Here is a link to that post.

An Example Of Medical Transcription Critical Thinking

So did you figure out the answer?

Well, if you noticed from all the information provided, this patient had had two arthroscopic surgeries within the past year. When a person undergoes arthroscopic surgery, there are usually two or three small surgical incisions made to allow for use of the arthroscope and any ancillary tools; i.e., shavers and suctioning devices.

So the question I posted at the top of the report to the doctor was: Notes to M.D.: Were there any surgical/punctate scars??? Punctate scars are caused by puncturing of the skin when arthroscopic and/or laparoscopic surgery is performed.

We medical transcriptionists always have to stay on top of our game. One of our job duties is to ensure that the doctor has not missed anything. It is not enough to type what she or he has dictated. We are a quality control gatekeeper as well, and need to understand what’s involved here. These surgeries were performed within the last year; most likely, the scars have not faded and are visible.

I work on medical-legal reports (workers’ compensation claims). Every detail is important. If an attorney can point out that the doctor missed this or missed that, the case in question may not work out for the best interest of the patient. The doctor’s reputation may be hurt. But worst of all, the patient pays the price. What if you were the patient in this case: Would you want someone on the ball transcribing your report, catching the major and minor discrepancies, so you would get the best possible care and fair treatment for your legal case? Do you understand now why I am so dilligent about what I do?

And, my dear readers, this is why I get paid more than most medical transcriptionists. I get the process, I ask the questions, I communicate the problems, I have the determination of a bulldog to get it right. So join me, and become an MT bulldog too.

I think I’ve proved my point, so as a medical transcriptionist of medical-legal reports, I rest my case!

Factoid: The word arthroscopy comes from a Greek word arthro meaning joint, and skopien meaning to look.

I know I’ve talked before about critical thinking for medical transcriptionists. It’s the difference between average MTs and extraordinary ones.

Here is an example of what I mean:

I’m typing a medical report about a patient who has had two arthroscopic right shoulder surgeries within the past year, per the history. When I come across the shoulder examination section, I put in the information that has been dictated (and/or handwritten by an assistant on the physical examination sheet): Here it is:

SHOULDER EXAMINATION:

Examination of the shoulders reveals no gross deformities. There is no evidence of atrophy, tenderness, or masses. Impingement test is negative bilaterally. The Hawkin’s test is negative bilaterally. Jobe test is positive on the right and negative on the left.
…………………………………………

So now, my dear readers, I ask you: What question did I put at the top of the report for the editor/doctor???

Stay tuned tomorrow for the answer.

Yesterday afternoon/early evening, I was starting to breathe a sigh of relief. The acrid smokiness enveloping the area where I live was starting to abate. Then, about 7:30 p.m., I noticed that the unmistakable smell of smoke was increasing. I went outside and looked off into the distance, to the northwest. I could see a huge plume of smoke and below it the fire that was generating that smoke. I can’t really estimate how far away it was, perhaps 2-3 miles away. The air quality was so bad I couldn’t really stay outside for too long, but checked on it again every hour for the next 2-3 hours. Then I went to bed and slept fitfully, selfishly hoping that all would be well, at least in my neighborhood.

There are many school closures today in the area in which I live. We are all being instructed to stay indoors and not to exert ourselves even inside our homes. It will take some time before the air feels clean again, before we Californians feel safe again.

I can’t imagine the sorrow, the anguish that must be felt by people whose homes have burned down, especially elderly people who have spent decades living in their beloved homes. Over 800 homes have been lost to fires. So far, no deaths have been reported; that is miraculous considering how fast some of these fires have burned. Fires generate their own weather system–don’t know if you knew that–and thus become very unpredictable. Then add the Santa Ana winds which were blowing up to 70 m.p.h., and you have a super firestorm on your hands. That’s what our brave firefighters and police have had to deal with.

I am blessed to still have a place to call home, a place where I live and work every day. I shall not take this for granted anymore. I shall not take my life for granted anymore. I shall not complain about little things anymore.  I am humbled, grateful, and at a complete loss for words to express the gratitude I feel.

