Choosing the right career can make all the difference in the world. That’s why it is 
important to choose a career that is on the rise, one with plenty of room for growth. Choosing a career as a medical transcriptionist can pave the way to a future of job stability and competitive pay. Medical transcriptionists also have the option of choosing from a long line of work settings and the freedom to work independently.
Medical Transcriptionist Overview
A medical transcriptionist in Arkansas understands all the different levels that come with the job. The main task of a medical transcriptionist is to create documents and reports from audio recordings that were dictated by doctors and other health care professionals. However, there are different levels that go into the creation of one of these professional documents.
One of the most essential levels involves the use of advanced keyboarding skills. Keyboarding skills work simultaneously with active listening skills. There is a pressing need to document everything that was said on these audio recordings. Listening and keyboarding skills are both important, but they could not be achieved without a high level of understanding of medical terminology.
Arkansas medical transcriptionists develop a mastery of medical terminology through the completion of coursework that focuses on basic anatomy and physiology, medical procedures, information about pertinent medicines, and medical jargon and abbreviations used by health care professionals.
There is an equally high level of reading comprehension as Arkansas medical transcriptionists are responsible for editing and reviewing documents to ensure 100% accuracy. Proper grammar, context, and consistency are all double and triple checked. A proper knowledge of health care documentation is one more level that goes into an Arkansas medical transcriptionist’s skill set.
All of those different levels complement the characteristics of a professional medical transcriptionist in Arkansas. These professionals are reliable, dependable and practice their work with a meticulous attention to detail. Working independently is also a major part of the job as Arkansas medical transcriptionists are capable of meeting deadlines without the need for direct supervision.
Medical Transcription Certification Requirements
Across the state of Arkansas, there is not one single medical transcriptionist certification that has been deemed absolutely necessary for employment. The state does not issue certifications, which means medical transcriptionists need to seek out a certification from an accredited post-secondary school. This is not mandated, although most health care facilities and transcription services will only hire employees who have earned a medical transcriptionist certification.
These certifications are earned by completing a one-year program that has been designed to supply students will all the necessary skills used by medical transcriptionists in Arkansas. One-year programs are offered by accredited vocational schools and technical institutes while community colleges also offer these programs.
Two-year programs are offered by colleges and universities and result in an Associate’s Degree. This degree features core classes and other courses that specialize in medical transcription. An Associate’s Degree in medical transcriptions is considered the same kind of credential as a certification.
Furthering one’s credentials as an Arkansas medical transcriptionist can be done with a nationally-recognized certification from the AHDI (Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity), which is a form of ongoing education. This is not needed to gain employment in Arkansas, although a certification from an accredited post-secondary school or an Associate’s Degree is strongly recommended.
Arkansas State License Requirements
Arkansas has not established any licensing process for medical transcriptionists. That means that there will be no state-issued exam enforced by the Arkansas Medical Board nor will there be any application process. Health Care facilities in Arkansas will not ask to see any kind of license, although most will require some kind of certification from their medical transcriptionists.
Medical Transcription Training and Education Requirments
Arkansas requires that medical transcriptionists be a minimum of 18 years of age to begin their education in this field. A high school diploma or GED equivalency is also required. Drug tests and criminal background checks are conducted on those looking to pursue a career as a medical transcriptionist in Arkansas. It is useful if applicants hold some kind of basic keyboarding skills and a general knowledge of MS Word and Excel.
Medical Transcription Job Prospects and Potential Pay in Arkansas
The average annual salary for a medical transcriptionist in Arkansas is $29,920 annually. However, there are yearly salaries that reach upwards of $40,000 for advanced medical transcriptionists. Job prospects for medical transcriptionists in Arkansas continue to expand as there is an ongoing need that is expected to continue well into the future.
Resources
Arkansas Medical Transcriptionist Job Listings
Check out the job openings for medical transcriptionists throughout the state of Arkansas on this website.
Arkansas Community Health Worker Association
Find out more about this association that is continually involved with a lot of health care-related events throughout Arkansas.
This division of alternative opportunities provides some unique information, along with programs, workshops and much more.
Look through all of the hospitals in the state of Arkansas and find out more about each one by clicking on direct links.
A host of resources relating to the Arkansas health care industry can be found on this website.