Medical+Transcriptionist


 * Medical Transcriptionist

__Category:__ Allied Health

__Career:__ Medical Transcriptionist

__Job Description:__ Medical transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material. They listen to the recordings through a headset and use a foot pedal to play and pause the recording so they can type it on a computer. They type reports such as discharge summaries, medical history, physical exam reports, autopsy reports, and many others. Work is usu ally done at home after receiving the audio files to type through e-mail.

__Education Requirements:__ Transcriptionists must understand medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, and treatment assessments. Completion of postsecondary training in medical terminology is needed, which is offered by many vocational schools, community colleges, and distance learning programs. Two-year associates degree or one-year certificate program, coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, good grammar and punctuation is also needed.

__Job Outlook:__ Employment is projected to grow about as fast as the average. Job opportunities should be good, especially for those who are certified.

__Salary:__ Median hourly wages were $15.41 (May 2008)

__Colleges:__ Texas Tech University WTA&M University University of Phoenix

__Source:__ [|www.bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm]

__ Personal Thoughts: __ I think this would be a good job that I would enjoy because I’m a good speller, a fast typist, and am a fast learner, so I would catch on quickly to all the medical terminology that transcriptionists need to be familiar with for this job.