Medical Transcriptionists

Students should obtain as much experience in the field as possible by participating in summer internships, co-ops, and part-time jobs at a medical transcription firm or another organization that employs medical transcriptionists.

A love of language and grammar is an important quality, and accuracy and attention to detail are absolute musts for a medical transcriptionist. It is essential that you correctly type up information as spoken by the doctor on the recording. You must be able to sift through background sounds on the recording and accurately record what the doctor says. Doctors dictate at the same time they are with a patient or later from their office or maybe even as they go about their daily routine, perhaps while eating, driving in traffic, or walking along a busy street. In each of these cases, the recording will likely include background noises or conversations that at times drown out or make unclear what the doctor is saying.

Many doctors grew up outside of the United States and do not speak English as their first language, so they may not have a thorough understanding of English or they may speak with an accent. You must have a good ear to be able to decipher what these doctors are saying.

In addition to having accurate typing skills, you will also need to type quickly if you want to earn higher wages and get more clients. A solid understanding of word-processing software will help you to be more productive. An example of this is the use of macros, or keystroke combinations that are used for repetitive actions, such as typing the same long, hard-to-spell word or phrase time and again. If you suffer from repetitive strain injuries, then this would not be a suitable profession.

Flexibility is also important because you must be able to adapt to the different skills and needs of various health care professionals.

Medical transcriptionists should be able to concentrate and be prepared to sit in one place for long periods at a time, either typing or reading. For this reason, it is important that you take regular breaks. An ability to work independently will help you whether you are self-employed or have an office position, since you do most of your work sitting at a computer.

Medical transcriptionists are required to keep patient records confidential, just as doctors are, so integrity and discretion are important.