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Medical Transcriptionist Interview Questions

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Last updated 24 January 2025
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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Medical Transcriptionist interview questions and answers.

  1. Why do you think you qualify for a job as a medical transcriptionist? See answer
  2. How comfortable are you with pronunciations and spellings of medical terminologies? See answer
  3. Are you comfortable working remotely from time to time? If so, how do you stay on task? See answer
  4. How would you describe your typing skills? See answer
  5. What healthcare software are you familiar with? See answer
  6. Imagine a supervisor requires you to admit a new patient. How would you do this? See answer
  7. What additional certificates in the medical field do you intend to earn in the future? See answer
  8. Imagine a patient approaches you to seek emotional advice. How would you handle this? See answer
  9. What are some of the signs that indicate a patient needs immediate medical assistance? See answer
  10. What would you do if your computer malfunctioned while taking notes for a doctor? See answer
  11. How do you safeguard valuable information in the workplace? See answer
  12. Are you comfortable interacting with all kinds of patients? See answer
  13. What would you do if a patient had a medical emergency while you were recording the patient’s interaction with a doctor?
  14. What would you do if your supervisor told you something is wrong with the notes you’re taking?
  15. What would you do if your supervisor wasn’t listening to you?
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Hire your next Medical Transcriptionist today.

Post a job

Hire your next Medical Transcriptionist today.

Post a job
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Medical Transcriptionist Interview Questions and Answers

Why do you think you qualify for a job as a medical transcriptionist?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's qualifications for the role. Pay attention to whether they fulfil the requirements of your job opening, especially if you require a certain educational background, possession of certifications, or other specifics. What to look for in an answer:

  • Some knowledge about your facility
  • Understanding of the requirements specific to the role 
  • Proper credentials and background
Example:

"As I have a certification from a programme in medical transcription, I feel that I'm an excellent candidate for this role. I also have extensive experience in human anatomy and biology from courses I've taken in college, and I am an expert in typing and writing. I appreciate your company's mission of supporting those with disabilities, so I would love to work with your team."

How comfortable are you with pronunciations and spellings of medical terminologies?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's familiarity with medical terminology. As medical jargon can be complex, it's important they have a large base of medical knowledge and a willingness to learn new terms. It's also critical they write terminology with proper spelling and abbreviations to communicate effectively with health professionals. What to look for in an answer:

  • Confidence with recording, spelling, and pronouncing medical terms   
  • Some knowledge of the meaning of medical terms
  • Strong attention to detail skills
Example:

"Because I've been taking part in a medical transcriptionist internship programme for over a year, I've learned, written, and pronounced many medical terms and am very comfortable with the process. I am also passionate about human biology and medicine, so I learn many healthcare terms in my free time."

What would you do if a patient had a medical emergency while you were recording the patient's interaction with a doctor?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's ability to stay calm under pressure and follow emergency protocols. When around patients in a healthcare facility, unexpected events may occur at any time. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to remain focused in emergency situations
  • Readiness to face challenges
  • Willingness to follow procedures
Example:

"If a patient had a medical emergency, I would follow immediately alert the doctor if they didn't already know. I would then alert other staff and leave the room to provide them space to work. If there was no one else around to help the doctor, I would provide them support myself. I think it's critical to follow the emergency protocols in place in different facilities."

What would you do if your supervisor told you something is wrong with the notes you're taking?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's willingness to accept feedback and improve the way they work. Ideal candidates can collabourate well with colleagues and welcome direction from supervisors, doctors, and other health professionals. It's important they can respond professionally to criticism and different instructions. What to look for in an answer:

  • Willingness to take directions politely
  • The desire to perform better 
  • Openness to negative feedback
Example:

"I have continued to perfect my transcription capability because of accepting criticism and learning from my mistakes. I'm always quick to correct errors and ask for further guidance if necessary."

Are you comfortable working remotely from time to time? If so, how do you stay on task?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's willingness to work remotely, if necessary. As medical transcriptionists perform much of their work on the computer, some facilities may offer remote opportunities. You can also ask this question to learn about their ability to work independently, without supervision. What to look for in an answer:

  • Commitment to complete tasks from home 
  • Ability to work without supervision 
  • Ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance
Example:

"At my job, I had the flexibility to work from home and appear onsite physically on specific days. I am quite comfortable with this schedule and completing my tasks either from home or at the office. To stay on task, I always start the day with a to-do list and time my work to make sure I'm submitting it by deadline."

