Medical Secretary

What is a Medical Secretary? Learn about this profession and if it could potentially be the right fit for you.

Medical secretaries usually have a vocational or high school educational background with general office work experience. With the growing complexities in the health care industry including, technology and patient privacy laws employer hiring trends have shown a preference for those medical secretaries with a formal education in health care administration, medical office management, business, transcription, medical assisting and related medical office and health care training. Formal education is not required, but is recommended for future career opportunities. Formal education in the form of an associate degree will help prepare for this career as well as provide a foundation for future education and career advancement in the rapidly expanding health care industry.

Medical Secretary Job Description

Medical secretaries or medical administrative assistants have recently taken on more advanced roles in medical offices and hospitals due to the technological advancements in health care. Medical secretaries use computers to schedule appointments, order supplies, create correspondence, file, pull and update patient medical records in electronic medical record systems, create spread sheets and utilize word processing programs. Medical secretaries also fill out insurance claims utilizing billing and coding procedures. Medical secretaries will also take on transcription responsibilities in some medical provider offices and hospitals. Taking patient vitals and histories is not beyond the scope of a medical secretary in some cases. A medical secretary must be well rounded, have good interpersonal skills and be prepared to take on varying responsibilities.

Medical Secretary or Medical Administrative Assistant Salary

Nationwide we found that medical secretaries or medical administrative assistants earn $21,000 to $30,000 a year depending on location, size of facility, experience, education and other factors. Medical secretaries develop a broad range of skills, learning the critical components that keep a medical office or health care facility functioning properly. This experience often translates into career advancement to office manager or other supervisory roles with higher salaries.