Working From Home - Medical Transcription

Medical Transcription "Back In The Day." 

I have been doing medical transcription since 1972...back in those days we got up in the morning, got dressed in work clothes, drove to the hospital [or large clinic, although I’ve always worked for hospitals outside the home] and sat at a desk with a large IBM typewriter and typed - really fast and hopefully with accuracy - but we had "White Out" or those little chalky correction  papers to insert into our work to correct typing mistakes or "typos".  We used carbon paper and an extra sheet of paper (or more!) behind that to make copies; a notation at the end of the report "cc" meant we'd made "carbon copies" to anyone listed there.

In a few years, we progressed to things like electronic typewriters - complete with sticky "correction film tape" installed in them and Xerox machines to make our copies  - still working at the institution of our choice.  Even with these enhancements there were times when the doctor dictating changed his mind on something he said "back there in the part where I said....blah, blah, blah..." - all the White Out and the "correction tape"  in the office were often of no use and the paper came out of the typewriter to be discarded, and we would then have to retype the entire document.  I remember there being a lot of swearing that happened in the office - back in the day.

Medical Transcription In The Computer Age 

Since then the profession has morphed into something we do on computers, from home, often in PJ’s and fluffy slippers.  Corrections are a breeze now - even the ones "back up there in the part where I said...blah, blah, blah."   Now-a-days, via the Internet, we can work for medical transcription services who are service providers for hospitals and clinics that do not even need to be in our neck of the woods...and are often not even in the region of the country where we live OR even the same country in some cases.

The abbreviation "cc" now means "courtesy copy" -  however, we have nothing to do with getting it printed, except for the fact that we make the notation on the report and send the electronic file to the virtual office where THEY take care of the printing and distributing of the reports - assuming they have a paper copy.  The electronic medical record is now gaining ground with the goal of eventually replacing the paper record - again, thanks to the computer age.  Typewriters, White Out and Correction tape are now relics and collectibles for history buffs. 

But - what about voice recognition technology?  Seems like eventually even the MTs will be replaced by that, right?  Well...maybe.  Maybe they will get it to the point where a heavily accented physician, who likes to use words like "um" while he's thinking, and who goes back to "that part up there where I said...blah, blah, blah" will be an easy thing for it to catch/fix - but I have a feeling we will just go from being called "medical transcriptionists" to "medical editors" or whatever the current term for such a position may be by then...I think "medical language engineer" has a nice ring to it!

Breaking In To The Profession Today 

I often get asked for recommendations for good schools or a training course for getting into the profession of medical transcription.  These requests are frequently accompanied by the explanation - either before or after the question - with "I would love to be able to stay home with the kids and work."

Well, working from home definitely can afford one the opportunity to "stay home with the kids."  However, transcribing from home has it's challenges, especially with "kids." When I was working from home as a single parent, there were times I often wondered how in the world I was ever going to get the work done. When my son went to school it was better, but still a challenge to get it all in in a day, especially if you have a "life" outside of work. I have heard of some who actually still take their kids to daycare because otherwise they’d never get their day worked -  defeating the notion of:  "I’d like to be home WITH the kids."  Still others have found working the night shift to be their best option. With that said, I will now point the still interested Moms out there to these few resources [there are many more out there]:

Resources for Training/Employment 

• HPI SUM program:   You probably won’t find a better training course out there.
  
• The company Career Step also has a good course, and Spheris, a major medical transcription company hires MT’s trained by this company.  These courses often come with Medical Word Books, and equipment you will need to do medical transcription.
• MT Daily is an online forum with numerous MT companies listed, as well as courses for those wanting training to consider.
• By all means, check your local community college for courses.  In fact that would be the first place I'd look.

The training courses mentioned here are not "cheap."   They are not the only ones out there either - but they are ones that I have had a little bit of exposure to, and have heard/read good reviews on them.  I am a believer in the old adage "you get what you pay for" - so in your search, be sure to check for referrals and other things that will give you an idea of just how useful the course that you have chosen is going to be.  A good medical transcription course will give you the foundation you need to become skilled at this profession.  You will always be learning new things as you do medical transcription - the medical field is constantly changing, and you will need to be able to do the same.  The profession has served me well for many years, and it definitely can be a way to "be home with the kids" for the determined and well-organized mom (or dad).

ETA:  Used Reference Books For Sale (February 2008)

I have a few reference books (Stedman's) that I have recently updated.  The older books are still very useful, and are especially good for anyone just getting started - since the investment can be quite costly.  You can view the books here , and if there are any you may be interested in purchasing, please feel free to contact me and we will arrange payment/shipment via Paypal invoice. 

tags: medicaltranscription  education  medical  transcription  

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit