• Occupation Overview
• Future Growth Opportunities
• Job Description

II. Job Requirements/Prerequisites:

• Skill Requirements
• Experience Prerequisites
• Education/Training Required

• Bay Area Education/Training Resources

IV. Getting A Job:

• Employers Who Are/Will Be Hiring
• Recommended Job Search Strategy

V. Back To Career Guide Home Page

Skill Requirements

Mental - Basic

• Attention to detail.
  
• Ability to stay focused.
  

Mental - Specialized

• An extensive medical vocabulary.
  
• Good English grammar and punctuation.
  
• Familiarity with computers, word processing, and specialized software.
  

Social

• Able to work on one's own.
  
• Able to take direction from others.
  

Physical

• Ability to type at least 40 words per minute. (This is needed to enter some training programs.)
  
• Good hearing and listening skills (ability to decipher tape recordings).
  
• Requires working in a seated position, looking at a computer screen, for prolonged periods.

Skill Maintenance Requirement
Low. Transcription tools might evolve every few years. Working at a new company might require learning a new specialized data entry system. One must also stay abreast of changing medical procedures and terminology.

Experience Prerequisites

Entry-level positions are available for those without experience, provided they have completed medical transcription or medical terminology coursework. This is true even in economic slow-downs.

Education/Training Required

A high school diploma is required. Employers prefer those who have completed a vocational or community college program. Becoming a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) improves one's chances of finding a job. Information on certification, along with other career tips, is available through the American Association for Medical Transcription (www.aamt.org).

The next section in this report ("Bay Area Education/Training Resources") provides detailed information on some of the training programs available for Medical Transcriptionsists.