Here is a feed to the articles I have written for Ezine Articles; most are about medical transcription and nursing; others are written about other healthcare topics such as sleep apnea, autism, menopause, etc.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the list, which is displayed in an RSS feed. Just click on the link and you will be taken to the article.

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………drumroll, please………

http://www.googlemt.com

It’s about time this was developed! Great tool, Google…keep up the good work!

Here is a link to that post.

An Example Of Medical Transcription Critical Thinking

So did you figure out the answer?

Well, if you noticed from all the information provided, this patient had had two arthroscopic surgeries within the past year. When a person undergoes arthroscopic surgery, there are usually two or three small surgical incisions made to allow for use of the arthroscope and any ancillary tools; i.e., shavers and suctioning devices.

So the question I posted at the top of the report to the doctor was: Notes to M.D.: Were there any surgical/punctate scars??? Punctate scars are caused by puncturing of the skin when arthroscopic and/or laparoscopic surgery is performed.

We medical transcriptionists always have to stay on top of our game. One of our job duties is to ensure that the doctor has not missed anything. It is not enough to type what she or he has dictated. We are a quality control gatekeeper as well, and need to understand what’s involved here. These surgeries were performed within the last year; most likely, the scars have not faded and are visible.

I work on medical-legal reports (workers’ compensation claims). Every detail is important. If an attorney can point out that the doctor missed this or missed that, the case in question may not work out for the best interest of the patient. The doctor’s reputation may be hurt. But worst of all, the patient pays the price. What if you were the patient in this case: Would you want someone on the ball transcribing your report, catching the major and minor discrepancies, so you would get the best possible care and fair treatment for your legal case? Do you understand now why I am so dilligent about what I do?

And, my dear readers, this is why I get paid more than most medical transcriptionists. I get the process, I ask the questions, I communicate the problems, I have the determination of a bulldog to get it right. So join me, and become an MT bulldog too.

I think I’ve proved my point, so as a medical transcriptionist of medical-legal reports, I rest my case!

Factoid: The word arthroscopy comes from a Greek word arthro meaning joint, and skopien meaning to look.

I know I’ve talked before about critical thinking for medical transcriptionists. It’s the difference between average MTs and extraordinary ones.

Here is an example of what I mean:

I’m typing a medical report about a patient who has had two arthroscopic right shoulder surgeries within the past year, per the history. When I come across the shoulder examination section, I put in the information that has been dictated (and/or handwritten by an assistant on the physical examination sheet): Here it is:

SHOULDER EXAMINATION:

Examination of the shoulders reveals no gross deformities. There is no evidence of atrophy, tenderness, or masses. Impingement test is negative bilaterally. The Hawkin’s test is negative bilaterally. Jobe test is positive on the right and negative on the left.
…………………………………………

So now, my dear readers, I ask you: What question did I put at the top of the report for the editor/doctor???

Stay tuned tomorrow for the answer.

Yesterday afternoon/early evening, I was starting to breathe a sigh of relief. The acrid smokiness enveloping the area where I live was starting to abate. Then, about 7:30 p.m., I noticed that the unmistakable smell of smoke was increasing. I went outside and looked off into the distance, to the northwest. I could see a huge plume of smoke and below it the fire that was generating that smoke. I can’t really estimate how far away it was, perhaps 2-3 miles away. The air quality was so bad I couldn’t really stay outside for too long, but checked on it again every hour for the next 2-3 hours. Then I went to bed and slept fitfully, selfishly hoping that all would be well, at least in my neighborhood.

There are many school closures today in the area in which I live. We are all being instructed to stay indoors and not to exert ourselves even inside our homes. It will take some time before the air feels clean again, before we Californians feel safe again.

I can’t imagine the sorrow, the anguish that must be felt by people whose homes have burned down, especially elderly people who have spent decades living in their beloved homes. Over 800 homes have been lost to fires. So far, no deaths have been reported; that is miraculous considering how fast some of these fires have burned. Fires generate their own weather system–don’t know if you knew that–and thus become very unpredictable. Then add the Santa Ana winds which were blowing up to 70 m.p.h., and you have a super firestorm on your hands. That’s what our brave firefighters and police have had to deal with.

I am blessed to still have a place to call home, a place where I live and work every day. I shall not take this for granted anymore. I shall not take my life for granted anymore. I shall not complain about little things anymore.  I am humbled, grateful, and at a complete loss for words to express the gratitude I feel.

I thought I’d give an update on the fire situation. I was very frightened last night. There are two fires that may affect me, one to the north (Brea), and the other to the east (Yorba Linda). The wind was pushing the Yorba Linda fire west (great, that’s just great!). Per the Google map, my location is approximately 4-5 miles due west from the Yorba Linda fire, and about 2-3 miles due south from the Brea fire.

I didn’t tell you yesterday, but the sky was just filled with orange and black smoke; still is this morning. We are being advised to stay indoors. The outside surfaces are covered with ash; the outside air is dangerous to breathe. The inside of the house smells like a giant campfire was extinguished in it.

Nobody has seen anything like this in California since the 1960s. I guess the perfect conditions came together this time. And once the fires are out and the raining season begins, then there will be concerns about flooding due to the denuding of the hillsides by the fires.

It seems like the entire state of California is on fire today, and that has prompted me to post about having an emergency plan for your at-home medical transcription business.

I must say, I am extremely nervous right now and plan to stay up all night. The fires in California are hopscotching their way across the state in a pattern so unpredictable that no one is safe right now. The Santa Ana winds are driving hot embers willy nilly; there is no pattern or logic. It is totally unpredictable. The Yorba Linda fire is only a few miles away from where I live which has made me extremely nervous.

So what is an at-home medical transcriptionist to do? Well, instead of biting my nails, staying glued to the television and hoping that all will be well, I have come up with an emergency plan.

1. Define what paperwork and equipment for you business is essential to save from disaster. In my case, I do have patient charts which absolutely must be saved. Therefore, these are stacked up and ready to be loaded in the car at a moment’s notice. I also have a list of my equipment that I need to save: Computer, printer, Olympus dictation unit, power cords, modem, and fax machine.

2. Back up data!  Yes, we all know this, but how many of actually do it? Back up your template files and any data files you are working on, at the very least. The very best you can do is back up your entire system on CDs.

3. Grab your business files; i.e., invoices, tax files, Rolodexes, and any forms you may use for your business.

The most important thing that can be done is to do strategic planning prior to ever facing a disaster in the first place. Know what to do in advance.

Many years ago, I lived on a small island on the Aleutian chain in Alaska, just 26 miles from an active volcano. The only thing separating me from the volcano was water; if the volcano became active, a tsunami was possible (no joke, it happened in the 1950s and wiped out the area where I was living) . I had an emergency backpack packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice.

We medical transcriptionists have to prepare for any situation but usually don’t give emergency situations a moment’s thought. I hope this post has made you think about making your own emergency disaster preparedness plan, not only for your own personal safety but for that of your medical transcription business as well.

I hope you enjoyed the doctor dictation gaffe I wrote about in the last entry. If you did not get a chance to read it, here is the link: Doctor Dictation Gaffes.

I am revisiting this because after the initial chuckle we all get out of it, a more sobering thought should occur to all of us in the medical transcription field, a question all of us should ask, and that is:

How did this get into the report in the first place?

It’s obvious the doctor did not think about how it might sound, but why did the medical transcriptionist not realize how badly it would come across in the report?

First off, there are offices in which the medical transcriptionist is told not to change a single thing that is dictated. I bristle at that thought because we are there to help doctors be better communicators and to assist them with grammar, etc.

If I were in such a situation, I would have flagged this with a funny comment to the editor/doctor, much like I wrote in my post. Everyone would have gotten a kick out of it in the office and hopefully the wording would have been changed to reflect that the patient was not actually weed eating but using a weed eater or “weed whacker. ”

Ok then. Most of the time we medical transcriptionists are able and encouraged to edit the dictation. So what may have happened here is that the medical transcriptionist, being paid on production (by the line, page or report) was typing away, listening to what was being dictated, but not really checking to see if it made sense.

Yes we all need to make money in this field. More importantly, however, is we need to earn that money by producing quality reports that make sense. When we are typing away full-speed ahead, fingers flying across the keyboard, we need to engage in critical thinking. It takes time to learn how to perform and coordinate all the physical tasks involved in medical transcription. Anyone can learn to do that over time.

What sets great medical transcriptionists apart from mediocre ones is that special gift of analyzing data, and questioning it when it does not look right. Each of us has the best computer in the world–our brain–which will always be our greatest asset when transcribing medical reports.

This is a great example of a doctor dictation gaffe. Let me set it up for you. The patient had been using a weed whacker for months and developed a left middle trigger finger. The doctor, however, dictated the following:

The patient had a “chief complaint of left nondominant middle finger triggering that had been going on since September after doing many hours of weed-eating at work.”

OMG! ROFL! The visual is priceless! I can just envision this poor dude consuming every weed/brush in site, like in the old Pacman game. I think he MUST have developed the left middle trigger finger from putting it down his throat so he could make room for more! I imagine he had no problem with constipation since he was eating all the greens his stomach could hold!

Are you laughing hard now? You should be!

I came across a website that I thought all medical transcriptionists would be interested in: A Google Custom Search Medical Transcription Word Seeker.

Here is the link:

Medical Transcription Word Seeker

Be sure to mark this site as one of your favorites. It will come in very handy.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Are you are considering a medical transcription career? Here are some important questions to ask yourself:

Is this a good career move for me personally and professionally?

The first thing you should consider is whether or not becoming a medical transcriptionist will enhance your growth as a professional and as an individual. This is vital to your success in the field, both short and long term, and requires some self-evaluation.

Do I like to be frequently challenged? Am I easily bored?

Transcription work in the medical field is quite challenging and fascinating. As an MT, you may develop a certain level of mastery in one specialty such as orthopedics and reach a comfort level in that field. However, you may pick up an account in a field in which you have no experience, e.g., neurology, nephrology, radiology, pediatrics, dermatology—the list goes on and on—and suddenly you are starting from scratch as an MT newbie in that particular specialty. The learning never stops.

The type of person who loves challenges and is easily bored by performing the same work day after day is often drawn to medical transcription. There are always new surgical procedures being developed and new medications being formulated. In short, it is a wonderful, challenging, and dynamic profession that appeals to many people who thrive when learning and growing, both professionally and personally.

Do you want to become a self-employed MT some day? >Do you like the thought of having flexible hours and working from home?

A great thing about medical transcription work is the flexibility it allows. After paying your dues, i.e., going through schooling and working in-house long enough to gain the experience, confidence, and networking skills you need to succeed on your own, you will be able to accomplish this with a low-cost investment.

While working in house, set some money aside each month for the purchase of computer equipment, home business software, photocopier and fax machines, and office equipment and supplies. This will motivate you to continue to learn all you can not only about medical transcription but also about how to run your own home-based medical transcription business.

Is job security a priority for you? Do you want to be paid what you are worth?

There is a high demand for medical transcriptionists as of this writing. Job security is extremely high right now as the perfect storm appears to be approaching: the baby boomers continue to age and require more, extensive healthcare, and the median age of medical transcriptionists is 55, thus many are retiring.

The key to remember is this: The high demand is for qualified talent in the MT field. Thus, if you do seek job security and do want to get paid what you are worth, then you must put forth the effort to excel in the field. Give it your all. If you are going to invest in yourself to pursue a new career, commit 100%.

Do I want to work from home? Do I have the disposition and discipline to do so?

You may think the answer to these questions are obvious, but there are people who do not have the discipline or disposition to work home alone unsupervised. There is nothing wrong with being a person who needs to work in a structured environment. However, if you chafe at someone looking over your shoulder, micromanaging your work, hate office politics, and like to work by yourself, being self-employed as a medical transcriptionist may be just your ticket.

