I did it.

After 2 and a half years of spelling words like duodenojejunostomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in my sleep and editing the local newspaper instead of actually reading it, I can proudly say I graduated, and I am officially a medical transcriptionist!!! I know that may not sound monumental, but to me it's one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.

This course was HARD. It's true I slacked a bit...but I mean, it's an online self-paced school and I'm a stay at home mom. It's bound to happen, but for the most part I really put a lot of myself into this. I've learned so much, worked so hard, and I feel so good about myself. Truthfully, at one point the in the course, I was unsure if I could ever pick it up. Doctors just ran their words together, one medication would sound exactly like another to me, and the speed-talkers made my brain turn to mush. There were countless days of frustration, of wanting to pull my hair out or reach through the screen and slap some of those doctors for being so damn inconsiderate. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw my headphones across the room and give up.
I went through months of this frustration thinking I was wasting my time - I'd never learn this crap, never.

One day, in advanced transcription, it all just clicked. It was like my ears opened up and a light switch was flipped. Everything (mostly) became crystal clear. I decided to go back to my beginning reports to get through the rough ones that were so hard months ago. I laughed. What was so hard? Suddenly I could understand EVERYTHING the docs were saying. My biggest hurdle was simply keeping up.

Now, here I am. I know I'm still just beginning, but I'm hoping to land a job where someone will take a chance on a newbie (graduated, yay!!) transcriptionist.