Medical Secretary
PrintWork Tasks
MEDICAL SECRETARIES perform a variety of clerical and administrative duties for doctors and other healthcare professionals. Medical secretaries transcribe dictation, prepare correspondence, and help doctors or medical scientists with reports, speeches, articles, and conference presentations. They also record simple medical histories, arrange for patients to be hospitalized, and schedule surgeries. Most medical secretaries need to be familiar with insurance rules, billing practices, medical terminology, and hospital or laboratory procedures.
Salary, Size & Growth
- $36,500 average per year ($17.50 per hour)
- A large occupation (494,600 workers in 2010)
- Expected to grow rapidly (2.7% per year)
Entry Requirements
High school graduates who have basic office skills may qualify for entry-level MEDICAL SECRETARY positions. Employers increasingly require extensive knowledge of software applications, such as word processing, spreadsheet, and database management. They should be proficient in keyboarding and good at spelling, punctuation, and grammar. No special licensing or certification is required, although certification is available and recommended.