As a medical transcriptionist it is a given that you have the basic skills required to do the job. But the most important skills any employee can have don’t even relate to the type of work s/he does.

I’m talking about being a team player and also being a problem solver. Do I hear groans from my readers???

Nonetheless, many people overlook development of their people skills which is a shame. We can only do so much on our own, but when we can harness the energy, skills, and resources of other people and motivate them to work as a unit, synergistic results are achieved.

I remember a particular event in my career when a co-worker would not turn over a manual to me, even though she was told to do so by our joint supervisor, because she thought I was infringing upon her job duties. Long story short was she lost her job for not being a team player. This is an all too common occurrence.

With regard to solving problems, people in the company who can come up with ideas to save money or increase productivity are key to the company’s success. If you are a self-employed medical transcriptionist you fully understand this concept since you are the CEO of your own company.

So to all medical transcriptionists I say, “Play nice with others and don’t fight.” Remember that you and your co-workers are working together as a team to achieve a common goal of keeping the company fiscally strong and viable. Your co-workers are your team mates; inflation, joblessness, hard economic times, etc., is your opponent.

To keep your problem-solving skills fresh and creative, make sure that your medical transcription skills are up to date. When faced with a problem, don’t complain or whine about it because that puts you in a non-productive frame of mind. Ask yourself which resources, which personnel can help you get full understanding of the problem. Then harness that knowledge. Validate those who assist you. That is what good problem solvers and good leaders do. And these days, as medical transcriptionists, we all need to be doing more of this.

Think of the movie Cool Hand Luke; the character portrayed by the late Paul Newman was an acknowledged leader of his group.

In the medical transcription field, companies are looking for candidates who can build up and teach other employees, inspire confidence and loyalty, and problem solve by creatively thinking outside the box. These unique talents are scarce.

The lesson here is to be more than just an employee. Bring the entrepreneurial spirit and leadership to your role of medical transcription employee as well. It is not enough these days to just do what you have been told to do or what has been outlined in a job description.

Expanding your medical transcription job description is something you will want to do anyway if you have a desire to become a self-employed medical transcriptionist.  As an MT employee, you have the added benefit of training for it on the job with a fixed salary as a safety net.

First of all, you have to pay attention to what the overall processes and systems are in place. Can you improve on any of them? Automate manual systems or processes? Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to find ways to help the company make more money.

I cannot stress enough the importance of making yourself as indispensable as possible, especially in these tough economic times. We all know that medical transcription jobs are being lost overseas. Improvement in production output and creating systems to automate activities which are done repetitively is key to economic survival these days.

Once you have identified ways to streamline or automate a process, check with co-workers involved in the process to find out what their suggestions might be to improve on it. Then come up with a plan that will work for everyone involved.

Be sure to document everything you have done–from generating ideas to implementation of a plan. Come time for your evaluation and raise, this is ammunition you can present to your supervisor showing that you are not just an average employee, you are one who is willing to go above and beyond expectations. You will be known as an exemplary medical transcriptionist who takes her medical transcription job seriously.

This week I shall share some tips that can help you keep that medical transcription job that you worked so hard to land.

Come up with creative ways to reduce costs and/or reduce time by automating medical transcription job duties.

One of the things I did to make myself as indispensable as possible was to master the word processing programs used in house and to become technically adept at creating macros that automated medical transcription.

For example, many times an examination of the spine would be normal, so I set up a macro that when invoked would insert the normal examination for the spine. Another time, I successfully influenced the company on the idea to purchase word expander software by explaining all the benefits the company would receive by using the software. Not all companies are in the loop as to what products, either hardware or software, are out there that will increase productivity and accuracy. So it is beneficial to remain on the cutting edge and inform your supervisor/employer of what tools can and should be utilized to increase productivity and save time in the process.

Now is the time for you to start writing down a list of what you can do for your medical transcription company that no one else either will do or can do.

As most know, military men, women, and their families change duty stations about every two years, on average. That makes it difficult for the military spouse to find employment. So why not train for a healthcare career that is mobile? Medical transcription fits that bill to a tee.

The organizations involved in this are the Department of Defense, American Association for Medical Transcription, and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity.

In addition, some schools are offering financial support/discounts to military spouses who take medical transcription training as an incentive to get into this field. If graduates of selected medical transcription training programs earn the registered medical transcription (RMT) credential, they are then eligible to participate in the Labor Department’s apprenticeship program. These are great incentives offered to entice and motivate new talent into the medical transcription field. Great news, don’t you think?

It’s not often that I come across an article that angers me, but this one sure did. It is such poppycock!

Medical Transcription Outsourcing - The Future?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shailesh_Garg http://EzineArticles.com/?Medical-Transcription-Outsourcing—The-Future?&id=1402396

I know that English is a hard language to master, but medical transcription and those who do not have a good command of the English language do not mix! The following article demonstrates my point:

Medical Transcription for Physicians

Medical Transcription is concerned with the transformation of physician dictation recordings, patient records and added medical recordings into text. This can be finished manually or through automation. Still, as automation tools haven’t come up to the mark when it comes to quality which is staple to transcribe medical records, we still rely on manual transcription. Also, health care service is an area that will never go out of reckoning. People will always fall sick irrespective of the times. So, Medical Transcription present ever be required. Medical Transcription is a $25 billion industry. Moreover, there is no remarkable climb in the amount of qualified medical transcriptionists in the US while the responsibility has been exploding by 15% per year. No doubt, we are seeing a rising in the amount of medical transcriptionists in India, that is becoming the preferred destination for outsourced services.

Outsourcing their Medical Transcription needs have become the norm for most outstanding medical practices .The benefit of it being that the practices can get the transcripts for prices as low as 40% of what local services charge. As medical transcription is streamlining itself to become one of the outstanding job options in this country, more and more of transcription activity will proceed to India, considering the low priced choice that is useable. Also, India comes with a large population of educated middle class. This puts in front of recruiter a huge pool of trained manpower. And this manpower is what drives the Indian outsourcing industry.

For more info about [http://www.medicaltranscriptionsservice.com/]medical transcription services, visit [http://www.medicaltranscriptionsservice.com/]http://www.medicaltranscriptionsservice.com

I have been in this field for 8 years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julli_Agarwal http://EzineArticles.com/?Medical-Transcription-for-Physicians&id=844063

I have written some new medical transcription articles which have been published at EzineArticles.

I think you will benefit greatly from reading these, so I have listed them here:

Medical Transcription Training On A Budget

An MT Sounds Off About Outsourcing MT Jobs

Medical Transcription Rates–The Good, The Bad, and The Downright Ugly

Medical Transcription Salary Tips To Dramatically Increase Your Income

Medical Transcription Employment: How To Let Other MTs Discover and Promote You

Six Naked Truths About Home Based Medical Transcription

Hope you enjoy these articles and please give me any feedback on these articles or information that you would llike me to address in an article or blog post.

Thanks, and have a great weekend!

Mary R-K

Dear Peggie:

Thank you for writing to me and asking me for my opinions/recommendations. I am gratified and honored to provide information to you and to all who are considering the wonderful profession of medical transcription. It is a terrific field, one that I love very much, and I shall provide you with any and all help that I can.

First off, I’ll tell you what I did when I changed careers from being a word processor to medical transcriptionist. I was working full time, so I asked my boss if I could have flex time and take community college courses when they were offered. I was granted that, so I enrolled at a local junior college (Orange Coast Community College in California) and took medical terminology. That was the most daunting challenge because I had to learn 2500 terms in about 6-8 weeks! What I did was find out what textbook was being used, purchased it before the class started, and then started memorizing like crazy! I put the words on index cards, and even while typing at work, I would flip through the cards and test myself. It worked like a charm. I worked through the course book as well before the course started and had a great head start which I needed because I was working full time. (Lesson: Where there is a will, there is a way.) So one thing to consider is looking at a local junior college for your foundational courses such as medical terminology, human diseases, anatomy and physiology, medical transcription, etc.

Yes, it is true that getting your foot in the door can be difficult….IF you let it be. Don’t let that concern you. When it is going to happen it WILL happen. Your biggest concern is to build your knowledge base in medical transcription and to network. So what did I do? I joined a local chapter of the AAMT (American Association of Medical Transcription) and became active. I was THE most enthusiastic and passionate MT newbie you ever did see at these meetings. I introduced myself to everyone and volunteered my services: I was pretty savvy with computers and word processor software packages, so I volunteered to word process the OC AAMT membership directory which was put out every year. I also created a database of people who had paid their dues. I ran for office and was elected Corresponding Secretary which meant I arranged for guest speakers to be at every monthly meeting, writing letters of invitation and thank-you letters to the guest speakers. In short, I became known to all medical transcription members. And it paid off like you would not believe. When you give before you receive, you’ll be amazed, absolutely amazed(!) at how many people will help you.

When you first start out, you might be a bit lacking in confidence. Don’t let that stop you either; we all started in the same place. Keep going, keep studying, keep learning. Did you know that the average age of medical transcriptionists is now 55? That means that there will be a shortage of medical transcriptionists in the coming years as the veteran MTs retire. Look for the opportunities that will be present. Look for companies that will be willing to train, and there will be companies that will have to train because of the shortage. Be vigilant, always on the lookout, for the opportunities you seek.

And my goodness, now with the Internet and all the medical transcription sites online like MTDaily, MTStars, etc., if you want to network online with other medical transcriptionists, you have the MT world at your fingertips!!! It is fantastic! There are many sites out there with great information about medical transcription. It just makes my heart swell with pride to know how many MTs are willing and able to help fledgling MTs blossom and flourish.

With regard to psychologists and psychiatrists using medical transcriptionists, the answer is a resounding yes, yes, YES! I know this because I have done so many reviews of medical records and both psychiatrists and psychologists do reports, some of which are massively long (especially the psychiatrists) and are transcribed by MTs. I work in the workers’ compensation field and there are many psyche claims for which the patient is referred to psychologists and/or psychiatrists for medical examinations and/or treatment. And you guessed it, a report has to be generated and it has to be transcribed. Most of the time their dictation is to die for, too; wonderfully clear and easy to do!

I know that people recommend Penn Foster, Andrews, and M-Tec as the three most popular online MT programs. I myself like the VLC program ( http://transcription.thevlc.com/ ) because it is taught by CMTs with decades of experience. I liked what I saw when I reviewed their site. So this is my recommendation; take it for what it is worth. Review the site and see for yourself. This would be my pick if I were starting out and wanting to take classes online. I think you’ll understand why when you look at the site and see what they offer and how it is presented on the site. Plus, another thing I would do is call the people at VLC and talk to them. See if you and they are a good match. If money is an obstacle, as I said previously look into your local junior college for courses.

Well, Peggie, I hope I have answered your questions. If not—or if you have any new ones–please feel free to write back to me. I am here to help; this is my way of paying back those who helped me to succeed in the field. And some day, when you are a successful MT, you can then pay it forward as well.

Regards and best of luck to you!

Mary Ruff-King

Hi there-
I’m actually looking at getting into the medical transcription field and have some questions. I was hoping that you would be willing to answer them for me, or if you know of anyone that would. First of all, I’m trying to decide on the right program to enroll in. I’m considering the Penn Foster program or a distance learning program thru the Minnesota Colleges program(http://distance.minnesota.edu). What should I be looking for in a program? Do you have any recommendations for a program?

I’ve read that it is difficult to find work in this field when you are first starting off and have little to no experience. Do you find that this is true?

Do you know if psychologists and/or psychiatrists use medical transcription services? This would be a particular area of great interest for me and I have not heard of it mentioned anywhere.

