# Any Medical Transcriptionists out there? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 9, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090 "2006-06-09T18:08:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/21 "2006-06-10T19:18:29Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] Thanks for the tip. Do you switch headphones during the day ever? I wondered if that might be a solution for me. [/QUOTE] No need. They work fine for me all day. ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/22 "2006-06-10T21:02:07Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] I am worried that I won’t be able to wear headphones all day, since I tend to get squashed head headaches. I have headphones that were designed for ham radio, so they are good for the frequencies of the human voice. [/QUOTE] IANA medical transcriptionist, but I do wear headphones practically all day. The big Sennheiser open circumaurals, while probably overkill for normal human speech, are a joy to wear. You get used to them very quickly, no ‘squashed head’ headaches from overtight bands and no ‘ear tiredness’ that you get from enclosed headphones. You can get the low-end of that model range for about US$150, and if you don’t mind closed headphones, those are available for about US$100. If this is for business purposes, then the more comfortable the headphones are, the longer you can wear them, and the better your productivity. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/23 "2006-06-10T21:19:22Z")
[QUOTE=Jaledin] It seems to me, after reading the anecdotes in this thread, that it would be entirely possible to forgo any sort of training were one willing to put in some long hours – learning on the job, in effect. That is, it _would_ be possible, if employers did not typically require, as **Mishell** claims, a bunch of experience and the ability to get things done within a certain amount of time. [/QUOTE] My mom taught herself, but she was already a skilled typist when she started and has a talent for spelling. She uses a mini-casette player with a foot pedal for pausing, rewinding, and stopping the tapes instead of downloading files (which is kind of anachronistic, because no one makes the mini-casette players anymore, so when it breaks it’s a big deal), and Corel Word Perfect as her only program–she adds medical words to the spell check as she comes across them, makes replacements for phrases the doctors use all the time (i.e., “app”=“I appreciate your referral blah blah blah”), and has files that are lists of doctor names and addresses. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/24 "2006-06-10T22:02:39Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] (This is also in reply to all the people who say, “Oh, just typing. Any idiot can do that, what’s the big deal?”) [/QUOTE] Yeah, I’ve had a few people say that when I tell them what I’m studying. And I’ve had quite a few people say, “Oh, I should do that because I’d like to be able to work from home” and they are people who can’t write, can’t spell, can’t follow directions, and don’t give a damn about details. I end up saying this a lot: “I don’t know that this would suit you.” I’m not sure that I’m going to be able to hack it, but I’m going to give it my best shot. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/25 "2006-06-11T04:22:43Z")
[QUOTE=Mirror Image egamI rorriM] My mom taught herself, but she was already a skilled typist when she started and has a talent for spelling. She uses a mini-casette player with a foot pedal for pausing, rewinding, and stopping the tapes instead of downloading files (which is kind of anachronistic, because no one makes the mini-casette players anymore, so when it breaks it’s a big deal), and Corel Word Perfect as her only program–she adds medical words to the spell check as she comes across them, makes replacements for phrases the doctors use all the time (i.e., “app”=“I appreciate your referral blah blah blah”), and has files that are lists of doctor names and addresses. [/QUOTE] Radio Shack sells a replacement foot pedal; I bought one to use with my Marantz tape recorder. (I do other kinds of stuff too and occasionally transcribe tapes.) Would this do it for her? [Radio Shack foot switch](http://www.radioshack.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2032336&cp=2032060&allCount=48&fbc=1&f=PAD%2FProduct+Type%2FAccessories&fbn=Type%2FAccessories) ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/26 "2006-06-11T04:25:17Z")
jsgoddess–Good on you! Don’t let anyone stop you from doing this. I don’t want to hijack this thread further, please send me an email if there’s anything else I can do for you. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/27 "2006-06-11T04:44:37Z")
