The Advantages of Medical Transcription
I’ve thought about becoming a medical transcriptionist for quite some time. A few years ago, one of my husband’s relatives talked quite excitedly about her new online transcription job at a family reunion. I was intrigued, and started doing some research. I discovered that I may already have some of the necessary skills for this career. I have a B.A. in English, so I have perhaps a better than average grasp of language and writing skills. I am a detail-oriented person and without practice type around 55 words a minute, though I’ve typed faster when it was part of my job. I have typed from dictation before, as I worked for a Juvenile Court Judge, typing all of his orders from dictation. In my present job as a director of a small public library, I work with deadlines frequently and feel that I do well under pressure. I have always been a good student, enjoy learning and have an interest in this field. Despite my interest, it just never seemed to be the right time to pursue training, or so I thought. This past spring the plant where my husband works closed down and he is still without work. I began to think more about the future. What would happen if he were still unemployed when his unemployment benefits run out, or what if he obtains a position that pays a lot less than he was earning? My part-time employment may not be enough. I started looking at on-line training for a medical transcription career. The tuition costs are the only thing that has been holding me back. I live in a small town where employment options, even in good times, are slim. Most people must commute to work 10 – 45 miles. Working from home would be ideal for me. I would save money on gas and vehicle maintenance and wouldn’t have to worry about traveling in winter weather, which for us is a good five months of the year. Flexibility is also important to me, as I have a 10 year old who has activities I like to attend. Of course, there is always the advantage of not having to keep up an expensive work wardrobe. I am excited to think that there is a legitimate option for working from home. I’ve looked at a number of on-line schools for medical transcription training. What stands out about Future MT, for me, are two important elements. One is the guarantee of employment in 60 days or I get to continue to access the employment services for one year. I haven’t seen anything like this at other websites for schools. The other thing is the real doctor dictation in the class. From the legal dictation work I have done, I know how difficult it can sometimes be to understand the words that are being said even when someone is attempting to speak clearly. I feel that practice from dictation done by real doctors is important. I was also impressed with the live monitoring, and quite frankly, the fact that you don’t say a laptop computer is included and then overcharge me for it! I would like to complete this course and begin working as a medical transcriptionist from my home. I would be open to either working as an employee or starting my own business. I would like to complete the course as soon as I can and begin working. If it works out for me, I see myself continuing and growing as a transcriptionist for as long as I can.
WRITTEN BY: Kim
