What Does it Take to Be a Medical Transcriptionist?
Job Description & Duties Transcribe medical reports recorded by physicians and other healthcare practitioners using various electronic devices, covering office visits, emergency room visits, diagnostic imaging studies, operations, chart reviews, and final summaries. Transcribe dictated reports and translate abbreviations into fully understandable form. Edit as necessary and return reports in either printed or electronic form for review and signature, or correction.
Life As a Medical Transcriptionist
- Receive and screen telephone calls and visitors.
- Receive patients, schedule appointments, and maintain patient records.
- Answer inquiries concerning the progress of medical cases, within the limits of confidentiality laws.
- Review and edit transcribed reports or dictated material for spelling, grammar, clarity, consistency, and proper medical terminology.
- Translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms to ensure the accuracy of patient and health care facility records.
- Perform data entry and data retrieval services, providing data for inclusion in medical records and for transmission to physicians.
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What Every Medical Transcriptionist Should Know
When polled, Medical Transcriptionists say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Medical Secretary
- Medical Transcription
- Medical Transcription Supervisor
- Transcriptionist
- Transcription Coordinator
Medical Transcriptionist Job Outlook
In the United States, there were 57,400 jobs for Medical Transcriptionist in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Medical Transcriptionist. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 6,400 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Medical Transcriptionist are Alaska, Colorado, and Maryland. Watch out if you plan on working in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, or Oklahoma. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Medical Transcriptionists Salary
The salary for Medical Transcriptionists ranges between about $21,840 and $51,780 a year.
Medical Transcriptionists who work in Alaska, Maryland, or Minnesota, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Medical Transcriptionists in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,780 |
| Alaska | $49,420 |
| Arizona | $32,050 |
| Arkansas | $32,490 |
| California | $40,480 |
| Colorado | $38,640 |
| Connecticut | $36,570 |
| Delaware | $33,220 |
| District of Columbia | $31,270 |
| Florida | $35,440 |
| Georgia | $33,540 |
| Hawaii | $29,070 |
| Idaho | $29,940 |
| Illinois | $33,020 |
| Indiana | $32,600 |
| Iowa | $34,630 |
| Kansas | $32,630 |
| Kentucky | $36,110 |
| Louisiana | $31,040 |
| Maine | $35,710 |
| Maryland | $43,070 |
| Massachusetts | $36,610 |
| Michigan | $32,410 |
| Minnesota | $43,200 |
| Mississippi | $31,640 |
| Missouri | $34,910 |
| Montana | $31,120 |
| Nebraska | $35,290 |
| Nevada | $34,450 |
| New Hampshire | $40,000 |
| New Jersey | $44,200 |
| New Mexico | $37,510 |
| New York | $42,020 |
| North Carolina | $34,050 |
| North Dakota | $35,930 |
| Ohio | $38,170 |
| Oklahoma | $39,250 |
| Oregon | $39,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,770 |
| Rhode Island | $37,620 |
| South Carolina | $34,740 |
| South Dakota | $35,100 |
| Tennessee | $32,830 |
| Texas | $36,780 |
| Utah | $36,110 |
| Vermont | $40,790 |
| Virginia | $34,110 |
| Washington | $39,240 |
| West Virginia | $34,470 |
| Wisconsin | $38,080 |
| Wyoming | $39,470 |
What Tools & Technology do Medical Transcriptionists Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Medical Transcriptionists may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- FileMaker Pro
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Corel WordPerfect
- PCC EHR
- Voice recognition software
- dBASE Plus
- Allscripts Misys Healthcare Systems
- Calendar software
- Electronic medical record EMR systems
- Integrated Systems Management OmniMD
How do I Become a Medical Transcriptionist?
Individuals working as a Medical Transcriptionist have obtained the following education levels:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical Transcriptionist?
Where Medical Transcriptionists Are Employed
Medical Transcriptionists work in the following industries:
References:
Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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