Career Outlook for Individuals with a Degree in Medical Administration
Career News February 17, 2016A degree program in Medical administration revolves around healthcare laws, managing medical records and general office management. Read this article to learn more details about the job growth rate and salary information for this field.
Career Information for those with a Medical Administration Degree
Most colleges and medical schools do offer certificate programs in medical administration or a related course. However, it is possible to pursue an associate’s or Bachelor’ s degree program in medical administration, in which case, you are also likely to get a higher paying job.
•Career – Medical Secretary
•Education details – Associate’s degree needed, but a certificate is accepted
•Estimated job growth rate (2012) – 36%
•Average annual salary in 2014 – $33,530
Medical Administration Education Details
Most medical administrators undergo thorough and special training before they can start working in the field. Students who want to pursue this career should start learning from a certificate level, which takes an average completion period of one year or an associate’s degree level for 2 years. Generally, certificate level training involves learning about the basics of healthcare laws, medical office procedures and policies, transcription of medical jargon and keyboarding.
On the other hand, an associate’s degree program in medical administration revolves around the same topics, but at a more advanced level. Training for associate’s degree program students may also cover administrative management or records management in a more extensive manner.
Students who wish to join medical administration related jobs still have an option of getting training by pursuing an associate’s degree program in health information technology. The program is closely related to medical administration in most aspects except for the fact that students must complete practicums before graduating with a degree in health information technology. Topics covered include safety in the medical field, office records management, confidentiality and availability of medical records. Additionally, training covers other topics like diagnostic procedures, insurance coding, human anatomy and medical office management, especially in the financial department.
Career Details for Medical Administrators
The job description for medical secretaries is more or less the same when compared that with secretaries in other fields. Work revolves around drafting reports, managing databases and scheduling medical reports. The only special thing in medical secretaries is the specialized training that they receive while in medical school. They are trained how to handle medical files and records, medical jargon, legal rules and policies, all aspects of medical billing and any other subject that may be of importance to their profession. In some medical organizations, the secretaries fill out medical forms, transcribe the physician’s recordings and file different medical reports.
Salary and Job Outlook for Medical Administrators
The job growth rate for medical secretaries is estimated to grow at quite a high rate, averaging 36% from the year 2012 – 2022. So, for anyone wishing to pursue a degree program in this career path, now is the right time. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that there were more than 512,000 practicing medical secretaries in the country in 2014, each earning an average annual salary of $33,530.
