Medical Transcription Career

Medical Transcription as a Career

Medical transcription is one of those careers where you either hate it or love it.  I have been a medical transcriptionist for 7 years and absolutely love it.  I enjoy the continuous learning, take pride in my work and think it’s absolutely fantastic.

What will it be like for you?

There are some MTs who have found this just isn’t the field for them.  Maybe they didn’t get off to a good start, or didn’t have a mentor or just weren’t cut out for it.  What’s right for one person may not be right for another.

If you’re thinking about a career in medical transcription here are a few things to consider:

Do you enjoy working on your own? 

Whether you work outside the home or from home, this is one career where you will have to be self disciplined.  You are left to produce your own work and will not have someone looking over your shoulder.

Do you have a good grasp of the English language?

You will need to have a good understanding of English and grammar.  Grammar you could learn through a class, but if you have trouble understanding spoken English then perhaps you could take a class to improve your language skills before starting your MT course.

Will I be able to sit in front of a computer for extended periods of time?

Medical transcription is all about typing.  You will sit in front of a computer for hours at a time transcribing documents.

Do I need a social career?

Medical transcription isn’t the most social career out there.  You will network and meet other MTs but while you’re working you will be on your own concentrating on your work, and you can’t have a conversation while transcribing. 

So whether you work from home or in an office, you really won’t spend a lot of time involved with others while working. 

Am I good researcher or willing to learn?

As an MT, you will really develop your researching skills and will become very resourceful!  You will need to look up medications and terms you don’t understand or can’t clearly make out.  This will take some thinking and resourcefulness on your part.

Will I be able to apply common sense?

You will find yourself in many situations as an MT where you really need to think outside the box.  You will find yourself applying common sense on a daily basis.  There is no precise 100% formula in medical transcription. Good common sense will really help you.