Career Options for Medical Transcriptionists

The job outlook for the medical transcription industry is seen to grow by 6 percent in the next seven years. It may not be as fast as the progress for other professions, but it’s decent. Despite this slowdown, medical transcription is still one of those medical jobs that one can do without leaving the comfort of their own home. It is a perfect option for housewives, medical practitioners, retirees and other professionals who simply love to work independently.

The salary rate for medical transcriptionists is more than enough to pay the bills and support a family (especially for single moms). The median pay for medical transcriptionists according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is $32,900 annually, with an hourly rate of $15.82 per hour. And with outsourcing paving the way for an abundance of available jobs, the rates could go higher depending on the volume of output you produce.

Most companies that hire onsite medical transcriptionists require the latter to have at least some level of experience or certification. They, however, tolerate applicants without experience and train them themselves as long as the applicants are certified. Online companies, on the other hand, prefer medical transcriptionists who have an ample amount of experience in the field and certifications to show.

To become a medical transcriptionist, one has to train by enrolling in training such as www.meditec.com medical transcription course, which would teach him or her the rudiments of transcribing and basic medical terminologies. The course will then proceed to the training proper where the student is informed of how to operate the audio-transcription software and foot pedal. Additional techniques are also provided to ease the work of the transcriptionist and to help them better their skills.

The career path for medical transcriptionist is usually geared towards becoming a healthcare information management supervisory position or as an editor (Quality Assurance editor) or medical transcription trainer. In some cases, medical transcriptionists can also transition to the roles of medical billers and coders, or that of a healthcare administrator provided that they receive proper training and experience from their superiors. Some medical transcriptionists can also seek copy editing or transcribing jobs from other industries, like publishing or medical journalism. Seasoned ones, who have had more than five years of experience in the field, can also enter the academe as a medical transcription instructor or teacher. Indeed, the possibilities are endless with a medical transcription career. 

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How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist

Not a lot of people are aware that doctors rely heavily on the skill of a medical transcriptionist. In fact, doctors base their diagnosis and prescriptions based on previous diagnosis, lab test results or previous medical histories transcripts-- of course, all transcribed by a medical transcriptionist.

For some people, a medical transcriptionist's job may be just be a bit of typing, but it takes more than transcribing a patient's history or doctor's note. It involves a lot of analysis too and data interpretation, mostly to make sense of a jargon-heavy medical diagnosis or report.

Being a medical transcriptionist is a good fit for people who have a knack for medical terms, writing, editing and homebased work. There are medical transcriptionists working onsite for hospitals, clinics and transcription service providers as well should medical transcriptionists want to work in an office setting. The job also pays well at $15 an hour.

With healthcare services steadily increasing, it's almost impossible for aspiring medical transcriptionists to find a job. Contextually speaking, the rise in demand for healthcare services is brought about by aging baby boomesr requiring more services. The encounter between patients and health care providers has increased both via face-to-face sessions and electronically. Either way, someone has to transcribe the recordings of what transpired during the session. This is where the medical transcriptionist enters the picture.

Becoming a medical transcriptionist takes about six months to a year, on average, if you count in the internship. Assuming you spend 15 hours a week studying, finishing a program in six months is certainly doable. Enrolling in a program is your first step in becoming one, of course.

A medical transcription program will equip you with the skills and knowledge essential to the job. Specifically, the course will acquaint you with medical, surgical and pharmaceutical terminologies; and copyediting. The program will also broaden your understanding of the medical transcription profession as well as the theories behind it. Once you've completed the coursework and final exam, you'll receive your certificate of completion right away.

On-the-job trainings are also offered by medical transcription providers at a minimum fee. Some providers like www.meditec.com offer free internship programs for the creme de la creme of its students. In order to qualify for this kind of internship, students would have to pass a ceiling grade, in this case, 90 percent.

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How to Become a Paralegal

A paralegal or legal assistant assists lawyers in drafting legal documents and conducting research, investigations and interviews. They are paid well (an average of $46, 680 annually, based on recent Labor Statistics data) and the job outlook for them is seen to only increase by 185 in the next couple of years. Yet, despite the handsome salary and promising opportunities, why is being a paralegal seen as a mediocre profession?

Many people are misinformed about the role of a paralegal. After all, why become a paralegal when you can always become a lawyer—just like choosing to become a dentist over becoming a physician. But pay no importance to the prejudice—a paralegal career can get you places, just as a career as a law practitioner does.

Educational Background and Work Experience

There are many paths to becoming a paralegal. One can obtain any bachelor or associate’s degree from a University or community college, or by enrolling straight into a paralegal training course offered online by e-learning companies and vocational colleges. However, to qualify as a paralegal student or trainee, one should have passed his or her GEDs (General Education Development exam).

Some companies hire paralegals without prior experience or background in paralegal studies and provide on-the-job training for them. However, most of these companies still require paralegals to have obtained a bachelor’s degree in any field or at least one year of experience in working for a legal firm or office environment.

Getting Certified as a Paralegal

A paralegal certification course program takes 12 months to complete. But don’t let the duration of the training intimidate you. The course has been stretched for that duration to give you ample time to take in the lessons effectively. You only have to pass your courses so you can receive a certificate of course completion and be able to apply your knowledge and skills as a paralegal or legal assistant.

