Train through Career Step, Sten Tel's education partner!

Is Medical Transcription the Career for Me?

The medical transcription field offers a number of benefits, including:

• The opportunity to work at home – A real career from your home with no commute, no daycare costs, and the flexibility to work anywhere you have an internet connection.
• Flexible work schedules – Many medical transcriptionists choose their schedules, so you'll have the freedom to work when it fits your life.
• Productivity-based income – The better you get at your job, the more you can make as a medical transcriptionist because most are paid on production.

Medical transcription offers the opportunity to earn a great income in a growing healthcare career from the comfort of your own home.

Is Career Step the School for Me?

Over 65,000 Career Step students can't be wrong. Choose Career Step, and you'll graduate with the skills you need to succeed immediately upon graduation. Career Step offers:

• Affordable tuition – Career Step Medical Transcription training is among the best, and you can gain the skills you need to succeed for only $2,595.
• Preparation for a rapidly growing career – Medical transcription employment is expected to grow by 11%, or over 11,000 new jobs, by 2018, offering you plenty of opportunities.
• Training to excel in the workforce – Quickly gain the skills you need to start working from home right after graduation. 85% of our graduates are working in their field of study.

Choose Career Step for the quality education you need to train at home to work at home as a medical transcriptionist.

What Will I Be Doing as a Medical Transcriptionist?

The medical transcription industry includes medical transcriptionists and medical transcription editors. Career Step training can prepare you for both of these career paths:

• Medical transcriptionists type up written reports of the audio files doctors record after they interact with patients. These written reports are then included in the patient's medical record.
• Medical transcription editors are specialized medical transcriptionists who correct and edit written reports created by speech recognition software, which automatically translates the doctor's dictation into text.

Most of these professionals work from home, although there are a few who work on-site for hospitals or clinics. With Career Step's Medical Transcription training, you can gain the skills you need to work from home in either of these roles, making you more flexible when you're looking for a job.

How Much Can I Make as a Medical Transcriptionist?

Most medical transcriptionists are paid on production, so the more you work the more you can make. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the middle 50% of medical transcriptionists earn between $27,070 and $39,260 a year.

What Medical Transcription Training Does Career Step Offer?

Career Step offers two online medical transcription training programs:

Medical Transcription Editor

• Career Step's premier medical transcription training option
• Built on the AHDI-approved Medical Transcription curriculum
• One of the first programs to prepare students for speech recognition technology
• Prepares students to be both medical transcriptionists and medical transcription editors
• 640 hours of curriculum and hands-on experience

Medical Transcription

• One of the nation's leading medical transcription training programs
• AHDI approved
• Prepares student for careers as medical transcriptionists
• 570 hours of curriculum and hands-on experience

The speech recognition editing training in the Medical Transcription Editor program expands your skill set beyond that of traditional medical transcriptionists, making you more in demand when you're looking for a job.

How Long Will the Training Take?

The programs are designed to be completed in 4 months of full-time study. However, the online format allows you to study on your own schedule and at your own pace, so your enrollment includes 12 months of program access in case you need extra time.

What Will I Be Learning?

In both of the Career Step medical transcription programs you'll learn:

• Typing skills
• Medical terminology
• Grammar and punctuation
• Anatomy and pharmacology
• Medical record types and formats
• Productivity tips

After establishing a solid knowledge foundation, you'll move to the "practicum" section. In the practicum, you'll develop your transcription (and editing if you're in the Medical Transcription Editor program) skills by practicing on hundreds of authentic doctor dictations and patient records. This hands-on experience will prepare you to transition to the workforce as soon as you graduate.

What is medical transcription?

Medical transcription offers you the opportunity to have a real at-home career in the growing medical industry. The field currently includes 2 important roles:

• Medical transcriptionists type the audio dictations of doctor-patient interactions, creating the reports that make up patients' medical records.
• Medical transcription editors—specialized medical transcriptionists—correct and edit dictation reports created by speech recognition software, which electronically translates dictations into text.

With Career Step you can train for both of these career paths, work from the comfort of your home, and prepare for the future of the industry.

