Of course, a blog on medical transcription will say good things about the profession. Well, not actually. This blog on medical transcription makes you aware of every aspect of the profession

• The pay is good. The profession pays you for what you are worth; the income varies depending on your level of expertise.
• The profession offers flexibility. A medical transcriptionist has the flexibility of working from home. You also get to choose your work timings, irrespective of whether you work from home or from an office. If you work as a freelance transcriptionist, you even get to choose the kind of work you want to do.
• It allows an easy entry. One just needs the right aptitude to join the profession. With age, qualifications, and experience not being constraints, one’s entry into the industry boosts his/her morale and increases self-esteem.
• It offers satisfaction. As a medical transcriptionist, you realize the criticality of your work and derive a sense of satisfaction from it, something that is missing in several other professions.
• It teaches you skills not many professions can. The medical transcription profession teaches you to be patient, dedicated, and focused. You also learn to motivate yourself and handle crisis situations on your own. These are skills that are useful in your personal life as well.

While these points may make you interested in medical transcription, it is important that you go through our previous posts to see if you and the profession can fulfill each other’s expectations. Find out if you qualify to be a medical transcriptionist and if you are up for the challenges in the profession.

Irrespective of the challenges in the medical transcription profession, most medical transcriptionists don’t crib about their work. Is the profession a fulfilling one? What makes medical transcriptionist happy? Let’s find out.

The profession allows an easy entry. The profession boosts your morale by allowing an easy entry. What it asks for is just the right aptitude. You don’t need to produce degrees or experience certificates to make your way into the industry.

The medical transcriptionist is paid well. Given that the profession doesn’t ask for any academic or professional qualifications or any experience, medical transcription pays really well. Your income increases as you become proficient in the job.

The profession allows the transcriptionist to choose. The profession lets you choose your work timings. It even allows you to work from home. You can even fix up the number of hours you want to work. No other profession offers as much flexibility as medical transcription.

The profession makes one feel good. As a medical transcriptionist, you are responsible for creating medical records that are integral to the functioning of the healthcare and the insurance industries. You derive a sense of satisfaction and pride from this.

Medical transcriptionists learn and develop new skills. The profession teaches you to be patient, focused, disciplined, and goal-oriented. You also learn to work independently and motivate yourself. All these skills help you develop not only as a professional but also as an individual.

It is important you make sure if the profession suits you before you go about reaping its benefits.

Irrespective of the visible benefits of medical transcription, there are some things that bother many medical transcription aspirants. In today’s post, we’ll look at three of such concerns.

Future of medical transcription: According to the US Department of Labor, the rate of growth of medical transcription opportunities is more than the average growth rate of all other occupations. The increasing and aging population increases the demand for medical records, which in turn increases the work for medical transcriptionists. The fact that the industry remained untouched by the recent recession proves that the profession is secure and sturdy.

Easy entry: Many people will tell you that anyone can become a medical transcriptionist. Well, that’s far from the truth. It is true that the entry in the medical transcription profession is easy. One does not need a formal qualification or an experience to join the profession. However, the profession requires a certain aptitude that only a few possess. A person without the right aptitude cannot handle the profession.

Speech-recognition software: The speech-recognition software was touted to replace the medical transcriptionist. But it failed to establish itself as a worthy substitute for the medical transcriptionist. Doctors are required to spend a lot of time with the software, training and using it. The results delivered by the software are far from being accurate. A transcriptionist is needed to bring sense to the information transcribed by the software. Thus, the software has come to become the transcriptionist’s friend.

If you have more concerns about the profession, write in to us.

Yeah, the medical transcriptionist is happy. And there are many factors that make him/her a happy professional.

The medical transcriptionist gets to make a career of his/her aptitude and skills. His/her educational qualifications and prior experience don’t make a difference to how he/she wants to shape his/her career. The non-stringent entry into the field boosts one’s morale.  Moreover, the medical transcriptionist can choose to work from anywhere in the world.

