Transcription Jobs

Finding Affordable Transcription for Research Interviews

2008-06-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

If you?ve conducted some research including one-to-one interviews, and then realised how much work is involved in transcribing them, you?ll probably be looking for an affordable transcription service. There are many transcription services available but sometimes an affordable transcription service can seem hard to find. Transcription is not cheap, because it is a lot more involved than copy typing, but that doesn?t mean you can?t find affordable transcription, and what?s more, by providing good quality recordings you can make the transcription more affordable, as it will take less time to complete.

You could do the transcription yourself, but if you are not a fast touch-typist and do not have specialist transcription equipment then it will take you a very long time. I have had clients come to me saying they started the work themselves and it was taking them 20 hours to produce a transcript of a 1-hour recording. That?s why they ended up using a transcription service!

The most important thing to remember is that it?s just not possible to type as fast as you speak. Even an experienced transcriptionist will be able to average four times as long for a good, clear one-to-one interview ? so an hour of recording will take an average of four hours to transcribe. ( Industry standards obtained from the Industry Production Standards Guide (I998), published by OBC, Columbus, OH, USA) Transcriptionists also have to make sense of what?s being said, punctuate the speech correctly and use the right homophones (words like there/their/they?re that sound the same but are spelt differently.)

So how can you make sure that your transcript is clear, in order to get an affordable transcription price? Basically, the easier you make the transcription for the transcriptionist, the more likely they are to be able to give you an affordable transcription quote.

First of all, use the best transcription equipment you can afford, and make sure it?s fit for purpose. This means that for interviews you should have a recorded with an external microphone rather than one built into the recorder, which is only designed to pick up one voice dictating. For focus groups you should have several microphones so that all participants are close to a mike, and for conferences the speakers should have good microphones and there should also be people in the audience with ?roving? microphones to take around to any audience members wanting to ask a question.

More and more transcriptionists are only taking on digital work now, rather than tapes, so to give yourself the broadest base to chose from you might want to consider using a digital recording method. These are also usually better quality.

Next, you should prepare well before each interview. Make sure that, if at all possible you have arranged a quiet meeting room, as background noise will dramatically increase the time taken to transcribe the recording, as the transcriptionist may have to listen to sections several times in order to capture the interview speech. It is helpful to spell out your interviewee?s name at the beginning of the tape, before starting the interview, and speak out any information you would like on the transcript header e.g. the date, the job title of your interviewee etc.

During the interview, unless you need to interrupt in order to take back control of the interview, try not to speak over your interviewee. Often in a normal conversation we say ?yeah, yeah, yeah? or ?right? or ?OK? more to indicate we?re listening than for any other reason. Every time you say that you are likely to be obscuring a much more important word or group of words spoken by your interviewee.

After the interview, it is enormously helpful if you can include a list of key words for the transcriptionist. Although we?re happy to go on a ?Google hunt?, searching the internet to find out how to spell technical terms, names of drugs, names of organisations etc., if you can provide this info in advance it certainly saves time, and saving time saves you money, again reaching toward that goal of an affordable transcription price. Technical work will always be more expensive than non-technical, but providing a ?crib sheet? of key words should reduce the cost.

Most transcriptionists work in a standard format, whether that be tabular, tabbed, interviews shown as initials or full names etc. Again most are happy to work to your specifications, but the standard format might well be cheaper, so think carefully about whether you need something different or not. Find out what the standard format is in advance if it concerns you, and you may be able to adapt it to your needs. If, for instance, it?s essential that you have speakers in different fonts or different colours, this will add to the price. It might be more cost-effective for you to put this in when the basic transcript is returned to you!

Finally, give some serious thought to whether or not you need a verbatim transcription. Verbatim transcription includes every repeated word, every ?um? and ?erm?, all those ?filler? phrases like ?you know? and ?know what I mean? that may be repeated a hundred times in one interview, and can also include pauses, coughs, throat clearing etc. if required. Needless to say if this takes longer. If the transcriptionist can filter out all this stuff the transcript is quicker. In my company the cheapest level is what we call ?intelligent verbatim? which cuts out all these fillers but leaves the rest exactly as it?s spoken. Different transcriptionists work this differently though, so always check when you?re phoning for your quote. Here are some brief examples. Somewhat more expensive is edited, which corrects the grammar and any mispronounced words as well as knocking out all the fillers.

Verbatim: Erm ? well, I dunno really, know what I mean? I mean, you know, when I asked them what Mary?s, er, um, condish, condit, condition was, they said like erm ?I?m afraid we can?t, erm, tell you that, Mrs. Smith, ?cause you ain?t a relative.?

Intelligent Verbatim: Well, I dunno really. I mean when I asked them what Mary?s condition was they said ?I?m afraid we can?t tell you that, Mrs Smith, ?cause you ain?t a relative.?

Edited: Well I don?t know really. I mean when I asked them what Mary?s condition was they said ?I?m afraid we can?t tell you that, Mrs Smith, because you are not a relative.?

You can see that a whole extra line of typing is required for the verbatim work in just those few short sentences.

There are occasions when verbatim is required ? depending on your topic it might be required for legal reasons, or you might be studying the language. But if you really don?t need it, don?t end up paying for it!

There are many excellent reasons for interviewing groups of people, but don?t do this in order to try to reduce the transcription cost! It takes much longer to transcribe a group of more than two or three people (including the moderator/interviewer) because of the time taken to distinguish the different voices and the fact that people will inevitably talk over each other, especially when they get excited, enthusiastic, impassioned or angry.

And finally, a note of caution: remember that the cheapest transcription quote might not be the most affordable one in the end. There is an oft-quoted phrase: if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Will it really be cost-effective to send your hard-won interviews to the cheapest service if what comes back is gobbledygook and you have to go through the whole thing correcting every other word? How much time will you then waste that could have been spent more productively on your analysis?

Anne Hickley has many years experience in a wide variety of administrative posts. Roles have included provision of secretarial services, PA work, project management and administration, academic and business report writing and editing, and recruitment. She has worked for a range of companies and institutions from SMEs to multinational businesses. Anne has a degree and a doctorate, and also holds the Diploma in Recruitment Practice, the membership qualification for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

She runs her own small business, Penguin Office Services (http://www.penguinofficeservices.co.uk) and has a website specifically dedicated to transcription at http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk These provide a wide variety of administrative services to clients around the world, from corporates to individuals.

This article is copyright, Anne Hickley, 2007.

Finding Affordable Transcription for Interviews, Focus Groups, Conferences and More

2008-06-09T02:24:00.000-07:00

You may have been conducting research interviews, focus groups, market research, but whatever your reason for recording conversations you?ll be looking for an affordable transcription service. There are many transcription services available but sometimes an affordable transcription service can seem hard to find. Transcription is not cheap, because it is a lot more involved than copy typing, but that doesn?t mean you can?t find an affordable transcription service, and by providing good quality recordings you can make the transcription more affordable, as it will take less time to complete.

You may have planned to do the transcription yourself, but if you are not a fast touch-typist and do not have specialist transcription equipment then you have probably now realised that it?s going to take you a very long time. I have had clients come to me saying it was taking them 20 hours to produce a transcript of a 1-hour recording. That?s why they ended up using a transcription service!

The most important thing to remember is that it?s just not possible to type as fast as you speak. Even an experienced transcriptionist will be able to average four times as long for a good, clear one-to-one interview ? so an hour of recording will take an average of four hours to transcribe. A focus group may take six hours or more per hour of recording. (Industry standards obtained from the Industry Production Standards Guide (I998), published by OBC, Columbus, OH, USA) Transcriptionists also have to make sense of what?s being said, punctuate the speech correctly and use the right homophones (words like there/their/they?re that sound the same but are spelt differently.)

First of all, use the best recording equipment you can afford, and make sure it?s fit for purpose. This means that for interviews you should record with an external microphone rather than one built into the recorder, which is only designed to pick up one voice dictating. For focus groups you should have several microphones so that all participants are close to a mike.

If you?re conducting interviews then, if at all possible, conduct them in a quiet room, as background noise will dramatically increase the time taken to transcribe the recording, as the transcriptionist may have to listen to sections several times in order to capture the interview speech. It is helpful to spell out your interviewee?s name at the beginning of the tape, before starting the interview, and speak out any information you would like on the transcript header e.g. the date, the job title of your interviewee etc. You may also want to conduct a ?debrief? session at the end of the recording, when you are alone, in order to quickly record your impressions of the interview. For research interviews this is often part of the methodology.

Focus group transcription will cost more than a one-to-one interview transcript, but you can still get an affordable transcription service if you work to make your recording as clear as possible. Again make sure the recording is conducted in a private quiet room. Air conditioning can affect a recording, but so can opening a window, so if it?s a hot day it?s worth making a couple of test recordings before you start to see if there are problems! It?s really important to firmly chair a focus group too. Remind all the participants that all their views are valid, there are no rights and wrongs and, while you?re interested to see if they agree or disagree with each other, they should try not to talk (or shout!) over each other to make their point. Saying this at the beginning is important but it?s even more important, if you want affordable transcription, to remind participants each time things start getting a bit ?out of hand? that they need to speak separately for the sake of the recording. Finding the balance here between letting the talk flow and making sure you get a good recording is quite an art!

Conference recording is best left to the professionals if possible! Often these days a venue will provide recording facilities of good quality, included in the price. A microphone needs to be set up for the speaker and there should also be people in the audience with ?roving? microphones to take around to any audience members wanting to ask a question.

Digital recording systems provide the best quality and many transcriptionists only work with digital now, so if you want to give yourself the widest field then it?s certainly worth considering digital.

Any information you can provide to the transcriptionist about your recording will help, and may help toward an affordable transcription service. For example a list of key words will reduce the time spent ?Googleing?, searching the internet to find out how to spell technical terms, names of organisations etc. If you can provide this info it certainly saves time, and saving time saves you money, again reaching toward that goal of an affordable transcription service. Technical work will always be more expensive than non-technical, but providing a ?crib sheet? of key words should reduce the cost.

Verbatim

So, anyway, you know, I said ?er, ?Well, Susan, I really think you, you shouldn?t be um asking, er, me that.? And she, erm, er, she, she, well, she said, ?Look Mark, I dunno what you mean,? know what I mean?

Intelligent Verbatim

So anyway I said, ?Well, Susan, I really think you shouldn?t be asking me that.? And she said, ?Look Mark, I dunno what you mean.?

Edited

So I said, ?Well, Susan, I really think you shouldn?t be asking me that.? And she said, ?Look Mark, I don?t know what you mean.?

You can see that a whole extra line of typing is required for the verbatim work in just those two sentences.

There are occasions when verbatim is required ? depending on your topic it might be required for legal reasons, or you might be studying the language itself and the way it?s used. But if you really don?t need it, don?t end up paying for it!

There are many excellent reasons for interviewing groups of people, but don?t do this in order to try to reduce the transcription cost! As already stated, it takes much longer to transcribe a group of more than two or three people (including the moderator/interviewer) because of the time taken to distinguish the different voices and the fact that people will inevitably talk over each other, especially when they get excited, enthusiastic, impassioned or angry.

And finally, remember that the cheapest transcription quote might not be the most affordable one in the end. There is an oft-quoted phrase: if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Will it really be cost-effective to send your hard-won interviews to the cheapest service if what comes back is gobbledygook and you have to go through the whole thing correcting every other word? How much time will you then waste that could have been spent more productively on your core business?

Penguin Transcription (http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk), part of Penguin Office Services (http://www.penguinofficeservices.co.uk), offers an affordable transcription service by tailoring each quote to the exact requirements of the client. The more information the client can provide us with, and the better the quality of the recording for transcription, the more affordable the transcription service will be. Why not visit our site and fill in an enquiry form at http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk/PTS_enquiry_form.html to receive a quote for your transcription requirements.

This article is copyright, Anne Hickley, 2007.

Transcription vs. Copy Typing - What are They and How Do They Differ?

2008-05-31T04:52:00.000-07:00

Many people are confused as to why transcription (audio typing) apparently costs more than copy typing, as both are typing services. This article aims to explain the differences between the two services and what makes up the costs for a transcription service.

Firstly let?s take copy typing. This normally refers to the typing of written ?copy? ? this maybe a previously typed document (perhaps typed on a typewriter and needing to be input into a Word Processor) or a hand-written document. The cost will vary depending on the ease of readability but with basic copy typing there is no editing or interpretation required; the typist simply types what is written in front of them. The cost of the typing services will vary according to how difficult the writing is to decipher ? it will be relatively cheaper if the original document is very clear handwriting or type-written.

Transcription, on the other hand, has no copy for the typist to look at, only an audio recording, which may be an audio tape, video, DVD or audio digital recording. This brings with it a number of issues that copy typing does not have: is the speech clear; is the content comprehensible (e.g. highly technical content might be full of words the transcriptionist is not familiar with); is the recording quality good (e.g. is there any background hiss on the tape or background noise from the surroundings the tape was recorded in); do you need verbatim transcription (word for word with all ?ums and ers?, speech patterns and fillers such as ?you know?, ?know what I mean? or ?kind of? repeated often through the recording; do you want the transcript edited to improve the grammar and sentence structure?

Clearly transcription is much more involved than copy typing. Another thing to bear in mind is that an hour of recording is not equivalent to an hour of transcription time. Even an experienced transcriptionist will be able to average four times as long for a good, clear one-to-one interview ? so an hour of recording will take an average of four hours to transcribe. ( Industry standards obtained from the Industry Production Standards Guide (I998), published by OBC, Columbus, OH, USA) A group, or a poorly recorded transcript, will take commensurately longer. Thus when you receive a quote per hour of recording it may seem like a lot of money, but remember this is NOT your transcriptionist?s hourly rate but rather a quote for a minimum of four hours of her/his time.

Transcriptionists also have to make sense of what?s being said, punctuate the speech correctly and use the right homophones (words like there/their/they?re that sound the same but are spelt differently.)

Many transcriptionists specialise in a particular area so that they are familiar with the technicalities e.g. medical transcription, legal transcription. Others are more generalist and work on less technical transcripts such as research interviews and market research focus groups, video or telephone conferences, seminars and conferences. These may all, of course, contain technical data and if they do it?s helpful to provide your transcriptionist with a list of keywords or, at very least, some background information about your work. Otherwise Google is a wonderful tool if used properly to research the topic but that will add to the total time taken to produce your transcript, and therefore the cost.

Hopefully it is now clear that transcription requires more skill than ?straightforward? copy typing with no editing or formatting involved, and therefore commands a higher hourly rate.

There are a number of things you can do to reduce the cost of the transcription though, and these are detailed in some of my other articles. (See below).

This article is copyright, Anne Hickley, 2007.

Moderating A Focus Group for Later Transcription

2008-05-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

Things to consider before conducting the focus group

If you are conducting a focus group and need to produce a transcript of it later on for analysis then you need to consider the transcription aspect right from the start.

What could be more frustrating than moderating a really productive and information-rich session only to find that your recording is unusable or the transcript comes back from your transcriptionist looking like gobbledegook.

Transcription of even a one-to-one interview is a tricky business and a professional transcriptionist will take around four hours per hour to transcribe a clearly recorded one-to-one interview. A focus group takes even longer because of the variety of different voices and accents, the fact that people talk over each other and the need to work out who is speaking. However, there is quite a bit you can do to make the transcription easier, and an easier transcription will take less time and therefore should cost less if you?re having it professionally transcribed.

If you?re providing refreshments preferably have the food before or after the discussion. Not only is transcription of people eating somewhat unpleasant, it?s also considerably more difficult to understand people, as you?ll know if you?ve ever listened to someone talking with their mouth full.

Do make sure you have a good enough recording system with external microphones. Putting a Dictaphone in the middle of the table is just not going to do the job. These are designed to be held close to the mouth for one person to record dictation into. For a focus group you will need a system with external microphones, ideally one per participant. If that?s not practical then one good quality microphone at the very least and preferably two or three. Do also make sure the group is meeting in a quiet self-contained room with no distractions.

Sometimes you won?t need to know who?s speaking, so long as each time a new person speaks this is indicated on the transcript. This will usually be cheaper as the transcriptionist does not have to distinguish the different voices, so it?s worth considering in advance whether you need the information on who?s speaking at any particular time.

If it is important to know who is talking then you will ideally not have more than five people of the same sex or eight people altogether, unless their voices or accents are very distinctive.

Conducting the focus group

Firstly lay down the ground rules at the beginning of the focus group. Explain why the tape recorder is there and check no one objects. Have a back-up plan or policy ready if anyone does object, or make sure everyone is notified in advance.

You will obviously need to explain what you want from the participants, why the group is being conducted, what you are researching etc. but if you don?t want this transcribed switch the recorder on after you?ve done that, or tell the transcriptionist where on the tape to start. (This is easier with digital transcription as audio tape counters are not very precise.)

Explain that people talking over each other will be problematic for the recording so ask that they please refrain from doing so. Don?t be afraid to remind them of this as when people get passionate, excited or angry they will talk over each other!

Before going any further get everyone in the group to introduce themselves. Ask them to say specific things so that you get more than a name. For example, ?Hello, can you tell me your name, where you live, your job, who else lives with you and your favourite food?. This would be appropriate for market research. For a group of scientists you might say ?can you say your name, just for the purposes of the tape, where you work and a sentence or two about your current research?. The point is that the transcriptionist has a chance to ?learn? the different voices.

It?s hard to strike the perfect balance between getting all the information and letting a true discussion develop. If the purpose of the group is to develop a discussion e.g. a group of company directors discussing government policy or a group of scientists giving opinions on your company?s latest product, then you won?t want to be continuously interjecting to remind them not to talk over each other, but if your primary reason for using a focus group rather than one-to-one interviews is financial e.g. market research, then the primary goal is probably to get opinions from as many people as possible and an in-depth discussion is not really the aim. In this case you can be firmer with moderating the group. You could, for instance, ask them to say their name every time they speak e.g. ?Mike. I think it tastes like sawdust actually?. ?Hi, I?m Lisa. I think it?s a cross between a digestive biscuit and sandpaper.? ?Mike again. Yeah, sandpaper?s a good description.? The transcript would then be produced as follows:

Mike: I think it tastes like sawdust actually Lisa: I think it?s a cross between a digestive biscuit and sandpaper. Mike: Yeah, sandpaper?s a good description.

If it?s important to stick to a discussion plan the don?t be afraid to gently reign people in if they go off track e.g. ?That?s a very interesting point Mike, but what we?re really discussing here is the price. Of course taste is extremely important and we?ll certainly be discussing it later on. For now though, what do you think of the price??

After the group ? preparing for transcription

Make a list of all the names (with correct spellings) and genders, and other relevant info e.g. Dr Sandy Shaw, Blogs Hospital NHS Trust, Qualified 10 years ? Female. Give this list to the transcriber along with the names of the moderator and anyone else who is present and makes any comment e.g. someone who?s helped to organise the group or is participating in the research.

Make sure you tell your transcriptionist exactly what you want e.g. you almost certainly won?t need a ?verbatim? transcription including every ?um? or ?er? and every repeated word. If you do need this it will probably be more expensive. Don?t be confused into thinking that it won?t be an accurate transcript if it?s not verbatim. ?Intelligent verbatim? is exactly what?s said, but leaving out all the ?speech fillers?, hesitations etc. and this is probably more practical in these situations. Sometimes you might want the answers edited to tidy up the grammar, and sometimes for market research you might want each comment categorised into a table to make the results more quantitative. Each of these ways of transcribing will be differently priced and some transcriptionists will have more experience in market research categorisation, so think carefully about what you need and make sure you find the appropriate person to carry out the work for you.

This article is copyright, Anne Hickley, 2007.

Digital Versus Analog Recordings for Transcription

2008-05-28T03:25:00.000-07:00

Firstly it is useful to understand the differences between digital and analog audio. This applies to any recordings, not just to recordings of voice for transcription. Analog machines, such as tape cassette recorders, record sounds as wave forms, the way that the sound occurs in nature. Digital machines record sound by taking samples of the signal and storing them as bits of data, in the same way as a computer stores information. Because of the way the sounds are recorded digital recordings have a higher signal-to-noise ratio. Noise here refers to any background noise but when comparing analog to digital recordings it really refers to recorder-induced noise such as ?tape hiss?. So the quality of the digital recording is better. That alone is a good reason to consider using digital recording rather than analogue tapes!

There are other good reasons though. Not least of these is the fact that copies of analog recordings deteriorate in quality, so sending a copy of your master tape to a transcriptionist can result in a poor quality transcription, because the quality of the audio is poor. Digital recordings can be copied again and again with no deterioration in quality because all that?s being copied is a series of bits of data.

Of course when using digital recordings you do need to check that your transcriptionist can transcribe from the file type you are using, or convert it. Most transcriptionists will be able to transcribe from any standard analog cassette and many can transcribe from micro and mini cassettes and video. So long as they have the relevant tape transcription machine they can transcribe the tape. Not so, unfortunately, with digital.

Most digital audio file types are compressed and a codec (the algorithm used to reduce the number of bites contained in large files by eliminating redundant data) and the transcriptionist or transcription software will need access to the codec that has produced the compressed file. However, this is often not an issue as PCs and many types of transcription software come with a variety of codecs already installed. It is certainly important to check with your transcriptionist though that they can work with your file type. Please see my separate article on digital file types for transcription for more information on this.

Digital file types are also easily manipulated and this can be useful when recording for transcription. If there are parts of the file you do not want transcribed it is a fairly simple matter to remove those parts and only send the transcriptionist the parts that should be transcribed. Alternatively, because a digital recording indicates where you are in it second by second, you can send the transcriptionist instructions such as ?transcribe between 3 minutes 20 seconds and 60 minutes 10 seconds.? This does not work on analog media as, even if you and your transcriptionist both have tape players with minute counters, the level of accuracy is quite poor.

Another huge benefit from the point of view of the transcription itself is that in a transcription from a digital recording your transcriptionist can mark the precise time that an inaudible word occurs. If that time is 3 minutes and 22 seconds then you can go back to your copy of the recording and almost instantly find 3 minutes and 22 seconds, play the word, and hopefully fill in the blank. With an analog recording on tape the transcriptionist can mark an inaudible word but it's not possible to note the time with any degree of accuracy and you will either need to flick back and forth through the tape to find it or listen through the whole recording.

There are various ways to make a digital recording. Perhaps the commonest when recording for transcription is onto a card, in much the same way as a digital camera records pictures onto a card. The recorded files can then be transferred onto your computer and sent to your transcriptionist via email (if compressed), FTP, file sharing sites or, in some cases, a file-sending box located on the transcriptionist?s website.

Minidiscs have an excellent sound quality but many transcriptionists are unable to transcribe from them as the data needs to be transferred to PC first and then usually converted for use in transcription programmes.

DVDs and CDs also need to be converted before use in transcription software.

Recording can also be done directly onto a computer hard-drive using various types of software and an external microphone. However, when conducting interviews the presence of a laptop and large microphone might be rather intrusive.

However the recording is made and stored, it should be possible, with the right equipment and software, to convert the file into something you can download onto your PC and send to your transcriptionist by one of the methods mentioned above. So digital recordings not only improve on quality but can save you time and money. Recordings can be ?instantly? transferred to the transcriptionist instead of posting audio cassettes, you save money on postage costs to and from your transcriptionist and a better quality transcription will cost less to transcribe as it will take less time.

All in all, in a comparison between digital and analogue recording for transcription, digital recordings come out well ahead.

Penguin Transcription (http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk), part of Penguin Office Services, offers an affordable transcription service by tailoring each quote to the exact requirements of the client. The more information the client can provide us with, and the better the quality of the recording for transcription, the more affordable the transcription service will be. Why not visit our site and fill in an enquiry form at http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk/PTS_enquiry_form.html to receive a quote for your transcription requirements.

This article is copyright, Anne Hickley, 2007.

Transcription - Get Digital Recording Equipment That's Right For Your Needs

2008-05-27T02:34:00.000-07:00

There is a bewildering away of recording equipment available to record your interviews, focus groups, conferences etc. for later transcription, but this article aims to inform you on the different features available for recorders, what they're for and how the will (or won't) be of use to you, as someone who is recording for transcription. There is an enormous price range from less than ?50 to hundreds of pounds, and this article aims to explain indicate which features cost more and what to look out for. The different features are first listed and then explained, and this should allow you to choose a machine that's right for you and your transcriptionist. As any visit to a good website or shop selling these machines will show you, this is not a comprehensive list. It's a lost of the most important aspects from a transcription point of view.

The different features are:

Recording quality
Frequency response
Amount of recording time
Computer interface
File type
Editing of recorded voice e.g. rewinding and adding or deleting some words
How is the recorder powered?
Dimensions
Microphone jack
Links with a speech recognition software

Recording quality will normally be indicated as SHQ - stereo high quality, HQ - high quality, SP (short play) and LP (long play). SHQ is the best quality (and stereo of course) but will take up the most memory, so you will be able to record less at this setting. LP is the poorest quality but you can record more time. Mono is probably perfectly adequate for an interview, but if you're recording a number of different people e.g. at a meeting, conference or focus group, it might be useful to have stereo recording. To use stereo you will need a stereo microphone or more than one external microphone.

The different recording qualities relate to different frequency responses. The human ear picks up audio in the range of between approximately 20 Hz and 20 kHz. But what are the most used frequencies in speech? I'd love to know but a quick Google search gives an unbelievable range of answers! I think it's fairly safe to say it's somewhere around 250 Hz to 5 kHz, with the higher end being a high-pitched woman's voice and the lower end being a low-pitched man. So it's around those ranges that you need to be looking. There is a wide range of different frequencies available in different recording machines but frankly most will record a one-to-one or one-to-two interview to acceptable quality at SP, and possibly even at LP.

The amount of recording time will depend on which recording quality you choose, and again the range of times is enormous, so you really need to think about what your needs are. You might need a long recording time if you're going to be researching 'in the field' for significant lengths of time, with no access to your PC to download files, or if you are recording a conference, especially if you want to use a high quality recording for this, which will mean you have less time. If, however, you are recording notes or dictation, or one-to-one interviews, and can regularly download information onto your PC, there is no need to save vast amounts of data onto the machine. It is probably this factor that creates the biggest price differences, so think carefully and don't buy a machine that gives you hours more time than you need.

The computer interface is a really important consideration. If you are planning to send the recordings to a transcriptionist to be transcribed you will need to download them onto your PC first. They can then either be emailed (if small enough, see file type section), transferred by FTP, or in some cases, including my company Penguin Transcription, sent using a file-sending box on the transcriptionist's website. Even if you plan to transcribe the files yourself it is a tedious business if you have to do this directly from the 'note taker' as recorders that don't have a download interface are sometimes called. Ideally the recorder will link to your PC with a USB interface, usually requiring no extra software or drivers. Alternatively it might link through a port and come with a CD containing the relevant drivers.

