To become a medical transcriptionist, you will need fast and accurate typing skills. You will also need to have a good grasp of medical terminology or be willing to learn it. If that hasn’t put you off, and you want to earn a good income working home, here’s all you need to know about work from home medical transcription jobs.
What Is a Medical Transcriptionist?
When a physician examines a patient, they will dictate information about the patient to an audio file. Those audio notes may include details of the examination, test results, diagnoses and a treatment plan.
The audio file is then sent to a medical transcriptionist, who transcribes those audio recordings onto a written document that will become part of the patient’s medical notes.
Benefits of Working as a Medical Transcriptionist from Home
Unlike many other working from home opportunities, medical transcribing is work for which you can earn a real income. It’s flexible work, so you can work as little or as much as you like. If you work at it full time, you can earn a very good income.
You gain all the other benefits of working from home as well. There is no commuting and you can work the hours that suit you.
It’s portable, so you can work at home, or take a trip overseas and work from there. So long as you have a laptop and good internet connection, you have the freedom to work anywhere. And, you can earn a good living wage while you are doing it.
What Skills Do You Need to Be a Medical Transcriptionist?
The main skills that you need to be a medical transcriber are good listening skills and fast and accurate typing skills. You will also need excellent written communication skills.
Transcribing audio medical notes made by a physician can be challenging. Doctors often speak very fast, and they use complicated medical terminology and abbreviations.
What Equipment Do You Need to Be a Work from Home Medical Transcriptionist?
To work at home as a medical transcriber, you will need some basic equipment. Most companies will expect you to have this equipment, but some do provide it for you.
As a minimum, you will need a good computer and a fast internet connection. You will also need headphones and a foot pedal. You can buy complete transcription kits that contain the hardware and software you need from Amazon.
What Training Do You Need to Become a Medical Transcriptionist?
Most companies hiring transcribers will require that you have some experience or training. Medical transcribing is not something that most people can simply pick up as they go along, because you need to have some familiarity with medical terminology.
The good news, however, is that there are plenty of training courses available that will help you become a medical transcriptionist.
One of the best-known training programs for medical transcriptionists in the US is provided by Career Step. They provide an online training course that you can work through at your own pace. The course typically takes 4-8 months to complete.
In the UK, the training company Pitman offers a similar course. Other colleges and educational establishments also provide training courses. You should be wary, though, of any course that suggest that you will be certified in just a few weeks.
While there is no licensing of medical transcriptionists, there are qualifications that you can work towards. Each country has its own recognized certification scheme.
In the US, there is the Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) exam. In the UK, there is the BSMSA Certificate in Medical Audio Transcription. While certification is not compulsory, it will help you when you are applying for the higher paid jobs.
How Much Can You Earn Working at Home as a Medical Transcriptionist?
Experienced medical transcriptionists can expect to earn about $17 per hour, or $35,000 per year. As with any type of work, you will probably earn less when you first start out. Most jobs are paid based on the volume of work produced. So, as you gain more experience and your speed improves, you can increase your earnings.
How to Find Work from Home Medical Transcription Jobs
Demand is high for medical transcriptionists. If you look at any of the big jobs, like Indeed, or Monster, you will find plenty of advertisements for medical transcription jobs. If you take a training course with an organization like Career Step, they will also help you find work after you have completed your certification.
Doctors, hospitals and medical centers often recruit transcribers directly. There are also a number specialist job boards on which you will find medical transcription opportunities. Here are some of the sites that regularly advertise work from home medical transcription jobs:
Medical transcription can provide a rewarding job with a good steady income. You also gain all the freedom that comes with working from home. It’s not a get rich scheme, but, like all working from home opportunities, you need to be wary of any job offers that look too good to be true.
However, if you are a fast and accurate typist, and you are willing to learn medical terminology, working as a medical transcriptionist could be a great way to earn a good income and enjoy all the freedom of working from home.
