Medical administrative secretaries and assistants provide essential supports to doctors, laboratory technicians, health care administrators and other health care professionals. In most cases, a high school diploma or GED is required. An associate's degree or some college experience is looked upon highly. Essential skills for medical secretaries include the ability multitask efficiently, fluency with modern computer hardware and software and other generic skills needed to succeed in an office environment. Additional training in medical terminology, mathematics, medical professional ethics, patient interaction and other medical skills is recommended. Most medical secretaries earn around $12 an hour, although some employed as personal assistants by hospital administrators or doctors in private practice may earn considerably higher salaries. Some health care administrators began their careers as assistants or secretaries, but with additional education and career training rose through the ranks to considerably higher paying and more challenging positions. If you think a career in health care is right for you, consider starting out as a medical administrative secretary or assistant. These positions can provide a valuable insight into the challenging and fast paced health care industry.