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What to do before becoming a medical transcriptionist?

What are the prerequisites for becoming a medical transcriptionist?

  • My mother is interested in becoming a medical transcriptionist, but she's worried she won't be able to keep up in the classes. She's smart and good at academics, but doesn't have a deep science background. What will she need to know before starting classes?

  • Answer:

    Just for clarification, medical transcriptionists are responsible for taking what a licensed physician says regarding a patient on a recording device and then transferring it into digital files for permanent storage. With that said, it's highly imperative that your mother possesses strong computer skills and strong  spelling and punctuation skills as these records must be grammatically correct. She also needs to have a good ear that can identify an array of different accents and dialects. While a strong background in science is not necessary per say, a background in medical terminology and health care procedures is mandatory. But if she is unfamiliar with this part right now she will undoubtedly learn it in her transcriptionist program. If your mother feels as though becoming a medical transcriptionist is something that she might not want to pursue after all, she can always try becoming a medical billing and coder which deals more with figures and numbers. To learn more about this career possibility click here:http://www.medicalcodingschools.com/resources/become-medical-coder/

Erika Jaramillo at Quora Visit the source

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Once you've got your skills to a point that you're fairly happy with, getting a job / starting to do it professionally is where the fun (and the challenge) begins. On this front, I'd suggest talking with the people doing it today. This is a good way to get the 'insider' insights that will help you organize your attack plan. I'm an Advisor on Wisewords if you'd like to chat about how to 'make it' in the field. Feel free to reach out: https://www.wisewords.co/

Allison Walkowski

I would recommend medical coding certification. You learn pretty much the same material, but coding is a more flexible field. Basically, you need to know medical terminology, human anatomy, and principles of disease. You also need to know about Word macros, auto-complete, and keyboard shortcuts.

Nate Osit

I am 90% finished with an extensive online medical transcription school, Career Step.  I'm not going to lie, the program is difficult.  However, I am very confident that I will be ready to work when I'm finished.  Since over half the coursework is actual transcribing of actual dictations in all different fields, I will break it down like this-- In order to succeed, you must have very strong verbal and written English skills.  Also, you need to be able to not just hear, but listen...  Sounds silly, but this is a big one- A computer can hear and dictate spoken words; but only a human can listen and catch errors, edit, and format documents.  This is valuable and is what keeps the profession alive.  In order to be an active listener for this career, you need to learn the language.  This means Latin roots and combining forms, drug names, medical tools, medical procedures, and slang. I really enjoy transcribing.  It's very interesting and challenging; and I am constantly learning with each report I do.  Finally, **and most importantly**, she needs to find a reputable program.  There are a ton of programs out there, but only a handful that are approved by the AHDI.  The two programs that are widely considered to be excellent, if not the best, are Career Step and Andrews School. Your mom should check out http://www.ahdionline.org fo non-biased information on what program to choose, and whether the career would be a good fit for her.

Sam Engwall

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