Do you need a special diploma to be a medical receptionist?
Asked by Katrina G
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

Best 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/basic%20medical%20terminology.pdf