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What is medical transcription?

Whenever a patient goes to see any kind of medical professional, that doctor needs to dictate exactly what happened during their visit. Items they usually dictate on include the history of the present illness (HPI), past medical history, medications, allergies, and social history. He or she will also dictate what was found on their physical examination, any procedures performed, and the plan for treatment. The medical transcriptionist (MT) is the person who types up this dictation, putting each patient's dictation into report form so that it may be filed in the patient's medical charts. This information can then be used as a reference the next time the patient comes in for evaluation, and it may also be used if legal issues arise.

What do I have to know to be an MT?

MTs need to have general knowledge of medical terminology and anatomy. A good MT has a strong grasp of the English language and practices good grammar and punctuation. Successful MTs are detail-oriented and are often considered perfectionists! Sound judgment is another quality that an MT should possess. Of course, since you will be listening to dictation, good hearing ability will be essential. Excellent typing skills are very important to an MT, as we are usually paid based on production. Being able to get around on a computer with ease (or being willing to learn to do so) will also be important for you.

On to the important stuff...how much are MTs paid? What kind of hours do they work?

These answers completely depend on who you end up working for. However, we can tell you that MTs are generally paid by the line, so pay is most often production and accuracy-based. Depending on whether you work for someone else or work for yourself, you might make anywhere from 6 cents per line on up to 14 or 15 cents per line. (These are, of course, estimates and not guarantees.) Whether you choose to work for yourself or for someone else totally depends on what's most important to you. Either way, you can still work from home or on-site. Many hospitals will still pay by the hour, if you should want to work on-site.

In our experience running our own medical transcription service for many, many years now, most MTs will make at least more than $15.00 an hour while some of our top MTs literally make nearly $30.00 an hour. There are some people who are just really good at this...they're fast and accurate. Although it's not a get-rich-quick kind of job, it can provide a very comfortable income while you work at home. If you have more questions about this, feel free to call or e-mail us. Most of us here have worked both ways - for ourselves and for others - and can offer advice.

The hours you work will also depend on how your employer does things. You might be on a regular schedule, or you might simply get work each morning and be expected to have it done by the next morning. You may be expected to type a certain number of lines per day, no matter when you do it. Each employer works things a little differently. However, flexibility is one of the best parts of this profession.

Is this an in-demand field? Is there really work out there for me?

YES!!! This is a growing field! Think of it this way: As long as there are patients, there is work for you! You can check out the government's job outlook projection for the field of medical transcription by clicking the Links button on www.LearnTranscription.com. Services are almost always hiring MTs. While many other industries have seen dramatic cutbacks and layoffs with our recent economy, the Health Services field just never seems to stop growing. Perhaps that's because, no matter what, people are always going to need medical care. It’s important to know, too, that advanced technology is not expected to replace us anytime soon, either.

How do I get work? Is it online? Do I have to pick up and drop off tapes?

This, again, will really depend on who you work for. With new technology, many transcriptionists can do all of their work online and never have to see their employer (which isn't necessarily a sad thing, is it?) This is nice, too, because you can live anywhere and work for anyone. You might live on the East Coast and type for a clinic on the West Coast. However, those who work for smaller offices may still use tapes and then e-mail the work back. This is fine if you live close to your employer and don't mind. Of course, there are several different ways that employers get work to and from their transcriptionists, so this would be something you would need to discuss with a future employer.

Is LearnTranscription.com licensed to teach medical transcription? Who am I being taught by?

We are licensed by the State of Michigan. If you would like to see a copy of our license, click here.

The support you receive will be given to you by actively working, experienced transcriptionists. You will not have a receptionist answering your questions but, instead, will call a medical transcriptionist directly. After all, your mentor should be someone who currently works in the field that she teaches in!

How does your course teach me the things I need to know to feel comfortable as an MT?

LearnTranscription.com course teaches terminology and anatomy that apply to medical transcription. Surprisingly, many students find that terminology ends up not being the hardest part of learning this profession! It can sound so intimidating at first, but our course teaches the medical terms in parts; prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Once you learn what each prefix, suffix, and root word means, you can look at any huge word and simply break it down into parts to define it. So really, learning terminology is about 80% memorization! Of course, it's nice to know that, for the most part, you will just have to type what the doctor says!

LearnTranscription.com also goes over basic grammar and punctuation concepts to give you a refresher. You will be taught good practices in editing and proofreading and how to format medical reports. The keyboarding kinetics portion of our course is designed to help you increase your typing speed through exercises, practice, and speed tests. Please note that the course is not designed to teach you how to type but is more to help you increase your typing skill and speed. And don't worry...the average student does not come in typing 90 words per minute! This is something that comes with time and practice.

