How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist

Before you decide that MT is right for you, there are many idiosyncrasies that will occur as you learn. If you are from New York and the doctor you are transcribing is from Tennessee, you might have problems understanding certain words. There are many idiolects (not dialects, but regional pronunciations) in the United States alone. Since many medical professionals are from other countries such as India, their English (learned from the UK, usually) might be a challenge for you.

Now you’ve decided that despite the peculiarities of the profession, you want to become a medical transcriptionist, who is called an MT (the vocation itself, Medical Transcription is also abbreviated as MT but in context, it will become clear of whom or of what you are talking).

What to do before you decide to become a MT

Do your research. MT courses are a dime a dozen but ask other MTs (to be explained below) which companies are actually hiring and which certificates from which schools are worth your hard-earned tuition. In this case, the Internet is both a blessing and a curse since you can find a plethora of information on MT. Everyone wants to stay at home and become Parent of the Year so they believe that the stay-at-home MT option will solve their financial dilemmas, however…

Be careful! Do NOT be roped in by “get-rich-quick” sites that promise you the moon and the cheese it produces. There are also books on the Internet that guarantee that you’ll be making some unrealistic sum of money in your first year. Unless your uncle is the president of an MT outsourcing company, your English grammar and spelling is impeccable and you miraculously memorized all of the medical (and legal) lingo in a few months, you’ll be making the normal $12 to $14 an hour like most first-year MTs, who are lucky enough to get a job first. Even though MT has proved to be pretty recession-proof, you will still need to get your size 12 in the door and keep it there for a while.

• Network with those in the know. For those of you who are familiar with Internet newsgroups (and you should anyway for support and networking purposes), sci.med.transcription is an excellent resource. Other MTs gather there and discuss tricks of the trade, advances in MT, etc. Most newsgroup members truly enjoy helping “newbies” since it gives them a sense of purpose and also reminds their ego where they began before they developed into MT gurus.
• Join the Association for Healthcare Documentation (AHDI). They have an abundance of invaluable information for any MT. If you are a student currently enrolled in a MT course, the cost is $55 (as of May 19, 2009). When you join a professional organization, it always looks good on your resume. Also, you can network, join professional development courses, and find much other helpful information such as advocacy groups for the MT.

Once you have done most of the above, you still must remember that when you have finished any online MT certification course or have attended a community college, you will still have plenty to accomplish (and you haven’t paid off that beach house in Barbados yet, either!). You have your CMT in hand and now you can interview with companies that desire your services. Most importantly, don’t stop networking – it is the fundamental strategy in order to land your dream MT career.

Top Medical Transcription Schools