoming a administrative assistant is a great job for those who want to have a medical career, or more precisely work to help people get healthy, but do not actually want to do things like deal with bodily fluids, screaming and swearing! Having to be able to multitask, take on a range of responsibilities and still be able to talk to people with a smile, so it’s not at easy job. For many people though, it’s a highly rewarding one.