7 Myths About Being a Medical Transcriptionist
The medical transcription field has become increasing popular because it offers a lot of flexibility and a good paycheck without a four-year degree. It’s also predominately a work-from-home career. But there are some popular myths about this career. Take a look at some of these common myths and consider whether it’s the right career for you.
- Myth #1: It’s Just About Typing Fast. Quick fingers won’t automatically make you great at medical transcripting. You also have to love to learn, have a grasp of medical terminology, the ability to handle pressure, independence, strong motivation, and the capacity to concentrate for long periods of time. On the other hand, you can test or improve your typing skills using our free medical transcription training skills test.
- Myth #2: It’s Low Stress. Typing what you hear may not seem high stress, but it’s a lot harder than you think. It’s not as simple as transcribing a recording. You’ll have to deal with background noise, accents, and unfamiliar words you don’t know how to spell. A related common myth is that you can be a transcriptionist at home while you’re taking care of the kids. When you’re dealing with bad recordings and strange medical terms, you need undivided attention. Medical transcripting requires serious concentration.
- Myth #3: It’s Just for Women. While the field is dominated by women, men can become adept at medical transcripting. More men are becoming nurses, and they’re also drawn to the possibility of working from home that the career offers.
- Myth #4: No Training Required. Yeah, no. Your resume needs some medical transcription training to get on the interview list. Be sure to choose an accredited, reputable training provider from a community college or online. A one-year medical transcriptionist certificate program will cover medical terminology, anatomy, transcription, medical records, pharmacology, cardiology, and other fields of medicine.
- Myth #5: You’ll Make Tons of Money. This is a big one. You’ll see it from companies trying to get people to sign up for a seminar. While a few medical transcriptionists might make $50,000 working from home, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the annual median salary for Medical Transcriptionists in 2016 was $35,720.
- Myth #6: Technology Like Electronic Records and Speech Recognition Will Make Medical Transcriptionists Obsolete. Speech Recognition Technology (SRT) is growing, but its results are unreliable and require human supervision, i.e. Medical Transcriptionists. While electronic health records are useful for some purposes, health care providers still need humans to transcribe dictation of spoken observations and conclusions.
- Myth #7: You Need Special Equipment and Software. This is another sign of a possible scam. After you’ve completed medical transcription training and gotten a job, your employer should provide what you need to do your job.
Those are the TOP myths about being a Certified Medical Transcriptionist - a challenging yet flexible and rewarding career.
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