Medical Transcriptionist positions call for a certification with thorough training, specific skills such as fast typing, listening skills, and sometimes even a studied specialty like Neurology or Radiology. Due to the lengthy amount of knowledge included in each specialty of medicine, it is important to have a general knowledge of all of them with a special study of up to 3 of them.

It is important, on a resume, to make knowledge known of field requirements such as privacy and patient protection laws. There is an extensive list of things you will know and understand after MT training and here are the things that it is imperative to include on a resume.

• All training should be listed including the name of your course and date of completion.
• Any certification that has been earned should be highlighted.
• Accuracy is important in this field so naming your accuracy percentage is important.
• Just like accuracy, the number of words you can type per minute are important so be sure to include it.
• Any prior work in the MT field will add to a resume, and describe in detail which area you were transcribing in: pathology, nephrology etc.
• If you are looking to specifically work from home as an MT, list it on your resume as well as your personal office and equipment. It is important to already have the computer and hardware requirements met when adding them to your resume.
• State your job-related skills, computer proficiency and language skills give a full description of what you are capable of.
• Be sure to use some transcription ‘language‘ so that the employer looking at the resume knows you understand what you are talking about.
• List any computer qualifications or certifications acquired as well as any extra classes taken on customer service, personality development, etc.
• If you are currently working, be sure to list duties and specialties in detail.

Overall, it is all in the details. It is important to literally list everything you can think of or have been a part of in medical transcription on your resume. To truly stand out to employers seeking to hire, you must look appealing to their company on paper.

Every medical transcriptionist needs to learn as many grammar rules as she can fit into her head. That’s all of them, if possible. If anything, bookmark your favorite grammar tips guide online and have it handy as you work on your medical documents.

The purpose for learning grammar is so that you can ensure your medical documents are easy to read. Remember that many professionals will be reading those documents and will need to decipher them as guides for patient care. You want to eliminate any reason for misunderstandings before they appear.

You’ll have to learn to distinguish, for instance, between words like “who” and “whom,” or “effect” and “affect.” Better yet, here’s one of my favorites: “desert” and “dessert.”

Your career, your salary, and your success are all dependent on how well you handle grammar in your medical documents. If you become an expert grammarian, then you can expect higher pay, better jobs, and a longer career.

Other things that are important are punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling. You don’t want to spell medical terms incorrectly. You also don’t want sentence structure to get in the way of understanding your medical documents. Bad punctuation can often lead to not understanding a text as well.

A good medical transcriptionist is one who is an expert in grammar.

Once you are working as a Medical Transcriptionist, you will want all the tips and knowledge you can find on getting jobs and building yourself in the field. But, what better way to understand the mechanics of the business than understanding what it is those who will hire you want?

First of all, companies looking to hire medical transcriptionists such as yourself are considering many different factors. First and foremost, they are looking for a good price. If you charge too much for your services, especially in the beginning, you just might find yourself with little or no work. They are also looking for turn-around time. Companies, doctors or anyone else hiring you want the most bang for their buck. They do not want to wait for their transcibed documents. Be as speedy as you can without sacrificing quality.

Though there are some places that will hire you right out of school (don’t expect a lot in the beginning), most companies are searching for transcriptionists that have a good and lengthy track record. The longer you have remained in business and been consistent and successful, the more people will want to hire you. Keep this in mind as you build your business. Prospective employers are going to want more than just a resume; they will also want references and possibly examples of your work.

Customer service is not only for retail businesses. When you are hired, you may have to deal one on one with those whose work you are transcribing. Your attitude will make a big difference. They will expect someone they can work with unhindered by a negative outlook.

Lastly, but certainly not least, your knowledge and use of technology will play a factor in your procuring jobs. Technology continues to change and grow and as a medical transcriptionist you should be able to keep up with the latest technology so that regardless of the software the client offers you will be at ease using it.

