Medical Secretary Career

medical-secretary-500Medical secretaries rarely have a boring shift. Specific duties vary greatly depending on the particular facility, but all positions require high-level multitasking skills, juggling phone calls, physician requests and record keeping duties. Medical secretaries utilize organizational and problem solving skills to keep the office or hospital floor running smoothly, so the medical professionals can focus on treating patients.

In some settings, medical secretaries edit reports and submit insurance claims as well. Since, in medicine, each visit builds on previous encounters, keeping precise records is essential. Advanced communication skills and a friendly, calming demeanor are necessary as the medical secretary is often the liaison between patients, providers, pharmacies and other facilities.

Medical Secretary Career Snapshot

Medical secretaries fill an important role throughout the entire healthcare field, so there are a variety of positions available, depending on personal preference. Many clinics and specialist offices hire full-time medical secretaries for regular daytime hours, but in assisted-living homes and hospitals, shifts vary from early mornings to overnights. It is also possible to find available part-time and as-needed positions.

Further details on a career as a medical secretary are listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):

$33,040

is the average yearly salary for medical secretaries.

3%

increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.

41%

have some college, but no degree while 37% have a High school diploma or equivalent.

Medical Secretary Education

While not required, many employers prefer their medical secretaries to have earned an associate’s degree in a health-related field or, at the very least, to have completed a medical terminology class. However, some high school graduates also get hired. In hospital settings, some positions also require certification as a CNA, or certified nurse assistant, so that secretaries can also tend to basic patient needs.

Medical Secretary Salaries

The average annual salary of a medical secretary is $33,040 with the lowest ten percent earning around $22,000 and the top ten percent making $60,640 per year according to BLS.gov May 2015 statistics. Most positions offer health insurance plans as well as holiday and vacation pay.

Medical Secretary Job Duties

Medical secretaries play many roles from scheduling patients to ordering prescriptions per doctor’s orders and filing medical records. They sometimes provide face-to-face support to patients as they enter the office and handle all calls from both patients and other medical professionals. After patient encounters, they ensure that all necessary paperwork is filed and that records get created and organized for easy access next visit.

Medical Secretary Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that medical secretary positions will continue to increase, growing 20% in the next seven years. This means that over 100,000 new positions will be created by 2024 which is due, in large part, to the growth of healthcare needs as the population overall lives longer.

Medical Secretaries Skills & Traits

Medical Secretaries Skill Set:Required Abilities:Tools Used by Medical Secretaries:Typical Work Activities:
• Speaking
• Active Listening
• Service Orientation
• Reading Comprehension
• Coordination		• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Speech Clarity
• Speech Recognition
• Written Comprehension		• Hospital Intercom Systems
• Credit Card Processing Machines
• Laptop Computers
• Photocopiers
• Switchboards		• Interacting With Computers
• Getting Information
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

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