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Your chosen career field in Medical Transcription is unique in that much of the MT population works from home in a virtual environment. For that reason, the cover letter and resume that you construct invariably create the impression, and it could be your only chance to engage a prospective employer! It is critical that you make an outstanding first impression that will urge an employer to take a closer look. As a new graduate, you will want to take advantage of this first impression by creating a captivating cover letter and supporting resume. Tips for Writing Your Cover Letter
Medical words that sound similar (and how to deal with them) Sound-alike words can pose a challenge to transcriptionists. For example, there is a vast difference between ileum and ilium, even though they sound the same. It could be a critical mistake to type the wrong word into a medical report. The ileum refers to the distal portion of the colon while ilium refers to the superior portion of the hip bone. Using the wrong word could make the medical report very confusing and could potentially put a patient's life at risk.
Your email behavior is important. Whether you are writing an email for personal or professional use, you need to follow basic email etiquette. A poorly-written or inappropriate email has the power to sabotage your reputation with employers, colleagues, or even friends and family. Most of your communication in the medical transcription world will rely heavily on email, so pay attention to the tips below and allow your professional side to shine through! Email Address Make sure your address portrays a professional tone. Don't use an email that is childish, cute or suggestive to send work-related emails. Choose your...
Seeing Green? Your Self-Assessment Reports May Not Have Errors. When you are transcribing reports, some things you may be asking yourself (besides what is this guy saying?) might be: “How should I transcribe this date?” “Do I need to create a main heading for this section?” "How many spaces follow a period?” The answers to these and many more questions can be found in your...
Mad Gab for Transcriptionists As you may know all too well, one of the hardest things about transcription is developing the listening ear. Developing a listening ear means being able to untangle complicated dictated phrases. For Medical Transcriptionists, this means developing a listening ear for the language of medicine. Almost all of the words that you are trying to untangle are brand new to you...
Quick Plural References for Healthcare Documentation Specialists Wouldn't it be just fantastic if all we had to do with a word to make it plural would be to add a simple "s" at the end? Unfortunately, it isn't that simple...there are a lot of grammar rules in the English language, and medical words complicate things even more! Fortunately, there are many resources to help Medical Transcriptionists, including the Book of Style. Below is a summary of the common rules and exceptions that you will come across in your MT career.
The BOS is often called the ‘Bible’ of transcription rules and styles. Something I have noticed, in both chat and with practicum students, is that many students don’t use the Book of Style for Medical Transcription (BOS). Many aren’t even sure what is being talked about when it is brought up. I’d like to help you become a little more familiar with what it contains and how it can help you be a better transcriptionist. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI), who publishes this style guide describes it as “streamlined and strategically reorganized flow of critical data, enhanced explanation of standards and practical application, robust examples taken from clinical medicine settings, and so much more.” Heavy....
Most of us know how to send an email in Microsoft Outlook. But do you really know how to use those other features and functions that Outlook provides? Proficiency in Outlook is a must in the corporate world today, and Outlook amateurs will find themselves scrambling to get caught up on their skills! Let’s say a co-worker sends you and the other management staff an email about the sales team, and you would like to set a meeting about it. Microsoft Outlook allows you to reply to the email message with a meeting request, without forcing you to leave your inbox and open your Calendar. When you respond to a message with Meeting Reply, a meeting request is created with everyone who was on....
Work More Comfortably and Efficiently It is common knowledge that a poorly set up office space can be hazardous to your physical health. However, some jobs depend more on computer work than others, and careers such as Healthcare Documentation (otherwise known as Medical Transcription) require the highest level of comfort. For the home-based worker, workplace comfort is a real necessity; if you can't transcribe, chances are you aren't earning any money. Most home-based workers do not have any kind of health or income insurance to rely on so they must be able to continue producing work. At the end of the day, it all boils down to ergonomics at the office.