Skills
Medical Transcriptionist Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in medical transcriptionists, and how to build and show them.
What skills do medical transcriptionists need?
Medical Transcriptionists need technical skills such as medical terminology, typing speed, and editing, plus people skills like attention to detail and focus. They also use tools such as Transcription software and Foot pedals.
Technical (hard) skills
- Medical terminology
- Typing speed
- Editing
- Grammar
- Pharmacology basics
- Report formats
People (soft) skills
- Attention to detail
- Focus
- Self-discipline
- Integrity
Tools, equipment and technology
- Transcription software
- Foot pedals
- Headphones
- Speech recognition editors
- Medical references
- Secure portals
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how medical transcriptionists put their skills to work:
- How to edit a speech-recognition draft
- How to research an unfamiliar term
- How to protect patient privacy at home
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Medical terminology” and “Typing speed.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “attention to detail,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as RHDS (AHDI) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our medical transcriptionist glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Medical Transcriptionist training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.