The medical secretary or receptionist works as the frontline person at a medical facility, answering the phone when patients call, making appointments, and receiving patients when they arrive.
They may work in the waiting rooms of a general practitioner, specialist, or pathological testing laboratory, and in various departments in a hospital, such as admissions, x-rays or the emergency room. In small practices, they may also be required to assist with keeping patient accounts, and billing.
Being the first person to portray the organisational efficiency and image of the medical department for which they work, medical receptionists need to be courteous, tactful, professional and efficient.
Other duties performed by the medical secretary are:
keeping track of health records and files, manually and with the use of a computer, making arrangements for surgery, acting as a personal assistant, keeping diaries, arranging meetings and organising travel, using shorthand or an audio machine and word-processing letters, reports for patients’ records and minutes of meetings. They may possibly also be required to arrange transport for patients on occasion, and liaise with other healthcare professionals.