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Medical Secretary Job Description: Top Duties and Requirements

A Medical Secretary, or Medical Receptionist, provides front-of-office support to a Doctor’s practice or other small medical facilities. Their duties include welcoming patients when they arrive, dealing with paperwork, and maintaining schedules and appointments.

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Medical Secretary duties and responsibilities

A Medical Secretary is responsible for ensuring all phone calls to the practice are answered promptly and professionally. They also run the front desk, which involves responding to questions from patients, staff, and members of the public. Other important duties in the role include:

  • Noting a patient’s personal information on the appropriate form and filing it safely
  • Maintaining an organized filing system so that documents can easily be accessed when needed
  • Scheduling patient appointments for the Physicians or Nurses
  • Arranging follow-up appointments when a patient leaves
  • Noting appointment cancellations or changes, and informing the appropriate healthcare professional
  • Taking payments when necessary, and recording these in financial records
  • Performing other administrative tasks such as printing out letters and opening or sorting through the mail
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Medical Secretary Job Description Examples:

What does a Medical Secretary do?

A Medical Secretary is the first point of contact for a patient when they arrive. They greet patients and provide them with forms to fill out before seeing a Health Care Professional. They also file patient documents in a safe and secure location. The role involves coordinating appointments and treatment with other medical facilities when appropriate. Additionally, if any treatment or service received by the patient must be paid for, the Medical Secretary processes these payments.

Medical Secretary skills and qualifications

Candidates are required to have a high school diploma or equivalent for the role. Candidates also gain an advantage if have previous administrative experience in an office setting. Other essential skills for a Medical Secretary may include:

  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail to maintain accurate records
  • Friendly and relaxed style of communication both in-person and on the phone
  • Good knowledge of medical terminology so they can respond appropriately to requests from health care professionals and patients
  • Ability to organize and maintain a filing system containing all relevant patient information
  • Ability to use computer software programs, such as MS Office, to update electronic records and appointment calendars

Medical Secretary experience requirements

Candidates are preferred to have previous work experience in a medical office, such as being a Medical Office Assistant. In some cases, an application who can demonstrate strong administrative skills in a different field will be hired as a Medical Secretary. Alternatively, you may look for a Medical Secretary with several years of experience in the role.

Medical Secretary education and training requirements

Candidates must have achieved a high school diploma or equivalent to be considered for the role. Some candidates will have a post-secondary qualification from a college in office administration or secretarial studies, but these qualifications are not a requirement.

Candidates may have completed an online diploma that is meant to train people without previous experience in the medical field in the use of medical terminology and basic administrative procedures. These candidates may be suitable for entry-level roles where you provide further training on the job.

Medical Secretary salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, a Medical Secretary earns on average $20.70 per hour in Canada. This can vary depending on the specific responsibilities of the job, the size of the medical facility, and the experience of the Medical Secretary.

Job description samples for similar positions

If a Medical Secretary isn’t what you are looking for, some other job descriptions include:

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Medical Secretary job description FAQs

How can you make your Medical Secretary job description stand out?

Give a clear description of the duties and responsibilities expected of the candidate so they gain an idea of how the medical facility operates. You should also include the level of experience and knowledge you would like applicants to have so potential candidates know whether they should apply. A strong job description will also include some information about the services offered by the medical facility to give applicants a sense of where they will be working and the types of patients they’ll be dealing with.

Where do Medical Secretaries usually work?

This position is found most often in a Doctor’s practice or office. Medical Secretaries may also be employed in laboratories, universities, hospitals, or clinics. Duties of the Medical Secretary may vary slightly depending on the setting. For example, a Medical Secretary in a small Doctor’s practice will spend a lot of time greeting patients and providing front-of-office support, whereas someone in a larger institution may have to handle much more paperwork.

What should you look for in a Medical Secretary resume?

The candidate should include both their educational background and relevant work experience, such as previous administrative roles in a medical setting. They should also indicate some familiarity with medical terminology, obtained from a previous job or professional qualification. Soft skills like organization, reliability, and accuracy are important for the position, so try to identify examples in the resume that show the candidate possesses these traits.

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

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