Medical Transcriptionists

Employers

There are approximately 54,500 medical transcriptionists employed in the United States. About 10 percent work in hospitals and 35 percent work in doctors' offices and clinics. Others work for laboratories, home health care services, medical centers, colleges and universities, medical libraries, insurance companies, transcription companies, temp agencies, and even veterinary facilities. Medical transcriptionists can also find government jobs, with public health or veterans hospitals.

Starting Out

It can be difficult to get started in this field, especially if you do not have any work experience. Some medical transcriptionists start out by working as administrative assistants or receptionists in doctors' offices. They become acquainted with medical terminology and office procedures, and they make important contacts in the medical profession. According to the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI), a smaller doctor's office may be more apt to hire an inexperienced medical transcriptionist than a hospital or transcription service would be.

An informal apprenticeship position may be helpful since on-the-job experience seems to be a prerequisite for most jobs. Or perhaps you can find an internship position with a transcription company. Once you have some experience, you can look for another position through classified ads, job search agencies, or Internet resources. You can also find job leads through word-of-mouth and professional contacts. The AHDI Web site features job postings through its Career Center section. In fact, AHDI is an invaluable resource for the medical transcriptionist. Local chapters hold periodic meetings, which is a good way to network with other professionals in the field.