Self-test: Is the course "Medical and hospital secretary (cert.)" right for me now?
Test here whether a job as a medical and hospital secretary suits you and whether further training in the field of secretarial work in the healthcare sector is the right path for you.
What does the day-to-day work of a medical and hospital secretary look like?
As a medical secretary / hospital secretary, you will work in a doctor's surgery, hospital, insurance company or health insurance fund. You manage the consultation agenda, receive patients, record patient data and create dossiers. You provide information on the telephone, arrange appointments and deal with inquiries. You will write medical reports and certificates from the dictaphone and compose medical correspondence. You will also enter service invoices and carry out the usual administrative tasks.
Question 1:
Do the activities described meet your expectations? Would you like to work as a medical secretary / hospital secretary?
Great! Then you've come to the right place with this course. We wish you lots of fun and success.
By the way: If you are looking for further suitable training opportunities after successfully completing your medical secretary training / hospital secretary training, take a look at theEducational counseling offerfrom Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
If you don't like all the jobs, think about which ones interest you the most. Also take a look at relevant job advertisements. You may find that there are only jobs that you are more suited to, in which case you are in the right place with this training.
Otherwise, find out about other training courses and jobs in the administrative and medical field, such as these:
- Chief medical secretary (certified)
- Dental assistant (certified)
- Medical secretary H+ / Medical secretary H+ (certified)
- Management Assistant (BP)
- SME Management Specialist (BP)
- Management Specialist (BP)
- Medical coder (BP)
- Medical Practice Coordinator (BP)
- Business Organization Specialist (BP)
- Hospital specialist (BP)
Find out about further administrative or medical training at other educational levels and with other training models, such as these:
If you don't like the activities, take a look at the numerous other further training opportunities. You will find a large selection on Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
Target group and skills: Who is the medical secretary training program suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?
The medical secretary training program is aimed at the following target groups:
Professionals who wish to prepare for a career in a doctor's practice, hospital, retirement and nursing home or in a health insurance company and have one of the following qualifications:
- Basic medical or paramedical training
- Basic commercial training
- Other professional qualification or high school diploma and professional experience
Medical secretaries and hospital secretaries should have the following personal qualities and skills:
- Organizational skills
- Quick comprehension
- Ability to work in a team
- Communication skills
- Computer skills
- Precise working method
- Flexibility
- Service and customer orientation
Question 2:
Do you belong to one of the target groups for this training course and do you have the necessary personal qualities?
Great!
- If you do not belong to any of the above-mentioned groups of people, you cannot aim to qualify as a medical and hospital secretary directly. In this case, take a look atfollowing page. You may come across further training courses here that are aimed precisely at people like you.
- If you do not have the necessary professional experience, use professional job boards to search for suitable jobs.
- If you don't have the necessary personal qualities and skills, you won't be happy in this clerical role. Look out for further training opportunities that offer a technical specialization that better suits your skills.
- If you are unsure whether you are well suited to such a role, it is best to discuss this with your line manager or career advisor. You can find suitable providers of career advice and career coaching here:
Requirements for admission to medical secretary training / hospital secretary training:
In order to start training as a medical and hospital secretary, you must generally meet the following requirements when you start the course:
- Federal apprenticeship diploma with federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ) in the commercial or medical field
Or
- Matura and professional experience
Or
- Other professional qualification and work experience
And
- Good written and spoken German (level C1)
- IT user knowledge / EDP knowledge / MS Office
Note: The medical and hospital secretary training course leading to a "school certificate/diploma" is not federally regulated (i.e. officially regulated), which means that the admission requirements, course content, costs etc. may vary from provider to provider. This should be taken into account when searching for a suitable school/course.
In addition: Many schools offer preparatory courses, for example in languages, German grammar, computer science, keyboarding, etc. Please contact the provider of your choice directly for further details.
Question 3:
Do you meet the requirements for admission?
Great!
- If you are not sure whether your German language skills are sufficient for the doctor and hospital secretary training / doctor and hospital secretary training, then take a test now.Placement test. If your language skills are not sufficient, you will findheresuitable training courses. You can contact the appropriate schools directly via the inquiry form free of charge and without obligation and receive detailed information on the respective course and can ask your questions.
- If you would like to brush up on your MS Office skills, then take a look atherefor suitable courses.
- If you are not sure whether your commercial knowledge is sufficient, then take a look at the relevantCoursesum.
- If you do not have the necessary professional experience, use professional job boards to search for suitable jobs.Hereyou will find helpful information.
- If you are interested in basic commercial/medical vocational training: Even as an adult, it is possible, for example, to obtain the Federal Certificate of Competence (EFZ) or a general qualification at upper secondary level. You can find out more about catch-up training for adults in ourAdvisor"The Swiss education system at a glance"
Tip for finding the right school/course:
Take a look at ourEvaluation tool. Here you will find numerous evaluations from former course participants.
Why don't you also take a look at ourGuide.Here you will find, among other things, a checklist with points that you can use to compare the schools with each other.
