Q: What's a typical workday like?
A: Many medical transcriptionists work at home while others work in hospitals or clinics. They'll get 15 to 40 reports to transcribe in a day. They have to have a good eye for detail, know medical terminology, and have good listening skills, dedication and motivation to work with little or no supervision. They are evaluated for accuracy and productivity.
Q: How does their role fit into the bigger health care picture?
A: What they type on a report will be part of that patient's medical record, so they have to make sure that what they're hearing is correct and that they're typing things accurately.
Q: Who do they interact with during the course of the day?
A: If they work from home, they have very little contact with anyone but their supervisor or quality assurance lead. Those who work in a hospital or clinic might have contact with health care providers.
Q: Why did you become a medical transcriptionist?
A: At first it was because of the flexibility of the hours and the ability to work at home. I used to be a legal administrative assistant who typed medical summaries and thought I'd be good at this. I found out very quickly that you definitely need training for it and went to Saint Paul College. I liked interacting with physicians and knowing what a health care facility does as compared to a legal facility. It was much more rewarding.
Q: What did you like about being a medical transcriptionist?
A: I'm very task-oriented. I like to sit down and do my work and get it done. I like to see how much I improve by both learning terminology and increasing productivity, and I like to work at home. I like that feeling of accomplishment when I finally figure something out.
