When thinking of the perfect MT (medical transcriptionist) several things come to mind. First the MT should have the necessary medical knowledge needed to make sound judgment calls when the dictator misspeaks or gives a wrong word accidentally. A good transcriptionist knows the difference between aphasia and aphagia and when to use which term. In addition, many times the physician will dictate a surgery note on the right foot when, in the last sentence, accidentally says left foot. A good medical transcriptionist has been trained to catch that. Good medical knowledge starts with a top rate MT school and the learning continues throughout the career of the MT.

(That’s why experienced MTs are usually preferred over new graduates, except in certain cases.) The transcriptionist should understand the physiology of the human body and know why body systems work the way they do. They must know the drug names, dosages, and usages for hundreds of medications. They will know when the drug is dictated as 50 mg that it is actually in 15 mg because 50 mg would be an overdose. They must know lab normals so as not to put a ridiculous number when this is what they “hear” the dictator saying.

This is all necessary not only for the accuracy of the report, but ultimately for the safety of the patient whose report is being transcribed. The perfect MT should have an excellent command of the English language. Not only must we know grammar and punctuation, but also our spelling should be exact. As healthcare becomes more and more competitive in today’s world, the professionalism of reports is paramount in the specialist’s mind