When writing your medical receptionist cover letter, focus on how you can welcome and support patients of the health care facility that posted the job. Also, emphasize your related skills, such as calendar management, process streamlining, or medical billing.
This guide will help you write a cover letter that gets you interviews for your next job as a medical receptionist.
Medical Receptionist Cover Letter Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
How To Write a Medical Receptionist Cover Letter
To write a great medical receptionist cover letter, emphasize how your clinical knowledge and administrative expertise have positively impacted hospitals and doctor’s offices throughout your career. Rather than simply reiterating job duties from your resume, highlight key achievements that make you stand out as a candidate. Below, we’ll provide additional tips to help you build your medical receptionist cover letter.
1. Contact information and salutation
List all essential contact information at the top of your medical receptionist cover letter, including your name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn URL. Be sure to address the hiring manager by name — Mr. or Ms. [Last Name]. If you can’t find the hiring manager’s name, use a variation of “Dear Hiring Manager.” This is preferable to salutations such as “To Whom It May Concern,” as this language is more direct and personal.
2. Introduction
Hook the reader by leading with a powerful introduction at the start of your medical receptionist cover letter. Feature your years of experience performing secretarial and administration functions in clinical environments. Anchor your paragraph with a notable achievement that conveys the potential value you can bring to employers. In the example below, the candidate highlights their role in creating a new hire orientation program. This accomplishment enhances the strength of their application, as compliance with clinical standards is incredibly important for any medical practice.
Example
One of my proudest accomplishments as the lead medical receptionist for Rhode Island Free Clinic was creating the new hire orientation program that covered my clinic’s standards, procedures, and software. I hope to provide the same success to the South County Hospital.
3. Body paragraphs
In the body paragraphs of your medical receptionist cover letter, illustrate your strongest qualifications and achievements. Start by mentioning specific details about the organization and why you’re drawn to the position. Then, demonstrate your expertise in patient relations, office administration, and clinical operations using specific examples from your work history.
In the example below, the candidate immediately shows how their personal values align with the organization on a cultural level. They also provide insights into how they improved operational efficiency and ensured compliance with HIPAA standards. Delving into your own unique experiences as a professional is a great way to add a dynamic element to your medical receptionist cover letter.
Example
Emerson’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and community care is what drew me to this position. I can help with this mission, increasing the quality of the patient experience as they enter the facility. Here are some of my past accomplishments:
- Created a customized HIPAA standards checklist specifically for all hospital receptionists to ensure compliance at all times
- Reorganized my department stockrooms to a color-coded system, increasing efficiency and saving $1,000 on the monthly budget
- Implemented the addition of a daily whiteboard schedule for our department providers, which improved communication and workflow
4. Medical receptionist skills and qualifications
Unlike the resume, it is best to avoid providing a comprehensive list of qualifications on your medical receptionist cover letter. Instead, display how you’ve effectively utilized key skills from the job posting in clinical office settings. Below, we’ve gathered a range of potential skill sets you can add to your medical receptionist cover letter:
| Key Skills and Qualifications | |
|---|---|
| Administration | Appointment scheduling |
| Calendar management | Communication |
| Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms | Customer service |
| Data entry | Electronic health records (EHR) |
| HIPAA regulations | Insurance verification |
| Inventory management | Medical billing |
| Medical office administration | Medical records |
| Office administration | Organization |
| Patient care | Patient intake |
| Patient referrals | |
5. Closing section
Feature a call to action (CTA) in the conclusion of your medical receptionist cover letter. Invite the hiring manager to schedule an interview or to reach out for additional information on your background. Reinforce how your administrative skills and clinical knowledge would be an asset to the organization you’re targeting. Be sure to thank the hiring manager for their time and consideration in the last sentence.
Example
I would like to schedule an interview with you as soon as possible to discuss my skills in creating efficiency and how that can help patients.