[QUOTE=Mirror Image egamI rorriM] My mom taught herself, but she was already a skilled typist when she started and has a talent for spelling. She uses a mini-casette player with a foot pedal for pausing, rewinding, and stopping the tapes instead of downloading files (which is kind of anachronistic, because no one makes the mini-casette players anymore, so when it breaks it’s a big deal), and Corel Word Perfect as her only program–she adds medical words to the spell check as she comes across them, makes replacements for phrases the doctors use all the time (i.e., “app”=“I appreciate your referral blah blah blah”), and has files that are lists of doctor names and addresses. [/QUOTE] Do you mean the microcassettes? Sure they make 'em, check this out: [Medworld store](http://www.medword.com/MedwordStore/TPC/Transcribers.html) Radio Shack sells a replacement foot pedal; I bought one to use with my Marantz tape recorder. (I do other kinds of stuff too and occasionally transcribe tapes.) [Radio Shack foot switch](http://www.radioshack.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2032336&cp=2032060&allCount=48&fbc=1&f=PAD%2FProduct+Type%2FAccessories&fbn=Type%2FAccessories) ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/28 "2006-06-11T05:29:27Z")
**TubaDiva** , Jenny, is a course required? I’m retired from nursing now, but after 40 years, I know the jargon. I don’t type more than 50 words a minute, sometimes alot less, my fingers get confused. But, I’m sure, I’d get faster with practice. I don’t need to support a family, but it would be nice to have some extra for vacations, etc. Do companies hire part timers? It sounds perfect for me, but I could be missing something. I drive an iMac, but Apple has a Windows crossover in Beta right now, and AppleWorks docs will usually open in Word. (I have MS Office for Mac too, but it’s old, and I hate it.) You’re a hero! ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/29 "2006-06-11T16:41:25Z")
Many retired nurses become transcriptionists. It’s a natural fit, as you already know all the words and how to use them. That being said, it sounds like you do need some sort of little something to get you on the right path to doing transcription. A small course, a book or two on how to run your own transcription business (they’re out there, check Amazon, haven’t read any, so I can’t recommend), just so you get a basic understanding of what you’re being asked to do here. And then the rest is just doing, finding a company or a doctor to hire you. There’s many situations out there. You could work for a company. You could work for a hospital or a clinic or a doctor’s office. Sometimes they just need people to work “overflow,” when’s there too much work for their regular trancriptionist they bring in a part timer. Some places use people in a flex-time arrangement so you might work some times and not others. Companies hire part timers all the time. My company does. But you have to be able to step up to work right away, they expect you to be producing viable work within a couple of days at most. Part timers also are more subject to the ebb and flow of work; if work is slow (which sometimes happens) part timers get what’s left after the full time people work. That being said, of late there’s been no end of work for everybody and if you were an experienced transcriptionist and you wanted to work part time for my company, (especially nights and weekends) they’d be happy to hear from you. The Mac may be another whole deal altogether. My company insists on Windows computers all the way; it’s what it takes to run the complicated proprietary transcription software. However, I note that you can buy something used/refurbished for not a lot of money, I bet you could get everything you need in hardware for no more than $500.00. Look at my posting above for hardware and software requirements. The reference books you could get over time, you do need at least a few to start, even with your understanding of the terminology, you still need to look things up. The internet is a big help that way but not sufficient. We’re talking [Stedmans Encylopedia](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068340007X/sr=8-1/qid=1150043120/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1004367-3108842?%5Fencoding=UTF8), the [Saunders Pharmaceutical Word Book](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416002952/sr=8-1/qid=1150043219/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1004367-3108842?%5Fencoding=UTF8) or the [Quick Look Drug Book](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0781762529/qid=1150043288/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-1004367-3108842?s=books&v=glance&n=283155), [Stedmans Abbreviations](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0781744032/qid=1150043288/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/002-1004367-3108842?s=books&v=glance&n=283155), and the [Medical Phrase Index](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570663998/qid=1150043558/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-1004367-3108842?s=books&v=glance&n=283155). You can find these books used; don’t buy new unless you just want to. That being said, don’t buy TOO old, either, an outdated reference book is not very useful. You may wish to get a copy of the [AAMT Book of Style](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0935229221/ref=cm_lm_fullview_prod_11/002-1004367-3108842?