- If you are not sure whether your German language skills are sufficient for the doctor and hospital secretary training / doctor and hospital secretary training, then take a test now.Placement test. If your language skills are not sufficient, you will findheresuitable training courses. You can contact the appropriate schools directly via the inquiry form free of charge and without obligation and receive detailed information on the respective course and can ask your questions.
- If you would like to brush up on your MS Office skills, then take a look atherefor suitable courses.
- If you are not sure whether your commercial knowledge is sufficient, then take a look at the relevantCoursesum.
- If you do not have the necessary professional experience, use professional job boards to search for suitable jobs.Hereyou will find helpful information.
- If you are interested in basic commercial/medical vocational training: Even as an adult, it is possible, for example, to obtain the Federal Certificate of Competence (EFZ) or a general qualification at upper secondary level. You can find out more about catch-up training for adults in ourAdvisor"The Swiss education system at a glance"
Tip for finding the right school/course:
Take a look at ourEvaluation tool. Here you will find numerous evaluations from former course participants.
Why don't you also take a look at ourGuide.Here you will find, among other things, a checklist with points that you can use to compare the schools with each other.
Subject matter and content of the training
The course content for medical secretary training and further training is compiled by the schools. Most schools work closely with hospital associations and the Swiss Commercial Association (SKV).
The following topics are usually covered:
- Anatomy/Physiology
- Pathology (theory of disease)
- Pharmacology (theory of drugs)
- Medical terminology
- Hospital science / Industry knowledge / Tarmed
- Health insurance
- Social insurance
- Practice organization and practice administration
- Correspondence
- Computer science
Note: The course content and the modules you attend also depend on whether you complete the course with basic medical training (EFZ) or basic commercial training (EFZ).
Question 4:
Are you interested in this content, would you like to acquire knowledge in these subject areas?
Great! You can look forward to exciting and instructive hours in which you will broaden your knowledge horizon and skills - aspects that are in demand on the job market and increase your career and salary opportunities.
If you are only partially interested in the content of the medical secretary training / hospital secretary training, take a look at other training and further education courses in related areas. You may find a course that suits you better.
Obviously the typical subject areas of medical secretary training are not your thing. Take a look at other training courses instead. OnEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a wide range of options.
Costs and financing of further training
The costs vary depending on the school and the course offered. In general, the following costs must be expected for the 1 to 2-semester, part-time training course for medical secretaries / hospital secretaries:
- Course fees:Between CHF 5,400 and CHF 7,000
Note: Members of the commercial association can benefit from aDiscountof up to 10%. - Examination fee:The examination fees are usually already included in the course fees/course costs
- Some providers requireExtra costsfor
- Enrollment
- Teaching aids
- Training documents
- Internal examinations and examination training
- Simulation test
It is best to contact the provider of your choice directly regarding the possible extra costs.
Question 5:
Are you able to pay for the course?
Great! Here's another tip: If you are able to pay the full amount in advance, ask the school of your choice whether they offer a special discount for full payment in advance.
Information on financial support options from the employer, federal government, canton, foundations or through loans from the Education Promotion FoundationEducaSwissyou will receive in ourAdvisor"How to finance your further training properly"
Information and help on budget planning and budget preparation can be foundhere.
- Most schools allow you to pay the course costs in installments. Most schools charge a small surcharge for payment in installments.
- Ask your employer whether they will contribute to the costs.
- Perhaps there is someone in your private circle who will support your further education project with a loan. A bank or credit institution may also support you with an educational loan. You will be able to repay some of the borrowed funds immediately after the professional examination with the federal contribution.
- Information on financial support options from the employer, federal government, canton, foundations or through loans from the Education Promotion FoundationEducaSwissyou will receive in ourAdvisor"How to finance your further training properly"
- Information on financial support for temporary workers from "temptraining", the further training fund of the temporary employment sector, can be found athere.
- Information and help on budget planning and budget preparation can be foundhere.
- Most schools allow you to pay the course costs in installments. Most schools charge a small surcharge for payment in installments.
- Ask your employer whether they will contribute to the costs.
- Perhaps there is someone in your private circle who will support your further education project with a loan. A bank or credit institution may also support you with an educational loan. You will be able to repay some of the borrowed funds immediately after the professional examination with the federal contribution.
- Information on financial support options from the employer, federal government, canton, foundations or through loans from the Education Promotion FoundationEducaSwissyou will receive in ourAdvisor"How to finance your further training properly"
- Information on financial support for temporary workers from "temptraining", the further training fund of the temporary employment sector, can be found athere.
- Information and help on budget planning and budget preparation can be foundhere.
Duration of studies, training options and learning effort
- Duration:The training to become a medical and hospital secretary has a modular structure and is designed to run alongside the job and lasts 1 to 2 semesters (depending on the provider and course offered).
