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Pathology transcription - What is the difference? - transcriptionistnc

Posted: Apr 10, 2014

Can anybody tell me how different it is typing for a pathology practice versus clinic transcription and hospital transcription? I am considering applying for a pathology transcription position. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Here you go - see msg pls

[ In Reply To ..]
If you've done a lot of hospital transcription, you can pretty easily pick up pathology. If you've only done clinic, I do not believe it would come as easily.

When I transitioned from hospital (acute care) to pathology, the only things I had trouble with were immunostain terminology and a lot of abbreviation-type stuff that doesn't come up in normal hospital or clinic transcription. Fortunately, I found a website and printed out the various immunostains. As to the abbreviations and things, I did have someone training me on the pathology, and the abbreviations became second nature.

If you have done a lot of oncology and other pathological disorders of the body, which come up a lot in acute care, you are prepared for pathology.

Best of luck to you.

Path MT - ILTOVA

[ In Reply To ..]
Totally agree with everthing you said!

To add something - see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
That being said, if one has only done pathology, I do not believe they could transition easily into acute care. Acute care pretty much prepares you for everything. I also transitioned to radiology easily, after having done acute care for so long. Ditto on transitioning from radiology to acute care.

I don't think one could transition easily from clinic only to pathology or radiology.

I'm just saying when I started in Pathology in 1979 - I had not done anything before

[ In Reply To ..]
was fresh out of the military with no medical experience whatsoever and I made the transition quite well. There may be a bit of a learning curve, but I believe we can all "transition" and/or learn whatever we need to. Just my opinion.

As someone who has done pathology exclusively for 35 years - it would be hard for me to compare

[ In Reply To ..]
I will say the people I have trained who have done other MT has made a smooth transition. There is a lot of repetition in pathology. Immunostains and a Genomics terminology would be the most difficult. If you've done MT you could definite make the transition just expect a bit of a learning curve. I love pathology and it seems to be the only stable MT jobs now as they are almost always inhouse. Will tou be doing autopsies as well?

Pathology not so stable - zigzag

[ In Reply To ..]
I worked in pathology for a hospital that is owned by Ascension health -- they have hospitals all over the country. Well, guess what?? Yep, they got VR and we were out of jobs. They decided the doctors could edit and charge their own reports -- as we had to put codes on them also. So, really nothing is safe -- but to get out this business entirely.

Sorry but I disagree - It depends on the facility

[ In Reply To ..]
Our hospital is undergoing restructuring including building a totally new clinical and surgical laboratory. As a result we will be recruiting for 2 new pathology MTs. the have tried VR and our staff pathologists HATED IT. Fortunately our hospital has to answer to the medical school and the pathologists are employed by the med school and what they want goes a long way. It really does depend on the situation. They have tried various forms of VR and have been instructed to not attempt to use any more.

Good for you, but that does not warrant - recommending it.

[ In Reply To ..]
Your place is an anomaly.

We are affiliated with a medical school, too, and our pathologists very cheerfully canned their MTs. They like their front-end system just fine. Same in Radiology.

I'm just respectfully asking,no offense meant but - the original poster was asking

[ In Reply To ..]
how it compares to clinical and/or hospital transcription. It sounds like its a given she's already doing one,the best recommendation would be that she get out altogether, but if asked should she stay with what she has or apply for the pathology MT, what would you advice be? Your comment seems adversarial which is not my intent. I consider myself put in my place for describing my situation.

I think Pathology would be one of the last to go (sm) - Rose

[ In Reply To ..]
Pathology MTs are almost always in-house because they have so many other duties they are responsible for such as phones, preparing slides sent out for consult, backing up staining for cytology, logging in specimens and report distribution. If you look at the job boards you will often see ads now for pathology transcriptionists. I think they would be one of the last specialties to outsource.

Not in our lab - We are lucky I guess

[ In Reply To ..]
And we do none of those things. We have a clerical department, an accessioning department, lab assistants to help with staining in histology and cytotech assistants to help in cytology. We don't even take calls for results, as the clerical staff does that. We also have a consult department for working with those. We do straight transcription and there are 10 of us. We have an opening soon as one of us is retiring after 45 years at this same hospital. I've only been her 22 years and most of us has been here at least15 years

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