Medical Transcriptionist Career Guide

Patient care is about more than treatments. A large part of health care involves accurate documentation and the maintenance of proper records. Medical transcriptionists help physicians and other healthcare professionals keep accurate records by converting dictations into written reports.

Medical transcriptionists work for hospitals or physician offices. Large companies that offer transcription services to medical professionals also hire transcriptionists. These professionals may work at the medical facility or from a home office.

Most employers prefer their transcriptionists to have postsecondary training in the field, which can be obtained at community colleges or vocational schools. These programs often include supervised transcriptions of real dictations so students can gain real job experience. Equivalent medical background is also acceptable for this career.

In addition to a working knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology, medical transcriptionists need to have an understanding of medical terminology and medical assessments and procedures. It is important to be up to date on electronic health record systems and speech-recognition technology. These professionals may transcribe audio recordings or review and edit drafts created by speech-recognition software.

Along with recognizing medical terms and jargon, transcriptionists must be proficient in grammar. Medical transcription requires excellent time management skills and fast typing speeds with high accuracy to submit documents in a timely fashion.

Learn more about the daily expectations of this important role by reading the real-world career profiles below. We?ve interviewed qualified medical transcriptionist one-on-one to give you insider information on educational and career paths, salaries, and more.