Thank you SO, so much for taking the time to read my email and respond. I appreciate it so very much! If you have any advice for me at all I would love to hear it OR any suggestions on websites to check out or other people who would be willing to talk to me about this field. I want to really do my research before I invest in a certificate program. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Margaret (Peggie)

And here is my response to Peggie’s inquiry: Medical Transcription Education Answer

It’s funny how some things work. I submitted an article to Ezine Articles sounding off about outsourcing medical transcription. Here is the link to that article:

An MT Sounds Off About Outsourcing MT Jobs

Well a dear relative of mine went to her pain management doctor yesterday for her monthly visit to get her pain medications. She has a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa, about which I made a post on this blog:

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Can you imagine this? The doctor went on to say that the medical transcription was being done in India, and that they had been having problems with it. In fact, she mentioned another patient’s medical report had come back with the word “cocaine” in it, something that was completely inaccurate.

Was I upset when I heard about this! First off, when words are not known, it is better to leave a blank and flag them in the report than put a bunch of nonsense or dangerously inaccurate information into the report. Secondly, where is the medical editing, the quality control? It is non-existent, folks, at least in this case.

You know it is one thing to shop at a discount store to buy cheap clothing, discount goods, etc., but it is an entirely different matter to hang patients out to dry with medical reports that are not worth the paper on which they are printed by using the same kind of strategy to save a few cents per line for medical transcription costs. Lives may be at stake. I am disgusted and horrified by this. Disgusted that there is so little regard, horrified that the bottom line is put above all else when it comes to patient healthcare.

When you visit your doctor or hear about this kind of slipshod medical transcription work, speak up. Don’t be shy. Doctors and companies that employ this strategy need to be called on it. It is unacceptable. It is stupid. And it is downright dangerous to the medical care of each and every patient.

Here is the link:

Companies that Hire Medical Transcription Newbies

I came across a page of slang acronyms that doctors use, and it is absolutely falling-off-the-chair funny. I’ve put the link below, and you will definitely want to take your time perusing this page. So have a ball and de-stress by reading the list and howling out loud:

SLANG ACRONYMS USED BY DOCTORS

It has been ages since I’ve posted anything to my blog, but you’ll see it was worth the wait when you read this one.

I received a request for help from a medical transcription newbie who e-mailed me with the following request:

(Part of e-mail has been deleted to protect privacy.)

Can you give me any pointers as to what I should include in my resume since I am considered a “newbie”? I am finding that most institutions want employees with at least a year’s on-the-job training, and I need to get started as soon as possible. Any information would greatly appreciated!

My response to this motivated individual was as follows:

First off, congratulations on your medical transcription accomplishments!

Let me ask you this: What work have you done previous to transcription that may relate to the medical transcription field? For example, I was a word processor before I studied medical transcription. That type of work relates directly to the field. So first of all I want you to make a list of what you have done, workwise, so you can cull those details from your past work experience and include them in your resume.

Secondly, the work you have done for your schooling should be put into a binder which you should take along with you for your interviews. Be sure to to include copies of your report cards/certificates of completion which reflect that you have completed the courses. This is what I call a credibility kit; sounds like you’ve read my blog, so you probably know what I mean by a credibility kit.

Thirdly, try to get letters of recommendation from your instructors. Write to them or call them to see if they would be willing to do that.

Next, your best bet to break into the field of medical transcription is to find clinic work, not hospital work. What you will be looking for is an office where someone has just quit or they are swamped with work and are willing to take on a newbie for training. When you interview be enthusiastic and very positive. After interviewing, be sure to write a thank-you note to the interviewer; this sets you apart from the crowd.

When looking at the ads in the paper or online, take note of what words are used in the ad. For example: Wanted: Detail-oriented individual needed in a fast-paced work environment. In your resume, you’ll include that you are a detail-oriented person who thrives in a fast-paced work environment. I always include in my resume that I am a self-starter who needs little to no supervision which is very true. I work best when my superiors just give me the freedom to get my work done.

When you interview, be sure to tell the interviewer that although you do not have much experience, you are a tabula rasa, an empty slate–meaning you have not picked up any bad habits which have to be broken, and that you more than make up for the lack of experience with enthusiasm, pride in your work, and willingness to be a team member.

I hope this helps you out. Please write back and let me know how it’s going. If you want, you can e-mail me your resume and I’ll take a look at it. I am willing to do so because you were willing to take the time to write to me and ask for help. You took a chance and it paid off: Good for you! And this is EXACTLY how it will work for you when you pursue a job, too. You’ll get one because you will keep interviewing and asking away for what you want.

This brave young lady took a chance to write to me and ask for help, something which only one other person has done. When you take a chance like that, you’ll be surprised and delighted that there are many, many people in this world who will take the time to help you!

My last recommendation is that when you interview, if you feel it has gone very well, ask for the job then and there. This is something which is not an easy thing to do, but will also impress the interviewer. When I have done this, I have always been answered graciously. And even if you do not get the job, guess what? If the candidate they do hire does not work out, who is going to stick out in their minds? It WILL be you!

Hope you are well. Here is a great website to test yourself online about the human body.

Here is the link: GET BODY SMART WEBSITE

Test yourself to see how much you know.

Regards,

Mary

Hi Everybody!

I have a great link to share with you today regarding neurological examination. This is great information for medical transcriptionists to know. Like being able to put a name with a face, it is great to be able to see a demonstration of certain medical tests, the names of which you most likely type on a daily basis in medical reports.

This particular website, www.neuroexam.com, has short videos in which a neurologist demonstrates specific tasks and tests on a patient to determine mental status, motor coordination, sensory status, reflexes, coordination and gait.

These neurological exam videos have renewed my appreciation of the complexity of the human body. Every day activities and movements that we all perform are complex in nature from a neurological standpoint. It is when something goes wrong neurologically that we see the true magnitude of how much we take for granted.

Here is the link for this truly remarkable website:

NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION VIDEOS!

This is a fabulous site for learning about neurological examination and the tests involved. Please avail yourself of the fantastic learning experience by clicking on the link above (or the one listed below) and become familiar with all neurological tests that are demonstrated there. Kudos to this neurologist for taking the time to make these fine videos which all medical transcriptionists will find useful/informative.

NEUROLOGICAL EXAM - INTRODUCTION (FIRST VIDEO)

Today I am going to address how medical transcription is like niche marketing. The field of medical transcription is HUGE. There are many, many specialties and even subspecialty areas. For example, specialties consist of orthopedics, neurology, oncology, gastroenterology, urology…the list goes on and on. Subspecialties also exist: For example, in the area of orthopedics, there can be research, genetics, forensics, sports injuries, workers’ compensation, pediatrics, and study of diseases related to orthopedics.

I liken medical transcription to niche marketing because instead of trying to cover all of the specialty areas in the medical field, it is best to find out what area in which you have an interest and then pursue that. Of course when you are first starting out, you have to get what you can get. But you never know; you may stumble upon something that fascinates you and about which you are passionate.

As you progress in your medical transcription training and once you get into the field, always be aware of what specialty/specialties you like. I have a passion for forensics and orthopedics, for example. I was lucky enough to stumble into orthopedics right out of the gate. It is absolutely a joy for me to be doing the work I love, and it will be for you, too, once you discover it.

So when you think of medical transcription and how big the medical field is, think of the Internet and how big it is. That is the comparison. It is when you start whittling down the medical specialties one by one that you are like a niche marketer trying to zoom in on what you want to pursue. The more you can clarify what type of medical transcription you want to do, the more focus you can give to targeting (like a niche marketer!) what companies you want to go after, either to work for as an employee or as an outside contractor.

Start a list now of what your likes and dislikes are about the medical transcription work you have done so far, whether in class or the real world. You are either getting into this field or got into this field because you love it and want to make a difference. Getting into the specialty area that is right for you will ensure that you continue to love your work and do your best.

Regards,

Mary

As you probably know, medical transcription is a production based business if you are self-employed (and I do believe we all want to get to the point where we are self-employed!). Consequently, finding tools that help us to speed up our productivity without impacting quality is essential to earning a nice living as a medical transcriptionist.

So few people are aware, especially when they first get into this business, of how much medical transcriptionists need to know about software. It takes time to build up our knowledge of the tools that help us organize and increase production.

I am writing today, though, to tell you about tools that can help speed up your output: word/text expanders. Word/text expanders are a Godsend because not only do they ensure that we as medical transcriptionists can speed up production but we can do so without worrying about compromising accuracy/quality of our work. All you have to do is check the information the first time you input it into the expansion program. An additional benefit of using word/text expanders is saving wear/tear on your wrists/hands.

Word expanders have been around for some time and you can take your pick with regard to how much you wish to spend on them. First of all there is Instant Text which can be had for $189 and Smart Type for $199. Ouch!

So I began research word expanders and came across a great product that I thought I’d mention to all my readers, an affordable, versatile, and flexible word expander software tool. HERE IS THE LINK:
NAGARSOFT - SPEED TYPING FOR THE BUSY PROFESSIONAL

Get this: There is a 30-day trial period. Yes, you can download it and try it free for 30 days to see if you like it, which I have done. I think that’s a great deal. This software can also be used to create frequently used blocks of text; open programs, files, and folders; navigate and search the Internet; and e-mail abbreviations (like recipient’s addresses). I also like the fact that I can import autocorrections for MS Word and other text expander tools…that’s what I mean about versatility and flexibility.

So do yourself a favor and check out this great software…save your wrists/hands, save your sanity, too.

Well, I was reviewing medical records today and I came across two huge blunders that absolutely had me and others laughing. So here they are:

The patient sustained a right shoulder injury in a carcinoma accident.

Status post right shoulder rotator cough injury.

Well, what do you think of that? It seems that some voice recognition software was used for these. If people get to the point that they don’t care what appears in a medical record/report, then we will be coming across these on a daily basis.

I sure hope that is not the case. But you can see from the above examples why we need good medical transcriptionists who will use their brains when doing this type of work.

Regards,

Mary

The Human Face

Artificial Anatomy - Body Parts

Drug Library

Atlas of Anatomy

Upper and Lower Extremity Atlas

I’ll continue my search for some great medical websites. I am impressed with what I have found so far and know that you, my readers, will be as well.

Happy medical transcribing…enjoy!

Mary

Hello Everybody!

I have another medical transcription website which I’m sure you would like to visit.

Here is the link:

Medical Transcription Mastery Center

There are many articles and resources available at this website, so please visit this as well to get more great information on medical transcription.

Regards,

Mary Ruff-King

Hi All:

I need your help! I am going to write an e-book about medical transcription, but I need to know this: What are your most pressing questions, challenges, problems? What do you need to have answered most?

I want to write a fabulous e-book to help out medical transcriptionists but I simply cannot do it without you. So send me your questions, your comments, your most innermost thoughts….tell me your triumphs, your fears, your concerns, whatever. I’ll do my darndest to incorporate them into my e-book.

So here is what you do: Rather than post comments, please send me an e-mail to:

mruffking@gmail.com

I sure would love to hear from every single person who reads this blog! I sincerely want to help but can only do so with your help. I am asking you to help me formulate the best information that will help you out.

So put on your thinking caps, write down your struggles, challenges, concerns, problems, heartaches, etc., and e-mail me at: mruffking@gmail.com

Looking forward to hearing from all of you …

Regards,

Mary Ruff-King

I remember transcribing for one doctor who used to constantly change his dictation; he’d dictate something and then say, “back up and change that to…” He did that for every sentence! This is the kind of thing a medical transcriptionist must realize can and will happen. And if you run into that, then instead of getting frustrated and upset, you simply charge more to transcribe that doctor’s dictation, explaining that it takes more time because of all the on-the-fly editing that is required. If that client does not agree to paying you more for your time, find other clients whose work is easier to transcribe.

