Administrative assistants in hospitals, clinics, insurance firms, and doctors' and dentists' offices are medical secretaries. Medical secretaries must be knowledgeable with medical and pharmacological language in addition to being familiar with the standard secretarial equipment. 

They must also be aware with the billing procedures required by insurance companies and government programmes such as Medicare, as well as the forms necessary by hospitals and labs and how to fill them out. 

Medical records management, medical transcription, procuring medical supplies, and ensuring that an office library has the most recent medical journals and publications may all be part of the work. 

This career requires extensive training, which is widely available. A certificate is often awarded after completing a particular amount of semester hours at a technical institution. Community and junior colleges provide more comprehensive two-year programmes that lead to an associate's degree.