It is never too late for a new career choice as there are many jobs in the medical field that
are in constant demand. Medical transcriptionists can take advantage of a growing health care industry in which their services are always needed. There is a wide range of workplaces in addition to a tremendous amount of benefits that come with the distinction of becoming a professional medical transcriptionist.
Overview of a Medical Transcriptionist Oklahoma
A medical transcriptionist in Oklahoma is able to accurately transcribe audio recordings made by health care professionals and convert them into a professional document. This dictation is often done with the use of transcribing machines and headsets. An Oklahoma medical transcriptionist also reviews and edits documents to ensure they are equipped with the proper clarity, grammar, spelling and consistency.
The kinds of audio recordings vary in subject matter and can include patient histories, discharge summaries, consultation notes, pathology reports and more. In the midst of the transcription process, there is also a need to recognize medical abbreviations, homonyms and medicines. This requires medical transcriptionists to possess a versatile knowledge base that includes sentence structure and composition rules. There is also the need to have a firm grasp of medical terminology and a general understanding of basic anatomy and physiology.
Computer skills are also a part of a medical transcriptionist’s repertoire. Their keyboarding skills are highly advanced and that is complemented with excellent listening skills. All of those skills work together as medical transcriptionists in Oklahoma are multi-dimensional and capable of multi-tasking.
To complete all of the tasks required of a medical transcriptionist, there must be certain characteristics present. Reliability is a must when it comes to meeting deadlines while a close attention to detail is necessary to ensure 100% accuracy. Medical transcriptionists in Oklahoma are also very meticulous, with a keen eye for consistency.
Medical Transcription Certification Requirements
Oklahoma does not certify medical transcriptionists on a state level. However, there are various forms of certifications within the state. These certifications are issued by accredited post-secondary schools. Vocational schools throughout Oklahoma feature medical transcriptionist programs that usually take one year to complete. Upon that completion, a certification is issued and that qualifies applicants for a job as a medical transcriptionist in Oklahoma.
Colleges also offer medical transcriptionist training programs that conclude with the awarding of an Associate’s Degree. This also serves as an adequate form of certification when applying for a medical transcriptionist job in Oklahoma.
There are other certifications available regardless of state location and they are issued by the AHDI (Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity). Individuals who receive a certification can immediately apply to take an AHDI examination that would enable them to become a Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS). That certification is a prerequisite for becoming a Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS), which is also issued by the AHDI and requires two years of experience.
Holding a Medical Transcriptionist certification increases the chances of obtaining a job in the state of Oklahoma. Non-certified medical transcriptionists often lose out on jobs to individuals who have been certified from an accredited post-secondary school.
Medical Transcriptionist Licensing Requirements
There is no state-regulated license issued to medical transcriptionists in Oklahoma. This policy has been in place for many years and does not look to be changing anytime soon. When a medical transcriptionist is awarded a certification, there is no need to seek out any kind of further approval or license in Oklahoma. The state also assumes no responsibility in denying employment of medical transcriptionists due to their qualifications, certification or licensing.
Medical Transcription Training and Education Requirements in Oklahoma
Oklahoma requires new medical transcriptionists to be at least 18 years of age to start out their education and training. A high school diploma or GED equivalency is also required to pursue a career in this field. Criminal background checks and drug tests must both be passed at the outset of educational training. It helps to have basic keyboarding skills, although that is not mandatory in most medical transcriptionist programs.
Job Prospects and Potential Pay
The state average medical transcriptionist salary in Oklahoma is $33,500 per year. Higher-end paying medical transcriptionist jobs in Oklahoma exceed an average salary of $43,000. The job prospects and pay increase in more metropolitan areas, such as Oklahoma City. Job openings increased over the past year in Oklahoma and that is expected to continue into the future. The health care industry is also on an upward trend in terms of volume in the state of Oklahoma.
How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist Resources
Find out all about the health care service industry with a tour of this comprehensive website by INTEGRIS.
This listing of medical centers and hospitals in Oklahoma provide a vast amount of information about potential workplaces, which is helpful to medical transcriptionists.
Oklahoma Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
This website brings together a great deal of information about the entire health care system in the state of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Health Care Authority
Look for jobs, browse a calendar of events, or read news releases in this all-inclusive Oklahoma health care website.