Online Medical Secretary Schools: How to Find and Choose

Medical secretary programs are available online for distance-learning students. Schools offer diplomas and associate degrees; so choosing a school will depend upon the level of degree available and the long-term educational and professional goals of the student.

How to Find and Choose an Online Medical Secretary School

Award Level

Prospective medical secretaries need to consider whether they want to enroll in a diploma or degree program. A diploma can take about one year to complete, while an associate degree can be completed in two years and requires general education requirements. Diploma programs do prepare graduates for entry-level employment, but employers may prefer applicants who have an associate degree in the field.

Transfer Opportunities

Another consideration when searching for a medical secretary school is the school's transfer opportunities. Students, who are ultimately seeking a bachelor's in health care management, may want to earn a medical secretary associate degree and then transfer to a 4-year school. Students should make sure that potential schools offer accredited, transferrable college credit and academic counselors to help them meet transfer requirements.

List of Online Medical Secretary Degrees

Online Medical Secretary Diploma

Depending on the school, a medical secretary diploma requires approximately 35-40 credit hours to complete. Students study basic keyboarding, word processing and business communications. A focus is also placed on medical office procedures, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology. Courses may also cover topics involving medical insurance and coding, medical transcription and customer service in the medical environment.

Online Medical Secretary Associate of Applied Science Degree

An online medical secretary AAS degree generally requires the completion of 60-65 credit hours. This 2-year degree program incorporates various general education requirements, including math, science, history, humanities and English. In addition to general education courses, the coursework for an AAS degree is very similar to that of a diploma program; however, associate programs also offer courses in supervisory management, pathophysiology, pharmacology, information resource management and microcomputer business applications.