Another advantage to our course is that, with our online format, you will become familiar with web pages and using the computer. It's great hands-on practice! We do suggest that you feel pretty comfortable with your computer before enrolling, knowing basically how to get around on it.

You will learn all of the major medical specialties as well...from cardiology to urology. You do not have to buy "advanced" units or anything like that. All of the major topics you'll need to cover to be a versatile MT are part of the LearnTranscription.com course. You will get practice in all of those things you probably haven't even thought of, too, such as medical abbreviations, how to look up words, technology and employment, etc.

One of the things that our students have said they like best about our course is that it is in-depth but not SO in-depth that you get lost. We understand that you're not training to be a doctor or an English teacher. You will be learning concepts and terms that apply to being a medical transcriptionist.

How does the course work? Do I have to mail tests back and forth? How do I track my progress?

The course is, again, completely online. Unlike many courses out there, you will not have to pay postage mailing things back and forth, and you won't have to wait to see if you've passed a unit. Everything is right at your fingertips and graded at the click of a button! It's so state-of-the-art! There will be tons of exercises and quizzes throughout the course to determine your mastery of the material. Because it is all self-paced, you do not have to move on until you feel that you've mastered a certain section. Having instant feedback, you'll never move on without knowing how you did in the last unit! You will also have a complete "gradebook" online, showing you exactly what you've done so far and how you've scored. You can always go back to those lessons that you didn't do so hot on and retake them as many times as you want.

Do I get to practice typing any real reports? What kind of hands-on learning do I get?

You will actually have hundreds of real physician-dictated reports to type for practice, allowing you to build confidence before you go out looking for a job. These reports expose you to foreign accents, background noise, mumblers, yawners, coughers...you name it. They are real reports with patient-identifying information taken out. You will feel far more well-prepared than any other interviewee who has typed only 3-4 practice reports that were recorded in a studio.

How long is the course going to take me to complete?

This all depends on you! Our course is completely online and is designed to be completed at your own pace. You can finish the course in as few as 4-6 months (working on it full-time) or in up to a year (working very part-time at it). The average completion time for our students is around nine months. You can get into the course any time, day or night, to work in it. You can also go back through any part of the course as many times as you'd like. Once you have access to it, you can move around in it freely for a year. If you cannot complete the course in a year, there are extensions available for a very small fee. (See our website Terms and Conditions or an Application for Admission for specifics on extensions.)

What do I need for the course?

You will need a computer and Internet access. Specifics as to what you need on your computer can be found here. You will not need anything too special, so don't be concerned about having to run out and buy hundreds of dollars worth of programs or anything like that. You will also need a foot pedal, which we provide (and which you may keep). Be wary of any course that does not send you a foot pedal. If they just send you a tape player, you will not learn how to do medical transcription properly. You will need to physically stop, rewind, fastforward, etc everytime you want to relisten to a word! This would be so frustrating! Not to mention what slow-going it would be!

What do I get as far as references? Who helps me when I have questions?

Upon enrolling, you will be sent a full-sized hard cover Stedman's Medical Dictionary, a full-size Drake & Drake Pharmaceutical Word Book, a medical surgical phrase book, and a huge set of flashcards...all the references you need throughout the course. Once you begin the practice transcription portion of the course, you are then sent a foot pedal and software. The reports you need to type are all in tiny files online, and you will use your foot pedal and software to play them. It's very easy to use.

When you have questions, you will have several resources to turn to. First of all, we have an FAQ page, a student forum, and a Help link enabling you to e-mail questions directly to us. We respond promptly to all support requests. Second of all, you have US!!! You can call us 10 times a day if you'd like for help. Each of us here is an actively working experienced medical transcriptionist. We've each been in the position you are of learning this profession, so we will help you in any way that we can. Again, it helps to have a teacher who actually works in the field she is teaching in!

Will you help me find a job when I complete the course?

We offer all of our graduates excellent support in finding employment. Since we have been hired as MTs ourselves and have also had to hire MTs ourselves, we know the market inside and out. We will help you with your resume, give you pre-interview counseling, and send references all over for you. We have run our own very successful market-leading transcription service for nearly 15 years. You will not be alone when it comes time to actually put all of this education to the test! Plus, if you graduate with a 95% or better on your Final exam, we would love to have you apply to work for our service! (Ask me if you'd like more details on this.) Of course, LearnTranscription.com cannot guarantee you a job after graduation; but we will provide assistance to you in gaining employment.

Is there any kind of certification I need to work as an MT?

No. There is no required state certification specifically for medical transcriptionists. However, employers will want you to be trained as an MT. The American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT), a private organization, does have a test that you can take to become a certified medical transcriptionist (CMT) through their organization. This is pretty much the only recognized certification in this field. It is not at all required but is an option. This test is offered separately from any MT course you might take. Contact AAMT (or visit their website) if you would like more information.

