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Medical Receptionist Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

A Medical Receptionist, or Medical Secretary, is the primary representative of a medical facility. Their duties include greeting visitors, maintaining appointments and providing direction to people in person and on the phone. The Medical Receptionist may also perform clerical work and disseminate information to medical staff.

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Medical Receptionist duties and responsibilities

Medical Receptionists perform a variety of duties in order to support the medical staff and its patients. They are the main liaisons of a medical facility, interacting with patients and medical staff. They act as mediators in communication. A Medical Receptionist’s duties and responsibilities also include:

  • Answering phones and forwarding calls to the appropriate party, or taking down messages for forwarding later
  • Collecting patient information and providing it to relevant medical leads
  • Tracking availability and preparing patients before their appointments
  • Informing medical staff when a patient has arrived or is waiting
  • Ensuring that each patient has the proper documentation and sign-in sheets
  • Handling correspondence and file transfers
  • Checking on medical staff throughout the day
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Medical Receptionist Job Description Examples:

What does a Medical Receptionist do?

A Medical Receptionist assists people who come to the medical facility for care or other services. They are the first person the visitor sees upon arrival or talk to when they call. A Medical Receptionist answers inquiries in a timely manner and checks patients in for their appointments. They call patients to verify appointments, collect information and maintain filing systems. Medical Receptionists also make sure that both patients and staff times are coordinated, and ready for an appointment.

Medical Receptionist skills and qualifications

A Medical Receptionist needs to be capable of handling a stressful environment at any given time in order to serve patients, medical staff, requests and inquiries as they come in. A qualified candidate will have various prerequisite skills/qualifications needed for duties including:

  • Multitasking to balance responsibilities between visitor needs and office availability
  • Time management skills for maintaining the focus of office staff and keeping pace with daily tasks
  • Understanding of healthcare terminology for relaying medical data
  • Excellent communication and people skills and a pleasant demeanour
  • Experience in scheduling and tracking patient information/appointments and maintaining supplies
  • Training in HIPAA Privacy Rules, understanding patient rights and how to communicate medical histories
  • Data entry skills like using electronic-medical record keeping via remote software

Medical Receptionist experience requirements

The role of Medical Receptionist is an entry-level position that requires one year of prior experience as a Medical Receptionist, or one year of experience in a similar position. A quality candidate has good interpersonal and listening skills, can type at 60 words per minute and is able to maintain patient confidentiality. They should also have experience with handling stressful situations. A Medical Receptionist should be able to apply their best judgment to find solutions when problems arise.

Advanced experience requirements for a Medical Receptionist include the ability to understand medical terms and abbreviations and the ability to type them into written or electronic medical forms. They may also have experience working as a Medical Audio Transcriptionist, prior to transitioning to the role of Medical Receptionist.

Medical Receptionist education and training requirements

The role of Medical Receptionist requires minimum educational requirements. Organisations can offer apprenticeships in this role. If education or experience is preferred, a candidate should have one of the following: a Level 1 Award in Salon Reception Duties, a Level 1 Certificate in Business and Administration, a Level 2 Certificate in Front of House Reception, or a Level 2 Diploma in Reception Operation and Services.

Medical Receptionist salary expectations

The average pay for a medical receptionist is £8.79 per hour. The actual wage depends on the experience level of the candidate and the geographic location of the position.

Job description samples for similar positions

Here are job description samples for positions that are similar to the role of Medical Receptionist, if this job description wasn’t quite what you were looking for:

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Medical Receptionist job description FAQs

What qualities make a good Medical Receptionist?

A good Medical Receptionist is welcoming and helpful. Qualities include a cheerful attitude, a willingness to help those in need, compassion, professionalism and good people skills. They should also have excellent communication skills and strong attention to detail.

Who does a Medical Receptionist report to?

A Junior Medical Receptionist reports to the Senior Medical Receptionist. In the event there is no Senior Medical Receptionist, the Medical Receptionist typically reports to the Office Manager.

What makes a good Medical Receptionist job description?

A good Medical Receptionist job description clearly lays out the duties and responsibilities of the position. The job description should be as informative as possible to attract a candidate with skills that align with the position. It should also describe the medical specialty of the clinic or facility in case there are any field-specific requirements.

Job Description Examples

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