As you become more assertive in your skills as a medical transcriptionist, you will realize that you do not have to put up with certain situations and/or people. For example, when I was looking for an MT job, I interviewed with a doctor (orthopedic surgeon in the workers’ compensation arena) who kept asking me if I had ever had any carpal tunnel injuries/surgeries, pain in my wrists/hands, or lost time from work due to such symptoms. I am one of the fortunate ones who has never had any such problems which I told him. However, he kept asking these questions over and over. It became clear to me that his concern was not that I was a good medical transcriptionist, and I vowed I would never work for someone who cared so little for me as a human being and whose sole concern was the bottom line.

Another comment: I find it so ironic that once doctors learn how to perform a procedure or operate a new piece of equipment to run a test that they will charge the same rate time after time when conducting such procedures/operations of equipment. However, when a medical transcriptionist takes the time to develop macros to streamline the process of transcribing medical reports, some doctors will balk at having to pay the line count for the macros! They will say something like, “You didn’t type that so why should I pay you for the line count for that section of dictation?” If you come across something like this, simply respond: “Doctor, you learn new techniques and procedures throughout your career which have helped you to be more productive, haven’t you? Well, why do you charge the same amount each time you perform them? ” What’s good for the doctor is good for the medical transcriptionist!

In short, never sell yourself short to someone, especially doctors. I have found some doctors to be so obnoxiously cheap and offensive I will never work for them. There are other opportunities where my skills and professionalism as a medical transcriptionist will be appreciated and rewarded. AMEN!

Networking is essential in any fielld, but especially the medical transcription field. This cannot be overstated/over emphasized. The medical community is small and tight knit; it seems that everybody knows everybody else who is in the field, even if it is by reputation only. Whether you are good or bad MT, the word will spread in the medical community very quickly. Doctors really like to brag about how great their medical transcriptionists are to other doctors. Other medical transcriptionists will be quick to recommend good medical transcriptionists as well.

The key to networking is this: start networking once you have decided to pursue this career BEFORE you even start your medical transcription training. (If you are not sure you want to pursue this field, take a few courses at your local community college.)

Tell all of your doctors–your primary care physician, your chiropractor, your gynecologist, your children’s pediatrician, etc.– that you are studying medical transcription and how excited you are about getting into this field. Ask if they know of anyone who will be needing a medical transcriptionist in the future. I’ve had a couple of doctors tell me they needed a medical transcriptionist when I went for office visits as a patient. They are not shy about telling you what they need or if their colleagues need someone. Be sure to leave business cards and a resume with these contacts.

Also, develop relationships with the Office Managers in all the doctors’ offices you contact. Don’t just drop off resumes, flyers, business cards. Find out the Office Manager’s name and start writing to her. Keep her posted on your progress every few months or so by e-mail, letter, or phone. Again, let your enthusiasm and positive attitude shine through your correspondence or phone call. See if she is available for lunch; if so, take her out to lunch. Send her cards on holidays. Office Manager’s don’t often get the recognition they deserve, either, so this will make you stand out from the crowd.

I know that medical transcription in and of itself is very challenging. But to become absolutely invaluable–almost to the point of being indispensible–learn more than just basic medical transcription. Learn more about how to be an asset to the company by developing systems that help the company save time and money.

I happen to love computers and although my skills are not as sharp as they once used to be, I can still do more than most MTs: I can create macros, do some programming, install and/or troubleshoot software and hardware problems, etc. This is what I am talking about.

If you have a flair or expertise in a related area associated with medical transcription, be sure to develop that skill. It will come in very handy, especially in small offices.

Case in point: Several years ago, when WordPerfect was the standard used for word processing, I developed a macro menu-driven system that was used to take patient histories. This system consisted of 40 separate WP macros. Ultimately, the historian did not have to worry about picking the wrong history format because that was automatically done. Simply put, the process was more automated and saved a lot of time in the long run.

I also created other macro-driven processes that helped to save time/money. I became the go-to gal because of my expertise. I also trained all historians how to use Word Perfect because I was the in-house WP “expert.”

So keep this in mind as you learn about the medical transcription business. The learning never stops in medical transcription, to be sure, but it also never stops in all other aspects of running a business, either. If you ever are to run a successful business at home, you will soon learn that you need to know a heck of a lot more than medical transcription.

I’m taking a much-needed break from reviewing medical records and thought I’d write to you about the thought process that goes into reviewing medical records.

Ok, if you recall, the review I am currently working on involves a female patient who had filed a workers’ compensation claim regarding her bilateral wrists/hands. When going through the medical records, I will look for anything that references her subjective complaints, objective findings, and diagnostic studies relating to these body parts. However, there is more to it than just that. Complaints relating to our wrists/hands can also be caused by problems relating to our elbows, shoulders and/or neck. This patient also has those problems, so I have to be on the lookout for those issues as well.

Another thing: When reviewing medical records, I also try to get a feel for how the patient is mentally, if at all mentioned in the reports. For instance, in one report, it was noted she had a flat affect. This is important, so I included that in the record review. Our physical and psychological health are inexplicably intertwined; those of us who have suffered from chronic illness or disease know this all too well.

Another point I’d like to make. It is important for me to let the doctor know where the medical records being reviewed come from.

Case in point:

Medical records from J. Doe, M.D., include medical records from XYZ Hospital. Included in these medical records are MRI scans, CT scans, neurology consult report etc.

In this case, I would type the following:

3/12/01 - MRI scan report of the cervical spine (from XYZ Hospital, interpreted by C. Jones, M.D.) in the medical records from J. Doe, M.D., reveals an impression of 2 mm disc bulge, C3-4; 4 mm disc bulge C5-6; and 1 mm disc bulge/osteophyte formation, C7-T1.

In addition to reviewing all the medical records, an overall picture of what has happened to this patient needs to come together. After doing this work for awhile, it does get easier to see the bigger picture. At first, however, it can be quite overwhelming when doing these record reviews (RRs as they are called).

If you have any questions about reviewing medical records, submit them to me.

Tomorrow and Wednesday mornings, I’ll be going into the office to take patient histories of some professional athletes who have been injured on the job. Cool, huh? And no, I won’t reveal any more information than that!

If a patient has Habba syndrome, he/she does not have abdominal pain and shows poor response to anti-spasmodic medication. Diarrhea in a patient with Habba Syndrome occurs after eating and does improve when the patient fasts. Patients often have to modify their behavior and some become housebound because their symptoms are so severe.

Many times patients who present with complaints of chronic diarrhea are told to take over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medication and that they just have to live with it. But now there is hope for those who suffer from this malady. It is good to know that there are some doctors who still want to figure out the mysteries of the body and continue to search for the answers.

After ruling out the standard causes of diarrhea, a patient undergoes a DISIDA scan which tests gallbladder function. DISIDA is an acronym for Diisopropyl Iminodiacetic Acid. Poor function of the gallbladder is a hallmark indicator that the patient could be suffering from this syndrome.

Treating this embarassing and life-style altering syndrome is basically simple: The constitution of bile acids is reduced with agents that bind bile acids, such as cholestyramine, which has been used with excellent results.

So to all medical transcriptionists: Add these medical terms to your list for future reference. The more knowledge we all have and share, the better off we will be. If you have such symptoms, as noted above, be sure to tell your doctor about Habba Syndrome. There are about 20 million people living with irritable bowel syndrome or have symptoms that may be mistaken for that. Roughly 10-15% of those may indeed have Habba Syndrome and not know it.

I’ve found a website touting “medical transcription phrases, words, and helpful hints” which I visited and would like to recommend that you visit as well.

Besides the standard medical terminology that medical transcriptionists use, this site also has some specific operative sample reports in many different specialties which I find very helpful, especially to those just starting out in medical transcription. These are great reference reports which can be copied, pasted into your word processor, and printed out for reference; or, you can just bookmark the website and go back there from time to time if you need.

I like the way this site is designed and set up. Specific medical terms that may be used in a Physical Examination are listed, broken down by each specific category such as General Appearance, Vital Signs, HEENT, Neck, Heart, etc.

“This site has been developed with the intention of helping MTs. When I was new in the profession, I always wished I could go to a site that offers a word list on different subjects I’d encounter in the course of a dictation. Having worked in the field of medical transcription a number of years now, I feel finally I am qualified to share my accrued knowledge and experience with fellow MTs.

I’ve always had the habit of writing down useful words I’d encounter during the course of my work. These are words I myself have encountered during my work as an MT. These words are the most common ones (BUT NOT ALL) that occur in a doctor’s dictation. I’ve organized them mostly in alphabetical order for easy reference.

Also, MTs would find the Google Custom Search Engine (bottom of the page) quite useful, as I’ve included MT-related sites in the search engine. Consequently, search results would mostly be medical transcription focused, but would also show all other results that one normally would see in a search. I do hope all medical transcriptionists find this site useful - thats the purpose behind this site. Well, happy transcribing!”

Hats off to this medical transcriptionist who is willing to help all of us learn more about medical transcription! Do yourself a favor; treat yourself by visiting this site. You’ll really love the information you find there.

Here is the link to this great site:

Medical Transcription Word Help

Medical transcription consists of much more than transcribing dictated reports. As a specialist in the workers’ compensation field, working for orthopedic surgeons, I review medical records before a patient is examined for a work-related injury claim. When a worker is injured on the job and makes a claim, litigation is involved. Sometimes the claims are rejected and the injured worker (called an applicant) will hire an attorney to represent him or her. The insurance company will also have its own attorney or attorneys. There are different types of examinations such as Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs), Agreed Medical Examinations (AMEs), and Qualified Medical Evaluations (QMEs). I will not go into explanation of these examinations/evaluations, but just keep these terms in mind as you continue in your medical transcription career and as you see medical reports. I will make a separate post about these at a later date, so keep on coming back to my blog.

I go through stacks of medical records and pull out the important information for the doctor, summarizing it in a particular format. The medical record reviews are short and sweet. Note that the date format is numeric. Important information is bolded to call it to the doctor’s attention.

In the example below, the patient is being evaluated for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Here are a couple of entries that show how this work is done.

3/18/03 - Health Questionnaire from D. Davis, M.D. The patient is 5′6″, weighs 189 lbs., is left-hand dominant, and has a history of back and neck pain with recent hospitalization for “blackout.”

3/18/03 - Handwritten examination notes from D. Davis, M.D., revealed the patient presented with complaints of hip, neck, back, right arm pain, and carpal tunnel with a date of injury of 8/10/02. The patient had undergone an MRI scan but forgot films. Bedrest helped her back. Examination: Positive Phalen’s, right, with right thenar atrophy. X-rays of the cervical and lumbar spine were taken. Diagnoses: Right carpal tunnel syndrome; cervical spondylosis, C5-6, C6-7; advanced degenerative disc disease, L4-5 through L5-S1. Suspect patient will eventually need surgery but not now. The patient will return in three weeks.

Also, I review depositions, and job descriptions, and employee records. In short, any records that are subpoenaed by the attorney(s). This is fascinating work. It is also can be crucial to a medicolegal case.

As noted in a previous blog entry, I was contacted by a previous employer who wants me to work as an outside contractor. This work involves reviewing medical records and is very important in matters of litigation, such as workers’ compensation and personal injury cases. So I picked up the batch of medical records yesterday and am now in the process of reviewing them. The work consists of going through every submitted medical records and condensing the reports to just the salient information. In each case, a letter from the attorney’s office is submitted telling the doctor the date of injury (DOI), the mechanism of injury (MOI) and what body parts need to be examined. In the case of worker’s compensation, even though the applicant (injured party) might have several complaints, the attorney instructs the doctor as to what body parts need to be examined. This is a one-time examination because the doctor is not a treating physician.

