We all know what a cul-de-sac is; a neighborhood with a road that dead-ends. Did you know the human body has a cul-de-sac? What?! A neighborhood in my body, you say? Well, not exactly. Technically, it is a peritoneal space or pouch formed by a fold of peritoneum between the rectum and the uterus of the female body. And that is our word of the week, cul-de-sac.
Archive for April, 2010
Medical Transcription Word of the Week
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010A Big Tip to Learning Medical Transcription
Friday, April 23rd, 2010When training to be a medical transcriptionist one of the most common mistakes students make is trying to memorize everything they read. Don’t do this! Try reading the materials easily and steadily; flowing along, chapter after chapter. You can always go back and review and actually it will be easier to do so once you have read through a section the first time as things will make more sense simply because they will be more familiar.
Take your time. Read as much as you can at any given time on a regular basis, and know that it will all come to you eventually!
Medical Transcription is like learning a “new language”
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010So often medical transcription students comment on how they feel like they just aren’t “getting it” and that maybe they made a mistake choosing medical transcription as a profession. As an instructor, I make the same speech weekly; that it would be very rare, if not impossible, to just zip through this course effortlessly. Medical Transcription is not an easy subject and it is truly like learning a new language. If a student is seriously struggling the instructors will recognize this and address that issue if it arises. Otherwise, we want students to “go with the flow” and realize that it is not going to be simple but that it will be worth the work in the long run. We have trained thousands of students who are now working and many of whom, at one time, felt exactly like you are feeling now. Don’t put pressure on yourself for perfection and know that you will succeed!
Working at Home in Medical Transcription
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010What are the advantages of working as a medical transcriptionist at home? There are many!
A medical transcriptionist, also known as an MT, can expect many pros to working in their own home environment. A main plus would be that finances are not strained to provide money for fuel for a vehicle, insurance, parking, and upkeep as your commute doesn’t even require you to step foot outside your front door.
A career wardrobe is also not neccessary; you can work in your pajamas if you are so inclined! Also, you do not need to pack lunches or go out to get lunch. Of course there is also the nice perk of being able to take breaks or lunch whenever you so desire. Need to make a personal appointment? You are no longer relegated to having to take time off from your job (and lose pay) as you can generally type at any time of the day and night, whatever is convenient for you. No worries of missing your children’s school activities, concerts, etc. anymore either; just work around them.
As you can see, there are many positive aspects to working at home. There are a few disadvantages, but very few, and I will cover that in a future blog, but it will be a short one!
Medical Transcription Grammar- how to be flexible.
Friday, April 2nd, 2010As you can probably imagine, we frequently get questions related to Medical Transcription grammar and format rules. Most of our training is by textbook, but many of our examples are taken from our employers. One of our objectives is to introduce you to variety in Medical Transcription styles so you can adapt more easily once you are employed.
Grammar won’t make or break your career as an MT. The reason is that style can be very subjective. It’s good to learn the basics and then be flexible when you go to work with your future employer – they will determine “house rules” which override all other sources of information.
Stressing over these issues is counter productive because there isn’t a universal answer in many cases. There can be two correct answers or even more! It is a much better idea to move along more quickly and keep the Big Picture in mind; you don’t have to be perfect. The Big Picture goal is to be employed so you can use your flexible skills.
You can use these quizzes to learn several ways of doing things. The AAMT Book of Style is excellent and is our style bible, but it is trumped by “house rules” or “doctor rules”.
Medical Transcription Student asks about Internship.
Friday, April 2nd, 2010I have been working through the Med Workshops Medical Transcription Course. http://www.medicaltranscriptionjobstraining.com I am so excited to start the mentored internship portion of my training soon. I am ready to get started and feel very secure that I have a safety net in mentored internship, they will be watching out for me. I know once I am through with this last portion of my training, I will be ready to do the job that Med Workshops places me in. I am thrilled to be starting in this new career!
Thanks, Julie
Medical Transcription is like learning a new language
Friday, April 2nd, 2010From Beth:
Hi,
Thank you so much for checking in… Studies are going well, though a bit slower than planned. The study tips section of the blog is very interesting. I had not considered this as learning a new language – but that’s EXACTLY what it is! I really appreciate how the chapters build on each other, and can’t wait for the day it all starts to “click”!
Despite the warnings, I got caught up in grammar. I’m very excited about this program, and can’t wait to send much more impressive reports in the future! Many thanks for checking in!
Beth
Medical Transcription Report – example for a new student
Thursday, April 1st, 2010Question- Help, I’m a little stuck. I’ve just started Medical Transcription Typing 1 and I don’t understand the dictator and am having trouble understanding the format. Please give me a pointer or two so I can get unstuck.
Answer- I transcribed the dermatology report you were asking about. Here is what it should look like. Keep in mind as I wrote earlier- Do Not Stress- you are just getting started. Too much stress is counter productive. New students often get stuck; don’t feel bad.
I transcribed the dermatology report you were asking about. Here is what it should look like. This will all come in time. Trying too hard can be counter productive. After a couple of months, you will go back to reports like this and think it is a piece of cake. Hope this helps. Have a great holiday!
Report:
CHIEF COMPLAINT: Laceration, right index finger.
HISTORY: This 28-year-old woman was at work one hour ago when she cut the tip of her right index finger on a meat slicer accidentally. She has no other injury.
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: The patient has a 1-inch linear longitudinal laceration over the volar aspect of the distal phalanx, right index finger. The patient has good sensation and vascular refill distally. There is no deformity or limitation of motion.
DIAGNOSIS: Acute laceration, right index finger.