Medical Transcriptionists
Medical Transcriptionists (MTs) are medical language specialists who interpret and transcribe dictation by physicians and other healthcare professionals.They transcribe dictated information about patient assessment, workup, therapeutic procedures, clinical course, diagnosis, prognosis, and other medical processes to document patient care and facilitate delivery of healthcare services.
They edit dictated material for grammar and clarity.
Medical Transcriptionists work in hospitals, clinics, physician offices, laboratories, medical libraries, government medical facilities, or at home.
Many MTs telecommute from home-based offices as employees or subcontractors for hospitals and transcription services or as self-employed independent contractors.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Completion of a postsecondary Medical Transcriptionist training program or a two-year associate degree or one-year certificate program.
- Strong English grammar and punctuation skills
- Familiar with personal computers and word processing software.
- Ability to work independently.
- Graduates of a Medical Transcriptionist training program are eligible to take the Certified Medical Transciptionist (CMT) exam given by the Medical Transcripiton Certification Program at the American Association for Medical Transcriptionists (AAMT).
Wages
- Medical Transcriptionists Median hourly wage: $17.20
- Average annual wage: $35,646
Job Outlook
- Estimated number of Medical Transcriptionists in 2002: 8,100
- Estimated number of Medical Transcriptionists in 2012: 9,400
- Estimated annual job openings: 280
Possible Career Paths for Medical Transcriptionists include becoming a:
- Senior Medical Transcriptionist
- Medical Coder
- Medical Transcriptionist Department Manager
- Medical Transcriptionist Consultant