What is a Medical Transcriptionist? (And How to Become One)

A typical day in the life of a medical practitioner can be chaotic. From keeping patients’ records to performing physical examinations, providing health education, and treating ailments, even a bright morning can easily turn into a hectic schedule. There’s a lot of stuff that can get in their way, but handling complex paperwork in the middle of a life-saving procedure should never be one of them.

Towards this end, many healthcare givers turn to professional transcription services to take the burden off their shoulders and allow them to focus on delivering quality services. In this guide, we will be discussing the role of a medical transcriptionist in the modern healthcare setup, covering the job profile in detail, certification requirements, income potential, and job opportunities. Is this a transcription job worth trying? Let’s find out below.

What is a Medical Transcriptionist?

A medical transcriptionist is responsible for converting doctor’s reports and other audio files from voice recordings into text documents. In some cases, these individuals may get involved in editing medical documents, interpreting complex terminologies, and discharging summaries.

Medical transcriptionists are always in high demand especially with the rapidly growing number of healthcare services across the globe.

Do I Need a Certificate to Work as a Medical Transcriptionist?

Unlike many forms of transcriber roles that may require no experience when getting started, building a career as a medical transcriptionist will always require some training beforehand.

Many job seekers choose to tread the certification path because it is one of the surest ways to improve their proficiency and gain a favorable advantage over their competitors.

Remember you will be dealing with complex industry jargon and abbreviations, and you better get everything right from the start.

Types of Medical Transcription Certification

The Association for Healthcare Documentation and Integrity (AHDI) is a common name in the medical transcription field for a good reason. AHDI provides two credentials to aspiring medical transcriptionists, both of which are intended to validate your proficiency in the modern healthcare setup.

The Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS), formerly known as the Registered Medical Transcriptionist or RMT, targets newbies working in clinical setups and with less than 2 years of industry experience.

If you have two or more years of experience in the field and has already gained the mentioned RHDS certificate, you can pursue the Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS), initially called the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) certification. This credential sets you apart from the rest by proving that you have a cutting edge knowledge of the basic competencies associated with medical transcription. In a nutshell, candidates willing to get enrolled in the CHDS training should be able to handle complex transcription duties and responsibilities with a high-level meticulousness and professionalism.

Types of Medical Transcription Jobs

Medical transcription jobs fall under several categories including the following;

Medical Report Dictation

This is probably the most common form of medical transcription. Every time a doctor examines your condition, they record everything on the Dictaphone just to help with recounting the discussion. This form of transcription comes in handy when discharging the following services:

• Dictation of referral letters
• Writing summaries of medical assessments
• Patient letters
• Medical reports

Medical Interview Transcription

This is the type of medical transcription that involves converting audio files from weekly, daily, and monthly discussions by the medical personnel. These interactions could be centered on new developments in the field, the latest industry regulations, and recommendations by the policymakers, medical updates, and treatment ideas. Generally, medical interview transcription services include the following:

• Staff-employee interview
• Pharmaceutical research
• Student medial interview
• Telephone interview
• Focus group transcription

Medical Transcription for Reports

Naturally, clinicians will use medical reports to determine disease prognosis. Usually, everything is dictated using a mobile phone or Dictaphone. This selection includes the following types of transcription services:

• Consultation report
• Reports detailing client medical history
• Physical report
• Pathology report
• Laboratory report
• Discharge reports
• Radiology report

Medical Conference and Symposium Speeches

Health professionals often participate in medical symposiums and conferences aimed at exploring innovative techniques and technologies in the field. This forms the basis of medical conferences and symposium transcription services. Here, you can never miss the following:

• Medical conference transcription
• Podcast transcription
• Educational video transcription
• Roundtable transcription
• Medical presentation

How Much Does a Medical Transcriptionist Make?

According to PayScale.com, a typical medical transcriptionist earns an average salary of $12 to $22 per hour.

