A Day in the Life

If you’ve ever stepped foot in a medical office, chances are you’ve met someone like me. I’m a medical secretary, and that’s usually the first person you talk to in a doctor’s office.

I got interested in health care because maintaining a healthy lifestyle has always been important to me. That passion grew into wanting to help others live healthy lifestyles, too. My mom was a nurse for thirty years, so I’m sure that also had something to do with my interest.

After looking into different health jobs, I decided to pursue becoming a physician assistant. My job as a medical secretary is a way to gain experience interacting with patients on a basic level and prepare for my career.

I work at a dermatology clinic. Our patients come in for anything skin-related, from acne to skin cancer. My day-to-day role is administrative. I schedule appointments, help maintain patient records and work with insurance companies and pharmacies.

The best thing about my job is working with the patients and being able to help them however I can. For example, sometimes patients call with an emergency and need an appointment at the last minute. Part of my job is to help them stay calm and get them scheduled as soon as possible. When they come in, they are very thankful for my help.

The only thing I don’t like about my job is the paperwork. It can be boring, but it is worth it for the front-row seat to see the doctors in action. Everything I learn will be helpful when I am a physician assistant.

I recommend becoming a medical secretary if you aren’t completely sure you want to get into health care. You don’t need a lot of training or experience, and you’ll learn a lot on the job.