Medical Secretary

Medical Secretary qualifications to look for 

Medical Secretaries take charge of daily operations in a medical office by managing appointment schedules, medical records, and patient contact. 

Your top candidates will be organized, and have previous experience with bookkeeping, office equipment, and managing records. For this role, look for candidates who are able to multitask in an office environment. 

Look for candidates who have an understanding of medical terminology and regular procedures that happen in your office day-to-day. 

Keep an eye out for candidates who are:

• Positive 
• Strong communicators
• Good with people 
• Efficient 
• Detail-oriented
• Empathetic 
  

Top tip: Hire candidates willing to grow by making sure their personal career goals align with your company's mission.

Role-specific interview questions

• What are your duties on a typical day?
• What’s the first thing you do when you arrive at the office? What do you do when you close up? 
• What’s your experience with Electronic Health Records (EHR)? Can you explain what they are? 
• Do you use any productivity applications or tools to manage your time or calendar? Explain. 
• What do you ask patients before they see the doctor? What medical history should you record? 
• How do you communicate the daily schedule to the medical staff?
• What is considered protected information under HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)? Have you ever experienced a HIPPA violation? 
• What steps do you take to protect confidential information? Why is this crucial to your job? 

Behavioral interview questions

• Why did you choose this field? Why is a medical secretary important for this practice? 
• Tell me about a time you had to serve multiple patients at once. How did you stay calm and prioritize your tasks? 
• What do you do if a patient has no health insurance and can’t pay for necessary medical services?
• How do you manage to stay calm when a patient is demanding?
• How do you treat patients of different ages? What about patients who are not fluent in English? 
• Do you speak any other languages?
• What system do you use to keep files organized? 
  

Problem-solving interview questions

• What do you do if you don’t know how to answer a patient’s question?
• Would you accept a patient who walks in without an appointment if the schedule is clear? Why or why not?
• What do you need to get from a pharmacist who calls to request a medication refill for a patient?
• A hurried doctor asks you to print a patient’s medical record, but the printer isn’t currently working. How do you respond?