The file type is another very important consideration and is perhaps the one that is most often overlooked. Examples are WAV (uncompressed, great quality but enormous), WMA (Windows Media format, compressed but reasonable quality for voice), DSS (Olympus proprietary transcription file, very compressed but specially designed for voice so good quality). These are just a few examples and you can see details of a wider range of file types in my separate article on this site 'Digital File Types for Audio Transcription'. If you plan to send your files to a transcriptionist for transcription you will ideally want files that are reasonably small and can be emailed, although there are various ways of sending much larger files over the net. WAV files will not only take a long time to send, they will take up a lot of space on your PC, and on your recorder. DSS or DVF files for instance, are much more convenient as they are small and compact, can be emailed without being blocked by the server, and are delivered quickly.

Editing of recorded voice will probably be more important if you are using the machine to take dictation rather than an interview. When dictating a letter you may want to go back and delete the last few words and replace them with something else. The recorders at the mid to upper end of the price-range usually have this feature but if it's important to you it's worth checking to make sure as they by no means all have it.

How is the recorder powered? Most recorders are battery powered but if you're gong to be using your recorder significantly it's worth checking that you can use rechargeable batteries, from an environmental and cost perspective! It's also a consideration if dimensions are important to you. In particular the batteries can add considerably to the weight. Most modern recording machines are fairly light and quite discreet though. If weight is a concern make sure that the weight listed includes the batteries.

Whether or not the recorder has a microphone jack is an important consideration, as is the quality of mike that it allows you to plug in. Really for anything but one-person dictation an external microphone is a necessity. Recording an interview with only the machine's internal microphone is likely to give disappointing results. A poor recording will lead, at worst, to a poor transcription, and at best to an expensive transcription, as it will take longer to complete! If you are recording a conference you will need more than one mike, or a stereo microphone, as already mentioned.

Some recorders link with speech recognition software. As yet this type of software is really only of use for one-voice recording e.g. dictation of notes. Even then you will need to spend some time and energy 'training' the software to recognise your voice, and then carefully check the transcript as it will doubtless be ridden with mistakes, especially on homophones (words that sound the same but are spelt differently.) However, if you are going to use one of these packages then a feature that links your recorder directly to it is a useful addition.

This list is only the most important features in my opinion for transcription of interviews, dictation, focus groups and conferences. It does not cover the recording of music which requires a much wider frequency range and a number of other specialist considerations, but I hope that it is helpful for those embarking on research that requires transcription.

Penguin Transcription, part of Penguin Office Services, offers an affordable transcription service by tailoring each quote to the exact requirements of the client. The more information the client can provide us with, and the better the quality of the recording for transcription, the more affordable the transcription service will be. Why not visit our site and fill in an enquiry form at http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk/PTS_enquiry_form.html to receive a quote for your transcription requirements. If you are looking for transcripiton equipment we use and recommend Speak IT, http://www.speakit.info

This article is copyright, Anne Hickley, 2007.

Media Transcription

2008-05-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

We are pioneers and experts in supporting Television Media Production companies , Documentary producers, independent Content producers, Media consultants and numerous associated Media professionals in their Transcription needs. Our vast experience gained over customer projects is evident in our satisfied customer feedbacks.B-Roll is an extra footage that can be used to illustrate the main story-line. Example: If a person is talking about a new school, the B-roll will include video of the new school. Most of the Television documentary and reality shows require transcription of the extra footage with simple narration. This will give good reading experience to the story readers. We are specialists in B-Roll transcription and we consistently attempt to identify each person speaking and transcribe brief descriptions of what is happening. The descriptions are general and it gives the reader of the transcript an idea of what is happening. We handle variety of Standard Tapes, Micro cassettes, MiniDVs, and VHS. We are experts in converting all types of non digital source audio/video into digital. Converted digital files are then sent for transcription. Extra charges are applicable for non digital to digital conversion.Unless until specified, we follow the below standard notations and document rules:

? We transcribe verbatim. We type whatever heard including umms.. ahhs and pauses

? Doubtful words will be marked (?) in the beginning and end part of the doubtful sentence

? Times New Roman will be used as standard font

? One to one interviews transcribed as question and answer format without identifying names

? Indiscernible parts of audio are marked as (Indiscernible) in the transcript.

? Time coding/Stamping done only upon request.

? Nouns and Proper Nouns will be transcribed to the best of judgment, it is denoted by first letter in capital

? We follow standard US spelling and style.

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Business Idea For Mom-Medical Transcription

2008-05-23T03:40:00.000-07:00

What to do? What to do? There are so many options available for mothers who want to become work-at-home-moms (WAHMs). They key is to find something that you enjoy and that will suit your situation.

Some people like direct sales; whereas others prefer to not only work out of their home but also to work in their home. If you fall into the latter category, then perhaps you may want to consider a career as a medical transcriptionist.

While approximately four out of ten transcriptionists work at hospitals and doctor's offices, there is also plenty of work that can be performed in the comforts of your own home. You can telecommute from your home office as an employee, a subcontractor or even as an independent freelance medical transcriptionist.

Almost always you will find that employers prefer medical transcriptionists who have completed a postsecondary training program at a vocational school or community college. If you do not have this type of background or training, there are a number of options to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities.

If you do an internet search on "medical transcription" you will see a large number of results. There are more than a few self study training programs available. Just make sure you exercise due diligence when selecting a training program.

Typically you can expect to pay in the neighborhood of $1,000 for a course. You may be able to find some for less and also for more. Included in your curriculum will be a series of text, workbooks, reference guides and audio tapes. Plan to spend a chunk of time in the books learning the terminology before you will ever begin to transcribe.

It is important to note that while it is relatively easy to study the text with small children around, it is not as effortless practice transcribing when you have young ones to care for. You must have an extremely quiet environment in which to hear and understand the person dictating. If you have children who should not be left unattended, then focusing with headphones on may not be the best idea.

At home medical transcription is a great career for mothers who have babies who sleep often or older school aged children. If you enjoy an office environment and type at a pretty good pace, this may be a wonderful medium to earn an income in your pajamas!

Charissa Bear is the owner of http://www.momsinc.biz, a work at home mom resource dedicated to helping moms find home based careers. Learn more about Home Based Medical Trancription by stopping by MomsInc.biz today!

Benefits of a Medical Transcription Business

2008-05-22T03:49:00.000-07:00

You have decided to start a home based business. Now the problem is choosing which business to pursue. Usually, before a person decides to begin their business, a lot of research needs to be done. Your demographic area determines if the product you have to sell will be in demand by the public. Marketing a product that is already saturated in the area in which you live spells disaster for your business in its infancy. This article cuts through all of that research and presents you with a home based business product whose demand will continue to increase over the coming years.

Medical transcription is an at home business that offers tremendous benefits for those who choose to pursue it. One benefit of this business is setting your own hours of operation. The problem with traditional office jobs is that they are not structured to accommodate children’s school schedules, family illnesses, and emergencies. My children go to school late so going to work at an earlier hour means leaving them home to see themselves off to school in the morning. The flexible hours that this home based business provides allows you to tend to family issues as they arise. You don’t have to get permission to leave work because you are the boss!

Another benefit of a home based business like this is the low overhead. “Overhead” refers to the costs involved in operating your business that are subtracted from the bottom line to determine your business profits. Other new businesses that require a building or need to employ workers will have higher operating costs including employer provided health insurance.

At home, the cost to you will be limited to the equipment used to retrieve the dictation, a computer with word processing software (if you don’t already own one), a desk, a chair, and a phone. Most of what you need, you may already have. Also, these things can be written off on your taxes as a business expense, and that includes the square footage of the room that you choose to be your base of operations. Less overhead costs equal more profits for your business.

Medical transcriptionists are employed in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and transcription services. Most companies that hire medical transcriptionists require hospital experience. Length of service differs from company to company. The beauty of this field is that you can work in the hospital setting to gain the necessary experience and grow your business at the same time. Working part-time in a hospital or office will give you a feel for the industry in your particular area. Joining a professional medical transcription organization will help you network among others in the profession to increase your business.

Beginning any new business requires time and hard work. A medical transcription business offers low overhead, flexible work schedules, and a product that will stay in demand as long as there are doctors. These benefits make it appealing to those who are tired of the grind and want a more balanced family life.

For more information on starting a medical transcription online information and help getting started as an MT visit - http://www.askthemt.com/ – an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions

Why Medical Transcription is a Great Way to Work from Home

2008-05-20T00:39:00.000-07:00

Are the confines of a "nine to five" job not for you? If you are looking for an occupation that offers a change of pace, think about starting your own home based business. A home based business provides a work schedule that is centered on the needs of your life and not the other way around, which is typical of a traditional job.

If a home based business is a venture you want to pursue, consider a business in the medical field. Besides computers, the medical field is one of the fastest growing areas of employment. As current medical professionals age out, the need to replace them is urgent.

Medical transcription is a growing career that can be managed as a home based business. The job of a medical transcriptionist is to accurately translate a doctor's audio dictation into text form for patient medical records. A medical transcriptionist needs to have good communication and language skills. The most important skill is a working knowledge of medical terms including drug abbreviations, surgical terms, laboratory test abbreviations, laboratory values, medical specialty terms, and anatomy. Good word processing skills are also needed to present a professional finished product to your clients.

A medical background is not a necessity for a home based business in medical transcription. Online and correspondence courses are offered to provide all the training you will need to pursue this career. This is an added bonus. You can train at home to start a business at home! These programs will not only teach you medical terminology, but also familiarize you with the latest equipment and software used in the transcription industry.

Working from home in the medical profession is a career that will always be in demand. As long as doctor's practice, they will dictate medical procedures to make their lives easier. Someone will also be needed to translate these dictations into text documents. So, you won't have to worry about your business becoming defunct in a couple of years unless you want it to. There is job security in the medical transcription industry. You can grow your business as much or as little as you want. The sky's the limit.

So, if you are the type of person who is ambitious, entrepreneurial, an effective listener and communicator, the home based medical transcription business is the perfect way to work from home. You can break out of the traditional job mold forever.

For more information on starting a medical transcription online information and help getting started as an MT visit - http://www.askthemt.com/ - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions

Medical Transcription Tips-Staying Organized

2008-05-17T03:08:00.000-07:00

When operating a business, it is important to be organized. The day to day operations will run smoother if your "i's" are dotted and your "t's" are crossed. Here are a few tips to keep you organized when running a medical transcription business.

1. What day is it? Keeping a daily schedule of events will help you to manage your time. Since you are running an at home business, you are the secretary also. A desk calendar will give you the ability to look at the whole month at a glance when scheduling work over the phone. Your quick scribbles can then be transferred to a monthly planner that can be taken with you wherever you go. This avoids the problem of missed deadlines and too many projects scheduled at one time.

2. Invest in a filing cabinet. No office should be without one. Invoices and contracts should be filed appropriately so they are easily called upon if needed. Keep folders for each client. Any correspondence should be filed in these folders, too. Utilizing a filing system avoids a big pile of papers on the corner of your desk. Filing should be done on a weekly basis.

3. Invest in bookkeeping software. Programs like Quicken or MS Money should be purchased for your business. Good recordkeeping is vital to a strong business. Keep track of money coming in from clients and money going out for expenses like equipment and office supplies. An accurate accounting of your finances will make filing the yearly tax forms a breeze.

4. Install a separate telephone line. The important thing about establishing a business in your home is to keep it separate from all other household business affairs. The last thing you want is your young child answering a call from a client. A separate telephone line allows all calls related to the business to be routed to a separate answering machine so missed calls can be identified and promptly returned.

5. Purchase business cards. The point of any business is to grow. You never know who you may meet at a party or other event. Business cards are a great networking tool. They advertise what you are all about and can increase the client base for your particular services.

Your medical transcription business will grow by leaps and bounds with a little business savvy. Treat your home office as if it were a separate entity. To keep up with the changes, organization is needed to keep things from getting out of control.

Medical Transcription - A Profession Whose Time Has Come

2008-05-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

Medical Transcription is the process of interpreting and transcribing the dictation made by healthcare professionals, such as doctors, regarding patient status, treatment procedures, prognoses, diagnoses etc.

The Medical Transcriptionist may also edit the text that is produced by voice recognition software, and requires extensive knowledge of medical pharmacological and anatomical terms.

Medical Transcriptionists in the past would listen to dictations and type it themselves, but with voice recognition software this has become mostly unnecessary. Today the medical transcriptionist usually just edits the output of the software which can range from a few corrections to major changes, because voice recognition software still has not been perfected.

The purpose of medical transcription and the medical transcriptionist remains the same as it was in earlier times, to keep a record of a patient's medical status and treatment. Ancient medical transcription has been noted as writing on ancient cave walls and in documents of lost civilizations.

Not until the late 20th century was Medical Transcription recognized as a profession. Prior to that those that did Medical Transcription were given menial labels such as typists, medical secretaries, dictating machine operators, or word processors.

For those who practice medical transcription, this was and is a highly unjustified job title since the profession requires a wide knowledge of highly technical medical terms. Thus, in 1999, MedicalTranscription was assigned its own job classification and those practicing it were officially called Medical Transcriptionists.

The profession of Medical Transcription has basically been underground, and most people have not heard about it. Nonetheless, Medical Transcription is essential in the ever growing health care industry.

Health care staff do not have the time to write every single bit of information they gather from patients. As a result, the demand for qualified Medical Transcriptionist professionals is rapidly growing, in addition to the fact of the increasing numbers of new medical procedures coming into the mainstream, doctors simply don't have the time to personally transcribe all their findings.

The profession of Medical Transcription is very versatile as well. After a few years of education, Medical Transcriptionists can acquire work from medical transcription firms who receive dictations made by doctors and turn these orders over to medical transcriptionists to be transcribed.

As part of that versatility, a Medical Transcriptionist may be able to work full or part-time from home. The American Association for Medical Transcription is the governing body in the United States that certifies Medical Transcriptionists.

Although you may not need certification to work as one, a certification from the AAMT will certainly increase you're "market value" and credibility.

Medical Transcription has grown out of its infancy of merely listening and transcribing the words dictated by a doctor. Medical Transcription has matured and now requires specific education and knowledge regarding medical language, Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes, physical anatomy, physiology, disease processes, medical science and procedures, medical instruments, pharmacology, laboratory instruments, laboratory test results, medical reference material techniques and many, many more.

Carol Benkman is free lance writer who does research and writing in a variety of fields ranging from outdoor sports, animals, animal rescue, to technical fields such as medicine, psychology, engineering and spirituality.

Medical Transcriptionist Schools

2008-05-13T04:23:00.000-07:00

Due to the growth in healthcare services, there is a growing need for medical transcription. It is advisable for a student interested in pursuing this profession to get a certificate from one of the accredited universities.

A certificate in medical transcription, CMT, is awarded by The American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT). Since medicine is a continuously changing sphere, medical transcriptionists are expected to keep their skills updated, so this certificate needs to be renewed every three years. A person who wants to do a certificate course in medical transcription can either enroll in one of the schools or colleges offering this course or enroll online and learn from home.

There are several nationally recognized medical transcription online certification courses available. This includes a medical terminology course at no additional cost. All materials required for this course are included in this online certification program, which is only presented in affiliation with some of the main colleges and universities. Penn Foster's is one such online training program.

University of Phoenix Online, American Inter Continental University Online, Virginia College Online are some of the other renowned colleges and universities offering online medical transcription courses. Ashford University and Kennedy-Western University are accredited universities.

Upon successful completion of the approved medical terminology and transcription course, the student is expected to be able to understand the importance of the classified nature of medical reports. They are supposed to know the content and purpose of the reports. They have to transcribe medical reports with correct report formatting and grammatical correctness. They have to properly spell words that are complicated medical terminologies. They are also supposed to have very good computer skills and should be aware of the software.

These schools sharpen administrative skills, provide the clinical knowledge needed, and enhance communication skills. They are stepping stones to the world of medical transcription.

Medical Transcriptionist provides detailed information on Medical Transcriptionist, Medical Transcriptionist Jobs, Medical Transcriptionist Training, Medical Transcriptionist Salary and more. Medical Transcriptionist is affiliated with Electronic Medical Record

Medical Transcriptionist From Home

2008-05-12T04:02:00.000-07:00

Medical transcription is a career offering earning potential from working at home. A person needs to listen to audio notes of the doctor on a patient. Then he has to transcribe it into a written document. This is then sent back to the doctor for approval.

A medical transcriptionist needs to have knowledge about medical terms, physiology, anatomy as well as the abbreviations used. The person should also be fluent in English and have good grammar and punctuation skills, as well as an aptitude to work on a personal computer and with the software for word processing. It is also important for a transcriptionist to have good hearing and listening skills. Employers generally give applicants a pre-employment test and favor individuals with experience.

An aspirant can earn a medical career diploma from home in one year by studying for as little as one hour a day. The student can also earn as well as learn by working part time with a clinic or doctor, during the duration of the course. There are various colleges, recognized by The American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT), offering courses that certify a medical transcriptionist. These colleges boast dedicated and expert instructors and support staff to help complete the work.

To educate students, different regional accents and background noises are used in the educational recordings. The students are tested on their speed of picking up words, keyboard skills, command of the English language, knowledge of the human anatomy and medical terminology. Medical terminology and abbreviations are also taught. On successful completion of the course, the student is awarded the Medical Transcription Certificate.

A medical transcriptionist is an important part of any health care team. A good transcriptionist with knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and medical record keeping is a valuable asset to any hospital, clinic or physician.

Medical Transcriptionist Online

2008-05-10T02:38:00.000-07:00

Medical transcription is a career that involves creating lucid and readable medical documents from the audio tapes on which the doctors have made notes. These documents are then used for keeping medical records and insurance reimbursement.

It is important for the transcriptionist to be able to understand medical terminology, physiology, human anatomy, pharmacology and diagnosis. They must also be able to understand and translate abbreviations and medical jargon into their expanded forms. They should be able to apply the particular principles that are involved with medical records. They should also ensure the legal and ethical necessities required for keeping patient information confidential.

Most health care services pass on audio transcript to medical transcriptionists using digital or analog dictating equipment. The Internet is a very convenient and popular medium for transmitting notes. Transcriptionists obtain dictations over the net and are able to promptly send the transcribed documents to clients.

Medical transcriptionists work by initially listening to recordings on a headset and using a foot pedal to pause the recording when required. They type the text onto a personal computer or word processor, editing for grammar. The documents they mainly write include history of patient, consultation reports, physical examination reports, diagnostic imaging and even operative reports. They are also expected to produce discharge summaries, autopsy reports, progress notes and referral letters. The documents are then sent back to the client and once approved are filed among the permanent documents of the patient.

Another method uses speech recognition technology, which translates sound into text and creates drafts of the reports. This is most often done electronically. These reports need to be formatted, edited and checked for any medical mistakes. Medical fields using standardized terminology, such as pathology or radiology, benefit the most from speech recognition technology. Speech recognition technology is expected to become more popular once it becomes more sophisticated and advanced.

Medical Transcriptionist Job Openings

2008-05-09T03:22:00.000-07:00

Medical Transcription is a career that is emerging as a big job provider for many. It is not a traditional job or a desk-bound 9 to 5 job. There are avenues by which transcriptionists can work from the confines of their homes, do part time jobs or freelance. It has lot of flexibility as far as working hours are concerned.

A medical transcriptionist is part of a health care team. Their knowledge of, physiology, anatomy, medical terminology and medical record make them important to any physician. These skills are in demand and also can allow someone to earn a lot of money. Transcriptionists are generally employed in hospitals, by physicians, in transcription service offices and other such places. Experienced medical transcriptionists progress to supervisory and managerial positions. They are also in a position to freelance from home and do editing, consulting or teaching in the various accredited schools. Some further educate themselves and train to become medical coders, medical records and health information technicians and administrators.

Job opportunities, in the coming years, are expected to rise for medical transcriptionists. Their employment is predicted to grow faster than the average for all occupations. It is expected that jobs for medical transcriptionists will increase to a high of 23% by 2012. The demand for transcription services will increase because of a growing aging population. Older age groups usually receive more medical diagnostic tests, treatments, and medicine trials that require recording. Thus, more transcriptionists will be needed to revise patient records, amend records from speech recognition systems, and recognize discrepancies in medical reports.

Medical transcriptionists earned $13.64 for an hour in 2004. The highest 10 percent earned $19.11. Average hourly earnings were $13.83. In the offices of physicians and in business support services, they were paid an average of $13.40, hourly.

Medical Transcription Business

2008-05-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

Medical transcription refers to the transcribing of medical records that have been dictated by health care professionals. This could be analysis, progress reports, chart notes, physicals, histories, and even letters. However, given the lack of time, most healthcare professionals simply dictate notes. Converting them into typed documents has opened up opportunities for several transcription businesses. People who perform the task of a medical transcription are known as a medical transcriptionist or a medical transcriber. There is an increasing risk of litigation faced by health care professionals. Hence, keeping a record of every piece of information has become essential. For this very reason, many people are now looking forward to starting a medical transcription business.

If an individual has a strong understanding of medical terminology and procedures, he can use the expertise and can establish a successful business in medical transcription. Medical transcriptionists generally make good amount of money by transforming physicians' dictated medical records into written copies. People consider this a lucrative business. The start-up costs are fairly low; hence, financing is required in very few cases. The infrastructure that a medical transcription business would essentially require includes computers, word processing software, an audio cassette player, and an Internet connection.

Skills and training that are needed to succeed as medical transcribers include a degree that can be offered by many vocational schools, community colleges, or online courses. The transcriptionists must also have very good listening skills to be able to decipher dictated notes. They should be able to type fast and accurately. An aptitude for medical science and language can also help.

Hospitals, physicians, medical and diagnostic laboratories, outpatient care centers, offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, audiologists and counselors are typical clients requiring medical transcription services. Transcription businesses can approach these organizations in order to acquire their transcription work. They may present in the form of monthly assignments or projects. They can get paid according to these assignments or on monthly basis.

Due to the continually evolving medical industry and new terminologies, it is essential for businesses to keep themselves informed of the latest jargon used in the industry. It is essential to refresh the knowledge base every three years and get certificates to justify the same.

Medical Transcription provides detailed information on Medical Transcription, Medical Transcription Service, Medical Transcription Courses, Medical Transcription at Home and more. Medical Transcription is affiliated with Online Medical Transcription Courses.

Medical Transcription Resumes

2008-05-05T03:37:00.001-07:00

In the constantly changing job market, a well-written, effective resume is an excellent tool for finding a desirable job. This applies to all fields, including that of medical transcription. A medical transcriber's resume needs to be written in such a manner that it instantly captivates the reader's attention. A well-written resume arouses interest in meeting candidates and learning more about them. Each resume has its own way of communicating and creating an impression. However, it is advisable for candidates to take into consideration certain things while writing a medical transcription resume.

The resume is required to clearly state the career objectives of candidates, which must match the job for which they are applying. It is essential to be precise on the skills and capabilities candidates have acquired in the field of medical transcription. It is advisable to mention personal interests only if they present talents or experience that support the career interest.

People writing medical transcription resumes need not focus on size constraints, as a resume can be of one or more pages depending on the experience of the person. On the other hand, it is also important to bear in mind that the number of pages does not necessarily increase with experience. Employers may be sometimes reluctant in picking and reading long resumes relating to medical transcription. Thus, a good medical transcription resumes should be brief, simple to read and interesting.

The skills and training that are needed to succeed as a medical transcriber are proven by a degree, which can be offered by many vocational schools, community colleges, and online courses. Many institutes also offer a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) designation from the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT). Individuals who plan to write their resume need to mention their education qualifications. They can also state other qualifications and diplomas if any. It is important for a medical transcriber to possess an expert level of understanding of medical terms, spellings, and diagnostic procedures.

Medical transcribers can choose from a number of different types of resumes. This includes chronological resume, functional resume and combination resume.

My Review of Systems as a Medical Transcriptionist

2008-05-02T03:19:00.000-07:00

I am writing this article to pass on some of the wonderful experiences I have had through the profession of medical transcription. This wonderful part of my life started like this. I have been a medical transcriptionist for 20 years, but I did not know about this profession until after I had tried nursing, waitressing and insurance sales. After wandering through these other occupations unfulfilled, I was primed and ready for a career I felt I was suited for. But what could I possibly be suited for? I was equipped with a degree in nursing, but what do you do with a nursing degree when you don?t like nursing? Starvation was a very real consequence when I sold insurance, so I knew I was not a sales person. I could always wait tables, but how much longer would my feet hold out? During this time when I was soul searching and trying to figure out what to do, I took a job as a medical secretary which involved scheduling surgery, making appointments, filing and a very small amount of transcribing office notes. In the job interview, I told the office manager I had a good bit of medical terminology knowledge and some, ?experience,? in a hospital. I deliberately did not tell her I had an RN degree and wanted this job as a secretary instead as this would probably have led to her looking at me wide eyed and then saying,?I?m sorry, you?re over qualified.? This job perked along just adequately, but it was here I realized I found transcription to be fun. I looked forward to it and was disappointed every day when the tape ran out after only an hour. I was one step closer to finding the profession of my dreams.

My first full-time transcription job (heaven!) was in a hospital in the city where I live. For the first time, I knew the career area in my life had gelled. All my education and experiences (good and bad, recent and distant) had come together and culminated in my becoming a medical transcriptionist. Any other kind of transcription simply is not the same as the medical field. Legal transcription, for example, I found to be extraordinarily boring. It is both the medical field and the transcription field put together that produces this unique profession.

When I have trained new transcriptionists who were really new with no experience in the field, I could decide within 15 minutes if they were going to stay at the job or leave flabbergasted and astounded that we actually do this. They never get comfortable sitting at the keyboard and actually look as if they are about to get up at any time. The keyboard is an awkward contraption that?s impossible to operate with only 10 fingers. Word Perfect is Word Insanity to them. Their headphones are an awkward instrument of sensory deprivation. After they have entered the correct directory, pulled up the proper form and named it, they always look at you wanting to know how much money they have made so far. When they look up a word, they aimlessly wander around the book, hoping the correct term will jump up and say hello. I give these poor souls one day at the most, but there was one pitiful girl who lasted less than one day, unfortunately because of something I said.

Three-quarters of the way through the day, I stupidly asked her if she had remembered to save before leaving the document. She replied she had left the computer turned on. Long story short, she never even came back to get her glasses. There was one new recruit who actually exclaimed, ?Why do you do this?? to which I responded, ?I enjoy it and the money?s good.? This has always gotten me a look from them that meant they thought I was insane. A physician told me once, ? I don?t see why you don?t go stark raving mad, sitting here all day and typing.? I replied, ?who says we don?t?? I?ve always felt you had to be a little quirky to honestly want to do this job. After all, you sit and type and sit and type and sit and type, and then you sit and type some more. It?s not unusual to continue to hear doctor?s voices dictating in your head after you?ve gone home from work, although I?ve learned to be careful how I say that, especially to someone who?s not a transcriptionist. Another occasion where someone looked at me like they thought I was insane (who says I?m not?).

Having been in this profession for so long, I have also become able to spot the, ?real,? transcriptionists, so they are called by the veterans. You judge for yourself. The, ?real,? transcriptionists actually enjoy sitting and typing, plugged into headphones for hours on end. Production is their passion, and they pound away tediously, completely content, pausing only to look up words or do the ever necessary proofreading.