I thought I’d give an update on the fire situation. I was very frightened last night. There are two fires that may affect me, one to the north (Brea), and the other to the east (Yorba Linda). The wind was pushing the Yorba Linda fire west (great, that’s just great!). Per the Google map, my location is approximately 4-5 miles due west from the Yorba Linda fire, and about 2-3 miles due south from the Brea fire.

I didn’t tell you yesterday, but the sky was just filled with orange and black smoke; still is this morning. We are being advised to stay indoors. The outside surfaces are covered with ash; the outside air is dangerous to breathe. The inside of the house smells like a giant campfire was extinguished in it.

Nobody has seen anything like this in California since the 1960s. I guess the perfect conditions came together this time. And once the fires are out and the raining season begins, then there will be concerns about flooding due to the denuding of the hillsides by the fires.

It seems like the entire state of California is on fire today, and that has prompted me to post about having an emergency plan for your at-home medical transcription business.

I must say, I am extremely nervous right now and plan to stay up all night. The fires in California are hopscotching their way across the state in a pattern so unpredictable that no one is safe right now. The Santa Ana winds are driving hot embers willy nilly; there is no pattern or logic. It is totally unpredictable. The Yorba Linda fire is only a few miles away from where I live which has made me extremely nervous.

So what is an at-home medical transcriptionist to do? Well, instead of biting my nails, staying glued to the television and hoping that all will be well, I have come up with an emergency plan.

1. Define what paperwork and equipment for you business is essential to save from disaster. In my case, I do have patient charts which absolutely must be saved. Therefore, these are stacked up and ready to be loaded in the car at a moment’s notice. I also have a list of my equipment that I need to save: Computer, printer, Olympus dictation unit, power cords, modem, and fax machine.

2. Back up data!  Yes, we all know this, but how many of actually do it? Back up your template files and any data files you are working on, at the very least. The very best you can do is back up your entire system on CDs.

3. Grab your business files; i.e., invoices, tax files, Rolodexes, and any forms you may use for your business.

The most important thing that can be done is to do strategic planning prior to ever facing a disaster in the first place. Know what to do in advance.

Many years ago, I lived on a small island on the Aleutian chain in Alaska, just 26 miles from an active volcano. The only thing separating me from the volcano was water; if the volcano became active, a tsunami was possible (no joke, it happened in the 1950s and wiped out the area where I was living) . I had an emergency backpack packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice.

We medical transcriptionists have to prepare for any situation but usually don’t give emergency situations a moment’s thought. I hope this post has made you think about making your own emergency disaster preparedness plan, not only for your own personal safety but for that of your medical transcription business as well.

I hope you enjoyed the doctor dictation gaffe I wrote about in the last entry. If you did not get a chance to read it, here is the link: Doctor Dictation Gaffes.

I am revisiting this because after the initial chuckle we all get out of it, a more sobering thought should occur to all of us in the medical transcription field, a question all of us should ask, and that is:

How did this get into the report in the first place?

It’s obvious the doctor did not think about how it might sound, but why did the medical transcriptionist not realize how badly it would come across in the report?

First off, there are offices in which the medical transcriptionist is told not to change a single thing that is dictated. I bristle at that thought because we are there to help doctors be better communicators and to assist them with grammar, etc.

If I were in such a situation, I would have flagged this with a funny comment to the editor/doctor, much like I wrote in my post. Everyone would have gotten a kick out of it in the office and hopefully the wording would have been changed to reflect that the patient was not actually weed eating but using a weed eater or “weed whacker. ”

Ok then. Most of the time we medical transcriptionists are able and encouraged to edit the dictation. So what may have happened here is that the medical transcriptionist, being paid on production (by the line, page or report) was typing away, listening to what was being dictated, but not really checking to see if it made sense.

Yes we all need to make money in this field. More importantly, however, is we need to earn that money by producing quality reports that make sense. When we are typing away full-speed ahead, fingers flying across the keyboard, we need to engage in critical thinking. It takes time to learn how to perform and coordinate all the physical tasks involved in medical transcription. Anyone can learn to do that over time.

What sets great medical transcriptionists apart from mediocre ones is that special gift of analyzing data, and questioning it when it does not look right. Each of us has the best computer in the world–our brain–which will always be our greatest asset when transcribing medical reports.