In the particular medical record review I am doing at the moment, the injured worker sustained injuries to both hands/wrists (carpal tunnel syndrome). Based on the doctor’s examination of the patient and review of the medical records (which I am summarizing for him), he will determine if the patient’s injury was sustained in the course and scope of her employment. The doctor also has to determine periods of temporary and total disability, subjective and objective factors of disability, work restrictions, and if the patient can return to this line of work or if she needs vocational rehabilitation.

Now I realize that I need to explain some of the terminology I just mentioned because it is specific to workers’ compensation, so stay tuned to further blog posts for more info on this matter.

I just want everyone to know that medical transcription is a heck of a lot more than transcribing dictated reports. Reviewing medical records is very important. Few people know how to do it, and even fewer people know how to do it well. This work pays well but is tiring and tedious. Therefore, it is important to avoid burnout–a lesson I learned very well a few years ago.

The way I see it is this: Let’s say that speech recognition technology does blow the conventional way of creating medical reports right out of the water. What happens to medical transcriptionists? I think this would greatly benefit our field because most people just see us as glorified typists, which is not the case at all. Medical transcriptionists would then move more into the editing mode and quality control aspect of medical report creation rather than just transcribing medical reports. It would also lead to increased production and higher pay because of the perceived value of editing rather than “just typing” the medical reports.

All professions go through such changes: some are minor improvements, and some are profound advances due to changes in technology as noted here. The medical field is constantly striving to find better ways to do things in shorter time frames without compromising the quality of the created product which, in this case, is a patient’s medical report(s).

The best course of action, in my opinion, is to remain aware of the changes in the medical field, talk to medical transcriptionists who are using cutting edge technology, and decide how you can implement the current cutting-edge tools in your medical transcription business.

Here is a medical transcription tip that I stress time and time again: Do NOT burn bridges when leaving a medical transcription job or when you stop working as an outside medical transcription contractor.

Case in point: I used to work for a company as an employee several years ago. In fact, it is the first company that hired me as a full-time medical transcriptionist. After I left that company, I kept in touch and eventually did work as an outside contractor. A few years later, due to time constraints, I again stopped working for the company but it was on good terms.

Well, today I realized I had a message on my cell phone and once again I have been contacted by this company to do medical transcription work. The work will consist of reviewing medical records, something to which I have alluded on this blog and which I will address in a separate post. I charge at least $20/hour because the work is not easy; I have to go through stacks of medical records and glean the salient points and type them in a particular format. The work is tedious, tiring, but oh so very important in workers’ compensation cases.

I may also be working as a historian. I’ll let you know. That work involves taking patient histories, and is an art more than anything else. I’ll also post something about that in a separate blog, so I hope you’ll keep coming back and reading what I have to say!

God bless you all,

Mary R-K

A two-part test is administered: The first part is written, and the second part is hands-on transcription of a 15-minute dictation tape. It is hard enough to take a test, but imagine trying to understand different doctors’ voices and accents and typing up the report in the proper report format while testing.

I commend all medical transcriptionists who are dedicated to going for the gold by getting certified. It is a great accomplishment to put the CMT behind one’s name.

I have searched high and low for a medical transcription school I could recommend to my readers for medical transcription training and solid preparation for medical transcription certification. I have found a company that meets my strict criteria:

Virtual Learning Center School of Medical Transcription Training

So what sets this school apart from the others?

1) The level of experience of the instructors: a combined 98 years worth of experience! That is phenomenal in my book. I love to learn from “crusty” seasoned medical transcriptionists who have probably seen, if not heard, it all!

2) The teaching methods: Video class instruction AND the use of Mentoring Interactive Modular Education (M.I.M.E.). These methods allow medical transcription students to learn faster and retain more.

3) Five online training courses and real doctors’ dictations.

4) Fantastic work placement program.

This is the best medical transcription company I’ve seen on the Internet, and I fully endorse it.

If you wish to gain further information regarding this company for the pursuit of medical transcription and/or preparation for medical transcription certification please use the link: Virtual Learning Center

I have discovered a great pathology website created and maintained by an active teaching pathologist. Allow yourself a few hours to surf this site; it is worth it. Fascinating stuff.

pathology website

Workers’ compensation is a specialized field because a medical transcriptionist who works in this specialty really has to have a good understanding of the legal system in addition to being a good medical transcriptionist. Thus, MTs who have such an understanding of both the medical and legal aspects of workers’ compensation can and do command higher wages.

I have written the above to let you know that despite the fact that I was not an RMT or CMT, I have made more than most seasoned MTs who work in a general doctor’s office or hospital. However, this type of MT work involves more than the normal medical transcription work. Taking patient histories, editing workers’ compensation reports, and reviewing medical records are a few of the duties that MTs in the medical-legal field perform.

My point is this: The amount of money one makes in medical transcription varies greatly, depending on the type and quantity of work that is completed. It is not dependent upon whether one has an RMT or CMT behind one’s name.

With regard to being a registered medical transcriptionist or a certified medical transcriptionist, it is a personal matter of pride, committment, and passion. Others in the MT field recognize that as well. It probably will give you an edge when interviewing against other MTs who have not done so. And it certainly will boost your confidence when you interview.

In the final analysis, when getting a job and being able to negotiate the highest salary, it still comes down to what you know, how well you can transfer your knowledge and skills from one company to another, and how your knowledge and skills will increase the company’s bottom line.

I live in California and am grateful to report that my home is still standing and I am safe and sound. It has been a rough couple of weeks with terrible weather, fire, and in my case a water leak in my condo. I was so worried about the fires I had great difficulty sleeping, always wanting to keep tabs on where the fire was in my area. It didn’t come closer than 10 miles, but with the high Santa Ana winds we were having, it was way too close for comfort.

My sister lives in Jamul, California, and had to evacuate for a solid week. The fire came within two miles of her home. She and her family are safe; their house is still standing. The fire department took a stand right at the end of her driveway (it’s a very rural area) in case of wind change. Fortunately, everything turned out well for all of us. I thank all who kept me in their prayers.

I had a problem with water leaking into my condo from a neighbor’s hot water pipe. The living room was affected; and due to the loud industrial fans running for days on end, I was unable to tolerate working in my office. The dull roar is gone now. I believe everything will be okay now. The insurance adjuster will be coming tomorrow to assess how much damage and what needs to be repaired/replaced.

I am blessed to have so many people ask how I am doing. I am doing well and will begin posting again tomorrow. God bless you all, and thanks again!

Regards,

Mary

Let me know if you enjoy them and what other medical transcription topics you’d like me to write about.

Regards,

Mary

Here is a link that will allow you to search EzineArticles.com for my articles:

I just want to emphasize that there is a lot of information here in the blog that I don’t write about in articles, so I hope you will navigate this site and find all the information that may be helpful to you.

Please let me know about any topic you’d like me to write about. And your comments, good or bad, are always welcome!

That’s it for now.

Wishing you success in medical transcription,

Mary

In addition, there is a list of abbreviations for terms used in pharmacology. A graphic of a prescription is presented and each part of the prescription is explained in detail. Furthermore, a great explanation of the DEA number assigned to each doctor is given.

This is a wonder reference page, and I hope that each medical transcriptionist (especially a new medical transcriptionist) who visits this blog will view this site:

Bookmark this page; it’s a great reference for medical transcriptionists.

Regards, Mary

Imagine that you have the sensation of bugs crawling, stinging, and biting underneath your skin. In addition, open sores that do not heal develop on your skin. Worse yet, you can see colored filaments that can be extracted from the open sores, on the surface of the skin or just underneath the skin.

This sounds like something out of science fiction, but it isn’t; welcome to the nightmare of Morgellon’s Disease. This skin disorder is relatively new; the name was coined in 2002 by biologist Mary Leitao whose son developed a lesion on his lip from which colorful fibers were extracted by his mother. The fibers can be black, red, white, blue, green, and pink; the microscopic images of these fibers are amazing to see.

Morgellon’s patients also suffer from debilitating fatigue, cognitive impairment, and pain in the joints, muscles, and connective tissue.

Because the symptoms of this disorder/condition/disease are so sensational, it seems as though the medical community is not taking it seriously. Unfortunately many doctors simply view patients with the condition as having delusional parasitosis and dismiss this altogether.

The Morgellon’s Research Foundation, founded by Mary Leitao, feels that this is a new infectious disease which will be verified when future research is completed.

I find it interesting that the fibers are not man made and don’t come from a plant. It appears the body does manufacture them. Of interest, too, is the fact that so many Morgellon’s sufferers have written to their congressmen out of sheer frustration and the fact there is no where to turn for any definitive treatment, that finally the CDC has developed a task force to study Morgellon’s (Ok, we don’t believe it is a disease, but just in case we’re wrong, let’s develop a task force to study it).

Here are some links to sites about Morgellon’s Disease. Make sure you look at the images. This is truly a fascinating phenomenon.

Morgellon’s Disease - Google Video

Morgellon’s Disease - Psychology Today

I want you to avail yourself of my experience and knowledge of the medical transcription field. I don’t have hospital medical transcription experience, but I sure do know how to market myself and write articles that provide helpful information.

I notice no one has commented on any of my posts. Please do feel free to share your thoughts, feelings, experiences…whatever you want! As long as it pertains to the field of medical transcription and is appropriate (i.e., no profanity, no personal attacks on anybody), please share. Good or bad, I want to hear your comments.

I love to help people. Guess I’m a teacher at heart. It keeps me young to constantly be challenged to learn more and then share that knowledge with others. So please, hear me when I say that I would love to hear from you!

I am currently writing an article on medical transcription salaries. I post articles on www.ezinearticles.com, so if you would like to read other articles that I have written, please feel free to go to that site and do an author search on “Mary Ruff-King” now.

Regards, Mary

First off, I want to say that most people have no idea how mentally and physically fatiguing it is to hear a doctor talking into your ear and typing the medical transcription into proper format, all the while trying to coordinate the hearing, typing, and foot pedal operation of the medical transcriber. There were times when I wanted to scream, “Will I ever be able to get the coordination down?”

So what do I mean about slip-sliding into medical transcription? Consider all that has to be learned: computer operation (hardware), software applications (word processor, word/phrase expansion software,), medical terminology, medical transcription report formats, Latin abbreviations, understanding different voices, drug names (brand and generic names), all while trying to produce an accurate, quality medical report and maintaining typing speed that will make it financially viable for you at the end of the day.

Back to slip-sliding into medical transcription now. When I considered the medical transcription field, I was already working for a medical company, word processing nursing assessment program documents. Medical terminology was something with which I was familiar. I had always loved medical terms, as well as typing and computers, so I chose to pursue the medical transcription field.

After completing my medical transcription courses, I landed my first job which was a combination of word processing and medical transcription. I did word processing, something comfortable for me, and medical transcription of consultation reports for a renowned toxicologist, something that was outside of my comfort zone. I did not throw myself into a situation in which I felt like I would be swallowed up whole. In other words, I did a slip-slide into medical transcription.

My next job was a full-time medical transcription job for an orthopedic surgeon in the workers’ compensation arena. In fact, I was told that this orthopedic surgeon was the doctor who performed the first hip replacement in Orange County California. Pretty neat, huh? (Shows how old the doctor and I are, too!) Even though I had experience, I really was outside my comfort zone in this job. It was very stressful because I worked in a different building from my supervisor who briefly trained me and then cut me loose to sink or swim. By the time I landed that job, I had transcribed enough reports that I had established my rhythm with hearing, typing, and foot pedal operation. I was also comfortable with the word processing program I was using. Thank God for that, because I felt totally overwhelmed for the first 4-6 months. I didn’t sink, but I sure felt like I was doing so at times because I was totally unfamiliar with workers’ compensation terminology, report formats, the doctor’s voice and what seemed like a thousand other things.

