5 Types of People Meant for Medical Transcription

When it comes to choosing your career, there is no right or wrong answer. The job you enjoy could be another person’s worst nightmare, which means that choosing a career involves finding something you’re good at, comfortable with, and enjoy doing. Certain jobs are perfect fits for different types of people though, so let’s take a quick look at 5 different types of people who make great medical transcriptionists.

Former Nurses

Nurses know a lot about the world of medicine. They are familiar with terminology and know the importance of maintaining accuracy when it comes to patient records. This is exactly why they can make great medical transcriptionists.

Nurses can complement their healthcare experience with a medical transcriptionist course from a reputed training facility—like CareerStep. Their nursing training and experience gives them a head start toward being a great medical transcriptionist because they already know the terminology, anatomy, and pharmacology as well as the importance of keeping the records complete and accurate.

Transitioning to a medical transcription career is a great option for nurses because it allows them to work from home and doesn’t require them to work long hours. The medical transcription industry isn’t hands-on like nursing, so no odd hours, double shifts, or emergencies will keep them away from their family and friends for long periods of time.

Their additional experience, insight, and knowledge of medical details will be a great advantage in this field. The modern-day medical transcriptionist frequently does the work of a medical transcription editor as well due to the implementation of voice recognition technology. Today’s medical transcriptionists are often responsible for transcribing and editing medical data from start to finish.

Because former nurses have a lot of training and experience in adapting to new situations and sudden changes in uncontrollable circumstances, they are likely to thrive in just about any facet of the medical field, especially one such as this.

Stay-at-home Moms

Often, stay-at-home moms are looking for a way to work from home—whether they’re looking for a way to financially contribute to their families or they just want to work for personal reasons. Medical transcription is an ideal career for these mothers as it offers flexible hours and good pay. It’s also a great choice because with CareerStep, stay-at-home moms can complete their training from home as well.

Terryl Wood was one such mother. When her son, Carson, was diagnosed with autism, she knew she would need a job that could help pay for his treatment. She also needed something that allowed her to work from home with enough flexibility that she could take her son to and from appointments and look after his needs. She found her solution with CareerStep.

Terryl signed up for CareerStep’s online Medical Transcription and Editing program and devoted her free time to completing her training. After finishing, she was quickly offered a job with a healthcare company that offered great flexibility

“As hospitals never close, I was able to work many years in evening and overnight positions,” said Terryl. “This supplemented our income and provided extra benefits while giving me the daytime to run Carson around to every intervention known at the time. My medical transcription career was definitely a life-changing move.”

At-home medical transcriptionists can work as independent contractors or full-time or part-time employees, and stay-at-home moms can find a position that works for their family’s situation. Transcription work also pays based on how much work gets done, so the more you work (or the more efficiently you work), the more you get paid.

Military Spouses

Military spouses are asked to make a lot of sacrifices. With all the moving and relocation that happens with the military, it’s hard to get on solid ground with a career. Medical transcription is a portable career—a profession you can take with you no matter where you live. Advances in technology make it easy for military spouses to work from home as medical transcriptionists and make good money.

CareerStep learner, Natalie Wynn, discovered this to be true when she learned that her husband’s career in the military was taking them to a new city—again. She began preparing for the move by searching for a career that she could take with her, one that wasn’t so difficult to relocate with. This is when she learned about the possibility of becoming a medical transcriptionist editor.

After a little research, Natalie found CareerStep’s online program — and even better, she found that the MyCAA grant would cover the entirety of her tuition. She joined the program immediately after the big move and found that the training was flexible and realistic, making it the perfect option for such a busy time in her family’s life.

“I could be flexible with the program and do it at my own speed when I had the time. It fit into our lives very smoothly.” –Natalie Wynn

Less than a week after completing her training, Natalie was offered a position at a transcription services company. The next time she and her family were moved to another city due to her husband’s employment, she was prepared with a well-established career that could follow her wherever she went.

Those with Health Challenges

Anyone who has experienced a debilitating disease or a serious accident knows it can bring a career to a screeching halt. So what do you do when you can’t get to work or are forced to change careers? Medical transcription is a great option for those recovering from an illness or accident or who are unable to leave their homes for long stretches of time. Individuals can choose to work from home part-time or full-time depending on their abilities.

Take it from Mari Hellriegel, a CareerStep learner who was coaxed into the field by her close friend and a few other transcriptionists. At the age of 52, Mari was working two part-time jobs without benefits and in need of a costly hip replacement after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis. After a bit of coaxing, Mari’s friend was finally able to convince her to pursue a career in this field.

“She got several of her friends who were working with her to send me their opinion and talk to me about CareerStep. They talked to me about the training, about the job, and I got talked into it. So I signed up for CareerStep and went through the course.” – Mari Hellriegel

Mari completed CareerStep’s medical transcription course in less than four months. Two weeks later, she was offered a full-time position at Spheris. Two years later, she obtained a position with The Mayo Clinic, a reputable and authoritative industry leader in diagnostics.

“So I was the first person who they hired with only two years of experience,” said Mari. “People kept saying, how did you learn how to do this so well? And I went, well, I went to a really good school, and I happen to really like what I do.” – Mari Hellriegel

Champion Typists

Are you a speed demon on the keyboard? Medical transcriptionists spend lots of time with their keyboards as they’re transforming doctors’ dictation into written reports, so the ability to type fast is a huge asset. Since transcriptionists are paid on a per-line basis, the faster you type (as long as you’re accurate too) means more money.

Typing skills aside, champion typists still need training in topics such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and legal issues related to healthcare documentation in order to become successful medical transcriptionists. With all of these combined, they can be very successful in this career.

While former nurses, champion typists, and stay-at-home mothers blend well with the medical transcription field, your own experience will likely depend on your strengths and interests. Are you seeking a rewarding career in the medical field that won’t require years of schooling to obtain? Are you interested in a well-paying position that you can do from the comfort of your own home? How about a flexible schedule or the freedom to travel and live where you please without having to struggle for career stability?

With so many advancement opportunities, a flexible schedule, and fantastic benefits, this is a suitable career choice for so many, from individuals who are searching for an immediate career after high school to those who are looking for a career switch later in life.

CareerStep offers online training programs in medical transcription that are flexible, affordable, and comprehensive. If you think you would love a more flexible career in the healthcare industry, check out our medical transcription certification program and take the first step toward a brighter future right now!