Then, (eyes rolling) there are the people who like to call themselves transcriptionists and end up irritating the life out of the rest of us who really are. They come to work chattering, they work chattering and they leave chattering. When your concentration is broken , it takes a few minutes to get back to that point. These guys rattle on and on about every doctor, every patient, every irrelevant detail they can think of to talk out loud about. This usually results in the serious transcriptionists staring steadily at the chatterbox and typing all the while (which is a real transcriptionist?s talent akin to patting your head and scratching your stomach) until the offender notices they are being stared down by a clerical lynch mob and finally hush. Then, they give the rest of us that, ?you?re insane,? look with a hint of, ?I?m offended, I thought I was entertaining you guys.?

A so-called transcriptionist who asks the same question three times in one week is usually dubbed an, ?Alzheimer?s patient.? These people have a defective short-term memory and cannot remember what they were told or what they looked up for longer than a couple days. A good transcriptionist has a memory that never fails. The Alzheimer?s patients are also the people who ask about a word out loud instead of looking it up. They get in as much trouble as the chatterboxes.

There are also the comedians who have to announce to everyone in the room something humorous (or is it humerus?) they heard in dictation. This produces a polite, very small smile from the rest of us while never missing a keystroke (or the lynch mob might gather), silently hoping the, ?typist,? would either hush or go home. To be labeled a typist is the strongest putdown that can be bestowed. You see, a typist is someone who mechanically manipulates the keys on a keyboard, and nothing more. Your average monkey could accomplish this. They usually hunt and peck which produces a large silent grin (never missing a keystroke) from the rest of us that they never know about. A transcriptionist (harrumph!) is a professional with an extensive knowledge of medical terminology, editing, spelling, punctuation, English, word processing, pharmacology, lab and pathology, and sometimes foreign accent interpretation who melds all these abilities together seamlessly at 100 words per minute. We also have the necessary ability to communicate with each other with our eyes and expressions. As mentioned before, the professional transcriptionist is capable of transcribing and socializing silently at the same time.

Another valuable source of experience is the mental hospital. Let me explain! The patients there are usually required to have a general physical exam before they start having psychotherapy with their psychiatrists. In my mental hospital experience (as an employee, not a patient, mind you), I found the social histories fascinating. They read like good books and are very interesting.

I?ve always thought it would be risky for me or any transcriptionist to undergo general anesthesia because I just might spout someone?s private information. Incidentally, knowing a celebrity?s medical diagnoses is unnerving, not exciting, especially if it?s something like a sexually transmitted disease or a mental problem. Public figures and movie stars see doctors also; they are not immune needing medical treatment. Needless to say, that?s all the details I?ll put in this particular paragraph, citing confidentiality! You can?t be a transcriptionist and play Rona Barrett or a reporter for the National Enquirer.

When I worked in medical records in a mental hospital, I found that mental illness can strike anyone at any time. In this job, the psychiatrists (shrinks) visit their patients every day and dictate daily progress notes. Now, you have a serial TV show-type situation where every day there are new developments. When we heard that old familiar whir and click of the machine activating, we waited anxiously like housewives waiting for their favorite soap opera to come on. The machine would stop and the lucky one of us to grab the dictation first would tell us the news (only within the transcription room, mind you!) Some patients sank deeper and deeper into insanity, and others made a wonderful recovery. Just a bit of trivia; shrinks have the most entertaining sense of humor of all doctors I have ever known.

Back to maintaining confidentiality, this includes not repeating to anyone the statements or innuendoes made on the dictation whether knowingly or accidentally by the dictator. A word of advice: don?t dictate in bed. If someone remembers something they need to dictate after climbing into bed, then they should get up before dictating and be doubly sure the recording has ended lest they document whatever else takes place in their bed and who it takes place with! Sorry, no more details with this one, except to mention that dictating right after you eat can provide the transcriptionist with some entertainment, accidental or not. Everyone should remember, most recorders pick up all sound that occurs in the room, and some dictators foolishly think they are, ?alone,? in the room even when the recorder is running. We don?t type in ?eructation,? or ?flatus;? we just laugh and report it to everyone in the room. For the aspiring transcriptionist, look up eructation and flatus, and get a good laugh. Due to events described in this paragraph, there are doctors I can?t look in the eye any more and they don?t know why.

So many good experiences, so little space. I?ll sign off now with no chief complaints, only a review of systems within wonderful limits and a bright prognosis. See you in a follow-up visit!

You can contact Carol Roberts through by email at: meditrans@aol.com

Carol has been a medical transcriptionist for over 20 years and has been certified by the American Association for Medical Transcription. She owns and operates Carol Roberts Transcription in Pembroke Georgia and is a staff consultant for Meditrans Help, the medical transcription help site, http://www.meditranshelp.com

Digital Recording For Transcription of Interviews - Top Seven Tips

2008-04-10T01:46:00.001-07:00

Check with the interviewee that they do not mind being recorded for later transcription. It is wise to do this when arranging the interview as it will be a bit late to make alternative arrangements when the interview is about to start. It is polite, however, to confirm at the start of the interview that the participant is still happy to be recorded.
Conduct explanations about your research and give background information before switching on the recorder, to save on recording time. Although many digital recorders have many hours of available time, if you record this you will also need to remember to ask you transcriptionist not to transcribe it.
Use an external microphone on your recorder. Internal mikes are only suitable for dictation (one voice).
Record the interview in a quiet place. Background noise can drastically reduce the quality of the recording and increase the time taken to transcribe. The ideal environment is a quiet private room, where interviewer and interviewee can sit comfortably without feeling crowded, but not so large that the recording has an echo effect.
Make sure you use a recorder that has a facility for transferring files to a PC. Some, called ?note takers? do not have the facility. You will have to send the entire machine to your transcriptionist, which obviously has a number of disadvantages.
Use a file format that is compressed (see my article Digital File Types for Audio Transcription http://ezinearticles.com/?Digital-File-Types-for-Audio-Transcription&id=413748), so that sound recordings can be transferred over the internet to your transcriptionist
Check your recorder is recording before proceeding with the interview!

Digital Recording For Transcription of Focus Groups - Top Ten Tips

2008-04-10T01:44:00.000-07:00

Check with the participants before the group starts that they do not mind being recorded for later transcription. Do this well in advance as if one person objects you may have to abandon the recording.
Conduct explanations about your research and give background information before switching on the recorder, to save on recording time.
If you need to have the different speakers identified in the transcription ask each person to introduce him/herself and, if you have a large group, ask each person to state their name every time they make a comment.
Lay down the ground rules to participants before you start e.g. remind them not to talk over each other as this will cause problems for the transcriptionist.
Use an external microphone on your recorder. Internal mikes are only suitable for dictation (one voice). Ideally, if you have more than four people, use a series of microphones.
Record the group in a quiet place. Background noise can drastically reduce the quality of the recording and increase the time taken to transcribe.
Make sure you use a recorder that has a facility for transferring files to a PC
Use a file format that is compressed (see my article Digital File Types for Audio Transcription http://ezinearticles.com/?Digital-File-Types-for-Audio-Transcription&id=413748), so that it can be transferred over the internet to your transcriptionist
Check your recorder is recording before you start the group!
Do not serve food while recording the group as the noises of eating will obscure participants' speech.

The Medical Transcription Profession

2008-03-31T02:12:00.000-07:00

The professional healthcare team includes physicians, nurses, therapists, technicians, dieticians, and other healthcare support staff. A vital member of this team is the medical transcriptionist. While not as visible to the general public as those members of the team providing hands-on care, the medical transcriptionist plays an important role in documenting the quality of patient care.

Medical transcriptionists provide an important service to both physician and patient by transcribing dictated medical reports that document a patient's medical care and condition. These may include office chart notes, history and physical examinations, consultations, letters, memos, admission notes, emergency department notes, operative reports, discharge summaries, and many specialized laboratory tests and diagnostic studies. Medical transcriptionists transcribe reports from a variety of medical specialties, and each day's work presents a unique challenge and opportunity for learning.

Medical transcriptionists contribute to quality patient care through their commitment to excellence. Because each dictated report represents a part of a patient's life, the medical transcriptionist transcribes it with care, demonstrating an extensive knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, pharmacology, human diseases, surgical procedures, diagnostic studies, and laboratory tests in order to produce an accurate and complete permanent medical record.

A mastery of English grammar, structure, and style, a knowledge of transcription practices, skill in typing, spelling, and proofreading, and the highest professional standards contribute to the medical transcriptionist's ability to interpret, translate, and edit medical dictation for content and clarity.

Medical transcriptionists work in a variety of settings, including medical centers, general and specialty hospitals, clinics and group practices, radiology and pathology offices, government facilities, insurance companies, home offices, and other environments. Some medical transcriptionists combine their transcription skills with clinical skills to work as medical assistants. Others become supervisors, managers, and college teachers.

Get your copy of the How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist Guide at http://www.futuremt.com. LinkAcquire builds one way links for better search results.

Work At Home Doing Medical Transcriptions

2008-03-29T02:55:00.000-07:00

Qualifications

In order to be able to do an efficient job as a medical transcriptionist, you need to receive conventional training so that you gain a better understanding of the medical procedures and terms. During the course of your job, you will have to deal with and comprehend different aspects of medical science like anatomy, diagnostics, treatments and the like.

Various institutes and schools offer numerous online degrees and educational training programs. Some of them even provide assistance in job placement. However, to do your job satisfactorily, you should acquire practical work experience and knowledge. Besides this, the task of transcribing will become easier if you have other skills in basic computing, good listening, typing speed and command over the language.

Requirements

Although the job offers a good salary, it requires quite a good deal of interpretation and translation of medical terminology. As a medical transcriptionist you need to listen patiently to the recorded observations and factual descriptions so that you can convert it into a written document. You may also need to check the medical report for grammatical errors.

Purpose Of Medical Transcriptions

People like doctors working in the profession of medical science usually record facts and observations of their patients for future reference. A medical transcriptionist evaluates these recordings and makes a transliteration of the patient?s history, discharge reports and a summary of other physical examinations. This medical evidence is then reassessed by the health care professional. These transcribed scripts are collected and kept as records of the patient?s medical history for future reference or for insurance purposes.

Benefits Of Doing Medical Transcription From Home

Pursuing a career as a medical transcriptionist facilitates a broad spectrum of advantages. The job not only guarantees good income, but also offers you the advantage of working from the comfort of your home at your convenience. You have the flexibility of doing the job according to your work schedule.

However, you will have to install some necessary tools and equipment, such as computers, printers and transcribers. Medical books for reference and a word expander utility will prove to very helpful for the job. Also be careful that you do not fall a prey to any of the scam companies, which is true for any work at home job opportunity.

Job Opportunities

Due to the ever-increasing number of healthcare facilities, the need for maintaining records, and consequently the demand for medical transcriptionists, is also growing. Your career as a medical transcriptionist will require you to work in coordination with professionals employed in hospitals, healthcare centers, laboratories, and other medical centers. You also have the option of choosing to work individually from home, on a contractual basis. A transcriptionist with adequate practical education and information can be promoted to other senior positions of teaching and consulting.

Although the job of transcribing and meeting deadlines can be very tedious at times, high pay and other perks associated with the profession make the career very appealing and rewarding.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Medical Transcription - Terminology and Training

2008-03-29T02:53:00.000-07:00

The field of medical transcription is definitely a career with built in growth potential. As the demands of the health care industry grow, the need for competent medical transcriptionists will also. If you've got solid typing and listening skills, a knack for medical terminology and the patience and ability to decipher audio tapes and other electronic recordings into an accurate, written transcript the opportunities in this field are abundant.

On the other hand, medical transcription is much more that listening to the voice of a health care professional and typing what they dictated. Sure, that's the basic principal of what a medical transcriptionist does, but there are other reasons why health care facilities and professionals hire medical transcriptionists.

Understanding both the terminology and the underlying conditions behind the terms is essential for anyone interested in this line of work - in fact, it's vital. While you don't need to master every term or understand every condition or be able to list every bone in the body you need to be able to recognize and understand where the doctor is coming from so that you will be prepared to decipher what they are saying or trying to say.

Thoroughly understanding terminology is the primary core of all training for any medical transcriptionist. You may be thinking, but why do I need to understand all of those terms and conditions? After all, can't I just stop the recording and look up any words that I don't recognize?

The reason behind it is simply one of accuracy and productivity. If you are constantly have to stop the tape and look up words you won't be get much done and in the field of medical transcription time is money. With proper training and the subsequent experience being provided by a proper medical transcription training program, you will be in a position to meet the requirements of both production and accuracy.

Because the transcription field is so broad most medical transcriptionists will specialize in one particular area of the health care industry. As a result, specialized training is the norm with most companies that offer medical transcription training.

In addition to the wide scope of possible transcription niches, many transcriptionists specialize because health care professionals normally seek out medical transcriptionists who specialize in the same field. They understand those transcriptionists can most accurately transcribe their notes and dictated recordings.

By specializing in just a few areas, medical transcriptionists can learn and have a thorough understanding of those terms and conditions that apply specifically to a particular niche or disease or to a particular health care professionals practice. By specializing, the medical transcriptionist becomes more valuable to the market they've chosen to become an expert in. It's better to be a master of a few niches than a jack of all trades for the masses.

What's nice about the growing field of medical transcription is that doctors are not the only people who need medical transcription. The field is large and ever growing so find a niche you find the most interesting and then become the best you can be in that niche.

One point of the training is to learn to be fast and accurate in real-life situations. A busy emergency room isn't going to suddenly quiet down so that you can concentrate on transcribing a doctor's orders for a patient who is about to be released.

If you want to become an in demand medical transcriptionist and never have to worry about having a job you need to learn to work quickly and accurately - in the real world. An emergency room will not quiet down so that you can focus on transcribing a doctor's notes. As a result, many medical transcription schools will train students to handle stressful situations by putting them into hectic, busy and noisy conditions during training to get them used to transcribing in those conditions

Because the need for accuracy in transcription is vital, listening and learning to focus may be the most important skills any medical transcriptionist can possess because like I just pointed out, you won't always be in an ideal, quiet setting when asked to work.

In summary, other key aspects of medical transcription is learning how to make the most efficient use of software and technology and other resources that are available to assist you in doing your job. So if you are thinking of becoming a medical transcriptionist take a good look at the available options being taught by medical transcription schools, ask a few questions and then choose the best training option for you.

For more information on a career in Medical Transcription, check out the links below.

Visit transcription or medical transcription course or medical transcription at home for more information on a career in Medical Transcription.

Important Facets of the Medical Transcription Profession - Part 1

2008-03-28T02:09:00.001-07:00

The Medical Reports

There are a variety of medical reports generated every day in physician offices, clinics, and hospitals. Medical transcriptionists should be familiar with those dictated in each work setting. Physicians in private practice frequently dictate office chart notes, letters, initial office evaluations, and history and physical examinations. Medical reports dictated in hospitals and medical centers are numerous in category; however, they invariably include dictations from the "basic four" reports: History and Physical Examination, Consultation Report, Operative Report, and Discharge Summary. Emergency Department Reports, hospital progress notes, and diagnostic studies are often dictated as well.

The Healthcare Record

The healthcare record is chronological, documented evidence of a patient's initial database, initial evaluation, identified problems and needs, objectives of care, prescribed treatment, and end results. The record may be paper, stored digitally in electronic format in a computer, or a combination of the two. The healthcare record is the property of the hospital, medical facility, or office in which it was originated, and it cannot be removed from the premises without a subpoena or court order. It is maintained in a Health Information Department usually headed by an RRA (registered record administrator), an ART (accredited record technician), or an MBA (master of business administration).

Technology & MT Equipment/ Tools

A discussion of medical transcription equipment should begin with the most important but often overlooked asset...the human brain. The machines used in medical transcription today are simple devices, and without human knowledge and intervention, machines are basically useless. The transcriptionist is the brain of the machine. Dictation systems: As physicians depend on their stethoscopes, scalpels, and tongue depressors, medical transcriptionists also depend on the tools of their trade ... the computer, desktop controls, a foot pedal, and a headset.

Dictation systems have evolved through several different stages: wax cylinders, phonograph-type records, belts, tank systems, Mylar reel-to-reel tapes, and cassette tapes. All of these systems had drawbacks even though each represented an improvement over the current technology.

Today we still see some Mylar tape cassette dictation systems in use, but most have been replaced with digital technology. A digital system works much the same as a compact disc (CD). The CD reproduces sound using digital technology that is extremely complicated; however, the end result is a dictation that is without any background noise, hiss, or other extraneous sounds found on Mylar tape. In digital systems, voice files are stored in "digital" (computer) format rather than "analog" (tape) format, and the dictation is usually free from mechanical noise.

Keyboards have had a similar evolution cycle: from manual typewriter, to electric typewriter, to the Correcting Selectric? typewriter, to word processors, and currently to virtual keyboards and even speech recognition. The input of data, whether via traditional keyboard, Dvorak keyboard, steno machine keyboard, or speech recognition systems, proves once again that it's the human brain interacting with the machine, not the machine itself, that produces quality transcription.

Want to attend a Medical Transcription Course?

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Getting The Most From Your Audio Recording For Transcription

2008-03-27T03:21:00.000-07:00

Whether you are recording dictation, interviews, conferences, focus groups or meetings, it is important to know how to get the best quality recording, how to find a competent transcriptionist, and what sort of costs you are looking at.

The type of transcription depends on the type of recording equipment you have. You can record on to standard audiotape, micro or mini tapes, mini-disks and digital files, which the transcriptionist plays back on a computer. If you don?t already have recording equipment, bear in mind that while a mini tape Dictaphone, for instance, might be much cheaper then a fully functional digital conference recorder with several external microphones, the quality of the cheaper instrument makes it suitable only for basic dictation.

Some mini and micro tape recorders are powerful enough to be placed on a table between an interviewer and interviewee and pick up both voices, but we strongly recommend you carry out a test recording first to make sure. To record a focus group or conference you will need a good system of powerful microphones which will probably record into a video, digital audio or standard tape system. Digital systems are very variable and many are of good enough quality to record focus groups and conferences.

It is also worth bearing in mind that more and more transcribers no longer offer tape transcription, as digital is becoming so much more popular, and it is easier to work with and better quality.

On average it takes four hours to transcribe one hour of recording, but this varies considerably. It might be closer to three hours for one person speaking into a Dictaphone but could well be at least six to eight hours for a large focus-group.

This is because we speak much faster than even the fastest typist can type. Also, the transcriptionist doesn?t just type what he or she hears - it has to make sense. Although your transcriptionist should only type what?s being said (unless specifically requested to edit), it's not just a matter of the right words, but also the right punctuation and, of course, picking the correct homonym (e.g. there or their; two, to or too; pare, pear or pair; fair or fare; the list is almost endless).

You will also need to decide whether you want a ?verbatim? transcription with every um, er etc. transcribed and all interruptions etc. noted. This is necessary for some work, such as police transcription, but is completely pointless in, for example, conference transcription, as the important factors in the latter are readability as well as accuracy.

The time taken to transcribe a recording can vary according to a number of factors. These include:

*Clarity of speech - Strong or varied accents slow down the transcription.

*Clarity of recording - background hiss will make the speech more difficult to hear and therefore slow down the transcribing. Also, if a number of people are being recorded, the positioning and number of microphones can make an enormous difference to the quality of recording.

*Background noise - a recording in a pub or caf? is likely to have significant background noise and deciphering the speech from the background noise can be difficult.

*Number of people talking - everyone talks at a different rate and pitch, and with a different accent. Having to 'tune in' to a number of different people slows down the speed of transcription.

People also talk over each other and interrupt, and in order for the transcriptionist to transcribe two people talking over each other they will have to play back the section of recording several times to pick out the different voices.

*Speed of speech - as already mentioned, some people speak faster than others. Clearly a fast speaker will take longer to transcribe, as they will fit more words in to an hour than a slower speaker.

*Whether speaker speaks in coherent sentences - few people actually do speak in the same way as we write. There are usually multiple 'ums and ers' and people often speak in partial sentences. This can require the transcriber re-listening to a section several times to grasp the meaning and insert the relevant punctuation.

*Whether you are seeking an exact transcription or a transcription 'for meaning'. Our standard offering at Penguin Office Services is to transcribe word for word but to leave out 'ums and ers' and repeated meaningless phrases, such as 'you know', and 'know what I mean?' It is obviously quicker to leave out these parts, but we are happy to transcribe them if required. An example of when an exact transcription might be required is academic research interviews studying language use.

So if you want to make sure you get a good quality recording, what can you do? Firstly, use the best quality recording equipment you can afford. This really is a question of getting what you pay for. A low-cost recorder may seem economical but the quality will be comparatively poor and a poor recording will take longer to transcribe. Paying for more transcription time will probably work out more expensive than spending a few pounds extra on better recording equipment. Digital recording must be the way to go if you are starting from scratch. Minidisks make very good quality recordings but only a few transcriptionists can transcribe from them. At Penguin Office Services we can convert Sony Minidisk recording to computer-based audio and transcribe from that. If you are not going down the digital route then standard audio tapes make better quality recordings than mini tapes, though micro tapes are also good for interviews and one person dictations. If you are using tapes, by all means keep a back-up copy but do send your transcriptionist the originals, as back-ups may be reduced quality.

Secondly, record in a quiet environment such as a self-contained office. This will make an enormous difference to the quality of recording. If you need to record in an open-plan office or public space then try to ensure your microphone is placed close to the speakers you are recording, but as far as possible from other workers in the office and their phones, or other people in a public space. Recording in pubs, restaurants and cafes, trains etc. will greatly reduce the quality of recording. If the speaker has a very quiet voice the recorder will not pick it up. Although you don't want to remind people that the recording equipment is there, you may have to ask them to speak up or place the equipment closer to them.

Thirdly, bear in mind that most built-in microphones are of poor quality with limited control over volume levels. They are designed to pick up close speech such as someone speaking directly into a Dictaphone. Using a good quality microphone for interviews and other multiple speaker recordings will greatly improve quality and reduce transcription time.

It is essential to ensure that the speaker is close enough to the microphone. If there are several speakers, for example in a seminar or conference, ensure that there are sufficient microphones around the room to pick up ALL the participants clearly. If seated around a table use something like a Conference mixer, which links several microphones to one central unit that will pick up a discussion more clearly than one central microphone.

If you are chairing a focus group you should ensure that all participants know that they must speak clearly and one at a time or their words will not be clearly recorded. There will be times when participants get exited and interrupt each other. When this happens it may be sensible to interrupt and ask them to repeat, one at a time, so that all the words will be clearly recorded.

There are also a couple of things you really should avoid doing, and these usually apply to tapes, rather then digital. Some recorders can tape at slower speeds, extending the recording time and reducing the number of tapes used. However, there is a related loss in recording quality. We would recommend that you use only the fastest speed setting on your recording equipment. Also, some recorders have a voice-activation system so that you don't waste tape recording long pauses. However there are two serious problems when using this. The first is that a soft-voiced person might not activate the recorder at all, so that whole sentences might not be recorded. The second is that every time somebody does speak and activate the recorder there is a slight time delay before recording starts, so the first word or two will probably not be recorded.

Finally, where you have speakers at a podium or multiple speakers in a large room, it is advised that you seek professional help to ensure everything is clearly recorded. Most hotels and conference centers will have in-house experts, or a company specializing in audiovisual equipment should be able to help.

If you have decided to use digital recording, there are quite a number of things to bear in mind when choosing your recorder. Please see my separate article, ?Digital File Types for Transcription? for more information on this.

Digital File Types for Audio Transcription

2008-03-27T03:19:00.000-07:00

There are a variety of recording systems available, suitable for dictation to conference recording. If you already have a digital recording mechanism, there is a good chance that it will record a variety of different file types for different purposes. This article aims to discuss these different types and suggest the right one for you, depending on your circumstances. If you are still considering which digital recording device to purchase then you have the opportunity to consider the file types it will produce before you buy.

If you do not know what file types you are working with, you can tell by looking at the file extension. This is the set of three letters that follow the dot, as in, for example, 'interview.wav'

The different file types all have advantages and disadvantages for transcription services, the most obvious of which is a trade-off between quality and file size. Sound files can be very, very large if they are not compressed, but compression is 'lossy'; in other words a complete or 'lossless' audio file has been taken and compressed, which removes data that is considered redundant, resulting in reduced audio quality, which can cause problems for the transcriber.

It may initially seem obvious that you and your transcriptionist want the best quality but in fact, many lossy formats have a negligible quality loss but are much smaller files. If you are planning to email files for transcription to your transcriptionist, the advantage of a 2MB file, as opposed to one 40MB in size, should be obvious! No sound file of any length is small, but at least it is possible to email a 2MB file for transcription. Most service providers will not allow a 50MB file through, and even if they did it could take hours to download, blocking both your email and your transcriptionist's. More and more transcriptionists are using a system which bypasses email; you can either upload files directly to their website or send your files using a simple file transfer programme. However, even these options have limits to the file sizes as a rule.

It also worth noting that depending on the playback software being used for transcription, your transcriptionist may only be able to play back certain file types. Some cover practically all digital file types while others are more limited, so it is worth checking first.

The 'right' file type and attributes for you and your transcriptionist will also depend on what the purpose of your recording is. If it is a dictation, a lower sound quality will still provide a clear enough recording for a digital transcription.

If you are recording a focus group, for example, where several people are seated at different distances from the recorder and speaking at different levels and pitches, you will probably need a higher sound quality to accommodate this.

Your recording equipment may allow you to set different attributes for the same file type. This can make an enormous difference to the sound quality and size of the file, and consequently the transcription quality. In some cases, for example dictation (one person speaking into machine, in a quiet environment) you can probably afford to loose sound quality and the recording will still be clear for transcription. In other cases (focus groups, noisy environments) you may find you need to choose a slightly larger file size in order to maintain decent sound quality.

Attributes are often shown as Hz. 8,000kHz mono is suitable for dictation and the range goes up to 44,100kHz stereo, which is the top quality, used for music CDs.

Examples of different file formats and some details about their use in transcription follow:

WAVeform Audio (.wav)

WAVeform Audio (.wav) is a common file format and was one of the first audio file types developed for use with the PC. It is lossless, but generally very large. This means that you will probably need to send the files on a CD, rather then emailing them, although some transcriptionists, including myself, on my site www.penguin-transcription.co.uk, have a system whereby you can send large files via the internet without using email. You certainly need a broadband connection, or similar, to utilise these effectively though. Warning! Not all wav files are the same! Although they all end .wav, depending on the recorder, you and your transcriber may need a special 'codec' to play it back. An example is Sanyo; a popular and moderately priced recording system but one that records specifically Sanyo wav files. You should check that your transcriptionist has the ability to transcribe Sanyo wavs. If not, Sanyo may oblige by sending out the relevant codec on CD, if you ask them nicely!

The following types are all lossy, but generally the sound quality change is negligible and you will save significant time and money with reduced transfer times. This is not an exhaustive list of all audio file types; there are a huge number. It aims to cover most of the types recorded by available transcription software.

MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (.mp3)

This is a compressed WAV file often used in music. Many digital dictation recorders will also record mp3 or allow you to record WAV and then compress to mp3 to send on for transcription. The compressed files will be around a twelfth the size of WAV files.

Windows Media Audio (.wma)

Windows Media Audio (.wma) was developed for Windows Media Player which is bundled with all Windows-based PCs these days. It is even more compressed than an MP3, to about one thirty-sixth the size of a .wav, but apparently retaining the original sound quality. I have to say that in my experience of transcribing I am not sure whether this has always been the case.

