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Medical Transcription Careers


A Career in High Demand

Medical Transcription is one of today's fastest growing healthcare professions because the healthcare industry is based on the ability to collect insurance, and detailed medical records are needed for processing insurance claims. A medical transcriptionist listens to dictated recordings made by physicians and other health care professionals and transcribes them into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material. The documents they produce include discharge summaries, history and physical examination reports, operative reports, consultation reports, autopsy reports, diagnostic imaging studies, progress notes, and referral letters. These documents eventually become part of patients' permanent files

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014. A high level of demand for transcription services will be sustained by the continued need for electronic documentation that can easily be shared among providers, third-party payers, regulators, consumers, and health information systems. Growing numbers of medical transcriptionists will be needed to amend patients' records, edit documents from speech recognition systems, and identify discrepancies in medical reports.

Medical Transcription Training

Employers prefer to hire transcriptionists who have completed postsecondary training in medical transcription, offered by many vocational schools, community colleges, and distance-learning programs. Completion of a 2-year associate degree or 1-year certificate program--including coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, legal issues relating to health care documentation, and English grammar and punctuation--is highly recommended, but not always required. Some transcriptionists, especially those already familiar with medical terminology from previous experience as a nurse or medical secretary, become proficient through refresher courses and training.

The American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT) awards the voluntary designation Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT), to those who earn a passing score on a certification examination. As in many other fields, certification is recognized as a sign of competence. Because medicine is constantly evolving, medical transcriptionists are encouraged to update their skills regularly. Every 3 years, CMTs must earn continuing education credits to be recertified.

In addition to understanding medical terminology, transcriptionists must have good English grammar and punctuation skills, as well as proficiency with personal computers and word processing software. Normal hearing acuity and good listening skills also are necessary. Employers require applicants to take pre-employment tests and usually prefer individuals with experience.

Opportunities Without Boundaries

Medical transcriptionists who are employed by hospitals, outpatient care centers, clinics, and doctor's offices are paid on an hourly basis. Employees of transcription services and independent contractors receive production-based pay. Experienced medical transcriptionists can work at home as an independent contractor or they may run a medical transcription business using employees or independent contractors. Hourly pay for hospital based employees averages $14 but self-employed medical transcriptions can easily earn $25 to $30 per hour. Because it offers the choice to work from home or work as an employee Medical Transcription is an excellent career choice for those seeking a new healthcare career as well as for those wishing a change from direct patient care fields such as nursing, and for certain healthcare students who might wish to be able to work part time from home while in school and earn excellent pay while doing so.

(Excerpted in part from: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Medical Transcription, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm)

 

Getting Started

Explore our comprehensive directory of online and campus based Medical Transcription Schools and request free no-obligation information directly from any of our featured schools.

Top Medical Transcription Careers Schools
Advance your career and get the distinct competitive advantage you need with an online degree from Kaplan University. And do it without missing a day of work.
Programs
  • AAS in Medical Transcription
  • AAS in Medical Office Management
Locations
 Fort Lauderdale  
Considering a new career or need additional job training? Whether you want to train for a new career, advance within your current company, or simply learn new skills to stay competitive in today's job market, Allied's distance education training can help! Because the courses are offered online and through traditional distance education, the stress associated with driving to and attending a live class is eliminated. Start your new career training today, start it with Allied Schools.
Programs
  • Medical Transcription
  • Electronic Health Records
  • ICD-10 Comprehensive Coding Training Course
  • More
Locations
 Laguna Hills  
Get your career on track with Medical Transcription Education Center. We offer a 100% online medical transcriptionist program that can be completed in just one year.
Programs
  • NexGen Speech Recognition Editing and Medical Transcription
Locations
 Akron  
Stratford Career Institute can help you earn your diploma from home in as little as six months, thanks to their proven study methods.
Programs
  • Medical Transcriptionist
  • Medical Office Assistant
Get the hands-on training and skills it takes to succeed with Ashworth College, a respected, worldwide leader in distance education. Study at the times and places most convenient for you.
Programs
  • Medical Transcription
  • Medical Office Assisting
Locations
 Norcross  
Penn Foster offers affordable, self-paced career-focused distance education programs in fields like business, criminal justice, health services, technology, engineering, paralegal studies and more.
Programs
  • Medical Transcriptionist
  • Legal Transcriptionist
  • Medical Coding and Billing
  • More
Locations
 Scranton  
As the largest private university in North America, University of Phoenix has more than 200 locations, and is available online in most countries around the world. Whether you're seeking a college degree at an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral level, we can help you reach your academic goal—and sooner than you might think.
Programs
  • A.A. in Health Care Administration-Medical Records
  • B.S. in Health Administration/Health Information Systems
Locations
 Online    Phoenix  
Allied Health Institute is a post-secondary vocational school offering a variety of Diploma and Associate Degree programs in the field of Allied Health. By utilizing online learning, students have the flexibility to continue their education from the convenience of their own home. Our virtual classrooms will enable students to attend classes and communicate with instructors and classmates. Students can complete some programs without leaving their current employment or sacrificing family time.
Programs
  • Medical Coding Specialist
  • Medical Office Assistant
  • Healthcare Management
  • More
Virginia College Online continues the tradition ofgiving lives new direction, fulfilling our mission statement tostudents wherever they live and offering the chance to pursue adegree while maintaining commitments to work and family.
Programs
  • AS - Healthcare Reimbursement
  • AS - Medical Office Administration
Locations
 Birmingham  
Westwood College is an institution of higher learning dedicated to providing quality, career-focused undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to launch, enhance, or change careers. The College offers broad access to education and serves a diverse, multicultural body of students in an environment that promotes pride, respect, and teamwork. The College's programs are designed to empower students to pursue their individual career goals.
Programs
  • Diploma - Medical Insurance Coding and Billing
  • Associate Degree - Medical Insurance Coding and Billing
  • Associate Degree - Medical Office Management
  • More
Locations
 Denver