Choosing the
right medical
transcription
training program is
a big decision. It's
a commitment of time
and money in the
hopes of starting a
new career. You
don't want to pay a
school and find out
that no employers
trust the quality of
the program.
1. Is the program
AHDI approved?
AHDI is the largest
group representing
the clinical
documentation
sector, which
includes medical
transcriptionists.
They have reviewed
many programs, but a
very limited number
meet their approval
in terms of quality
of education.
There are other
certifications or
credentialing
programs out there
for training
programs, but it's
important to
remember that it's
easy to create a
certification or
credential for a
school. The
important thing is
how trusted it is.
AHDI is the one I
trust.
2. What is the job
placement rate after
graduation?
This can naturally
vary by how the
economy is doing,
but you want to have
a good chance to get
a job after
graduation. Some
schools are highly
trusted by
employers. Others
are not.
Remember that no
matter the placement
rate, the biggest
part depends on your
willingness to work
hard and really
learn the job before
graduation. The best
training program out
there won't do you
any good if you
don't learn what
they're teaching.
3. How long does the
course take?
Most online courses
are somewhat self
paced, but medical
transcription
training programs do
typically have a
maximum amount of
time it takes, and
they should be able
to tell you what the
average time is.
Most schools will
want you to treat
their training
rather as you would
a part time job,
committing to at
least 20 hours per
week of work on your
education. This is
also good practice
for when you land
your first
transcription job.
4. What are the
qualifications of
the instructors?
Being taught by a
CMT (Certified
Medical
Transcriptionist) is
great, but your
instructors at the
very least need
solid experience as
transcriptionists.
5. What materials
are included?
You need to know
what you get
included in the
price you pay and if
you will be expected
to buy anything
more. Just think of
how many books you
may have to buy for
courses at a
traditional college,
on top of what the
classes cost! Is
there anything that
will increase the
cost of your medical
transcription
training beyond the
cost of tuition?
6. What admission
requirements do you
need to meet?
Many online programs
for medical
transcription have
some basic admission
requirements. These
are important
because you don't
want a course that
expects to teach
everyone to type or
teach basic grammar.
You should have
these skills
already, as should
your classmates.
Focusing on them
while you could be
learning
transcription is a
waste of your
tuition.
7. What are the
computer and
technology
requirements?
If you're going to
take an online
training course,
obviously you're
going to need a
computer and an
internet connection.
But can they cope
with the setup you
have? Will you need
a high speed
connection? Note
that you will
probably also need a
high speed internet
connection for most
medical
transcription at
home jobs.
Figure out the
answers to these and
other questions you
find relevant before
you sign up for any
medical
transcription course
online. It can save
you a lot of
heartache to choose
carefully.
Stephanie Foster
started http://www.medicaltranscriptionbasics.com/
based on experiences
in her own medical
transcription
career. Find out if
you're ready to
train in an online
medical
transcriptionist
course at http://www.medicaltranscriptionbasics.com/skills.htm
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