Online Medical Transcription Training


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Comprehensive Online Medical Transcription Courses
Mentoring you to a successful career in Medical Transcription.

About Medical Transcription and MT University

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Comprehensive and affordable online medical transcription courses with job placement. assistance

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Online medical transcription courses customized to your capabilities.

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Enroll now in an online medical transcription course and take control of your future.

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See what happens when you are a medical transcriptionist. Try transcribing a file here.

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Email or call us to see which medical transcription course best fits your needs!

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What is medical transcription?
Medical transcription is the process of converting into written form the dictated reports, procedures and notes of physicians and other healthcare professionals to document patient care and facilitate healthcare services. These files represent the patient's treatment history, including assessment, workup, therapeutic procedures, clinical course, diagnosis, prognosis, etc.

What does a medical transcriptionist do?
Medical Transcriptionists (MTs) are specialists in medical language and healthcare documentation who transcribe patients' healthcare reports, including histories and physical examinations, discharge summaries, operative reports, etc. Using transcription equipment and a computer, they edit dictated material for grammar and clarity.

What are the qualities of a good medical transcriptionist?
Medical transcriptionists need to have an extensive knowledge of medical terminology to be able to produce documents that are accurate and complete. They need to have excellent English writing skills including grammar, structure, style and spelling. They should have in-depth knowledge of medical transcription practices, and skills in word processing, spelling, and proofreading. They should possess good hearing acuity and listening ability, with the patience of a saint. They should have strong research and analytical skills, and working knowledge of the internet is a plus.

Where do Medical Transcriptionists work?
Medical transcriptionists work primarily in medical centers, hospitals, doctor's offices, and clinics. They work for private transcription companies called Medical Transcription Service Organizations (MTSOs). Other institutions include insurance companies, healthcare companies and even government facilities.

Medical Transcriptionists can also work as independent contractors with their own doctor clients. They can work as subcontractors for Medical Transcription Service Organizations, opting for part-time and flexible work schedules without affiliating themselves with one company. Independents can work out of their homes, transmitting their work electronically.

Why is Medical Transcription an attractive career choice?
Medical transcriptionists nationwide are more in demand than ever before - especially those who are well-qualified, professional and conscientious. Aside from the growing demand and limited supply, here are other reasons why this is a lucrative career:

Medical transcription is flexible. You can choose to work in a doctor's office, join a Medical Transcription Service Organization (MTSO) or opt to work out of your own home as an entrepreneur. Even if you're based at home, you can have your own client base of doctors or do subcontractual work for a Medical Transcription Service Organization. The power of the internet and a variety of other technological advances enable you to work from virtually anywhere!
Medical transcription is also time-flexible. If you choose to work on your own, your working hours are up to you!
The country will never run out of dictation to be transcribed anywhere in the near future. Voice recognition systems are seen as a threat to the Medical Transcriptionist's vocation, but realistically it will take years before they can take over - if at all! Even if they do develop technology sophisticated enough to do the transcribing, Medical Transcriptionists will still be needed as editors and recordkeepers.

What is the future of the medical transcription industry? How will speech recognition technology affect it?
The American Association for Medical Transcription provides the following information:

"In spite of the advances in this technology, it has been difficult for the software to grasp and analyze the human voice and the English language with all its diversity. There will continue to be a need for skilled medical language specialists who expand their education and have the knowledge to identify and appropriately edit the inevitable errors created by speech recognition systems and who have enough understanding of the health record to create a final document. Medical transcriptionists continue to be the best qualified to discern the nuances of human speech - indeed, the ultimate speech processors."

In short, the demand for Medical Transcriptionists will continue into the foreseeable future. There are things that humans can do which machines cannot. Only human beings can exercise their judgment in separating actual dictation from the mumbo-jumbo. Only human beings can adjust to changes in accent (particularly for ESL doctors), pronunciation and syntax. As new medical procedures develop and new terminologies are introduced, human beings can make the adjustments much faster than machines can.

How much money will I earn as a medical transcriptionist?
The American Association for Medical Transcription provides the following information:

"Earnings vary considerably.A 1999 study conducted by Hay Management Consultants revealed entry-level (level 1) medical transcriptionist wages ranging from $10 to $16 per hour. Level 2 Medical Transcriptionists, who are more experienced and work at a more advanced level, tend to earn $1 to $2 per hour more than that, and level 3 Medical Transcriptionists, an additional $1 to $2."