What is the job market for a medical transcriptionist?

As part of the expanding healthcare industry, the medical transcription field (encompassing both medical transcription and medical transcription editing) is also enjoying significant growth. The 2010-2011 report released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates:

• A healthy job market as industry employment is projected to grow by 11%, or 11,700 new jobs, from 2008 through 2018.
• A high demand for transcription services, sustained by the continued need for electronic documentation that can be easily shared.
• Growing number of professionals needed in the field to amend patients' records, edit documents from speech recognition systems, and identify discrepancies in medical reports.

The report also further states, "Contracting out transcription work overseas and advancements in speech recognition technology are not expected to significantly reduce the need for well-trained [domestic] medical transcriptionists."

The Career Step training programs are well-known and respected within the industry, particularly by employers. Most medical transcription companies require job applicants to have several years of experience, but because Career Step's curriculum is so trusted, many companies are willing to waive the experience requirement for Career Step graduates. Over 700 companies have hired Career Step grads and the vast majority are hired within a few months of graduation.

How much can I earn as a medical transcriptionist and editor?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report–encompassing both medical transcription and medical transcription editor professionals–states that the middle 50% of professionals in the field earn between $27,070 and $39,260 a year. However, it is important to remember that the majority of transcriptionists are paid on a production basis, which offers the opportunity to earn more as you become more familiar with the work, when you work more often, and if you increase your speed or efficiency.

Do I need to be certified?

The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) maintains two industry credentials, the Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) credential and the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) credential. The RMT exam is designed for entry-level medical transcriptionists, and the CMT exam is designed for medical transcriptionists who have two years of experience in the industry.

Very few industry employers require these credentials as a prerequisite to employment, and while your graduation from a Career Step program will not award you either credential, graduates who have taken the exams have generally done well since the Career Step's training programs helps students build a solid foundational understanding of the medical transcription profession.

What are the advantages of training with Career Step?

Career Step has been a leader in medical transcription education for almost 20 years and offers one of the most comprehensive medical transcription editor training programs in the industry. You will study online, on your own schedule and at your own pace, and with Career Step you know you're getting the right education; personal, on-going support; and the resources and guidance you need to turn your education into a job.

Is Career Step accredited?

Career Step is currently pursuing national accreditation.

Is Career Step AHDI approved?

The Career Step Medical Transcription training program is certified and approved by the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP), which is a joint committee established by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

At this time, AHDI does not have an approval process for editing specific courses; however, the AHDI-approved Medical Transcription curriculum is the foundation of the Medical Transcription Editor program.

What is the difference between the Medical Transcription Editor and the Medical Transcription Editor supplement programs?

Career Step has developed two Medical Transcription Editor programs to provide speech recognition training that meets the needs of both new students and already-trained medical transcriptionists.

The full Medical Transcription Editor program is a vocational course designed for students without medical transcription knowledge and skills. This course prepares them for a career as either a medical transcriptionist or a medical transcription editor.

The Medical Transcription Editor supplemental program is designed for those who have a solid foundation of medical transcription knowledge and skills. This program focuses solely on the specialized speech recognition editing skill set. We strongly recommend you take our short Medical Transcription Editor Skills Evaluation exam before deciding if the supplemental program is the best option for you.

How are the Career Step programs structured?

The Career Step programs are offered entirely online, providing 24/7 access to all material and allowing you to progress through the curriculum on your own schedule and at your own pace. The programs are broken into modules, or course subjects, and the first half is devoted to building your knowledge base while the second half is an extensive practicum designed to help you gain the practical experience you need to smoothly transition to the workplace after graduation.

What type of student support does Career Step offer?

Career Step student support includes access to:

• Student Support Advisors who have professional experience in the industry and are uniquely qualified to answer questions about both the curriculum and the industry. They provide timely answers to questions about the program material and offer a number of personal consultations throughout the training to help students master important concepts.
• Technical Support Advisors who are knowledgeable, experienced, and available six days a week to help you work through any technical or computer issues encountered within the training program.
• Graduate Support Advisors who help you transition to the workforce after graduation. Your Graduate Advisors will help you prepare the best resume, develop solid interview skills, and learn valuable job search techniques.