This is a great example of a doctor dictation gaffe. Let me set it up for you. The patient had been using a weed whacker for months and developed a left middle trigger finger. The doctor, however, dictated the following:

The patient had a “chief complaint of left nondominant middle finger triggering that had been going on since September after doing many hours of weed-eating at work.”

OMG! ROFL! The visual is priceless! I can just envision this poor dude consuming every weed/brush in site, like in the old Pacman game. I think he MUST have developed the left middle trigger finger from putting it down his throat so he could make room for more! I imagine he had no problem with constipation since he was eating all the greens his stomach could hold!

Are you laughing hard now? You should be!

I came across a website that I thought all medical transcriptionists would be interested in: A Google Custom Search Medical Transcription Word Seeker.

Here is the link:

Medical Transcription Word Seeker

Be sure to mark this site as one of your favorites. It will come in very handy.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Are you are considering a medical transcription career? Here are some important questions to ask yourself:

Is this a good career move for me personally and professionally?

The first thing you should consider is whether or not becoming a medical transcriptionist will enhance your growth as a professional and as an individual. This is vital to your success in the field, both short and long term, and requires some self-evaluation.

Do I like to be frequently challenged? Am I easily bored?

Transcription work in the medical field is quite challenging and fascinating. As an MT, you may develop a certain level of mastery in one specialty such as orthopedics and reach a comfort level in that field. However, you may pick up an account in a field in which you have no experience, e.g., neurology, nephrology, radiology, pediatrics, dermatology—the list goes on and on—and suddenly you are starting from scratch as an MT newbie in that particular specialty. The learning never stops.

The type of person who loves challenges and is easily bored by performing the same work day after day is often drawn to medical transcription. There are always new surgical procedures being developed and new medications being formulated. In short, it is a wonderful, challenging, and dynamic profession that appeals to many people who thrive when learning and growing, both professionally and personally.

Do you want to become a self-employed MT some day? >Do you like the thought of having flexible hours and working from home?

A great thing about medical transcription work is the flexibility it allows. After paying your dues, i.e., going through schooling and working in-house long enough to gain the experience, confidence, and networking skills you need to succeed on your own, you will be able to accomplish this with a low-cost investment.

While working in house, set some money aside each month for the purchase of computer equipment, home business software, photocopier and fax machines, and office equipment and supplies. This will motivate you to continue to learn all you can not only about medical transcription but also about how to run your own home-based medical transcription business.

Is job security a priority for you? Do you want to be paid what you are worth?

There is a high demand for medical transcriptionists as of this writing. Job security is extremely high right now as the perfect storm appears to be approaching: the baby boomers continue to age and require more, extensive healthcare, and the median age of medical transcriptionists is 55, thus many are retiring.

The key to remember is this: The high demand is for qualified talent in the MT field. Thus, if you do seek job security and do want to get paid what you are worth, then you must put forth the effort to excel in the field. Give it your all. If you are going to invest in yourself to pursue a new career, commit 100%.

Do I want to work from home? Do I have the disposition and discipline to do so?

You may think the answer to these questions are obvious, but there are people who do not have the discipline or disposition to work home alone unsupervised. There is nothing wrong with being a person who needs to work in a structured environment. However, if you chafe at someone looking over your shoulder, micromanaging your work, hate office politics, and like to work by yourself, being self-employed as a medical transcriptionist may be just your ticket.

As a medical transcriptionist it is a given that you have the basic skills required to do the job. But the most important skills any employee can have don’t even relate to the type of work s/he does.

I’m talking about being a team player and also being a problem solver. Do I hear groans from my readers???

Nonetheless, many people overlook development of their people skills which is a shame. We can only do so much on our own, but when we can harness the energy, skills, and resources of other people and motivate them to work as a unit, synergistic results are achieved.

I remember a particular event in my career when a co-worker would not turn over a manual to me, even though she was told to do so by our joint supervisor, because she thought I was infringing upon her job duties. Long story short was she lost her job for not being a team player. This is an all too common occurrence.

