Pathway: Information & Support Services
Job: Medical Transcriptionist

Job Description

Medical transcriptionists (also called medical transcribers and medical stenographers) listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material.

Necessary Education

Usually a 2-year Associate Degree or a 1-year Certification Program.

Helpful High School Courses 

English, Biology, Health, Mathematics

Working Conditions

• May experience stress due to trying to work fast and be accurate
• Usually work a 40-hour week in comfortable settings
• Sitting for long periods may be tiring, cause strain, or promote repetitive motion injuries
  

Salary Range

• 2003, Delaware average annual salary, $29,180
• 2003, Delaware average hourly wage, $14.03
  

Career Ladder Information

• With additional education or training, one may become a medical records and health information technician, medical coder, or medical records and health information administrator
• With experience, one may advance to supervisory positions, home-based work, consulting, or teaching
• Jobs may be found at hospitals, physicians’ offices and clinics, laboratories, colleges and universities, transcription services, and temporary help agencies
• The American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT) awards the voluntary designation of Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT), to those who earn passing scores on written and practical examinations. CMTs must earn continuing education credits every 3 years in order to be recertified

Personal Qualities and Interests

You:

• Are able to understand medical terminology
• Have good English grammar and punctuation skills
• Are familiar with personal computers and word processing software
• Have normal hearing acuity and good listening skills
• Are able to keep information confidential and maintain ethical standards

Did you know?

• An increasing number of medical transcriptionists telecommute from home-based offices as employees or subcontractors for hospitals and transcription services or as self-employed independent contractors, and are typically more likely to work irregular hours.

Additional Information

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco
• American Association for Medical Transcription: http://www.aamt.org

  
  

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