Anyone looking to become a medical administrative specialist should be aware that there are a number of training courses available that provide the education you need to work in this field. Community colleges, career schools, and technical schools offer certificate, diploma, or associate degree programs in this area of study.
Not all schools call their programs "medical administrative specialist programs." When you are looking for a school, you can start by looking at their programs in the business division. Then read the descriptions carefully to find ones that are in the office administration field with a focus on the medical field.
The educational programs necessary to become a medical administrative specialist vary in length. Depending on the school, your studies may take up to two years. Some programs can be completed in less than a year, so students can get out in the work force relatively quickly.
Anyone who wishes to become a medical administrative specialist needs to be mature and reliable, since it involves dealing with highly personal patient information. Failure to keep patient information confidential is a sure way to have a very short career as a medical secretary. The medical secretary may be the first person who a patient sees when he or she enters a medical office. It is important that people who work in this area are friendly and genuinely enjoy dealing with people. An eye for detail is a key skill as well, since they look after medical billing and coding for their employer.
The courses you will take while training to be a medical office specialist include general clerical subjects, as well as more specialized ones that prepare you for clerical work in a medical environment. You will take courses in keyboarding, accounting, and working with spreadsheets. Some programs include technical writing courses as well.
The more specialized courses you would take if you want to become a medical administrative specialist include ones that give students a background in anatomy, medical terminology, and physiology. Electronic coding and pharmacology may form part of the curriculum, as well as medical reception and medical office management.
Graduates from a medical administrative specialist program can find work in doctors' office, medical clinics, and hospitals. They can also work for chiropractors, dentists, massage therapists, physical therapists, or veterinarians. A graduate from medical secretary program can also look for a job with an insurance company. Some graduates get some experience on the job and then start a business providing medical transcription services.