I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed the first time you stick your great toe into the medical transcription waters. My suggestions are these:

If you can perform medical transcription on a part-time basis for one doctor or even just one client, do so. If there is a seasoned medical transcriptionist in house, ask if that person will mentor you. If you are the sole MT, then join a local chapter of the AAMT and an online chapter of the AAMT. Network with people both offline and online.

If you can get a job with part-time transcription, either medical transcription OR non-medical transcription, DO IT! This is a great way to segue (or slip-side) into the medical transcription field.

If you can get a job as a full-time non-medical transcriptionist, grab that opportunity and excel at it. For instance, many insurance companies need/want transcriptionists, and medical terminology is a plus. There will almost certainly be additional medical transcription terminology that you will pick up along the way. That way you can master the transcription part, learn some medical terms, and have that experience which you can add to your resume.

Another thought: Legal transcription. Many legal offices seek people who have had medical terminology and transcription backgrounds. Find a company that is willing to train you. The medicolegal field is great, and as long as people continue to get hurt, there will always be a demand for this type of transcription work.

I guess what I’m ultimately trying to say is slow and steady wins the race, and with a long-term strategy planned out in advance, you will dramatically lessen the undue stress, burn-out and frustration that is part and parcel of venturing into the career of medical transcription.

Regards,

Mary

This post is about resumes for medical transcriptionists who have been in the field for awhile and have established credibility within this job market. (A separate post will address resumes for new MTs.)

Since many of my medical transcriptionist associates have asked (over the years) about resumes and what to include in them, I’ve decided to give my take on the subject.

When creating a resume, be as succinct as possible and highlight what skillsets you bring to the table. I specifically limit my resume to one page because people are so busy these days. As you can see, it takes only a few minutes to read this and see what I have to offer a company. More specifically, I key in on what people are looking for: good technical skills (Administrative), good people skills (Interpersonal Relationships), and job-specific (in my case, orthopedics and Workers’ Compensation) skills. If you have had supervisory or mangerial experience, bring that up as well. This is the time to toot your own horn, so don’t be shy.

I also tailor my resume to each specific job for which I am applying. I never have a “one resume fits all” attitude. In order to set yourself apart from others, your resume must reflect what the employer seeks most in the ideal candidate.

Here is a sample resume that I used to land the last couple of outside MT contractor jobs for orthopedic surgeons in the workers’ compensation arena.

_____________________________________________________________________

PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION

ADMINISTRATIVE QUALIFICATIONS

Typing speed of 120-130 w.p.m. with 95% accuracy; good command of the English language; strong editing, grammar, and punctuation skills; ability to edit “on the fly” when taking histories and when transcribing medical reports, making paragraphs flow smoothly; and strong computer (hardware and software) skills, saving the company down time and money.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

Ability to put people at ease and to establish immediate rapport; ability to control the history interview process, keeping the patient on track; and getting salient information in a timely manner, all in a congenial and empathetic way.

Cooperates and works well with co-workers, willingly shares new technical and medical information. Professional, dedicated, and committed to the success of the company through collaborative efforts with others.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION-SPECIFIC SKILLS

Good command of workers’ compensation field, thus enabling me to ask the pertinent questions that will enable the doctor to intelligently address important workers’ compensation issues (e.g., permanent disability, apportionment, and causation); over five years of experience taking patient histories (ranging from basic to complicated) on a daily basis, specializing in the field of orthopedics; and over 14 years of experience as a medical transcriptionist, historian, and medical records reviewer.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Company Name, Address, City State, Zip, Phone Number

Employed From: June 19xx to 20xx Supervisor: Jane Doe

Company Name, Address, City State, Zip, Phone Number

Employed From: June 19xx to 20xx Supervisor: Jane Doe

_____________________________________________________________________

Depending on how much information and work experience you have, there may be room at the bottom of the page. If so, include this section:

QUALITIES AND CHARACTER TRAITS

Innovative, creative, proactive, energetic visionary, resourceful self-starter; practical, self-reliant, motivated problem-solver; versatile, talented trainer/teacher; organized, personable, and reliable support person with a winning attitude who takes great pride in meeting and exceeding her own definition and standard of excellence.

One last point: The very last sentence of the resume is a powerful thing–if the resume has been read all the way through. You can–and I have done this–use that very same sentence–at the TOP of the resume to grab the reader’s attention. When you do, change the heading to: SELF-ASSESSMENT STATEMENT.

Now isn’t that a powerful resume? This should get you in the door so you can now wow them with your credibility kit.

Let me introduce you to….Michele Miller who has been working at home, running her own successful medical transcription business since 1994. Through the years, other people have frequently asked her how to get started in a medical transcription business of their own. Based on the number of questions she received, she decided to document everything a medical transcriptionist needs to know in an e-book. For only $49.97, you get a 111-page e-book, but that’s not all…

For no extra charge, you will have 24/7 access to Michele’s expertise via e-mail. You can ask all your questions about starting a medical transcription business!

If this interests you, I recommend you read more about:

The Step-By-Step Guide To Medical Transcription At Home

by Michele Miller right now while the e-mail consultations are still available and the price is still low.

PayScale: Medical Transcription Salaries

Scroll down below the bar graph, and you’ll see you have options to get more information about salaries by state, city, gender, etc. I think that this information should be very helpful to those who want to know how much they can expect to make in their region of the country.

Regards, Mary

So what is Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), which is also referred to as Acne Inversa? I’ve just given you a hint by the latter reference to the name of this condition.

The best information about this disease and its terrible effect on patients is available at HS-USA, a website dedicated to supporting Hidradenitis Suppurativa patients and ongoing medical research into this disease.

Patients have submitted images of affected areas of their bodies on this website; a picture is worth a thousand words, but these pictures may be hard to view by some. However, in the interest of increasing awareness and education about this disease, I urge all medical transcriptionists to read the information and take a look at the pictures.

Below is the link to the HS-USA website which not only has great content but some great medical terminology as well. Also an online support forum is available for those HS sufferers who wish to participate.

Perhaps you know of someone who may have this condition. If so, tell them about this website:

HS-USA: Hidradenitis Suppurativa Information

To your medical transcription success,

Mary

The Independent Medical Transcriptionist is an excellent book. I have met one of the authors and know that she and her co-author are exceptional certified medical transcriptionists who have been self-employed for many years. This is a must-have book, in my opinion, for those MTs who wish to work for themselves. When I purchased this book, it was a first edition copy. I am happy to see that it is now in its fourth edition. The authors are keen on keeping the information up to date as changes occur in this field.

The second book that I recommend, The AAMT Book of Style for Medical Transcription, is written by Clauda J. Tessier, CMT, who is as well known in the medical transcription field as Meryl Streep is in the acting field. This is a great standard to have; mine is so earmarked that I need to get a new copy!

I also recommend having a Dorland’s dictionary. I know there are other medical dictionaries out there, but the Dorland’s is the best, in my humble opinion.

Be sure to check out my recommendations from time to time; I’ll be adding new ones which I view as being the cream of the crop!

If you find any gems that you want to recommend, please let me know. Knowledge is a powerful thing, but sharing it makes us all powerhouses!

Regards, Mary

Medical transcription job opportunities are hard to find but not impossible. Experienced medical transcriptionists are very busy and have no time to train entry-level personnel on how to use the various transcription equipment or software programs. There was a time when new MTs were trained by seasoned MTs, but since the advancement of technology that allows people to learn via an online medical transcription school, people are basically on their own.

A variety of medical transcription resources are available to individuals who desire medical transcription jobs. Contact medical transcription agencies in your area. See what medical transcription job openings are available. If you have received training via an online medical transcription school, check to see if job placement is offered.

Medical transcription message boards and medical transcription forums are sources of invaluable information and education. See if someone on a message board or forum will give you advice or perhaps even knows someone in your area and will put you in contact with that person.

Some companies may have part-time medical transcription job opportunities or combine MT duties with regular word processing and/or medical billing. Consider working for a company that offers work that is closely related to medical transcription.

This is called an information interview, not a job interview. When you take a fellow medical transcriptionist to lunch, you will ask him/her about his/her career.

Questions to ask: How did you get started? How did you get your education? Who was most instrumental in your career? Ask, ask, ask questions not about how you can get into the field but about how your MT colleague got his/her start. What a wonderful way to establish rapport with someone and have a great time while dining! You are not asking for anything for yourself at this meeting, just establishing rapport, setting yourself apart from others (name recognition), and showing that you are serious about the profession.

Also, if your MT colleague has been in the field for quite some time (10 or more years), be sure to ask what type of equipment he/she initially used. You will be amazed at the changes in technology. You will probably also look at the person in awe, thinking that you could never have done it with that (archaic) equipment! I remember some veteran MTs telling me about typing dictation using a typewriter with carbon paper…and the dictation was recorded on wax cylinders. OMG!

So some time in the near future, when you are feeling blue and discouraged, disheartened, possibly disillusioned because you lack confidence and experience to gain that so badly needed confidence, take heart. There is a seasoned MT just willing to spill the beans to you and help you out.

Ok…..I’ll have the veggie platter with rice, and a side salad……

Medical-legal transcription is a great specialty and there will always be a demand for this type of work as long as people keep getting injured, both on and off the job. So keep this in mind and happy job hunting!

Dystonia is a term used to describe involuntary muscle movements and sustained contractures. Abnormal muscle tone is present. Twisting, jerking movements and/or repetitive body movements are classic signs of dystonia. Abnormal posture and tremors may accompany dystonia.

The cause of dystonia is not clear. When this symptomatology occurs without any known cause, it is called idiopathic dystonia.

Other known causes of dystonia are medication, head injury, brain damage, stroke, and neurological conditions (Wilson’s disease and multiple sclerosis).

Dystonia can affect children and adults alike; thus, dystonia can be classified as early-onset dystonia versus late-onset dystonia.

Types:

1) Focal dystonia

2) Segmental dystonia

3) Multi-focal dystonia

4) Hemi-dystonia

5) Generalized dystonia

There was an interesting medical show I saw on Discovery Health (Season 3, Episode 308) which showcased a couple who have twin children who developed symptoms of dystonia at very early ages; both children were diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 20 months of age. One of the twins, a daughter, was more severely affected than her twin brother.

Years passed, and the symtpoms progressively got worse. It was horrible to see how devastating the illness was on the children as their parents watched in quiet despair. Then one day their mother came across an old article about cerebral palsy which talked about a particular form of dystonia called Segawa’s dystonia.

The distinctive and telling symptom of Segawa’s dystonia is that the patient functions better in the mornings (referred to as dystonia with diurnal variability or fluctuation) and then gets worse as the day progresses.

Segawa’s dystonia responds to medication and falls into a classification called Dopa-Responsive Dystonia (DRD). Fortunately for the aforementioned children, they received Sinemet (Carbidopa-Levodopa) with amazingly quick results.

This is an amazing story about twins Noah and Alexis Beery. There is a video you’ll want to see which shows the dramatic before-and-after changes once they received treatment with Sinemet:

mms://thebeerys.com/media/godsmiracle1.wmv

Be sure to add the drug Sinemet (Carbidopa-Levodopa) to your drug book and Segawa’s dystonia to your list of medical terms.

Here’s the link to the Discovery Health website:
Segawa’s dystonia (Season 3, Episode 308)

I am writing to let you know that I am adding a new category to this blog called “Diseases.” I’ll be posting to it from time to time, adding information that you can readily access while visiting this site. I won’t be focusing on high-profile diseases but on the ones that are rare and somewhat hard to diagnose.

That’s it for now….

Mary Ruff-King

The job outlook is very good for medical transcription and will continue to be so due to our aging population, commonly referred to as the graying of America.

