If you are aspiring to be a medical transcriptionist, I am sure you have queries and concerns about the profession. Today, I will respond to some of your concerns.

• Q. Are there enough medical transcription opportunities? What is the future of the industry?
  A. The medical transcription industry is one of the rarest to have emerged unscathed from the recent recession. The US Department of Labor projects that the number of opportunities in the medical transcription field will grow at a rate of 14 percent to 2016 from what it was in 2006. This rate is more than the average rate of growth of other occupations. There are several opportunities for the interested.
• Q. How much can I earn as a medical transcriptionist?
  A. A medical transcriptionist’s income depends on his/her experience in the field and his/her proficiency. According to the US Department of Labor, the mean hourly wage of a medical transcriptionist is $15.84 and the mean annual wage is $32,960.
• Q. Is the medical transcription training compulsory for joining the industry?
  A. Anyone with the right aptitude can become a medical transcriptionist provided he/she undergoes a proper training in medical transcription. The training equips one with medical knowledge and transcription skills.
• Q. Is it true that anyone with a good typing speed can become a medical transcriptionist?
  A. No. An above-average typing speed helps but it is definitely not one of the primary skills of a medical transcriptionist. The transcriptionist’s job is to decipher the voice recordings and turn them into relevant medical records. This requires sound medical knowledge and the skill to analyze and interpret information.

Have more questions about medical transcription? Let us know and we’ll be more than happy to answer.