Almost no one is able to "jump" into medical transcription unless they are already deeply involved in the medical profession, and even those whose terminology skills are excellent are often surprised to find transcription very difficult. One must acquire the skill, either through practice or training.  If you already know medical terminology and have good grammar skills, you are more than halfway there.  Sometimes we recommend to these people obtaining practice tapes to measure their skill, and some are pleased to find that after a while they are moving along just fine.  Others find that they did not know as much terminology as they thought, and for them we recommend taking a course either at a community college or via home study.  Course listings and some tips on selecting a course are located on our MT Schools page. It is our belief that once one has acquired the basic skills and is ready for entry level, the best route is to work within a medical practice or facility for at least 6 to 12 months more to acquire not only additional skills, but the confidence to "take it home".  There is of course the added plus of being paid. Some training courses include a period of internship working with real dictated notes, which is highly recommended.

In addition to training, one should have an extensive library of reference books such as medical dictionaries and word books.  The training never actually stops, but continues throughout one's career.