Medical Transcription School

Medical transcription is the process of converting voice recordings of reports made by doctors and other health care professionals into a text format. It involves listening to a tape recorded by a physician and then transcribing it to text in the form of reports or other material. In order to correctly transcribe medical voice reports, it is important for a transcriptionist to understand medical terms, procedures, treatments and medical jargon used by doctors. Apart from learning the necessary medical language, medical transcriptionists also need to be experts in English grammar and punctuation. Transcriptionists also need to be familiar with using word-processing software on computers. 
Finding the Right School and Degree

A postsecondary degree from a medical transcription school is important for employers looking for medical transcriptionists. Such a school can provide a degree making it easier for someone trying to enter this particular field. A medical transcription school offers courses which include medical terminology, English grammar and knowledge of the legal issues related to medical documentation. There are two types of programs available, a 2 year associate degree and a 1 year certificate. It is possible to enroll in an online medical transcription school also which would allow you to study and work from home. On average 9 -12 months of studying will arm you with sufficient knowledge of human anatomy, diseases, treatments and medical abbreviations and terms for the launch of your transcriptionist career. 
A good medical transcription school ensures that its curriculum is specifically designed and is focused on the work a medical transcriptionist would be doing. It is also important to choose a medical transcription school that stresses on the practical application of what is learnt. A degree or certificate will only be awarded once the student has shown that he or she can practically apply what is taught. 
The Medical Transcription Process
Medical transcription involves listening to an audio recording by a doctor or other health care professional regarding a patient. A medical transcriptionist listens to the recording on a headset and using a pause-and-play method types out the audio report on a word-processor program on a computer, using correct grammar. Once completed, the medical transcriptionist sends the typed report back to the hospital or office for checking by the doctor or other medical professional. Reports that are transcribed in this way include patient medical history and operation reports, as well as consultation and autopsy reports, among others. Accuracy in transcribing reports is extremely important to ensure that patients receive the correct treatment.   
careers in Medical Transcription 
After completion of a program from a medical transcription school, you can get a job at a hospital, a physician’s practice or a laboratory. With the prevalent use of the Internet, many medical transcriptionists now also have the option of working from home. Medical transcription school graduates can work as subcontractors for hospitals and doctors’ offices or work as independent contractors and enjoy flexible timings when working from home. Medical transcriptionists who work on location at hospitals or doctors’ practices may have additional duties to perform such as patient check-ins and appointments scheduling.