Medical secretaries transcribe dictation, prepare correspondence, and assist physicians or medical
scientists with reports, speeches, articles, and conference proceedings. They also record simple medical
histories, arrange for patients to be hospitalized, and order supplies. Most medical secretaries need to be
familiar with insurance rules, billing practices, and hospital or laboratory procedures. Other technical
secretaries who assist engineers or scientists may prepare correspondence, maintain their organization’s
technical library, and gather and edit materials for scientific papers.