Medical Transcriptionist

As a Medical Transcriptionist, you’re responsible for transcribing the dictated records and cases from Physicians for later use in patients’ files. You ever hear that no one can read a Doctor’s handwriting? A lot of time that’s true. Plus Doctors are so busy, that they don’t have time to sit down and write out long reports. So to avoid that writing they verbally record their notes and thoughts, and then give you the tape to transcribe, or write out on paper.

You transcribe information in almost every aspect of the medical field – autopsies, procedural reports, patient visits, diagnostic image studies (x-rays, MRIs, etc.), so you must have a very solid handle on medical terminology. You must also be discrete—you will be transcribing some interesting stuff, but it is confidential information that is extremely personal.

To do your work, you use a setup that includes headphones and a foot pedal that allows you to start and stop the recording that they’re transcribing. This lets you keep both hands on their (probably ergonomic) keyboard, allowing you to type all the faster.

Most Medical Transcriptionists work in hospitals, but all Physicians need one, so private practice offices and research facilities also employ them. Now, many Medical Transcriptionists are able to work from home. They receive, transcribe, and submit the desired audio without leaving the house, making this one of the most desirable telecommuting jobs available.