Job Opportunities as a Forensic Medical Transcriber

If you are an avid fan of the CSI TV shows, you may have heard of terms such as forensic medical transcriber and wondered what they are and what they do.

In this article, I will explain what a forensic medical transcriber is and describe what they do.

Becoming a forensic medical transcriber requires that you have standard office skills and an interest in medicine and crime. If you are an experienced secretary, office assistant, or executive assistant, then getting a job in this field should not be difficult.

The job duties require that you know how to transcribe technical and specialized medical dictations with regard to forensic evaluations, tests, and autopsies. You must have specialized knowledge in medical terminology, Dictaphones, Microsoft Word, data entry and report preparations, business English and bookkeeping. It is a must if you employ good grammar, spelling, and punctuation effectively. It is also your responsibility to maintain files and records, interact with the public, either face-to-face or via telephone, and perform different kinds of administrative duties.

In many medical examiner’s or coroner’s offices and crime labs, the minimum education you need is a high school diploma or GED. You must be able to type 60-90 wpm from dictation and complete a course in medical terminology. Medical terminology courses are taught at many community colleges, big universities, and private schools. Many employers look for candidates with at least one or two years of transcribing experience.

Having a good education in the field of medical transcription will give you the advantage over the next applicant seeking the same job and having no experience.

Having knowledge in any aspect of forensic science can help bring a perpetrator to justice and bring closure to the victim or his or her family.  For this reason, it is essential to have a firm grasp of the concepts of forensic science.