An Online Degree to become a Medical Transcriptionist
Why get an online degree to become a medical transcriptionist? Demand for that skill is growing as the healthcare industry grows. The job pays good money, and it often has flexible hours, sometimes even allowing you to work at home.What's more, you can train to become a medical transcriptionist through an online degree. Distance learning makes it easier to accommodate you existing home and job commitments.
What's Medical Transcription Like?
In a medical transcription job, you listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals, and then transcribe them into medical reports or correspondence.Typically you use a headset, a computer, and a foot pedal to control the recording you're listening to. You edit as necessary for grammar and clarity. Documents you prepare include discharge summaries, history, and physical examination reports, operative reports, consultation reports, autopsy reports, diagnostic imaging studies, progress notes, and referral letters.
The documents go back to the healthcare professionals who dictated them for review and signature, or correction. Then they become part of patients' permanent files.
What will you study?
According to the American Association for Medical Transcription, coursework includes medical language, including Greek and Latin suffixes, prefixes, and roots. You'll study biological science, including anatomy and the physiology of all body systems and various disease processes.Other courses cover:
- Medical science, including many concepts of medical school
- Medical and surgical procedures
- Pharmacology
- Laboratory values, correlating laboratory test results with a patient's diagnosis and treatment
- Use of medical reference materials and research techniques
As you can see, a medical transcriptionist gets a deep knowledge of medical language. It's not just completion of a basic terminology course! The job takes passion and a curiosity to keep on learning. But the rewards make it a popular career.
Sources:
- Medical Transcriptionist Description
http://bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm - American Association for Medical Transcription
http://www.aamt.org/scriptcontent/raprprtnr.cfm?section=professional