How much does the course cost?

The total cost of the course is $1,900. (Students using our 7-month payment program will be charged a small additional fee.) This includes everything; books, foot pedal, technical and conceptual support, transcription practice, graduate and placement support…everything. We encourage you to compare the cost of our course to that of other schools.

Do you have a payment plan?

Currently, we offer three different payment options:

  • Payment of $1,900 in full; or
  • Four interest-free payments of $475 over four months, totaling $1,900; or
  • Down payment of $999 and payments of just $180 a month for 6 months, totaling $2,079.

We also participate in the Michigan Works program. (In fact, we're the only school offering an online MT training format that was approved by the state to accept their students!) If you'd like to discuss whether or not you'd qualify for help from Michigan Works, call 1-800-285-WORKS. This will put you through to their office in your county.

We are also currently working on alternative payment options for our students, which would allow smaller payments to be made each month, and can notify you when these options are available if you’d like.

What is included with the course?
  • Unlimited access to the online course, including all major medical specialties, during enrollment
  • Full support from our medical transcription staff
  • Full-size references including:
    • Stedman’s Medical Dictionary
    • Saunders Pharmaceutical Word Book
    • Annotated Medical/Surgical Phrase Book
    • Prefix, suffix, and word flash cards
  • Transcription foot pedal
  • Transcription software
  • 600+ real reports in various specialties to type for practice
  • Mid-term and Final Exams
  • Student forum, where you can meet and chat with other students
  • On-demand grading
  • Excellent graduate support
What should I ask when comparing LearnTranscription.com to other schools?

We want you to choose the best medical transcription course out there; so when you look at another school or course, keep this sheet handy and be sure to ask:

  • Will an actively working medical transcriptionist be the one providing support to me? Who answers the phone when I call for help; a transcriptionist or a customer service representative?
  • How many practice reports will I type? Are they real reports (including accents, background noise, etc), or are they recorded in a studio or by an instructor?
  • Do you send me a foot pedal to type the reports with or just a tape player? With a tape player, will I have to take my hands off the keyboard to stop, fast-forward or rewind, and play every time I need to relisten to a word?
  • How will my quizzes and tests be graded? If they can only do them by hand, will I have to mail them and pay postage for each one? How long will it take to get feedback?
  • Are all major specialties included in the course without having to pay more?
  • What is the cost of the course? (Be sure to add postage on top of that if you will be mailing items back and forth, and be sure to figure in the additional cost of learning any specialties if they won’t teach them to you in their basic course. If you’re considering a community college, add on the cost of books, too. )
  • Do I have to take the classes on a certain schedule or can lessons be done on my schedule? Can I take them from home or do I need to drive to your campus?
  • Are all of the classes/lessons I need to take pertinent to medical transcription or will I need to take a bunch of other classes that are unrelated? (This is especially important to ask if you are considering a community college course, etc.) How long does the course take to complete?
  • Will I get help finding a job once I’ve completed the course?
Why choose LearnTranscription.com?
  • Medical transcription is the only thing we teach. (Sorry…we don’t offer Gunsmithing or Jewelry Cleaning courses, too!)
  • Owning SOAP Transcription Services, Inc., for the past 15 years has taught us a lot! We know what it’s like to work in this field and what employers are looking for.
  • Our course includes lessons on all of the major specialties and practice transcription in all of the major specialties. You will type hundreds of real reports that include foreign dictation, background noise, etc, to fully prepare you and make you confident for a job in this field. (And LearnTranscription.com is very reasonably priced!)
  • Our course includes a foot pedal to use for practice transcription. The foot pedal and all of your references are yours to keep.
  • All of your quizzes and tests are graded automatically at the click of a button, providing you with immediate feedback. No mailing of papers, postage costs, or waiting on results.
  • We will help you in your job search after you graduate. It is as important to us that you find a job as it is to you!
What are LearnTranscription.com's affiliations?

WWMT West Michigan Pros: LearnTranscription.com is proud to have been named the West Michigan Pro for Medical Transcription Education and Employment by WWMT Channel 3 in Michigan. Check out the West Michigan Pros link on www.wwmt.com or watch for us on WWMT Channel 3.

Michigan Works!: The State of Michigan has designated LearnTranscription.com to be a qualified medical transcription training program to accept students through their state program. Our program was thoroughly evaluated by the state and chosen to be on their list of approved educators. LearnTranscription.com is quite proud to be the only online-format school on this list!

Medical Transcription Industry Alliance (MTIA): Both of our owners are active members in this organization devoted to developing and promoting standards in the medical transcription industry.

Grand Rapids Women’s Resource Center (GRWRC): GRWRC entrusts us with potential students, and we have referred individuals to them for the services they provide. See www.grwrc.org for more information about this organization.
 
 
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