When it comes to medical transcription services, you’ve got to stay competitive and to do that you’ve got to practice your skills. Medical transcriptionists who demonstrate a proficiency in the core skills of the profession will excel and succeed above and beyond the rest of the job pool. Here are 5 skills you’ll need to master to be a high-demand medical transcriptionist:

1. Dictation – In the old days, dictation was taken in person with the dictator sitting behind a desk talking and the transcriber holding a pen and paper. These days it can be done without ever meeting each other. The dictator speaks into an audio recording device and the transcriber, once the audio file has been delivered, types directly from listening to the audio.
2. Grammar – Since much of your time as a medical transcriptionist will be spent correcting spelling and grammar, you’ve got to be proficient in the English language.
3. Research – You’ll frequently need to verify information for clarity. Good research skills will be very helpful.
4. Time Management – Since you’ll spend every day of your working life working toward deadlines, you’ll need to be an expert in time management.
5. Organization – A professional medical transcriptionist must have excellent organizational skills. Your employers will appreciate your ability to keep them organized and improve their medical documentation.

In addition to these 5 essential skills, you should have strong analytical skills.

If you think you have what it takes to be a medical transcriptionist, seek out the proper professional MT training and begin your medical transcription job search.

Perhaps the most important question you will ever have to answer about yourself as a medical transcriptionist is, “Am I marketable?”

I cannot stress the importance of knowing for sure. Seeking and applying for jobs in the medical transcription work force is highly competitive. While demand is high, there are an increasing number of people trying to get medical transcription jobs so you need to make sure you have as many good things going for you as possible.

There are things you have control over and things you have no control over. Training, for instance. You can get the proper training to qualify yourself for a medical transcription position. But you can’t control how well trained your competition is.

To discover your marketability as a medical transcriptionist relative to others in your field with similar training and credentials, take the medical transcriptionist marketability analysis test. Don’t guess; know for sure.

So, medical transcription entices you? You must have found out a little about the profession but you are not sure if you are eligible. Let me give you the good news first. The profession has absolutely no prerequisites. So, you don’t have to produce certificates or degrees. But there must be an eligibility condition. Well, there is no condition but there is definitely an expectation. You are expected to possess a certain aptitude. So, how can you find out if you have the aptitude? Let me take you through what the aptitude consists of, and you can decide for yourself.

You should be proficient at handling the computer, particularly a word processor. If you are not comfortable handling a computer, you should develop your computer skills before you join the medical transcription course. You also need an above-average command over the English language. If your grammar is poor, you will not be able to bring sense into the medical records, which may lead to misrepresentation of facts. And, yes, you should possess above-average analytical skills. You are required to analyze information logically in order to render meaning to medical records.

You should be able to work independently. If you long for guidance and supervision in all stages of work, this profession is not for you. You should be extremely disciplined and mature to handle work on your own. And you should be willing to research extensively for work. As a medical transcriptionist, you are required to refer to external material in order to ensure that medical records are complete and accurate.

You should also be willing to spend time and effort on learning. Yeah, the profession requires that you keep learning throughout your career. Obsolete knowledge can cost you your career. You have to make time for learning almost everyday.

Hope this helped. Let us know if you would learn something specific about the medical transcription profession.

Very often I come across people who ask me how they can find out if medical transcription is for them. So, in today’s post I bring to you a questionnaire and the reasons the questions in it are important.

Do you have an above-average command over the English language?
If your grammar is poor, you will not be able to bring sense into the medical records, which may lead to misrepresentation of facts.

Are you proficient at handling the computer?
If you are not comfortable handling a computer, you should develop your computer skills before you join the medical transcription course.

Do you possess above-average analytical skills?
You are required to analyze information logically in order to render meaning to medical records.

Can you work independently?
If you long for guidance and supervision in all stages of work, this profession is not for you. You should be extremely disciplined and mature to handle work on your own.

Are you willing to spend time and effort on learning?
The profession requires that you keep learning throughout your career. Obsolete knowledge can cost you your career. You have to make time for learning almost everyday.

