Medical receptionists serve as the first point of contact for visitors to a medical facility, and we get many enquiries about how to become a medical receptionist here at the Receptionist Institute.
The work is varied, with a focus on administration and communication. It’s certainly a career that will keep you busy and challenge your multitasking and time management skills. But how do you become a medical receptionist? There are a few steps which we explore in this article, and they are the same steps you would expect for any receptionist job:
- Improving your skills,
- Earning a certification,
- Writing your resume and cover letter,
- Getting experience
Let’s take a look at each of these steps in more detail, but first, let’s look at precisely what a medical receptionist’s job involves.
What Does the Job of Medical Receptionist Involve?
If you’re considering a career as a medical receptionist, it may be useful to understand more about the role and the tasks that are likely to form part of your day-to-day work as a receptionist in a medical setting.
In general, they perform many of that standard tasks a receptionist does, but there are a few slight differences so keep an eye out for the, below…
Meeting and greeting patients and visitors
You’ll be the friendly face that everyone sees when they arrive at the facility.
You may be dealing with people in pain, who are very ill, or worried about a medical condition. A friendly welcome and a sympathetic ear go a long way in such an environment.
A good medical receptionist knows how to put people at ease and make them feel welcome and as relaxed as possible.
You’ll also be dealing with medical staff who are often very busy, so you’ll be expected to convey information accurately and succinctly and be capable of keeping calm and remaining on top of things at all times, particularly during busy periods when stress levels can rise.
Booking appointments
Managing patient appointments will also fall under the remit of the medical receptionist.
You’ll be required to schedule appointments, ensure patients are booked in to see the correct doctor or therapist, and check that the doctor has availability in their schedule.
There could be a lot of juggling to be done; when a patient cancels, a doctor calls in sick, or an emergency needs to be prioritized.
You’ll need to be a master of organization when you work as a medical receptionist, and there’s no room for error.
It may also be part of your work to call patients to remind them about an upcoming appointment, or chase them up if they fail to arrive on time.
Some software that you may need to learn as a medical receptionist is:
- Epic Systems – One of the most widely used EHR systems in hospitals and larger medical practices. Features patient scheduling, billing, and secure messaging.
- Cerner – A hospital-focused EHR with patient management, scheduling, and revenue cycle management.
- Athenahealth – A cloud-based system popular with private practices, offering scheduling, billing, and patient communication.
- eClinicalWorks – A robust EHR and practice management system with appointment scheduling, telehealth integration, and billing.
- Kareo – Designed for small to mid-sized practices, it offers patient management, scheduling, and medical billing.
- AdvancedMD – A cloud-based system with EHR, scheduling, billing, and patient portal features.
- NextGen Healthcare – Used by small and mid-sized practices for EHR, practice management, and patient engagement.
- DrChrono – A mobile-friendly EHR system that integrates with medical billing and scheduling.
- Allscripts – A flexible system used by hospitals and clinics for patient scheduling, documentation, and billing.
- Greenway Health (Intergy) – A comprehensive EHR and practice management system for ambulatory care.
Updating medical records
You may also be responsible for keeping records up to date and ensuring they are stored securely, adhering to all data protection requirements.
If your job involves transcribing written or verbal notes to digital records, impeccable attention to detail will be vital. Any mistakes in such sensitive data could have huge repercussions.
Dealing with queries
Most receptionists spend a lot of time answering the phone and dealing with inquiries.
A good medical receptionist will be knowledgeable, yet also have a good awareness of when to stop offering advice and refer the patient to a doctor.
You’ll need an excellent telephone manner, and it’s likely that you’ll also need a lot of patience.
Taking payments
Dealing with financial transactions and managing payments made through insurance companies will also form part of your work as a medical receptionist.
At least a basic level of math education will help with the processing of financial data and help to avoid any errors.
Managing complaints
Medical facilities are certainly not exempt from receiving complaints, in fact, when it comes to people’s health concerns, with raised emotions and physical suffering, the volume of complaints can be higher than in some other settings.
From long waiting times to patients unhappy with the treatments they’ve received, it will be your job to calm people down, diffuse potentially volatile situations, and attempt to find resolution so everyone leaves happy.
Taking the first steps to becoming a medical receptionist
If you think you have what it takes, if you feel you’re motivated, a great multi-tasker, and excel under pressure, then it’s time to put yourself in the best position to secure that prized job as a medical receptionist.
Like many careers, competition for receptionist posts can be high, so how can you make yourself stand out from the crowd?
Get experience
It may be your dream to work in a medical environment, but having relevant experience can be incredibly beneficial both for your own skillset and to make your resume catch the eye of potential employers.
So even if your heart is set on becoming a medical receptionist, don’t dismiss other similar jobs such as hotel or legal receptionist.
It’s all good experience that could be a stepping stone to becoming a medical receptionist. There are no age limits to becoming a medical receptionist, so there is time to get experience in other related fields before you make the shift into being a medical receptionist.
Enhance your skills
The more arrows to your bow the better, so it’s wise to keep boosting your skillset whenever the opportunity arises.
The work of a medical receptionist is so varied, there are plenty of additional skills you can learn.
You’ll be dealing with payments, so you could take a course in finance.
No doubt you’ll be using online systems to book in appointments and store medical records, so you could brush up on your IT skills.
You may work in an area where several languages are commonly used. If you took the time to learn another language, this could also be hugely beneficial.
Earn a qualification
There are also receptionist courses available that are specifically aimed at teaching the skills needed to work as a receptionist.
When you take a course like this, you’ll learn a wealth of invaluable knowledge, and if you choose a course that offers receptionist certification, you’ll also have an excellent way to prove your credentials.
Certificates in a related field are always highly regarded by employers, and will stand out on a resume.
Fine-tune your resume and cover letter
But it doesn’t matter how many qualifications you have, or how perfect you are for the job, if your resume and cover letter let you down.
Fail to hand in a perfect resume and you will simply fail at the first hurdle.
We cannot emphasise enough just how important it is that your resume is perfectly polished and your cover letter 100% error free.
Don’t be in a hurry to put your application in, make a note of the deadline, of course, but then take your time to fine-tune your resume, cover letter, and any application forms you’re required to submit.
Make sure your resume is clearly laid out, and your cover letter is to the point. Include everything that is important, and nothing that is irrelevant.
When you think it’s ready, ask at least one other person to read it all through. Sometimes we don’t spot errors when they’re right under our nose, but someone else may, so a second pair of eyes over your paperwork is always beneficial.
