MEDICAL SECRETARY

Position/Program Information

EXAM NUMBER: Y2135M

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:
We welcome applications from everyone!

The application filing period will begin on May 28, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) - Continuous

We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectantly once we have enough qualified candidates.

WHY WORK FOR US?


LA Health Services is LA County’s integrated healthcare system and the second-largest public health system in the nation. Our system includes four public hospitals, more than 20 community health centers, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Correctional Health Services, and community-based programs that connect people to care where they are.

We serve as the safety net for more than 10 million residents, providing care regardless of ability to pay, insurance coverage, or immigration status. As one connected system, we deliver extraordinary care-from prevention and primary care to emergency, specialty, trauma, and recovery services across Los Angeles County.

With more than 2.9 million visits annually and a workforce of over 23,000 dedicated staff, LA Health Services is proud to deliver high-quality, compassionate, and accessible care to everyone, no matter how they come through our doors.
Explore our one system of hospitals and community health centers: Our Locations - Health Services Los Angeles County

MISSION:

To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

What does a Medical Secretary do?
Performs medical, secretarial, and clerical duties for a supervisor whose executive, administrative, and professional duties necessitate secretarial assistance, and transcribes dictation involving a substantial amount of medical terminology.

Check Out Our Outstanding Benefits! CLICK HERE to see a list of employee benefits!

Essential Job Functions

Transcribes medical dictation for diagnostic, surgical, autopsy, laboratory, or other medical reports, records, correspondence, and policies and procedures.

Prepares medical documents, such as abstracts of medical case histories from written notes, medical records, and instruction from medical staff.

Answers correspondence with or without dictation.

Screens office and telephone callers by providing the information requested, referring others to those who may be better served elsewhere, and personally taking care of those whose business does not warrant supervisor's attention.

Gathers data for general information purposes or special reports; contacts other employees, departments, agencies, and individuals for additional material, as necessary; and may prepare reports for supervisor's approval upon request.

Makes appointments and maintains a date book, while recording such items as medical conferences, rounds, schedules, consultation requests, and others, as requested.

Acts as an intermediary between supervisor and staff by transmitting written and verbal messages, orders, and requests, and, as authorized, acting in supervisor's absence, as needed.

Acts as liaison officer between the primary department and other departments, agencies, and jurisdictions.

Prepares inter-office notices, bulletins, and memoranda, with or without dictation, including interpretations of departmental policy and the laws and regulations governing the activities of the office.

Reviews material being submitted for supervisor's attention to ascertain that all relevant data, files, signatures, etc., are included.

Relieves supervisor of routine personnel, budget, and other operating details such as scheduling, timekeeping, approving material and purchase requisitions, and contacting other divisions of County departments.

Maintains the status on the execution of plans, improvements, and projects instituted by the supervisor and calls attention to possible improvements in departmental procedures.

Maintains office files, records, and indexes, including those of a confidential nature.

Supervises related office functions, and other clerical employees assigned to unit.

Performs related transcription, typing, and clerical duties.

Renders such confidential services to supervisor, as needed.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY

Option I: One (1) year of highly specialized* secretarial and office clerical experience, involving the transcribing of medical dictation at the level of** Secretary II***, or higher.

Option II: Two (2) years of highly specialized* office clerical experience involving the transcription of medical dictation at the level of** Medical Transcriber Typist****.

*Highly Specialized is experience at the senior level with extensive knowledge of program related area, processes and procedures, and experience in a specific subject matter.

**At the level of: You may still qualify even if your job title isn’t exactly the same as the ones listed. What matters is that your experience is at a similar level - meaning your job involves similar responsibilities, requires comparable skills and knowledge, and takes place within a similar organizational structure. Please provide a clear explanation of your experience to demonstrate that it is at the appropriate level.

***Experience at the level of Secretary II in the County of Los Angeles is defined as: Functions as secretary to either (1) the head of a major section or minor division in a medium-sized department , typically having 200-900 employees or (2) the head of a major unit in a very large and complex department having in excess of 10,000 employees.

****Experience at the level of Medical Transcriber Typist in the County of Los Angeles is defined as: Transcribes recorded dictation and handwritten reports involving a substantial amount of medical terminology.

PHYSICAL CLASS 2 - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.
TYPEWRITING SKILL REQUIREMENT:
Ability to type at the rate of 40 net words per minute.