Digital Speech Standard (.dss)

In my experience, most playback software used for transcription will play .dss files. If not, there is a free download available on the Olympus site. I believe .dss was developed by Olympus and almost all, but not all, Olympus recorders will record .dss files. Lanier and Grundig recorders also generally use .dss. The file size is reduced by twelve to twenty times, as compared to a WAV file, and is ideal for transcription as it is small and easy to email.

DVF

This is Sony?s answer to the .dss file. It is a very highly compressed file, but fine for voice, and its small size makes it very easy to send by email.

Encrypted dictation (.dct)

Often used for medical transcription, which requires very high confidentiality, these recordings are encrypted at the recording end and need to be decrypted on receipt by the transcriber. A wide variety of playback software will deal with these files.

TrueSpeech from DSP Group

TrueSpeech, from the DSP group, was designed for personal computers and personal communications devices. It has very high compression ratios ranging from 15:1 to 27:1. If you are able to record this format it is probably best restricted to use with dictation or one-to-one interview in a quiet environment. It is probably too lossy for focus groups etc.

There are a whole host of other file types available so don't worry if the type that your machine produces is not listed above. Contact your VA and s/he will probably be able to assist you, or at least point you in the right direction.

CD Audio file (.cda)

These files are standard recordings onto CD, and are generally the file type of music files bought no CD. As I understand it (not too well!) the CDA is actually just a sort of cover file that says this is a file on a CD, and the underlying file is probably a wave file or one of the other file types listed above. Most transcription recorders will not record to CDA but if you are having a professional recording made of a conference or series of lectures, for example, you may well find yourself with CDA files. Most transcription software will not work with CDA format. There are a number of ways to convert CDA files but these can be expensive and/or time consuming. Transcriptionists specialising in digital transcription will probably be able to transcribe these files but you may be charged a surcharge for the time taken in converting them to a useable format. There are a variety of converters available, but one that I have used successfully, and that provides a trial version, is Easy CD Ripper, a shareware with a fully functional trial version that can be downloaded from various places including http://www.tucows.com/preview/209478

You will probably have only a limited range of file types available for your transcription, depending on your recording equipment, but any equipment should provide you with a range of options depending on your needs. If you have the opportunity it is always a good idea to make a test recording with the settings that you think will be right. Then play it back, or send it to your transcriptionist to play back, in order to check that the sound quality is acceptable.

Finally, I would just like to say that this information is based on my understanding and experience of digital transcription. I cannot absolutely guarantee its accuracy but would be very interested to hear of any errors and happy to correct them. Similarly if you feel that there is an important area I have not covered, please let me know and I will do my best to incorporate it.

Medical Transcription - Great Home Business Or Hyped Opportunity

2008-03-25T04:49:00.000-07:00

With globalization in full swing and job security a thing of the past, with ever increasing gas prices and the time spent commuting simply time lost, more and more people are looking for alternative ways to pay the bills and escape the rat race. One alternative that many are looking at is Medical Transcription.

Sounds like a viable option but is it possible make living from home with medical transcription? Sure, it's possible but there's more to it than the average sales letter espousing the opportunity with tell you.

This brief article will outline a few of the pros and cons of the opportunity and hopefully bring to light a few facts that will allow you to better assess if medical transcription from home is for you.

On the positive side, many people are earning a nice living performing medical transcription from the comfort of their own homes. Incomes of $50,000 to $75,000 are realistic and some medical transcriptionists make even more but on the other hand, there's more to it than you might think. In addition, because more and more transcription is being outsourced, once you establish yourself as a reliable and competent contractor, you should have more work than you can handle.

Here are few things to consider as you ponder a new career in medical transcription at home.

Medical Terminology

It's essential to have a thorough understanding of medical terminology and the proper spelling of these terms. The reason is simple, accuracy is essential in any transcription and because time is money in this profession and because you are paid by the amount of work you can produce, if you're struggling with every other word you won't get much done. Of course, you would clearly have medical spellchecking software on your computer but if you don't understand the terms as you listen to the dictated messages you won't be as productive as you need to be.

Of course, you don't need to be familiar with all medical terminology because most transcriptionists specialize in specific areas such as ophthalmology.

Listening Skills

Most of the time, you will be transcribing from some type of audio tape and these tapes are not always the best quality and doctors are not thinking of you when they are dictating. They are not thinking of proper sentence structure and speaking in a clear manner and so you will be dealing with the problem of trying to figure out what is being said. They just talk away and it's up to you to figure out what they said.

Just another reason why it's so important to have a thorough understanding of medical terminology and their associated conditions so that you can properly interpret and extrapolate what the doctor is trying to say.

Vacation

As you get established you'll have plenty of work but as in any business you need to have coverage at all times. So what happens when you want to go on vacation? Of course, you'll need someone to take over your work and because many medial transcriptionists specialize in certain fields your backup may not be familiar with your specialty and thus the chances of errors will increase. On the flip side, you may also be asked to backup another medical transcriptionist when they go on vacation and have to deal with their field of expertise and a whole slew of new terms.

Medical transcription isn't for everyone but if you've got above average typing skills and you enjoy the freedom of doing your own thing and working when you want, it's a realistic way to earn a good to great living from the comfort of your home.

Tip - For more information on a career in Medical Transcription, check out the links below.

Visit medical transcription or medical transcription course or medical transcriptionist for more info on Medical Transcription.

Business Idea For Mom: Medical Transcription

2008-03-24T03:21:00.000-07:00

What to do? What to do? There are so many options available for mothers who want to become work-at-home-moms (WAHMs). They key is to find something that you enjoy and that will suit your situation.

Some people like direct sales; whereas others prefer to not only work out of their home but also to work in their home. If you fall into the latter category, then perhaps you may want to consider a career as a medical transcriptionist.

While approximately four out of ten transcriptionists work at hospitals and doctor's offices, there is also plenty of work that can be performed in the comforts of your own home. You can telecommute from your home office as an employee, a subcontractor or even as an independent freelance medical transcriptionist.

Almost always you will find that employers prefer medical transcriptionists who have completed a postsecondary training program at a vocational school or community college. If you do not have this type of background or training, there are a number of options to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities.

If you do an internet search on "medical transcription" you will see a large number of results. There are more than a few self study training programs available. Just make sure you exercise due diligence when selecting a training program.

Typically you can expect to pay in the neighborhood of $1,000 for a course. You may be able to find some for less and also for more. Included in your curriculum will be a series of text, workbooks, reference guides and audio tapes. Plan to spend a chunk of time in the books learning the terminology before you will ever begin to transcribe.

It is important to note that while it is relatively easy to study the text with small children around, it is not as effortless practice transcribing when you have young ones to care for. You must have an extremely quiet environment in which to hear and understand the person dictating. If you have children who should not be left unattended, then focusing with headphones on may not be the best idea.

At home medical transcription is a great career for mothers who have babies who sleep often or older school aged children. If you enjoy an office environment and type at a pretty good pace, this may be a wonderful medium to earn an income in your pajamas!

Charissa Bear is the owner of http://www.momsinc.biz, a work at home mom resource. Learn more about Medical Transcription as a business, at MomsInc.biz.

What it Takes to be a Good Transcriptionist

2008-03-21T03:25:00.000-07:00

One of the first helpful skills that may come to mind is being a good typist. This is definitely a plus but it can also be learned if you're not currently very fast. A good typing software program and a little practice will get you up to speed in no time.

Along with good typing skills there are a few other key traits.

Helpful Skills to be a Transcriptionist:

* Ability to apply common sense. Often times you won't understand what the dictation is saying and you'll need to try to put the phrase into context to figure out what the speaker means.

* A keen eye for detail. This will help in proofreading and editing to ensure you turn in the highest quality work.

* Strong work ethics. You'll have to meet deadlines and be extremely reliable.

* Good organizational skills. If you have a lot of clients it's important to stay organized.

* Good communication skills. For marketing your business and dealing with clients.

* Professionalism and discreetness (often times you'll be transcribing very sensitive documents which require full confidentiality).

* Basic computer skills and the ability to get around a word processing program

* A good grasp of the English language, good spelling and grammar skills

Grab your Moms Talk Biz Guide to Starting a Transcription Business - Step-by-step instructions, resources and inside information to start your own transcription business from home

Medical Transcription A Top Career Choice

2008-03-21T03:24:00.000-07:00

Have you been thinking about a career in medical transcription? What's holding you back?

Medical transcription is a great career choice which allows you the flexibility to work from home while earning a good living and having full career control.

As a medical transcriptionist your work will be interesting and vary every day. You'll build relationships with doctors and other medical staff. You'll have a career that's rewarding and exciting.

There are also many different choices for work. You can choose to work from home for a national online company or for a local company.

You can choose to work at a local hospital or doctor's office.

Or you can choose to start your own home based medical transcription business. Your clients can be local or you can choose to have national clients or both.

The possibilities for medical transcription job choices are endless. Medical transcription is a business where you really do have full control of your earnings and growth.

And there is no shortage of medical transcription jobs in sight, so you can be sure this will be a long-term profitable career.

With so many great opportunities for medical transcriptionist it's no wonder the US Department of Labor predicts "employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014."

Grab your Moms Talk Biz Guide to Starting a Medical Transcription Business - Step-by-step instructions, resources and inside information to start your own medical transcription business from home

Demand for General Transcriptionists

2008-03-20T03:30:00.000-07:00

The need for general transcriptionists is good. This is due in part to the fact you're able to take on a variety of different clients. Some transcriptionists choose to niche into a specific field such as real estate, insurance or marketing and still have plenty of work to keep them busy.

Whether you chose to concentrate on one specific field or transcribe for various fields, there are always plenty of opportunities to find clients.

As with many other service-oriented businesses, many of your clients may come from recommendations from past clients. By providing a high quality service and meeting the needs of your clients, you'll greatly improve your chances for success in this type of business.

Here are just a few people may need your transcription services:

* College Students - Students will often record lectures on hand-held recorders. Many times they like to have these lectures and recordings transcribed.

* Social Work Agencies - Government agencies often times record their meetings and need these transcribed. Some agencies have "on the record" interviews with legal witnesses or parents who are being investigated by the courts and will often need these recordings transcribed so the transcripts can later be used during legal proceedings.

* Realtors - Realtors may record a variety of letters which then need to be transcribed.

* Insurance Companies - Insurance companies need an accurate record of all claims made. The loss adjustors will often record notes about the claims and you will need to go through a standard template and transcribe these notes for the client's records.

* Charities and similar organizations - Many charities make an audio recording of their meetings and then like to have these transcribed for their official records.

* Book Publishers - Although book publishers often have personal letters and meetings they like transcribed, they also often have work to be edited. Good transcriptionists are also good at editing as it goes hand in hand with the job. Book publishers need people with a keen eye for detail to help edit transcripts.

* Life coaches, business consultants, online marketers and speakers are just a few more busy professionals who also need transcription services. Many of these people like to maximize their content and will have their speaking events or client coaching sessions transcribed. With online marketers, there are tele-seminars, coaching events, and audio products which can all be transcribed too.

As you can see, there is a lot of general transcription work available; the key is to know how to find it and how to approach potential clients.

Grab your Moms Talk Biz Guide to Starting a Transcription Business - Step-by-step instructions, resources and inside information to start your own transcription business from home

The Benefits of Starting a Medical Transcription Business

2008-03-20T03:29:00.000-07:00

Low start up costs - Your biggest investment may be in your education and even that's reasonable for the return you can make on your investment. Other than that you won't require much money and your overhead and supplies will be minimal.

Set your own hours - Work evenings, mornings, or during the day. As long as you meet your turn-around-times, it's up to you when you work.

Low Advertisement Costs - A medical transcription business will grow through word-of-mouth marketing and is also easily marketed with simple flyers and business cards.

Great Earning Potential - A successful medical transcription service can earn anywhere from $20,000 per year (for a part time one person service) to over $200,000 per year for a full medical transcription service. How much you'll earn will be dependent on a number of factors, but there is potential for a decent income.

Flexibility - Expand and grow the business when you like, hire people to help you, work from home, work mainly online or locally - this business allows you a lot of flexibility and choice.

Exciting Career - You'll learn medical terms and get a better understanding of how the human body works. You'll regularly transcribe a variety of reports and learn about diseases, cures, and medical findings. An added benefit for many MTs is that when they go visit their family doctor they feel more able to communicate and understand what all those medical terms mean... this gives you a great sense of empowerment when it comes to your own health.

Prestigious Career - You'll make great contacts and often become friends with many physicians. This usually comes with many extra perks such as great holiday bonuses. You'll learn a valuable career skill for life and a lucrative profession you can feel proud of.

Grab your Moms Talk Biz Guide to Starting a Medical Transcription Business - Step-by-step instructions, resources and inside information to start your own medical transcription business from home

To Be or Not to Be a Medical Transcriptionist

2008-03-19T04:49:00.000-07:00

Is medical transcription the right career choice for you? It certainly isn't for everyone. Without excellent grammar and spelling skills, it would be impossible to do. It also demands a listening skill that is almost supernatural. If you think doctors' signatures are bad, you should hear their dictations! I've actually heard doctors dictate things like, "Umpphacarumpaluma viral meningitis," and "Breath sounds are clafuandparmsolufbiraferty." Of course, not all doctors are nightmare dictators. Some are very clear and precise in their dictations. Sometimes the problem does not rest with the dictator at all, but with their dictation equipment.

Here is a list of problems you might encounter as a Medical Transcriptionist:

* Bad sound quality on dictations. Some doctors sound as if they are dictating from underwater.

* High noise levels in the background. Some doctors sound as if they are dictating from a frat party.

* Other strange background noises: Clicks, whirs, crashes, ringing phones, crying babies, arguments, sirens, alarms, yawns, and noises too bizarre to describe.

But for those select few who can get past those roadblocks, medical transcription is a rewarding and lucrative career. (And fortunately, with experience, those problems become easier to handle.)

Medical transcription is one of the fastest growing work-at-home careers on the Internet. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, "Demand for medical transcriptionists is expected to increase due to rapid growth in health care industries spurred by a growing and aging population." Medical transcriptionist positions are predicted to grow 30.3% between 2000 and 2010.

This is a booming work-at-home industry with amazing benefits, sign on bonuses, and income potential. I recently saw a medical transcription position in my local paper which was paying $35 an hour for experienced transcriptionists! Would you like to make that kind of money? The average income is $40K per year.

The good thing about starting a career in medical transcription is that it can be done in a short period of time with a minimal investment in training. The online school where I trained has packages starting at $1320 and can be completed in 4 months to a year. The program is self paced, so how fast a student completes the training is based upon how hard they work at it and how much time they have to devote. Usually it requires about 2 hours per day. It took me 10 months to complete my training. Here's where I trained. http://www.homecareerinfo.com/0277

There are only a handful of training programs that receive formal approval from AAMT (The American Association of Medical Transcription).

The school I attended is one of those and is listed in the top 3, along with M-Tec and Andrews. It was an easy choice for me because my school was by far the least expensive, and most of the MT companies I know were hiring their graduates! And I know over 100 medical transcription companies who hire home-based medical transcriptionists!

If you've ever thought about a career in medical transcription, here are some of the subjects you'll be studying:

* Medical Word-Building

* Human Anatomy, Physiology & Disease Processes

* Abbreviations, Word Differentiation, Plurals

* Medical Specialties

* And much more.

It's an exciting career. I hope this article will help you decide if it's the right career choice for you.

Doralynn Kennedy

Doralynn Kennedy is the owner of the U.S. Work-at-Home Directory, http://www.doralynn.net. She is also a working medical transcriptionist

Are You Ready to Be an At Home Medical Transcriptionist?

2008-03-19T04:42:00.000-07:00

Medical transcription is a great work at home job but it has its challenges. This job requires more training than many of the other common work at home jobs. You can't just apply and get a job.

The reason for this makes quite a bit of sense. You're working on people's medical records. You must know what you're doing and you have to be exceptionally accurate.

So training is the first step, right?

Nope. The better medical transcription training programs available online won't even look at you as a student unless you have certain skills already. You have to be able to type fast enough. 40 wpm is a good minimum, and you will want to speed up from there. You have to have an excellent vocabulary and grammar. You have to be able to pick up new terminology quickly.

Once you have those, then you can start looking at training. Depending on your needs you can consider an online program or check out your local community college for courses. You will want a high quality program as that is what helps you to land that first job. Take the wrong kind of training and no one will want to hire you until you have experience.

I personally recommend online training. For one it is the most similar to how you will be working at home. Training at a school is, well, training at a school. You aren't learning as much about self discipline.

Online training also has the advantage that the best schools are well known to the major medical transcription companies. This improves your chances of getting a job as the companies know the quality of students these schools turn out.

Keep working on that typing speed, as many companies will want more than that basic 40 wpm that let you get into medical transcription school. Besides, the faster you work the more you can earn as most jobs are paid by the line.

If you work for a medical transcription company you may not need to buy any of your own equipment, assuming you have a computer already. Many companies will provide you with the minimum software, foot pedal and headphones you will require. If not, they will tell you what is compatible with their systems.

Before you get hired you will want to have a good place to do your work. You will want relative quiet. Maybe you want to work at home to have more time with your family, but when you are working you do need to be able to work in peace. Trust me.

The trouble can be that many doctors dictate very poorly, as though they don't realize anyone has to understand what they say. Nurses who have gone into transcription have been known to be shocked at the difference. So don't assume your children can play at your feet as you work. Find a quiet place in the house or work when the kids are asleep or at school.

If you are serious about a career in medical transcription your time getting prepared will not be wasted. You can earn good money as a medical transcriptionist and have highly flexible hours. But it's not for everyone.

Stephanie Foster worked for three years as a medical transcriptionist and now runs http://www.homewiththekids.com/. Visit her site to learn more about medical transcription training schools

Excellent Earning Opportunity ! How To Start A Medical Transcription Home Business That Guarantees

2008-03-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

Medical transcriptionists swiftly and accurately interpret through doctor's dictation, the medical records of patients into medically and grammatically precise reports.

The interactions between the patient and his physician require transcription. Some of these include:

Surgical procedures

Medical consultations

Diagnoses

Prognoses Prescriptions

Radiological or other laboratory results

Dissemination of the patients' medical history

Autopsy reports

Medical transcription involves picking up dictation via tape, voice file and digital system using foot pedal for start-stop control, ear phones and a word processing program.

You can either choose to conduct medical transcription as an independent worker or an employee with benefits

Requirements

Because the dictations involve many medical terminologies, you need to recognize, be familiar with and understand medical procedure, terminology and anatomy.

Likewise, English grammar and outstanding typing accuracy and speed are required, as well as keen listening ability and the patience to sit for hours through heavy concentration.

Training

A certified medical transcription' title will be beneficial in demonstrating your expertise when looking for clients.

You need to invest in your training, except if you had 'on-the-job' experience or healthcare background.

Medical transcription programs costs vary, averaging 3,000 dollars.

You can start only to promote yourself being a certified medical transcriptionist if you successfully have completed the examination on certification governed by the AAMT or 'American Association for Medical Transcription'.

Once you have obtained the certification, fulfilling recertification requirements are necessary periodically to uphold this credential, by way of continuing education programs.

Medical transcription courses can be taken through these formats:

Community college course

Correspondence distance education

Vocational school

Internet learning courses

Setting up the home office

You will also be investing in your home equipment and put up a workspace.

Necessary equipments are a Dictaphone with foot pedal or any other equivalent telephone devices to accept dictation, headset, PC with word processing capability, medical dictionary and manual resources for pharmacology and anatomy, medical spellchecker as well as extensive abbreviation tool like Smartype or Instant Text.

Charging

Many medical transcriptionists are charging per page while others charge per hour. If you can type fast, it will be beneficial to both you and your clients if you charge per hour. Whereas if your typing speed is on the average, you can charge per page.

Medical transcription work

Whereas majority of medical transcriptionists work at home alone, your healthcare industry provides networking opportunities and continuing education as well that might be worth checking.

Thankfully, there is the Internet, where medical transcriptionists are able to offer their services from anywhere, download files, transcribe and submit to clients through it.

Gaetane has thoroughly researched the internet to locate the best High Income Business Opportunities that will enable you to start making money from your own home. http://4instant-online-business.com http://4instant-online-business.com/pips.html

Medical Transcription Jobs At Home: What You Need To Know

2008-03-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

Work-at-home jobs are becoming a viable source of income for moms, retired professionals, and others who need to supplement their income. The savings incurred by companies who can outsource work of all types has become immeasurable. One of the most sought after positions is in the medical field. Medical transcription jobs at home are not only lucrative, but can afford anyone with the proper skills and background to take full advantage of this unique opportunity.

Here is an example of one particular medical transcription position and its prerequisites:

* Apply knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and English language rules to the transcription and proofreading of medical dictation from originators with various accents, dialects, and dictation styles.

* Recognize, interpret, and evaluate inconsistencies and inaccuracies in medical dictation; appropriately edit, revise, and clarify them without altering the meaning of the dictation or changing the dictators style.

* Operate Lanier transcription equipment and MS Word as directed to complete assignments.

* Meet quality and productivity standards and deadlines established by employer.

Qualifications would include:

* High School Diploma or equivalent. American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT) Certification preferred.

* Two years specialty or hospital transcription experience and/or graduate of medical transcription program.

* Medical terminology including anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology.

* Highly productive and accurate keyboarding skills.

* Excellent written and oral communication skills.

* Able to perform sedentary work with continuous use of earphones, keyboard, and foot control.

The cost for the Lanier transcription equipment, including headset and foot pedal, is approximately $75.00 and can be purchased online. Considering the compensation for a job in medical transcription is anywhere from $15.00 to $90.00 an hour, the expenses incurred are minimal. Note: most companies who require this service also mandate you use their specialized equipment since it can only be operated using their software. However, if you are new to this field you can receive MT training and certification via interactive medical transcription training for a fee; but, since the cost is quite high, those actively pursuing this specialized field should have prior experience. Also, there are some companies who not only offer training, but equipment as well.

It is also recommended that once you decide to pursue a career in medical transcription, you check out all of the sites to determine what is required. Since many medical establishments have specific requirements, you can easily check the many online job sites and message boards to view comments by other MT workers. In addition, there are many work-at-home sites directly geared toward moms, and for which they highlight medical transcription jobs on their site while, at the same time, researching the company itself to determine if it is legitimate and trustworthy.

The advantages to working at home are many; however, it is important to ensure that if you do seek a medical transcription job at home, it is one in which you have the experience; knowledge, and ability to work in an environment which is conducive to this type of work. Also be aware when searching for work-at-home positions, you find out as much information as possible about the company and its payment system. All too often, you may come across a medical transcription job which may sound too good to be true; it which case, it probably is.

Would you like to do medical transcription at home? If so, Ethan recommends exploring the free information at http://www.At-Ease-Home-Businesses.com right away

Long-time Medical Transcriptionists Tell All

2008-03-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

If you are evaluating medical transcription training options in order to start a career as a medical transcriptionist, you very well could benefit from hearing how my wife and I launched our business years ago. We struggled through some tough times together, and we are happy to share what we learned here with you. Hopefully you will be able to benefit from this information and not repeat the mistakes we made. I can say from personal experience that being able to work from home as a medical transcriptionist is one of the most liberating opportunities that you will find - anywhere.

Medical Transcription has become very personal to me. To help you understand, let me tell you a bit about my history with the industry. My spouse actually went through medical transcription training years ago by tutoring on the job with her mother, who was a long time medical transcriptionist and who owned a medical transcription company. Back then, there really weren't many other options to receive Medical Transcription Training. You could say that she went through the school of hard knocks. Actually, you could say we both did. It was a difficult and stressful time. And since medical transcriptionists are typically paid on production, it was a very lean time for us financially. Her line counts were extremely low during the first 6 or 8 months of apprenticeship... and so were her paychecks.

Over time, however, she improved her production and eventually I felt emboldened by her progress to the point that I went out and started selling our own accounts. I approached clinics, hospitals, physician offices -- pretty much anyone who would listen to my pitch and I would sell them on the idea of using our Medical Transcription services. We teamed up with my wife's parents and began to expand our presence in the marketplace. It was slow going at first, but eventually we built our little Medical Transcription company up to a level where we had dozens of medical transcriptionists working for us. It was an extremely exciting time!

This new career allowed my wife to work at home as a medical transcriptionist and be there for our young children. We were all happier with the flexibility that her Medical Transcription Training afforded us. I think our kids were the happiest of all. And the pay just kept getting better and better. For one thing her typing speed increased dramatically over time -- which meant more money in her pocket. More importantly, though, she got to the point where she didn' t have to stop and look up difficult medical terms so often. She actually got to where she had transcribed enough medical reports that she could generally anticipate what the doctor was going to say next. I was totally impressed as I watched her work! And I became even more impressed when I asked her to let me have a try at the keyboard. I put on the headset and pushed the play button on the footpedal all excited to type my first report... Guess what? She went upstairs for a snack and came back down to find me curled up on the floor in the fetal position out of sheer frustration. I could no more transcribe an operative report than I could fly to the moon! Her school of hard knocks medical transcription Training had definitely paid off -- in spades!

As technology advances came into the picture she was able to create macros on her computer that automatically inserted whole strings of common technical words and phrases with one or two keystrokes. You cannot believe the difference this made in her productivity. It was amazing! As her productivity went up, so did our income! We could finally do some of the things we had been putting off for so long for lack of money. Life was good!

Chris Dunn has created a website to help stay-at-home moms (and others) pick a good medical transcription school.

Chris Dunn has created a website to help stay-at-home moms (and dads) to explore medical transcription as the perfect work-at-home career and quality medical transcription training options

Work At Home In Medical Transcription

2008-03-17T05:06:00.000-07:00

Among the many opportunities available today to work at home is the field of medical transcription. However, many people are unfamiliar with what medical transcription entails.

Medical transcription is a highly specialized job whether it?s done at home or not. As such, anyone who wishing to earn a medical transcription job will need certain kinds of skills and training. It is a legitimate career, not a get-rich-quick scheme. The ads that advertise a medical transcription job, working from home, and claiming the job requires virtually no skills, no experience, with instant cash returns are not truthful ads. Most likely they're scams aiming to separate honest people from their money.

The Job

Medical transcription is a real job with real responsibilities requiring the use of real skills. It is not unskilled labor like stuffing envelopes or assembling items. The work at home job of someone in medical transcription is that of a medical language specialist. This means that part of the responsibility as a medical transcription employee is to interpret and transcribe dictation by medical professionals.

As a medical transcription employee, the most common task will likely be handling dictation. These dictations can cover pretty much everything that takes place between the health care provider and the patient. All the information needed is usually recorded either into an audio tape or onto digital voice processing systems. The job therefore is to transfer this information into written form using a word processor.

Medical transcription can certainly pay well. However, it doesn?t come without work. As stated earlier in this article, working at home in medical transcription is no simple matter. It is not something that can be learned in four or six weeks. There are, fortunately for those interested, several training programs out there that specialize in medical transcription.

