Definition
A medical secretary is a person working in the medical profession and commonly employed in the clinics and hospitals. They specialize in medical terms and practices and perform administrative duties to support doctors and other senior medical practitioners.
Duties and Responsibilities
A medical secretary carries out the following duties:
• Act as a receptionist
• Do initial interviews with the patients to be able to give the doctor a hint of the client’s condition
• Handle correspondences
• File and organize patients’ records
• Perform billing and bookkeeping functions, and prepare financial documents
• Receive and place phone calls
• Schedule and confirm doctor and clients’ appointments, testing and consultations
• Transcribe audio recordings into clients’ medical records
Requirements
1. Education
A high school diploma is required to be employed as a medical secretary. Sometimes, an associate’s degree on medical knowledge, with additional training and experience form part of the qualification.
2. Knowledge
A medical secretary must have a practical knowledge of the following:
• Medical jargons and procedures
• Administrative procedures which include record-keeping, word processing, stenography and audio transcription among others
• Customer service principles and practices
• English language including grammar, spelling and proper use of punctuations
3. Skills and Abilities
A medical secretary must possess the following skills and abilities:
• Effective communication skills
• Excellent computer and technology skills
• Basic accounting skills
• Active listening skills
• Ability to make keen observations
• Ability to multi-task
Earnings
The salary of a medical secretary varies depending on the person’s experience and skills, job location and the type of facility where the secretary is employed. The average annual pay based on surveys is $30,000.
For more detailed career guide please visit: Secretary Job description.