Let's take a look at what Medical Transcriptionists make on the average after 18 months on the job.

HOMEBASED Medical Transcriptionist INCOME (AVERAGE RATIOS)

Average Medical Transcriptionist Work Experience in Months	Average Daily Line Count	Average Take Home Dollars / MONTH	Average Take Home Dollars / YEAR
16	1,630	$ 3,537.10	42,445.20
12	1,270	$ 2,755.90	33,070.80
8	910	$ 1,974.70	23,696.40
4	550	$ 1,193.50	14,322.00

These estimates only serve as an approximation of what a Medical Transcriptionist could make if he or she works full time as a Medical Transcriptionist. It by no means implies or states a guaranteed income. Income levels will change depending on the Medical Transcriptionist's accuracy level and typing speed.

How long does it take to become a medical transcriptionist?
Anywhere from 3 months to a year, depending on where you're starting from and how many hours you're willing to devote to your education. If you have medical background or study full-time, the process is shorter. If you devote 6 -8 hours a day, 5 days a week you'll be able to finish the basic medical transcription training in 4 - 5 months. On the average, however, the basic medical transcription training will take you 9 months if you devote 3 - 4 hours a day to it

Do I need certification?
The American Association for Medical Transcription has a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) program, which provides independent certification. You obtain this by completing an exam after 2 years of Medical Transcriptionist experience. However, certification is rarely required by employers and it is not necessary to be a Certified Medical Transcriptionist to work as a medical transcriptionist. Those who are interested in getting certified can opt to take MTUniversity's advanced medical transcription training, which consists of Certified Medical Transcriptionist exam preparation.

Do I need to be a good typist to be a medical transcriptionist?
In a word, yes. Vital to the success of a medical transcriptionist is speed, as well as accuracy. These are minimum requirements! However, it's important to know that medical transcription requires a great deal more than fast typing.

Is Typing Included In Your Online Medical Transcription Training|Course?
A minimum requirement for all our students is 20 wpm. Although typing is not included, throughout the online medical transcription training:course you will find that your typing skills gradually, steadily improve. Practice makes perfect! Constant keyboarding will increase your speed and accuracy even if you don't go through a typing class. We do include, however, lessons regarding the use of the keyboard and Medical Transcriptionist software.

How do I find work after I've finished the medical transcription training:course?
The profiles of all our students automatically go into our database at mthire.com, which our corporate partners can access when they have requirements. We do not guarantee employment, as a person's employability is variable based on their performance. However, our site will put your resume out there for others to access. This means that your profile will be viewed by our network of home-based and office-based transcription companies.

Can I start my own business after I finish the medical transcription training:course? Can I work out of my home?
Advances in technology and the power of the internet have enabled individuals outside of the medical facility to provide transcription service. This means that a transcriptionist residing virtually anywhere can work for a doctor across the country. The latest technology allows a transcriptionist to receive dictation in audio files on the internet. These are transcribed and sent through the internet.

A qualified Medical Transcriptionist can acquire his or her own clients, or do subcontract work for a Medical Transcription Service Organization. A Medical Transcriptionist with his own clients is an entrepreneur and can offer his services to doctor's offices, medical clinics, hospitals, company medical centers, etc. They can also bring other Medical Transcriptionists into their network in order to take on more volume. The possibilities are endless.

Although this alternative is possible, it is not recommended immediately after graduation. More than anything, a fresh grad needs exposure to a network of other Medical Transcriptionists that will help him with his learning curve - particularly, with research techniques. Although a community site (like mtcommunity.com) will help, there's nothing like being in a room with 50 other Medical Transcriptionists who can help you out! Also, affiliation with a Medical Transcription Service Organization gives you several layers of protection - including a proofreader and an editor - who make sure that your work is accurate.

What equipment do I need?
To complete any of our medical transcription trainings, you will not require any special hardware. However, if you intend to work from your home, you will have to invest in equipment but the expense is minimal. There are three basic pieces of equipment you will need to begin working professionally: computer workstation with internet, keyboard (and optional foot pedal) and earphones.

What about those cheap-o Medical Transcription Programs?
In this world, you get what you pay for! A cheap education buys you very little. Often, these programs are developed and staffed by people who aren't qualified to teach a medical transcription training:course. Even after going through the medical transcription training|course, you won't know enough to meet minimum requirements. Worse, the bad track record of these schools will rub off on you and employers will hesitate to hire you because of a bad experience in the past.