SOUTH AFRICA · SALARY IN RANDS

Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

What the work involves, the skills employers want, and how to get started in South Africa.

  • Clinic Office Assistant
  • Front Desk Receptionist
  • Medical Office Specialist
  • Medical Receptionist
  • Medical Secretary
  • Physician Office Specialist
  • Secretary
  • Unit Clerk
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What do Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants do?

Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants play a vital role in the healthcare industry by providing essential administrative support to healthcare professionals and organizations. They are responsible for managing various administrative tasks that help ensure the smooth operation of medical offices, hospitals, and clinics. Their duties often include scheduling appointments, managing patient records, handling medical billing and insurance claims, and coordinating communication between patients and healthcare providers. In addition, these professionals must maintain patient confidentiality and comply with medical regulations while utilizing various software and technologies to facilitate their work. Their expertise in organization, attention to detail, and interpersonal communication skills are crucial in creating a positive experience for patients and supporting the healthcare team effectively.

What the work actually is

  • Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff.
  • Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations.
  • Complete insurance or other claim forms.
  • Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and direct them to appropriate staff.
  • Transmit correspondence or medical records by mail, e-mail, or fax.

Skills employers expect

Skills

  • Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Service Orientation Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities

  • Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Speech Clarity The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Administrative Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  • Medicine and Dentistry Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Computers and Electronics Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

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How people get into it

Education of new hires

High school diploma or equivalent
or: GED, High School Equivalency Certificate
Associate's degree
Post-secondary certificate
Awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in Personnel Services, Engineering-related Technologies, Vocational Home Economics, Construction Trades, Mechanics and Repairers, Precision Production Trades)

A normal week

  • Working with Computers
  • Processing Information
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Getting Information

Tools used on the job

Tools

  • Photocopiers Photocopying equipment
  • Magnetic stripe readers and encoders Credit card processing machines
  • Hospital intercom systems Hospital intercom equipment
  • Notebook computers Laptop computers
  • Premise branch exchange PBX systems Switchboards

Who it suits

Conventional

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Social

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

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Questions people ask

How much do Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn in South Africa?

Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salaries in South Africa vary by experience, province and employer.

What do Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants do?

Answer telephones and direct calls to appropriate staff, Schedule and confirm patient diagnostic appointments, surgeries, or medical consultations and Complete insurance or other claim forms.

How do I know if this career fits me?

Take the free Assessify career assessment. It matches your answers to careers and shows the South African salary next to each one.