Six Myths about Medical Transcription as a Career!

The information that’s afloat about medical transcription career is bizarre!

While some may be genuine misconceptions, most of them come from people who have no idea about the in’s and out’s, which is what makes it a little hilarious!

Medical transcription (MT) is a very challenging field. Once you get trained you work from anywhere you can get an Internet connection. There are several benefits such as non-traditional hours, part-time or full-time options, as an employee or as self-employed independent contractor.

MT field is has a lot going in its favor!

1.    Medical transcriptionists can work and take care of the kids at the same time

If you’re imagining yourself typing at the keyboard while your little ones play around, pat yourself and wake up! There’s no way you can transcribe medical reports and take care of children at the same time.

Transcribing needs utmost concentration and focused attention, both of which cannot go hand in hand looking after little ones or anything else for that matter!

2.    All Medical transcriptionists need to do is just type really fast

Typing fast is definitely an asset but isn’t all that it takes to be a successful MT. Here are the things that truly matter…

·         An exploring mind and interest in language that will enable you to learn and keep learning all the medical terms

·         A mindset that can handle pressure and is independent.

·         The ability to concentrate completely and intensely for extended hours.

3.    Medical transcriptionists need little or no training

Contrary to the popular belief, unless you get formally trained on MT, your CV will not get to the interview level. It’s advisable you get trained from reputed institutes.

 You must be willing to spend a few months preparing for your career. You will get to learn about medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, formatting of different report, and multiple other skills you may not think you will need.

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4.    Electronic health records will eliminate the need for medical transcriptionists

HAHAHA! This can only be a hallucination in the minds of EHR software dealers. Digitizing medical information is not same as transcribing the healthcare details. Some elements of healthcare documentation are enhanced by restricting input via check boxes and drop-down lists, but for some things it just doesn’t work! Healthcare providers need a way to incorporate narrative observations, opinions, and conclusions — in other words, dictation.

5.    Medical transcription is an effortless job

Ah! How difficult is it to listen to what is spoken and type it in a report? If this is what you are thinking, let us tell you, it’s a hell lot difficult that you thought! You got to do it to believe it. You will be astonished by what comes via those headphones — we bet you!

To get you acquainted, dictation often arrives loaded with background noise and interruptions including words you have never heard before and have no idea how to pronounce, at least the first time! Most often, a thick foreign accent will be a cherry on the top.

6.    Is it for men to become medical transcriptionists

Well, nobody actually says that, but there sure is an undercurrent of the likes… The crop of medical transcriptionists is overwhelmingly female, but there is good number of men as well. It goes unsaid that men and women are equally capable of becoming excellent medical transcriptionists.

As more men are seeking work they can do from home or on a flexible schedule, they’re discovering medical transcription as a lucrative choice!  

So before you judge the field of MT, it helps to get your facts checked!

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