Are you willing to research extensively for work?
As a medical transcriptionist, you are required to refer to external material in order to ensure that medical records are complete and accurate.

If the answer to each of these questions is a ‘yes’, start looking for a medical transcription course.

Gauging your potential is the first step towards the medical transcription career. If you are interested in medical transcription, you must find out whether or not you can be a medical transcriptionist. In today’s post, we give you a list of questions you should ask yourself in order to find out if you can join the profession.

Do I have an above average command over the English language?
If your grammar is poor, you will not be able to bring sense into the medical records, which may lead to misrepresentation of facts.

Can I handle the computer comfortably?
If you are not comfortable handling a computer, you should develop your computer skills before you join the medical transcription course.

Do I possess above average analytical skills?
You are required to analyze information logically in order to render meaning to medical records.

Will I be able to work independently?
If you long for guidance and supervision in all stages of work, this profession is not for you. You should be extremely disciplined and mature to handle work on your own.

Will I be able to take out time for regular learning?
The profession requires that you keep learning throughout your career. Obsolete knowledge can cost you your career. You have to make time for learning almost everyday.

Can I research extensively on my own?
As a medical transcriptionist, you are required to refer to external material in order to ensure that medical records are complete and accurate.

Look for a medical transcription course only if your answer to every question has been in the affirmative.

Do you get disheartened when you find out you don’t meet a certain profession’s eligibility criteria? I know some people who get very upset. The simple fact of the matter is that one cannot qualify for all jobs. But there’s definitely one (or more) professions where you fit perfectly. Do you think medical transcription is such a profession? Do you think you can handle the job? But how did you reach such a conclusion when the profession does not have any per-requisites defined? You think so because you can transcribe well? Well, that’s a good start but medical transcription is not about mere transcription.

Medical transcription is about creating medical records that are complete and accurate and which can be used by the healthcare and insurance industries. Look into what you can and cannot do very well before you make medical transcription your profession. Apart from the basics of possessing English grammar knowledge, being computer proficient, and possessing good hearing skills, you need a little extra to make your name in the field of medical transcription.

Are you disciplined enough to work independently? If you get distracted too easily and cannot handle work without supervision, this profession is not the right one for you.

Are you willing to learn while working? The learning for the medical transcriptionist doesn’t end with the training. One has to keep updating one’s knowledge in order to survive in the field.

Are you willing and capable to research independently? The profession will cause several instances where you will be required to research extensively in order to ensure that the medical information is accurate.

Do you have analytical skills? If you cannot analyze information logically, you should not join the profession.

Are you willing to meet deadlines everyday? The profession is such that you have to meet deadlines every few hours. If you cannot handle the pressure, this industry is not for you.

So, are you ready?

Is the certificate you receive at the end of the medical transcription training proof enough that you are a good medical transcriptionist? No. It just mentions that you have completed a course. If you want your expertise in medical transcription to be recognized, seek a credential from the Association of Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).

AHDI awards a number of credentials recognizing your expertise in the field. The one called Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) is much in demand. This is often confused with the certificate you receive at the end of a medical transcription course. Becoming a CMT requires you to take a test. And not everyone can take the test. Only those who have at least two years of medical transcription experience in acute care are eligible.

Wondering what acute care is? Here’s what AHDI says about acute care.

(Source) Acute care is defined as incorporating medical center dictation to include many dictators including multiple ESL dictators, many formats and report types, and all the major specialties, including and especially surgery dictation of all types, and some minor specialties.

Once you have decided to take the test, be prepared to sit for five long hours. Yes, the CMT test lasts that long. You will get to know your result as soon as you complete the test. You will be given a report containing detailed feedback on your performance, highlighting your strengths and weaknesses. In case you don’t pass the test, you can take it again after six months. The CMT credential is valid for three years, after which you have to take another test to renew it.

The test fee is $275 USD at the time of writing this post. However, AHDI members get a discount.

Now, the big question is whether CMT is important or not. Well, it is not required, but yes, it definitely helps establish your credibility in the field.