A medical transcriptionist takes voice recordings from other medical professionals, doctors for example, and dictates typewritten text from them. The text created from those recordings is then used in medical reports such as patient history and laboratory result analysis. The transcriptionist needs to be familiar with a variety of medical terminology in order to accurately transcribe the recordings.
Training programs are available at community colleges and vocational schools for those interested in working as a medical transcriptionist. It usually takes 1 to 2 years to complete the training resulting in a certificate or an associate’s degree. Becoming a transcriptionist is a good way for people who are not interested in patient care to quickly start working in the health care field.