Medical Transcription, An Emerging Winner
By Jay Stockman, Thu Dec 8th

There are distinct objectives to consider when trying to choosea career, including knowing yourself, knowing your options,knowing how you constitute decisions and addressing any barriersto your decision-making. Effective career decision-makingrequires an abundance of work and energy; this is necessary toestablish some degree of satisfaction with your career choice.One such career that has emerged as fulfilling, provocative,well paying and in demand is medical transcription. Theemployment of medical transcriptionists is projected to growfaster than the average for all occupations through 2012. Agrowing and aging population will spur demand for medicaltranscription services.

Basically, a medical transcriptionist listens to dictatedrecordings made by a healthcare professional, and transcribesthem into medical reports, correspondence, and otheradministrative info. While listening to the recordings, usingpause techniques, sentences are keyed into a word processor,editing as necessary for grammar and clarity. Documents producedinclude discharge summaries, history and physical examinationreports, operative reports, consultation reports, autopsyreports, diagnostic imaging studies, progress notes, andreferral letters. These are returned to the health care providerfor review, signature, or correction. These documents eventuallybecome part of the patients' permanent files, in addition torequired insurance documentation.

To understand and accurately transcribe dictated reports into aformat that is clear and intelligible for the reader, medicaltranscriptionists must understand medical terminology, anatomyand physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, andtreatment assessments. As a result, medical transcriptionistsshould have completed postsecondary training in medicaltranscription, offered by many vocational schools, communitycolleges, and distance-learning programs. Completion of a 2-yearassociate degree or 1-year certificate program, includingcoursework in anatomy, medical terminology, legal issuesrelating to healthcare documentation, and English grammar andpunctuation, is highly recommended, but not always required.

Working conditions are generally comfortable settings, such ashospitals, physicians' offices, transcription service offices,clinics, laboratories, medical libraries, government medicalfacilities, or at home. Many medical transcriptionists work fromhome as employees for hospitals, and transcription services oras self-employed, independent contractors. The average salaryfor a medical transcriptionist is between $10.87 and $15.63.With experience, medical transcriptionists can advance tosupervisory positions, home-based work, editing, consulting, orteaching.

With the increased demand for standardized records, there willbe rapid employment growth in offices of physicians or otherhealth practitioners, especially in large group practices.Medical transcription is a career that should fit yourlifestyle, and bring you prosperity, and fulfillment.

About the author:Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Online Medical Transcription Services Visithttp://theonline-medical-transcription-services.com/ for moreinformation.