Though the course is entirely online, you'll never be on your own. Career Step's student support team will always be there to offer personal, on-going support all the way through the training program.

How much practice transcription is included in the programs?

There are 41 hours of real-life doctor dictations included in the Medical Transcription program and the medical transcription section of the Medical Transcription Editor program. These dictations cover a wide variety of medical specialties as well as the full spectrum of doctor accents and dictation style. The Medical Transcription Editor program also includes 16 hours of additional dictation in the editing practicum section.

How long does it take to finish the course?

The Medical Transcription Editor program is estimated at 640 completion hours and the Medical Transcription training program is estimated at 570 completion hours. Since the programs are completely self-paced and the online training format allows you the flexibility to study as much or as little as your schedule allows, the time it takes to complete the course will vary from other students. Some students are able to complete their 640 hour training program in as little as four months (working on the course full-time, 8 hours a day 5 days a week) and others, who are more limited in the time they can devote to the course, take longer (for example, students who can devote about 20 hours a week may finish the 640 hour MTE program in about 8 months).

Every student who enrolls in a Career Step training program receives an initial 4-month period of enrollment–and we currently offer an additional 8 months at no extra charge! You'll have a full year to complete the program. If you need extra time to complete the course after your initial one-year enrollment, we have 4-month extensions available for purchase.

How do I find work after graduation?

Career Step offers personalized, post-graduation resources for your job search, including:

• Personal consultation with an employment advisor
• Access to employment and referral directories
• Contracts and pricing guide
• Personalized interview tutorials and training
• Individual resume and sales letter review, tips, and advice
• Access to Career Step's help hotline for a full year after graduation

These resources offer the personalized help you need after graduation to quickly and easily transition to the workplace. With this individualized help and attention, the vast majority of our graduates are hired within a few months of graduation.

What materials and computer specifications are required to complete the course?

Your enrollment includes everything you will need to train for a successful career in medical transcription. Your enrollment includes:

• Access to expert-created curriculum
• 10-volume text companion series of textbooks
• Unlimited student and technical support
• Transcription foot pedal (device used to control audio playback when transcribing)
• 15-month membership to the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI)
• 15-month subscription to Benchmark KB (an online database that includes a dynamic medical dictionary, AHDI Book of Style, and many other medical transcription resources)

Since the course is completely online, your computer will play an important role in your learning experience. We recommend the following minimum computer system specifications:

Hardware

• Active internet connection (High speed/Broadband connection recommended)
• 800 X 600 minimum resolution (1024 X 768 or higher recommended)
• Sound card and speakers (Earphones recommended)
• Available USB port

Software

• Adobe Flash Player (ver. 10 or higher)
• Windows Media Player (ver. 10 or higher) or Quicktime Player (ver. 7 or higher)
• PDF reader

Browser

• Internet Explorer 7.x/8.x
• Firefox 3.x *
• Safari 4.x or greater (Mac only)*
• Javascript and cookies must be enabled

Operating System

• Microsoft Windows (XP®, Vista®, 7 with latest service pack)
• Mac OS X (10.4.11 or greater)

*Note: The Medical Transcription Editor program includes a third party software tool that makes the training only compatible with Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer 7.x or 8.x.

**Mobile browsing devices are not currently supported. However, Career Step is investigating the implementation of mobile device support, and these specifications will be updated once a decision has been reached.

What payment options does Career Step offer?

We realize that one of the most important questions tied to education is how it will be paid for. Because this is such a big part of the decision of whether or not to go back to school, Career Step has designed several tuition assistance and payment options. Please visit our Tuition Assistance page for more information on the available payment options.

How soon will I receive my materials?

It takes 2 to 3 business days to process the application, depending on method of payment. Once the payment is processed you will be emailed your course login and password and can start training immediately. Additional course materials are shipped UPS Ground after the payment is processed. The average wait is about 7-10 days.