Medical Secretaries & Administrative Assistants
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.
Technology Tools
Key Tasks
- Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
- Transcribe recorded messages or practitioners' diagnoses or recommendations into patients' medical records.
- Compile and record medical charts, reports, or correspondence, using typewriter or personal computer.
- Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
- Complete insurance or other claim forms.
- Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and direct them to appropriate staff.
- Transmit correspondence or medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.
- Maintain medical records, technical library, or correspondence files.
- Receive and route messages or documents, such as laboratory results, to appropriate staff.
- Interview patients to complete documents, case histories, or forms, such as intake or insurance forms.
- Operate office equipment, such as voice mail messaging systems, and use word processing, spreadsheet, or other software applications to prepare reports, invoices, financial statements, letters, case histories, or medical records.
- Schedule tests or procedures for patients, such as lab work or x-rays, based on physician orders.
- Perform bookkeeping duties, such as credits or collections, preparing and sending financial statements or bills, and keeping financial records.
- Prepare correspondence or assist physicians or medical scientists with preparation of reports, speeches, articles, or conference proceedings.
- Perform various clerical or administrative functions, such as ordering and maintaining an inventory of supplies.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
98%
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
96%
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
96%
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
93%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
90%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
90%
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
88%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
85%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
79%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
76%
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
76%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
74%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
73%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
72%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
70%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
65%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
63%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
63%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
61%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
61%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
61%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
59%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
51%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
50%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
44%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
34%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
34%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
31%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
30%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
28%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
27%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
22%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
20%
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
20%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
17%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
17%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
15%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
13%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
11%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
10%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
9%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
6%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
5%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
2%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
2%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
2%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
1%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
1%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
1%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
1%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
0%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
0%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
0%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
0%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
0%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
0%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
0%
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Associate's degree
Post-secondary certificate
Interests
Conventional
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum
Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Enterprising
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Work Styles
Work Values
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