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The legal secretary
The medical secretary
The legal secretary
Legal secretaries typically provide administrative support in solicitor offices and legal departments of companies and local government. To break into this profession, a legal secretarial qualification is not always necessary, as some law firms will train college leavers or those with solid secretarial skills. However, a familiarity with legal terminology and/or experience in a legal environment is considered beneficial.
One way of acquiring this knowledge is to take a course, such as those provided by the Institute of Legal Executives' (ILEX) paralegal training division. The qualifications that they provide include the ILEX PT Legal Secretaries Certificate Level II and Legal Secretaries Diploma Level III. Both can be taken on a full-time, part-time or work-based basis, and are designed to give students a grounding in legal terms and administrative procedures, such as legal text processing.
Pitman Training also offers a variety of courses for candidates looking to acquire legal secretarial skills. These also help candidates to develop skills that are beneficial in the legal environment.
The medical secretary
Medical secretaries carry out a range of administrative duties for doctors and medical staff in private clinics and health centres, and are also employed within medical schools and pharmaceutical companies. Again, as regards qualifications, these are not always necessary to become a medical secretary. However, to gain employment in certain areas of the NHS, a diploma from AMSPAR, The Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Administrators and Receptionists, is required.
The AMSPAR Certificate in Medical Secretarial Studies is the only nationally recognised qualification for medical secretaries and can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. It seeks to equip secretaries with the terminology and knowledge necessary for certain roles within the NHS and is beneficial to all candidates looking to work as a medical secretary. The association also provides certificates geared towards medical receptionists, administrators and practice managers.
Institute of Legal Executives
Pitman Training
The Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Administrators and Receptionists
Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
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