Your medical transcription salary will be directly proportionate to what you know and are able to do in the medical field. Here are some pointers that should help you increase your knowledge and vastly improve your income throughout your medical transcription career, whether you work at home or in an office.
Master Basic MT Courses: Learning medical transcription basics means studying medical terminology, pharmacology, anatomy, laboratory values, disease processes, and medical report formats. Mastering these basics means taking it a step further: You must be able to determine if the proper term or lab value was actually dictated; and if not flag it, citing why you are questioning it. In other words, you must be able to apply the basics in real situations and see if it makes sense contextually.
Master Typing Skills: This may sound like a no-brainer, but spend time trying to improve on typing speed and accuracy. Also remember that accuracy in the medical transcription field always trumps speed. It takes time to develop good, accurate typing speed but it sure pays off big time once you have reached this goal.
Master Computer Basics: This involves learning all the software programs that can enhance and speed up your output. Do you know how to create macros? Do you use word expander software? How about line count software? If you are operating a home based medical transcription business, do you know/use accounting software? These programs take time to master, but once you do, you will be amazed at how much your medical transcription salary will skyrocket.
Master Coordination Required For Medical Transcription: Medical transcribing involves hearing dictation and concurrently typing it, all the while trying to maintain speed and accuracy. Your brain is being bombarded concurrently by audio and video input, all the while the fingers are flying and one or both feet are operating the foot pedal to play, back up, or advance the tape or digital recording. It is an exhausting exercise when first learning how to do this, and most people have no clue that it is so demanding.
Master Weaknesses: Most of us know what our individual strengths are and work hard to improve on them. More importantly however, is the ability for a medical transcriptionist to evolve by turning weaknesses into strengths. An honest self-assessment of your abilities is required. If need be, get some input from a trusted medical transcriptionist who knows you well and ask how she thinks you may be able to improve on your weaknesses.
It never ceases to amaze me that people coming into the medical transcription field right out of school expect to make large sums of money from the start. This is not realistic. However, application of the above tips will expedite your ability to earn a medical transcription salary well above the amount made by the average medical transcriptionist.
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