As the average age of individuals in the medical transcription field increases, the need for new staff becomes more acute.
So what skills, abilities and education do you need to enter this interesting field?

1. A high School Diploma or GED
2. A knowledge of medical terminology
3. The ability to accurately verify, check, sort and count numbers
4. The ability to follow written and verbal instructions
5. The ability to memorize coupled with excellent verbal and spelling ability
6. Be able to use basic office equipment such as a computer and Dictaphone
7. Excellent typing skills

The skills and abilities above will get you a foot in the door if you wish to pursue a career in the medical transcription industry.
However, these are not the only prerequisites for a successful medical billing job.
You will also need a basic level of medical transcription knowledge in order to actually provide the level of work necessary to remain employed.
You can either follow a course of study which will prepare you for the job or you could enter a medical transcription practice as a very junior member of staff and work your way up.
The following is a list of skills and knowledge that you will require in order to actually perform the work of medical transcriptionist.

• A basic knowledge and understanding of medical terminology.
  (you may require a more advanced level of understanding depending on the type of work you will be performing and for whom)
• A demonstrated knowledge and experience in transcribing the Basic Four work types
• Proficiency in multiple report types and multiple specialties

So what can you expect to do in your day to day job? oYou will need to accurately transcribe the name, medical record or social security number as well as information to identify the patient.
oIn doing this you will need to have the ability to be accurate, use correct punctuation, spelling and grammar as well as be able to edit the records where necessary to remove inconsistencies.
oMaintain and consult reference material for correctly identifying medical procedures and terminology.
okeep a log of all transcription performed.
oDistribute the transcribed reports as required and also collect dictation tapes and records.
oEnsure that reports are done in time and to follow up with doctors or hospital staff in the event that dictation tapes are late or missing.
oEnsure that filing of reports and records are up to date.
oPerform quality checks on the reports compiled.
All in all, the job is an important and integral part of the medical system.
An accurate and conscientious transcriptionist is an asset to any medical facility and will have a long and financially rewarding career ahead of them.