How to become a Medical Secretary in Waterford - Pitman Training Career Plan Q & A Series

Good medical secretaries and medical administration staff will always be in demand. From a personality point of view it is essential to be people focussed, with strong interpersonal skills along with strong written and oral communication skills.

In terms of professional skills needed, at a minimum you would need strong Microsoft Word and Excel, along with high speed Typing and Audio Transcription (sometimes referred to as Audio Dictation or Dictaphone Typing). Familiarity of Medical Terminology is another widely required essential skill.

Read on for some commonly asked questions and answers about this career and hopefully you will be armed with the knowledge you need to make your decision about venturing down this path!

Q Do you need a degree to be a Medical Secretary?

A While you won’t need a university degree, you will need foundation qualifications such as a Diploma to get started. A highly regarded Medical Administration course in Waterford such as Medical Secretary Diploma or Medical Admin Diploma with Pitman Training, is widely recognised by hospitals, surgeries and healthcare practices throughout Ireland.

Q How much would a secretary make in a Hospital or a GP’s office?

A The average salary in Waterford for a Medical Secretary is currently €27,132 annually or €13.14 hourly rate. There are often medical or dental benefits and salary general rises with years of experience. Hospital positions may average the same starting salary as GPs or small medical practices however there is more room for career progression and increased salary range in a larger healthcare environment.

Q What do you do a Medical Secretary?

A The role can be varied depending on where you are working, but in general the tasks are clerical duties such as typing, document and file management, meeting and greeting of patients and sometimes some accounting duties.

Q What is the Waterford jobs market like currently for Medical Secretary jobs?

A With employment on the rise across most sectors in 2018, Medical Administration is certainly no different. Examples in the past couple of days alone for jobs in Waterford being advertised are these Medical Receptionist and Medical Secretary roles. Certainly as long as the general public require healthcare, office and support staff will always be in demand!

Q Is work experience or volunteer work a good idea?

A If you have no prior office work experience or office skills from a previous job, then it is an excellent idea to volunteer in an office setting or your local GPs office. Work experience combined with your formal training certification will certainly give you the best chance when searching for a job.

Q What is the opportunity for Career Progression?

A Working as a secretary in a healthcare setting does not mean you are stuck in the same role for years. This career offers great prospects for career progression. With more advanced training for example and work experience, you can rise to a managerial position or senior supervisory roles such Medical Office Manager or Medical Executive Assistant.

Educational Training centres such as Pitman Training are regularly contacted by medical practices and hospitals looking for graduates to place in either a work experience setting or indeed with a view to interviewing for a paid position. If you are looking for career advice about jobs and training as a Medical Secretary, one of the best steps you can take is to check out your local Pitman Training centre.

We offer over 400 flexible learning, full and part-time Waterford courses in a wide range of subjects from IT, Technical training courses, Programming to Web Design, Management courses, Digital Marketing, Accounting, Event Management, Secretarial and Legal Secretary training.