With regard to solving problems, people in the company who can come up with ideas to save money or increase productivity are key to the company’s success. If you are a self-employed medical transcriptionist you fully understand this concept since you are the CEO of your own company.

So to all medical transcriptionists I say, “Play nice with others and don’t fight.” Remember that you and your co-workers are working together as a team to achieve a common goal of keeping the company fiscally strong and viable. Your co-workers are your team mates; inflation, joblessness, hard economic times, etc., is your opponent.

To keep your problem-solving skills fresh and creative, make sure that your medical transcription skills are up to date. When faced with a problem, don’t complain or whine about it because that puts you in a non-productive frame of mind. Ask yourself which resources, which personnel can help you get full understanding of the problem. Then harness that knowledge. Validate those who assist you. That is what good problem solvers and good leaders do. And these days, as medical transcriptionists, we all need to be doing more of this.

Think of the movie Cool Hand Luke; the character portrayed by the late Paul Newman was an acknowledged leader of his group.

In the medical transcription field, companies are looking for candidates who can build up and teach other employees, inspire confidence and loyalty, and problem solve by creatively thinking outside the box. These unique talents are scarce.

The lesson here is to be more than just an employee. Bring the entrepreneurial spirit and leadership to your role of medical transcription employee as well. It is not enough these days to just do what you have been told to do or what has been outlined in a job description.

Expanding your medical transcription job description is something you will want to do anyway if you have a desire to become a self-employed medical transcriptionist.  As an MT employee, you have the added benefit of training for it on the job with a fixed salary as a safety net.

First of all, you have to pay attention to what the overall processes and systems are in place. Can you improve on any of them? Automate manual systems or processes? Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to find ways to help the company make more money.

I cannot stress enough the importance of making yourself as indispensable as possible, especially in these tough economic times. We all know that medical transcription jobs are being lost overseas. Improvement in production output and creating systems to automate activities which are done repetitively is key to economic survival these days.

Once you have identified ways to streamline or automate a process, check with co-workers involved in the process to find out what their suggestions might be to improve on it. Then come up with a plan that will work for everyone involved.

Be sure to document everything you have done–from generating ideas to implementation of a plan. Come time for your evaluation and raise, this is ammunition you can present to your supervisor showing that you are not just an average employee, you are one who is willing to go above and beyond expectations. You will be known as an exemplary medical transcriptionist who takes her medical transcription job seriously.

This week I shall share some tips that can help you keep that medical transcription job that you worked so hard to land.

Come up with creative ways to reduce costs and/or reduce time by automating medical transcription job duties.

One of the things I did to make myself as indispensable as possible was to master the word processing programs used in house and to become technically adept at creating macros that automated medical transcription.

For example, many times an examination of the spine would be normal, so I set up a macro that when invoked would insert the normal examination for the spine. Another time, I successfully influenced the company on the idea to purchase word expander software by explaining all the benefits the company would receive by using the software. Not all companies are in the loop as to what products, either hardware or software, are out there that will increase productivity and accuracy. So it is beneficial to remain on the cutting edge and inform your supervisor/employer of what tools can and should be utilized to increase productivity and save time in the process.

Now is the time for you to start writing down a list of what you can do for your medical transcription company that no one else either will do or can do.

As most know, military men, women, and their families change duty stations about every two years, on average. That makes it difficult for the military spouse to find employment. So why not train for a healthcare career that is mobile? Medical transcription fits that bill to a tee.

The organizations involved in this are the Department of Defense, American Association for Medical Transcription, and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity.

In addition, some schools are offering financial support/discounts to military spouses who take medical transcription training as an incentive to get into this field. If graduates of selected medical transcription training programs earn the registered medical transcription (RMT) credential, they are then eligible to participate in the Labor Department’s apprenticeship program. These are great incentives offered to entice and motivate new talent into the medical transcription field. Great news, don’t you think?

It’s not often that I come across an article that angers me, but this one sure did. It is such poppycock!

