Medical transcription services is a challenging, but fulfilling, career path. Medical transcribers can choose between working full-time, part-time, and even from home. Your duties would include listening to records dictated by medical professionals, editing and proofreading texts, and maintaining these medical documents for future use.
Medical transcribers enjoy comfortable pay, job satisfaction, and sometimes, flexible work timings.
Let’s take a look at some of the common myths about medical transcribers.
Qualification:-
Fast Typing Skills:
If you have warp-speed typing skills, it’s going to make your job a lot easier, no doubt. But that’s not the only skill that is asked of this profession.
You’ll need to have an interest in the medical field, oodles of patience and motivation, and the ability to work within tight deadlines.
If you want your résumé to stand out from the masses, the most basic thing you could do is get a certification from a reputed institution. The course will provide you with training in anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and transcription skills like the different types of reports and how to format them. The study of medical subjects helps you get a clearer idea of what patients are trying to convey. This lets you use accurate terminology in the reports.
Modern Technology Is Phasing Out the Profession:
Evolving technology has helped replace conventional devices with faster and more efficient versions. Computers have replaced typewriters, which not only makes editing possible but also enables the easy storage of files that can then be transferred by email.
Medical institutions are taking to SRT—Speech Recognition Technology—in order to enhance efficiency and cut costs. But SRTs come with their cons. They require constant supervision and oversight, since the results are, at times, unreliable. They’ve certainly made the process of transcribing easier, but are certainly not a replacement.
The same applies to EHRs—Electronic Health Records. While digitizing files, reports, and other medical details is convenient and enhances efficiency, medical transcribers are still necessary.
Medical Transcription Is A Piece Of Cake:
People wrongly believe that transcription is an easy task. How hard can it be to listen to someone and write down what they’re saying? The answer—very!
A pre-recorded message offers a number of challenges to transcribers. For one thing, there is almost always disturbance in the recordings—whether it’s normal hospital chatter or the chaos of an emergency room at full capacity. The speaker could even be chewing gum, eating, or even sipping on a drink while dictating symptoms, which compromises clarity. The speaker could also have an unfamiliar accent that’s hard to decipher.
Besides, not everyone is familiar with medical terminology. Transcribers are faced with the challenge of accurately pinning down and using these terms.
It’s A Woman’s Job:
Since the job is mostly worked part-time or from home, some women—especially mothers—find that it’s a good fit. The job offers flexibility, which makes it a popular choice among women who want to focus on other aspects of their lives on the side.
This leads people to conclude that transcription is ‘a woman’s job’. But, of course, the job is as challenging for men as it is for women.
Requirement Of Special Software For Freelance:
You might’ve come across advertisements for special software required for medical transcription. More often than not, they’re mere scams.
If you’re an aspiring medical transcriber, you should know that while specific software is usually required, it will be provided by your employer.
Medical transcribers definitely don’t have it easy, but this makes for a fulfilling career. In today’s world, this role is indispensable to the healthcare industry. If you have an inclination towards pursuing transcription and helping physicians be more effective at what they do, don’t let misinformed opinions keep you from pursuing a career in this field.