Medical Secretary Education Requirements and Career Information
Medical secretaries, also known as medical administrative assistants, are charged with keeping a medical office or clinic running smoothly. Continuing education due to frequent new office technologies and software packages is an important part of this career. Further career information can be found below.
Medical Secretary Educational Requirements
Medical secretaries need to have either a certificate or an associate's degree from an accredited school. Certificate programs are typically completed in less than one year and prepare the student for entry-level positions. Coursework covers medical documents and procedures, business math and business communication. It also addresses office technology, including training in computer software specific to the medical field. Some certificate programs require previous administrative experience as a prerequisite and are designed for those seeking career advancement.
An associate's degree is most desired by employers of medical secretaries. A 2-year undergraduate degree program offers specialized course content such as human anatomy, medical terminology, office technology, medical office management, medical insurance billing, machine transcription and business communications. Students may choose to focus on either medical insurance and coding or medical transcription. Typing speed and accuracy, composition, grammar, customer service and attention to detail are all beneficial to the prospective medical secretary, and therefore may be goals of associate's degree programs.
After graduation, individuals may earn CPS (Certified Professional Secretary) or CAP (Certified Administrative Professional) certification through the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). A medical secretary looking to further his or her career may choose to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) through the American Association of Medical Assistants.
Career Information for Medical Secretaries
Medical secretaries may work in doctor's offices, clinics, nursing homes, hospitals and insurance companies. In addition to typical secretarial duties, they keep the office well-organized and efficient by managing data bases and patient files, processing medical claims, scheduling, coding, billing, word processing and transcribing medical reports. They also record simple medical histories, arrange for hospitalization and order supplies. Medical secretaries must recognize and understand medical and scientific terminology.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 27% increase in job opportunities for this career field is expected from 2008-2018. The median annual salary of medical secretaries in 2008 was $29,680. Opportunities are expected to be best for those with extensive computer software knowledge and advanced communication skills (www.bls.gov).
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Online Medical Secretary Courses and Training Programs
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27 Popular Schools
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
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- Online Learning
Online Programs
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
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- Bachelor
- Associate
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
- Currently not accepting applications from Texas residents
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Master
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- MBA Dual Concentration: Healthcare Management and Public Safety Leadership
- MBA Dual Concentration: Accounting and Public Safety Leadership
- MBA Dual Concentration: Business Management and Public Safety Leadership
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- MBA Dual Concentration: Healthcare Management and Project Management
- MBA Dual Concentration: Healthcare Management and Technology Management
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- Bachelor
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- Non-Degree
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must live within close proximity to school locations
- Must be graduated from high school by 2011
School locations:
- Arizona (1 campus)
- Florida (2 campuses)
- New York (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Texas (1)
Classroom-Based Programs
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Arizona (1 campus)
- California (5)
- Colorado (1)
- Florida (2)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Illinois (2)
- Minnesota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
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Master
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- MS in Health Services Management
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- Bachelor
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Colorado (3 campuses)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
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Bachelor
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- BS in Health Care Management - Health Informatics
- Associate
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Florida (2 campuses)
- Indiana (1 campus)
- Texas (1)
- Washington (1)
Classroom-Based Programs
- Bachelor
- Associate
- Non-Degree
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be 21 years of age or older and have completed some college or 24 years of age or older and a high school graduate for a Bachelor's degree
- Masters degree applicants must have a Bachelors degree
- Doctorate degree applicants must have a Masters degree
School locations:
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- Master
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Bachelor
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- BS in Health Studies - General
- BS in Health Studies - Health Management
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Must be a high school graduate or have completed GED
School locations:
- Online Learning
- Alabama (1 campus)
- Arkansas (2)
- Arizona (6)
- California (25)
- Colorado (3)
- Columbia (D.C.) (1)
- Florida (6)
- Georgia (5)
- Hawaii (2)
- Idaho (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (2)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (1)
- Missouri (3)
- New Mexico (1)
- Nevada (2)
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (1)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- Tennessee (2)
- Texas (9)
- Utah (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
Online and Classroom-Based Programs
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Associate
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- AA in Health Care Administration - Electronic Health Records
- Associate of Arts Foundations in Health Care Administration
- Associate of Arts Foundations in Health Care Administration/Medical Records
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- Non-Degree
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Minimum eligibility requirements:
- Applicants must have some prior college credit.
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Master
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- Master - Healthcare Administration and Management
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- BS - Healthcare Administration and Management
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