Medical transcriptionist's type out dictated recordings made by health care professionals into computers so they can become part of the patient’s permanent records. They transcribe recordings such as discharge summaries, autopsy reports, and physical examination reports. With experience, transcriptionist's learn to catch inconsistencies within a recording and report them to an appropriate authority.

To understand recordings correctly, medical transcriptionist's must understand medical terminology, anatomy, pharmacology and diagnostic procedures. Because they deal with sensitive records, medical transcriptionists must comply with patient confidentiality requirements. Due to the advent of high-speed internet, many medical transcriptionists now work from home and return their reports electronically.