Does anyone have information on being a medical transcriptionist?


This Question From Wisconsin LPN Programs | 3 Answers


I am currently an LPN in Wisconsin, who is hoping to find a job that I can work at home so I can be home with my kids. I am interested in working at home and was wondering if anyone has any input? Possibly online programs? Employers? Pay wage? Any other helpful information would be appreciated. Thank you

3 Comments so far

  1. Cherlybird on May 16, 2010 5:15 pm

    I am studying through Career Step (http://careerstep.com/) but there are several other very good schools as well. You can even get federal grants/loans if you go through some programs. Check out these websites for more information:

    AHDI is the national organization for med transcription:
    http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/rhub.cfm

    The government has good info on their Occupational Outlook Handbook:
    http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm

    Many programs will also help you find a job after completing their program. Be wary of scams! Here are a few more MT related sites:

    http://www.mtdaily.com/faq.html#2
    http://www.mtchat.com/frame.php?frame=message

    Good luck!

  2. vicseo on May 16, 2010 5:55 pm

    Due to recent privacy issues which prevent patient medical files from being removed off-site, medical transcription work outside of the context of a medical facility is no longer a viable opportunity. I’d pass on taking medical transcription courses unless you plan to work outside of your home.

    Good luck!

  3. momof3mt on May 16, 2010 6:06 pm

    I studied through Career Step, as well. I chose CS because they were partnered with MANY employers, self-paced (if you really put the time and work into it you can finish in a few months or take as long as you need), and more affordable than the others. I was working less than a week after graduating and have been working as an at-home MT ever since. It can be a difficult job and isn’t for everyone, but I love it!

    If your looking into Medical Transcription, attend a course that is ‘approved’ by the AHDI. The top 3 courses are Career Step, Andrews, and M-Tec. Attending any other course would be a waste of time and money. Most employers require years of experience, but will waive this if you graduate from an ‘approved’ school.

    The US Deparment of Labor states: “Employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to grow 14 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for medical transcription services will be spurred by a growing and aging population. Older age groups receive proportionately greater numbers of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that require documentation. A high level of demand for transcription services also will be sustained by the continued need for electronic documentation that can be shared easily among providers, third-party payers, regulators, consumers, and health information systems. Growing numbers of medical transcriptionists will be needed to amend patients’ records, edit documents from speech recognition systems, and identify discrepancies in medical reports.”