Medical Transcriptionist In A Dermatopathology Lab

How I Got The Job

My Education: Associate's Degree in health information technology

My Prior Experience: I have worked in multiple doctors' offices over the last 7 years and currently work in a dermatopathology lab.

My Job Profile

My Company: I work in a lab that reviews skin samples and then diagnoses any problems.

Job/Career Overview: I do both data entry and transcription. Both of these roles are done on the computer.

For the data entry position, I enter patient information into the computer from requisitions sent from outside doctor's offices. The information I enter includes the patient demographics, site (part of the body) from which the biopsy was taken, the name of the doctor who did the biopsy, etc. Some requisitions are typed and some are hand written. The hand written ones are sometimes difficult to decipher. I sometimes need to verify the spelling of a patient's name through their insurance information, which I have access to online.

For the transcription position, I deal with the same requisitions that I deal with in data entry. The doctors in our office examine the biopsy specimens and will write a code on the requisition which represents the diagnosis the doctor has given the patient. I will type the code into the computer which will automatically generate the information for the diagnosis.

If the doctor has information he wants to add other than what the code generates, he will dictate it onto the computer as an audio file. I can then listen to the audio file and type what the doctor says. The information which is entered in the computer creates a patient report which is sent back to the doctor who took the biopsy so they can make the patient aware of the diagnosis.