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Medical Transcriptionist - Career Profile |
Career OverviewMedical transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other health care professionals and they transcribe them to create medical records that become part of patients’ permanent health care files.
They have excellent editing and proofreading skills. They also have good keyboard skills and a familiarity with basic computer functions. They have a working knowledge of medical terminology and an ability to conform to medical report layouts.
Medical transcriptionists write up dictations for patient histories, physical examinations, radiology reports, operative procedures, pathology reports, consultations, discharge summaries, death summaries, autopsy reports, and inpatient and outpatient summaries.
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Career RequirementsA high school diploma or GED equivalent is required for entry into accredited medical transcription courses. Candidates should also have a read command of word-processing programs such as Microsoft Word.
Programs are offered by hospitals, junior colleges, community colleges, and technical schools. Most feature courses in English grammar, punctuation, and sentence structures; medical terminology; and basic medical record keeping.
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Job OutlookAccording to the latest information from the US government, medical transcription is among the ten fastest growing occupations in the country. The need for records to be kept of individual’s medical history is undeniable, yet, physicians and other highly trained specialists also need to devote their time to patient care.
The demand for medical transcriptionists is established because physicians cannot devote enough time to record keeping and it becomes more viable to hire trained professionals to keep medical records.
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Career TrackMedical transcriptionists work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician offices, and other medical offices. They may also work for national transcription agencies.
With experience, transcriptionists can be promoted to supervisory positions, monitoring the work of lesser medical transcriptionists.
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CompensationStandard compensation for medical transcriptionists is between $25,000 and $35,000 per year, depending upon experience and the precise nature of the job. Additional benefits may include paid vacations, medical and dental insurance, and disability insurance.
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