Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
What they do
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.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About medical secretaries and administrative assistants
Other titles
Clinic Office Assistant, Front Desk Receptionist, Medical Office Specialist, Medical Receptionist, Medical Secretary, Physician Office Specialist, Secretary, Unit Clerk, Unit Support Representative, Ward Clerk
Tasks they perform
- Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
- Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
- Complete insurance or other claim forms.
Skills they need
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- 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.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- 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.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
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Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
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Additional career information and resources
Learn more about medical secretaries and administrative assistants with these helpful sites.
- AAPC (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Medical Assistants (external link opens new tab)
- International Association of Administrative Professionals (external link opens new tab)
- International Virtual Assistants Association (external link opens new tab)
- NALS...the association for legal professionals (external link opens new tab)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Secretaries and administrative assistants (external link opens new tab)