- Lesson times:Lesson times vary depending on the school. As a rule, day and evening courses are offered. The lessons then take place, for example, on two weekdays in the evening or in the morning/afternoon. There are also all-day courses where lessons take place on a weekday or Saturday. In some cases, so-called intensive courses are also offered, where lessons take place half a day from Monday to Friday, for example.
- Teaching format:Many schools offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning) as well as self-study. You can therefore choose the format that allows you to combine further education with your family, career and free time in the best possible way.
- Learning effort:Thanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.
Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons". This gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly for a taster lesson.
Question 6:
Can you find the time for lessons and self-study?
Great!
Tip for self-study: Set yourself realistic daily or weekly targets and think about a small reward when you have achieved them. A good study strategy not only motivates you, but also protects you from chaotic, stressful study days and nights shortly before the exam.
If you don't have that much time, get in touch with the providers and clarify whether you can possibly complete the course over more than two semesters.
If you still don't have enough time, check whether you can create space for yourself elsewhere. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you for the duration of your training?
Degree, diploma and title
In medical secretary training / hospital secretary further training, each module, i.e. subject, is usually examined individually and also completed at the same time (so-called intermediate examinations).
However, some schools also hold final examinations in which the subject matter taught is tested in a large examination at the end of the course.
Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out which examination system the school uses.
Diploma and title
Successful graduates receive the school's own certificate/diploma "Medical and hospital secretary (school abbreviation)"
What does "school certificate / diploma" mean?
Certificates from schools or organizations (so-called school certificates) are not recognized by the Federal Office for Professional Education and Training (SERI). However, this does not mean that the qualifications are less prestigious in the relevant sectors or less good than federally recognized diplomas. There are numerous training courses that conclude with a school's own certificate and are absolutely profitable and career-enhancing.
There are many advantages of school certificates:
- They have a foreseeable course duration so that you can reach your training goal quickly.
- The courses are offered at a reasonable cost.
- They offer a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with a new topic or to get a taste of it, as well as to delve deeper into certain topics.
Question 7:
Do you have the confidence to pass the medical secretary training / hospital secretary training?
Great!
Here are some general success factors on the way to a new training qualification:
- Regular attendance of lessons
- Actively contribute your questions, don't leave anything half-understood in the room!
- Interest in the topic and active participation in class
- Detailed preparation and follow-up of the lesson material at home
- Committed cooperation in group work, processing of case studies, etc.
- Participation in learning groups for regular exchange
- Intensive exam preparation: practise exam situations and gain exam experience, e.g. in simulation exams.
If you are unsure, we recommend that you contact aInformation eventto attend this course.
Arrange a personal consultationConsultation appointmentwith the school of your choice. Explain your interest and your concerns and see how your counterpart reacts to which points and what they recommend.
Ask the school management aboutSupport options. Also consider whether you would like other support, for example from learning therapists or coaches, autogenic or mental training.
Here are some general success factors on the way to a new training qualification:
- Regular attendance of lessons
- Actively contribute your questions, don't leave anything half-understood in the room!
- Interest in the topic and active participation in class
- Detailed preparation and follow-up of the lesson material at home
- Committed cooperation in group work, processing of case studies, etc.
- Participation in learning groups for regular exchange
- Intensive exam preparation: practise exam situations and gain exam experience, e.g. in simulation exams.
If you are not at all confident of passing the final examination, but would like to complete the training, it is best to arrange apersonal consultation appointmentwith a school. Explain your interest and your concerns and see how your counterpart reacts to which points and what they recommend.
Ask at the school of your choice whether there areSupport optionsfor you.
You should also consider whether you mightOther supportfor example by learning therapists or coaches, autogenic or mental training. You can find suitable offers here:
No, the medical secretary training / hospital secretary training does not suit you. What a pity? - Perhaps not, because there are so many other opportunities for further training. One or the other will certainly suit you much better.
Check which other further training courses are suitable for you. OnEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a large selection of offers.
The medical secretary training / hospital secretary training is probably not the right training goal for you.
Are you surprised or disappointed? Perhaps take the test again and see where your ideas or possibilities deviate from the ideal job. Perhaps this will point you in the direction of more suitable further training.
Then see which other further training courses interest you. ToEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a large selection of offers.
This is a half-hearted result: The medical secretary training / hospital secretary training does not seem ideal for you. Or is it perhaps the form of training that doesn't suit you or isn't a good organizational fit?
See which other further training courses are suitable for you. OnEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a large selection of offers.
Medical secretary training / hospital secretary training is not ideal for you - or is it?
If you are unsure, it is best to attend the providers' information events. There you can find out more about further training and discuss your personal options and questions directly with the specialist representatives present.
Directly to the schools:
This training seems to suit you.
As a next step, we recommend that you attend an information event at suitable schools and obtain details of the exact costs and dates.
Directly to the schools:
This course seems to be made for you!
The best thing to do now is to attend information events at the schools you are interested in and find out everything you need to know about the specific content, costs and dates.
Directly to the schools:
Linda, deine Weiterbildungsfinderin