Graduate Experiences
Career Step graduates get jobs! Read what some of our graduates are saying:
Career Step is an excellent course for anyone looking to add to his or her income or someone who is looking to work from home. I would, and have, recommended this program to anyone who is motivated and ready to change their present circumstances, whatever they may be.
I found this online course to be the best way for me to learn. When I didn't understand something the first time I was able to sit with it and let it and let it sink in. If I was in a classroom setting I may not have done so well. When working at your own pace you have the time to fully understand without feeling rushed. This was a great course. The support system with staff and fellow students was phenomenal. I highly recommend this course!
I started Career Step's online MT training program because I wanted to change my career from working as an RN to being able to work from home. Little did I know how rewarding I would find the course!…The day I submitted my Final Exam for grading was a real milestone. Several days later when I opened the email that contained my final grade, I actually burst into tears to see that I had graduated with high honors! Thank you, Career Step!
When I went for my interview, because of my thorough Career Step training, I was hired on the spot. The company owner was amazed at my transcription skills compared to applications from local schools/colleges. I really like being a medical transcriptionist, and I am so excited to have a career where I can work from my home.
Deciding to take the Medical Transcription course through Career Step has been a life-changing event. Living as I do in a rural area, obtaining work has always been a problem and the possibility of being able to work from home was an option I had to pursue. I am so glad that I did. As I worked through the transcription portion of the course . . . the fact that these were real people with real problems kept me working to find the correct names and spellings of their afflictions. I am proud to be a graduate and highly recommend the course.
I graduated with High Honors and was very fortunate to find a job to fit my requirements perfectly within the first month. While I found the course to be exactly what it was advertised to be and I was very please with the training I received, I cannot say enough about Graduate Support! I was not expecting the level of involvement with my job search that Career Step provided. In my opinion, Career Step does not consider you to have completed the course until you have found employment!
I was able to get a job within 3 weeks of graduating, which was largely related to the Career Step name on my resume. I have talked to people and read that many new grads from other schools are looking for work for 4 to 6 months. I love my job and, while I am still learning the details of the job, I was well prepared for the work!
I started the course at 50 years old and I was not sure I could learn everything necessary to become a working MT. The course outlined everything clearly and with a lot of hard work I became a High Honors graduate and 2 weeks later got my first job. If I can do it, so can you!
Overall, I was very pleased with everything that Career Step had to offer. I was attracted to Career Step because I am a military spouse, and I was looking for a new career that would be easy to transfer, as my family transfers from one base to another . . . Now my life looks like it is going to be profitable and a lot of fun with my new medical transcription jobs . . . Thank you, Career Step, for everything that you do.
I was quite hesitant about taking a course online. I took one many years ago, and it didn't lead to anything. After starting Career Step, I knew I was in good hands. The course takes you where you need to go, one step at a time…The practical experience provided in the course was excellent.
The Career Step course has really prepared me for the MT field. My sister has been working as an MT for 15 years and is amazed how prepared I am to begin working! Thank you!
Employers Hire Our Graduates
[links open in new window]:
Curriculum Details
The Career Step Medical Transcription online career training program consists of 21 modules, or course subjects, that are broken into smaller units. The program helps you develop transcription skills through the acquisition of knowledge and hands-on application. Immediate assessment and guidance is offered upon the completion of each unit, and a final exam is scheduled and graded by our transcription student support specialists.
Medical Transcription program module descriptions:
Program Orientation
This module provides you with an overview of training components, instruction on how to navigate the program, and tips and resources for getting the most out of the course. You will be introduced to the medical transcription industry, medical transcription training program, and become oriented within the online program. A syllabus for each of the modules in the program is presented, as well as information for navigating, using the features and functions of the online program, and understanding tests and feedback. Skills necessary to be a successful medical transcriptionist are outlined, and a host of available resources is presented along with a detailed study guide designed to enable a successful learning experience.
Technology and the Medical Professional
In this module you will learn basic computer skills, including using hardware, software, peripherals, wireless technology, using the Internet as a resource, and operating various facilities for data storage and networking. You will learn about the many software and hardware products available that are specifically designed for the healthcare environment.
Keyboard Kinetics
This module will teach you keyboard basics, such as which fingers are supposed to touch which keys, and help you increase your efficiency on the keyboard.
