All You Need to Know About the Medical Secretariat Specialty in Turkey
The Medical Secretariat specialty in Turkey is one of the fields offered by both public and private Turkish universities for Turkish, Arab, and international students. These students choose to study in Turkey due to the many advantages its universities offer, as well as the benefits provided by the Turkish government in various aspects of living.
Skyline Educational will provide you with more information about this specialty, including its curriculum and duration, the admission requirements, and the study costs at various Turkish universities, along with the most important job opportunities available for graduates and, finally, the skills that a student in this field should possess, as well as the advantages of studying Medical Secretariat at Turkish universities.
We wish you a useful reading and an enjoyable follow-up.
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An Overview of the Medical Secretariat Specialty in Turkey:
Medical Secretariat is a specialty that qualifies students to perform various administrative and organizational tasks in medical institutions and to manage medical files and records, regardless of their type.
The Medical Secretariat specialty is an independent field taught in medical colleges, with a duration of 4 years like other specialties; however, some universities classify it within health institutes, reducing its duration to only 2 years.
The curriculum for this specialty in Turkish universities is based on two main components:
The Theoretical Component:
This component includes subjects that focus on medical secretarial tasks and medical record management. The most important subjects include first aid, infection control and sterilization, computer skills, principles of management, office and secretarial work, health information systems, medical terminology, and law courses.
The Practical Component:
This component includes subjects that are practiced through training periods in various health facilities and centers for approximately 35 days.
After successfully completing both the theoretical and practical components, the student must submit a graduation project, which is a fundamental requirement for this specialty, as a student cannot graduate from the college without it.
What Are the Admission Requirements for Studying This Specialty at Turkish Universities?
To secure a place in the Medical Secretariat specialty in Turkey, you must meet certain requirements that vary depending on the university you wish to attend. If you want to study at one of Turkey’s private universities, you only need to provide your high school certificate translated into Turkish or English and notarized.
However, if you wish to study at one of Turkey’s public universities, you will be required to present a certificate of passing either the YÖS (Foreign Student Exam) or the SAT—both of which demonstrate your proficiency in Turkish or English (or that you have completed a preparatory year prior to your specialty studies).
The Costs of Studying the Medical Secretariat Specialty in Turkey:
The cost of studying this specialty varies depending on the university and its location. However, we can confidently say that, given the high quality offered by Turkish universities, the study costs are quite affordable compared to those at universities in Europe, America, Canada, and elsewhere.
The cost of studying this specialty at public Turkish universities ranges from 250 to 2,500 US Dollars per year, while at private Turkish universities it ranges from 1,500 to 4,000 US Dollars per year.
Below is the cost of studying the Medical Secretariat specialty at some private Turkish universities:
- Istanbul Topkapi University: The cost of study in Turkish is 1,250 US Dollars.
- Beykent University: The cost of study in Turkish is 1,700 US Dollars.
- Istanbul Aydın University: The cost of study in Turkish is 2,700 US Dollars.
- Istanbul Medipol University: The cost of study in English is 2,250 US Dollars.
- Istanbul Kultor University: The cost of study in Turkish is 2,550 US Dollars.
Job Opportunities Available for Medical Secretariat Graduates in Turkey:
Graduates of this specialty can work in various health institutions such as hospitals and clinics (both public and private), pharmacies, medical centers, health clinics, diagnostic laboratories, radiology centers, and administrative offices affiliated with the Ministry of Health. Their duties include:
- Welcoming patients and attending to their needs.
- Responding to patient inquiries and questions through various communication channels.
- Maintaining patient files.
- Scheduling and managing records and organizing medical appointments.
- Serving as a communication link between doctors and patients.
- Writing medical documents and doctors’ instructions.
- Communicating with insurance companies.
- Drafting correspondences and medical reports while maintaining professional ethics, particularly the confidentiality of sensitive information for both patients and the institution.
- Handling insurance forms and patient invoices.
- Answering phone calls and setting appointments.
- Sending appointment reminders and follow-ups.
It is worth noting that the average salary of a medical secretary varies depending on the work location, education level, experience, and skills; however, it is estimated to be approximately 35,760 US Dollars per year globally, according to 2018 statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Most Important Skills a Medical Secretary Needs:
After graduating from the Medical Secretariat specialty in Turkey, you should have acquired several skills before starting your career, such as:
- Comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology and various medical procedures.
- Proficiency in computer skills to manage the office database, patient records, doctors’ schedules, and interactions with insurance companies.
- Strong organizational skills, as you will be required to track insurance forms, schedules, patient files, and office supplies.
- Complete familiarity with methods of writing, preparing, and printing medical reports.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to understand and interpret body language when interacting with patients, doctors, and other healthcare professionals.
- Strong verbal communication skills, such as the ability to convey information to medical professionals and patients visiting medical institutions.
- The ability to understand patients' needs and follow doctors' instructions.
Advantages of Studying the Medical Secretariat Specialty in Turkey:
Studying this specialty in general, and at Turkish universities in particular, offers many advantages for the student, the most important of which include:
- Comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology.
- Learning medical office procedures through practical experience.
- Acquiring the skill of handling various medical codes.
- The ability to contribute to the improvement of healthcare standards and preventive care.
- Familiarity with computer programs and database systems.
- Sufficient knowledge and practical experience required to organize appointments and complete assigned tasks.
- The ability to communicate effectively with diverse individuals.
- The ability to quickly integrate and possess a strong sense of teamwork.
- Knowledge of handling insurance requirements.
- Turkish universities are among the best in the world in terms of educational quality and have highly qualified faculty.
- The Turkish government grants university students numerous privileges, the most important of which is the student card that reduces transportation costs.
- There are ample job opportunities available in various health institutions for graduates of this specialty.
- The low cost of living and studying in Turkey.
All these reasons, among others, make choosing to study this specialty at a Turkish university an extremely successful decision.
This concludes our article, which provided you with the most important information about the Medical Secretariat specialty in Turkey, including the admission requirements, study costs, available job opportunities, and the average annual salary for a medical secretary. Skyline Educational wraps up its article by highlighting the key advantages that make students prefer to study this specialty in Turkey over others.