Medical Receptionist – A Position On The Rise

Anyone who has ever entered a doctor’s office had encountered a medical receptionist. Receptionists are the first point of contact between you and any medical personnel working in the office. Job duties of a receptionist vary greatly depending on the place of employment and receptionists may be found everywhere from private offices to public settings such as hospitals and health departments.

This is one of the fastest growing fields in the country as of 2009. If you are looking to make a career change or obtain a job in the health care industry, this may be the place to start.

Job Duties of a Medical Receptionist

The main job of a medical receptionist is to greet patients as they call or enter the office. Any non-medical questions will need to be answered and the receptionist will be responsible for making appointments and working as a liaison between the patient and the medical staff. Other job duties involve answering phones, maintaining patient records and filing paperwork,

Education of a Medical Receptionist

A formal degree is not required to work as a medical receptionist although there are programs which allow one in this field to become certified. On-the-job training may be required. Anyone who can handle multiple tasks at the same time, has good communication and people skills along with organizational ability will do good in this field. Employers do prefer someone with experience in the medical field, but this is not required.

The Salary of a Medical Receptionist

A medical receptionist salary is dependent on many factors. Experience is one that is taken into account and job location is another. If you are just starting in the field, you can expect to make somewhere in the range of $18,000 to $30,000. Your salary will move up as you gain experience.

Those who work in hospitals tend to earn more than those who work in optometry offices. Dental receptionists made an average of $13.78 hourly as of 2008 while those who worked for health care practitioners, other than physicians, made an average of $11.45 for the same time period.

Medical Receptionist Expected Job Growth

This field in expected to grow through 2018. Estimates show that the growth rate will be in the 15% range. Most jobs will become available in physicians’ offices. This is one field which cannot be eliminated with technological advances. If you are looking to move into the health care industry, a job as a medical receptionist may be exactly what you want.

Take a look at this video interview with a medical receptionist. She talks about what drew her to the position: