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Medical Secretary

Do you want to become a Medical Secretary? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

Medical secretaries provide support for doctors, medical researchers and medical administrators.

• In GP surgeries or health centres they have a lot of contact with patients, making appointments and attending to people coming into the surgery. They also update patients' computer records and files.
• In a hospital, there would also be contact with other hospital staff. They might take notes during clinic sessions or type up a consultant's notes from tape.

Many medical secretaries work normal office hours, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, but may work evenings, early mornings and Saturdays.

They normally sit in an office, but in a hospital they might take records and files to other departments.

Salaries start at around £12,500, and senior secretaries can earn £25,000.

Medical secretaries should:

• be well organised
• have good communication and IT skills
• pay attention to detail and accuracy
• work as part of a team and on their own initiative
• work well under pressure.

As well as hospitals and GP surgeries, medical secretaries work for pharmaceutical companies, university medical schools, medical research organisations and medical charities.

Most employers look for some GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3) including English language and maths. Older applicants are often welcomed.

They usually take the Advanced Diploma for Medical Secretaries. There are two methods of qualifying: either through an exam, or a competence-based programme assessed by portfolio.

Senior medical secretaries can become personal assistants to senior medical administrators. They can also move into office management or GP practice administration.

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