Medical Word Building
In this module you will learn medical word building, including root words, combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes.
Grammar and Punctuation
This module is a refresher course in fundamentals of English grammar and punctuation. You will be taught to recognize and identify proper usage and correctly punctuate sentences.
Anatomy and Disease
This module will introduce you to basic human anatomical structures and the various diseases that affect these structures. You will be introduced to disease entities, diagnoses, and treatments.
Pathophysiology
This module will familiarize you with the major body systems, including the digestive, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, excretory, cardiovascular, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems, and the diseases associated with each system.
Mastering Medical Language
This module will teach you the specialized vocabulary used by healthcare providers and familiarize you with a variety of nuances unique to medical language. Specifically, this module will cover word differentiation, abbreviations, plurals, foreign terms, and slang and jargon in medical language.
Pharmacology
In this module you will be introduced to the science of pharmacology and provided an overview of basic pharmacologics, including drug actions and effects, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, and drug classifications and formulary. This module also gives you the opportunity to see and reference commonly prescribed drugs and other pharmaceutical terms in the context of medical reports.
Building the Medical Record
The purpose of this module is to teach you how to build the medical record. Specifically, the module will cover report types, report components, formatting rules, and effective resources. The physical exam and laboratory data report components will also be studied in detail in this module.
Diagnostic Reports
In this module you will be exposed to diagnostic reports. You will take an in-depth look at emergency medicine, physical medicine, radiology, and pathology. Each unit will contain terminology, headings, exercises, and sample reports.
Focus on Medical Specialties
This module will introduce you to the various types of reports transcribed by medical transcriptionists and provide you an opportunity to study in depth reports from every major medical specialty. You will be introduced to specialty-specific information including terminology, abbreviations, types of reports, and document formatting through sample reports, varied exercises, targeted curriculum, and word lists.
Midterm
This module provides you an opportunity for self-assessment after completion of the objective modules and before moving on to the practical components of the training program.
Perfect the Text
In this module you will improve your editing skills by reviewing common proofreading problem areas, including commonly misspelled words, fragments and run-on sentences, punctuation, capitalization, incorrect words, and sloppy dictation.
Introduction to Transcription
This module will introduce you to the fundamentals of transcription with both tips and exercises designed to facilitate a smoother transition into the transcription practicum portion of the program. In addition, this module includes a brief preparatory transcription practicum to help you gradually step into medical transcription.
Clinic Notes
This module will allow you to gain practical experience transcribing authentic clinic note dictation. It includes a wide variety of clinic notes and progress notes across various specialties, such as cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, otorhinolaryngology, GI, GU, neurology, OB/GYN, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedic, pediatrics, podiatry, primary care, and psychology.
Basic Acute Care
This practicum module provides you with practical experience transcribing authentic acute care dictation files. This module includes basic hospital reports, including radiology, emergency room (ER), multispecialty clinic, discharge summaries, operative reports, procedure notes, consultations, and physicals, all with accompanying account instructions.
Enhancing Productivity
This module provides you information and exercises for tracking and improving productivity, along with tips for preparing to be productive on the job after graduation. This module also includes extensive descriptions of productivity tools, software commonly used in the medical transcription industry, and a 4-month free trial of a word expander software program to be used with the training program.
Advanced Acute Care
This practicum module exposes you to a wide variety of account instructions and difficult acute care files. The module is broken down into an in-depth account instructions unit, verbatim instructions unit, radiology unit, complex account instructions unit, and an extremely advanced acute care unit. All dictation is authentic, and the full spectrum of dictator accents and dictation style is covered. The practicum files cover radiology reports, operative reports, consultations, history and physicals, ER reports, discharge summaries, procedure notes, and progress notes.
Final Exam Preparation
This module provides you with final exam information, including an overview of the final, tips for preparing for the final, scheduling the final, and accessing the examination.
Speech Recognition
This final module teaches you about speech recognition technology's role in the health information management industry. This module addresses common myths associated with the emergence of SRT, the history of SRT, and how SRT works. This is a conceptual module designed to give you a working knowledge of the speech recognition engine and how medical transcriptionists and medical editors fit into SRT.
