How To Be A Medical Transcriptionist

As promised, here are some tips to help you get your lines done:

1. Attitude. The biggest thing is probably attitude. Your outlook towards something can make or break it. I have my share of very difficult, mumbling dictators, but let's just pretent that that dictator is standing in for the nosybody that you would be working with if you went to an office to work. There's a pain in the neck at EVERY job. This is your pain in the neck. Just try your best to smile and work around him or her.

2. Learn to let go. Yes, each note should be perfect. That's true. The patient's care depends on it. However, at some point, you must let go of that impossible note and turn it over to QA. Your job is to move on and get your line count done.

3. Do a perfect job the first time around. Don't sit there half asleep, wishing you were somewhere else, and then have to go back and re-read everything you've typed. Make it a challenge to see if you can make every note perfect the first time around. Give a once-over, spellcheck, and move on. Do NOT leave errors as you transcribe, thinking you will go back and get them later. There's a good chance you'll forget about them.

4. Be excited and enthusiastic. Put your heart into the job, but not into one bad note or one bad dictator or one bad day. What you are doing is important! How would you feel if your job was taken away from you? I know I am glad to be home right now!

5. Invest in (or find a good, free) expander program. If you can type "tpttpw" and have it expand to "the patient tolerated the procedure well," you have just saved yourself about 34 keystrokes. Just think if you can get 1200 lines done by actually typing only 1/6 of it!

6. Transcribe in comfort. As much as possible, equip your office area with the best. I purchased a very nice chair from the word go. After all, I'll be in it for 8+ hours a day.

7. Keyboard is key. You may find, as many have, that a light touch keyboard is a must. Also, an ergonomic keyboard is a must for many, including myself. Before my new keyboard, my wrists were burning every night at the end of my shift. No longer!

8. During the hours you are to be working, really work!!! Don't get sidetracked with things that can wait until later. Take breaks, but do it professionally. Don't up and leave your desk and be gone for two hours!

9. If you've ever heard of FlyLady, you can appreciate this. I love her 11 commandments. The 8th one is: "Work as fast as you can to get a job done. This will give you more time to play later." (www.flylady.com).

10. Remember, there's a patient behind each note. When I start a job, I pay attention to the patient's name, age, etc. I think of them as a person through the entire note. It helps to prevent mistakes and makes the job more interesting. We are professionals! Once done, my lips are sealed. Confidentiality is part of the job.

11. Last, but not least: Money. The more you do, the more you make. Isn't that exciting? You don't get that in most offices! Actually, in most offices, the more you do, the more you're given to do, and all for the same pay!