The Skills

When deciding to take a home medical transcription job, there is a general set of skills that will be needed. First, there is keyboarding skill. Since medical transcription deals mostly with typing, data entry skills will be necessary. Grammar and spelling skills are also important; since medical transcription focuses more upon getting the dictation transferred into an accessible written form. Mistakes in either spelling or grammar challenge accessibility. High retention will also be important as the primary job in medical transcription is recording information.

In most cases, companies like to hire people with previous in-house experience for their medical transcription jobs working from home. This means that before they will hire someone to work at home they want to be assured that person has worked in medical transcription in a hospital or clinic. In fact, many of these companies require at least a year or two of experience working for the medical community from their applicants.

In order to assure getting a home medical transcription job, first obtaining the necessary experience is therefore advisable. If there are concerns about not getting the job because of a lack of experience a possible solution would be to do volunteer work. Many organizations are frequently looking for volunteers in medical transcription, allowing someone starting out to gain valuable experience towards landing a good job.

Linda Davis contributes articles to several popular online magazines, on home management and family and home themes.

This History of Transcription and Law Firm Productivity

2008-03-13T04:27:00.001-07:00

Whether documents reside as paper in a client?s redwell or as electronic files in a computer, the process of their creation has changed little over time - someone types them. In fact, along with dictation, typing has been a business process mainstay of not just the legal industry, but corporate America, for decades.

Up until the 1970?s, the dictation to transcription process generally meant a secretary sitting in the same room with her ?boss?, physically writing down every word uttered into a notebook using shorthand. After this time consuming task, she would then travel to her desk and typewriter and transcribe her notes as a first draft. The attorney would make revisions by hand and the document would be retyped from scratch on a new sheet of paper until final ? when it was typed one last time from scratch onto letterhead, usually with several carbon copies. I?m sure anyone who was raised in the PC era can?t even imagine typing the same base document over and over ? but that was how it was done!

In the late 1970?s, the introduction of two pieces of office automation dramatically improved on the document generation process: the cassette recorder and the electric word processor.

Instead of tying up a secretary for hours, a cassette recorder allowed attorneys to dictate to a tape which was then handed to their secretary for transcription throughout her day or, for larger documents, to the firm?s word processing department. With the introduction of recorded dictation, law firm productivity soared! Secretary?s could answer phones and handle administrative tasks as they transcribed and attorneys enjoyed the new freedom of being able to ?work? independent of their secretary and even office -- so long they had their portable recorder, batteries and fresh tapes they could produce and get the ?work? done.

The next improvement to the process, or electric word processors, removed the double entry work of documents created on typewriters and law firms adopted this ?new fangled? technology with arms wide open. Leading the way was Corel?s WordPerfect? which was created specifically for law firms and DOS, long before Windows and the far inferior (IMHO) Microsoft? Word were even a thought. To this day, WordPerfect?s Fkey functions remain etched in my memory and it?s Reveal Codes feature make it an ?intuitive? application for most beginners.

The next improvement to the document generation process will undoubtedly be recognized as the jump from analog to digital dictation and the options that then become available.

Hard to imagine, but this one relatively minor change in how dictators produce the work, can provide heaps of benefits for everyone ? from the ability for dictators to work from any internet connection or telephone; to the ability of HR personnel to track and monitor the actual work in progress at a firm; to the flexibility to send files ?in house? or to lower costs, to a transcription provider or Virtual Assistant.

While it is true that in today?s world many attorneys draft their work while sitting behind their keyboards, if an attorney is fairly computer literate and can type at a decent rate using all fingers (ok, 8 is ok too!), then through cutting and pasting of previously created documents and other software enhancements, this method of document creation can be an efficient use of time. However, since all attorney time is usually billable, the argument could be made that less than proficient attorneys should not draft documents through keyboarding, otherwise clients end up paying for administrative tasks at attorney?s rates. Also, one needs to pay careful attention to meta data (the hidden information in documents) when cutting and pasting.

Just as music and video have moved away from ?tapes?, so too will dictation. The dictation/transcription process remains the best method to get the work done and upgrading to digital is actually inevitable. Word on the street (aka LegalTech NY) is that analog transcription machines will shortly become scarce then the little tapes will start going up in price. If you see that, you know the time draws near to investigate digital equipment. Also, if your current equipment breaks, really consider upgrading to digital. Everyone in your firm will be happy you?ve made the switch ? including you.

My recommendation are products by Olympus ordered through Bret Williams of www.novuscript.com. Bret is an Authorized Olympus Dealer who is happy to provide preferential pricing and free shipping on orders over $200 just for mentioning ?LegalTypist?. ;)

While I try to follow the motto my dear ol' mom instilled in me as I was growing up: ?If you don?t have something nice to say ? don?t say anything at all,? I do feel constrained to caution would be upgraders away from Sony? products. I have had nothing but trouble with their proprietary file types and dictators report their buttons and functions are almost impossible to understand. In comparison, the same associate handed an Olympus DS3000 was able to create and process digital dictation files with very minor effort. For the hard core partners who really resist change, I recommend the Olympus DS4000 as it is the only digital recorder on the market with a slide switch -- so it feels just like a tape unit but without the tape!

Andrea Cannavina, CEO of LegalTypist, Inc., http://www.legaltypist.com, provides custom digital dictation and initial drafts transcription solutions to attorneys, law firms and those who work with the legal industry. Andrea is an EthicsChecked Master Virtual Assistant with over 15 years legal administrative experience. LegalTypist opened its virtual doors in April 2001 and since has assisted dozens of firms and businesses with the implementation and configuration of customized digital workflow.

For a free copy of Andrea?s 20 minute podcast ? Digital Dictation 101, send an e-mail podcast@legaltypist.com.

Home Business Idea: General Transcription

2008-03-13T04:26:00.001-07:00

There are few home based businesses that you can get started with that will require less training and equipment than General Transcription. If you can type well with minimal errors, you can be on your way to earning an income from home.

You?ve probably heard of transcribing before. Medical transcription gets a lot of attention in the work at home community. It?s a career that requires an expensive education and substantial experience in order to develop a full time income. By contrast, General transcription has no training requirements. This makes it very attractive to moms who want to make some extra money from home while caring for their children.

One of the most convenient aspects of a transcriber?s business is that you can build a work schedule that suits your personal preferences and your families needs. Transcribing can be done anytime and as long as you?re not on a hot deadline, it can easily wait for you if you?re interrupted.

There is a large demand for transcribers in our high speed internet world. Internet marketers, podcasters and many others are producing internet audio at amazing rates and they want every hour of it transcribed. Transcribed audio is useful for developing information products, creating fresh original website content and many other uses.

Providing transcribing services is often a specialized service that a Virtual Assistant provides. Even though general transcription is a specialization, a transcriber can target an even tighter niche. Perhaps you will want to specialize in transcribing teleseminar audio. There is certainly a high demand for it.

Finding work at a transcriber means making connections with those who are hungry for your services. Making the business profitable requires that you educate yourself in the going rates and ways of billing for your time. Take the time to learn all that you can now and you will be better prepared when you open doors to clients.

Learn more about starting a general transcription business and marketing that business by going to: www.mommysplace.net

Work From Home Transcription Services

2008-03-12T04:08:00.000-07:00

?Working from home? is a very common phrase In developed countries like United Sates of America. It is now slowly getting towards the developing nations like India, China, and Romania also. Thanks to the increasing penetration of the internet in these developing countries and the globalization effect. So, millions of people all across the world are looking for opportunities where they can make good amount of money by just sitting at home. If you are a person among them then transcription service providing is just like a dream opportunity for you.

Transcription is nothing but the art of converting recorded audio or video signals into a text format. It is just the ability of hearing the audio version quite perfectly and converting into written form in a consistent manner. There are different types in the form of transcription service providing. Some are just translation professions and needs no specialized background. However, some other transcription services like medial transcription, legal transcription need a good and solid background in those respective fields. If not, it is quite hard to make a good profession out of those sectors.

Medical transcription industry is growing enormously in the last few years. It is employing good number of people all across the world every year. Most of the local clinics and hospitals are providing jobs to people in this domain right from their homes. Working from home is just a tremendous advantage in this domain. However, if you want to get employed in this domain you need to have reliable internet connection, good computer and good head set at home. You should also be good at oral and written communication along with the basic medical knowledge. If you posses all of these qualities, you can make good amount of money in this profession, just working from home itself.

Legal transcription is another transcription service that needs a specialized law background. Legal transcription is nothing but the preparation of legal documents from any type of written information or even dictated information. Apart from these generic services, some of the popular legal transcription service providers will provide services like drafting and filling legal documents, calendaring and tracking other important works. If you are interested in this legal transcription service providing, then it is always a better idea to join an established company as a full time employ first, before you think of working from home to provide legal transcription services. However, if you are enough confident of your legal knowledge then you can go ahead with your work also.

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For complete help and advice on transcription, read the E-book ?Home Based Transcription Guide - How to make Money Listening to Words!? created by Nathian Jackson. This E-book will give you complete details about transcription, and teach you the ways of earning money through transcription without spending a single penny. This E-Book can be found at http://www.transcriptiontips.co.uk

Nathian Jackson

What is Transcription?

2008-03-11T03:37:00.001-07:00

If you are thinking of a telecommunicating career then probably the first one that comes on your mind is transcription service. So many people think the profession of a transcription as a very complex and hard one and most of them don?t understand the word transcription in a better way as well. However, both the meaning of transcription and the profession of transcription are quite simple. Transcription is nothing but the art of converting recorded audio or video signals into a text format. It is just the ability of hearing the audio version quite perfectly and converting into written form in a consistent manner. Looks simple, right!!

However, the most important qualities that any body who is looking to take transcription as a profession should posses are:

? Great listening ability
? Good typing skills (55 WPM or better)
? Reliable computer
? Good head phones
? Perfect internet connection and
? Sometimes a good phone

If you have all these with you and if you are excited of making your bread with the profession of transcription then you should just start providing these services. However, it is always better to undergo a bit of training from good training institutes before you take up transcription service providing as your profession.

People go for transcription services in two ways: as full time job and as a freelancing job. But mostly transcription comes as a regular work rather than as a freelancing job. However, it is also a better idea to take up transcription as your full time day time job and a freelancing job at home or in weekends. This helps you in not only getting a variety of jobs at work place but will also provide good amount of income.

Transcription services are of many kinds. There are generic transcription services where you don?t need any specialized background. Mainly transcriptions of presentations and class room discussions come under this category. However, there are quite a few types of services which need a specialized background. The two main types of those transcription services are medial transcription service and legal transcription service.

If you have a good legal background and if you are excited of these types of transcription services then you should go about this profession. It is always a better idea to join an established company before you start your own, may be at home. These services are normally not outsourced to low cost countries. Hence, this can be an exciting opportunity for young legal people in developed countries.

Medical transcription also requires a solid medical background. Currently, developing countries like India, China are getting great opportunities in this sector.

This article may be reproduced as long as the following resource box remains intact:

Nathian Jackson

Transcription Tools

2008-03-10T04:29:00.000-07:00

Medical transcription is not something, which has been in business off late. The history of medical transcriber dates back since the time when the doctors first took the Hippocratic Oath. If you happen to refer the history you will find that ancient cave writings provides information of all the medical treatments performed thousands of years back by our ancestors. Initially transcriptions were for different reasons however today medical transcribers have moved a step forward and are now considered as a full time profession all over the world.

In simple words, medical transcriber, transcribes or notes down all the dictated matter via phone or electronically recorded messages by doctors or health care professionals. The matter dictated by the doctors and other professionals are piled by medical transcriber in text format for future reference of the reader.

Medical transcription was officially recognized as a profession in the year 1999 when it was finally given the profession code by United States Department of Labor. Initially transcriber was generally referred as a typist or a medical secretary or data entry jobs.

Medical transcriber plays a vital role of converting spoken words into written text efficiently and effectively. Initially transcriber found it a bit difficult considering the low quality of recorded sound. However, today with more and more technology changes coming up, the task of transcribing audio/digital form into text form is becoming less time consuming and easy. One of the useful software that has been emerging off late is Voice recognition software. The use of Voice recognition software is certainly benefiting the transcriptors to speed up their job and make it more accurate.

With more and more technological software?s coming up will it be that technology power will overtake the role of humans in the profession? Well, it sounds like an interesting topic to debate on however the use of software?s does not mean the software?s will replace transcriber in the coming years. Just as a doctor is required to cure human being from different diseases irrespective of the technological advances so also a transcriber is required to perform the task of noting down the recorded data.

Software?s are just tools that assist human beings to perform different task more quickly and conveniently. But just like every other tool they cannot function without the assistance of a skilled human being. At the end of the day it is we humans who design such software?s to assist us in our profession and not the software that designs us.

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Nathian Jackson

Transcription Jobs

2008-03-08T02:13:00.000-08:00

Medical transcription and data entry are two popular jobs that come to mind when you consider the word telecommunication. Transcription jobs are more or less very similar to data entry type of jobs. Both require good typing skills on part of the employee, accurate typing, basic knowledge of computer and reliable Internet connection speed. Irrespective of many similarities between transcription jobs and data entry jobs still one can say that the former requires more training and good understanding of English language.

Transcription Jobs v/s Data Entry Jobs

Transcription is basically a process whereby the transcriber receives dictation by tape, digital system or voice file by doctors and other others related to the industry. The basic job description of a transcriber is to listen to the recording of the information and accordingly type it in document form for future reference. Transcription jobs require high quality training on part of the transcriber so as to ensure a steady and positive job. Medical and legal transcribers are more professional and specialized as compared to local data entry operators. Medical and legal transcriber requires appropriate and adequate training on part of the transcriber. A little bit of carelessness on part of the transcriber can lead to future flaws for the company.

The basic pay rate for a transcriber is anywhere around $0.06 to $0.12 on per line basis. The development of the Internet has seen a tremendous rise in demand for medical transcriber all over. Many employers are now seeking the services of a transcriber to get their work done more efficiently and accurately.

Home-based medical transcription is also on a rise considering the rapid growth of Internet all over the world and people find dealing online more secure than what it used to be in the past. As a result of this boost many people are now opting for freelance transcription services over the Internet.

Data entry jobs on the other hand are not as specialized and popular as compared to transcription jobs. The basic criterion of a data entry job is to be familiar with your standard keyboard skills and also with the ten numerical keys. The pay for a data entry job is far less as compared to transcription jobs. Data entry type of jobs, pay anywhere around $8 per hour to start with.

If you are seeking for a professional and a high rewarding career then Transcription jobs would be a better option as compared to data entry jobs.

This article may be reproduced as long as the following resource box remains intact:

Nathian Jackson

Transcription Services

2008-03-06T03:15:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a reliable service to convert recordings of an audiotape in a friendlier and useful format then transcription services can probably be the best option. Transcription services are a great way to note down dictated recordings made by physicians and other professional in a friendlier format for future reference. Transcription services enable to produce a typed version of the text in a format that is clear to understand, east to read, consistent and accurate.

A professional transcriptional can help you create transcripts of taped meetings, training courses, seminars, dictated letters, reports and manuscripts.

Importance of Transcriptions Services

? Transcription covers a number of services on part of the employer or the company. It enables whatever editing is required in order to make the report and letter flow. Similarly it also ensures tweaking sentence syntax, adjust paragraphs, removes redundancies and accordingly corrects any grammatical or punctuations errors.
? Transcription services are very important in almost all hospitals. For instance a medical transcriber plays a very vital role to note down the recordings made by physicians and other health care professionals. They make sure to transcribe each and every detail of the recordings into reports, correspondence and other administrative materials. Medical transcribers are specially trained for this type of work as a result they correctly transcribe patient assessments and treatments thereby reducing the chances of patients receiving harmful or ineffective treatments.
? Apart from medical matters transcriber are also employed by lawyers to note down the testimonies rendered by people exactly as it is spoken. Similarly, police detectives also require the services of a transcriber to note down the statements by suspects and witnesses.
? As a transcriber you will find that there are many individuals and fields that may require your services. Some of these include doctors, universities, lawyers, marketers, corporations, conference organizers, lecturers, researchers and so on.

Qualities of a specialized transcriber

Many people are becoming transcriber just because there is lots of money in this profession. Nowadays one can find many people calling themselves as transcriber even though they have not undertaken the necessary training program. As a result it can be a bit difficult to select the best one of the lot. Here are some points that can help you select an appropriate Transcriber

? He must be well versed with the English language.
? Similarly he must have good sound knowledge of grammar and punctuations.
? He needs to have high quality typing speed.

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Nathian Jackson

Legal Transcription - A Booming Sector

2008-03-05T03:33:00.000-08:00

Legal transcription has become one of the most demanding services all over the world, especially in the developing countries. Normally, legal transcription services will be provided by using the customer?s voice recordings or audio tapes in the digital format. There are many companies that are offering these legal transcription services all across the world.

To talk in an abstract way, legal transcription is nothing but the preparation of legal documents from any type of written information or even dictated information. Apart from these generic services, some of the popular legal transcription service providers will provide services to draft and fill legal documents, calendar and track down other important works.

If you are a young attorney and if you are looking for some help in the preparation of trails, organizing your client?s information, documenting all the related facts to your cases and some other related pieces of work; then you can definitely go for one of these legal transcription service providers. They are just the companies which you are looking for.

Normally, all the trails in the court will be recorded by these legal transcription service providers. Then they digitalize the voice and audio signals. The quality of these digitalized signals is just awesome, thanks to the latest technology advancements. So, if you want to define legal transcription service in a very informal manner, you can say it as a translation service that is done from voice and audio signals from court room to the form of a text in word documents.

Some of these legal transcription service providers have mastered even the art of documentation that is related to research in law. Most of the law students, in today?s competitive world, are moving towards these service providers in getting help for their research law document preparations.

In general cases, legal assistants are the people who will be used to do duties like greeting clients, doing the billing, assisting in research, transcription duties and other related services. These people are used for very monotonous and tedious types of jobs in transcription services companies.

Mostly, these legal transcription services are now done at home itself. This sector is definitely booming all across the world and especially in developed countries like United States of America. If you have a proper legal background, if you are a person who doesn?t get bored with monotonous jobs and if you are a person who is looking for a career which pays you very high by just doing the job from home; then legal transcription service is just a right career path for you.

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Nathian Jackson

Home Based Medical Transcription

2008-03-04T03:54:00.001-08:00

There has been a tremendous rise in the demand for Medical Transcribers in almost every hospital. Medical transcriber plays a very vital role in recording the dictated information made by different physicians and other health care professionals. Their job is to basically listen to dictated recordings and accordingly transcribe them into detailed reports. The information noted down by the medical transcriber is very important as it greatly influences the future medical treatment of a patient. As a result even a small error or flaw on part of the medical transcriber can have a great impact on the recovery process of a patient. Thus, formal training on part of the medical transcriber is very important for the well being of a patient.

In order to become a successful medical transcriber you need to

? Complete your post secondary training in Medical transcription, offered by different community colleges, vocational schools and distance learning programs.
? You can also complete a 1-year certificate program or a 2-year associate degree in the field to gain better knowledge about the subject.
? Some of the courses you can master in are Anatomy, medical terms and legal issues involving health care documentation. Excellent grammar and punctuations of the English language are necessary though not compulsory.
? You need to have good basic knowledge about computers and word processing software. You need to master yourself in understanding the different software?s such as medical spell checker and an abbreviation system such as PRD or Smart type.

A highly experience medical transcriber can elevate to administrative positions, editing, home base work or teaching. By taking the necessary supplementary training or education medical transcribers can become health information technicians, health information administrators or even medical coders.

Increase in number of home based medical transcribers

There is no doubt that medical transcription is a highly paid post in the industry today. People prefer to stick to medical transcription irrespective of the stress, hard work and concentration level required on part of the transcriber.

Today many people prefer to have their own home based medical transcription business. Home-based medical transcription allows people to work independently and accordingly enhance their standard of living. One of the major reasons for the rise in home based medical transcription is the boom of Internet technology that has resulted in advancements of outsourcing medical transcription services for the medical fraternity.

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Nathian Jackson

Transcription - An Explanation

2008-03-03T02:50:00.000-08:00

If your wondering what exactly the word Transcription means, then you are at the right place to check this out. Lets not make it very complicated and put this in simple words. Transcription is nothing but converting recorded audio or video dictations into written form. The basic idea of transcribing is to listen something in a spoken version and have the ability to type the same into a document for future reference.

Many might consider medical transcription to be quite simple and easy. Well if that was the case the industry would have not paid you as much as the current medical transcriber are earning. Becoming a medical transcriber requires a lot of hard work and stress management skills on part of the transcriber. It is not just typing blankly what you are hearing there are many aspects that are to be considered besides listening and typing.

Boom of Internet marks the glory of medical transcription jobs

Internet to a great extent has created a buzz in the online world. Together with the development of the latest technology, finding a job as a medical transcriber is easier than ever before. Nowadays, one can easily find hosts of medical equipments, computer software programs; training courses and books that can help you in becoming a successful home based medical transcriber.

The development of Internet has increased the demand for a transcriber in different fields. As a transcriber you will find that there are many individuals and fields that may require your services. Some of these include doctors, universities, lawyers, marketers, corporations, conference organizers, lecturers, researchers and so on.

Why do individuals and Companies require a transcriber?

? Dictating records with the help of a medial transcriber is far easier than typing everything themselves. Moreover creating dictations and hiring someone else to transcribe the audio saves on time, when they have other things they need to be doing.
? It is not everyone?s cup of tea to have the speed and accuracy in typing that medical transcribers have. Even a minor mistake on part of the typist can result in future problems on part of the company or the employer. This makes it very much important to have a professional medical transcriber rather than a hiring a part timer.
? Apart from typing down the recorded audio or video dictations a medical transcriber can also be used to fill in patient records, provide the necessary information to board members or in court of law as evidence or record keeping.

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? 2006-2009 Nathian Jackson

Home Based Transcription

2008-03-03T02:49:00.001-08:00

Home-based medical transcription is basically a process whereby the transcriber receives dictation by tape, digital system or voice filed by doctors and others. The dictation that has to be typed by the transcriber includes history and physical reports, clinical notes, office notes, x-ray reports, operative notes, consultation notes, pathology reports and so on.

Basic skills and knowledge required by a home based medical transcriber

If you?re looking to make a decent living, enhance your life and create your own standards then becoming a home based medical transcriber is probably the best option. There are some basic skills and knowledge that one needs to have in order to become a successful medical transcriber. It is not very easy to start your own home-based medical transcription business nor is it very difficult to start one. If you are of the view that having a computer at home and good typing speed is enough to become a successful medical transcriber then I am afraid, it is not.

Here are some basic skills and knowledge required on part of the home based medical transcriber

? Taking a good online Medical Transcription training course. You can also attend a good school college trade or vocational school course.
? Having good listening skills
? You need to have excellent computer skills
? Superior research skills
? You need to have high quality speed with great accuracy
? You need to have some foundation in Physiology, Medical terminology, laboratory tests, Anatomy, Pharmacology, & medical equipment & procedures.
? You must have the ability to work under pressure and also sustain deadlines for different projects.
What's The Initial Investment Needed To Do Medical Transcription? If you are planning to start your own home based transcription business then there are some initial investments that you have to incur on order to ensure a safe start. Your four major purchases will be your medical transcription training, transcriber, computer and reference books so your investment will be very minimal to get the business of the ground.

? Firstly you need a home office especially if you are starting from scratch.
? You need to have a formal Medical transcription training
? You need to have a complete medical dictionary to make sure that the work is done accurately.
? You also need to have the necessary software programs like the medical spell checker and the abbreviation system such as PRD or Smart type to complete the job more professionally.

This article may be reproduced as long as the following resource box remains intact:

? 2006-2009 Nathian Jackson

Work At Home Doing Medical Transcriptions!

2008-03-01T02:45:00.000-08:00

The evolution of Medical Transcription over the past few years has opened up new vistas of career opportunities for so many. Nowadays many people are known to earn a good living for themselves in this field. One must introspect within himself before pursuing a career as a medical transcriptionist because though it offers good money and flexible timings in addition to the facility of working from home, it demands a great deal of understanding of procedures and requires formal training before commencing work. The understanding of medical terminology is required to so an effective job. The terminology pertains to anatomy, pharmacology, diagnostic procedures, treatment assessments, etc.

The first thing to understand is what exactly is medical transcription? In the course of their work, doctors and other healthcare professionals dictate the recordings of various things including physical examination observations, the history of the patient, operative reports, referral letters, discharge summaries, observations of the imaging data and so on.

A medical transcriptionist would then listen to these recordings and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence, etc. The person would need to listen to a segment of recording, pause, key in what is said, playback to check, before moving on to the next segment. Often some editing is required to correct grammar and improve the clarity.

The transcribed document is then sent back to the health care provider for his sign-off who reviews it for accuracy. These documents are needed as a part of the patient's medical history records and in some cases his insurance records.

Many private institutes, education programs, colleges and vocational schools offer post-secondary training in medical transcription, sometimes as distance education courses. But these formal, certified degrees do not ensure a complete understanding of the job. Often a year of practical knowledge or a home-study course is needed to pick up the necessary practical knowledge for a transcriptionist's job. Medical transcription work does call for certain skills and mindsets. Apart from basic computer skills, you must have an eye for detail. One also needs excellent listening skills and grammar skills. Apart from this good typing speed along with the recording is also important. Working from home demands that you be comfortable about working alone and meeting deadlines.

The job profile includes working in hospitals, laboratories, physician's offices, firms offering transcription services, government medical facilities and so on. There is work on an individual contract basis too. Or you could work from home and you'll find that many employers offer work-at-home facilities for transcriptionists. Working from home requires some mandatory equipment like a computer with a medical spellchecker, printer, a transcriber and some medical reference books. A word expander utility is also available which avoids the work of actual typing. With ample experience a transcriptionist moves up to supervisory positions which include editing work, teaching and consulting.

The demand for medical transcription services is likely to keep growing owing to the growth in health practices and hospitals and the need for standardization of records. Every person entering the medical transcriptionist profession should carefully analyze the pros and cons of this field before venturing into it. Although the job is demanding and requires training, medical transcription provides a rewarding and fulfilling career if you're up to it.

More information on medical transcripts
medical transcript careers

http://www.medicaltranscriptiontips.com

Start Making Money Online Today by Starting a Medical Transcription Online Home Business

2008-02-29T02:12:00.000-08:00

An understanding of the medical profession is helpful, but not required. This is because you will need to be able to spell medical terms accurately. This type of employment can be done online through a business or you can work for yourself as a freelancer. You will also need to be a good listener to do medical transcription effectively. People all talk with different accents and at different speeds, which can make the transcribing difficult at times.

This type of employment is great for anyone wanting to earn extra cash or who enjoys having a career from home. Medical transcriptionists are in high demand. You will make a good amount of money doing it, as well as have no problems securing work. The amount of money you make depends on how much time you want to spend working. Obviously, the more time you put into it, the more revenue you will generate. Some places pay by the hour of information to be transcribed, in the range of $12 to $20 per hour. Other places pay by the quantity and quality of work you perform. For those who want to make a career out of medical transcription, it is wise to invest in a medical dictionary and a medical spellchecker. This will improve the quality and speed of your work.

