Why do You Want to Become a Medical Transcriptionist? Part Two

by Hava Lyon | More from this Blogger

25 May 2007 10:30 AM

This blog is part of a series on transcription. If you haven't read the other blogs in this series, make sure to check out the summary page for a listing of all transcription blogs.

We already covered why most people want to become a medical transcriptionist (so they can work at home) and the fact that I personally got into the MT field for this very reason. I thought that listing some good reasons to become an MT, and some bad ones, would be helpful to those who are trying to make this decision for themselves.

Good reasons to become an MT: You like medical terminology. You love learning about the human body. You like working with computers. You are happier by yourself than with others (not to say that you will be a complete hermit, but if your idea of a great job is where you spend time with coworkers or with the public, the MT world is not for you.) You have a great grasp of the English language, and you know the difference between you're and your, or it's and its. You love to type. You like to solve puzzles (and many times, that's exactly what you're doing as an MT--you're solving the "What did the doctor actually say?" puzzle.)

Bad reasons to become an MT: You want to work from home. You want flexibility in your job. You just got laid off/fired/whatever, and you don't know what else to do, and you thought, "Hey, why not." You heard you can make really good money as an MT and you want a piece of the pie (Warning: You will not make good money - not even close to it - as a newbie in the MT field. It is only after years of transcribing that the money starts to come.)

The truth is, the medical transcription field is a tough one, and it winnows out those who are in it for the wrong reason very quickly. So make sure you're in it for the right reason, or find something else to do. There are a lot of jobs that can be done from home--don't become an MT just because you don't know that there is anything else out there. There is a whole lot out there, I promise.

Well, that's it for the medical transcription series; I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me or left comments saying that they learned a lot--I'm really glad to know that I helped others learn about this field, both the good and the bad. It can be a great job for the right person, as long as they are in it for the right reasons, and have the right skills.

I'll be tackling legal transcription next--don't miss it!

Learn more about Hava Lyon

Hello, my name is Hava or Havs (depending on my mood and yours!) I am a freelance writer who writes for several blogs, both paid ones such as this one, and personal blogs.

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