---------------------------------------------------nMedical Transcription: A Viable Work At Home Careern(c) Copyright 2003, Sharon Davis n---------------------------------------------------nnAre there really viable work at home jobs out there? This is a nquestion that I'm asked almost daily. The fact is, there are nmost definitely careers that can be done from your home and nthere are people who are actually successful in those jobs. nOne of the fastest growing industries happens to be one that ncan be done from home: Medical Transcription. nn>>A Growing Industry nnMedical Transcription/Billing is an industry that is nexploding. It's prestigious and in demand. According the the nU.S. Department of Labor, "Employment of medical ntranscriptionists is projected to grow faster than the average nfor all occupations through 2010. Demand for medical ntranscription services will be spurred by a growing and aging npopulation." nnTranscription is one of those jobs that many people know can nbe done from home, and so the interest level is very high. nUnfortunately, there are many companies out there trying to ncapitalize on that interest. The results are over-priced and nsub-standard courses. nnAll too often, I receive emails like this one from one of our nreaders. She wrote: nnHello Sharon, nI am emailing you to inform you of a work at home job listing nthat I contacted in our local paper. It was concerning Medical nBilling at home. The name of the company is *****, Inc. They nsell software for Medical Billing purposes. Before I sent them nany money I decided to check out their website
www.******.com nand then the local Better Business Bureau from the area that nthey are located which is near Los Angeles, Ca. The report ncame back today and it is not favorable. I thought you might nwant to know about this supposed home based business so you ncould inform your other members and visitors. nnSincerely, nnMargaret nnThis is what inspired me to research the field and determine nwhat the options are for those who are looking to enter it. nn>>What Do Transcriptionists Do? nnTranscriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by nphysicians and other healthcare professionals and transcribe nthem into documents such as operating room notes, autopsy nreports, discharge summaries and other documents which then nbecome part of a patient's medical record. In order to be able nto transcribe information accurately, medical ntranscriptionists must understand medical terminology, anatomy nand physiology, diagnostic procedures, and treatment. nn>>What Kind of Training Must MT's Have? nnIn the course of my research, the first thing I learned was nthat you can't just jump into a career as an MT without ntraining. This is a detailed, professional (and fascinating) ncareer which requires technical knowledge. The American nAssociation for Medical Transcription defines the requirements nthis way: nn"Medical understanding is critical for the professional nmedical transcriptionist. The complex terms used in medicine nare unlike the language of any other profession. nMedical transcription requires a practical knowledge of nmedical language, anatomy, physiology, disease processes, npharmacology, laboratory medicine, and the internal norganization of medical reports. A medical transcriptionist is ntruly a medical language specialist who must be aware of nstandards and requirements that apply to the health record, as nwell as the legal significance of medical transcripts. nnReports of patient care take many forms, including histories nand physical examinations, progress reports, emergency room nnotes, consultations, operative reports, discharge summaries, nclinic notes, referral letters, radiology reports, pathology nreports, and an array of documentation spanning more than 60 nmedical specialties and subspecialties! Thus, the medical ntranscriptionist, or medical language specialist, must be well nversed in the language of medicine. "nnMedical transcription is a medical language specialty, so you ncan see that it requires not only the proper training, but nalso an investment in reference materials and a commitment to nongoing learning as technology and terminology changes. nEqually important to the long-term success of a nTranscriptionist is having the right personality for the job. nSome qualities that successful MT's share are: nn==Independent by nature n==Word Specialist n==Perfectionist n==Detail oriented n==Training Options nnIt's also important to note that most companies require ncandidates for telecommute MT positions to have on-site nexperience- as is the case with most all telecommute jobs. In nmany cases, 2 years of experience working in a hospital or ndoctor's office is required. If this is a field that you are ntruly interested in, getting those 2 years under your belt and nthen being qualified to telecommute is a pretty good deal.nnThe second thing I found was that there sure were a lot of ncourses out there. They ranged in price from a couple hundred ndollars to a few thousand! I was overwhelmed! It was then that nI realized that I would need some help. I found a great place nwhere working MT's hang out and support each other. If you are nseriously interested in this field, you'll want to visit this nsite. It's called MT Daily. nnThe course that I decided to recommend at 2Work-At-Home.com is noffered by MedTrans, Inc., which has been in operation for nalmost a decade. Founder Mary Park-Youhanaie began by working nfrom home as a medical transcriptionist. She saw the nopportunities that medical transcription could offer to other nindividuals. When Med Trans, Inc. began hiring ntranscriptionists and then discovering that more training was nneeded, Ms. Park-Youhanaie decided to draw on her past as a ncollege level educator and medical terminology training to ndevelop Medical Transcription Made Easy. nnWhichever course you choose, just be sure to do your homework nby checking with the Better Business Bureau and asking for nreferences. nnThe bottom line is, for the right people, Medical nTranscription is the real deal when it comes to viable work at nhome careers. nn>>Resources nnMedTransnhttp://www.2work-at-home.com/transcription nAmerican Association for Medical Transcriptionnhttp://www.aamt.org/ nMTDailynhttp://www.mtdaily.com