Medical Administrative Assistants

A major employer of administrative assistants are medical professionals such as private physicians, medical scientists, laboratory specialists, and other health practitioners. Administrative assistants working in the medical field are known as medical administrative assistants or medical secretaries. They should not be confused with physicians assistants or clinical medical assistants. These types of professionals work directly with patients in a medical capacity (standing in for the doctor), while medical administrative assistants perform the clerical and managerial tasks of an office.

Duties

The majority of medical administrative assistants are employed by private offices and hospitals. They may be alternately in charge of overseeing the operations of an entire office or a department within a larger institution. Their main responsibility is to oversee the running of an office through coordination, organization, and dissemination of information.

Medical administrative assistants are responsible for the clerical aspects of the medical field. They will update and maintain patient records, fill out insurance forms, and coordinate hospital admissions. Other duties are include answering phone, greeting patients, scheduling appointments, overseeing correspondence, and basic bookkeeping. Many of these tasks, such as billing, are complex and require knowledge of insurance procedures and other knowledge intrinsic to the medical industry.

Required Skills

The specific skills of a medical administrative assistant don’t differ considerably from those of a general administrative assistant. Like their counterparts, medical administrative assistants must be skilled in word processing, oral communication, organization, and management. However, medical administrative assistants must also have a solid knowledge of medical terminology and procedures in order to perform their jobs efficiently.

Medical administrative assistants are responsible for many highly technical tasks. They must be familiar with medical language in order to handle correspondence on behalf of the physician. Medical administrative assistants must also have additional skills, such as medical billing, transcription, and coding. Working with insurance companies can be especially complex, and medical administrative assistants must have strong communicate skills when dealing with clients and agents alike.

Modern medical offices are reliant on technology, which has impacted the duties of the administrative assistant. Most employers now require medical administrative assistants to have a working knowledge of the communication technology commonly used in offices, such as telephones, fax machines, and e-mail. With many medical databases and records going online, medical administrative assistants are also responsible for updating, maintaining, and accessing files.

Although many medical administrative assistants acquire skills through on-the-job training, there are many programs available to individual who wish to receive formal training prior to starting a job search. These programs are designed to teach students the basics of administrative assisting, while also offering courses in medicine-specific subjects, such as coding. The majority of medical administrative assistants currently employed have completed such a program.

Employment

The demand for medical administrative assistants is projected to grow much faster than average compared to other professions over the next decade, increasing by 34% by 2018. The best job opportunities are reserved for candidates with some kind of formal training in medical administrative assisting, along with a diversified skill set. Medical administrative assistants can earn over $40,000 in salary with a combination of experience and education.
 
 

Top Administrative Assistant Schools

  • Career Point College Online

    Imagine an exciting new career in the medical, business, legal or computer fields. Career Point College is a great place to learn all of the skills you will need to succeed in these industries and get the future you want! In as few as eight months for a diploma, 15 months for an Associate’s, and 18 months for a Bachelor’s (with an Associate’s first), you could be prepared to enter the job marketplace. Whether it is because of our accelerated programs, hands-on training, personal attention, flexible schedules, lifetime placement assistance or lifetime refresher training, you will see Career Point College is the right school for you!

  • Potomac College

    Potomac College offers students the opportunity to take advantage of all of the same courses, programs, and specializations online that are offered at either of their two physical campuses. This allows students the convenience of flexibility and makes it an ideal institution for fulltime working adults, military persons, or anyone with a busy, demanding schedule seeking to pursue a college degree. In fact, many of our students residing in a close proximity to either our Washington, DC or Herndon, VA campuses have chosen to take both online and on-campus courses for an accommodating blended program.

    Imagine being able to pursue your degree at a pace and time that works with your busy schedule. Potomac College offers practical and tailored curricula to a diverse community of working adults and students. It is our goal to make education obtainable regardless of a student’s schedule and finances. Our academic advisors are trained to assess your educational needs and tailor a curriculum that matches your career goals and expected time of completion.

  • Harrison College

    Harrison College is a nationally accredited college with more than 75,000 graduates. We offer a unique learning environment for students who want to pursue a career-focused, quality education and complete their degree in a student-centered atmosphere. In order to achieve your goals, we believe it’s important for us to take the time to get to know you. In fact, our students are often surprised at the one-on-one attention they receive here as compared to other institutions. You’ll experience it throughout every stage of your Harrison experience, from our Admissions Representatives to our Career Services staff and financial aid analysts to our course instructors. Each of us believes it is our goal to help you achieve yours.

  • TCI - Technical Career Institute

    TCI College is a New York City based technical school that offers continuing technical education to students who want on-site specialized training in competitive fields. Technical Career Institutes provides students with technical training such as web site design, health information technology, electronic engineering technology, and heating ventilation and air conditioning. TCI also offers career placement assistance upon graduation. Visit TCI College in New York City located in lower Manhattan.

  • Career Point College

    Imagine an exciting new career in the medical, business, legal or computer fields. Career Point College is a great place to learn all of the skills you will need to succeed in these industries and get the future you want! In as little as 8-11 months for a Diploma or 18 months for an Associate’s Degree, you can graduate and join the workforce. Whether it is because of our accelerated programs, hands-on training, personal attention, flexible schedules, on-site daycare, lifetime placement assistance or lifetime refresher training, you will see Career Point College is the right school for you!

  • ASA The College For Excellence

    ASA The College For Excellence specializes in offering a superior value in higher education, with programs that balance traditional academic preparation with professional training and hands-on experience. 80% of Graduating Students get into the career field of their choice and many go on to advanced degrees!

  • Milan Institute

    We believe that each student at Milan Institute holds the key to his or her own success. Our staff and instructors strive to help each student develop the professionalism that will open a world of creativity and knowledge. Milan Institute offers a college atmosphere conducive to learning and individual growth. Excellent training and job placement assistance enable our students to become enterprising professionals.

  • Salter College

    Salter College, a private two-year college, offers an enriching balance of liberal arts and professional career education. We are dedicated to meeting the needs of our students through quality education and support services while fostering an environment that inspires academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, and an interest in life-long learning and continued higher education.

  • West Virginia Junior College

    Our programs are designed for you to be job-ready in months with career-focused, hands-on training in a friendly, small-school environment where you receive individual attention.

    As a WVJC student, you will have access to modern classrooms and laboratory equipment, individualized attention in a small class setting, and job placement assistance.

    Along with academic credentials and certifications, our faculty brings industry knowledge to the classroom, helping students understand both theory and real-world experiences.

  • Laurus College

    Our mission is to provide every student with a quality education and a quality experience that prepares you for success in the global marketplace of the modern world. To do this we provide focused instruction and personalized caring to every student. Our emphasis on career opportunities in all of our program offerings helps open up avenues of opportunity that previously may have gone unrealized.