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Frequently asked questions about medical transcription as a career, and our medical transcription course

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION ~ FAQ's

Q. What exactly does a medical transcriptionist do?

A. Medical transcriptionists are medical language professionals who interpret and transcribe dictation by physicians and other healthcare professionals. This is either transcribed in written form or sent to a digital system.

Q. Where do medical transcriptionists work?

A. Medical transcriptionists work at home, in an clinic, doctor’s office or hospital. Many medical transcriptionists work in their homes as home-based employees or independent medical transcription contractors.

Q. What equipment is required to do medical transcription?

A. You need a standard computer, some type of word processing software, i.e. Word or WordPerfect, and medical transcription equipment (the type of equipment you need will depend on the course option you choose).

Q. Is there a high demand for medical transcriptionists?

A. Demand for medical transcriptionists far exceeds the supply of quality trained medical transcriptionists nationwide! The U.S. Department of Labor has listed the medical transcription profession as one that is needed and pays well.

Q. Will you supply me with a medical transcription job when I complete the medical transcription course?

A. We often hire the top graduates from our medical transcription course (as the need arises), however, we certainly cannot guarantee this. Just like any field, you need to go out and market yourself. There are plenty of jobs available, you just need to be proactive and look for them.

Q. How much money can I make as a medical transcriptionist?

A. The amount of money you make will depend on the amount of work you do. Most medical transcriptionists who work for MedTrans make between $15,000 to $40,000 per year. The U.S. Department of Labor reveals that the nationwide average salary is $25,720 annually for medical transcriptionists. You can find up-to-date state and local data on the website of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov).

Q. Why do you require five more books for the medical transcription course?

A. These books that we recommend are not used only for the medical transcription course, ] but as a reference library for you when you work as a medical transcriptionist. Except for the drug books, these books do not go out of date and will last you a number of years as you continue to work as a medical transcriptionist. You can purchase these books required for the medical transcription course through MedTrans - or on your own - but you need the Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary to start the course, and all of them by the time you finish the medical transcription course.

Q. Do you need to be certified to work as a medical transcriptionist?

A. There is no legal certification for medical transcriptionists throughout the United States. We do give you a Certificate of Completion of our medical transcription course when you pass the final exam and graduate, but most people probably won't even ask to see this. What they look for is that you can do the medical transcription job and employers may test you with an audio file or two.

Q. How do I get started with the medical transcription course?

A. You may order the medical transcription course online with a credit card on our secure server, or you can place your by calling our toll free number: (877) 331-4222.

There are several versions of the medical transcription home study course available to choose from, including: a hard copy version which is mailed directly to you; or an electronic online version of the course that can be instantly downloaded. With the electronic version of the course, you can opt to pay in full, or you can choose the affordable installment plan where you pay for the medical transcription course in three monthly installments.

If you have further questions about our medical transcription home study course, or would like to know more about a building a career in medical transcription, please complete the form below: