Student medical transcriptionists and beginner MTs often want to know what type of equipment they need to buy in order to begin transcribing. They are especially concerned about having the right equipment on hand before they begin to take on their own accounts. The fear is that they won’t have all the equipment necessary and therefore will not land the account.

I remember that being the basis of my biggest fear when I went after my first account. I was afraid that I wouldn’t know what equipment to even suggest if the doctor was using a really outdated tape system and asked me what she should be using. It’s laughable to me now: First, with most doctors’ offices you may never deal directly with the doctor. Usually it will be the office manager that you will interact with. Second, it is easy to find great digital equipment online. It takes very little time to learn how to use it. Third, most offices already have a system in place, and they’ll be telling you how it works, not the other way around. If they don’t know how, you can be the hero by studying the manual online and then showing them how to use their own equipment. It’s truly not that difficult.

I strongly recommend that you wait until you have your first job or client before you run out and purchase any equipment, other than what is needed for your training. Some doctors in smaller offices surprisingly still use micro cassettes while others use small handheld digital recorders and will transfer all files to you over the Internet.

Even knowing the above, you still probably want to know what basic medical transcription equipment consists of, so let’s look at that next.

First, you obviously will need a computer! What type of computer depends on many factors. I am often asked by people who want to become MTs if they can use their Apple Mac computers. In most cases the answer is no, but there are a few exceptions. If you decide to work for a large national transcription company, an Apple computer will not be compatible with their software. However, if you decide to only have your own accounts and take on work from local doctors you may be able to use your Mac computer. You can use the word processing software that your doctor’s office prefers on your Mac (almost always Microsoft Word), so that’s no problem at all. But what about the foot pedal and the playback software that you’ll need to hear the digital recording? Great news there:

For the last few years all Mac computers have been made with Intel processors. This means that your Mac can run on a Windows operating system as well as with your usual OS X software. You’ll need special software that allows you to go back and forth between the two operating systems, but once it’s installed it’s quite easy to do this. This means that you can buy any foot pedal or digital dictation software that would work on a regular PC and have it work just great on your Mac, too!

In addition, as Macs are becoming more popular, there are also foot pedals and digital dictation software that are meant to work on either Macs or PCs.

In addition to the above, there are other forms of medical transcription equipment that you should know about. A good headset is the one of the most important pieces of equipment you will buy. It needs to be comfortable, have great volume control, and be easy and fast to replace. A quick search online will turn up dozens of choices with many reviews.

New MTs will often hear the term “C-phone” and wonder what that piece of equipment does. It’s simply a digital receiver/phone that accesses digital dictation over a phone line. These are becoming more rare as digital dictation is so easy to transfer over the Internet, but you still will see job openings from time to time state that you need to have this equipment. Don’t buy it until you land the job, though, as you may not need it anywhere else! This holds true for just about all medical transcription equipment. Many transcription companies and hospitals will provide you with a computer, foot pedal, and even headset if you are an employee. Don’t make a huge investment in equipment until you know what you will need in your first position. You have plenty of time to acquire all that you will eventually need.

There are so many reasons as to why medical transcription is the ultimate career!

For those of you who are not familiar with exactly what medical transcription is, allow me to break it down for you. Medical transcription is when a certified medical transcriptionist, or MT, transcribes recorded dictations by physicians into a written text. Basically, it is the process of typing out everything a doctor says about a patient’s visit. It sounds easy, and it truly is after a little bit of practice.

One of the reasons why this business is so wonderful is because you are able to work from home. For a lot of people, this is a huge relief from what they are normally used to. The stresses of working in corporate America are enough to give anyone a heart attack. With medical transcription, you do not have to wake up at five in the morning unless you choose to do so. There are no bosses telling you what to do and no one hovering over you as you work.

Another great advantage of being a medical transcriptionist is that you set your own goals and limits.

Unless you are working at an hourly rate, there is no limit to how much money you can make. In the beginning, everyone usually works for someone at an average pay rate, but with time, pay increases. You are the one who decides when it is time for an increase in pay. If you work for yourself and have your own accounts, then you can charge at your own rate. Those who work for a medical transcription company can apply to a better paying company once they feel they are ready to move on from making what they currently make to more.

Parents with children have an advantage when they choose to become a medical transcriptionist. Working from home means that you do not have to pay for daycare if you do not choose to do so. Parents who are just starting off may not prefer to put their children in daycare, especially if they are still very small. Parents who work regular jobs miss out on a lot of their kid’s lives. Many people are motivated by their children to become a medical transcriptionist simply because they want to stay home with them as much as possible.

There are really no downsides to being a medical transcriptionist!

The hardest part is training, and if you can get through that, then you can make it through just about anything your career has to throw at you. There may be a few times when you have trouble understanding what the doctor is saying, but that is completely normal and happens to some of the most experienced transcriptionists. When this happens, just get up and go for a walk or do something else for a few minutes before returning to your desk to give it another try. Other than that, everything else is a complete breeze.

If you are seriously considering medical transcription as a career, then you are about to find out just how enjoyable work can really be. When you are doing something you truly love, it will never feel like work. Medical transcription comes with plenty of added bonuses that make it quite possibly the best work at home job out there.

Have you ever thought of a job that just had all the benefits? Perhaps you are considering becoming a medical transcriptionist. Maybe you are already a medical transcriptionist and just want to read about what an awesome career you have decided to choose.

Given below are the top 10 reasons why home based medical transcription jobs are awesome:

1. Flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to this profession. You are able to work from 4 am to 7am, go do your chores, and then start working from 12 pm to 5 pm. Maybe you do not even feel like working, so you take the day off. Or maybe you want to work a straight 9 to 5 schedule from home. Anything goes as far as schedule in the wonderful world of medical transcription. As long as you complete your work on time, it doesn’t matter when it gets done.

2. The field of medical transcription is growing as time progresses. There is always going to be a need for people in this profession, so there is actually a lot of job security. That is something you won’t find in most jobs these days.

3. This is a career that involves being at home, so you can spend more time with your children and family. Both mom’s and dad’s alike are able to partake in this career field. With a regular 9 to 5, spending time with your children is never a possibility. Remember, they are only small once.

4. If typing is your cup of tea, then you will love this job. Basically, typing is all you do when you are a medical transcriptionist. The amount of people who actually love their job is higher than average in this particular profession.

5. Other than the fact that you are free, you have no boss hovering over you while you do your work. How is that for complete and utter ease and peace of mind? Of course, you are still going to have to do a good job, but it is so much easier when you do not have someone checking up on your work every five minutes.

6. The longer you keep at your job, the better you are going to get. Medical transcription is all about practice, practice, practice. This year, you may be only averaging $8.00 an hour. Next year, you might be making $13.00. Talk about a huge pay increase! The faster you get, the more money you make.

7. There is a lot of variety involved in this career field as well. You can either choose to work from home, work out of an office, start your own accounts, or start your own medical transcription company. The choice is up to you where you want to go with your career.

8. If you work for a company, in the beginning, you may not find yourself making much at all. That is completely normal for every medical transcriptionist in the beginning. After a year or two, you will have the ability to apply to higher paying companies or ask for a raise. You might just find yourself making up to .12 cents per line with your first five years. It happens all of the time.

9. People who are retired or are getting social security benefits are also able to find some peace of mind with this career. For one, it isn’t difficult at all. Secondly, it gives you something to do and be proud of. The money is just an added bonus.

10. With medical transcription, you are going to find yourself becoming happier than you have been in a long time. It is an honest job that makes good, honest money. You are helping patients and physicians by doing what you do. At the end of the day, you can pat yourself on the back knowing you did a good job. This

At home medical transcription seems very appealing to a number of people. Getting to stay home with the kids is just one advantage. Some people who choose to do at home medical transcription do not even have children. They just like the fact that they are their own boss and no longer have to remain a slave to the clock.

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to do at home medical transcription, they are definitely going to be worth it in the end. Working from home is not as easy as it sounds. You have to be able to actually get up and do the work if you want to have success with your medical transcription career. Setting your own schedule may be the best way to go.

Before you start planning your day, you will need to make sure you get the proper training. The majority of at home medical transcription employers will not hire people who do not have the proper certification, experience, and/or training. But once you have obtained the proper training, you should have no difficulties finding employment.

On average, a general at home medical transcription course takes approximately two years to complete. While you are in the process of learning everything there is to know, you will be working on improving your typing skills, grammar and punctuation, listening to dictation, and best of all, transcribing medical reports.

In the beginning, at home medical transcription seems like the ultimate dream job, and it is for many individuals. But it takes time and patience before you can become an expert at what you do. There will be deadlines to be met and work to be done once all of your training is complete. You will most likely be working with doctors of all accents from Australian to Japanese.

Some doctors will not speak as quickly as others, and some will seem almost impossible to understand. You may find yourself rewinding the dictation a hundred times before you are actually able to make out what they are saying. When this happens, do not get discouraged. You are going to be in the process of developing your ear for quite some time during training as well as the first year or so after you begin work. Doing at home medical transcription will eventually be worth all of the time it takes to get the hang of it.

The median salary for someone who does at home medical transcription is around 45K. Medical transcription has also been one of the proven top paying at home careers. Some people who are a bit more experienced are making anywhere from 45K to 100K per year. It all comes down to what you are willing to put into it.

More than anything else, at home medical transcription should be something you can see yourself doing. If you are not someone who likes to spend hours sitting at the computer, then at home medical transcription may not be for you. Like all other careers, medical transcription also has a downside. Isolation and difficulty staying focused at home are just some of the disadvantages. The good thing is that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages and that is what makes this career such a smart choice.

There are many advertisements online to become a home medical transcription workers. How does one go about getting into a career doing this? While the work may not me that hard to someone who has done it before, what about someone who has no prior knowledge and would still like to work in this field? There are basic things that one who is interested should first do to makes this work for them.

One of the first things that you need to do is take some basic courses. Local colleges will have courses on home medical transcription, or they are also offered through many online colleges that are available. Be careful when choosing an online college, and make sure that the credits will transfer to a regular school if needed.

You will need to know basic medical terms, and learn to be fluent enough to be able to transfer medical documents. Courses on human anatomy are a must. Knowledge of systems of the body, physiology, medical procedures, as well as knowledge of various diseases, etc. are highly recommended.

You will have to take a few courses on the English language, and know how to format medical reports. To do home medical transcription you will need to have a mastery of grammar, and know what kinds of medical reports there are, how to translate and transfer them over to other formats. Many colleges and universities offer all these classes in one bundle to not only make it easier, but also a little less expensive.

One important thing after taking these courses, update your resume. A well written presentation of you and your qualifications, will do well with employers. A potential company who may want to hire someone, will usually never meet them in person, (especially if you are working online from the home.) Most companies don’t have time to read all the applications that come across their desks. If your resume isn’t well put together, it probably will only get a brief glance, no matter how well you are educated, or may have experience.

Once the classes are taken and you are ready to try home medical transcription, then what? Where to begin? There are usually two kinds of transcription jobs available, either you are working for someone, and are hired as an employee. For entry level positions, these are a little more difficult to find. Most employers are looking for individuals that are more experienced and don’t have to have their work reviewed as much. But there is good news. There are some companies that do hire new workers, Spheris, and Medquist are just two of them. You may also want to check with local health care providers just in case.

Entry level positions in the home medical transcription companies is usually pretty low, but with experience in the company you should see your income grow. Just a few things to watch out for when looking for work in this field. Any company that asks you to pay them to hire you, avoid. Any company that offers to hire you with no prior knowledge in the field is one to avoid. If you feel something just isn’t right, trust your feelings. There are many legitimate companies, many that can be found simply by doing some researching first.