Medical Receptionist Career Guide and Counseling

Question: medical receptionist? I have approximately 3 years experience as a receptionist from working at car dealerships but i want to move up into something like a medical receptionist. I appled for one job, went in for the interview and didn't get the job because i have no experience in medical billing or insurance or co-pays and stuff like that. Just curious if every medical place is like that. Is the receptionist always responsible for the money and billing? At the car dealership i never received any money i just answered the phone and filed paperwork. Being that i don't have this experience should i stay away from the medical field?

Answer: I am a Unit secretary and I dont have to deal with insurance. However, I do not make much money either. Sometimes you can get lucky and someone will give you a chance in a mediacal office with no experience, but the money is terrible, even with a diploma.

Question: How to become a medical receptionist? I'm 18 and attending a community college.. My major is psychology. I don't really know what I want to be though. I know a job as a medical receptionist isn't really something that would pay the bills, but for right now it seems like a decent & interesting (at least for me) job. What would I have to do to become one?

Answer: According to the US Dept of Labor: *A high school diploma or its equivalent is the most common educational requirement. *Employment is expected to grow faster than average. Training and Education needed: Receptionists and information clerks generally receive on-the-job training. However, employers often look for applicants who already possess certain skills, such as prior computer experience or answering telephones. Some employers also may prefer some formal office education or training. On the job, they learn how to operate the telephone system and computers. They also learn the proper procedures for greeting visitors and for distributing mail, faxes, and parcels. Advancement for receptionists generally comes about either by transferring to a more responsible occupation or by being promoted to a supervisory position. Receptionists with especially strong computer skills may advance to a better paying job as a secretary or an administrative assistant. Wages: Median hourly earnings of receptionists and information clerks in May 2004 were $10.50. The middle 50 percent earned between $8.62 and $12.88. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.21, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $15.53. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest number of receptionists and information clerks in May 2004 are shown below: Offices of dentists $12.37 General medical and surgical hospitals 11.07 Offices of physicians 10.92 Employment services 10.28 Personal care services 8.16 In 2005, the Federal Government typically paid salaries ranging from $22,937 to $27,818 a year to beginning receptionists with a high school diploma or 6 months of experience. The average annual salary for all receptionists employed by the Federal Government was about $29,185 in 2005. Good luck!

Question: What should I write on the Cover Letter for a medical receptionist position? I have no prior experience. My work experience is all serving and retail, so I would like to get a job that's a little different. What can I write on my CV for the medical receptionist position that would want to make the employer look at my resume?

Answer: Try to talk about how much of a benefit you can be to the employer. Explain to them how much customer service skills you have as well as skills that pertain to the position (ie good communication, phone, typing, & computer skills). As long as you have knowledge of these basic skills and really emphasize this in your cv, then an employer will take you seriously and overlook the fact that you never had paid experience as a receptionist. The best thing to do would be to place yourself in an employers shoes & ask yourself what would I look for if I was to hire an employee for this position. Also send your cv to doctors offices, clinics & hospitals to increase your chances. You're bound to find a position that way. Good luck!

Question: How can I get experience as a Medical receptionist if I don't have the training? I am trying to switch jobs from being a retail manager to becoming a medical receptionist. All the job openings I see require experience. How do I get that?

Answer: Review the job description and then explain how the skills you've utilized in a previous position can be applied to the job responsibilities. A medical receptionist is truly not the same as a receptionist in business. It would be EXTREMELY helpful to take a medical terminology class to understand the "talk" in a physician's office. DO not follow the advice of making up experience. More and more frequently, physicians and employers are doing background checks, verifying previous employment. If you are caught in a lie, you'll never get the job or... it's grounds for automatic dismissal

Question: How do I get a job as a medical receptionist, or admitting rep? or even medical billing? I took a medical billing class, but still no on will hire me because I have no prior experience working in a hospital, so I thought I should start as a receptionist to get some experience but no one will hire me! It the job that hard?What should I do? How the heck am I supposed to get started?

Answer: Try a physician's office instead of a hospital. They are more apt to hire someone with just the education and not the experience and train. Hospitals generally want someone who can pretty much hit the ground running and to be able to do that, you need the real time experience.

Question: Does anyone know the hourly wage of a medical receptionist in Michigan? I just started work as a medical receptionist and I was told they haven't figured out what to pay me, yet. Does anyone know what the average wage should be for someone with 3 yrs experiance?

Answer: Try this http://swz.salary.com/ you enter the type of job and the area that you are in. It gives you the range of wages for that position.

Question: What types of questions will be asked on an interview for a medical receptionist? i am going for an interview for a job as a medical receptionist and want to prepare for the types of questions that might be asked.

Answer: I have been in the medical field for over 6 years. I started out being a receptionist. Some of the things most medical offices want to know is: Can you handle a fast pace work? Can you work overtime if needed? Can you answer multiple phone lines? Do you know any medical terminology? Familar with medication names? You will also need to be aware of the HIPPA rules. Things such as that...Good luck in your interview

Question: Wondering Dental Assistant or Medical Receptionist, which make more money? I was going to go to school for assistant but my girlfriends did and she only made 12-15/hr now she got a medical receptionist position in a dental office and making 17 per hour. I am in ontario, canada. Who makes more?

Answer: A Dental Assistant's job is physically more demanding. The pay depends on your skills and the amount of work put in. I would assume a DA will make more money than a receptionist, doesn't matter Dental or Medical. You can look up the salary here : http://www.salaryexpert.com/ Pros of a DA job : 1. The pay is not too bad. 2. However, the pay varies with the type of Dental Assisting Jobs. There are 3 different types of DAs. The level is set based on how the DA gets trained: a) That gets trained privately by a dentist at the office. Such DAs can just get their x-ray certification and get a job. b) You can become an institutionally certified DA c) The third one is the EFDA (Expanded Function Dental Assistant), who places fillings, makes provisional crowns, takes impressions for the dentures, etc. Obviously, there is difference in pay as you would also expect the pay to vary with experience. The following article will give yo more info and show you how to seek a job as a DA : http://www.associatedcontent.com/article… Therefore, it depends on what kind of job satisfaction you are looking for. 3. Of course, the cost involved in becoming a DA is not too high. 4. Even if you work on a patient, less chances of legal liability. Cons of a DA job : 1. You will have exposure to radiation due to frequent taking of x-rays. You will have to use the x-ray badge have it measured regularly. 2. You may develop back and even wrist problems due to repetitive movements. Still much better than the injuries suffered by nurses !!

Question: Do you need a special diploma to be a medical receptionist? Do you need a special diploma or anything to be a receptionist at a clinic? I am applying for jobs online and a medical office is looking for a receptionist. It doesnt say you need a speical diploma.. Do you know? I have reception experince in an office eniroment, plus at a hair salon

Answer: It would help to have a Medical Office Administration diploma (normally 2 years in Canada, no idea what the US is like.) A short medical-terminology course would also be beneficial (edit: in lieu of the diploma. The diploma would teach you the medical terminology.) There's no mandatory requirements, but because of the tasks you'll be doing (data-entry, talking/meeting with patients, etc.) they usually want you to know at least a little bit about Medicine. What I suggest you do is spend some time on a website like eMedicine (http://emedicine.medscape.com/) or WebMD (http://www.webmd.com) reading up on topics that interest you. Mention in your resume/cover letter that you've got reception experience AND basic medical knowledge. Don't lie, but if you've spent a couple hours reading up on medicine and medical terminology, don't hesitate to include that :) While Google should be able to help you out with some basic terms, depending on how in depth you want to go (I don't know if you plan to make this a career, or if it's just temporary, or if you'd like to go into another medical job in the future?) the US Army does publish a course on basic Medical Terminology for it's Doctors, Nurses, and other Medical Professionals. You can see/download a copy of it here: http://www.harding.edu/paprogram/pdf/bas…

Question: Work experience as a Medical Receptionist- Should I ask or not ? I've never worked in a medical centre before and I know all jobs want experience. I'm doing a TAFE course at the moment. Has anyone done work experience in a medical office before as a Medical Receptionist? Should I ring around or go in and ask if they'll allow me to work their for free in exchange for some experience?

Answer: Just make up a resume and go in personally to hand it in or fill out an application and then turn them in together. I'm sure you have some experience somewhere. For example I was a medic in the military so I knew a bit about medical vocabulary and procedures for my receptionist job at a veterinarian's office. Make up some baloney like that. It's not rocket science after all ;-)