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155) for an overview of what’s called for. Many company use the AAMT style; mine does, with a few variations. Sorry to be so long-winded. Hope this is helpful. I should note that this is my humble opinion and based on my experiences; others may well vary depending on situation, location, etc. Jenny ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/30 "2006-06-12T06:24:09Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] Do you mean the microcassettes? Sure they make 'em, check this out: [Medworld store](http://www.medword.com/MedwordStore/TPC/Transcribers.html) Radio Shack sells a replacement foot pedal; I bought one to use with my Marantz tape recorder. (I do other kinds of stuff too and occasionally transcribe tapes.) [Radio Shack foot switch](http://www.radioshack.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2032336&cp=2032060&allCount=48&fbc=1&f=PAD%2FProduct+Type%2FAccessories&fbn=Type%2FAccessories) [/QUOTE] That’s the stuff. Ok, so they’re still made, I guess, but she always needs one. She can’t send it out to get fixed, she can’t order a new one, because she can’t work without the equipment. No casette-player, no letters. ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/31 "2006-06-13T21:47:14Z")
To the OP, so, are you going for it? ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/32 "2006-06-14T11:06:04Z")
I’m still kind of up in the air. I have had a rough few days what with psychotic family members, teething baby, etc. The fact my mother thinks that I am ill suited for it is definitely making me take it seriously. Well, considering she thinks my marriage is the complete shambles and we are two of the most committed, happy married people we know, tells me she doesn’t know squat. I know I am good at zoning out and losing myself in work. It actually sounds pretty interesting in that you get to hear the story of what is going on and you have to continue learning (YAY!), the downside is that I’m a pretty queasy person. I really can’t stand to watch gore of any type, I can’t even cut up raw chicken. However, I can read Stephen King. So I’m not sure how I would handle it. Bottom Line: I haven’t ruled it out. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/33 "2006-06-14T12:15:07Z")
[QUOTE=Auntbeast] the downside is that I’m a pretty queasy person. I really can’t stand to watch gore of any type, I can’t even cut up raw chicken. However, I can read Stephen King. So I’m not sure how I would handle it. [/QUOTE] I am an incredibly queasy person who can’t stand to watch gore of any type and who can’t read Stephen King (though a raw chicken is fine, just not raw fish). And the medical stuff doesn’t bother me. I feared it would. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/34 "2006-06-14T15:55:43Z")
[QUOTE=Auntbeast] I’m still kind of up in the air. I have had a rough few days what with psychotic family members, teething baby, etc. The fact my mother thinks that I am ill suited for it is definitely making me take it seriously. Well, considering she thinks my marriage is the complete shambles and we are two of the most committed, happy married people we know, tells me she doesn’t know squat. I know I am good at zoning out and losing myself in work. It actually sounds pretty interesting in that you get to hear the story of what is going on and you have to continue learning (YAY!), the downside is that I’m a pretty queasy person. I really can’t stand to watch gore of any type, I can’t even cut up raw chicken. However, I can read Stephen King. So I’m not sure how I would handle it. Bottom Line: I haven’t ruled it out. [/QUOTE] It’s different when you’re listening to it. I’ve read radiology reports that were fairly descriptive, but they’re clinical enough that you’re not reading the Stephen King version of some guy’s belly tap. (Paracentesis, for anyone interested in the technical term. :D) Robin ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/35 "2006-06-15T18:26:15Z")
Do not use your imagination in this job. There are a few things that may bother you. I find typing any “degloving” injury (that’s when the skin is pushed or peeled away just like a glove, hence the name) to be bothersome. Injuries to the orbit of the eye make me a little nervous. You just keep typing, though. And you do get used to it in time. I’ve typed some pretty horrific charts. Some funny ones, too. You do get used to it. Before you know it you can listen to most any description of proceedings and not even think about it hardly except to be sure it’s spelled correctly. Degloving has only one “L.” ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/36 "2006-08-10T14:34:05Z")
