So You Want to Be a Medical Transcriptionist Part I

Medical transcription is for you if:

1. You love to type
2. You don't mind social isolation while working
3. You're disciplined (especially if working from home)
4. You're patient (some providers are LOUSY dictators* and some have very difficult-to-understand accents or dialect. *Some like to make up words; some don't think twice about eating while dictating; some sneeze or burp or cough loudly in your ear; some     pause         for           a       reallly                                             realllllyyyyyy                                     REALLY    long      time    between                  thoughts; some carry on conversations with others in the room; somespeaksoquicklythatyouhavetoslowdownthedictationasslow
   asitwillgobutthatstillmightnotevenhelpyouunderstand; some just don't know how to speak; some pronounce words incorrectly; some speak as though they have stuffed their mouths with marshmallows or marbles or both; some change their minds; wait, no, they, uhhh, hang on, yes, they change their...no, I mean to say, ummmm...nevermind; etc.)
5. You know medical language (you can learn this through your local community college or online)
6. You're able to focus/aren't easily distracted
7. You spell well and have a good grasp of proper grammar (how embarrassed will I be when gaps in my ability are pointed out!?)
8. You have a sense of humor
9. You have excellent editing skills
10. You have a good grasp of word processing applications (Word and/or WordPerfect, especially; though the Microsoft empire is quickly taking over)
11. You don't expect that you can have your young children solely in your care while you're working
12. You are able to stay awake and alert while sitting and staring at a monitor for hours at a time

Because brevity is not my strong suit, I am taking the rest of this article and making it a part II.

I will possibly add to this list from time to time, too.