Medical Transcriptionist: What It Is And What It Takes To Be One

Posted on: 10 October 2017

Are you interested in a career in the medical field but not sure you have the time for the training? The nice thing about today's technology is that you can learn an entirely new career, such as how to be a medical transcriptionist online. It's a lot more convenient for people who still need to keep their current job while going to school. Online training means you can complete it anytime during the day. There are multiple resources provided by the school to assist you with the training so you get the same standard of learning that you would in traditional class settings.

What does a medical transcriptionist do?

The online program will provide you with everything you need to learn about being a medical transcriptionist, including your job duties. The job duties for this career are:

  • Listening to recorded dictation of doctors

  • Transcribing and interpreting the dictation into reports, test results, and other types of documents

  • Translating medical abbreviations into long form

  • Submitting health records to physicians for approval

  • Identifying errors or mistakes in the reports

  • Keeping patient confidentiality guidelines and legal documents requirements

What type of equipment is required for the job?

As a medical transcriptionist, you will use special equipment to do your job. The main thing you will need is a good computer that meets the requirements for your medical transcription software. You will also need a headset for listening to the audio. Most transcriptionists also use a special foot pedal that is used to control the playback speed of the audio. Medical reference materials and a good word processor is used to complete the work.

What type of education is required for medical transcriptionists?

In order to get a job as a medical transcriptionist, you will need to complete postsecondary training. There are several technical schools or other educational institutions that offer online programs for this career. The programs usually take one to two years, depending on the type of degree you want. The one year program offers a certificate upon completion. The two year offers an Associate's degree. You can also choose to become certified through the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, which grants transcriptionists a certificate for Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist or Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist. The RHDS certificate is designed for graduates with less than two years work experience who want to work in a clinic or hospital. The CHDS certificate is designed for graduates with over two years work experience. Each certificate requires a passing grade on an examination by the Association.

Conclusion

This career is a very versatile one. Once you have your training finished, you can work a variety of shifts depending on your schedule. You can work from home or at a medical facility. A lot of transcriptionists that work in clinics will also double as secretaries or similar roles.

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