A great deal of misinformation is being spread about the pros and cons associated with a medical transcription career. While some of it is an honest misconception, the rest comes from dishonest training companies wanting your money. Medical Transcription (MT) can be both challenging and entertaining. It is possible to train from home and work from almost anywhere with an Internet connection. You can also work non-standard hours, part-time or full-time, as an employee or as an independent contractor. Despite having a lot to offer, MT is not a free ticket to unconditional prosperity.
#1. Medical Transcriptionists Only Need to Type Super Fast
The ability to type at full speed is a huge plus, but it’s not an automatic ticket to success as a medical transcriptionist. The things that really make a difference are primarily mental:
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A curious mind and love of the language so you can learn (and keep learning) all medical terms
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An independent, pressure-resistant mindset
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The ability and motivation to focus intensely for long periods
#2. Medical Transcriptionists Can Take Care of Children and Work at the Same Time
If you are visualising yourself typing on the keyboard while your dear baby plays quietly at your feet, pinch yourself and wake up! There is no way you can transcribe medical reports and take care of the children at the same time. MT work requires intense concentration and attention, two things that are not supported by supervising the little ones (or almost nothing else). If you have young children at home, you will have to arrange childcare during your work hours or work while they are sleeping.
#3. Medical Transcriptionists Require Little or No Training
Your curriculum vitae will never be on the “interview” pile unless you have formal training in medical transcription. Training must come from a recognised and reliable source, such as a well-established community college program or medical transcription school.
#4. Getting Certified Is the Best Way to Get Started in Medical Transcription
Any advertising that encourages you to “become a certified medical transcriptionist” is merely filling you with a stream of balderdash. No, you don’t require a certification or license to become a medical transcriber. There is a certificate in a medical transcription (CMT), but it is not a beginner’s title, and there is a training programme they can give you. You have the opportunity to save time, but first, you will need to have at least two years of experience behind you. Even then, you will have to pass a rigorous exam that will test your knowledge and skills in medical transcription in multiple medical specialties.
#5. Digital Medical Records Will Replace Medical Transcriptionists
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That’s just a reality in marketing materials and the mindset of people who sell EHR software. At one point, the idea of digitising medical information seems to have been equated with turning the recording of health data into a point-and-click process. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that this cannot be done.
#6. Real Men Don’t Become Medical Transcriptionists
Well, maybe no one says that, but you can get that impression when field research. The current generation of medical transcriptionists is overwhelmingly female. But that’s doesn’t necessarily mean, it’s a job only meant for women! Bot men and women are equally capable of becoming excellent medical transcriptionists. It is not all the more difficult for a man to enter the field than it is supposedly only for women. As more men seek work that they can do from home or on a flexible schedule, they are discovering medical transcription. Medical transcriptionist employers care how many reports can be produced, how quickly and accurately.
Are you interested in entering the medical transcription world? Contact Doctors Secretarial Agency today and start your journey today! They mainly work with clinics and hospitals in Melbourne. If you don’t find data entry a challenging job and enjoy working in a medical setting, this position would be perfect for you!
