Medical Secretaries

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About the Job

Perform 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.

It is also Called

  • Administrative Assistant
  • Administrative Support Specialist
  • Admissions Administrative Assistant
  • Admissions Coordinator
  • Appointment Scheduler
  • Business Assistant
  • Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
  • Data Transcriber
  • Dental Office Administrative Assistant
  • Dental Office Manager

What They Do

  • Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
  • Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
  • Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and direct them to appropriate staff.
  • Operate office equipment, such as voice mail messaging systems, and use word processing, spreadsheet, or other software applications to prepare reports, invoices, financial statements, letters, case histories, or medical records.
  • Complete insurance or other claim forms.
  • Interview patients to complete documents, case histories, or forms, such as intake or insurance forms.
  • Receive and route messages or documents, such as laboratory results, to appropriate staff.
  • Compile and record medical charts, reports, or correspondence, using typewriter or personal computer.
  • Transmit correspondence or medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.
  • Maintain medical records, technical library, or correspondence files.

Interests

People who work in this occupation generally have the interest code: CS.

This means people who work in this occupation generally have Conventional interests, but also prefer Social environments.

Work Values

People who work in this occupation generally prize Relationships, but also value Support and Working Conditions in their jobs.

Things They Need to Know

  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Things They Need to Be Able to Do

  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Education Required

These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

LMI Region

Wages

In 2012, the average annual wage in Washington was $39,150.00 with most people making between $28,490.00 and $53,630.00

Outlook

2.60%
avg. annual growth

During 2008, this occupation employed approximately 17,250 people in Washington. It is projected that there will be 21,730 employed in 2018.

This occupation will have about 448 openings due to growth and about 262 replacement openings for approximately 710 total annual openings.