subject: Tips For The Inexperienced Medical Transcriptionist [print this page] Medical transcription is not the easiest of fields to break into. There's the classic "two years of experience required" barrier that stops many applicants cold. How do you get past that?
Medical Transcription Education
Your best shot at getting past the entry barrier is a quality education as a medical transcriptionist. Without that, you're just another resume with nothing to recommend you or your skills. Few employers are interested in training medical transcriptionists; they want workers who are ready to work. That's why they want experience.
Your education shows that you know something about medical transcription. Go to a high quality school and get good grades, and you've shown you have some ability. That's a tool to help you skip past the experience requirements.
That won't work with all employers, but it's a help.
Pick a high quality, well recommended school. There are a lot of medical transcription programs out there, but many of them are really not worth the money. Do your research and make sure the money you spend on education won't be wasted.
You can try training yourself, but you're going to have to spend money on books and transcription practice. You might get a job this way, but it's a much tougher road, and you will probably be less productive than someone with better training.
Work for Less
If you are trained but simply lack experience, you can also try asking for a lower rate of pay to start. This won't work with all employers, but you just need someone to give you a chance. If you're working well you should be able to get a raise to a more reasonable rate.
If you aren't offered a raise, in time you'll have the experience to apply for other positions, and start earning more that way.
Are There Any Other Options?
If you really can't afford the education, my next recommendation would be to consider general transcription. You won't need the specialized medical terminology. It's still tough to get started without experience, but there are a few companies out there that may give you a chance.
There are few jobs that you can get into without any sort of experience, especially in the medical industry where accuracy and patient care matter so much. Hard work and the right education do much to get you past that experience barrier.