Medical Transcription Outsourcing - The Future?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shailesh_Garg http://EzineArticles.com/?Medical-Transcription-Outsourcing—The-Future?&id=1402396

I know that English is a hard language to master, but medical transcription and those who do not have a good command of the English language do not mix! The following article demonstrates my point:

Medical Transcription for Physicians

Medical Transcription is concerned with the transformation of physician dictation recordings, patient records and added medical recordings into text. This can be finished manually or through automation. Still, as automation tools haven’t come up to the mark when it comes to quality which is staple to transcribe medical records, we still rely on manual transcription. Also, health care service is an area that will never go out of reckoning. People will always fall sick irrespective of the times. So, Medical Transcription present ever be required. Medical Transcription is a $25 billion industry. Moreover, there is no remarkable climb in the amount of qualified medical transcriptionists in the US while the responsibility has been exploding by 15% per year. No doubt, we are seeing a rising in the amount of medical transcriptionists in India, that is becoming the preferred destination for outsourced services.

Outsourcing their Medical Transcription needs have become the norm for most outstanding medical practices .The benefit of it being that the practices can get the transcripts for prices as low as 40% of what local services charge. As medical transcription is streamlining itself to become one of the outstanding job options in this country, more and more of transcription activity will proceed to India, considering the low priced choice that is useable. Also, India comes with a large population of educated middle class. This puts in front of recruiter a huge pool of trained manpower. And this manpower is what drives the Indian outsourcing industry.

For more info about [http://www.medicaltranscriptionsservice.com/]medical transcription services, visit [http://www.medicaltranscriptionsservice.com/]http://www.medicaltranscriptionsservice.com

I have been in this field for 8 years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julli_Agarwal http://EzineArticles.com/?Medical-Transcription-for-Physicians&id=844063

I have written some new medical transcription articles which have been published at EzineArticles.

I think you will benefit greatly from reading these, so I have listed them here:

Medical Transcription Training On A Budget

An MT Sounds Off About Outsourcing MT Jobs

Medical Transcription Rates–The Good, The Bad, and The Downright Ugly

Medical Transcription Salary Tips To Dramatically Increase Your Income

Medical Transcription Employment: How To Let Other MTs Discover and Promote You

Six Naked Truths About Home Based Medical Transcription

Hope you enjoy these articles and please give me any feedback on these articles or information that you would llike me to address in an article or blog post.

Thanks, and have a great weekend!

Mary R-K

Dear Peggie:

Thank you for writing to me and asking me for my opinions/recommendations. I am gratified and honored to provide information to you and to all who are considering the wonderful profession of medical transcription. It is a terrific field, one that I love very much, and I shall provide you with any and all help that I can.

First off, I’ll tell you what I did when I changed careers from being a word processor to medical transcriptionist. I was working full time, so I asked my boss if I could have flex time and take community college courses when they were offered. I was granted that, so I enrolled at a local junior college (Orange Coast Community College in California) and took medical terminology. That was the most daunting challenge because I had to learn 2500 terms in about 6-8 weeks! What I did was find out what textbook was being used, purchased it before the class started, and then started memorizing like crazy! I put the words on index cards, and even while typing at work, I would flip through the cards and test myself. It worked like a charm. I worked through the course book as well before the course started and had a great head start which I needed because I was working full time. (Lesson: Where there is a will, there is a way.) So one thing to consider is looking at a local junior college for your foundational courses such as medical terminology, human diseases, anatomy and physiology, medical transcription, etc.

Yes, it is true that getting your foot in the door can be difficult….IF you let it be. Don’t let that concern you. When it is going to happen it WILL happen. Your biggest concern is to build your knowledge base in medical transcription and to network. So what did I do? I joined a local chapter of the AAMT (American Association of Medical Transcription) and became active. I was THE most enthusiastic and passionate MT newbie you ever did see at these meetings. I introduced myself to everyone and volunteered my services: I was pretty savvy with computers and word processor software packages, so I volunteered to word process the OC AAMT membership directory which was put out every year. I also created a database of people who had paid their dues. I ran for office and was elected Corresponding Secretary which meant I arranged for guest speakers to be at every monthly meeting, writing letters of invitation and thank-you letters to the guest speakers. In short, I became known to all medical transcription members. And it paid off like you would not believe. When you give before you receive, you’ll be amazed, absolutely amazed(!) at how many people will help you.