Just to kick this thread back up, I wanted to shout out and say I’ve joined the ranks of the medical transcriptionists. I was very fortunate- I have many years of hospital pharmacy work under my belt and am very familiar with many drug names, procedures, and medical phrases. I came recommended by a friend, intereviewed in person and was taken on at a training wage, which I hope will raise up quickly. I like it very much so far. The first few days of charts were really hard, no doubt about it, but I spent a good deal of time training my word processor to recognize my shortcuts for frequently used terms. At first I was thinking “Man, I hope I can get changed off of this doc fast- she sounds like she’s in the trunk of her car, underwater, in a tunnel, with a mouthful of marbles.” But now that I’ve done some more, I realize that each chart is about 50 lines and many of them are the exact same for each patient. Hey, I kinda like that. She does have some just plain unintelligble moments, but I’m really getting used to her now. After this week I’ll be done with my regular full time job and will only be doing transcription. I’m hoping to have 2 days worth of charts (18-22 a day) to work on each day and upload back. The company has lots of work, so I don’t think this will be an issue. I find every day I’m a bit faster and more accurate, which is good. My most frequent word now is “WHAT??? WHAT???” It’s kind of fun, though- like putting together a puzzle (trying to fill in the blanks). Then again, I’m easily amused. One thing for sure- if you’re unfamiliar with medical terms, this is not going to be fun. I played parts of one file for my husband and his eyes about popped out. He couldn’t believe I could make any sense of it. Tuba is right- sometimes they really do talk as fast as an auctioneer, sometimes in very noisy enviornments. My favorite thus far was done in the cafeteria and there is the clear sound of someone baying in the background. Um, whoa. My company only required me to buy a pedal and headphones, so I made out cheap. I can see where people might find it tedious, but I don’t really. I’m used to work that is go go go all the time, no slacking, so that’s good. I keep a timesheet with my hours worked, lunch time taken, and lines done for the day so I can track my hourly average rate over the months. So far so good! And a shout out to Tuba, who gave me some advice via e-mail. Thanks for that! ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/37 "2006-08-10T15:01:58Z")
Thank you for the update BoBettie. I had to buy a car and 3 days later my husband got laid off, so right now I am robbing Peter to pay Paul. I’ve found some stuff around the internet to get me a bit more familiar with it and I am still seriously considering it. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090/38 "2006-08-10T23:32:14Z")
[QUOTE=Auntbeast] Thank you for the update BoBettie. I had to buy a car and 3 days later my husband got laid off, so right now I am robbing Peter to pay Paul. I’ve found some stuff around the internet to get me a bit more familiar with it and I am still seriously considering it. [/QUOTE] I can see where you could make a good living at it for sure- I’ll post an update in a few months and say how it’s going. I think that you could do it, but it may take longer to ramp up- like maybe work another job and do it part time for a year or so while you train at it and get familiar. The account I’m working now has some advantages and some disadvantages. The dictation is pretty mushy and hard to understand, but that’s typical from what I gather. The nice thing is that she follows a very predictable pattern of exam reporting, so outside of figuring out what drugs she’s saying and some lab test acronyms, it’s decently easy money. There’s a backlog of work for her, too, so I’m hoping to keep doing her stuff for a while before moving on to something more challenging. If I decide to continue it as my full time job, I’m thinking of studying up on a particular field like Neurology or Cardiology and seeking jobs in those fields to increase my revenue, but for now this is going to work out just fine. Oh, and it wasn’t mentioned earlier- there are some online resources to turn to if you’re in the field and have questions or need references. There are some professional associations that you pay a fee to join, and I also found this site handy: [http://www.mtworld.com/index.html](http://www.mtworld.com/index.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-medical-transcriptionists-out-there/360090.md?page=1)