Patient Registrar

A Patient Registrar works in a hospital or medical clinic, and spends his or her days registering patients. This means explaining forms, taking payment for appointments, and collecting demographic and health history information. Patient Registrars might do this on the phone when clients first call, or they might do it when they come in for their appointment.

You can work as a Patient Registrar in any type of clinic or hospital department that you want. If you crave excitement, the ER might be for you. Or if you want something more low-key, you can work in pediatrics or general medicine.

This job is a lot like that of a Front Desk Associate. You answer phone calls, book new appointments, and help patients with their billing questions. You need to know how to do things like data entry, preparing charts, and answering a multi-line phone system.

A big part of this job involves communicating. Not only do you explain to patients how things work, but you also collaborate with Doctors and with other areas of the hospital or clinic. You might transfer a patient’s chart from one Doctor to another, or work with the billing office to figure out a problem with a patient’s payment. You need to be able to clearly explain confusing medical terms to new patients, even when they’re under stress, as patients entering the hospital tend to be.

There isn’t a ton of education required for this position. So if you don’t know how to do this stuff, don’t stress. Most of it is learned on the job.