Medical Transcription - Career Spotlight
With all the perks, why is it so difficult to enter the Medical Transcription field? Take a moment to consider what the position requires. It requires you to take information from a doctor's notes, either hardcopy or recorder and accurately transpose the information onto a medical record for a patient's medical history file.
A career in Medical Transcription (MT) requires a solid knowledge of medical language, a good knowledge of anatomy, physiology, as well as illnesses and diseases. This information is not readily available from reading a book. The position also requires a command of the English language, excellent grammar and punctuation skills.
While a career as an MT does not require a 4 year degree, you do need a 2-year associates degree or, at minimum, a training program and certification in order to not only work as an MT, but command a higher salary as well. After obtaining your certification, additional continuing educational courses are also needed to recertify every 3 years.
There are different levels of Medical Transcriptionists.
Level 1 - Transcribes notes from doctors and nurses or other health care providers.
Level 2 - Work is completed the same as level 1, however, they may be involved in the research of questions. A level 2 would also have an extensive knowledge of a medical specialty; Level 2's are able to handle non-routine problems.
Level 3 - While technically a transcriptionist, this level actually completes very little transcription. They are often used as a resource - teaching students and helping other transcriptions interpret information other levels cannot.
Other skills required by MT's are the ability to work well under pressure, meet deadlines, have a strong grasp of the seriousness of the information and, most importantly, the ability to keep the confidentiality of the patients whose records they are transcribing.
The "work-at-home" ads to start an "easy" career as a medical transcriptionist are misleading. Medical transcription is a worthwhile profession requiring very detailed and knowledgeable work.
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