A lot of factors play a key role in determining the pay rate for a medical transcriptionist. These include the complexity of the task at hand, qualifications, experience, geographic location, the volume and nature of the task, and the company you choose to work for. In considering employees for new roles, the hiring managers will be willing to pay more to get the services of experienced medical transcriptionists who can get the job done with minimal revisions.

As you begin an exciting journey to the top of the career ladder, it is strongly recommended to consider the low paying transcription jobs to help you gain valuable skills and experience along the way. Generally, medical transcription jobs will pay per hour of audio task completed. However, you can always discuss this with your employer to find a schedule that works best for both parties.

How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist?

To become a medical transcriptionist, you must first obtain the right skills by fulfilling the training and educational requirements.

Regarding the educational needs, the minimum requirement will be a high school diploma. By fulfilling this prerequisite, you will be ready to take on your first task as a competent transcriptionist as you slowly climb the corporate ladder. An associate’s degree in medical transcription is a nice place to begin with and it will take you about 2 years to understand the crucial things in the field including medical terminologies, basic techniques, and anatomy.

As part of the professional training course, students must learn how to use popular transcription tools to help them jumpstart their careers.

Medical Transcription Tools

The list of medical transcription tools and equipment is inexhaustible. But just to give you a clue, here’s what you need:

• Digital voice recorder
• MP3 playback software
• Headphone
• Time markers
• Express scribe software
• Document processor software
• Bud microphone
• Version control software
• Computer with a reliable internet connection
• File management software
• Electronic medical dictionary
• Fax machine
• Drug reference guide
• Audio playback software
• Foot pedal
• Editing software
• Voice recognition software
• Dictation recording equipment
• Text counting software
• Comfortable chair

Medical Transcription Training

Students may consider getting specialized training to become professional transcriptionists in the USA and other regions. Usually, certification courses involve 6 months to 2 years of intense training, geared towards helping you build a successful career in the highly competitive employment industry.

If you pass the exam offered by the Association for Healthcare and Documentation Integrity (AHDI), you will obtain the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) title straightaway. CMT’s are expected to embrace continuing education programs every 3 years to stay abreast of the latest developments in the field.

Aside from the ordinary training and certifications, aspiring medical transcriptionists are also expected to have an in-depth knowledge of medical procedures, treatments, basic anatomy, and pharmacology. Needless to mention that you must also have top-notch typing skills to build a productive career around the same niche.

When choosing a certification program, it’s important to consider the time requirements for the available courses and schedule. Also, students must factor in the practical experience they have obtained in the field. Even though you can access degree programs from reliable colleges and institutions, certifications remain the most viable option, especially when working on a tight budget.

Training Cost

Generally, in-person training costs between $2500-$12000 as the total tuition fee. The online programs, on the other hand, range from $2000-$5000. Remember residency plays a big part when calculating the average cost for in-person medical transcription courses. Of course, there may be additional costs to cater to the equipment needs such as the foot pedals and the registration fee to get recognition from the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity among the rest.  

Companies That Offer Medical Transcription Jobs

You might have struggled to land your first job as a medical transcriptionist, and rightly so. Naturally, the hiring managers expect a lot from their employees and will want to be sure that they are bringing in true professionals who can add value to their companies.

For beginners, this can be stressful. Yes! You can always get entry-level transcription jobs online, but it works best if you have some form of training. If you need flexibility and peace of mind while working remotely from any location, listed here are some of the best companies offering remote medical transcription jobs today.

Additionally, you may like to check the following companies as well:

• Absolute Transcription
• Eight Crossings
• Softscript
• SpectraMedi
• Perfect Transcription
• Preferred Transcriptions
• iMedX
• iData
• Totalmed
• IDS Infotech
• Saince
• Perry Johnson & Associates

Conclusion

So, that’s it. Ever wanted to engage in an exciting role that demands critical thinking skills and computer literacy? This is the time to flex your creative muscles.

Imagine earning the trust of a doctor, a magnificent professional who is trusted to save lives. Won’t it be exciting? That’s what medical transcription is all about. So, take the initiative today and make a difference while you still can.