Medical Office Assistant Or Medical Transcription: Which Is Right
For You?Before choosing any career path,the first thing you must do
is determine which path is right for you.Sometimes,though,two careers
may be similar enough that it can be difficult to sort out their pros
and cons.This is true of medical office assisting and medical transcription.
Both of these careers have a lot to offer,both require a similar level
of training and experience but which is right for you?Medical Office
Assistance A Medical Office Assistant works in a hospital or physician’s
office in a secretarial or administrative assistance capacity.Working
with physicians and health care providers is a demanding and detail-oriented
position--in order to successfully work as a Medical Office Assistant,
You must have good communications skills,some experience as an Administrative
Assistant or Secretary,and the proper training.Training:In addition
to applying the usual office-related tasks to the health care field,some
of the more complicated things a Medical Office Assistant must undertake
are medical billing, completing clinical procedures,and applying medical
terminology.Most Medical Office Assistants take certificate programs,either
online or at a community college or university.Pay and Work Conditions:
Medical Office Assistants generally make from $20,000 to $30,000 per
year,depending on location.
This salary is in addition to regular
health and vacation benefits provided by the employer. Medical Office
Assistants generally work from a physician’s office or hospital,and
have very few opportunities to telecommute.Medical Transcription
The job of a Medical Transcriptionist is to listen to recordings
dictated by health care professionals, transcribing them into reports,correspondence,etc.They
generally use set types of equipment,including digital/analog recorders,
headphones,and foot pedals (for pausing and playing recordings).A
quality Medical Transcriptionist does more than transcribe recordings--
he/she must be able to spot inconsistencies or mistakes in terminology
and correct them in written reports.This is of key importance, as
accuracy of reporting can affect patient care.
Training and Requirements: As Medical Transcription is in-depth,
detailed work,most employers will only hire Transcriptionists who
have completed an appropriate training certificate program. Though
it’s not always required, the completion of an Associates Degree
is recommended. This work also requires good English language skills,
including an in-depth knowledge of grammar and punctuation. Pay
and Work Conditions: Though the earnings of a Medical Transcriptionist
vary widely according to experience and industry, the median salary
for a Medical Transcriptionist is $34,400 yearly. Though Medical
Transcription is generally done from a hospital, medical library,
etc., many Medical Transcriptionists (about a third) telecommute,
receiving dictation via the internet and working from home. Click
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