After reading the title here, you may be asking yourself… is transcription actually in demand any more?
YES, it IS… and, it is in HUGE demand.
Most everyone’s dream is to do something we love to do work from home.
In this post, it is my intention to show you how you can successfully work from home as a medical transcriptionist.
Why is Transcribing Still in Demand?
It is because of online marketing, and every single industry on the face of this earth needs to be found online, that is if they want to stay in business.
Did you know that you can help businesses by creating blog content by transcribing?
Well, you can!
What is a Medical Transcriptionist?
Every time a medical professional (such as a General Practitioner or GP) sees a patient a report is usually dictated into an audio device.
There are literally thousands of these types of reports dictated daily across the country.
A medical transcriptionist transforms those dictated reports into computer reports that will be kept in the proper patient’s medical file, so the reports can be readily accessed and/or printed out whenever necessary.
It is imperative for a medical transcriptionist to know and understand medical terminology, as well as having good computer skills, like knowing how to spell and use proper grammar and punctuation.
A transcriptionist must be able to work independently so they must be able to use reference materials, have excellent work ethics, and be prepared to pay attention to details.
A medical transcriptionist is a very important link within our health care industry.
You can find transcriptionists employed at hospitals, clinics, laboratories, government agencies, and even at a medical examiner’s office.
It is vital that dictated reports be transcribed verbatim and in the correct patient’s permanent medical records.
The dictated reports can be from tapes or digital recording sent. Though most are now in digital format.
Advantages of Working as a Medical Transcriptionist from Home
- Being your own boss.
- Work full or part time. In other words you can set your own hours.
- More flexible work schedule. You decide what days of the week you want to work.
- Excellent income, once you have the proper certification.
- Use skills you already have – though you need to be prepared to update yourself when and where necessary.
NOTE: Transcriptionists must know medical terminology, have a good command on the English language, grammar and spelling, and have good computer skills. You will also need to be self-disciplined at setting your own schedule and being able to stick to it and not allow distractions.
- Potential of unlimited employment. Given the proper certification, a transcriptionist can potentially earn a substantial income working full or part time, without the added expense of working outside the home.
- Possibilities of receiving bonuses.
Now for the Bad News: The need for medical transcription has declined substantially in recent years due to electronic medical records having been used for over 10 years (maybe even 20 years in some places) now, as well as voice recognition technology.
Think about it; when was the last time you were at your specialist’s office and the specialist spoke into a recording device (iPad, etc.) regarding his prognosis with your latest visit?
So to focus ONLY on medical transcribing might not be such a wise idea. Apparently, those jobs are no longer as easy to get.
BUT WAIT!
There are other types of professional transcriptions you may wish to consider if you do not want to experience any down time between jobs.
There are two more transcription industries that you may also want to consider: legal transcriptions and general transcriptions.
What is Medical Transcription
Once you have successfully mastered being a medical transcriptionist, you will already have the necessary skills to handle being a legal and/or general (dental example) transcriptionist too.
All three transcribing industries demand that you have the same skills minus the need of understanding medical terminology.
Having the proper certification of skills means that your potential employers will take you seriously.
In the following video Batty explains why you need to be ready to take on transcription jobs from the other 2 industries, if you want a steady income.
Please, DO be prepared to listen to the great tips she offers right through to the end of her video.
Why You Shouldn’t Become a Medical Transcriptionist (and What to Do Instead) (my affiliate link)
General Transcription as a Career
Necessary Equipment for a Transcriber
- A personal desktop or laptop computer.
- A reliable internet connection.
- Quality headset or ear buds to listen to the recorded reports, though headset is recommended.
- Foot pedals which you can use to play, faster forward or rewind recordings with your feet.
- Express Scribe which is free transcription software that allows you to use your foot pedals.
- Microsoft Word is another recommended software to have available for use as many companies and clients prefer the format Word offers.
How You Can Become Certified as a Transcriptionist
In the video below, Batty reviews her list of recommended equipment to use as a transcriptionist, as well as sharing many important secrets on how you can start transcribing so that you gain the necessary practise in honing your skills.
Now, once you have practiced and know that transcribing is your preferred career… and, if you want to ensure that you get those highly skilled legal and general transcriptionist jobs that pay better, than you will need to get yourself certified as a transcriptionist.
NOTICE: In order to be perfectly transparent with you, the links below are ALL my affiliate links, which means if you do click on these and actually sign up for the training, I may be compensated for as an affiliate, which may afford me with enough resources to purchase a couple cups of coffee.
Here are a couple of options for you…
Free General Transcription Mini-Course (my affiliate link) – 7 lessons
I do hope that the information shared here has helped you understand how you can work from home as a medical transcriptionist… or any transcriptionist assignment for that matter.
Please feel free to share this post with anyone.
Should you have questions about becoming a transcriptionist, please leave a comment below so that I can assist you by providing an answer.