When you first start out, you might be a bit lacking in confidence. Don’t let that stop you either; we all started in the same place. Keep going, keep studying, keep learning. Did you know that the average age of medical transcriptionists is now 55? That means that there will be a shortage of medical transcriptionists in the coming years as the veteran MTs retire. Look for the opportunities that will be present. Look for companies that will be willing to train, and there will be companies that will have to train because of the shortage. Be vigilant, always on the lookout, for the opportunities you seek.

And my goodness, now with the Internet and all the medical transcription sites online like MTDaily, MTStars, etc., if you want to network online with other medical transcriptionists, you have the MT world at your fingertips!!! It is fantastic! There are many sites out there with great information about medical transcription. It just makes my heart swell with pride to know how many MTs are willing and able to help fledgling MTs blossom and flourish.

With regard to psychologists and psychiatrists using medical transcriptionists, the answer is a resounding yes, yes, YES! I know this because I have done so many reviews of medical records and both psychiatrists and psychologists do reports, some of which are massively long (especially the psychiatrists) and are transcribed by MTs. I work in the workers’ compensation field and there are many psyche claims for which the patient is referred to psychologists and/or psychiatrists for medical examinations and/or treatment. And you guessed it, a report has to be generated and it has to be transcribed. Most of the time their dictation is to die for, too; wonderfully clear and easy to do!

I know that people recommend Penn Foster, Andrews, and M-Tec as the three most popular online MT programs. I myself like the VLC program ( http://transcription.thevlc.com/ ) because it is taught by CMTs with decades of experience. I liked what I saw when I reviewed their site. So this is my recommendation; take it for what it is worth. Review the site and see for yourself. This would be my pick if I were starting out and wanting to take classes online. I think you’ll understand why when you look at the site and see what they offer and how it is presented on the site. Plus, another thing I would do is call the people at VLC and talk to them. See if you and they are a good match. If money is an obstacle, as I said previously look into your local junior college for courses.

Well, Peggie, I hope I have answered your questions. If not—or if you have any new ones–please feel free to write back to me. I am here to help; this is my way of paying back those who helped me to succeed in the field. And some day, when you are a successful MT, you can then pay it forward as well.

Regards and best of luck to you!

Mary Ruff-King

Hi there-
I’m actually looking at getting into the medical transcription field and have some questions. I was hoping that you would be willing to answer them for me, or if you know of anyone that would. First of all, I’m trying to decide on the right program to enroll in. I’m considering the Penn Foster program or a distance learning program thru the Minnesota Colleges program(http://distance.minnesota.edu). What should I be looking for in a program? Do you have any recommendations for a program?

I’ve read that it is difficult to find work in this field when you are first starting off and have little to no experience. Do you find that this is true?

Do you know if psychologists and/or psychiatrists use medical transcription services? This would be a particular area of great interest for me and I have not heard of it mentioned anywhere.

Thank you SO, so much for taking the time to read my email and respond. I appreciate it so very much! If you have any advice for me at all I would love to hear it OR any suggestions on websites to check out or other people who would be willing to talk to me about this field. I want to really do my research before I invest in a certificate program. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Margaret (Peggie)

And here is my response to Peggie’s inquiry: Medical Transcription Education Answer

It’s funny how some things work. I submitted an article to Ezine Articles sounding off about outsourcing medical transcription. Here is the link to that article:

An MT Sounds Off About Outsourcing MT Jobs

Well a dear relative of mine went to her pain management doctor yesterday for her monthly visit to get her pain medications. She has a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa, about which I made a post on this blog:

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Can you imagine this? The doctor went on to say that the medical transcription was being done in India, and that they had been having problems with it. In fact, she mentioned another patient’s medical report had come back with the word “cocaine” in it, something that was completely inaccurate.

Was I upset when I heard about this! First off, when words are not known, it is better to leave a blank and flag them in the report than put a bunch of nonsense or dangerously inaccurate information into the report. Secondly, where is the medical editing, the quality control? It is non-existent, folks, at least in this case.

You know it is one thing to shop at a discount store to buy cheap clothing, discount goods, etc., but it is an entirely different matter to hang patients out to dry with medical reports that are not worth the paper on which they are printed by using the same kind of strategy to save a few cents per line for medical transcription costs. Lives may be at stake. I am disgusted and horrified by this. Disgusted that there is so little regard, horrified that the bottom line is put above all else when it comes to patient healthcare.

