Sitting hunched over a regular writing desk can restrict your arm movement and can create tension in your neck and shoulders. Since you have to move your whole wrist and arm to create calligraphy, a desk that's sloped down toward you can give you more freedom of movement, resulting in neater lettering. If you don't have a sloped desk, try propping a piece of wood on a thick book on top of your desk. Try to create about a 45 angle. If all you have is a flat surface, that's okay too! Just keep in mind it might be easier if you can find something to prop up to create a slope, especially if you plan to do a lot of calligraphy. While you can practice calligraphy with any writing implement, original hand-lettering was done with a pen fitted with a nib. You then dip the nib in a bottle of ink, such as India ink. A small chamber inside the nib, called the vent, fills up with ink, and the ink flows out of the nib while you're writing. India ink is a thick, black ink that is most commonly used for hand-lettering. Look for a dip pen with a nib holder that's about 1520cm (5.97.9in), which is about the length of a regular ink pen. You can find dip pens and ink at a craft supply store or online. You may also be able to find them where office supplies are sold. When you're choosing a nib, you don't want it to be too flexible, as it will be difficult to create smooth, straight lines. Also, if you choose a nib that's too small, it will be hard to see the serifs, or the horizontal flourishes at the top and bottom of the letters. A 2mm-3mm nib with a rounded tip and medium flexibility will be the easiest to control. Look for a package that says "rounded" on it to find the right nib. Only the very tip will be rounded off, so the nib will still look pointed at first glance. Most regular copy paper or notebook paper is too thin for the liquid ink. To help prevent the ink from bleeding through your paper, try using at least 120 gsm (32-lb) printer paper to practice on. If all you have is thin paper, stack 3-4 sheets together so the ink doesn't bleed through. To create a finished project, consider using heavy cardstock. You can also find notebooks specifically for calligraphy practice. These are typically already lined. Look for these wherever stationary or crafting supplies are sold. There are several different styles of blackletter calligraphy, including Textualis, Rotunda, Schwabacher, and Fraktur. Search online for the different styles and choose the one you like the most, then print out the alphabet so you can use it as a reference while you're practicing. Textualis may be the easiest to start learning, since there aren't as many curved lines. Textualis is ornate and square, and is perhaps the most common form of blackletter. The letters in Rotunda, as the name suggests, are more round. Schwabacher and Fraktur are both rounded as well, though not as much as Rotunda, and the two styles look very similar to each other. However, there are certain distinctions for specific letters. For instance, in Fraktur, the capital "S" looks similar to a modern capital "G," but in Schwabacher, it looks more like the "S" that's used today. However, the capital letter "A" is nearly identical in both styles, resembling a modern lowercase "u." Working with a dip pen can be messy. You may get ink on your fingers or your desk, or you may need to wipe up extra ink from the end of the nib. To make cleanup easier, it's best to have some sort of cloth or tissue at your work station before you ever get started. You may also want a small bowl of water nearby to make cleanup easier, but it isn't necessary. Draw a short, horizontal nib mark near the top of your paper. Then, move the tip of the pen down to the bottom right corner of that mark and draw another line. Repeat this for a total of 8 marks to create what looks like a pixelated diagonal line. Then, use a ruler and a pencil to draw 4 horizontal lines across the paper. Start the first line above the first nib mark, make the second between nib marks 2 and 3, put the third line between marks 6 and 7, and the last line below the 8th nib mark. When you're finished, you'll have a middle row that's 4 nib-widths high, with a top and a bottom row that are 2 nib-widths each. The middle row is called your x-height, and it's where most of your lines will be drawn. Letters like "c," "m," and "o" will be entirely included in the x-height. The top row is for your ascenders, like on the letters "b," "d," and "h," while the bottom row is for descenders, such as on "g," "p," and "y."

Summary: Work on a sloped surface if you have one. Choose a dip pen and ink bottle for the most traditional setup. Opt for a 2mm-3mm round nib with medium flexibility. Use heavy printer paper or cardstock to practice on. Print out sample alphabet sheets and prop them close by your work stations. Keep tissues, paper towels, or a cloth nearby to wipe up ink. Line your paper if it isn't already lined.

A high school diploma or GED is the only formal requirement for becoming a medical transcriptionist. If you're an adult without a high school diploma, you can take a test to earn your GED. Most states require you to be at least sixteen years old before you can take the GED. You can take the GED without attending classes first, but it helps to review the material before you take the test. There are many online resources available, and nearly every town offers GED classes. As a medical transcriptionist, most of your time will be spent listening to doctors' dictation and transcribing that information into written form. You'll need to be able to keep up a good typing speed as you transcribe. However, you don't need to be the fastest typist in the world. Forty-five words per minute is a speed that will allow you to transcribe quickly and accurately. You can test your typing speed on various websites. If you're a very slow typist, you should consider taking an online typing course to increase your speed. You don't need more than a high school education to become a medical transcriptionist. However, further education in medical transcription will help you learn the medical terminology that is part of the job. It will also give you a competitive edge in the job market. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity lists approved medical transcription programs. This is not a necessary step, but getting credentialed will give you a competitive edge in the job market. There are two certifications available to medical transcriptionists: Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) and Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS). The RHDS certification is available to medical transcriptionists who are just starting out in their careers. Earning the CHDS certification requires two years of experience. Both certifications are offered through the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). The RHDS and CHDS exams are offered at various centers throughout the United States. You can also take the test online. The RHDS exam will test your basic knowledge of medical terminology, as well as your English language abilities, including grammar and punctuation. The CHDS exam will test advanced knowledge of medical terminology, as well as your ability to make use of professional reference materials. AHDI offers preparation materials on their website.
Summary: Earn your high school diploma or GED. Assess your typing speed. Earn an Associates Degree or Certificate in medical transcription. Choose your credentials. Take the test.