How Well Do You Listen?

One of the most important skills for a medical transcriptionist is listening. How well do you listen? 

You'd better be a good listener because most of your time as a medical transcriptionist is going to be spent listening to audio recordings of doctors and other medical professionals. It's a part of the dictation process.

The medical professional will speak into an audio device and send you the file. Then you'll listen and transcribe what you hear into a written format. If you do not listen closely to what is being said then you could transcribe information incorrectly, leading to a major or critical error in the medical document.

Listening obstacles to good transcription might include:

• Thick foreign accents
• Soft speakers
• Incorrectly spoken grammar
• A voice too close to the microphone
• Feedback or background noise
• Speech impediment
• "Uh", "Uhm" and other speech pattern breakers
• Fast talking
• Lack of clarity in pronunciation

While you have no control over any of these obstacles, it is your responsibility as the medical transcriptionist to ensure accuracy in every medical document you transcribe. Therefore, you need to hone your listening skills. If you cannot understand an audio file, don't guess; flag it and seek out clarification before you submit it as finished. It's the only responsible thing to do.