Find Trade Colleges
What Do Medical Transcriptionist Do?
Medical Transcriptionist Job Description Transcribe medical reports recorded by physicians and other healthcare practitioners using various electronic devices, covering office visits, emergency room visits, diagnostic imaging studies, operations, chart reviews, and final summaries. Transcribe dictated reports and translate abbreviations into fully understandable form. Edit as necessary and return reports in either printed or electronic form for review and signature, or correction.
A Day in the Life of a Medical Transcriptionist
- Return dictated reports in printed or electronic form for physician’s review, signature, and corrections and for inclusion in patients’ medical records.
- Receive patients, schedule appointments, and maintain patient records.
- Transcribe dictation for a variety of medical reports, such as patient histories, physical examinations, emergency room visits, operations, chart reviews, consultation, or discharge summaries.
- Distinguish between homonyms and recognize inconsistencies and mistakes in medical terms, referring to dictionaries, drug references, and other sources on anatomy, physiology, and medicine.
- Perform data entry and data retrieval services, providing data for inclusion in medical records and for transmission to physicians.
- Identify mistakes in reports and check with doctors to obtain the correct information.
Featured schools near , edit
What a Medical Transcriptionist Should Know
When polled, Medical Transcriptionists say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Related Job Titles
- Transcription Coordinator
- Provider Scribe
- Certified Medical Transcriptionist
- Radiology Transcriptionist/Radiology Clerk
- Certified Medical Coder
What Kind of Medical Transcriptionist Job Opportunities Are There?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 57,400 jobs in the United States for Medical Transcriptionist. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Medical Transcriptionist. The BLS estimates 6,400 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Medical Transcriptionist are Alaska, Colorado, and Maryland. Watch out if you plan on working in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, or Oklahoma. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Medical Transcriptionist Salary
The average yearly salary of a Medical Transcriptionist ranges between $21,840 and $51,780.
Medical Transcriptionists who work in Alaska, Maryland, or Minnesota, make the highest salaries.
How much do Medical Transcriptionists make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,780 |
| Alaska | $49,420 |
| Arizona | $32,050 |
| Arkansas | $32,490 |
| California | $40,480 |
| Colorado | $38,640 |
| Connecticut | $36,570 |
| Delaware | $33,220 |
| District of Columbia | $31,270 |
| Florida | $35,440 |
| Georgia | $33,540 |
| Hawaii | $29,070 |
| Idaho | $29,940 |
| Illinois | $33,020 |
| Indiana | $32,600 |
| Iowa | $34,630 |
| Kansas | $32,630 |
| Kentucky | $36,110 |
| Louisiana | $31,040 |
| Maine | $35,710 |
| Maryland | $43,070 |
| Massachusetts | $36,610 |
| Michigan | $32,410 |
| Minnesota | $43,200 |
| Mississippi | $31,640 |
| Missouri | $34,910 |
| Montana | $31,120 |
| Nebraska | $35,290 |
| Nevada | $34,450 |
| New Hampshire | $40,000 |
| New Jersey | $44,200 |
| New Mexico | $37,510 |
| New York | $42,020 |
| North Carolina | $34,050 |
| North Dakota | $35,930 |
| Ohio | $38,170 |
| Oklahoma | $39,250 |
| Oregon | $39,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,770 |
| Rhode Island | $37,620 |
| South Carolina | $34,740 |
| South Dakota | $35,100 |
| Tennessee | $32,830 |
| Texas | $36,780 |
| Utah | $36,110 |
| Vermont | $40,790 |
| Virginia | $34,110 |
| Washington | $39,240 |
| West Virginia | $34,470 |
| Wisconsin | $38,080 |
| Wyoming | $39,470 |
What Tools & Technology do Medical Transcriptionists Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Medical Transcriptionists:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- FileMaker Pro
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Corel WordPerfect
- PCC EHR
- Voice recognition software
- dBASE Plus
- Allscripts Misys Healthcare Systems
- Calendar software
- Electronic medical record EMR systems
- Integrated Systems Management OmniMD
How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist
Are there Medical Transcriptionists education requirements?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical Transcriptionist?
References:
Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.