There are many career opportunities where new employees are needed. However, not all
of those job opportunities work out for the long term. Job stability is part of an appealing future in any job and one that is synonymous with being a medical transcriptionist. There are other benefits that come with choosing a future as a medical transcriptionist. Competitive pay, flexible hours and working independently are all part of the life of a professional medical transcriptionist.
Medical Transcriptionist Career Overview
The job of an Arizona medical transcriptionist is not as simple as it may seem. The act of transcribing dictation recorded by health care professionals involves the use of numerous skills. The end result is a professional document that provides an integral service to the health care industry. Some of those documents are comprised of emergency room reports, medical histories, pathology reports, diagnostic lab results and more.
There is a need for medical transcriptionists to comprehend what is being said on the audio recordings made by health care professionals. For that reason, Arizona medical transcriptionists are schooled in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and health care documentation. Those skills are used in conjunction with advanced keyboarding techniques to produce accurate documents and reports. Grammar skills are also used along with an eye for detail which ensures consistency and clarity.
Medical transcriptionists may also be asked to perform clerical work, update medical records, record vital health information and even oversee the processing of medical billing information.
There is also equipment specific to this job task, which could include dictation machines and desktop transcribers. Arizona medical transcriptionists are fluent with the functionality of all these tools while also being computer proficient.
The characteristics of an Arizona medical transcriptionist include active listening as there is a continual need for 100% accuracy. There is also a need for strong reading comprehension skills and editing documents is just as important as the keyboarding part of the process.
Arizona medical transcriptionists are experts in time management, which applies to meeting deadlines and being able to work independently. All of those qualities have enabled Arizona medical transcriptionists to find work in hospitals, medical offices, insurance agencies and many other businesses that specialize in some form of health
Medical Transcription Training and Education Requirements in Arizona
The educational requirements to become an Arizona medical transcriptionist begin with a minimum age of 18. Other requirements include passing a criminal background screening and mandatory drug test. Candidates must also have earned a high school diploma or GED equivalency. A familiarity with MS Word and Excel are also recommended in addition to possessing some basic keyboarding skills.
Job Prospects and Potential Pay
The average salary for an Arizona medical transcriptionist is $37,990 annually. Those who gain valuable field experience or work for an upper echelon company could earn a salary upwards of $50,000 on a yearly basis in Arizona. A career as a medical transcriptionist in Arizona is one that has opened up a wealth of job opportunities with an expected 15% increase expected over the next 10 years.
Meeting License Requirements
State licensing requirements for medical transcriptionists in Arizona have not been established. There has also been no discussion regarding the installation of any type of state license for medical transcriptionists in Arizona. Certifications do not classify as a license, which means that medical transcriptionists do not need to worry about dealing with the state medical board when starting out in this line of work.
Medical Transcriptionist Certification Requirements in Arizona
Medical transcriptionist certifications are offered throughout the state of Arizona, upon the completion of an accredited program. These certifications are not just examinations, but more of a diploma that represents an individual has completed the proper coursework in a medical transcription program. The length of the program usually falls between nine months and a year. Programs are offered at various types of post-secondary schools, including technical institutes, vocational schools and some community colleges.
Another route towards earning an acceptable form of certification is to enroll in a college or university and earn an Associate’s Degree that focuses on medical transcription. An Associate’s Degree or certification from an accredited post-secondary school will meet the job qualifications set forth by most companies looking to hire new Arizona medical transcriptionists.
One way for medical transcriptionists to enhance their credentials is to earn a certification from the AHDI (Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity). The AHDI issues two different certifications, one of which requires actual experience working in this field.
Certifications are a means of proving that a medical transcriptionist has accumulated the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their job detail in the state of Arizona. Certified medical transcriptionists in Arizona are usually hired over non-certified job applicants.
Resources
Arizona Medical Transcriptionist Salaries
See how much medical transcriptionists make on a yearly basis while working in the state of Arizona.
Medical Transcriptionist Jobs in Phoenix, Arizona
Browse through many online listings for medical transcriptionist job openings throughout the city of Phoenix..
Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association
This website provides numerous resources, which include statewide events and workshops in the health care industry.
The Hertel Report brings together numerous health care related stories throughout the state of Arizona.
Arizona Medical Transcriptionist Jobs
Look through all of these listings for medical transcriptionist jobs in Arizona.