The Requirements & Salary of a Medical Transcriptionist
A medical transcriptionist uses dictation from doctors and professionals in the healthcare field to prepare reports and records. The transcriptionist listens to the dictated material with a headset and types it into a document while correcting for grammar. A medical transcriptionist must have knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, diagnostic procedures and treatments. The average salary for a medical transcriptionist is between $24,660 and $36,128 as of November 2010, according to Payscale.com.
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Job Duties
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Transcriptionists prepare reports for physicians such as medical histories, examination reports, autopsy reports, consultations and physicians recorded operative notes. These documents are brought back to the medical facility or physician for review and correction. Transcriptionists may also find errors in the dictation and must clarify the information with the physician or healthcare professional and correct the report.
Education
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Medical transcriptionists can enter the field with an associates degree in medical transcription or a certificate program. A certificate program usually takes one year of study to complete. Courses for transcriptionist students include medical terminology, anatomy, legal studies for healthcare documents and grammar.
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Certification
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Certification is voluntary for medical transcriptionists. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, AHDI, awards certifications for registered medical transcriptionists and certified medical transcriptionists. Professionals must successfully complete an approved education program and pass an examination. The credentials require medical transcriptionists to participate in continuing education courses to maintain certification.
Employer Type
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Medical transcriptionists can work in a hospital, physician's office, medical library, clinic or laboratory. Freelance medical transcriptionists can work in a home office or private business office. The freelance medical transcriptionist is a business owner working for multiple clients.
Job Opportunities
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The job growth for medical transcriptionists is expected to be 11 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Medical transcriptionists who work as independent contractors typically earn more than transcriptionists working for a transcription service or medical facility. Medical diagnostic laboratories have the highest median salary for medical transcriptionists, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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References
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