The medical receptionist is the first person that a patient comes in contact with in a medical facility. Medical receptionists can be found in doctor’s offices, medical physician groups, hospitals, as well as in other medical institutions and home care facilities.
Medical receptionists set the tone for the medical office and the job can be very fast paced and busy. If you have good organizational and people skills and an interest in the medical field, then being a medical receptionist may be the perfect job for you. Here’s how to become a medical receptionist.
Medical Receptionist Job Description
Medical receptionists share some job responsibilities with administrative assistants. People who work medical receiptionist jobs are expected to perform the following tasks when working in the health care industry.
- Greet the patients.
- Answer the phone and schedule patient appointments.
- Facilitate communication between patients and medical professionals working in the facility.
- Collect insurance co-payments and prepare billing sheets for visits.
- Locate, prepare and manage patient medical records.
- Put together charts for new patients.
- Call in new prescriptions and refills to the patients pharmacy.
- Perform other office-type duties as needed, for example faxing, writing letters, preparing lab forms, etc.
Normally, the work is done during regular office hours. However, if the facility operates 24 hours, seven days a week, medical receptionists usually work in shifts.
Requirements to Become a Medical Receptionist
- A degree is not required, but medical assistant training is helpful. To become a medical receptionist, you need a high school diploma or GED. After high school, you can sign up for a medical assistant training course at your local college or adult vocational school. You can also find great medical assisting programs online that you can do at your own pace. There is also a medical assistant certification available. You can become a CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) by taking an examination through the AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants). This certification is not always necessary, but helpful as some offices now prefer certification.
- Have good people skills. Since you are the first person patients see in the doctor’s office, you set the tone for the entire office. You are expected to deal gracefully with a variety of individuals, both sick and healthy. You will also need to interact with suppliers, maintenance people and representatives of insurance firms and drug companies. Therefore, a medical receptionist should have the confidence to interact with a variety of individuals respectfully, professionally and cheerfully.
- Have patience and empathy. Some patients are difficult to deal with due to their illness. Being patient and empathetic towards patients can ease their discomfort and create positive interactions between you and the patients. Doctors are often tired and stressed so you need to be able to adjust to their personalities and expectations.
- Be able to work independently. Doctors should focus on treating the patient and not holding your hand as you do your job. You are expected to know your tasks and perform them with minimal assistance from others. You need to be good at routines, self-starting your day and preparing the office for the doctor before he or she arrives to work to begin seeing patients.
- Be able to work with others. You and your fellow co-workers should be able to work as a team to satisfy the mission and vision of the facility at which you are employed. Medical offices can be very fast paced environments with a great deal of stress on busy days, being able to work as a team will ensure the office runs smoothly and efficiently.
- Be computer savvy. Almost all medical offices these days are electronic. From appointments, to medical records and pharmacy communications, you need to know how to operate the computer as well as the other equipment you are expected to use (fax machine, copier and telephone). In-depth knowledge of computer software is important, especially the software used for patient records.
- Effective communication skills are mandatory. You should be able to write properly, using correct form, grammar and spelling. Listening skills are essential, too, so you can gather the right information. Good verbal skills are important to be understood on the phone, in person or through electronic means.
- Strict attention to detail is very important. As the medical receptionist, you will be the doctor’s right arm. You will be asked to call in prescriptions to pharmacies, call in prescription refills, call other doctors and facilities for medical records and often write information in the patient’s permanent medical record. Attention to detail is necessary as errors can be a legal issue in a medical office.
Salary and Job Growth
Entry level medical receptionists make about $19,000 and can go as high as $35,000 per year with experience. The need for medical receptionists continues to grow as managed care reduces the amount of hospitalizations and increases the number of patients treated at the doctor’s office and home care. The potential for personal career growth is very high with this position. You can start out as a medical receptionist, work your way up to back-office medical assistant and if you choose, move on to nursing school if you find you like working in the medical field. The possibilities are endless when you start out in this entry-level position.
A medical receptionist career is exciting and fast paced. If you like working with people and the medical field, this is a good place to get started. You learn good interactions with patients and doctors, medical terminology, and a lot of information about the medical field. There is a huge opportunity for growth and a good chance for a bright future.