Frequent Questions

FAQs about Medical Transcription and Advanced MT

What is a Medical Transcriptionist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdDvrV2VQI0&feature=related

The Future of Medical Transcription, presented by the American Association for Medical Transcriptionist (now AHDI)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPYI_pqKwEw&feature=related

Certification

Professional certification as a medical transcriptionist can only be acquired through the national Association of Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). After having demonstrated competency in the Advanced MT educational program through the completion of your required course work and passing the final examination, Advanced MT will be proud to offer you a certificate of graduation from our program. Certification through Advanced MT will be your first step in demonstrating your abilities as a medical transcriptionist and creating confidence in your future employer.

AHDI offers and highly recommends registration or certification as a medical transcriptionist. Upon completion of the Advanced MT program, you will be eligible to proceed with testing through AHDI for certification as a Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) which is based on entry-level skills. After two years of transcription experience in an acute care or multispecialty setting, you will be eligible to take the exam for Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT). Advanced MT recommends the Intermediate and Advanced educational/training programs before attempting the CMT test. When appropriate, Advanced MT will be happy to assist and guide you through the testing process for certification with AHDI. Although certification is certainly not required to do medical transcription and in most cases does not limit your opportunities, registrated and/or certification status through our professional association does demonstrate your dedication and ability to perform your job accurately, professionally, and ethically.

What does a medical transcriptionist do?

Medical transcriptionists transcribe medical reports dictated by physicians including, but not limited to, chart notes, surgical notes, letters, radiology reports, procedures, etc., in order to assist medical staff in providing excellent care for their patients. After a physician sees a patient, performs a procedure or analyzes a radiology report, then he/she will dictate a report about that office visit or the procedure performed. That dictation will be transferred to the transcriptionist in either the form of a digital file format or through a phone system and possibly even in the form of a micro-cassette tape. The transcriptionist then uses their expert training to transcribe that audio file into a document to later be printed and placed in the patient's chart or downloaded to the physician's electronic medical records.

What makes a successful medical transcriptionist?

We believe the most important aspect of a medical transcriptionist is truly caring about their place in the medical community, understanding that the accuracy of the reports that they type can affect the quality of care that a patient receives. Other qualities include being curious and wanting to really understand what your physician is dictating about and being willing to research and ask questions in order to find out; not becoming complacent but to constantly question and update their knowledge. An overall sense of professionalism and confidence is important as well. A transcriptionist is in fact transcribing professional medical records and must have an excellent understanding of grammar and word usage in order to type an accurate and professional document. Medical transcriptionists should be well-read or "worldly." Physicians not only dictate medical terminology but also refer to current events and general lifestyle practices, so being a well-rounded individual is an important asset to a transcriptionist. Flexibility is important as well. The relationship between medicine and technology is always evolving and with those changes we must adapt. Each physician is different and the ability to adapt to their specific requirements is important. Computer literacy is essential. Computer software and hardware innovations over the last decade has made medical transcription a phenomenal at-home opportunity. Embracing this technology is necessary but certainly advantageous to medical transcriptionists.

Is the ability to type fast the most important attribute in medical transcription?

Absolutely not! While strong keyboarding skills are a plus, high speed is not necessary in the beginning. Speed will come with practice, but knowledge is what creates high productivity. You should type as fast as you can understand, so education and training are really the keys to success.