by Eve Lopez

Created on: August 20, 2009

Medical transcription is a growing field because medical transcriptionists can find legitimate work-at-home jobs after a short certification course or experience in transcribing.

Medical transcriptionists listen to recordings from doctors and other health care professionals, and then transcribe the recordings into reports and other health care documents. Many people choose this path because you can work from home if you have your own equipment.

The first step to starting your at-home medical trancriptionist career is to choose an accredited medical transcriptionist program. There are vocational programs and colleges dedicated to this career.

In order to market yourself better, as well as have a well-rounded resume, you may want to get one of two nationally recognized certifications for medical transcription: the Registered Medical Transcriptionist or the Certified Medical Transcriptionist diploma. Before enrolling in a medical transcription school, check to see if the school offers an education that leads to one of these certificates. Medical transcription certification is not technically necessary to get a job, but employers may require it. At the very least, it will broaden your career options.

Finally, you must learn the basics of medical terminology, know how to work recording devices, be computer literate and internet-savvy, know editing skills and be aware of health care laws. Medical transcribers also must know how to spell and write correctly, type fast, create reports, differentiate between different speech patterns, memorize codes for health insurance companies, know how to operate dictation equipment, and must be internet-savvy to compete in the medical transcriptionist job market.

Remember that medical transcriptionists must have excellent English skills, including writing, editing and proofreading.

You also likely need a fast-internet connection at home, in addition to any medical transcription equipment. Besides that, the only things you really need are a telephone, a degree, diploma or certificate in medical transcribing, the motivation to get your business off the ground, and some basic transcribing equipment. This equipment usually consists of just a foot pedal (to start and stop the recordings) and a pair of earphones.

The low start-up costs are another reason why medical transcription is a popular way to work at home.

Medical transcription is one of the few legitimate work at home opportunities; take advantage of this growing field and think about starting a career where you can have the freedom to work from home, improve your career skills and earn a steady paycheck. As soon as you've learned the ropes, create a great resume and start applying for the jobs you're qualified for.

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