Hospital Secretary: Service Providers, Information, Reviews, Tips, FAQ

Depending on the school and program, you’ll need to meet different academic or professional requirements to train as a hospital secretary. Many educational providers require a completed vocational apprenticeship (Federal VET Diploma), an equivalent high school diploma, or relevant work experience. A background in medicine is not required for all programs.

Typical admission requirements include:

• Vocational qualification: Often a completed vocational apprenticeship, for example in the business field.
• Work Experience: Depending on the employer, practical experience in an office, in administration, or in the healthcare sector may be required.
• Language and computer skills: A good command of German and basic computer skills are usually important.
• VSH Health and H+: Admission requirements may vary depending on the degree you are pursuing.

Conclusion:The hospital secretary training program is also open to career changers without a background in medicine. Before applying, check the specific admission requirements of your preferred school and the prerequisites for the degree you’re seeking.

The hospital secretary course is usually offered on a part-time basis, rarely full-time.

Many continuing education, further training courses are designed so that they can be completed alongside a job. There are different models depending on the provider.

Typical formats:

• In-service training
• Evening or weekend courses
• Partly online or hybrid teaching

Conclusion:
Continuing education, further training is usually flexible and easily compatible with work.

The hospital secretary course provides the in-depth knowledge required for administrative work in a medical setting. The specific course content may vary slightly depending on the educational provider. Generally, the following topics are covered:

• Administration and Practice Management: Efficient workflows in day-to-day practice operations as well as administrative processes in hospital operations.
• Medical Correspondence: Professional Writing and Editing of Medical Texts and Reports.
  Medical Terminology: Fundamentals and Technical Terms for the Proper Handling of Medical Documents.
• Anatomy and Pathology: An overview of the structure of the human body and common clinical presentations.
• Pharmacology: An Introduction to Active Ingredients, Drug Classes, and Their Uses.
  Patient Intake and Communication: Professional interaction with patients and effective communication skills.
• Social and Health Insurance: Fundamentals of the Swiss Health Care System and Relevant Insurance Benefits.

The Hospital Secretary continuing education, further training program specifically prepares students for the demands of the healthcare sector and combines medical expertise with organizational skills. It is designed for individuals who wish to work in a hospital or medical practice setting.

Please note: Each school determines its own curriculum. A contact form is available for detailed information about a specific program. You can use this form to send an inquiry directly to the school of your choice.

Practice and hospital secretaries work in doctors' surgeries, clinics, group practices, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals, where they take care of all administrative tasks. They transcribe medical reports and expert opinions that are spoken to them by doctors on a dictaphone, make appointments for consultations, receive patients, bill for medical services, conduct medical correspondence, know the most important medical terms and tariff systems, operate the telephone and are familiar with the hospital and healthcare organization.

The specific curriculum for this additional training program to become a medical secretary varies from school to school. However, in most cases, the program provides in-depth knowledge in the following areas:

• Anatomy
• Pathology
• Pharmacology
• Medical correspondence
• Computer science
• Practice organization
• Social insurances
• Health insurance
• Industry Knowledge: Hospitals and Healthcare
• Accounting
• German
• Legal Studies
• Computer science

In addition, many schools offer free elective courses. For more information on the specific curricula, please contact the respective educational institutions directly.

As a certified medical and hospital secretary, you will handle administrative, organizational, and communication tasks in doctors’ offices, hospitals, clinics, or other medical facilities. You will support medical staff and ensure that the secretarial office runs smoothly.

Typical duties include:

• Patient Administration: Enter patient data, coordinate appointments, and process inquiries.
• Medical Correspondence: Prepare and edit medical reports, referral letters, and other medical documents according to guidelines.
• Practice and Hospital Administration: Scheduling appointments, managing records, and coordinating internal processes.
• Billing: Prepare invoices, verify insurance information, and handle administrative tasks related to rate structures.
• Communication: Provide information by phone and in writing, and coordinate communication between patients, medical staff, and other specialized departments.

Depending on the workplace, the importance of various tasks may vary. Organizational skills, discretion, communication skills, and knowledge of medical terminology are particularly important.

Conclusion:The role of certified medical and hospital secretary combines business knowledge with medical expertise and offers a wide range of career opportunities in the healthcare sector.

To be admitted to the hospital secretary training program, the following requirements must be met:

• Either a completed basic commercial apprenticeship, a commercial high school, or a business school, along with professional experience.

or

• Completion of basic vocational training in a healthcare profession, such as healthcare assistant, pharmacy technician, or registered nurse, with professional experience

Note: This training program is also suitable for those returning to the workforce.

Be sure to check with the educational institution of your choice to find out the applicable admission requirements.

In Switzerland, training to become a medical or hospital secretary takes approximately 5 to 12 months, depending on the educational provider, the teaching model, and the desired certification. Many programs are designed to be taken while working and can be easily combined with an existing job.

The duration of the training program varies depending on the course:

• Intensive course: Usually lasts about 5 to 7 months.
• Part-time course: Usually 2 semesters with regular classes.
• Flexible Instructional Models: Depending on the school, in-person classes, online classes, or blended learning options are available.
• The scope of the training can also vary: While certain programs prepare students for a degree as a medical and hospital secretary (VSH Health), other schools offer training leading to their own certificate or preparation for an H+ exam.

Conclusion:You can often complete the training program to become a medical or hospital secretary within a year. When choosing a school, in addition to the duration of the program, pay special attention to the number of class sessions, the admission requirements, and the degree you’re aiming for.

In Switzerland, training to become a hospital secretary takes about 5 to 12 months, depending on the educational provider and the teaching model. Many training programs for medical and hospital secretaries (Cert.) can be completed while working.

The following training models are available:

• Intensive Course: Approximately 5 to 7 months, with several days of classes per week.
• Continuing education, further training while working: Typically 2 semesters with evening, daytime, or weekend classes.
• Online classes: Depending on the provider, flexible training in medical administration may also be available.

The duration of the training program also depends on the desired certification. Programs leading to a VSH-Health certification or an H+ exam may vary in scope and prerequisites.

Conclusion:Training to become a hospital secretary can often be completed within a year. In addition to the duration, compare the teaching format, the course content, and the degree or certificate awarded to find the right continuing education, further training program.Here you can compare offers.