How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist
Medical Transcriptionists interpret and transcribe dictation by physicians and other healthcare professionals into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material.
Job prospects are good. Employment is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012.
Demand for services will be spurred by a growing and aging population. Older age groups receive greater numbers of medical tests, treatments and procedures that require documentation.
Here's what you need to know:
1) What is a Medical Transcriptionist?
2) Requirements for the career
3) Certification
4) Salary Potential
5) Schools
1) What is a Medical Transcriptionist?
A Medical Transcriptionist transcribe dictated medical information into reports such as discharge summaries, history and physical examination reports, operative reports, consultation reports, autopsy reports, diagnostic imaging studies, progress notes and referral letters.
They must understand medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, and treatment assessments.
They also must be able to translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms.
They work in hospitals, physicians? offices, transcription service offices, clinics, laboratories, medical libraries, government medical facilities or at home.
2) Career Requirements
Below are some career requirements:
- Complete a postsecondary training in medical transcription or a 2-year associate degree or 1-year certificate program
- Must possess good English grammar and punctuation skills
- Proficient with personal computers and word processing software
- Must understand medical terminology
- Certification as a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) is desirable and a sign of competence
3) Certification
The American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT) offers a voluntary certification exam to individuals who wish to become Certified Medical Transcriptionists (CMTs).
The CMT credential is awarded upon successfully passing the AAMT certification examination for medical transcriptionists.
To be eligible to take the CMT certification examination, you must have 2 years of transcription experience in the acute care or its equivalent.
4) Salary Potential
Earnings vary by geographic location, employment setting, and years of experience.
The median annual salary of a Medical Transcriptionist is approximately $30,000 to $35,000.
Salaries range from about $10 per hour to over $17 per hour.
5) Medical Transcriptionist Schools
The AAMT does not evaluate, accredit, or endorse any program or school.
Classes for medical transcription are found in community colleges, proprietary schools and home-study programs (Internet-based and otherwise).
The AAMT does, however, recommends that a medical transcription program provide the following:
- be taught by qualified instructors who are credentialed experts in their respective fields
- employ certified medical transcriptionists to teach medical transcription practice courses
- be based on The Model Curriculum for Medical
Transcription published by AAMT, which recommends
courses in the following:
- English grammar and punctuation
- medical language
- anatomy and physiology
- disease processes
- pharmacology and laboratory medicine
- transcription technology
- medical transcription practice
- healthcare records
- privacy, ethics, and other medicolegal issues
- indicate number of classroom hours students actually perform medical transcription
- indicate number of minutes of actual physician dictation used for practice
- indicate length of externship or on-the-job experience available
- include relevant publications among its educational materials
- incorporate The AAMT Book of Style for Medical Transcription, 2nd edition
- provide names and addresses of its current and/or former students to contact as references
- have an advisory board that includes certified medical transcriptionists
- offer assistance with job placement