With regard to starting salaries, a realistic income for a medical transcriptionist right out of school may range from $25,000 to $30,000, depending on the area of the country and other prior skills that the candidate possesses. For instance, a person who is a good word processor, has excellent command of English and grammar, has a fast and accurate typing speed, and who learns computer software programs quickly might be able to command a salary closer to $30,000 when first starting out as a medical transcriptionist.

A medical transcriptionist who has been in the field for 5-10 years and who has established him/herself will make the kind of money (and more) specified in the Internet ads, but a medical transcriptionist who is seeking an entry-level position directly from school will not. Period. End of story.

Don’t buy into that Internet hype; certainly, don’t let that hype stop you from pursuing this career if you are passionate about it and committed to it. It is a wonderful field that I dearly love and hope you will too once you become engaged in learning and mastering it.

To infer that medical transcriptionists simply transcribe medical reports is akin to saying that doctors simply dole out medication to sick people. It trivializes our field, our profession, and livelihood. It says we have little to do with quality of patient care.

In fact, because medical transcription work is done behind the scenes, few people recognize its value and our contribution to it. We rarely get the accolades we truly deserve because the dictator knows that we will clean up his/her work and that the report will reflect what he/she meant to dictate as opposed to what was really dictated. The grammar, punctuation, sentence structure format, etc., doesn’t concern the doctor. It does concern us because it is our responsibility to ensure the best and proper communication so the patient can receive the best and proper medical care.

With regard to medical terminnology, there are many terms (and medications) that sound alike and unless a medical transcriptionist gives a darn, is tuned in, and is paying attention, these terms may escape him/her.

An absurdly simple example: ‘a fusion’ vs. ‘effusion.’ When I am typing, I have to ask myself, ‘Am I typing an x-ray of the spine, or is this a physical examination of a body part, such as a knee, for instance? This is the critical-thinking element of medical transcription. And when we pay attention to what we’re transcribing and use our powers or deduction, it’s simple. For a medical language specialist, that is.

Doctors are notorious for flipping x-rays around while dictating which can jar your ears. Also, a sudden ringing of the telephone or even the flushing of a toilet(!) can cause you to suddenly yank off that headset. I think most medical transcriptionsts agree that we have all suffered from aural fatigue at one time or another by having to transcribe dictation accompanied by noisy backgrounds and various sounds, as referenced here.

Medical transcriptionists can protect their ears to some degree by placing the earbuds of the headset over the tragus (plural form: tragi) of each ear and turning up the volume, if required. When working in an office environment, this is the best solution to this problem.

Those medical transcriptionists who work at home have the luxury of not wearing headsets at all and can turn up the volume without fear of disrupting anyone else, save their family and/or pets.

Report the noisy dictation to your supervisor and play the tape/digital recording for him/her. The doctor can be apprised of it too, either directly by you or by your supervisor (depending upon your situation). Sometimes that will help, at least for awhile.

Also, I have gone one step further and purchased a custom set of earplugs that I wear when I am in a movie theater or a noisy place, such as a mall. I was able to obtain these at a local gun show, and they have served me very well in my effort to protect my hearing when I am not transcribing.

For instance, if someone says, “Did you lie,” very quickly, it can sound like “July.”

So bear in mind that sometimes, when you can’t understand what is being said, it may be an English word or phrase, not a medical term or phrase.

Tips:

• Slow down the tape speed and play the dictation over a few times. In what context is the mystery word(s) being used? Then increase the tape speed to see if that helps.

• Leave a blank, document the tape or digital player setting, and come back to it with fresh ears after transcribing something else.

• Call a transcription friend and play it over the phone; see if s/he can understand what is being said.

• If all else fails, leave a blank; don’t guess.

This post should knock your socks off; if it doesn’t, I don’t know what will.

I am going to show you how to find the names, addresses, contact information, number of employees, and yearly income of any type of medical company—whether it be a hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, etc.—that you want.

Sounds like a tall order, doesn’t it. But it’s a cinch with the Internet. You don’t have to leave home, and it won’t cost you a dime, either.

First, I need to introduce SIC Codes, which you will come to see as a very beautiful thing. I kid you not. SIC is an acronym meaning Standard Industrial Classification. SIC codes are used to classify business types. The specific SIC codes we are interested in belong in the Health Services category.

I am going to give specific instructions to do this, so at this time, please open a new window so you can access the following website: www.selectory.com.

Once you have accessed the aforementioned website in a new window, sign up for the 7-day free trial. After signing up, you will receive an e-mail with an activation link; click on that link.

Now log into your account at www.selectory.com. Enter your username and password to access the site. Click on the ‘Continue’ button.

If successful, you should see the Selectory page that says: Welcome to Your Selectory Online Free 7-Day Trial. To the right of that, you will see a yellow box that says, ‘Pick Your Geography.’ To the left of that you will see a list of radio buttons followed by specific regions. Since I live in California, I clicked on the radio button corresponding to the “Pacific – All Businesses (CA, OR, WA)” region.

So now it’s your turn; click the radio button corresponding to the region you wish to search; then click on the ‘Submit’ button.

Now a Selectory page entitled ‘Build A Search’ appears, with a yellow box to the right that says ‘Pick Criteria.’ Scroll down the entire page and have a good look at it. Notice the information section, ‘Current Search Criteria,’ below the aforementioned yellow box.

Now look in the middle of this page. There is a section called ‘Industry Criteria.’ The first link under that section header is ‘SIC Code.’ Click on the SIC Code link now.

Now on the left of the page you will see a section called ‘Browse a Tree Structure of SIC Code(s) by Clicking on a Category.’

There is a subsection called ‘Services (70-89)’ with a check box and a plus sign next to it. Click on the plus sign; DO NOT click the check box. You’ll notice that the tree structure of SIC codes expands to reveal even more SIC codes with check boxes and plus signs.

Look for the ‘8000: Health Services’ section. Click on the plus sign to the left of the check box. DO NOT click the check box.

Now we’re cooking! Now you see a list of all the SIC codes with corresponding industries, such as Offices and Clinics of Doctors of Medicine, Office and Clinics of Dentists, Offices and Clinics of Doctors of Osteopathy, etc.

Now click on the plus sign to the left of the check box corresponding to the 8011 SIC code to expand that. Whoa! Now we can see there are SIC codes corresponding to Offices and Clinics of Medical Doctors, Internal Medicine Practitioners, Cardiologist and Cardiovascular Specialists, etc. In short, information about each specialty is now within our grasp.

Now for an example of how to use this: Let’s say that I am looking for all the orthopedists near my home. I scroll down the list and I find the entry ‘80110514: Orthopedic Physicians.’ Note the SIC code. DO NOT click the check box.

Now scroll back up to the top of the page. Under the Search Designer tab, you will see a link that says ‘Back to Criteria List.’ Click on that link.

Again, in the same area of the page (Under the Search Designer tab), there are two radio buttons, one for a basic search, and one for an advanced search. Click on the Basic Search radio button.

We’re getting there….not much longer, and the fruits of our efforts will pay off.

Scroll down and enter the city and state for which you want to search (e.g., Orange, CA).

Scroll down and enter the zip code and radius of search. (I entered 92869 as the zip and a 5-mile radius in my search.)

Scroll down and enter the eight-digit SIC code (in this example, I chose 80110514).

If you want to find a large company, you can indicate the number of employees (greater than or equal to) that you want the company to have; the same goes for the amount of sales the company has made in the past year. (In my search, I chose greater than three employees and did not provide any sales criteria.)

Now click the ‘Run Search’ button. If you have followed this particular example, you will see a list of 12 orthopedists.

Now we’re on the ‘Get Results’ page. Click on the hyperlink of each entry to see the information about each office. Eureka! You’ve just hit pay dirt!

Now, you can get all the information you need to contact this office. In addition to the name, address and phone number, you have the all-important contact information: the names of the doctors who work there, as well as the office manager’s name. Also, you can see how long this entity has been in existence and how many employees work there.

Now use the back arrow to return to the ‘Get Results’ page (where all 12 entries are listed). Scroll to the top of the page and look in the upper right corner.

Find the ‘Download Records’ section. Notice that the radio button corresponding to ‘All Records’ is filled. Underneath that is the ‘Build Files’ button. If you press that button, you can generate a report, in PDF format, of the information you just generated; and that report is a beautiful thing! There is a Table of Contents for each entry included in the report, followed by the data you requested. Since the information is copyrighted, I cannot produce it here, but go ahead and generate a report just for the practice.

Please note that since Selectory offers a 7-day trial period, you can only generate a report with a maximum of 30 records. I don’t know what the fee is for this service (I do not get anything for promoting this; I simply use it as a tool). However, now that you know how to use it, there is no reason why you cannot get all the information you need during your 7-day free trial.

So did this information knock your socks off, or what?!

8000: HEALTH SERVICES

8011: Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine

80110000: Offices and clinics of medical doctors

80110100: Internal medicine practitioners

80110101: Cardiologist and cardio-vascular specialist

80110102: Endocrinologist

80110103: Gastronomist

80110104: Hematologist

80110105: Internal medicine, physician/surgeon

80110106: Nephrologist

80110107: Neurologist

80110108: Oncologist

80110109: Pulmonary specialist, physician/surgeon

80110110: Neurosurgeon

80110200: Medical centers

80110201: Ambulatory surgical center

80110202: Clinic, operated by physicians

80110203: Dispensary, operated by physicians

80110204: Freestanding emergency medical center

80110205: Primary care medical clinic

80110300: Medical insurance associations

80110301: Group health association

80110302: Health maintenance organization

80110303: Medical insurance plan

80110400: Psychiatrists and psychoanalysts

80110401: Psychiatric clinic

80110402: Psychiatrist

80110403: Psychoanalyst

80110500: Specialized medical practitioners, except internal

80110501: Allergist

80110502: Anesthesiologist

80110503: Dermatologist

80110504: Diabetes specialist, physician/surgeon

80110505: Ears, nose, and throat specialist: physician/surgeon

80110506: Eyes, ears, nose, and throat specialist: physician/surgeon

80110507: Geriatric specialist, physician/surgeon

80110508: Gynecologist

80110509: Immunologist

80110510: Infectious disease specialist, physician/surgeon

80110511: Obstetrician

80110512: Oculist

80110513: Opthalmologist

80110514: Orthopedic physician

80110515: Pathologist

80110516: Pediatrician

80110517: Plastic surgeon

80110518: Proctologist

80110519: Radiologist

80110520: Rheumatology specialist, physician/surgeon

80110521: Sports medicine specialist, physician

80110522: Thoracic physician

80110523: Urologist

80110524: Fertility specialist, physician

80119900: Offices and clinics of medical doctors, nec

80119901: General and family practice, physician/surgeon

80119902: Occupational and industrial specialist, physician/surgeon

80119903: Physical medicine, physician/surgeon

80119904: Physicians’ office, including specialists

80119905: Surgeon

8021: Offices & Clinics Of Dentists

8031: Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Osteopathy

8041: Offices & Clinics Of Chiropractors

8042: Offices & Clinics Of Optometrists

8043: Offices & Clinics Of Podiatrists

8049: Offices & Clinics Of Health Practitioners, NEC

8051: Skilled Nursing Facilities

8052: Intermediate Care Facilities

8059: Nursing & Personal Care Facilities, NEC

8062: General Medical & Surgical Hospitals

8063: Psychiatric Hospitals

8069: Specialty Hospitals, Except Psychiatric

8071: Medical Laboratories

8072: Dental Laboratories

8082: Home Health Care Services

8092: Kidney Dialysis Centers

8093: Specialty Outpatient Facilities, NEC

8099: Health & Allied Services, NEC

I live in Orange County, California, and in the 1990s, this county went bankrupt. Does anyone remember that? It was in all the news. What a shocker that was!

When that happened, I reflected on that for awhile. That meant a lot of people were laid off. Hmmm.

