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With most medical fields growing above national averages, becoming a medical transcriptionist is a great idea! There are numerous accredited medical transcription programs that are available for your enrollment. In the article below we break down all the steps to get in to the great growing career and what it will take to get your certification and find a job as a working (MT) Medical Transcriptionist.
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What is the process to become a Medical Transcriptionist?

The steps that are necessary to become a MT are shown below in a simple and easy to follow format just for you:

STEP 1 – Have your High School Diploma or GED Equivalent

All candidates must have a HS diploma or their GED to be eligible for accredited medical transcription training programs.

STEP 2 – Select an Accredited Medical Transcriptionist Program

Completing a certificate program in medical transcription or getting your associates degree is necessary for most employers. Accredited programs give their students the introduction and understanding of the necessary medical terminology, healthcare documentation and transcription methods. These programs, in most situations are offered at vocational training schools and community colleges. To see accredited medical transcription schools see the list below from the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity.

AHDI Accredited Medical transcription Programs

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Get information on Medical Transcription programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

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Step 3 – Get On the Job Training or Internship

It is very common for students in medical transcription training to receive on-the-job experience. If you are attending a course that does not offer any on the job training students should seek an internship or apprenticeship positions. See the opportunities at your school of choice.

Step 4 – Get Your Medical Transcription Certification

MT certification is not required but is strongly recommended for career enhancement and success. The best medical transcriptionists become certified and most employers are demanding it nowadays. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity offers the (RHDS) Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist and the (CHDS) Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist certifications. These are the two most used and common certifications. Both certifications require the successful passing of an exam and also do require periodic retesting and continuing education courses.

RHDS certification – The (RMT) Registered Medical Transcriptionist certification is for those with less than 2 years of experience and who work in a single environment like a doctor’s office.

CHDS certification – The (CMT) Certified Medical Transcriptionist certification is for those who also hold the RHDS designation and also must have at least 2 years of acute care experience. The experience must also be in handling dictation in multiple medical field specialties.

Continuing education is required every 3 years to maintain MT Certification.

What does a Medical Transcriptionist do?

A medical transcriptionist, which is also known as a healthcare documentation specialist, listen to voice recordings made by doctors and physicians to convert them into written reports. There are speech recognition technologies available to healthcare professionals and transcriptionists convert those to written reports. Interpreting all medical terminology and medical abbreviations, checking discharge summaries, and other documents may also be done too. The core value of the MT cannot be understated. Below we get in to the MT job description.

Common certified medical transcriptionists job duties are listed below:

Listen to the recorded dictation of doctor/physician
Interpret/transcribe the dictation
Enter medical reports into (EHR) electronic health records systems
Review/edit drafts that are prepared by the speech recognition software
Translate any medical abbrev. and terminology
Identify any inconsistencies, errors, and missing information
Submit health records to physicians for approval
Follow patient confidentiality guidelines
Perform (QIA) quality improvement audits

Step 5 – Finding a job as a Medical Transcriptionist

Across the country in 2016 there were 57,400 jobs help by medical transcriptionists.

Where do Medical Transcriptionists Commonly Work?

Below are the locations and work environments that are the most common for medical transcriptionists to work according to bls.gov.

Hospitals 28%
Administrative support services 28%
Physicians Offices 24%
Self-employed 5%
Medical labs 3%

About Medical Transcription salary

What is the average salary for a Medical Transcriptionist?

The average salary for (MT) Medical Transcriptionists is $16.95 per hour and $35,250 per year per bls.gov’s latest data.

MT salary by state

StateAvg. Pay Per HourAvg. Salary
Alabama$15.83$32,930
Alaska$21.26$44,220
Arizona$18.25$37,950
Arkansas$14.92$31,040
California$21.95$45,650
Colorado$17.05$35,470
Connecticut$20.20$42,020
Delaware$15.20$31,620
District of Columbia$23.19$48,230
Florida$16.38$34,070
Georgia$16.72$34,780
Hawaii$14.91$31,020
Idaho$15.01$31,220
Illinois$16.88$35,100
Indiana$17.75$36,920
Iowa$16.23$33,750
Kansas$14.92$31,040
Kentucky$16.46$34,240
Louisiana$14.13$29,390
Maine$16.99$35,330
Maryland$17.24$35,860
Massachusetts$22.94$47,710
Michigan$15.69$32,640
Minnesota$19.87$41,320
Mississippi$14.58$30,330
Missouri$17.99$37,420
Montana$15.32$31,870
Nebraska$16.96$35,270
Nevada$15.88$33,030
New Hampshire$19.00$39,510
New Jersey$19.87$41,330
New Mexico$14.82$30,830
New York$18.75$39,000
North Carolina$16.22$33,740
North Dakota$17.06$35,480
Ohio$17.27$35,930
Oklahoma$16.43$34,180
Oregon$18.95$39,410
Pennsylvania$19.15$39,840
Rhode Island$20.31$42,250
South Carolina$16.91$35,170
South Dakota$15.11$31,420
Tennessee$15.89$33,060
Texas$19.51$40,590
Utah$16.08$33,450
Vermont$16.72$34,780
Virginia$16.13$33,560
Washington$21.87$45,480
West Virginia$15.57$32,380
Wisconsin$18.19$37,830
Wyoming$18.25$37,950

Source: www.bls.gov

Salary by employer type

Medical/Diagnostic laboratories $41,540
Hospitals $38,910
Physicians Offices $35,540
Administrative support services $28,300
Source: www.bls.gov