When you visit your doctor or hear about this kind of slipshod medical transcription work, speak up. Don’t be shy. Doctors and companies that employ this strategy need to be called on it. It is unacceptable. It is stupid. And it is downright dangerous to the medical care of each and every patient.

Here is the link:

Companies that Hire Medical Transcription Newbies

I came across a page of slang acronyms that doctors use, and it is absolutely falling-off-the-chair funny. I’ve put the link below, and you will definitely want to take your time perusing this page. So have a ball and de-stress by reading the list and howling out loud:

SLANG ACRONYMS USED BY DOCTORS

It has been ages since I’ve posted anything to my blog, but you’ll see it was worth the wait when you read this one.

I received a request for help from a medical transcription newbie who e-mailed me with the following request:

(Part of e-mail has been deleted to protect privacy.)

Can you give me any pointers as to what I should include in my resume since I am considered a “newbie”? I am finding that most institutions want employees with at least a year’s on-the-job training, and I need to get started as soon as possible. Any information would greatly appreciated!

My response to this motivated individual was as follows:

First off, congratulations on your medical transcription accomplishments!

Let me ask you this: What work have you done previous to transcription that may relate to the medical transcription field? For example, I was a word processor before I studied medical transcription. That type of work relates directly to the field. So first of all I want you to make a list of what you have done, workwise, so you can cull those details from your past work experience and include them in your resume.

Secondly, the work you have done for your schooling should be put into a binder which you should take along with you for your interviews. Be sure to to include copies of your report cards/certificates of completion which reflect that you have completed the courses. This is what I call a credibility kit; sounds like you’ve read my blog, so you probably know what I mean by a credibility kit.

Thirdly, try to get letters of recommendation from your instructors. Write to them or call them to see if they would be willing to do that.

Next, your best bet to break into the field of medical transcription is to find clinic work, not hospital work. What you will be looking for is an office where someone has just quit or they are swamped with work and are willing to take on a newbie for training. When you interview be enthusiastic and very positive. After interviewing, be sure to write a thank-you note to the interviewer; this sets you apart from the crowd.

When looking at the ads in the paper or online, take note of what words are used in the ad. For example: Wanted: Detail-oriented individual needed in a fast-paced work environment. In your resume, you’ll include that you are a detail-oriented person who thrives in a fast-paced work environment. I always include in my resume that I am a self-starter who needs little to no supervision which is very true. I work best when my superiors just give me the freedom to get my work done.

When you interview, be sure to tell the interviewer that although you do not have much experience, you are a tabula rasa, an empty slate–meaning you have not picked up any bad habits which have to be broken, and that you more than make up for the lack of experience with enthusiasm, pride in your work, and willingness to be a team member.

I hope this helps you out. Please write back and let me know how it’s going. If you want, you can e-mail me your resume and I’ll take a look at it. I am willing to do so because you were willing to take the time to write to me and ask for help. You took a chance and it paid off: Good for you! And this is EXACTLY how it will work for you when you pursue a job, too. You’ll get one because you will keep interviewing and asking away for what you want.

This brave young lady took a chance to write to me and ask for help, something which only one other person has done. When you take a chance like that, you’ll be surprised and delighted that there are many, many people in this world who will take the time to help you!

My last recommendation is that when you interview, if you feel it has gone very well, ask for the job then and there. This is something which is not an easy thing to do, but will also impress the interviewer. When I have done this, I have always been answered graciously. And even if you do not get the job, guess what? If the candidate they do hire does not work out, who is going to stick out in their minds? It WILL be you!

Hope you are well. Here is a great website to test yourself online about the human body.

Here is the link: GET BODY SMART WEBSITE

Test yourself to see how much you know.

Regards,

Mary

Hi Everybody!

I have a great link to share with you today regarding neurological examination. This is great information for medical transcriptionists to know. Like being able to put a name with a face, it is great to be able to see a demonstration of certain medical tests, the names of which you most likely type on a daily basis in medical reports.

