Medical transcription is definitely NOT for everyone. I hear this recurring comment from my nonmedical friends and family: "Well, I know how to type (or"I type really fast"). Isn't that all it takes to do that job?"
I have to shake my head every time I hear those comments. If it was just a matter of knowing HOW to type, of course EVERYBODY would want to do it! Who wouldn't want to get paid to work out of the comfort of their own home? And not only is this desirable, it's a growing trend. Many companies don't WANT you to come into the office every day. They want you to telecommute, as it saves on the square footage they need to rent and the equipment they need to have in the office. And you can look for this trend to continue.
So what qualities help make a successful transcriptionist?
#1 Medical terminology plus anatomy and physiology knowledge - This quality may seem self-explanatory, but it's NOT to those friends of mine I refer to above.
#2 Good spelling, grammar and punctuation skills - Sure there's the spellchecker to do most of that work for you, but everybody should know by now that a spellchecker won't pick up every error. You must have some good basic skills.
#3 Typing skill - Again,self-explanatory, right? Right...but I've had the reverse of the "I can type" people, that being the very knowledgeable, medically trained person (a paramedic, nurse, etc) who can only hunt-and-peck type or type very slowly and they think they can do the job because of their medical knowledge. You don't have to have blazing fast fingers to do the work, but since you ARE paid by production, an adequate typing speed is necessary. You WILL get faster with practice.
#4 Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination - Being able to type while looking at a screen, listening through head phones and using a foot pedal seems like it would be easy to do, but I've had friends who can type and are used to typing from hard copy who were flustered with the ear, screen, foot pedal combination. I wouldn't worry about this, though, because even if it doesn't seem to come naturally to you, you will most likely have mastered those skills by the time you finish a transcription course.
#5 Discipline - This is especially true if you are working at home. If you have committed to a certain number of hours per day, or certain days, or a certain number of lines or jobs, you MUST be able to discipline yourself to actually DO what you promised. Yes there will be distractions, interruptions and life which gets in the way, but if at all possible discipline yourself to fulfill your commitments.
#6 Working alone - If you are working at home, you may suddenly be thrown into a world of very little human/adult contact. If you were working with a lot of people before, this change can be hard to get used to. You need to ask yourself "Can I work alone and enjoy it?" I personally love working alone, and I tell my friends who say "I just couldn't do that" that I still have plenty of time to interact with friends and family when my work is done. I consider it a win-win situation.
