How to Become a Certified Transcriptionist

The job of a medical transcriptionist is to review audio recordings made by doctors and to turn them into written reports. Examples of records they type include routine office visits, surgery and urgent care/emergency room visits. Transcriptionists use a machine called a dictaphone to listen to recordings and type the information they hear. According to iSeek Jobs, the average wage for medical trancriptionists is $17.59 per hour, and projected employment growth for the next 10 years is 18 percent. This growth is due to the aging population and their need for services that require documentation. Obtaining certification is a wise choice to further yourself in this field.

.Difficulty: Moderately ChallengingInstructions.
Step:1
1Complete your high school education or GED. A high school level education is required to enter the medical transcription field and to obtain certification.

Step:2
2Assess your skills and interests to be sure this field is a good fit for you. Assessments can be completed on websites such as iSeek Jobs. This will help ensure you can be successful as a transcriptionist. As a basic rule of thumb, you should be an organized individual with computer skills who enjoys working independently.

Step:3
3Complete a medical transcriptionist education program. Medical transcriptionists typically complete either a 1-year or 2-year program, depending on the school. Courses will include medical terminology, grammar and word processing. You will also work on basic skills related to the job such as accounting, organizational skills, record keeping and filing. If your desire is to be self-employed, complete courses on business management and entrepreneurship as well. Additional knowledge may be gained through work experience, and most employers keep their transcriptionists abreast of technological changes that affect their job.

Step:4
4Work in the field for 2 years or more before taking the certification exam. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) offers the exam for medical transcriptionists to become voluntarily certified after 2 years of experience. Separately, and prior to certification, medical transcriptionists may become registered with the AHDI by completing level one of the registered medical transcription exam.

Step:5
5Take the certification exam. Visit ahdionline.org for more information. According to their site, the AHDI is currently charging an exam fee of $195 for members and $275 for nonmembers. Further information about attaining AHDI membership is available on their site as well. The exam takes approximately 5 hours and is automated. Results are provided immediately. Once certified, you will need to renew your certification every 3 years by earning continuing education credits related to the field