Associate of Applied Science Degree
Medical Admin Assistant
A good medical secretary is worth his/her weight in gold. When you think of a medical office, you think of a well-organized, clean and efficient office environment. If it weren't, patients would lose confidence in that medical office and find care somewhere else. But that welcoming, well-maintained environment doesn't happen by itself. A medical secretary is there, managing the front office, making sure that patients have a good experience from the moment they step through the doors.
In a private medical practice, for example, doctors are there to treat sick patients. But how many doctors understand how to run a medical office, maintain medical records, or schedule multiple patients with varying degrees of urgent needs?
That's why a trained medical secretary, more commonly titled medical administrative assistant, is so well regarded. Not only do they make things easier for the doctors, but they present a competent image to patients as well.
Typical Duties for a Medical Administrative Job
Basic secretarial duties have evolved over the years. A medical administrative assistant must be proficient with all of the communication technology common to a modern office. This includes fax machines, telephones, mail services, internet searches and e-mail.
Medical secretaries need additional skills specific to the medical field, such as medical transcription, familiarity with patient records, medical billing and coding, and a knowledge of laboratory procedures.
Most medical office managers begin their careers as medical administrative assistants. If you eventually want to run a medical office, a medical secretary position is a good place to start. Once you master the logistics of the office, you can move up into a managerial role.