Medical Secretary

Medical Secretary Jobs Is Full Time Positions

A medical secretary works behind the scenes of a doctor’s office. This individual does many different tasks that help a doctor or hospital run smoothly. As a medical assistant, you help to answer the phone, greeting patients, arranging equipment, answering the door, filing prescriptions, transferring patients from one floor to the next, setting up appointments and more. You often handle correspondence and billing as well. Some medical secretaries also specialize in certain areas such as pharmaceuticals, emergency rooms, and medical transcription.

A basic medical secretary salary generally consists of an hourly wage plus benefits. This depends on the facility in which you work and what kind of job you have. Some physicians’ offices have a small staff and therefore do not provide any health benefits. These individuals usually make around forty dollars per hour.

Other facilities pay significantly higher wages for medical secretaries, especially those who have years of experience and are used as permanent personal assistants. Some medical staff may call the patients or order lab tests, x-rays, prescription pads and more through the use of a PDA or cell phone. Other physicians’ offices still pay slightly lower wages for medical staff because they prefer to bill the insurance companies directly for these services rather than have the secretary do these tasks.

Even though some have been forced into a contract position, most medical secretaries can continue working while on the clock if they so choose. They usually have several days off during each week. If the employer does not offer paid vacation, then some will take time off at the end of the year to go on vacation or to care for family. Others decide to keep their job by taking short term vacation leaves.

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The majority of positions in this profession do not require formal training. Most are performed by those who are extremely familiar with the office supplies that are needed on a daily basis and who have been required to perform these duties countless times before. Those who have experience can perform oral and verbal communication and record patient records simply by hearing the names of the patient or the doctor. Those without experience use their ear pieces and mouthpiece and write down the information from what is being said.

Medical Secretary Salaries vary greatly depending on the location of the facility, years of experience, education and even the area where they are located. The highest salaries are sought by those who are experienced within an agency. Those who work with doctors regularly have a leg up on those who do not, because most agencies will hire a new applicant for the Medical Secretary job once they have passed the necessary background checks and interviews. The Medical Secretary salary also depends on the number of duties that she is responsible for performing each week. The fewer duties she is responsible for performing, the less she makes.

The average Medical Secretary salary is between fifty and sixty-two thousand dollars per year. Most Medical Secretary jobs are located in hospitals and clinics. To obtain employment as a Medical Secretary, it is imperative that one has at least a high school diploma and the ability to conduct both verbal communication and written communication. Some positions require that the person be able to communicate through email, phone calls, and even video conferencing.

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Medical Secretary salaries are not the only aspect of Medical Secretary employment that differs between different positions. There are many different benefits and responsibilities that are associated with being an Administrative Assistant to a Doctor or even a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Those seeking a position as a Medical Secretary should research schools thoroughly to find the one that best suits their needs and abilities. Most of all, Medical Secretary jobs are great stepping stones to other career opportunities such as becoming an Administrative Personal Assistant, a Nurse’s aide, or a pharmacy technician.

By Colleen