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Become a Medical Transcriptionist

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Medical Transcription Career Highlights

What is a Medical Transcriptionist ?

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What do medical transcriptionists do?

Medical transcriptionists listen to recordings dictated by physicians and other health care professionals and then transcribe them into administrative material such as medical reports or correspondence. Usually they listen to recordings through a headset, pausing the recording with a foot pedal when necessary, and type the text into a word processor or personal computer, editing for clarity and grammar as necessary.

Theit documents include operative reports, discharge summaries, consultation reports, progress notes, medical history and physical examination reports, autopsy reports, referral letters, and diagnostic imaging studies. After transcribing documents, transcriptionists return them to the health care professionals who dictated them so those people can review and sign or correct the documents. These documents will become part of the permanent files for patients.

Training & Education

Employers usually like to hire transcriptionists who have gone through postsecondary training in medical transcription, which is offered in many community colleges, distance-learning programs, and vocational schools.

Completing a 1-year certificate program or 2-year associate degree—including coursework in medical terminology, English grammar and punctuation, anatomy, and legal issues related to health care documentation—is highly recommended.

Medical Transcription Salary Range

$ 28,800 - Annual Medical Transcription Degree Salary

$ 29,300 - Average U.S. Salary

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ( 2005 )

Medical Transcription Job Outlook

Employment for medical transcriptionists is anticipated to increase 14 percent from 2006 to 2016, more quickly than the average for all occupations. A growing and aging population will spur need for medical transcription services. Members of older age groups obtain proportionately greater numbers of medical procedures, treatments, and tests requiring documentation.

In 2005, medical transcription workers earned a median annual salary $28,490, and transcriptionists working in surgical and general medical hospitals earned about $29,080 each year. Some medical transcription workers receive pay based on the number of lines they transcribe or how many hours they work.

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