It takes more people than you might imagine to maintain smooth operations in a health care institution.To aid in this process, most facilities employ medical secretaries and administrative assistants who perform and coordinate office activities and ensure information gets disseminated in a timely fashion with staff and patients. They work in office settings in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, physicians’ offices, insurance companies, emergency and outpatient diagnostic centers, and extended-care facilities. Medical secretaries and Administrative Assistants schedule appointments, give information to callers, organize and maintain files, take dictation, and transcribe, edit, and type the physician’s dictated notes of patients medical procedures and treatments.
A degree is usually not required, but may be preferred by the employer. You may learn computer and office skills by earning an associate degree through local community colleges or technical schools. A secretary may become a Certified Professional Secretary by passing a series of exams given by Professional Secretaries International.