This particular website, www.neuroexam.com, has short videos in which a neurologist demonstrates specific tasks and tests on a patient to determine mental status, motor coordination, sensory status, reflexes, coordination and gait.

These neurological exam videos have renewed my appreciation of the complexity of the human body. Every day activities and movements that we all perform are complex in nature from a neurological standpoint. It is when something goes wrong neurologically that we see the true magnitude of how much we take for granted.

Here is the link for this truly remarkable website:

NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION VIDEOS!

This is a fabulous site for learning about neurological examination and the tests involved. Please avail yourself of the fantastic learning experience by clicking on the link above (or the one listed below) and become familiar with all neurological tests that are demonstrated there. Kudos to this neurologist for taking the time to make these fine videos which all medical transcriptionists will find useful/informative.

NEUROLOGICAL EXAM - INTRODUCTION (FIRST VIDEO)

Today I am going to address how medical transcription is like niche marketing. The field of medical transcription is HUGE. There are many, many specialties and even subspecialty areas. For example, specialties consist of orthopedics, neurology, oncology, gastroenterology, urology…the list goes on and on. Subspecialties also exist: For example, in the area of orthopedics, there can be research, genetics, forensics, sports injuries, workers’ compensation, pediatrics, and study of diseases related to orthopedics.

I liken medical transcription to niche marketing because instead of trying to cover all of the specialty areas in the medical field, it is best to find out what area in which you have an interest and then pursue that. Of course when you are first starting out, you have to get what you can get. But you never know; you may stumble upon something that fascinates you and about which you are passionate.

As you progress in your medical transcription training and once you get into the field, always be aware of what specialty/specialties you like. I have a passion for forensics and orthopedics, for example. I was lucky enough to stumble into orthopedics right out of the gate. It is absolutely a joy for me to be doing the work I love, and it will be for you, too, once you discover it.

So when you think of medical transcription and how big the medical field is, think of the Internet and how big it is. That is the comparison. It is when you start whittling down the medical specialties one by one that you are like a niche marketer trying to zoom in on what you want to pursue. The more you can clarify what type of medical transcription you want to do, the more focus you can give to targeting (like a niche marketer!) what companies you want to go after, either to work for as an employee or as an outside contractor.

Start a list now of what your likes and dislikes are about the medical transcription work you have done so far, whether in class or the real world. You are either getting into this field or got into this field because you love it and want to make a difference. Getting into the specialty area that is right for you will ensure that you continue to love your work and do your best.

Regards,

Mary

As you probably know, medical transcription is a production based business if you are self-employed (and I do believe we all want to get to the point where we are self-employed!). Consequently, finding tools that help us to speed up our productivity without impacting quality is essential to earning a nice living as a medical transcriptionist.

So few people are aware, especially when they first get into this business, of how much medical transcriptionists need to know about software. It takes time to build up our knowledge of the tools that help us organize and increase production.

I am writing today, though, to tell you about tools that can help speed up your output: word/text expanders. Word/text expanders are a Godsend because not only do they ensure that we as medical transcriptionists can speed up production but we can do so without worrying about compromising accuracy/quality of our work. All you have to do is check the information the first time you input it into the expansion program. An additional benefit of using word/text expanders is saving wear/tear on your wrists/hands.

Word expanders have been around for some time and you can take your pick with regard to how much you wish to spend on them. First of all there is Instant Text which can be had for $189 and Smart Type for $199. Ouch!

So I began research word expanders and came across a great product that I thought I’d mention to all my readers, an affordable, versatile, and flexible word expander software tool. HERE IS THE LINK:
NAGARSOFT - SPEED TYPING FOR THE BUSY PROFESSIONAL

Get this: There is a 30-day trial period. Yes, you can download it and try it free for 30 days to see if you like it, which I have done. I think that’s a great deal. This software can also be used to create frequently used blocks of text; open programs, files, and folders; navigate and search the Internet; and e-mail abbreviations (like recipient’s addresses). I also like the fact that I can import autocorrections for MS Word and other text expander tools…that’s what I mean about versatility and flexibility.

So do yourself a favor and check out this great software…save your wrists/hands, save your sanity, too.