The medical transcriptionist is paid reasonably well. The profession pays you for what you are worth; the income varies depending on your level of expertise.

The profession offers much more flexibility than any other. First, there is the flexibility of working from home. Second, you get to choose your work timings, irrespective of whether you work from home or from an office. Third, you can choose the kind of work you want to do, especially if you are working from home.

The medical transcription profession hands down some skills that are helpful through the course of one’s life. It teaches you to be patient, dedicated and focused. You also learn to motivate yourself and handle crisis situations on your own.

The transcriptionist is extremely important in the healthcare and insurance industries because of the medical records he/she creates. This makes him/her be proud and happy.

This profession is an extremely fulfilling one. With the kind of flexibility allowed in it, one can make a good career of it.

Come back tomorrow for some insights into the world of medical transcription.

What are the benefits of the medical transcription profession?
The major benefits of the medical transcription profession are easy entry, good pay, flexible timings, and the flexibility of working from home.

What are the prerequisites of becoming a medical transcriptionist?
Well, the profession does not have any defined prerequisites. However, we insist that you find out if you have the aptitude for the profession. Here’s a list of what you need:

• Good hearing skills
• Excellent command over English
• Ability to work without supervision
• Willingness to learn on a daily basis
• Commitment to everyday deadlines
• Ability to analyze logically
• Ability to research independently

How important is the medical transcription training?
Yes, it is. A medical transcriptionist needs to possess a sound medical knowledge to be able to do his/her job. Anyone with the right aptitude can join the profession provided he/she undergoes a proper training in medical transcription.

How should I choose the medical transcription course?
A good medical transcription course should:

• Conform to the guidelines specified in COMPRO. COMPRO is an acronym for the competency profile for medical transcription education programs as laid down by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).
• Have sufficient hours of dictations recorded by doctors.
• Have good instructors with considerable experience in the industry.
• Have some placement assistance.

How much does a medical transcription course cost?
While some courses cost a few hundred dollars, others may charge 3-4 thousand dollars.

How much does the medical transcriptionist earn?
How much you earn depends completely on your proficiency and your experience in the field. The US Department of Labor states that the mean hourly wage of a medical transcriptionist is $15.84 and the mean annual wage is $32,960.

What does the future of the medical transcription profession look like?
The medical transcription profession is one of the few that has come out unaffected from the recession that affected the economies the world over. The US Department of Labor projects that the number of opportunities in the 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. With an ever-increasing and aging population, the demand for medical records continues to increase. Thus, the medical transcriptionist will see more opportunities in the future.

Is there a threat from the speech-recognition software?
The speech recognition was thought to be a serious threat to the medical transcriptionist’s job. However, with time, it has been realized that it is not capable to replace the transcriptionist. It requires doctors to spend a considerable amount of time in training and using it, beating the whole purpose of saving their valuable time. Moreover, the results delivered by the software are not accurate, requiring human intervention to edit them.

Do let us know if you have more questions about the profession.

When you start your medical transcription career, you should know what the profession offers and what it expects. Looking only at the benefits of the profession will land you in trouble. Medical transcription requires a lot of mental preparation. You need to start right to have a smooth sail ahead.

It is important to start your work with a plan. It not only helps you manage time, be productive, but also gives you ample time for the non-working part of your life. Start by making a daily work routine and then see how you can spread your work over the working hours. A routine and a plan will keep your disciplined.

You have to keep in mind that you cannot allow distractions. Focus is the key to getting work done. Your commitment can go for a toss if there are distractions around. You have to be prepared to ignore the distractions and concentrate on your work.

It is important that you don’t get the deadlines get to you. As a medical transcriptionist, you will have to deal with stringent deadlines everyday; don’t let them alienate you from your personal life. A good personal life can help you rise in your professional life as well.

