Medical Transcriptionist Program FAQs

Get answers to the most common and important questions about enrolling in a medical transcriptionist program at Career Step. Our FAQs section provides answers to help you make an informed decision about your education.

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 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 Career Step's training programs help 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, ongoing 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 medical transcription 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, with the first half 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 into the workplace after graduation.

What type of student support does Career Step offer?

Career Step student support includes access to:

• Student Support Advisors 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 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 help you transition to the workforce after graduation. Your Graduate Advisors will help prepare the best resume, develop solid interview skills, and teach you 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, ongoing 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 you 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
• Personalized interview tutorials and training
• Individual resume and cover 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)*

*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.

Note: 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.

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.