What Is a Clinical Support Specialist and How to Become One

A clinical support specialist assists medical professionals in a clinical setting. In this career, your job duties include setting patient appointments, collecting patient data and insurance information, and providing any additional support that your coworkers might need. In some clinical support specialist positions, you may assist medical professionals to conduct a research study. Your customer service duties may remain the same, but you likely have additional responsibilities in these roles. The qualifications needed for this career include a high school diploma or GED certificate for the first scenario, and a relevant bachelor’s degree for the second. You need strong analytical and customer service skills and experience working in a clinical setting.

The qualifications you need to begin a career as a clinical support specialist vary with the employer. They generally include a high school diploma or GED certificate and a mix of information technology, computer science, and administrative skills and experience. Some companies prefer that you have a minimum of an associate degree in a technical or administrative field, but they may accept equivalent job training. Excellent computer abilities are a must for these jobs, including data entry skills, a fast typing speed, and the ability to use spreadsheets and word processing software fluently. You also need outstanding written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.