Medical transcription involves typing the words that medical professionals have recorded on a tape that is mailed to you or on an audio that you download to your computer. The information you type may include medical history, physical reports, clinic notes, office notes, discharge summaries, letters, psychiatric evaluations, lab reports, and pathology reports. Some people transcribe just by hearing and typing. Others choose to invest in transcription equipment. This equipment generally consists of headphones and a foot pedal. While listening to the audio, you control the speed by pressing on the foot pedal.

To earn money easy and fast, look into the profession of medical transcription. It is a great way to make money. With so many opportunities in this field, you can control the amount of work you are willing to do. The pay is good and the work is simple. In some cases, self employed medical transcriptionists can earn up to $40 per hour once they have established a clientele. The cost of the equipment you purchase to do your job is tax deductible as well as a portion of your home office and your internet expenses. You will need to keep a very detailed log of your income and expenses for reporting purposes on your income tax returns.

The National Board of Medical Transcriptionists provides this field with a great resource for networking via email, newsletters, chat rooms, message boards, forums, and websites. This information is to provide medical transcriptionists with the latest technology and information in the field, regardless of whether they work in an office or at home.

Joshua Spaulding is an Author and Webmaster providing Proven ways to Make Money Online. Joshua also runs a Quality Article Directory

Medical Transcription - Online Versus Classroom Training

2008-02-27T02:34:00.001-08:00

If you've considered a career in medical transcription, you've probably already spent at least some time looking into the study options. And there are some serious decisions to be made when it comes to those training options. Should you study medical transcription in a classroom? Or would an online or correspondence course be better? It depends on your personality, your location and your needs.

Start by looking into schools in your area that offer medical transcription in a classroom setting. The sheer fact of your location in relation to any schools you'd be interested in attending may very well make the decision for you. While location is sometimes the deciding factor, don't let yourself be talked into taking what you consider to be second-rate medical transcription training just because it happens to be nearby. You can certainly get quality training from an online or correspondence school if there's nothing close to your location.

Your own personality - and limitations - should also play a role in your choice of training options. Do you work well without strict supervision and deadlines? Can you set goals for yourself and follow through? If your answer to those questions isn't a resounding "yes," you may not do well with online or correspondence training. There's a big difference between sitting in a classroom every day (or once a week) and being turned loose to do your own work. In a classroom, you're held responsible for keeping pace with the class. A correspondence class allows you to set your own pace. Some people simply need the structure of a classroom setting.

That's not to say that you have to attend classes in person to get that structure. Many distance learning programs allow students to "meet" with instructors and even classmates on a regular basis via computer. You simply set up a webcam at your location and you have the opportunity to interact with the teacher and even others taking the class. In some ways, this is the best of all possible worlds for the busy adult who still needs some structure to accomplish the goals of medical transcription training.

If you think the online "meeting" is a good idea for you, take a minute to look at your own computer and your connection. A dial-up connection with a slow computer may simply not be able to present the class in "real time." The lag can be annoying or even embarrassing, and you may find yourself losing out on some important points.

Regardless of what kind of training you choose, be wary of those offering claims that seem simply too good to be true. No one can guarantee that you'll find a job the week you complete your training and a school that offers those kinds of promises may very well be exaggerating other points of their training as well. Take time to be sure that any training facility you choose is reputable and that your hard work will end with training that will make you qualified to work in the medical transcription field.

Visit medical transcription online courses | medical transcription course or medical transcription school for more information on a career in Medical Transcription.

Medical Transcription - Tips On Finding The Best Training

2008-02-27T02:33:00.001-08:00

If you're considering a career in medical transcription, you may be wondering where you can find training. The fact is that you'll find plenty of training options, from hands-on schools with required classes to attend to online or correspondence courses. The problem is not in finding training options, but in finding the best training.

Start by looking at the school's reputation with former students. Having one or two posted statements by former students probably isn't sufficient. After all, you can't even be certain those students actually graduated from that training or that their statements are accurate. Anyone can post a glowing review on a website. Ask to talk to some graduates of the program. Remember that the people you call will have been screened by the training program and will have pledged to give good reviews, but you can still ask some pertinent questions that will help you make your decisions.

You should also take a close look at the amount of automated material you'll be handling and whether any of your time will be spent with real people who can offer personal training, feedback and advice. Its fine to take some automated tests and there's no doubt that computerized activities are an excellent source of practice and training. But when you finish an automated test with a score of 70, you may be upset that you didn't do better. When you're talking to those real people, you may find that most people have trouble with that particular exercise or given some real advice that will help you do better on future exams. Computerized work has its place, but shouldn't be 100 percent of your training.

Help in finding work after you've completed the medical transcription course is also a big incentive to choose a particular training option. In some cases, the training may include access to a website, newsletter or job positing forum that unites medical transcriptionists with potential employers. Whether you're looking for a full-time job in a health care facility or planning to use your knowledge to start a home-based business, your training will be useless without clients or an employer. Look for training opportunities that can help you past handing you a certificate of completion.

Convenience may very well be the deciding factor for some people. If you're already working a full time (or even part time) job, juggling demands of family and still trying to make some time for yourself, you probably already know that having time for school is going to be difficult. If this is the case, consider online training. You can study at your own rate. Don't have time during the week? Spend some of your weekend hours on your training materials. Just remember that the training won't finish itself and you have to make the commitment to complete the work if you want to start this exciting new career.

There are plenty of options when it comes to training for a medical transcription career. All you need to do is find the one that's perfect for you.

Visit Medical Transcriptionist | Transcriptionist or Transcription for more information on a career in Medical Transcription.

Healthcare Jobs in Medical Transcription

2008-02-26T03:49:00.000-08:00

Do you have great attention to detail? Are you interested in medical jargon? Do you like to work with computers? Well, if you answered yes to these questions, a job in medical transcription could be for you. Training programs are relatively quick and put you in the work force quickly with a desirable career, as well as a great salary.

Training. Medical transcription training can be completed in as little as 6 months and up to 2 years. Programs can be taken at community colleges, vocational schools, and some medical facilities. There are some online and self-study formats that let you work from home at your own pace. Training programs consist of course work in medical terminology, laboratory terminology, pharmaceutical terminology, transcription formatting, and clerical duties. Training also educates students with important knowledge about legal issues surrounding patient care and health records. It is also important that transcriptionists have proper pronunciation and grammar, as well as practical hands on experience.

Certification. Upon completion of a training program, students are eligible to take a national certification examination. The exam is administered by the American Association for Medical Transcription, and successful completion offers the transcriptionist the title of Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT). Certification is highly recommended for employment, though currently not required in all states. Once certified, CMTs must fulfill continued education requirements in order to maintain certification.

Job Description. Medical transcriptionists can be employed in a number of healthcare settings including hospitals, physician's offices, nursing homes, clinics, home health or public health agencies. Some transcriptionists work in private transcription businesses or as independent contractors. In a given day, medical transcriptionists may record medical records and correspondence for a number of patients. In many cases transcriptionists listen to information on a head set and type it into the computer.

Salary. Medical transcriptionists have respectable wages of an average $25,000 annually. However, salary increases for those with more experience and managerial positions. The demand for medical transcriptionists is also very stable, as the need for managing medical documents is essential to a properly run medical facility.

Entering the field of medical transcription is a quick process. Training programs are widely available and affordable. It is a great career in healthcare and offers many opportunities for advancement.

Angela Oliver is a contributing author for Healthcare-TrainingCenter.com, offering free no-obligation information about healthcare careers. Please visit the site at http://www.healthcare-trainingcenter.com/programs-medical-transcription.asp to learn more about medical transcription.

Getting Hired as a Medical Transcriptionist

2008-02-26T03:47:00.000-08:00

So you've gone through training as a medical transcriptionist and you're ready to work. Surely someone will hire you!

This may be the hardest part if your school does not offer job placement assistance or if you studied on your own. Not all or even many companies hire inexperienced medical transcriptionists. It can pay, however, to check with companies whose listed requirements you do not meet due to lack of experience. Some may make exceptions if you can pass their test.

Testing is a quick way for a company to find out what your skill level is. If the company is local, they may test you at their location; distant companies may send out a test or have you test online. No matter how the test is performed, don't rush, and make sure to check your work.

A good school will help you with finding companies willing to test and hire you.

You will want to have some idea as to the schedule you will be willing to work. I would suggest being available for at least 20 hours per week. Some companies may require that you stick to a schedule, so be realistic about the hours you can work. Don't assume that any children you may have will cooperate or that naps will always be a particular length. You'll have an advantage if they are in school, but otherwise, be ready to work at night or early in the morning when the children are asleep. You will need peace and quiet to be able to understand some of the doctors.

Be careful when you choose an employer, as there are scam companies in this field, just as in many other work at home opportunities. Some companies out there claim to hire completely inexperienced people and train them as medical transcriptionists, but so far I have not heard of one that was not a scam. The catch is that you can never meet their standards to become a paid employee. Don't fall for it.

Fortunately, there are plenty of good companies out there. With outsourcing to other countries it can be a little rougher than it used to be, but the jobs are still out there. If your school offers help in landing that first job, take their help. Some only include it with their more expensive plans, so you want to think ahead even before you begin training.

All is not lost if you don't have help finding that first job. Research medical transcription employers and ask on medical transcription forums about companies willing to hire new graduates. Check with local doctors, dentists, chiropractors, etc. The jobs are out there, it just takes a little effort to find them.

Stephanie Foster writes about her experience in medical transcription at http://www.homewiththekids.com/medical-transcription/. You can learn more about landing your first medical transcription job at her site.

Medical Transcription - A Glamorous Lucrative Career

2008-02-14T05:02:00.000-08:00

What is medical transcription?

The process of transcribing doctor-dictated dictations for the purposes of documentation as a medical record is simply termed as medical transcription. The person who transcribes the dictations into a document is a medical transcriptionist or a medical transcription professional. The process originated in the West. The person who did this job used to be called as a medical assistant who used to be with the doctor at the hospital writing down notes instructed by him. Advancement of this process is electronic conversion of the dictations.

Why and who?

For insurance purposes and maintenance of medical records. The major player outsourcing medical transcription work is USA. Canada, UK, and Australia have some. The outsourced countries include India, Philippines, Indonesia to name a few among others. The medical transcription professional needs a wide knowledge of medical terminology, American English, and critical thinking skills that may help him/her to interpret what is dictated to produce accurate documents. The dictator speaks over a hand-held device called a Dictaphone or a electronic recorder or a device which has a 1-button solution to upload his voice into the server. The transcriber downloads them at his location through a server that is provided to him by the organization he works for. He then transcribes the dictations into medico legal document.

Why outsourcing?

Medical transcription happens to be one of the earliest BPO jobs outsourced to India. Indians have strong English communicating skills due to the curriculum followed from the days pre-independence. The time difference of 12 hours between India and USA makes it easier for the doctors/clinics to have their reports on their table at their next visit to the clinic. Furthermore, cost of labor is much cheaper for the outsourcer.

Potential?

Medical transcription has a strong employment in both India and the United States. One can work for a company that serves for the Healthcare Industry. The model also involves working at home as independent contractors. In India, the independent home transcriptionist model is growing to gain much popularity. It is said, still a larger portion of the work is still to be outsourced from US. Both NASSCOM in India and the US Department of Labor have identified this career as having a higher growth potential year by year.

Earnings potential?

As far as the money making is concerned, the fresher in medical transcription earns a starting salary approximately around Rs. 5000 and after 2 years of experience, his money making capability goes to around Rs. 15,000. Careers advancement can lead him to become an Editor or a Leader of a team in a company which could fetch him around Rs.20,000 or more. In these days of growing population and a means to earn money, this is quite decent for an Indian standard.

Allied careers?

Medical coding and billing are showing up as allied careers related to medical transcription.

"This article has been submitted by Arun. S. Shanmugasundaram for http://www.mtgateway.com/ and can be republished without editing provided these lines inside the quotes follow the article."

Online Medical Transcription Courses

2008-02-14T05:01:00.000-08:00

There are many courses that are available online for medical transcribers. As the subject of medical transcription is very vast, the courses are also varied. These courses can be taken at the comfort level of the student as they can be done from home at their own convenience. There are a lot of institutes that offer higher continuing education that have an affiliation with reputed institutes. The institutes that provide medical transcribing courses online also offer certificates upon the completion of the course. If people want to take up a medical transcribing course and cannot find an appropriate one, online schools provide the freedom of obtaining a degree by sitting at home. All that a person needs to do is browse through various online sites and find the apt course.

A good online school offers courses similar to those of regular schools. Courses in medical terminology, physiology, ethics and anatomy are offered. There are other training schools that have laboratory tests and medical procedures, and teach how to transcript the format. Learning to transcribe in medical terms takes time and people who want to get into the profession of medical transcription have to get used to the medical terminologies. Online training courses do not make any false promises and teach what is mentioned in the syllabus. These online schools promise job placements as soon as the students finish the course.

If choosing to learn online individuals must prepare themselves as the courseware is not easy and requires a lot of commitment. The main aim of these online schools is to provide the best training to the students just like the regular schools.

Before individuals choose to register online for medical transcription courses, they must be confident, focused and should be willing to perform to their best ability.

Transcriptions provides detailed information on Medical Transcriptions, Online Medical Transcription Courses, Transcriptions, Medical Transcription Jobs and more. Transcriptions is affiliated with Medical Transcription Courses.

Medical Transcription Courses

2008-02-13T21:49:00.001-08:00

There are courses available to cater to the needs of the budding medical transcriptionist. The American Association for Medical Transcription's (AAMT's) "Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription" that educators use to develop their courses. Two-year programs are advocated that include 240 hours of externship in a medical facility. There are some schools that offer shorter programs.

Community colleges, proprietary schools and home-study programs offer medical transcription classes. It is wise to do a thorough checking of schools offering medical transcription courses. Programs that facilitate interaction between the student and teacher, as well as allow for networking among students are the best courses. These programs can mentally prepare you for the real world of medical transcription and finding a job in the field. Also, AAMT has come up with a paper called "How to Choose an MT School" that is intended to help you choose the medical transcription school that best suits your needs.

The ability to listen is a natural skill, but in transcribing it must also be learned. It requires practice and direction from medical transcriptionists who have been in the field for a good number of years. Even if you possess the mandatory keyboard skills, you d still need courses that offer transcribing practices. You must learn to integrate the medical knowledge you have, with keyboard and attentive listening skills. Intensive study is required to obtain a good level of fluency in the medical language.

Apart from developing the "Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription," AAMT also offers CDs and audiotapes for independent or classroom use. That aside, the AAMT "Book of Style for Medical Transcription" is held in high acclaim by the medical industry. Another valuable tool is the video based on "The Book of Style."

Medical Transcription Schools

2008-02-13T21:46:00.000-08:00

Medical transcription is a valuable (and lucrative) medical service that does not require actual qualification in medical science. In simple terms, medical transcription deals with converting patient reports and records dictated by doctors into an electronic or paper format. Their notes are dictated into digital recording devices and outsourced to such units all over the world.

Medical transcription is also crucial in optimizing the commercial viability of medical establishments, since it facilitates efficient time management, elimination of backlogs and reduced operation costs. It is a highly specialized field and carries an enormous burden of responsibility. Errors, inconsistencies and delays in transcribed reports can have very grave legal and medical consequences for doctors and their patients.

The baseline requirements for an aspiring medical transcriptionist are excellent command of the English language, an exhaustive fund of medical terminology and a willingness to learn constantly. While it is possible to qualify as a medical transcriptionist through courses offered at certain colleges and schools as well as through correspondence courses, true expertise is only obtained by professional medical transcription schools.

In America, medical transcription schools follow the parameters of the Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription laid down by the AAMT (American Association for Medical Transcription). These are quite exacting, since a course that follows this pattern can last two years, and it requires a period of training at an actual medical care facility. Upon the successful completion of such a course, a student acquires the highly coveted qualification of Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMA).

For those who intend to make medical transcription their primary career, not attending medical transcription school is not really an option. There are various professional guidelines involved in medical transcription ? confidentiality, turn-around times, accuracy, research skills etc. - that are best learned under expert professional guidance.

Medical Schools provides detailed information on Medical Schools, Caribbean Medical Schools, Medical Transcription Schools, Top Medical Schools and more. Medical Schools is affiliated with Physician Assistant Jobs.

7 Steps for Becoming a Website Translation Provider

2008-02-12T03:35:00.002-08:00

Translators have to be flexible when building their translation business. By being flexible, they are able to better adjust to changes in the industry and take advantage of any new opportunities that will arise.

One of the new opportunities that has come up in the last few years is the need that businesses have for website translation. This is a perfect opportunity for translators to take advantage of the (relatively) new technology of the Internet. More and more businesses are looking for ways to globalize, and one of the easiest ways for companies to do that is to have their publicly accessible information translated into other languages. The easiest way to do this is to have their websites translated. That is where you as a translator can come in and take advantage of the situation.

At first, it might be a little intimidating for a translator who has never worked in website translation to add that dimension to their business. However, it isn't as difficult as it may seem.

Here are seven steps (in no particular order) to adding website translation to your list of translation services:

1) Take a class about the Internet
If you don't know anything at all about the Internet, take a class. There are a lot of classes you can take that will give you a brief introduction. A good place to check is your local library.

2) Build and translate your own website.
Nothing will build credibility like showing potential clients that you have your own website and that it is the face of your business online. A business will be less likely to trust a translators that doesn't have a website.

3) Know the difference between text and images.
There is a big difference between translating the textual information on a website and translating words that are part of an image. If a company wants me to translate their website, I will translate the text and then send them translations for the text in the images. Make sure that the client doesn't want you send back the translated images. Doing that goes beyond the price for just translating the information.

4) Get a book on HTML.
When clients want their websites translated, they can either send just the text or the actual HTML files that includes both the content and the code. An HTML book can help you figure out what the code is and what it represents.

5) Start small.
Websites come in all shapes and sizes. Some are thousands of pages while some are only a few. Until you get familiar with the way website translation works, it's best to stay with the smaller websites and then gradually work your way up to more complicated websites.

6) Don?t be afraid to ask questions.
Especially if you're just starting out with website translation, always be willing to ask questions about things you might understand. If you're not comfortable asking the client, there are many translator forums you can visit where people are more than willing to help out other translators.

7) Just go for it.
You'll never be able to take advantage of this new opportunity if you don't go for it. It can provide you with an additional income stream, which is always a good thing.

Clint Tustison is a translator interested in helping other translators improve their businesses. His website, Spanish-translation-help.com is filled with information regarding the translation industry, and his monthly newsletter Translator Techniques is filled with tips and techniques for translators.

Translations That Kill

2008-02-12T03:35:00.001-08:00

Many different companies and industries rely on translation to help provide added value and better service to their customers and clients.

These translations are critical to both the companies that use them, as well as the customers that rely on those translations for information. As such, professionals who understand the role of translation and why it is so important must do translations with the utmost care.

One of the industries that must rely on precise translations for their clients is the medical field and that is why qualified professionals must do medical Spanish translations.

Medical translators translate a wide variety of medical literature, including everything from brochures about medicine to invoices and patient notices. In addition, there are many times when translators are asked to interpret for patients who are visiting with nurses and doctors. In all these instances, it is critical for the hospital or doctor's office to find someone that is professionally qualified because if not, these translations can kill.

So how can a person prepare to become a professional medical translator or interpreter? The best way is to take classes or earn a certificate or degree in the profession.

There are many schools and institutes all over the world that offer this kind of training and it is mainly just a matter of finding one that is close to where you are.

I did a bit of research on the Internet a couple of weeks ago and was able to find some resources of available medical certification programs in the United States that you might be interested in:

1. www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/is/spanmedical/details.phtml
2. www.butrain.com/cpe/interpreter-translator-ovrview.asp
3. www.harvardpilgrim.org/portal/page?_pageid=213,193564&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
4. www.cccsorg.com/training/index.html (not really a certification, but it is training nonetheless)
5. www.cambridgecollege.edu/academics/programs_ug.cfm (click on medical interpreter training)

Some companies believe that they it is too much of a bother to find a professional translation services, but in the end, they will be much better off by doing so. By preparing yourself as a qualified professional, you can take advantage of this opportunity and find additional work as a translator.

Clint Tustison is a translator interested in helping other translators improve their businesses. His website, http://www.spanish-translation-help.com Spanish-translation-help.com is filled with information helpful to translators regarding the translation industry, and his free monthly newsletter, Translator Techniques, has tips and techniques for translators.

Transcription VS. Data Entry, Which Pays Best?

2008-02-09T03:26:00.001-08:00

The two jobs that come to mind first when people think of telecommuting quite often are transcription and data entry. There are a few similarities between the jobs:

? Good typing speed (60 WPM or better)

? Accurate typing

? Reliable computer

? Reliable internet connection (probably high speed)

Despite the similarities, the jobs themselves are quite different.

Transcription jobs require a bit more training, especially if transcribing from a recording. Medical and legal transcriptions are much more specialized. It may also require the purchase of a 4-track transcriber. A good vocabulary and grammar skills are also important. The pay rates for transcription are usually based on a per-line rate, ranging from $ 0.06 to $ 0.12.

Transcriptionists quite often get regular work with more than one company, on a freelance basis. But, there are times when people can get a full-time position, with benefits with one company. If you already have a position doing transcription in-office, it might be worth asking your employer to consider telecommuting.

Data entry jobs are less specialized, but can be equally challenging. You need to be very accurate in your typing, not only with the standard keyboard, but also with the ten key. Data entry jobs may pay an average of $8 an hour, to start. There is quite a bit of competition for the data entry.

After you decide which job is right for you, you need to decide if you want to approach it as a job, or as a business owner, offering your services to companies on a freelance basis. Both approaches have their pros and cons.

If you run your own business, you have the freedom to pick and chose your jobs, set your own schedule and vacation times. But, you also have to keep track of your income and expenditures for taxes. If you work as an employee, it saves you doing all the extra paperwork involved in running your own business. Either way, you need to act as professionally as possible, to keep a good working relationship with the companies you deal with on a daily basis.

Nell Taliercio, the Telecommuting Answer Lady, owns http://www.telecommutingmoms.com where you can locate legitimate work at home jobs and practical advice to start your work at home career tomorrow!

Medical Transcription Training

2008-02-08T01:07:00.001-08:00

Employers will almost exclusively hire transcriptionists who have completed some kind of formal training in the area or who have experience. There are many ways to obtain such training, but for most a community college or vocational school will be the best option, especially if the training includes on-the-job experience. Do not worry about whether or not they offer the opportunity to earn the Certified Medical Transcriptionist designation. This is not a required certification in general, and in fact, most transcriptionists need a couple of years' experience before they can pass the test to gain this designation. I am not a CMT, but I was able to find a job.

Courses typically take several months to two years to complete, depending on the school chosen. Many vocational schools include the cost of books and course materials in their tuition, which may be helpful after you have landed a job. If you already work in a medical field, and simply want to switch to working from home, you may only need to learn transcription, as you may already have the vocabulary you need, but think carefully, as a refresher course may not be an entirely bad thing either.

It is also possible to take transcription courses at home. This option is more flexible but may be more challenging in other ways. Your selection of a course of study should depend on how you will best learn what you need to know.

You will need an assortment of reference books. Some you may recieve with your training, but you may find you need others. See the equipment page for suggestions.

College Courses

College courses are best for most people. Having an instructor to help you through the difficult parts and to keep you working on a schedule can be a great benefit. Many schools also offer job placement assistance, which may not be available through home study courses.

Community Colleges

Perhaps the cheapest method of instructor-led training you can get, but it may not be quick. A quick look at a local community shows a 22-25 unit requirement for certification in Medical Transcription. This would require a minimum of two semesters' work or more, depending on prerequisites and whether you attend part- or full-time.

Costs vary by what state you live in. Check with your local school.

Vocational Schools

Vocational schools cost more than community colleges, typically into the thousands, but may offer more flexiblity when it comes to the timing of your class. This may not be a quick solution either. With a quick look at a local vocational school's webpage, I found that its Medical Transcription training program takes about 28 weeks of classroom time and four weeks of an externship. Check to see if textbooks and other supplies are included in the cost.

Home Study

Home study courses offer the most flexiblity in many ways, but they offer challenges as well. You must be capable of working on your own. On the other hand, if you want to work at home, that's a skill you need. You'll need special equipment for this option in many cases, such as a foot pedal.

In the time I've spent researching medical transcription schools, three names keep coming up as the ones that employers actually hire from regularly: Career Step, M-Tec, and Andrews School of Medical Transcription. Of them, CareerStep is the most affordable. The others have a still better repuation with employers, but CareerStep graduates are plenty well enough trained to find employment. My former employer, Medquist, requires that you take the Gold level or above from CareerStep (last I heard, anyhow), which is my recommendation as well. Expect to take a minimum of 6 months, often 9 months or more, to complete a course.

Which option is best? That depends in large part on how you best learn and what is available in your area. There's no one definite right answer that will meet everyone's needs.

Stephanie Foster is a former medical transcriptionist and now runs http://www.homewiththekids.com/. You can learn about medical transcription training options at her site.

Medical Transcription Business And Work At Home - Great Carrer!

2008-02-07T00:48:00.001-08:00

Many People want to start their own business, but don't know where to begin or they worry about failure. With Medical Transcription you can start small and build up your business at your own space and your spare time. Medical Transcripton is real and legitimate work at home. This business could be for you. With Madical Transcription you can:

- make $25.00 to 35.00 an hour,

- make your own hours,

- work on your own,

- be your own boss.

This is a great opportunity for Everyone that wants to earn extra money or wants to start a business at home.

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You will have All Office Inforation Forms, Subcontractors Forms, Mileage Logs, etc. Everything you need to start keeping track of your Medical Transcription At Home Business!

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FTP Hosting For Transcription

2008-02-06T02:24:00.000-08:00

FTP Hosting ? an overview

The term FTP stands for ?File Transfer Protocol?. In this era of Internet technology transferring files over the Internet is a common phenomenon. FTP hosting service allows us to upload as well as download large amount of files by keeping necessary security measures. If you are unaware about FTP ? you are missing something that can simplify the file exchange process of your business.

FTP hosting service comes with storage system where you can upload the copy of a file, irrespective of the size and content. This storage acts as FTP server or FTP Site. You can transfer the files efficiently from one location to another through this FTP server. People who are authorized to access your FTP server can download or delete the files.

Be it a small firm or large organization, companies are taking complete advantage of Internet technology in their business process. In general people are familiar with HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), which comes with a set of rules for transferring files, irrespective of the content (text, image, video, audio, multimedia etc.). With the pace of time, people started realizing the importance of File Transfer Protocol in business process.

FTP hosting for business process

How can you think about transferring files in a secure mode without FTP? In a business process you need to exchange information from one node to another. That information may be simple text, image or a huge multimedia. In a business process you need to exchange files with vendors as well as clients and there is nothing better than FTP hosting service that takes complete care of your objectives. Be it a heavy engineering sector or a busy law firm, you can efficiently exchange the files through FTP hosting service.

FTP hosting works like blessing in Transcription business. Compared to other business processes, the size of each file is large in transcription business. Moreover, you need to exchange files efficiently with clients and transcriptionists. In a transcription business you need to maintain several accounts for the transcriptionists and clients. With FTP hosting service you can easily take manage the distribution of files between them. FTP hosting service not only allows you to exchange large files over the Internet but also provides the facility of creating multiple accounts to simplify the business process.

Internet based Transcription Business

The nature of transcription business has changed with the introduction of BPO (business Process Outsourcing) or KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) in the business sector. Today transcription business services are done over the Internet to increase the pace of business process.

In general, we can categorize transcription services in five different sectors ? Medical (Medical Transcription Services), Legal (Legal Transcription Services), General Business (Business Transcription Services), Digital (Digital Transcription Services) and Word Processing (Word Processing Services).

In Medical Transcription Service you have to transcribe medical reports, patient progress reports, reviews for the clients. Legal Transcription Services, on the other hand transcribes comprehensive legal reports and general correspondences. Digital Transcription Services create transcribed documents from audio files. In Word Processing Services you have to create research papers, manuals, database, desktop publishing and other types of documents. Therefore, FTP hosting service is necessary to exchange files and transcribed files between clients and transcriptionists.

Security feature in Transcription Business

Security is an important issue in Internet based transcription business. You need to maintain separate accounts for the transcriptionists to interact with the clients. FTP hosting services comes with the facility of separate FTP account. You can create as many accounts as you want for the transcriptionists. Each transcriptionist will interact with the client through his/her own account. Since passwords are unique for FTP accounts, therefore you can easily restrict transcriptionists to access the files from others? FTP account. Moreover, a user cannot delete any file from FTP site without proper username and password.

Advantages of FTP Hosting in Transcription Business

By implementing FTP hosting service in the business, you can efficiently manage transcription services and improve the speed of the business process by maintaining required security. Other than transferring large files from one computer to another through FTP site, you can also send Emails with large attachments. Some common features are ? Sending mail with attachment to several people (clients and transcriptionists). FTP service acts like magic for people who are using slow dial up links. They can efficiently download large files from FTP site irrespective of the dial up speed.

Finally, FTP hosting services comes with a web based interface through which you can administer all the FTP accounts in your business process. You have to provide separate FTP user account and password to each client to upload or download files from the FTP server. By this one client will never view the transcribed documents, which are uploaded in FTP site for other clients.
Mike Jewson is a Network Engineer with "InstantFTPsites.com". You can learn more about "FTP Hosting" services online at http://www.InstantFTPsites.com ? 2006 InstantFTPsites You may reprint this artilce online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered.

Medical Billing Transcription

2008-02-05T02:50:00.000-08:00

Medical Billing and Medical Transcription Professionals have embraced the growth of technology and have made it possible for thousands of people to work from their home or part time doing Medical Billing Transcription. It is important to keep in mind that there is training involved in Medical Billing. If you have ever filed an Insurance Claim then you know how tedious the forms can be. A Medical Billing professional must know the ins and outs of the entire process.

Competition in the medical billing market is fierce, especially for those who are new to it. Many doctors' offices process their own medical claims. Doctors who contract out their medical billing often use established firms, not individuals working from home.

Learn more at http://www.medicalbillingpilot.com/

John is an active article writer for numerous websites and blogs.

Medical Transcriptionist - Are They Really In Demand?

2008-02-04T02:08:00.000-08:00

The answer is an absolute "yes." But why is there a demand for medical transcriptionists? The answer to that question lies in social trends and the needs of those tending our aging population.

There's no doubt that most people around the world are living longer, healthier lives. That's due in part to lifestyle changes. People simply realize the benefits of eating right, getting proper exercise and paying attention to their physical and emotional needs. The other reason for the longevity can be attributed to incredible strides in the health care industry. There are more health care options than ever; making it possible for more people to afford the health care they need in order to stay healthy. At the same time, researchers are finding new drugs, new treatments and better options for those who have health problems. Diseases that were terminal only a few decades ago are now nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

The boom in the health care industry has created many new jobs, including a demand for medical transcriptionists. Think the person who transcribes the records isn't that important? Consider this scenario. A person goes to his family doctor for a nagging cough. The doctor finds something suspicious and the person is referred on to a series of specialists before finding himself in the hospital facing surgery.

The family physician at the beginning of this process knows that the patient is allergic to penicillin, but that fact may very well never come to light until the patient has been given a lethal dose of the drug - but for the work of the medical records that have accompanied this patient throughout his travels to the various doctors. Each doctor along the way gathered new information and that was all conveyed to the next doctor by way of the medical notes - which were all transcribed by a trained professional.

The time these doctors, nurses, lab technicians and other health care providers spend at their jobs is typically spent helping their patients. The days when a country doctor could make rounds and remember the ailments and particulars of all his cases are long gone. Several decades ago, someone came up with the idea of recording thoughts, treatments and all other relevant information from a patient's visit with his physician, then having that verbal information typed up - neatly, so that everyone could later read and understand. That brought about the need for these professionals that today carry a huge load for the health care industry.

The result is a demand for individuals who can accurately transcribe verbal notes. There are plenty of training opportunities and lots of technology to help you along the way, but it still takes a skilled person to listen and record exactly what's being conveyed.

There's no doubt that medical transcription isn't for everyone. There's no room for daydreaming and accuracy is a must. But there's also no doubt that this is an opportunity to be involved with the health care industry, and in a way that has definite appeal for many people. You may be one of those who would do well in this field.

Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Transcription | Medical Transcription | Medical Transcriptionist

Telecommuting Job Idea ? Transcription

2008-02-02T01:20:00.001-08:00

Working as a transcriptionist is a great way to telecommute or work from home. Transcription simply means that you take spoken word and transcribe it into a written document. The person you are doing the transcription for usually speaks on a tape or records his voice as a digital file and then sends it to you. You simply type what you hear.

Of course there is software and hardware out there that will make the job easier by allowing you to slow down the recording you are transcribing.
Different Types of Transcription Positions

Medical Transcription

Medical transcription is probably the most common and best know type of transcription. Doctors and other medical staff record their comments and notes about a patient. The transcriptionist then transcribes the recording and the written document is added to the patients file.

As a medical transcriptionist you should have a good understanding of medical terminology and their spelling. While a degree or course in medical transcription is not required, especially if you are working for smaller doctors? offices, it does help to gain more lucrative contacts and of course prepares you for the work ahead.

Legal Transcription

Almost everything in legal proceedings is recorded from interviews between attorneys and clients to actual trials. Many of the minor recordings are often outsourced to someone doing transcription from home. You could work for a few lawyers and turn their recordings into written documents that can be added to their client?s files. As with medical transcription, there is quite a bit of specialized terminology, in this case legal lingo that you will come across when doing legal transcription. Previous experience in the field of law, or taking a class or home study course will help prepare you for your work as a legal transcriptionist.

Business

There is an increasing need for transcription in the business world. In addition to the traditional letter dictating work that you can pick up, there is an increasing demand for transcriptionists that will turn teleconferences and online meetings into written documents. It seems that almost any online business owner these days is holding teleseminars or teleconferences these days to communicate with both customers and business partners. While many people appreciate the option of listening to information, there are also quite a few who prefer to read a transcript of the call. You could stay busy just transcribing for a few online business owners, or work as a secretary taking dictations for a few traditional business owners in your area.

If you have good typing skills, transcription may be a great way for you to telecommute. Start with some general business or teleconference type jobs. If transcription is something you enjoy doing, it may be worth your wile to take a class or course to prepare you for medical or legal transcription, both of which require extensive knowledge of special terms in the respective field.
Nell Taliercio is the owner and founder of http://www.TelecommutingMoms.com ? which is a leading resource website with work at home jobs and everything a telecommuting mom would need. Come visit us today!

Is A Medical Transcription Career Right For You?

2008-02-01T00:17:00.001-08:00

Many people think they can get into the medical transcription industry easily, make good money and live happily ever after. Surely you?ve seen this type of message before with people selling correspondence courses. Can you really make a good living with medical transcription? In this article, we?ll go into the good and the bad of the medical transcription industry and see if it?s for you or not.

Medical transcription is a challenging and rewarding career and the demand for it just keeps growing. there are more than enough jobs out there for anyone willing to make a career in medical transcription.

But many people come into this line of work and think they can make a career out of it just because the demand is high. Then they start going through the process and find that it's a lot harder than they anticipated.

They thought it would be an easy way to make good money . It is a way to make money, but with anything worth something, it?s not always easy.

One of the drawbacks of medical transcription is that it takes training and continuing education. This alone scares many would-be medical transcriptionists away from the field. It takes dedication and a willingness to learn and keep learning. At some point you have to ask yourself ?If the demand is high and the supply of medical transcriptionists are low, why isn?t everyone getting into this??.

This is the very reason. It?s not easy. It?s rewarding, but it?s not easy.

Usually, it takes six months to get a handle on the medical terminology and the different medical conditions, drugs, procedures, tests, and treatments that are required by the field.

Another hurdle is the fact that the medical industry is constantly advancing and constantly changing. Being able to adapt to new medical treatments, drugs and terminology is imperative to your success with medical transcription.

There are mail order medical transcription courses out there and many professionals indorse them, but it?s best to go the "hands on " route while learning medical transcription. On the job training or a college teaching it in your area would be the best way to learn. You can get the much needed hands on experience that you can?t get with a correspondence course.

While a mail order course may be helpful, it doesn't take the place of a live human being helping you learn the basics and beyond.

Medical transcription clearly isn?t for everybody. If you?re serious about earning a good living with a high income career, you should take a close look at it.

HOW TO SUCCEED AS A MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST

2008-02-01T00:16:00.001-08:00

Presently, there is a substantial need for good transcriptionists who are knowledgeable, accurate, hardworking, smart, dedicated and dependable, and this need exists daily. A professional MT, even one just beginning, is expected to have a certain level of required medical, language, and technical knowledge and skills along with the necessary typing acuity to perform the job. The bottom line is that knowledge and skills are constants. Will there come a time when hands-on medical transcriptionists will not be needed, that the MT will be completely replaced by computers and voice recognition systems? While that possibility exists, it is not seen in the immediate future.

Facts: Medical transcription has evolved into a highly skilled subspecialty of medicine requiring proficiency in the knowledge of medical language and technical skills, and today?s marketplace commands the successful MT to possess a variety of skills, which includes use of the Internet. The difference between a transcriptionist and a good transcriptionist is the extra mile taken to ensure the accuracy of document information and presentation. Job proficiency is the name of the yardstick and you will be measured by it.

Hiring facilities view MT candidates as having a variety of talents, assets and characteristics. Your proficiency in the real world is measured by your proficiency to get the job done accurately and in a timely manner. Your work will be monitored and you will have regular performance reviews wherever you work, so performing your best is always a top priority. It pays to persevere, and learning what you don?t know will only help you in the long run.

Secrets: Repetition is a key factor in mastering listening skills. As much as possible, listen repeatedly whenever encountering an unfamiliar word or phrase. Transcription speed is built on abbreviated keystrokes, which save time and enhance your ability to make more money. Always find ways to improve your knowledge and technical skills, because learning occurs daily. As technology advances, you will be expected to know how to use and integrate these changes into a facility?s system.

Expand your knowledge. Get to know other transcriptionists and network often, if not daily. Reach outside your comfort zone. Choose an area of particular interest and become an ?expert? in that area. While the road may be tedious in the beginning, ultimately rewards do come. If you promise 24-hour turnaround, deliver it. Honor and meet whatever commitments you agree to with your client. As you continue in your career, the likelihood of greater demands and expectations made upon you increases, so practice often and keep your knowledge current.

Conclusion: Commitment and determination lead to a successful career. Be willing to take the steps necessary to complete the required learning, to compete in a market that strives for excellence and rewards it, and to invest time, energy and sincere efforts toward excellence.

A Medical Transcriptionist Resume Will Highlight Your Unique Skills And Qualifications

2008-01-30T00:44:00.000-08:00

A Medical Transcriptionist in short MT positions, require a certification with training, specific skills like fast type writing, listening skills, and a specific field like Radiology, Operations report OR emergency reports handling etc. Do make sure your mention your knowledge on industry standards like HIPPA requirements etc. Below is a list of things that should appear in your resume. Your knowledge history like training, certifications etc have to be highlighted. The quality you can deliver in terms of % accuracy. mention your type writing speed. Your years of experience in the MT field, and if you could explain in detail which field you were transcribing: opthology, nephrology etc. Give a brief description about the employer: what they are doing, if they are not well known. Whether you prefer to work from home. If so, you have the required computer and other MT hardware at your home. List your merit details like name of the institution, city, state, degree, major, year awarded and GPA. Mention your entire job related skills, computer proficiency and language skills to make your resume stand out. Use some technical jargon to convince the employer. Experience in Coordinated and requisitioned all patient diagnostics, Maintained census and dietary records, operating room reports, autopsy reports and maintenance in physical examination documentation. Mention any technical or computer qualifications and personality development, diploma in medical transcription etc done as a course with its content in brief, the duration, institute and also its result. Mention your current and recent clients with specialties like internal medicine, pediatrics, orthopedics, and ENT/head & neck surgery etc. Mention how you have reduced the costs and saved money in your department or the organization in general by any means. Highlight any other achievements that have benefited to your department and obviously your organization in general.

Robert is a Freelance Writer For ResumeHowTo.com. They Specialize In All Kinds of Different Resume Issues. They have information on various Types Of Sample Resume, Also thay can connect you with companies that are dedicated to Resume Writing So You Needn't Worry.

Medical Transcriptionist Training Expectations

2008-01-30T00:42:00.000-08:00

The medical transcription field continues to grow in conjunction with the demands on the health care industry. For those who are suited to this job, there are some good opportunities. But isn't it just a case of listening to the voice of a health care professional and typing up exactly what's been said? While that's the basic idea behind the medical transcriptionists' job, there are some reasons that health care professionals and facilities want to hire those trained for the job.

The terminology is one of the biggest reasons training is so vital. While you don't have to be able to name the bones in the leg, you do need to learn to recognize words like "tibia." Terminology is one of the reasons medical transcriptionists need training, and one of the points that will be taught and practiced during Medical Transcriptionist training.

But is there really a need to learn those things? After all, you can certainly stop the tape and look up any words that you don't recognize. That constant starting and stopping are the difference between an experienced transcriptionist and someone who's filling in. If you have the right training and the right real world practice provided by most medical transcription training programs, you'll find yourself able to meet the demands of the terminology.

Specialized training is one of the many options of medical transcription training, and many health care professionals who have a specialty are seeking out those people who can most accurately transcribe notes and medical details. In that case, the transcriber learns those words that apply specifically to the system, disease or other narrow focus of a particular doctor's practice. Adding those specialties make you more valuable on the marketplace.

Remember that doctors aren't the only ones who need medical transcription, and you'll find most training programs offer at least some exercises and information to prepare you for those situations. You may be called on to create exit notes for patients at a hospital. The patient is about to leave and those notes have to be legible, accurate and available now.

One point of the training is to learn to be fast and accurate in real-life situations. A busy emergency room isn't going to suddenly quiet down so that you can concentrate on transcribing a doctor's orders for a patient who is about to be released. Many medical transcription schools will put students into those noisy, busy, stressful situations with orders to transcribe. As important as it is to learn the terminology, it's also vital that you learn to listen - regardless of what's going on around you.

There are even those outside the medical field that use transcription. Though the demand for attorney transcribers isn't as big as for medical transcription, there is definitely a need in that field.

There are other points that will become part of your training. How to make use of technology, software and resources that are available to help you better accomplish your tasks as well as the best ways to handle various situations you're likely to encounter. Take a look at the courses being taught by MT schools. You may be surprised at how thoroughly you'll be prepared for a career in medical transcription.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Getting Started in a Medical Transcription School

2008-01-28T03:34:00.000-08:00

In most cases, the only things you will need to get started in a medical transcription school (besides an intense motivation to work at home) will be a computer and an Internet connection. The Internet connection assumes that you select an online medical transcription school, which is highly recommended. An online program will most closely approximate the real world experience. And as you start out this extra online experience will give you a significant competitive advantage.

As far as computers go, it is generally not necessary to go out and buy a brand new computer in order to get started in a medical transcription school. A used Windows based computer will do nicely. You really just need something that is a Pentium class or higher and that has Internet connectivity. You will also need a good word processing software package, such as Microsoft Word. Any computer that was manufactured in the past 5 years or so should be adequate for most medical transcription schools. If you feel compelled to purchase the latest and greatest computer make sure you shop around. A lot of the high end capability of most new computers will be wasted as most of what you will be doing will revolve around word processing. The most intensive computer activity you will likely be performing -- either in your training or on the job -- will be downloading digital dictation files from the Internet to your hard drive.

Once you have the requisite equipment, you are ready to enroll in a medical transcription school. If you have done your homework you should feel confident about your enrollment decision. Paying for your schooling is probably the biggest obstacle most people have to overcome. Many medical transcription schools have counselors that work with prospective students to help them explore financing options. A reputable school will probably have access to Sallie Mae financing, which is an academic finance company that specializes in educational funding. Depending on your school, you may also find a variety of other financing options and possibly scholarship opportunities that will help defray the costs of the program. Don't be afraid to ask about these things when you discuss your enrollment options with an enrollment counselor.

It can be hard to know where to start in selecting the right medical transcription school. Make sure you choose a medical transcription school that understands your needs as a person, and can work around your budget, schedule, and lifestyle to aid you in becoming the best MT possible! Remember, all you need are a few basic skills and a medical transcription education, and you'll be on the road to personal freedom and financial stability!

Chris Dunn has created a website to help stay-at-home moms (and others) pick a good medical transcription school.

A Medical Transcriptionist Career Could Be What The Doctor Ordered

2008-01-23T03:36:00.000-08:00

A Medical Transcriptionists career could pay off well for those seeking to update their career training. As thousands of jobs are being outsourced and sent overseas in every sector, for those fortunate enough to be within the employment ranks as medical transcriptionists, this sector is projected to grow faster than average for all jobs through 2013. Demand for medical transcription services will be fueled by a growing and aging population. Older age groups receive more medical tests, treatments, and procedures that require documentation. A high level of demand for transcription services also will be sustained by the continued need for electronic documentation that can easily be shared among providers, third-party payers, regulators, consumers, and health information systems.

Growing numbers of medical transcriptionists will be needed to and identify discrepancies in medical reports, amend patients' records, and edit documents from speech recognition systems . An increasing demand for standardized records should result in rapid employment growth in physicians' offices, especially in large group practices. Medical transcriptionists held strong employment representation with about 105,000 jobs in 2004. About 4 out of 10 worked in hospitals and another 3 out of 10 worked in offices of physicians. Others worked for business support services; medical and diagnostic laboratories; outpatient care centers; and offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists. Compensation methods for medical transcriptionists vary. Some are paid based on the number of hours they work or on the number of lines they transcribe. The higher earners can forseeably expect more than $20 an hour.

Work conditions that some would envy are what many Medical Transcriptionist encounter. Professional transcriptionist can look forward to working in comfortable settings such as hospitals, physicians' offices, transcription service offices, clinics, laboratories, medical libraries, government medical facilities, or their own homes. Many medical transcriptionists telecommute from home-based offices as employees or subcontractors for hospitals and transcription services or as self-employed, independent contractors.

Many medical transcriptionists work a standard 40-hour week. Self-employed medical transcriptionists are more likely to work irregular hours--including part time, evenings, weekends, or on call at any time.

The future of medical transcriptionist jobs appear to be healthy and bright and shows no sign up declining anytime in the foreseeable future.

Jennifer Thomas is a Career and Lifestyle Management writer providing cutting edge updates on some of today's hottest at home careers. Jumpstart your career training - Enroll in a Free 5 day online mini-course and Discover how to land the Medical Transcriptionist job of your dreams

Characteristics of a Quality Medical Transcription School

2008-01-19T03:22:00.002-08:00

First and foremost, a good medical transcription school will have a comprehensive curriculum designed specifically for medical transcription training. This does not mean some off-the-shelf program that mixes and matches curriculum and study material from a hodge-podge of medical and non-medical sources. You are looking for a solid A to Z curriculum that was designed by Medical Transcriptionists specifically for medical transcriptionists. There is a big difference. You don't want a version of anatomy that is adapted from a veterinarian course. Yes, this sounds crazy, but you would be surprised at what you will find out there!

You are looking for a medical transcription school that teaches you the medical terminology, human anatomy, physiology and disease processes, abbreviations and plurals, and a host of other foundation material -- all from a medical transcriptionist's perspective.

Second, and of no less importance, the medical transcription school that you select must have an extremely strong focus on practical application. All the text-book training in the world is insufficient without a strong practicum to go along with it. Sitting in a classroom without applying what you are studying would be like memorizing vocabulary and learning to conjugate verbs in a foreign language and then assuming you could immediately go to that country and speak fluently with the natives. It just isn't realistic. It takes a lot of practice before you can start actually doing it well.

The best medical transcription schools will not graduate you until you can demonstrate a level of practical competency. And guess what? The way many doctors dictate reports is more reminiscent of a foreign language than anything else. Slurred speech, poor grammar, rapid wording, and run on sentences only serve to exacerbate an already complex and specialized language -- the language of medicine!

But in the end, the best way to select the right school is to find out where the national medical transcription employers are recruiting. You can rest assured that they are doing their homework. They will not be in the habit of hiring graduates from institutions that have not proven themselves capable of producing productive graduates. Getting a good job with a great company is really what counts isn't it? In the ideal world you want the employers to come to you!

Chris Dunn created Medical Transcription School.com in order to help stay-at-home-moms, and others, to find a great career that can fit into their schedules. Visit his site to learn more about this awesome career path.

Finding the Right Medical Transcription School For You

2008-01-19T03:22:00.001-08:00

COMPETENCY-BASED

Finding the right medical transcription school may be the most important decision you will make in your career. This may seem like a bold statement - especially since, at first glance all medical transcription schools look pretty much the same. But nothing could be further from the truth. There are really only a few medical transcription schools that are truly competency-based. That is, schools that prepare you to get a job upon graduation.

DIPLOMA MILLS

Oh, don't worry, there are plenty of "diploma mills" out there. The problem is that in this business, a diploma is not what matters. The only thing that matters is whether you can perform the work. And the only way to learn to do the work is to enroll in a top-flight medical transcription school. Taking shortcuts on a fast track to a diploma is a total waste of time and money. Too many people find this out the hard way -- and it is a very costly mistake, indeed.

MYTH OF NO OPPORTUNITY

Unfortunately, most people who make that mistake become completely discouraged and disillusioned and just give up, assuming that there is no real opportunity for a career in medical transcription. When the reality is that there are hundreds of unfilled medical transcription job vacancies every day of the year. Right now the medical transcription industry is literally begging for new talent. But medical transcription companies need people that can produce, not people that require a lot of handholding and mentoring.

CONVENIENCE

One aspect you will want to consider in finding the right MTS for you is convenience. Some vocational and community colleges offer MT programs. The obvious challenge there is travel time and arranging your schedule to fit theirs. One great benefit for going the home-study route is that you can study whenever YOUR schedule allows. For many stay-at-home moms, this is a very, very big advantage.

Chris Dunn has created a website to help stay-at-home moms (and others) pick a good medical transcription school.

Is A Career In Medical Transcription For You?

2008-01-18T03:34:00.001-08:00

If you have an interest in the medical field and enjoy office work, you should consider a career in medical transcription. Demand in this field continues to grow and each year there are more job opportunities.

Medical transcription clerks quickly and accurately transcribe medical records that are dictated by doctors and other medical professionals. You will be working with clinic notes, physical reports, office notes, consultation reports, operative reports, psychiatric evaluations, laboratory results, pathology reports, and x-ray results to name just some of the record types.

The clerk receives the information on a dictation tape which is then listened to using a Dictaphone machine and transcribed into a word processing program. Different doctors use different word processing software but all have medical dictionaries. There are several that are required including medications, medical definitions, and abbreviations.

In order to do this job you must have good computer and language skills. You must also be well versed in medical terminology, laboratory terms, surgical terms, procedures, and abbreviations. Medical transcription clerks must be accurate as they are responsible for correctly transcribing patient medical records.

You can complete a Medical Transcription certification program online. The length of programs varies depending on the level of training you undertake, but on average they take anywhere from 6 months to 9 months to complete.

You will then be qualified to work in a hospital or medical office as a transcriptionist. There are also job opportunities in the field becoming available online. In the United States you can expect to earn around $10.00 per hour to start, and with just a few years experience this can jump to $20.00 per hour or more. National transcription companies require 2-5 years of hospital experience, but they pay substantially better! Online, in a self employed environment, you can earn up to $40.00 per hour.

Although membership in a professional association is not required, it is recommended. The AAMT, The American Association for Medical Transcription, was founded in 1978 and provides you with the bimonthly Journal of the Association for American Medical Transcription, discounts on professional services and products, access to educational conferences and seminars, access to AAMT professional staff, and the opportunity to become a Certified Medical Transcriptionist.

If a career in medical transcription is for you, check with the many online universities about their program requirements.

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for iDicatating.com. To learn more about medical transcription and medical transcription careers, visit us.

Audio Transcription

2008-01-18T03:33:00.000-08:00

Audio Transcription is the process of changing audio files into verbatim transcripts for companies across industries - from medicine and insurance to airlines and automobiles, to corporate and media companies and many more. By outsourcing audio transcription, you'll save both money and cost and create a more productive atmosphere for your employees.

There are different types of audio transcriptions like audio transcription for business groups, for speakers, teleconferences, for media companies and production houses. In addition the above-mentioned services can also be available for transcribing of press conferences, scripts, educational institutes, corporate and government agencies.

The main benefit of using an audio transcriptionist is the fact that they are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Other benefit is that you can only pay for the time that an audio transcriptionist takes to do the work. You just pick up the phone; send a fax or e-mail explaining your requirements.

You can make use of an audio transcriptionist for convenience and flexibility. You use an audio transcriptionist when secretaries are not available due to bad weather, train delays or sickness. You don't need to train an audio transcriptionist; they use their own equipment. The cost depends on the job. They can charge by the hour, per taped minute, by the page or by the line. We can also charge by the item.

The author presents the website on audio transcription http://www.audiotranscriptionoutsourcing.com/ . It covers meaning of audio transcription, different types of audio transcriptions and benefits of audio transcriptionist course. You can visit his site on http://www.getaudiotranscriptionoutsourcing.info/

Medical Transcription - Myths and Realities: The Basics

2008-01-17T03:39:00.000-08:00

Unless you have some sort of super anti-spam e-mail blocker installed on your computer, you have probably received e-mails with titles such as "Make $150,000 a year as an at home medical transcriptionist - no investment required". Many of these e-mails are nothing but solicitations to try and get you to buy some sort of e-book, or other item, that will teach you how to become a medical transcriptionist. While remembering that many of these e-mails are nothing more than spam, it is equally important to remember that many of them are legitimate.

To start with, medical transcription is one of the fastest-growing of the medical related career fields. A study conducted about 6 years ago found that transcription, and related fields, would continue tremendous growth for many years to come. This is due in part to the rapid advance in the number of retiring "baby boomers". As well, virtually all medical career fields are nearly recession proof, as no matter what the economic climate, people are always going to need medical care; thus, doctors and other medical professionals are always going to need medical transcriptionists.

