Medical Documentation and Secretariat Program
Medical Documentation and Secretarial Program
The Medical Documentation and Secretarial Program is one of the 7 programs currently offered at Fırat University Health Services Vocational School, which began its educational activities in 1990. The program is located within the Fırat University Rectorate Campus. Since the 1992-1993 academic year, students have been admitted through a non-exam entrance system from health vocational high schools. The quotas are filled by graduates of vocational high schools. In the rare case that there are vacant quotas, general high school graduates can also apply and enroll in available programs at the Health Services Vocational School. Students take both theoretical and practical courses during their two-year associate degree education. The language of instruction is Turkish. Students complete their practical training in medical units such as clinics, outpatient clinics, laboratories, operating rooms, emergency services, and administrative units like health committees, patient admission, and patient records archives at the Fırat University Faculty of Medicine Hospitals. The program has 3 academic staff members and a student population of 65. Using all available modern educational resources, we strive to provide students with an education that will enable them to compete with other universities on both national and international levels. The department's technological infrastructure and educational opportunities are organized to help students develop the necessary skills for the tasks and responsibilities they will face in their professional careers.
Graduates of the program are employed as medical secretaries in both public and private healthcare sectors. The main aim of the program is to train medical secretaries who are needed in the field of medical documentation and secretarial services in healthcare institutions. In addition, a medical secretary is a health professional who is trained at a vocational school in medical documentation and secretarial services and is responsible for keeping, archiving, coding medical records according to the international classification system, and handling administrative and medical communications and correspondence.
Graduates of this program will gain skills in speech, listening, dress codes, protocol rules, motivation at work, stress management, working with supervisors, effective diction, filing and archiving techniques, coding with ICD-10 using medical records, and creating official documents and correspondence.
Additionally, as part of their profession, students will gain significant proficiency in computer and keyboard skills (typing without looking at the screen or keyboard at least at a conversation speed), as well as knowledge and skills related to graphics, typesetting, and design due to the 182 hours of computer training and 156 hours of touch typing training received during the program.
Full-time Day Program
Associate Degree. To earn an associate degree in the Medical Documentation and Secretarial Program, students must successfully complete 64 national credits and 120 ECTS, and obtain at least a 2.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale. Graduates will receive an Associate Degree diploma and the title of Medical Documentation and Secretarial Technician. The conditions specified in the Fırat University Associate and Bachelor’s Degree Education-Training and Examination Regulations apply.
Students are admitted to this program through central placement by ÖSYM, based on their TYT score.
Graduates of this program can work as healthcare personnel in both public and private hospitals. There is a significant demand for trained professionals in this field in our country, so graduates are likely to find employment immediately after graduation. Graduates can work in medical units such as clinics, outpatient clinics, laboratories, operating rooms, emergency services, and administrative units like health committees, patient admission, and patient records archives in both public and private healthcare institutions.
In line with the rapid changes in healthcare services, the demand for graduates of this program in both public and private healthcare institutions continues to rise, providing graduates with ample job opportunities.
Students must successfully complete all courses in the program, obtain at least 120 ECTS credits, and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.00 out of 4.00.
Students who have previously studied at other higher education institutions in Turkey or abroad may apply for credit and grade transfer within the first week after enrollment. Transfer requests will be evaluated by the relevant department's board and decided upon, based on the student's entire education, once and for all.
Students who have completed secondary education or an equivalent program abroad and obtained the required score in the university entrance exam can register. Additionally, students can apply for lateral transfer from equivalent programs at other higher education institutions. For the transfer of courses taken at other institutions, the Fırat University Associate and Bachelor’s Degree Education-Training and Examination Regulations apply.
The purpose of this program is to train medical secretaries needed in healthcare institutions and organizations for medical documentation and secretarial services. A medical secretary is a health professional who, upon graduation from vocational schools offering associate degrees in medical documentation and secretarial services, is responsible for keeping and archiving medical records from the patient's admission to discharge, coding diseases according to the international classification system, and managing communications and correspondence for both administrative and medical units.
Program Chair
Lecturer Ayça ELMACI
Fırat University Health Services Vocational School
0424-237 00 00/6538
Graduates can transfer to undergraduate programs in Business Administration, Management, and Health Management through the Vertical Transfer Exam (DGS).
Students must successfully complete all courses in the program, obtain at least 120 ECTS credits, and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.00 out of 4.00.
The program consists of 4 semesters, with a total of 120 ECTS credits, 30 ECTS credits per semester. 75% of the courses are compulsory, while 25% are elective (90 ECTS compulsory, 30 ECTS elective). 60% of elective courses (18 ECTS) are program-specific, while 40% (12 ECTS) can be selected from other programs at the university or from the university’s elective course pool. Courses are offered on a semester basis.
Students complete their practical training in medical units such as clinics, outpatient clinics, laboratories, operating rooms, emergency services, and administrative units like health committees, patient admission, and patient records archives at the university hospital.
Medical Documentation and Secretarial courses involve 1 day per week of practical training for 4 semesters at Fırat University Hospitals.
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