TYPING TESTS ARE NOT REVIEWABLE PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:
Additional credit will be given to applicants that possess the following desirable qualification:

• Any additional experience in excess of the Requirements for the qualifying option
• Experience in an acute care setting**** for the qualifying option
• Completion of a course in Medical Terminology. Course may consist of but is not limited to Basic Medical Terminology, Medical Terminology I, or Introduction to Medical Terminology.
• Experience with any of the following software programs:
  • Microsoft Word, which includes writing, proof reading and correcting memos, letters, CVs, and using advanced formatting and track changes to prepare a wide variety of documents to support management by preparing communication, reports, presentations, dossiers, and other products.
  • Microsoft Excel, which includes crafting spreadsheets, crafting workbooks, data entry, use of formulas, and the ability to work with large amounts of data easily to support the department by creating, formatting, organizing, updating, calculating, and modifying reports for management.
  • Microsoft Visio, which includes crafting, updating, and modifying organizational charts, workflow charts and other visual diagrams for management.
  • Adobe Professional and/or Adobe DC, which includes crafting, converting, editing, updating, and modifying, organizing, signing, and working with electronic signatures on .pdf documents for management.

**** Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery.

No Out of Class experience or withholds are allowed for this examination. Required experience must be fully met at the time of filing and clearly indicated on the application.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:

To receive credit for your education, include a legible copy of the official transcript, official letter, or the certificate of completion of a course in Medical Terminology from an accredited provider/institution at the time of filing. If not in English, then translation is required. International degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards. If unable to attach supporting documents at the time of filing, email the documents to Tanisha Buggs at tbuggs@dhs.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days of filing your online application or you will not receive credit. Please include your name (as it appears on your online application), the examination title and number in the subject of your email.

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT
This examination will consist of two (2) parts:

PART I: Training & Experience (T&E) Evaluation: This assessment type will evaluate the training and experience you list on the online application and supplemental questionnaire and assign a score based on a standardized scoring system. This part of the assessment is worth 100% of your total score and assesses: Requirements, Desirable Qualifications, and Supplemental Questionnaire.
PART II: A qualifying typing performance test at the rate of 40 net words per minute.

Applicants must receive a passing score of 70% or higher on the assessment and pass the typing performance test to be added to the list.

IMPORTANT TYPING TEST INFORMATION:
You may not need to take a typing test if you meet any of the following:

• Current or former County employees who have held a typing position that required the necessary wpm.
• Applicants who have already taken and passed the County's typing performance test (administered by the Department of Human Resources) at the required wpm. If your passing score is already on file, it will be transferred automatically-no need to retest.
• Applicants who passed the “Typing Test - Score-Banking Only” with the required net wpm. Your score will also transfer automatically.

If you passed a County typing test through a different department (not DHR), please attach a copy of your typing certificate to your application when you apply. If you can’t attach it during filing, you must email it within seven calendar (7) days to Tanisha Buggs at tbuggs@dhs.lacounty.gov .

Applicants who do not meet one of the conditions above MUST apply to the "TYPING TEST - SCORE-BANKING ONLY" bulletin within seven (7) business days of filing your online application. You will be invited to take a timed typing test designed to measure speed and accuracy in typing. Typing performance test results from this examination will be used for this Medical Secretary (Y2135M) exam, which requires proficiency at 40 words per minute. To apply, please copy and paste the URL to the address bar of web browser or click the link below:

URL: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty/jobs/2950238/typing-test-score-banking-only

For questions related to the Typing Test - Score Banking Only exam, please contact the DHR/CTAD Analyst currently overseeing the process in advance by referring to the email address listed on the job posting for further assistance.

Please note it is recommended to apply to the TYPING TEST - SCORE BANKING ONLY jo b bulletin as soon as possible as the job bulletin may close at any time without prior notification and you will no longer be able to apply for the typing test and may be rejected for this exam.

ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION
Applications will be processed as they are received and added to the list accordingly.

Applicants who passed the assessment(s) are placed on a list for a period of twelve (12) months. We will use this list to fill vacancies in the Department of Health Services as they occur.

SPECIAL INFORMATION
Appointees may be required to work any shift , including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION
We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification. Comments such as “See Resume” or referencing other unsolicited materials/documents will not be considered a response.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. Please refer to their website for updated information https://lacountylibrary.org/library-locator .

NO SHARING OF USER ID, E-MAIL, AND PASSWORD
All applicants must file their application using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI)
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

TESTING ACCOMMODATION COORDINATOR CONTACT:
If you need accommodation to take the assessment, let us know by contacting the ADA/Testing Coordinator at (323) 914-6365. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can respond to your request and keep you moving through the process.

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Tanisha Buggs, Exam Analyst
(213) 288-7000
tbuggs@dhs.lacounty.gov

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE :
(800) 735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

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