Here’s a sample outline of the paralegal course program from career training provider Meditec, to give you an overview of what to expect from your paralegal training:

• Paralegal and Legal Assistant: Basics   
• Paralegal and Legal Assistant: Specialties   
• Business Law   
• Business Math   
• Paralegal and Legal Assistant: Citation Workbook   
• Paralegal and Legal Assistant: Using Computers in the Law Office   
• Office Procedures Level 1   
• Office Procedures Level 2   
• Legal Transcription I   
• Legal Transcription II    40 HRS

Not all employers require you to present a certification but it most definitely helps in getting you hired. Also, possessing a paralegal certification helps you negotiate for a better starting salary rate and gives you edge over other applicants.

Check out Meditec.com Paralegal Program today!

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Fast Facts on Medical Billing and Coding

Interested in pursuing a career as a medical biller and coder? Read on to know more about the profession and what the industry has in store for you.

What the Statistics Say

Based on US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the job outlook for medical records and health information technicians—to which medical coders and billers belong—is seen to rise by 21 to 26 percent from 2010 to 2020. This projection is definitely faster than the average for all occupations and only goes to show how opportunities in the said field are growing. As salary rates go, the median annual salary of medical billers and coders is $37,000 and above. The rates offered tend to increase depending on the level of position and the geographic location.

What Does a Medical Coder and Biller Do?

A medical biller and coder are in charge of encoding the diagnoses of physicians into the patient’s records. Coders, in particular, do some extent of analysis on the physician’s notes to determine the diagnosis. Billers also do some amount of encoding, especially if their job description entails them to. Otherwise, they’ll only have to focus on billing the patient and coordinating with health insurance companies.

Finding a Medical Billing and Coding Course

Searching the right medical billing and coding course for you is now easier thanks to the advent of technology and the prevalence of online learning. One Google search can bring up a myriad of websites of career training providers that offer state-specific medical billing and coding courses. A huge number of these courses satisfy the course requirements of local health departments and employers. http://www.meditec.com, a premier e-learning provider for allied health professionals, is one of the most popular medical biller and coder course provider in the United States.

Billing and Coding Training

Billing and coding training would largely tackle basic medical terminology, claims submission, insurance industry requirements, medical chart coding, specialty coding, policies, and the different kinds of coding systems like ICD-9 and CPT.

Types of Medical Billing

This is not often discussed by information providers but there are two kinds of medical billing: facilities and physicians billing. The most common billing type of the two is facilities billing, which include rehabilitation facilities, homes for the elderly, private clinics and hospitals. The other billing type is physcian’s billing, which require billers to manually complete a CMS/HCFA – 1500 (health insurance) form.

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Meditec Promotes Jumpstart Program for Interns

Austin, Texas— Career training provider Meditec has beefed up its efforts in promoting its medical training and internship program to support the growing number of aspiring medical transcriptionists across the US and help them get considered for positions in the medicine, science and public heath fields.

The internship program, which is exclusively offered to Meditec graduates, has produced highly competent MTs through the years.  Students have to obtain a combined passing grade of 90 percent for the final exam to qualify for the internship program, free of charge. Students who did not qualify for the program can apply for an internship assessment at a charge of $400.

Prior to placement, students would have to round up the hardware and software requirements as failure to do so could be a valid reason for Jumpstart internship providers to reject their application. 

Here is a list of requirements for Meditec students prior to placement:

1.    A personal computer with 1 GB of RAM memory, with a 5 GB of available storage and a processor running at 1 GHz or higher. For the display, a 17-inch monitor, with graphics set at 1024 x 768 pixels is recommended. A USB port is also expected to be present for the Foot Pedal. Bytescribe, the software used to operate the Foot Pedal, is not compatible with Apple/Mac computers; thus, the use of such computers is strongly discouraged. 

2.    The installers for the foot pedal and transcriber software are on CD-ROM or DVD Drives. Thus, it is recommended for students to have these on their computers.

3.    A SoundBlaster soundcard, speakers and headphones.

4.    Proficiency in Microsoft Windows and MS Word applications.

5.    A Windows XP or Vista with SP 2 operating system.

6.    MS Word 2003 and 2007.

7.    Stedman’s Medical/Pharmaceutical Spellchecker.

8.    Bytescribe Wavplayer

Should Jumpstart partners require upfront fees for software and compliance requirements, Meditec will shoulder up to $200 of the expenses.

Students have to note, however, that internship slots with Jumpstart partners may not be readily available following their graduation. Successful internship placements do not necessarily guarantee job placements, although Meditec promises to help students in every way possible to get hired.

The duration of the internship program takes three months on average, but may be extended up to six months depending on the student’s performance.

The benefits of entering the internship program go beyond securing a job. Students of course earn a chance to learn from industry experts and get to have a feel of what their future jobs is about.  

For more information on the Jumpstart internship for MTs, call 877-335-4072. Visit the Jumpstart testimonials page as well to learn more about what internship partners have to say about Meditec students.  

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