At the time this occurred, I was working at UCI Medical Center, Irvine, Radiation Oncology, as the sole medical transcriptionist for that department.

After ruminating on the O.C. bankruptcy situation awhile, I called the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office to see if I could help out by doing some volunteer work. What I found out was amazing. This office was down to one full-time transcriptionist. I believe they had four prior to the bankruptcy. At the time when I spoke to the supervisor, there was a nine-month backlog of autopsy reports. NINE MONTHS! I hit it off real well with the supervisor and asked if I could come down and talk to her about helping out. Her response was great. She not only said I could come down but that I would be greeted with a great big hug when I got there!

I went down and met with Sandy, the supervisor, and talked to her. I was given a tour of the facility and met with the sole transcriptionist whose name was Portia. I was welcomed with open arms.

Since I was working a full-time job, I came in on Satudays and helped out. At first it was difficult; I had to learn a new entry system, doctor’s voices, pathology terminology, etc. However, with Portia’s help, I soon learned the ropes and gained great experience. In addition, I learned a plethora of wonderful pathology terms. I also witnessed a couple of autopsies and went on a ride-along with a Deputy Coroner. The experience was absolutely great. All upside, and no downside.

By volunteering, I gained name recognition and expanded my knowledge by learning pathology terminology. I also expanded my circle of influence–people who might know of other job openings for which I might qualify and in which I might be interested.

Also, I want to add that Portia, the remaining transcriptionist, was nearing retirement. By volunteering, I also positioned myself to be a logical candidate if a position became available.

At the beginning of the following calendar year, I was laid off from UCI Medical Center, Radiation Oncology. It was the only time in my career that I’ve been laid off, but it was devastating to me nonetheless. I was going to devote more time doing volunteer work at the Coroner’s Office; however, events in my life took a different turn.

One month after being laid off, my mother (who lived in San Diego) became ill, and I became her caregiver until she died. I then got a job as a medical transcriptionist at a company where I had previously interviewed when I was a newbie MT. After working there for about nine months, my husband died; and those same people at the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, were there to provide the support (professional and emotional) that I needed. How ironic, huh?

I did not return to my volunteer work at the Coroner’s Office; I needed to stay away from the reminder of death. However, I’m sure that if I had been able to do so I would have been offered a job.

I not only loved doing this volunteer work; I loved how I felt when doing it. It’s a great feeling to give of oneself without any expectation. And when starting out in medical transcription (or any field, for that matter), giving before getting is the way to go.

1) Resume

2) Letters of Recommendation

3) Employee Evaluations

4) Samples of Work

5) List of Accomplishments at Each Job

6) Course Completion Certificates

7) Outside Activities

Resumes:

I discussed resumes in an earlier post, so please refer to that section. Have several copies of your current resume in the notebook. This comes in handy at the interview in case more than one person is interviewing you, or if your resume has been lost or misplaced.

Letters of Recommendation:

Each time you leave a job, you should get a letter of recommendation. This establishes your value to each past employer. These carry a lot of weight in my opinion. Not all prospective employers want to see them, but have them available nonetheless. I am more than happy to give them to a prospective employer so copies can be made.

Employee Evaluations:

Once again, these establish your value to past employers and your current employer. Having copies of evaluations, as well as letters of recommendation, show that you are being transparent. You have nothing to hide because you are a good catch as an employee. You want to make it easy for someone to realize your value and how much you can contribute to the company.

Samples of Work:

In all cases, when including sample reports of your work (medical reports), the names of patients must be deleted. I sanitize the reports, changing the name to John Doe or Jane Doe. I also change the name of the employer to ABC Company.

I have had so much fun on interviews simply because I brought samples of my work. I used to transcribe for an orthopedic surgeon who dictated convoluted sentences. In fact, prior to being hired as his medical transcriptionist, I was told the company was specifically looking for someone who could compose his dictation which would otherwise get him “laughed out of court.” This job was right up my alley, and I took full advantage of the situation.

In my credibility kit, I typed the doctor’s dictation verbatim, and then typed it as I composed it underneath so future prospects could see how well I could edit without changing the content and meaning of the dictation.

For example, the doctor once dictated: “In the incident of August 2, 1999, in which the patient struck his body with a forklift, he was thrown to the ground and found to be injured in the low back.

(Can you imagine a man taking a forklift and striking his body with it? Bam! Bam! Bam!)

I typed: On August 2, 1999, the patient was struck by a forklift. Consequently, he was thrown to the ground and sustained a low back injury.

On interviews, I give a copy of this work to the interviewer in case any other medical transcriptionists want to see it (for a good laugh and to see the quality of my work). Again, remember I am establishing credibility with all the information I present. In essence, I am trying to get them to see that I am THE one they want.

I put one of each report type in my notebook. Since I have typed for several doctors, I have had to weed it out every few years. I include the most complicated and interesting reports. I have also reviewed medical records, so I include a medical records review report in my credibility kit. (If you don’t know what I mean by a medical records review report, I’ll talk about that in an upcoming post.)

List of Accomplishments at Each Job:

Employers like to see if employees will go above and beyond what is expected. I never fail to let them know that I am such a person by listing my business achievements and the benefit derived from them.

1) Created a WordPerfect 5.1 macro menu-driven sytem which is used to take patient histories in a medical office, thereby increasing the efficiency of the process and quality of the work.

2) Designed a Q&A database which was used for marketing purposes and to generate more goodwill.

3) Expedited daily operations for both historians and transcriptionists by creating 100+ WordPerfect macros.

4) Trained historians and medical transcriptionists in the use of WordPerfect functions and the creation of WordPerfect macros.

5) Organized and standardized computer procedures. Implemented back-up and disaster recovery protocols.

Employers love to save money and time! I let them know that I can do precisely that for them.

Course Completion Certificates:

Self-explanatory.

Outside Activities:

I have indicated that I used to be a member of the OC-AAMT. In my credibility kit, I include a copy of the Membership Directory that I created for the OC-AAMT, a copy of the Q&A database that I created to keep track of those who did pay their annual dues, and that I held a board position (Corresponding Secretary) in the 1990s.

First off, let me explain that I viewed myself as a product and that I had to present myself as an invaluable asset to the person(s) who would be instrumental in helping me get a job in the medical transcription field. This is why self-assessment is so important.

Develop a credibility kit

I initially developed a credibility kit. So what is a credibility kit? It is a notebook that contains samples of your work. Even if you have never had a transcription job, you can put clean copies of your accurate assignments in a notebook, thus demonstrating the types and quality of reports that you have transcribed in class. Believe me, this will set you above your competition. Most people do not think to do this.

Visit and join a local chapter of the AAMT Immediately.

I live in Orange County, California, so I visited my local chapter of the AAMT (OC-AAMT) while still a student. I was enthusiastic, professional in demeanor and appearance, and really pumped up to meet others who were working in such a great field. I joined as a member, and introduced myself over and over again to other members. I attended meetings on a monthly basis. I wasn’t shy; I was willing to dive right in and get to know people and make them aware of me.

Volunteer to do activities within the local chapter of the AAMT.

I understand that most people are very busy and volunteering is usually the last thing on people’s minds, but this is an absolutely great way to get name recognition when trying to break into a field. So that’s exactly what I did. I volunteered to word process the member directory, I created a database to track the members who had paid dues, and eventually I ran for office and became Corresponding Secretary. As I became more involved, more and more people took notice of me, and I was offered work. In fact, I owe at least three job opportunities to networking with the people in my local chapter of the AAMT.

Medical transcriptionists have many contacts and know other MTs who are looking for help. They also know what companies may be hiring and what jobs may be available in the future. So take advantage of networking with these fine people, and this will help your career take off in short order.

The Technical Aspect:

A medical transcriptionist has to have a solid foundation in the operation of a computer, word processor, and transcription machine and any software that relates to assistance in transcribing reports. For example, mastering the use of word processor macros and other software programs that allow the medical transcriptionist to expand words or phrases is essential to saving time, ensuring accuracy, and increasing productivity. Typing speed should be at least 50 w.p.m. and will certainly increase with practice and dedication.

The Medical Aspect:

General knowledge of medical terminology is required. Roughly 2,500 medical terms covering each system in the human body need to be memorized initially. When a medical transcriptionist lands a job or gets a contract in a specialty field such as orthopedics, urology, psychology, etc., the medical transcriptionist is then required to learn the specific terminology relating to that field. The learning curve is ongoing in this field, which is why some people love it so much.

A good medical transcriptionist is familiar with all of the terminology derived from Latin that is used in medicine, as well as laboratory values, diagnostic tests, anatomy and physiology, and human diseases.

The Communication Aspect:

Good medical transcriptionists have a sound command of the English language, proper grammar, syntax, and punctuation. One of the best ways to gain this skill is to read news magazines (such as Time, Newsweek) and be consciously aware of the writer’s style. Do an autopsy of the articles to see how skillfully the writer makes his/her points in each paragraph and how the paragraphs contribute to the articles as a whole.

Medical transcriptionists also have to be adept at creating medical reports that serve the doctor and the patient. Doctors are so busy, rushed, and tired that seldom do they dictate a perfect report. Remember, their primary interest is seeing and treating patients, not dictating reports. Consequently, doctors do rely on the medical transcriptionist to flag areas of the report when dictation errors are made.

A medical transcriptionist worth his/her grain of salt will be on the lookout for a body part changing from the right side to the left side and back to the right side again during the physical examination and will double check to make sure the correct side of the body is indicated in the diagnosis as well. If there is ever a question about what has been dictated, a note can be written to the doctor pointing out the discrepancy. (When in doubt, write it out.) Most of the time, however, if the discrepancy is obvious, the medical transcriptionist can make the change to the medical report in good conscience. When communicating with the doctor, either in written or oral form, remember to be clear, concise, and to the point.

A patient is best served when an accurate, clearly written, and clean medical report is generated by a medical transcriptionist because the best possible diagnosis and care can then be made, which is after all predicated upon what information has been included in the transcribed medical report.

Prior to considering a career in medical transcription, assess your personality and traits. When performing this self-assessment, answer the following questions:

Personality:

Are you easily frustrated; do you give up easily when you can’t find an easy answer?

Do you have the desire to find the right answer, no matter now much time it may take?

Are you a person who works better unsupervised or do you need to be told what to do?

Are you disciplined and motivated to work even though no one is there to oversee your work?

You may be wondering why these are important questions. Here are the reasons:

• When transcribing, you may not always be able to tell what the doctor is saying; it can and will be frustrating. You may have to refer to several medical books or even call someone to get the right word. The desire to find the right word is a very important quality for a medical transcriptionist. I liken it to being Sherlock Holmes on the hunt for the correct medical word or term.

• With regard to working, whether in house or as an outside medical contractor, my motto has always been this: The greatest mistake anyone can make is to think s/he works for somebody else. Even though you have a job and are receiving a regular paycheck, you should consider yourself self-employed. I cannot emphasize this enough! Your job could go away tomorrow. This type of entrepreneurial spirit/attitude is essential to your success as a medical transcriptionist, even if you work in house. It is absolutely a requirement if you work on your own at home as an outside contractor.

Traits:

• Pride: Good medical transcriptionists take pride in their work. They provide the best product–an accurate report–that will allow the patient to get the best possible medical treatment.

• Curiosity: Being curious is a positive trait for those who transcribe medical reports. When a doctor mumbles something, curiosity is often the saving grace that allows one to find the right word, phrase, lab value, etc., to complete the report.

• Dedication: Daily commitment to being the best one can be–even though no one is there to see it–is its own reward.

• Anal-Retentive: Yes, you read it right! The best medical transcriptionists I have ever met are anal-retentive (I’m afraid I have to include myself in that group.). We are fanatics about format, spelling, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, etc., ad nauseum.