How to Train to Be a Medical Secretary

Medical secretaries work in many different medical positions and facilities. A unit secretary processes doctors' orders, answers patients' requests as needed and many other duties. Medical secretaries also are employed at doctor's offices and often are responsible for the entire office. They schedule patients, testing, billing and compile charts. They manage collections, process insurance claims and order supplies. Prospective medical secretaries must possess a good amount of knowledge about medical services and administration, but must be able to multitask efficiently and have good organizational skills.

Instructions

• 1

  Learn medical tasks that are specific to medical business offices, hospitals and other medical facilities. Study medical billing procedures for processing patient's insurance claims including medical terminology, coding and medical testing codes and procedures.Take college or vocational courses, which range from six months to a year in duration. You can also look for distance learning courses online.

• 2

  Complete medical business or administration certifications. A medical secretary must possess a wide range of office or administration skills such as data entry, financial programs, spreadsheets, word processing and creating reports. Check with local business schools for any classes they may have geared to medical settings.

• 3

  Get valuable work experience by working as medical receptionist or medical records clerk. Make sure that every employer understands that you are interested in furthering your education and that you are dedicated to learning and moving up in the medical field. High-paid medical secretaries all have a background consisting of many years of work experience in the medical field.

• 4

  Send professionally written resumes to hospitals, medical facilities and medical or dental offices in your local area. List all your medical education and work experience, along with how dedicated you are to furthering your career. Point out your organizational skills, along with your professional work ethic and ability to multitask.

• 5

  Ask for advice about medical office positions from anyone you know in the medical field including your physician or your physician's office staff, also as for recommendations from anyone in the medical field that you know.