Whether you are fresh out of school or a 15-year veteran in the industry, there are certain things you simply must know about a company before you just jump in and sign on the dotted line. I have found that, by and large, the transcription services are run by dedicated, hard-working folks who try their utmost to be fair and above board.
But. You still need to watch out for Number One, no matter how nice people seem. Here are some questions you should ask every potential transcription employer:
1. What do they base compensation on? Hourly Rate? Character lines? If so, how many characters per line? What counts as a character? Do headers and footers count? What about signature lines and salutations? If gross lines, do they pay for headers footers, signature lines or other boilerplate text? If it is minutes, then what extra work beyond straight typing, such as formatting, extra correspondence and copying from one system to another would be required?.
Especially with regard to minutes, you can spend a LOT of time doing things that are not really earning you money, like cleaning up the format of the report, or typing letters that aren't specifically dictated. Just be sure you know going in what you will be paid for, and what you will not.
2. Do they have a mandatory probation or QA period? If so, how long is it?
For Newbies, QA is a stressful period, and it's good to have a light at the end of the tunnel. Experienced pros probably don't need to worry about this too much.
3. What are the standards that must be met in order to advance out of QA?
You need to know what the standards are, absolutely. Again, the experienced folks probably aren't too worried about this.
4. When can you expect to see a raise in your per line or per minute rate? Is it production-based, or time-based (as in longevity with the company)?
5. Is the employee or contractor expected to provide his or her own equipment? What kind of technical support is available if there is a problem?
If you're not working at home, this isn't an issue, but if you are, you need to be assured that the company has a good IT staff to help you out when (not if) you have a problem. Some companies still ship computers and everything to the employee or contractor, and they expect you to use that for you work.
6. If this is a work-from-home position, does the company expect the employee or contractor to have broadband Internet service? If so, will the company reimburse for the expense?
7. What are the expected working hours? Does the company have a "third" shift (i.e., midnight to eight AM)? Do they pay an incentive bonus for working that shift if so?
Some companies just have an expected turnaround time, and others expect you to work set hours. What works for you? Working at midnight might be great if there is incentive pay involved and you can stand to be typing at 3AM...
8. Does the company provide health benefits for employees? Will they provide specifics on the plans they offer?
9. Does the company provide a 401(k) for employees? If so, do they match contributions, and how much?
10. How does time off work? Is there paid vacation for employees? How much and how does it accrue? How does time off work for contractors?
If you are working from home and you need to take a day off for some reason, how much notice do you need to give?
Many medical transcriptionists want a sample medical transcription resume to follow in order to know what should be included in a resume. For those who are established in the medical transcription profession and have credibility within the medical field, here are some points to consider, followed by a sample medical transcription resume that outlines the salient information that should be included.
1) Be as succinct as possible in your medical transcription resume, and highlight what skill sets you bring to the table.
2) Limit your resume to one page. People are busy these days and often are overwhelmed due to information overload.
3) Key in on the specific skill sets being sought for this particular medical transcription position.
4) Include other vital information, such as volunteer work or supervisory/managerial positions that you've held while working as a medical transcriptionist.
5) Tailor your medical transcription resume to each specific job for which you are applying.
Here is a sample medical transcription resume that this author has used to land her last couple of outside medical transcription contractor jobs for orthopedic surgeons in the workers' compensation arena. It demonstrates how to put all five points into action. (Please note that headings should be centered and bolded.)
PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION
(insert your personal contact info here, including your e-mail address)
ADMINISTRATIVE QUALIFICATIONS
Typing speed of 120-130 w.p.m. with 95% accuracy; good command of the English language; strong editing, grammar, and punctuation skills; ability to edit "on the fly" when taking histories and when transcribing medical reports, making paragraphs flow smoothly; and strong computer (hardware and software) skills, saving the company down time and money.
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
Ability to put people at ease and to establish immediate rapport; ability to control the history interview process, keeping the patient on track; and getting salient information in a timely manner, all in a congenial and empathetic way. Cooperates and works well with co-workers, willingly shares new technical and medical information. Professional, dedicated, and committed to the success of the company through collaborative efforts with others.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION-SPECIFIC SKILLS
Good command/understanding of workers' compensation field, thus enabling me to ask the pertinent questions that will enable the doctor to intelligently address important workers' compensation issues (e.g., permanent disability, apportionment, and causation); over five years of experience taking patient histories (ranging from basic to complicated) on a daily basis, specializing in the field of orthopedics; and over 14 years of experience as a medical transcriptionist, historian, and medical records reviewer.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Company Name, Address, City State, Zip, Phone Number Employed From: June 19xx to 20xx Supervisor: Jane Doe
Company Name, Address, City State, Zip, Phone Number Employed From: June 19xx to 20xx Supervisor: Jane Doe
Depending on how much information and work experience you have, there may be room at the bottom of the page. If so, include this section:
QUALITIES AND CHARACTER TRAITS
Innovative, creative, proactive, energetic visionary, resourceful self-starter; practical, self-reliant, motivated problem-solver; versatile, talented trainer/teacher; organized, personable, and reliable support person with a winning attitude who takes great pride in meeting and exceeding her own definition and standard of excellence.
One last point: The very last sentence of the resume is a powerful thing'if the resume has been read all the way through. You can?and I have done this?use that very same sentence'at the TOP of the resume to grab the reader's attention. When you do, change the heading to: SELF-ASSESSMENT STATEMENT.
Now isn't that a powerful sample medical transcription resume? As a secondary benefit, when a medical transcription resume is this solid, this good, it will make it even easier for you to sell yourself to a prospective employer when you meet face to face because you will have all the self-confidence you need to make your case and get that medical transcription job you want now!
Both Pam Lyon & Mary Ruff King are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Pam Lyon has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education, Work From Home. Pam Lyon is the author of "Inside Medical Transcription" -- the real truth about the life of a medical transcriptionist. Pam is a 30-year veteran of the Transcription business, and has seen it all. If you are thinking about a career in Medical Transcripti. Pam Lyon's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.
Mary Ruff King has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Mary Ruff-King also has documented a marketing technique that can use to find a list of specific employers (whether it be doctors, hospitals. Mary Ruff King's top article . to your Favourites.