If you have chosen to work from home, be prepared to handle the highs and lows of income. Don’t overwhelm yourself by taking too much on your plate. Remember, if you deliver quality work, you will have good work coming in consistently. Don’t try to please too soon; you may end up exhausting yourself.

If you want a career in medical transcription, you need to start by finding out if you and the profession suit each other. Find out if you have the potential for it. Then, find out if you are comfortable with the challenges of the profession.

Though the profession doesn’t ask for any special qualification or experience, you ought to possess a certain aptitude to make it to the field. Apart from possessing good hearing skills and an above-average command over English grammar, you need the following:

• Ability to work without supervision
• Willingness to learn everyday
• Ability to research independently
• Ability to meet stringent deadlines

They say that the medical transcription profession pays well. How much is well enough? The average salary of the medical transcriptionist in the US, according to the US Department of Labor, is 32,960 USD. The income depends completely on your level of expertise. You may start low but your income will increase with the increase in your proficiency.

Wondering if there are enough medical transcription opportunities available? Well, the need for medical records keeps increasing with the increase in the population. Also, the ageing population calls for more healthcare documents. With the industry coming out unaffected from the recession, the future of the medical transcriptionist looks bright.

Many medical transcriptionists turn to home-based transcription because of all the flexibility it offers. However, not everyone can pull off working from home. One needs to be extremely discipline to do well in home-based medical transcription.

Come back tomorrow for more discussion on the medical transcription profession.

If you want to become a medical transcriptionist, you need to start with finding out if you and the profession suit each other. You have to find out if you have the required aptitude. Here is a list of skills the job requires:

• Good hearing skills
• Excellent command over the English language
• Willingness to learn new things everyday
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to meet deadlines everyday

You also need to makes sure you are aware of the challenges in the profession, apart from its benefits. Even if you have the aptitude, you may not be interested in the nature job. So, make sure you understand all the aspects of the profession before deciding to join it.

Once you have decided you want to be a medical transcriptionist, start looking for a good medical transcription training institute. When deciding on a course, make sure you choose the one that offers the following:

• Subjects that comply with the COMPRO (Competency profile for medical transcription) guidelines
• Instructors that have wide experience in the medical transcription industry
• Sufficient number of hours of authentic dictations to practice with
• Job assistance on completion of the training

Next, create your medical transcription resume. Ask your instructors to review the resume. Ask them if you can put their names as your references.

Now, with you resume ready, start applying for medical transcription jobs. Don’t just depend on the newspaper classifieds for jobs; search on the internet. Read the instructions carefully before applying for a job. Make sure you send your resume in the format requested by the company you are applying to.

The process of becoming a medical transcriptionist is not easy but it is defined. We wish you all the luck for your career!

I came across a guy the other day who said he wanted to be a medical transcriptionist but didn’t know where to begin. I asked him if he knew the requirements of the job. He said, “I can type, if that’s what you are asking.” If you are someone like him, I suggest you understand the profession well before you get lured by all its benefits. Here’s a tip: Go through the past posts of this blog, and you will get an idea of what medical transcription is all about.

Now, the first step towards a career in medical transcription is finding out if you can be transcriptionist. Yes, you don’t need a degree or an experience, but your certainly need the right aptitude. Here’s what you need:

• Excellent command over the English language
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to meet deadlines everyday
• Willingness to learn everyday
• Willingness and ability to research extensively

Once you have made sure that you have what it takes for the profession, join a medical transcription course. But make sure you compare different courses before you choose one. Here’s what you need to check:

• That the course conforms to the competency profile for medical transcription (COMPRO)
• That the number of dictation hours is high and the dictations are authentic
• That there is some kind of job assistance after the training
• That the instructors have a significant experience in the medical transcription industry

On completion of your course, make a resume. Get it reviewed by your instructors and start looking for good medical transcription opportunities. You should check local hospitals and clinic, newspapers and yellow pages, apart from checking on the Internet.

We wish you all the luck with your career.

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.