Any Medical Secretary's out there? Can you help me with some career advice?

[Bluestar1]

I work in a area with medical links but not directly (think opticians) i enjoy the clinical/medical side of the role more than the retail and i am considering a change in career to become a medical secretary.

I just wondered what qualifications you have? Do you think id be best moving to a more administrative position in the NHS first with a view to progressing/applying for a more secretarial role once i have more relevant experience? Also a lot of posts i have seen require a RSA/OCR3 qualification, however you can no longer take this? Can anyone recommend some alternatives?

TIA!

Im just about to become one too. No experience other than working as reception for the same place.

Maybe try administration first.

I'm a medical secretary - studied medical terminology and administration at college, HNC (scotland so I'm not sure what the english equivalent is).

My first job after college was hospital receptionist, then I worked my way to to the secretary post - the years service now :)

Whilst the qualification is obviously beneficial, I wouldn't say its crucial. For instance I've just been on the panel and chosen a girl for an assistant secretary post who had absolutely no medical experience, nor administrative. Her personality shone, and she was clearly willing to learn. So there are still opportunities to get on the ladder even without qualifications.

Ten* years service!!

Accuracy is very important as a medical secretary... haha

Hmmm.

Nowadays, med secs are generally a band 3 rather than a band 4 like they used to be. There isn’t much career progression. A Trust near me has outsourced all the typing to India /Philippines and got rid of audio typists and med secs who leave aren’t replaced.

Other Trusts are using dictation software with the aim of having med secs and just a handful of band 2 clerical workers.