A medical transcriptionist converts physician’s audio files into properly structured written reports. The job also entails editing clinical notes, interpreting abbreviations and acronyms, verifying medical terminology and formatting the documents according to established standards. Accuracy plays an important role in the entire process, since transcriptionist’s records are transmitted further to healthcare facilities, clinics and hospitals. The way doctors treat their patients significantly depends on these documents.
In fact, it’s not obligatory to pass extensive courses to step into the industry. If you are thinking about starting a career as a medical transcriptionist, take a look at the stages you have to pass:
Receive high school diploma or GED.
Those willing to master the profession of a medical transcriptionist are required to have a GED diploma or at least a high school graduation certificate. If you are still in the middle of the process, focus on improving your typing skills while completing high school.
Obtain the appropriate program certificate or graduate from an associate degree program.
Start your medical transcriptionist program or a program for an associate degree in medical transcription that will allow you to gain in-depth knowledge on the necessary disciplines and improve skills for future professional activities. There are a variety of online and self-paced programs as well. You can choose the right time for studying and set the schedule on your own.
Experience and practice.
The duration of in-person training is 3-5 days. It introduces you to the medical environment in which you’ll work and gives you practical experience with EMR. These on-the-floor training sessions offer remote positions, so you will be able to work from home as a virtual medical scribe. The beginners may first try themselves as general transcriptionists, because they have to get the necessary level of training and work experience to apply for the position of a medical transcriptionist.
Earn more certifications.
If you are aimed at increasing your level of professionalism, additional certification can open doors for you in the future and contribute to your career. You can pass RHDS and CHDS exams provided by the AHDI and become well-versed in the fundamentals and intricacies of the medical transcription sphere.
Nowadays, the process of manually completing overwhelming documentation takes valuable time that could be spent on handling more important tasks. Medical transcriptionists can reduce the load on doctors, enabling them to focus on treating actual patients and providing better medical services. Numerous healthcare facilities contact transcription specialists to enhance the quality and efficiency of services provided.