Medical Transcriptionist Jobs

Looking for a new career in a field that’s expanding? Becoming a medical transcriptionist might be something to look into. Over the course of this article, we’ll give you an insight into medical transcriptionists jobs, including training and pay.

Medical Transcriptionists Jobs Quick Points

• Job field is expanding.
• Getting certified gives you an advantage.
• Completing a postsecondary training program gives you more options.
• It’s a great field for those wishing to work from home.
• Of the medical transcriptionists not working at home, 36% work in hospitals and 23% work in physician’s offices.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics says the medical transcription field will grow by 11% by 2018 “spurred by a growing and aging population.”
• Medical transcriptionists just starting out make a median of about $16 per hour.
• Top-paying states for medical transcription jobs (all around $20 per hour) are: Alaska, California, Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Massachusetts.

What is a medical transcriptionist?

As a medical transcriptionist, you’ll be listening to dictated recordings from healthcare professionals so you can transcribe them into various materials (medical reports, etc). While there are various setups transcriptionists use, a more common setup is the use of headphones and a foot pedal for pausing the recording (so the hands are free to type).

Sometimes speech recognition software can be used. Then as the medical transcriptionist, you’d format the reports, edit them for errors, etc. Two specialty branches of medicine that use speech recognition heavily are radiology and pathology.

You’ll need to know how to use the computer and have average hearing and vision. It’s normal for potential employers to issue a skills test prior to hiring.

Some file types you’ll be working with include:

• medical reports
• correspondence
• administrative notes
• discharge summaries
• physical examination reports
• consultation reports
• diagnostic-imaging studies
• referral letters

Medical Transcriptionist Workplace

As mentioned before, many medical transcriptionists work at home. But, even those who go into an office-like setting tend to work in a fairly comfortable environment.

You should be prepared to sit down on the job for long periods of time. Also, make sure you take care of your wrists, back, neck and eyes as you’ll be on the computer for long periods of time.

The amount of time you work will vary with the job you end up taking, but a 40-hour workweek is pretty standard.

Medical Transcriptionist Training, School and Certification

While you can find a job that doesn’t require much in the way of education or certification, you can drastically increase your career options by completing postsecondary training.

Many schools (even online) offer programs in medical transcription. The time to complete these programs varies from a one-year certification program to a full two-year associate’s degree. Some programs even offer on-the-job training during or after your education.

Understanding medical terminology, healthcare legal issue and English grammar are all pluses in your job search, so keep this in mind and if you have these abilities through previous work experience and/or education, make sure you tout them on your resume and in your interview.

When applicable, we recommend you get certified by the AHDI, which has two designations:

Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT): You can become a RMT by graduating from a medical transcription educational program or by having fewer than two years of experience in acute care. To gain this certification, you must pass the AHDI level-1 registered medical transcription exam. It’s also important to note that if you graduate from an ACCP-approved program and earn your RMT credential, you can participate in the Registered Apprenticeship Program, which is sponsored by the Medical Transcription Industry Association (via the U.S. Department of Labor). Once in the program, you can get structured on-the-job learning.

Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT): This designation requires at least two years of acute care experience. And you must earn on passing score on a certification exam.

As is common in the medical field, you’ll need to keep your knowledge and skills up to date. You’ll want to re-certify your RMT and/or CMT certifications every few years. And in order to do that, you must earn at least 30 continuing education credits during that time. Basically, this can work out to about 2-3 courses each year.