Medical Transcription: A Viable Work At Home Career
By Sharon Davis
Are there really viable work at home jobs out there? This is a question that I'm asked almost
daily. The fact is, there are most definitely careers that can be done from your home and there are people who are
actually successful in those jobs. One of the fastest growing industries happens to be one that can be done from
home: Medical Transcription.
>>A Growing Industry
Medical Transcription/Billing is an industry that is exploding. It's prestigious and in demand.
According the the U.S. Department of Labor, "Employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to grow faster
than the average for all occupations through 2010. Demand for medical transcription services will be spurred by a
growing and aging population."
Transcription is one of those jobs that many people know can be done from home, and so the interest
level is very high. Unfortunately, there are many companies out there trying to capitalize on that interest. The
results are over-priced and sub-standard courses.
All too often, I receive emails like this one from one of our readers. She wrote:
Hello Sharon,
I am emailing you to inform you of a work at home job listing that I contacted in our local paper.
It was concerning Medical Billing at home. The name of the company is *****, Inc. They sell software for Medical
Billing purposes. Before I sent them any money I decided to check out their website www.******.com and then the
local Better Business Bureau from the area that they are located which is near Los Angeles, Ca. The report came
back today and it is not favorable. I thought you might want to know about this supposed home based business so you
could inform your other members and visitors.
Sincerely,
Margaret
This is what inspired me to research the field and determine what the options are for those who are
looking to enter it.
>>What Do Transcriptionists Do?
Transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare
professionals and transcribe them into documents such as operating room notes, autopsy reports, discharge summaries
and other documents which then become part of a patient's medical record. In order to be able to transcribe
information accurately, medical transcriptionists must understand medical terminology, anatomy and physiology,
diagnostic procedures, and treatment.
>>What Kind of Training Must MT's Have?
In the course of my research, the first thing I learned was that you can't just jump into a career
as an MT without training. This is a detailed, professional (and fascinating) career which requires technical
knowledge. The American Association for Medical Transcription defines the requirements this way:
"Medical understanding is critical for the professional medical transcriptionist. The complex terms
used in medicine are unlike the language of any other profession.
Medical transcription requires a practical knowledge of medical language, anatomy, physiology,
disease processes, pharmacology, laboratory medicine, and the internal organization of medical reports. A medical
transcriptionist is truly a medical language specialist who must be aware of standards and requirements that apply
to the health record, as well as the legal significance of medical transcripts.
Reports of patient care take many forms, including histories and physical examinations, progress
reports, emergency room notes, consultations, operative reports, discharge summaries, clinic notes, referral
letters, radiology reports, pathology reports, and an array of documentation spanning more than 60 medical
specialties and subspecialties! Thus, the medical transcriptionist, or medical language specialist, must be well
versed in the language of medicine. ".
Medical transcription is a medical language specialty, so you can see that it requires not only the
proper training, but also an investment in reference materials and a commitment to ongoing learning as technology
and terminology changes. Equally important to the long-term success of a Transcriptionist is having the right
personality for the job. Some qualities that successful MT's share are:
Independent by nature
Word Specialist
Perfectionist
Detail oriented
It's also important to note that most companies require candidates for telecommute MT positions to
have on-site experience- as is the case with most all telecommute jobs. In many cases, 2 years of experience
working in a hospital or doctor's office is required. If this is a field that you are truly interested in, getting
those 2 years under your belt and then being qualified to telecommute is a pretty good deal.
>>Training Options
The second thing I found was that there sure were a lot of courses out there. They ranged in price
from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand! I was overwhelmed! It was then that I realized that I would need
some help. I found a great place where working MT's hang out and support each other. If you are seriously
interested in this field, you'll want to visit this site. It's called MT Stars
The course that I decided to recommend at 2Work-At-Home.com is offered by MedTrans, Inc., which has
been in operation for almost a decade. Founder Mary Park-Youhanaie began by working from home as a medical
transcriptionist. She saw the opportunities that medical transcription could offer to other individuals. When Med
Trans, Inc. began hiring transcriptionists and then discovering that more training was needed, Ms. Park-Youhanaie
decided to draw on her past as a college level educator and medical terminology training to develop Medical
Transcription Made Easy.
Whichever course you choose, just be sure to do your homework by checking with the Better Business
Bureau and asking for references.
The bottom line is, for the right people, Medical Transcription is the real deal when it comes to
viable work at home careers.
So how does someone decide which home business is right for them? Research is the key by reading honest articles
from a variety of sources. This web site seeks to collect a host of ideas and opinions on a variety of
business ideas that your can read and assess for yourself.
Good luck - live long and prosper!
The Perfect Options Team
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