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Medical Secretary/Administrative Assistant

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AVG. SALARY

$36,510

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EDUCATION

Post-secondary training +

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What They Do

Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Career Video

About This Career

Performs secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. Duties may include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.

This career is part of the Business Management and Administration cluster Administrative Support pathway.

A person in this career:

  • Answers telephones and directs calls to appropriate staff.
  • Schedules and confirms patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
  • Completes insurance or other claim forms.
  • Greets visitors, ascertains purpose of visit, and directs them to appropriate staff.
  • Transmits correspondence or medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.
  • Receives and routes messages or documents, such as laboratory results, to appropriate staff.
  • Maintains medical records, technical library, or correspondence files.
  • Interviews patients to complete documents, case histories, or forms, such as intake or insurance forms.
  • Operates office equipment, such as voice mail messaging systems, and uses word processing, spreadsheet, or other software applications to prepare reports, invoices, financial statements, letters, case histories, or medical records.
  • Performs bookkeeping duties, such as credits or collections, preparing and sending financial statements or bills, and keeping financial records.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

  • You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
  • Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

  • Seeing clearly up close
  • Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
  • Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

  • Regular working hours and limited travel

Specialty and Similar Careers

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:

  • Secretary — Schedules appointments, gives information to callers, composes and types routine correspondences, reads and routes incoming mail, files records, and other various clerical duties.
  • Clinic Office Assistant
  • Front Desk Receptionist
  • Medical Office Specialist
  • Medical Receptionist
  • Physician Office Specialist
  • Unit Clerk
  • Unit Support Representative
  • Ward Clerk