Best regards,
Jane Roberts
Medical Receptionist Cover Letter Tips
1. Show you excel at welcoming guests and patients
Start your letter with a clear example of your success as a medical receptionist. For instance, maybe you recently led a project to raise efficiency and reduce patients’ average wait times. Or perhaps you found a way to improve coordination with lab technicians.
Example
In my three years at Kindred Hospital, I received accolades on multiple occasions for my patient satisfaction survey scores consistently staying in the high 90s. This attention to patient care within the administration setting is a skill I hope to bring as a medical receptionist to Emerson Hospital.
2. Explain why you’re drawn to the opportunity
On a separate document or sheet of paper, take 10 minutes to brainstorm why this medical receptionist job interests you.
For example, maybe you’re applying to a doctor’s office, a health care setting you’d like to return to. Or maybe the role involves keeping a calm waiting room and putting patients and family members at ease, an area in which you excel. Also, scan the job posting for details on the organization’s approach to patient care and support, and think about how that compares to your own.
When you’re done brainstorming, review your notes: Do any stand out as important or persuasive? Take another 10 minutes to brainstorm and elaborate on them. Repeat this process until you have two or three concise sentences that speak to the job opening. By adding these to your cover letter, you can show hiring managers you read their job posting and are responding to it directly.
Example
The skills I’ve obtained within the field will help further Medical Associates’ mission of providing quality health care that is affordable and accessible to the community.
3. Highlight your other administrative skills
Add a short list of bullet points to show your success in other key work areas for a medical receptionist, such as appointment scheduling, process streamlining, or patient confidentiality.
Example
My past achievements include:
- Designed an incoming mail system with personal inboxes for each provider and manager within the clinic, eliminating the need for reception to handle, organize, and distribute the daily mail
- Led an office-wide inventory accountability program, decreasing discrepancies found on monthly orders and cutting costs by 15%
- Initiated new hourly lobby upkeep and cleaning protocols to maintain the cleanliness and organization of the waiting area
Medical Receptionist Text-Only Cover Letter Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
Jane Roberts
Medical Receptionist | [email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | 123 Address St., Tampa, FL 33601
January 1, 2024
Heather Miles
Hiring Manager
Medical Associates
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Miles,
I’ve spent the last seven years as a medical receptionist, where I recently led an eco initiative to reduce paper waste and waiting room times by converting all new patient questionnaires to a digital platform. I’m excited to bring this same professional excellence and awareness to Medical Associates as the medical receptionist front office lead in Miami.
The skills I’ve obtained within the field will help further Medical Associates’ mission of providing quality health care that is affordable and accessible to the community. Here are a few of my past achievements that will enable me to excel in this position:
- Presented idea to management to switch the provider scheduling system from written by hand to a digital app, creating a more efficient schedule and saving hours of monthly work
- Created a department maintenance ledger for facility repair requests, leading to repairs being completed in a matter of days rather than months
- Implemented a department-wide patient experience improvement campaign, increasing satisfaction scores by 10 points month over month
I would like to schedule an interview with you as soon as possible to discuss my skills in creating efficiency and how that can help patients.
Best regards,
Jane Roberts
Medical Receptionist Cover Letter Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a cover letter for my job search? -
Yes, in most cases. Job postings today usually require or allow you to send a cover letter along with your resume. While not every hiring manager reads or prioritizes them, a well-crafted letter can only help you stand out from other applicants. It will also clarify what points to emphasize during the interview.
What traits are useful to highlight on my cover letter?-
Desired work styles and qualities in medical secretaries and administrative assistants include teamwork, compassion, diligence, reliability, and adaptability. Consider which of these traits best describe you, then give an example or two of how you’ve shown them in a health care facility or other work setting.
What’s the most important part of a cover letter?-
Any explanation you give for why the specific job opening or employer interests you. These details distinguish the cover letter from your resume and other application materials and can help you get past applicant tracking systems. They also set the stage for a good interview discussion about how you fit the role and the office’s work culture.
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