How would you describe your typing skills?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's expertise in typing and average typing speed. As transcriptionists must write and type information accurately and quickly, they can benefit greatly from strong typing skills. You can especially rely on fast typists to document urgent tasks. What to look for in an answer:

  • The length of time the candidate can type uninterruptedly
  • Ability to type efficiently and accurately 
  • Interest in improving the typing speed
Example:

"I can type about 60 words per minute, but I'm currently taking a typing course to improve my speed. My goal is to type 90 words per minute by the end of the course. I also pride myself in my typing accuracy, as I think it's important to document information correctly."

What healthcare software are you familiar with?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's experience with using healthcare software. There are many digital applications that medical scribers can use to type and document information with ease. While each software is unique in its own way, a candidate with prior experience using them can often learn new systems quickly. What to look for in an answer:

  • Prior experience with medical transcription systems
  • Willingness to learn a new software
  • Ability to troubleshoot and fix some software related issues 
Example:

"I have extensive experience working with three different software applications for medical transcriptions. These are eCareNotes, SNChart and SpeechRite. However, I'm always open to trying a new system."

Imagine a supervisor requires you to admit a new patient. How would you do this?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's adaptability to various tasks. While medical transcriptionists typically perform typing and record-keeping, they may have to perform clerical tasks like checking in patients. Use this question to make sure your team members can manage different kinds of work, especially during busy times. What to look for in an answer:

  • Confidence performing new tasks
  • Ability to multitask
  • Ability to maintain a positive attitude
Example:

"If a supervisor required me to admit a new patient, I would make sure to approach the task with enthusiasm and professionalism. If I was uncertain on how to do it, I would ask my supervisor for advice and instruction."

What additional certificates in the medical field do you intend to earn in the future?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's willingness to build their skills and expertise. Ideal candidates continuously look for ways to improve in their roles, either by learning from supervisors, taking courses, earning certifications, or taking other steps. Certifications can enable employees to provide better, more specialised services. What to look for in an answer:

  • Willingness to learn new skills
  • Willingness to accept new challenges  
  • Confidence when talking about career growth and development 
Example:

"I look forward to becoming a certified health information technician in the next two years. I'm currently researching various institutions that offer this programme to find the one that's right for me."

Imagine a patient approaches you to seek emotional advice. How would you handle this?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's ability to handle unexpected situations at work. In a healthcare setting, patients may approach clerks with various issues. An ideal candidate has excellent interpersonal skills and can interact with patients well. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to communicate with patients in a positive way
  • Willingness to follow protocols
  • Past experience with handling stressed patients or colleagues 
Example:

"I'm aware there can be stressful moments when working as medical transcriptionist. If a patient asked me for emotional advice, I would provide them with support by listening and directing them to helpful resources. For example, I might describe any mental health services the facility offers."

What would you do if your supervisor wasn't listening to you?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's willingness to follow directions and maintain professionalism at work. While supervisors may make mistakes, it's important that employees can follow the proper channels for reporting problems. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to remain calm when frustrated 
  • Commitment to resolving issues
  • Willingness to bring an issue to upper management
Example:

"If my supervisor wasn't listening to me, I would make sure to maintain my commitment to work. I would always follow my supervisor's instructions, unless I saw a big problem with them. If I did, I would bring this issue to upper management in a professional way."

What are some of the signs that indicate a patient needs immediate medical assistance?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's attention to detail and readiness to support the health of patients. In a healthcare setting, patients may have emergencies and need medical help. What to look for in an answer:

  • Basic knowledge of health issues
  • Ability to adhere to safety protocols
  • Ability to make a quick judgement 
Example:

"I'm always cautious around patients. If I notice anything that may require immediate attention, I'm always quick to alert a doctor and offer as much support as possible."

What would you do if your computer malfunctioned while taking notes for a doctor?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's problem-solving skills. Sometimes computers fail with no notice, so this question allows you to learn how your candidate would handle that. What to look for in an answer:

  • Creativity
  • Troubleshooting skills
  • Commitment to overcoming challenges
Example:

"I always bring my laptop to work as a backup just in case the office computer fails. I also typically use Cloud-based software to ensure data protection."

How do you safeguard valuable information in the workplace?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's commitment to patient confidentiality. Healthcare professionals must all protect the privacy of patients and patient data. What to look for in an answer:

  • Knowledge of various information security standards 
  • Ability to implement the right information security policy
  • Knowledge of the various threats to information security
Example:

"I never use a computer without an antivirus application. In the case of a data breach, I'm quick to notify the relevant departments and leaders."

Are you comfortable interacting with all kinds of patients?

The goal of this question is to assess the candidate's skills in working with a diversity of patients. It's important to find out how your candidate relates to different kinds of people with various health issues. What to look for in an answer:

  • Understanding of various health conditions
  • Ability to communicate with different people
  • Ability to maintain a positive attitude 
Example:

"I have interacted with many different kinds of patients in previous roles. No matter how they presented themselves, I made sure they received the attention they deserved."

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