In essence, a trained medical transcriptionist can take the notes (most commonly being voice recordings) of doctors, nurses, etc., and translate them into various forms, including medical reports, charts, etc. Potential medical transcriptionists will need good listening skills, as medical terminology may sound the same, but have different meanings depending upon the context in which it's used. The final results of a medical transcriptionists work must be 100% accurate, as this work is what's used to document a patient's medical history. As well, a transcriptionist's work may be utilized during certain legal proceedings, so everything must always be perfect. Legal matters can hinge entirely on the accuracy of the transcriptions. And, no matter what the outcome of the proceedings, all transcripts most generally become a matter of public record.

A medical transcriptionist is normally employed in one of the following 4 ways:

In an actual hospital
In a doctor's office, clinic, or other outpatient medical care facility
In labs, medical schools, third-party transcription services, etc.
As independent or "home-based" medical transcriptionists

Most appealing to potential new transcriptionists is the possibility of working from home. While being home-based has its benefits, it has its challenges as well. The lack of a normal "9 to 5" work schedule, and structured office environment are two good examples of such challenges. As well, if you decide to become home-based, you will likely need to form your own business legally, set up your tax requirements, etc. All of this is really not anywhere near as difficult as it may sound. But all potential home-based transcriptionists will want to keep these things in mind.

Jimmy Arthur is a trained medical transcriptionist, who frequently contracts outsourced medical transcription work. Visit the Medical Transcription Network for more information.

Transcription - Making Your Life Easier

2008-01-14T02:27:00.000-08:00

When it was first used and aired over the radio, the word transcription drew large attention and become the gist of the public?s conversation. Newspapers also have many data about and everybody who can read it become interested in getting into it.

Being a transcriptionist, working on transcriptions offers a different kind of job opportunity. It is a task that you can get fond of, aside from that you will also be earning more money as compared to other jobs.

However, does working as a transcriptionist present to you the greener pasture you are looking for?

Quality transcription generally means providing the client with the clearest and most comprehensive drafts that the clients look into. In order to achieve this goal, the company makes sure that they get highly experienced transcriptionists and the best audios that can be acquired.

The work somehow leads to pressure, aside from being a deadline-driven business; it also needs a full precision. All the information that you will be hearing over the audio, you must be able to transcribe it accurately. The clients always seek for an output that is both credible and reliable.

The companies also have to make it sure, that they will deliver the complete transcripts in the quickest time as possible. Aside from accuracy, deadline is another important consideration. Once the client has given a particular cut-off limit, by whatever means, it has to be delivered.

The value of a transcription will vary on how the clients assess the work that these transcriptionists accomplished. The increase or the decrease on the number of their clients will also depend upon the quality of output that the transcriptionist produced.

Most of the noted formats that are accepted by the transcriptionist are the following:

1. Court tapes- This will be comprise of the coverage of court hearings be it in higher or lower courts. It will also include testimonies from both of the parties involve in a particular case.

2. Interviews- This will also include the dialogue usually between the interviewer and the interviewee.

3. Board Meetings and Conferences- The important agenda of the meeting are necessary things to be discussed and taken into account.

4. Roundtable Discussions- this refers to either a formal or an informal manner of laying discussing things out by a group.

5. Medical Advisory Groups- Usually, this is one of the most in demand services in transcription at present.

6. Video and Film Time Coding- Clients who are in the field of movie editing are offered these services.
On the other hand, when it also deals with the transfer of your audio in various media types, you can do it on neither of the audiotape, Compact Disc, CD-ROM, DVDs, and some can be transmitted to videocassettes. There are several preferences so that it will be easier for you to transfer the data from the audio that you needed.

The entire task in transcription needs to be done precisely. The transcriptionists make it sure that they are able to make all the necessary omissions, corrections, formatting and other technical tasks that must be done before sending the outputs to the clients.

The companies also provide for several trainings and reviews for their transcription to keep track that the quality of their work is for the better.
Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides transcription resources on www.abouttranscription.info.

Job Opportunities for Medical Transcription

2008-01-14T02:26:00.000-08:00

Job opportunities for MTs are expected to grow faster than average for the next several years. Health care facilities continue to expand, and employment opportunities should expand with them.

Settings for work in this field are varied. Medical transcription job opportunities include working in hospitals or physician's offices. Government medical facilities provide another option for job seekers. Individuals looking for work in this field can also look in diagnostic laboratories, business support services, and transcription service offices. MT job opportunities can be found anywhere there is medical need.

Medical transcription employment is not restricted to offices. Many transcriptionists work from home. Some work as contracted freelancers and have varied hours. Others work as employees of hospitals or clinics who allow their transcriptionists to telecommute. The internet can be used to receive and send transcription, making it possible to work from any location.

An aging population requires more health care. More health care services coupled with the need for electronic documentation insures continued medical transcription job opportunities.

Pay for medical transcription jobs ranges from approximately $10.00 an hour to about $20.00 per hour. Pay can be based on an hourly rate or a production rate. Some medical transcription jobs are paid an hourly rate with bonuses for high production.

Medical transcription opportunities include the chance for advancement. After gaining experience, transcriptionists can move into editing or consulting. They can also teach.

If you are looking for a career in a growing field that offers the ability to advance or to work from home, consider medical transcription. It's difficult in this day to find careers that are not threatened by layoffs, but the future looks bright with medical transcription. Outsourcing to other countries is expected to be limited in this field, and increasing medical demands will only make these jobs more secure.

For individuals who are independent, career-oriented, and enjoy the medical field, explore medical transcription. It might just be what you've been looking for.

For more information on starting a medical transcription career or making more money as an MT visit www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Online Courses in Medical Transcription

2008-01-11T03:12:00.001-08:00

If you're thinking about enrolling in a medical transcription school but can't fit classes into your schedule, you might want to consider learning from an online school. To do this you need to know how to find a legitimate online medical transcription school.

A good online medical transcription school will offer the same type of classes as a brick-and-mortar school. For example, courses in medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and ethics. Other courses a legitimate online medical transcription school will offer will include laboratory tests, medical procedures, and transcription formatting.

You will find some online schools in any field that will give a diploma or certificate for very little effort. Medical transcription takes a lot of memorization, which takes time. You must also get used to medical terminology. A respected online medical transcription school will not make false claims as to how quickly you will be ready to work. It will focus on teaching you the job well.

A legitimate online medical school will allow you to talk to graduates for references. Make sure you don't skip this step. Medical transcription training requires extensive transcription practice, and graduates can tell you if this is really what happened.

Don't choose to learn online because you think it will be easier than learning at a traditional school. A legitimate online medical school will be just as tough as any other school. The goal is to learn how to do your job right. A legitimate online course has to teach you what any other school teaches to prepare you for a job.

It is easier than ever to learn medical transcription through online courses. Just make sure you pick a school that offers the courses you need, and follow through with references. If you are certain that the coursework is comprehensive and the course will last at least a year, you are probably looking at a legitimate online medical school. Though the work will be tough, you will probably be glad you learned this way and be well on your way to a rewarding medical transcription career.

What Education Does a Medical Transcriptionist Need?

2008-01-11T03:11:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a job in medical transcription, you will need some sort of formal MT training beyond high school. Fortunately, medical transcription education doesn't require the time and cost of a four-year degree.

A good MT education prepares you to transcribe medical reports. To do this, you need to be able to listen to recordings and understand medical terminology. Having the right education helps you do this.

A comprehensive medical transcription course will teach you medical terminology. It is essential for medical transcriptionists to understand medical jargon and identify proper terms to use. A good MT course program will teach you to use appropriate medical reference materials to make sure you get it right. With a good medical transcription education, you will be able to spot errors and edit to make the report clear and to correct grammar. You will learn the standards that must by used for medical records. Medical transcription education is also essential for learning legal and ethical requirements of medical records.

You also need strong computer skills and good grammar and punctuation skills. Pre-employment tests are often necessary, and you won't pass these without medical transcription education. Many medical transcription programs offer on-the-job experience, which will give you confidence when you look for your first job.

Medical transcription education can be attained in a variety of ways. There are certificate programs that last a year. If you want to advance your education, two-year programs are offered at vocational schools. Distance learning works well for medical transcription, so you may not even have to leave your home to learn.

As you can see, medical transcription education is essential to doing the job right. There is no other way to learn the terminology and technology necessary for work in this field. Fortunately, it is easy to find schools offering medical transcription education. You can even learn from home. Whatever your needs are, there is an opportunity for finding the right medical transcription education that will work for you.

Medical Transcription Home Study Courses

2008-01-09T02:13:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in medical transcription training but have a busy schedule, there are options to brick-and-mortar vocational schools. You might want to consider medical transcription training at home.

MT home study courses work well for students who are independent. Self-discipline is essential for successful medical transcription training at home. It's a good option for students who do not have a vocational school nearby or who cannot physically attend classes for a variety of reasons. At home training can be the option of choice for those who learn best on their own.

Medical transcription training at home offers several advantages. One of these, of course, is the ability to work at your own pace. You can take the time you need in more difficult areas, but move quickly through coursework that you find easier. You don't have to pace yourself with your teacher and classmates. Another advantage is the ability to schedule coursework around other commitments, such as your job. You don't have to worry about following the class schedule.

Of course, the most obvious advantage of MT training at home is the ability to work in comfort. You don't have to commute. You don't have to look for parking. If you have a hectic schedule, you don't have to worry about showing up late for class. Homework gets done when you have time, and you can take tests when you feel you are ready for them instead of cramming to meet the teacher's deadline.

Some medical transcription schools offer video instructional videos. This gives you the opportunity to hear the terminology, an important part of medical transcription training. The ability to replay the videos as often as necessary to understand the terminology is another advantage to medical transcription training at home.

Medical transcription training at home is not for everyone. For those who are disciplined and don't need supervision, though, a home study course can be rewarding.

For more information on starting a medical transcription career or making more money as an MT visit http://www.AskTheMT.com ? an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Medical Transcription As A Home Business

2008-01-09T02:12:00.000-08:00

The medical transcription industry continues to grow. As the need for individuals in this field keeps growing, the options for working at home also grow.

Starting a medical transcription home business is a good area to start in if you would like to work at home and receive the same pay you would if you were in the office. There are a couple of ways to work in your home-based MT business. One way is to find a traditional employer who gives you all the benefits of working in-house, but who allows you to do this from home. This is more likely to happen if you have worked for this employer in an office already. Another way to set up a medical transcription business is to accept clients through advertising. This would be a freelance MT business.

If you are going to start your own business, remember that it might take some time getting clients. Don't forget that you are not limited in location. You may be able to find clients for your medical transcription business through the internet. As demand increases, the needs for your services will increase.

Though you want to charge the going rate for medical transcription, working from home allows you to be flexible with fees. You can charge somewhat higher than somebody working in an office because your client does not have to pay for insurance or a pension for you. Working in your own home business also allows you to set your own hours. If you want to work full time, you can. If you want part-time hours, this is not a problem. If you want vacation time, just be sure you don't accept work that will not get done before you go.

If you like to be there to take your children to school and pick them up afterwards, a medical transcription business is a good option. It will pay more than most work-at-home jobs but offer all the benefits of being at home. You don't have to worry about the commute or the parking. With a medical transcription business, you can work in the morning or, if you are a night owl, work in the evening.

Many people prefer to work from home. Few can actually make a living this way. Medical transcriptionists are among these few, and opportunities are expected to grow in the coming years.

If you are interested in a job that allows you the flexibility to stay home, consider a medical transcription business. It is one of your best options for working from home.

For more information on starting a medical transcription career or making more money as an MT visit http://www.AskTheMT.com ? an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

10 Effective Tips for Promoting Your Medical Transcription Business

2008-01-07T01:23:00.000-08:00

Looking to build your existing MT business or just starting out? These marketing tips will give you some good ideas for finding new clients.

Promotion Letter ? A very effective way of landing accounts. Send out a promotion letter to all your local medical offices describing your services. And follow it up a few days later with a personal phone call.

Freebies and Giveaways ? Give away a certain amount of services for free, such as a free sample transcript or a discount for a certain amount of work. Tell clients about your giveaways in all your advertising material.

Flyers ? Flyers are great for marketing a medical transcription business. Distribute them to doctor?s offices, hospitals, clinics, social workers or any other targeted customers.

Business Cards ? Carry them with you wherever you go and give them out as necessary. Use proper business card etiquette. Always ask for a business card in return and don?t just stick the card in your purse or wallet. Glance at it a few seconds to show the person you are interested in them.

Magnetic Signs ? Place a magnetic sign or bumper sticker on your car. Make it short but effective so people will remember you. Include your website address and/or contact details on it. Remember it will be easier for people to remember a catchy .com website address than a phone number. Not everyone will have pen and paper handy.

Pens or Other Tokens ? Pens, mouse pads, mugs, t-shirts or other small tokens with your business name and details on them is an inexpensive and effective marketing tactic. Pens, mouse pads and mugs work especially well in the MT field. Your business name will be displayed in busy medical offices and hospitals for potential clients to see.

Charitable Acts ? Support a local charity in return for exposure. Choose a medical related charity for targeted exposure, such as cancer awareness or heart charities. You?ll raise funds for needy charities and feel good about yourself in the process.

Ask for Referrals ? Don?t be shy about asking for referrals from current clients. If you?ve provided a good service for them, they will be happy to spread the word about you in return. Ask if they would please pass out some business cards to their colleagues for you.

Network, Network, Network ? Find other local MTs and network with them. The key to network is not to go out with a ?what?s in it for me? mentality. Genuinely make friends and help others wherever you can and people will do the same for you in return.

The Phone Power Hour ? Set aside an hour every day or every few days of uninterrupted time and make this your phone power hour. Pull up a list of local potential customers and start calling them. If you?re a bit nervous at first, write down what you would like to say. Follow up with potential customers you?ve sent letters to or potential marketing partners. Use this hour to expand your networking opportunities as well.

That?s it, 10 easy, affordable and effective ways to start spreading the word about your MT business. With a little practice you?ll be well on your way to finding new clients.

Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Medical Transcription Salary Outlook

2008-01-04T00:38:00.001-08:00

So how much can an MT actually make?

MT salaries can vary greatly, and your actual earnings will depend on a few different factors. For example, an MT who works from home and has her own accounts will usually make more money than an MT who works for an online service or at a traditional job setting.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor the average earnings for MTs in the year 2004 was between $11.50 and $16.32 per hour. MTs in the higher earnings range (10%) earned $19.11 per hour.

Now, keep in mind that?s just a statistic. How much you actually earn can vary greatly and it?s really difficult to come up with a ?true? earnings statistic.

If you work from home on your own accounts there may be months where you have extra work and months when you have less. Your earnings could also differ dramatically from another fellow MT who works from home on her own accounts.

A great advantage about having your own MT business is you can truly have control over your earnings. The more accounts you have, the more money you?ll make.

As your business grows you can hire subcontractors and take on even more work. There really is no limitation in how large your business can grow.

You may also choose to have a smaller and easier to handle business. You can always work a little extra to increase your earnings, or simply take on the amount of work that suits your needs.

If you have a home based MT business and you do all the work yourself, you can make anywhere between $20,000 a year to $50,000 a year. A larger transcription service, which hires subcontractors can earn between $50,000 a year to $200,000 and upwards.

Medical transcription jobs outside the home can vary just as much, depending on where you live. Earnings can be from $9.00 per hour to $22.00 per hour.

It?s really difficult to say exactly how much your medical transcription salary will be. But one thing to keep in mind is the earning potential is there and there are many opportunities for you to take.

This is TRULY a business which allows you to have control over how much you earn.Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of http://www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Medical Transcription Students ? How To Make Extra Money

2008-01-04T00:36:00.000-08:00

So you?re taking a medical transcription course but really need to make a little extra money. It?s difficult being a student and having to work only part time or not work at all. But there may be a few things you can start doing to money until you finish your course.

If you really want to work from home, then consider general transcribing until you finish your MT course. This will give you lots of typing practice and listening skills while making extra money.

The first step is to find a few clients. You can use inexpensive advertising strategies to do this. Make out some simple flyers on your computer and pass them around.

A few good places are Universities, schools, legal and insurance offices, social work offices, and government offices.

The more services you offer the better your chances of finding work. You can offer services like resume writing, general transcribing, administrative help, and answering emails. Think of the skills you possess to help you expand the number of services you offer.

You can also try finding work online. There are a few sites you can go to and bid on projects, Elance.com has everything from administrative work to software design.

Finding a few projects on the side may be the perfect solution until you find work as a medical transcriptionist. It can also give you valuable experience while helping you build your network.

And if you really need to work while studying, then that?s okay. You can always study part-time while working on the side. It?s better than being financially stressed or quitting your course because lack of funds.

These can be difficult times, but just think ahead and keep motivated with the thought that once you finish your course you?re going to have some great financial opportunities. Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of http://www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

10 Effective Tips For Promoting Your Medical Transcription Business

2008-01-01T22:56:00.001-08:00

Looking to build your existing MT business or just starting out? These marketing tips will give you some good ideas for finding new clients.

Promotion Letter ? A very effective way of landing accounts. Send out a promotion letter to all your local medical offices describing your services. And follow it up a few days later with a personal phone call.

Freebies and Giveaways ? Give away a certain amount of services for free, such as a free sample transcript or a discount for a certain amount of work. Tell clients about your giveaways in all your advertising material.

Flyers ? Flyers are great for marketing a medical transcription business. Distribute them to doctor?s offices, hospitals, clinics, social workers or any other targeted customers.

Business Cards ? Carry them with you wherever you go and give them out as necessary. Use proper business card etiquette. Always ask for a business card in return and don?t just stick the card in your purse or wallet. Glance at it a few seconds to show the person you are interested in them.

Magnetic Signs ? Place a magnetic sign or bumper sticker on your car. Make it short but effective so people will remember you. Include your website address and/or contact details on it. Remember it will be easier for people to remember a catchy .com website address than a phone number. Not everyone will have pen and paper handy.

Pens or Other Tokens ? Pens, mouse pads, mugs, t-shirts or other small tokens with your business name and details on them is an inexpensive and effective marketing tactic. Pens, mouse pads and mugs work especially well in the MT field. Your business name will be displayed in busy medical offices and hospitals for potential clients to see.

Charitable Acts ? Support a local charity in return for exposure. Choose a medical related charity for targeted exposure, such as cancer awareness or heart charities. You?ll raise funds for needy charities and feel good about yourself in the process.

Ask for Referrals ? Don?t be shy about asking for referrals from current clients. If you?ve provided a good service for them, they will be happy to spread the word about you in return. Ask if they would please pass out some business cards to their colleagues for you.

Network, Network, Network ? Find other local MTs and network with them. The key to network is not to go out with a ?what?s in it for me? mentality. Genuinely make friends and help others wherever you can and people will do the same for you in return.

The Phone Power Hour ? Set aside an hour every day or every few days of uninterrupted time and make this your phone power hour. Pull up a list of local potential customers and start calling them. If you?re a bit nervous at first, write down what you would like to say. Follow up with potential customers you?ve sent letters to or potential marketing partners. Use this hour to expand your networking opportunities as well.

That?s it, 10 easy, affordable and effective ways to start spreading the word about your MT business. With a little practice you?ll be well on your way to finding new clients.Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of http://www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Future Outlook For Medical Transcription

2007-12-29T02:28:00.001-08:00

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the future outlook for medical transcription looks good. This is a lucrative, in demand-career with great growth opportunities.

If you?re considering a medical transcription course or are already taking one, this is good news. It means you will have plenty of employment as well as financial opportunities.

Although, medical transcription is predicted to grow and remain stable, there are a few common concerns among the MT community.

These are the most common.

Will voice recognition replace transcriptionists?

There has been talk for a long time about voice recognition and new software which will replace the jobs of MTs. This will not affect you any time soon. There are a number of growing issues and concerns with this software. It is not being used in a large setting and has not yet replaced the need for medical transcription on the whole.

Medical terminology is complex and the regulations for patient records are stricter than ever. At present, the most accurate way to transcribe these records is by trained MTs.

According to the Medical Records Institute, which actually promotes the use of computerized medical records, current research shows use of speech recognition in the medical fields is less than 1%.

What about offshore transcription companies?

Some companies are using offshore transcription companies to save money. However, while outsourcing medical transcription to offshore companies can save money, many companies are not following this route.

There are various concerns and issues with outsourcing to offshore companies. Offshore MT companies are not required to comply with HIPPA regulations. This means they don?t follow the HIPPA security and privacy guidelines to safeguard medical records.

In some cases it can be done, but mandatory agreements required by HIPPA guidelines must be signed. And precautions must be taken so that data isn?t sent overseas. The overseas vendors must log on to U.S. database to do their work, which means extra systems and measures must be put in place. This can be expensive and time consuming.

Although, some companies may find the need for saving money is worth these risks, most won?t.

I agree with the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics and believe the future of medical transcription looks good and there are many opportunities out there for the taking.

However, although the future of MT looks promising, times HAVE changed. MTs of today should start adapting to the ever changing business technology around them.

The technology is there and available for us to take our businesses to the next level. With a few clicks of a mouse we can build our own MT website, set up an online diary or download files for transcribing.

Be smart in your business, keep up with the times, adapt to technology and your future outlook will look better than ever. Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of http://www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Is Medical Transcription Certification Necessary?

2007-12-27T00:44:00.000-08:00

Becoming a certified medical transcriptionist is really a personal choice. At present, there is no requirement for MTs to become certified at this time.

To become certified you will need to pass an exam given by the AAMT (American Association of Medical Transcriptionists). This is a two part exam, written and practical and takes about 5 to 6 hours to complete. It is a very in depth exam and most MTs take a prep course before taking the exam.

The exam consists of two parts. The first part is a written exam which consists of 120 multiple choice questions about anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, English and grammar, etc.

The second part of the exam is a practical test where you transcribe several different reports.

Once certified it means you can use the letters ?CMT? (certified medical transcriptionist) behind your name. You must recertify every 3 years.

Certification is highly regarded in some circles of the MT field and some MTs believe it opens doors for better opportunities.

Personally, I feel medical transcription certification is a personal choice. Although, certification gives you the opportunity to prove your skills as an MT, not being certified does not take away from them.

I have never run across a physician or account manager who has asked me whether I am certified or not. They are merely interested that I can efficiently complete the work, follow all the privacy regulations and charge them a reasonable rate.

I don?t know of any MTs who have lacked opportunities due to not being certified either. Again, the choice is a personal one and for some it is a great sense of personal achievement.

If you do decide to become certified, it will be a great personal achievement. It will take a time and financial commitment. At present, the AAMT fee for the CMT exam for US and Canada is $195 US dollars for AAMT members and $275 for non AAMT members. You must also have 2 years experience working as an MT. Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of http://www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Medical Transcription Schools ? Avoiding Online Scams

2007-12-23T23:09:00.001-08:00

Medical transcription is a lucrative profession which allows you the flexibility to work from home. Unfortunately, it?s this appeal that has opened the doors for less than honest online medical transcription schools.

If you don?t know a lot about MT, then I will assure you it is a real profession and a real possibility. It is not a get rich quick scheme or overnight money maker.

If you?re shopping around for an online medical transcription course, here are a few things to keep in mind.

How to choose the right course and avoid scams

Make sure the company offering the course is reputable and has been around for a long time. You can do this by checking with the Better Business Bureau. Here are a few other things to look for.

Send the school an email asking a question about their course. If they respond promptly in a professional matter that?s a good sign. If they seem overly pushy be a bit weary.

Look at their website. Is it professional? Do they give you statistics about their success rates, student testimonials, Q and A section?

Do they have an online student log in area or online support if you have questions?

Are their company details listed on their website? Such as how long they?ve been in business, contact details (mailing address and phone number).

Do they make exaggerated promises about their course? If they are promising you will make a lot of money in a short time, then be careful. No one can really predict how much you will make or how long it will take you. They should give general statistics and figures in an unbiased way.

Do they provide financial aid or payment assistance?

Do they have a list of graduates or companies which have hired their graduates?

Do they give you updates of students who have graduated from their school?

Do they have a student message board, a newsletter or information which will make you feel part of a community?

Studying from home can be lonely at times, a reputable course will offer you assistance from the very beginning until you find a job.Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of http://www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Choosing Medical Transcription as a Career

2007-12-20T23:07:00.001-08:00

Medical transcription is one of those careers where you either hate it or love it. I have been a medical transcriptionist for a long time and still love what I do. I enjoy the continuous learning, take pride in my work and think it's absolutely fantastic.

But, what will it be like for you?

If you're thinking about a career in medical transcription here are a few things to consider:

Do you enjoy working on your own?

Whether you work outside the home or from home, this is one career where you will have to be self disciplined. You are left to produce your own work and will not have someone looking over your shoulder.

Do you have a good grasp of the English language?

You will need to have a good understanding of English and grammar. Grammar you could learn through a class, but if you have trouble understanding spoken English then perhaps you could take a class to improve your language skills before starting your MT course.

Will I be able to sit in front of a computer for extended periods of time?

Medical transcription is all about typing. You will sit in front of a computer for hours at a time transcribing documents.

Do I need a social career?

Medical transcription isn't the most social career out there. You will network and meet other MTs but while you're working you will be on your own concentrating on your work, and you can't have a conversation while transcribing.

So whether you work from home or in an office, you really won't spend a lot of time involved with others while working.

Am I good researcher or willing to learn?

As an MT, you will really develop your researching skills and will become very resourceful! You will need to look up medications and terms you don't understand or can't clearly make out. This will take some thinking and resourcefulness on your part.

Will I be able to apply common sense?

You will find yourself in many situations as an MT where you really need to think outside the box. You will find yourself applying common sense on a daily basis. There is no precise 100% formula in medical transcription. Good common sense will really help you.

Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.

Medical Transcription Schools - Avoiding Online Scams

2007-12-18T23:21:00.000-08:00

Medical transcription is a lucrative profession which allows you the flexibility to work from home. Unfortunately, it's this appeal that has opened the doors for less than honest online medical transcription schools.

If you don't know a lot about MT, then I will assure you it is a real profession and a real possibility. It is not a get rich quick scheme or overnight money maker.

If you're shopping around for an online medical transcription course, here are a few things to keep in mind.

How to choose the right course and avoid scams

Make sure the company offering the course is reputable and has been around for a long time. You can do this by checking with the Better Business Bureau. Here are a few other things to look for.

Send the school an email asking a question about their course. If they respond promptly in a professional matter that's a good sign. If they seem overly pushy be a bit weary.

Look at their website. Is it professional? Do they give you statistics about their success rates, student testimonials, Q and A section?

Do they have an online student log in area or online support if you have questions?

Are their company details listed on their website? Such as how long they've been in business, contact details (mailing address and phone number).

Do they make exaggerated promises about their course? If they are promising you will make a lot of money in a short time, then be careful. No one can really predict how much you will make or how long it will take you. They should give general statistics and figures in an unbiased way.

Do they provide financial aid or payment assistance?

Do they have a list of graduates or companies which have hired their graduates?

Do they give you updates of students who have graduated from their school?

Do they have a student message board, a newsletter or information which will make you feel part of a community?

Studying from home can be lonely at times, a reputable course will offer you assistance from the very beginning until you find a job.

Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.