7 Indispensable Skills to Look for in Medical Transcriptionists
Are you planning to hire a medical transcriptionist? Take a look at some of the key skills to look for while hiring such a professional. Read on to know more.
Medical transcription is a career path that is still not known to many people. In today’s technologically advanced world, however, medical transcription is fast becoming a viable career. It is an in-demand profession where a medical transcriber works in technical medical language and delivers precise transcriptions often within a limited timeframe. While hiring a medical transcriptionist, an employer looks for a range of qualities and skills.
In this post, we have highlighted 7 indispensable skills that you need to look for in medical transcriptionists:
1.Knowledge of Medical Terminologies
Thorough knowledge of medical terminologies is a significant quality that prospective employers look for in a medical transcriptionist. It may include basic terminologies such as physiology, anatomy and common medications, but it may also consist of unique medical terms known only by professional practitioners.
2.Accurate Typing
Medical transcriptionists need to produce precise written documents from recordings. Therefore, accurate and fast typing speed is a must! It is vital to understand that the language in healthcare can be highly technical; thus, error-free typing after learning the right medical terms is important.
3.Fast Typing Speed
Fast typing speed is imperative for a medical transcriptionist. At times, it becomes important to produce transcriptions within deadlines and the same may also be demanded within a short notice. Additionally, as medical transcription work is usually voluminous, considering the tying speed of a medical transcriptionist becomes vital.
4.Strong Research Skills
Though the profession of a medical transcriptionist demands prior knowledge of medical terminologies, it is definitely not possible to know each word. Thus, strong research and learning skills are prerequisites for the job of a medical transcriptionist. Constant openness to learning and recent updates in the medical field is indeed a valuable quality in a medical transcriptionist.
5.Command Over Grammar and Syntax
As medical transcriptionists produce documents and transcripts for healthcare professionals, it goes without saying that medical transcriptionists need to have impeccable command over grammar, punctuation, and syntax. While there may be digital tools to assist one in checking grammar and syntax errors, it is definitely not possible to use these tools for every punctuation and syntactical issue that crops up.
6.Analytical Skills
Apart from listening to recordings and readying accurate data, some medical transcriptionists are also required to create more complex reports. This is where strong analytical skills come into play and they may include things like document editing and identifying of errors and inconsistencies.
7.Listening Skills
Last, but not the least, sound listening skills are a must for a medical transcriptionist. Additionally, it is also important to be mindful of complicated medical terms. Medical terminologies may involve Greek and Latin words and the person dictating them may have a strong accent. An ideal medical transcriptionist should be able to grasp these terms pretty quickly and remember them for long.
The profession of a medical transcriptionist is self-guided and autonomous. Thus, while hiring one, it is always important to consider the key skills in order to ensure that your work is carried out smoothly without constant supervision.
