How To Become a Medical Secretary

The material contained in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not to be interpreted as advice or guidance.

If you're interested in healthcare and enjoy organization and administrative work, you may be wondering how to become a medical secretary. The path may differ depending on an employer's requirements, but many people enter the field with a high school diploma and strong computer skills before building additional medical-specific knowledge through training. In this article, we'll walk through the typical steps, what the role involves, and the skills it draws on.¹

The Typical Path To Becoming a Medical Secretary

There may be no single route into this role, but common steps may include:¹

1. Earn a high school diploma and build computer skills. High school graduates with experience in word processing and spreadsheet programs typically qualify for entry-level secretary and administrative assistant positions.
2. Build medical-specific knowledge. Unlike general administrative roles, medical secretaries may need additional training to learn industry-specific terminology and practices. This is often where medical secretaries spend extra time, since they may train for several months to learn medical terminology, records, and procedures.
3. Consider a course or program. Some post-secondary institutions offer programs in industry-specific terminology and practices that help prepare students for jobs as medical secretaries.
4. Learn on the job. Much of the day-to-day skill of the role is often developed through on-the-job training, where new secretaries learn administrative procedures such as how to prepare documents.

What Does a Medical Secretary Do?

Understanding the role can help you decide whether the path is right for you. Medical secretaries are a specialized type of secretary or administrative assistant who work in healthcare settings. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, their medically specific responsibilities may include processing insurance payments or managing medical records. The role may also involve familiarity with medical terminology and codes and hospital or laboratory procedures.²

Alongside these healthcare-specific tasks, medical secretaries handle many of the same core duties as other administrative professionals, such as answering phones, scheduling appointments, preparing documents, maintaining records and databases, and helping the office run efficiently.²

Skills a Medical Secretary Uses

The work rests on a blend of organizational ability and people skills. There are several qualities that matter for secretaries and administrative assistants:¹

• Decision-making skills. The role often involves prioritizing tasks and making decisions on an employer's behalf, so good judgment matters.¹
• Interpersonal skills. Interacting with patients, staff, and others calls for communicating effectively and courteously.¹
• Organizational skills. Keeping files, folders, and schedules in order helps an office run efficiently.¹
• Writing skills. Writing memos and emails calls for good grammar, accuracy, and a professional tone.¹

Why Consider a Program?

While a degree isn't required to become a medical secretary, a focused program is one way to build the medical terminology, records knowledge, and administrative skills the role depends on, potentially before starting a job rather than entirely on the job. A program may also offer a structured way to develop those skills alongside broader healthcare knowledge.³

Choosing a Program To Prepare for a Medical Secretary Role

If you decide a program fits your goals, it helps to know what to look for. Since the medical secretary role hinges on medical terminology, records, and administrative know-how, a program that builds those specifically may help students begin developing the knowledge and skills commonly associated with the role. Rasmussen University's online Healthcare Associate's degree, for example, offers a Medical Administrative Assistant specialization aimed at exactly this kind of preparation, pairing healthcare-specific knowledge with the communication and administrative skills the work draws on.³

There's also a longer-term angle worth considering. Because the program is an associate degree, it's designed so credits can stack toward a bachelor's degree later on and may provide a pathway for students who later decide to pursue additional education. For someone who starts out aiming at a medical secretary role but later wants to move toward, say, healthcare administration, that kind of built-in pathway can make continuing your education more straightforward down the road.³

Because it's offered fully online, a program like this can also be a practical fit if you're balancing work or family while you study, letting you build the role's core skills on a schedule that works for you.³

Explore Rasmussen University's Healthcare Program

For those who decide a program fits their goals, Rasmussen University's online Healthcare Associate's degree offers a Medical Administrative Assistant specialization, designed to help students build skills relevant to administrative and support roles in healthcare settings, including medical secretary, administrative assistant, and receptionist roles.³

If you're interested in building skills commonly associated with medical administrative roles, learn more about Rasmussen University's online Healthcare Associate's degree.³

Earning a degree does not guarantee employment or specific job outcomes. Employment conditions in your area may vary. Role titles, duties, and requirements vary by state and employer.

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.htm#tab-4 (accessed July 7, 2026). Employment conditions in your area may vary.
²Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.htm#tab-2 (accessed July 7, 2026). Employment conditions in your area may vary.
³Rasmussen University, Healthcare Associate's Degree, at https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/health-sciences/health-care/associates/ (accessed July 7, 2026).