Medical Transcription Schools

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Medical Transcription Training & Education

Medical transcription training programs are designed to prepare students to join the work force as professional medical transcriptionists. Medical transcription training is offered by medical transcription schools and colleges, and in some cases by online medical transcription training institutions.

Medical transcriptionists typically enter the job market with either an associate’s degree, a certificate, or a diploma. Medical transcription training may last from one to two years, depending on the education level sought. Training generally covers the foundational medical concepts required to understand and transcribe medical recordings, the computer and typing skills needed to perform efficiently, and sometimes the business skills needed to run an independent medical transcription business.

Medical Transcriptionist Training Curriculum

Training for medical transcriptionists varies, but most programs involve hands-on and lecture-style education in medical background knowledge, common medical procedures, computer and typing skills, and often business and management skills for medical transcriptionists who plan to work independently.

Training programs often involve hands-on practice such as listening to physician recordings and using transcription equipment to transcribe them into sample medical reports, to gain a feel for the job duties medical transcriptionists perform.

Some of the course subjects medical transcriptionists are trained on include:

  • American English Grammar
  • Medical Terminology
  • Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Medical Law
  • Hands-on Transcription
  • Computer Skills
  • Typing

Medical transcriptionist training often focuses on various scenarios that may come up during work — for example, recordings by doctors with heavy accents or otherwise difficult-to-understand speaking styles. Some programs also offer courses in business management, office administration, and other areas that apply to running a medical transcription business from home.

Evaluating Medical Transcriptionist Training Programs

There are a few things you may want to keep an eye out for as you explore your training options in medical transcription. Here are a couple of them.

Accreditation? One of the most important things you can do while exploring schools is to make sure the medical transcription training program you choose is accredited by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). This will let you know the training has met the standards of the AHDI, the authoritative organization in medical records and documentation. This will also ensure your ability to become certified later on.

Online? Another thing to consider while exploring medical transcription training is whether or not to enroll in an online training program. Many medical transcriptionist training programs can be completed partially or entirely online, which provides greater flexibility and affordability.

Continuing education? Beyond the basic career training offered by medical transcription programs, many of them also have post-graduate courses available. Stay in touch with the training program you choose, as they may offer webinars or additional courses throughout the year.

All medical transcription training programs cost time and money. However, graduating from a formal medical transcription training program can make you more attractive to employers, as they will know you already possess the skills needed to perform according to the medical transcriptionist job description.

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