Become a Medical Transcriptionist

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Become a Medical Transcriptionist
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A passion for healthcare and curiosity for its latest treatments could lead you to a fascinating and successful business in medical transcription. This service has supported the healthcare field in its documentation of medical records for as long as patients have been seeking healthcare.

A medical transcriptionist transforms medical dictation into grammatically and medically accurate reports of patient record. All interactions between a healthcare professional and the patient are dictated and require transcription. These types of interactions include but are not limited to:
- Medical consultations
- Surgical procedures
- Diagnoses
- Autopsy reports
- Prognoses
- Prescriptions
- Radiological and other lab results
- Dissemination of a patient`s medical history

Because such dictations are laden with medical jargon, a successful transcriptionist must have an understanding of medical terminology, procedure and anatomy. The position also requires a command of English grammar as well as exceptional typing speed and accuracy. Top transcriptionists also have an acute ability to listen and can sit for long periods of time engaged in heavy concentration.

The medical transcription industry has not failed to undergo a technical evolution. While a word processor and medical reference manuals are still essential to the profession, the service is being brought up-to-date with the use of voice recognition software (VRS).

Many transcriptionists still use a special headset and foot pedal to pause dictated recordings, however, VRS allows for accurate reporting to be completed in a more efficient fashion. This technology does not threaten the demand for transcriptionists. In fact, since VRS programs cannot accurately process meaning and unique voice patterns, medical transcriptionists are still needed to check the medical record reports for grammar and medical accuracy.

Once VRS programs become a staple for the industry, transcriptionists will be free to focus more of their expertise on ensuring medical accuracy and grammar, while spending less time performing the manual labor of typing.

To begin offering your services as a medical transcriptionist, a fair amount of training is required. Unless you have a healthcare background or on-the-job experience, expect to invest in training. The costs of medical transcription programs vary, but you can expect these programs to cost up to $3,000. Also, a certified medical transcription designation will help you demonstrate your competency when searching for clients.

While many educational institutions offer certification courses, you can only begin to market yourself as a certified medical transcriptionist if you have successfully completed the certification examination administered by the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT). Once certification is obtained, meeting recertification requirements are periodically necessary to maintain this credential. These requirements can take the form of continuing education courses.

Medical transcription programs are offered in the following formats:
- Study at a vocational school
- Enrollment in a community college program
- Participation in a distance correspondence school
- Taking Internet learning programs.

While the overall expense of preparing for this lifelong career is not exorbitant, you will need to invest in your own equipment. You will need a dedicated workspace, a Dictaphone with a foot pedal or other telephone device to receive dictation, a computer with word processing capability, a headset, as well as medical resource manuals for anatomy and pharmacology.

Writing style and grammar guides are also necessary for success. To increase efficiency and protect your clients` information, VRS, virus, and encryption programs are beneficial to your business. As document encryption is modified and improved, you can expect the ability to conveniently transcribe medical records over the Internet from any location you choose.

Once you have obtained the knowledge, skill and equipment to be a successful medical transcriptionist, it is important to determine how you plan to market yourself. You may go the traditional route of seeking employment with a healthcare provider or organization in need of your expertise. Or you may choose to conduct business as a subcontractor. Even if you prefer to be in business for yourself, you will still need to search the newspaper classifieds and the popular Internet job boards for businesses and healthcare professionals seeking your services. Medical transcriptionists are generally employed or contracted by:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Insurance Agencies
- Transcription services
- Legal offices
- And many other settings

While the majority of a medical transcriptionist`s work is completed alone, medical transcriptionists do not need to be in business alone. The healthcare industry offers networking opportunities as well as continuing education. Also, AAMT offers a specialized job board with resume posting capability, mentoring programs, continuing education assistance, and discounts on materials and insurance benefits for the self-employed medical transcriptionist.

In an industry that is growing with extreme vigor, medical transcription is a service that continues to rise in demand. According to the U.S. Department of Labor`s Bureau of Labor Statistics` web site, "Medical transcriptionists held 101,000 jobs in 2002. As a result of aging and society`s continued movement toward a health maintenance mentality, healthcare professionals will continue to rely upon the record documenting and accurate interpreting skills of medical transcriptionists". The Bureau`s report concludes that the need for medical transcriptionists will increase faster than the job growth average over the next seven years.

In order to attract talent to manage this growth, medical transcriptionists can earn from $9 to over $17 per hour. Rates vary depending on the employer and the experience of the transcriptionist. Many transcriptionists are paid an hourly wage or a base salary plus bonuses for higher production levels. Some are also paid according to the number of lines transcribed. Other benefits like flexible work schedules and telecommuting also make this career appealing.

Medical transcriptionists offers an ideal home-based business for the existing or aspiring healthcare professional with a knack for medical terminology and a sharp attention to detail.