Medical Transcription Training Decision

There are a number of options available to those seeking medical transcription training. These include local community college or business/trade school classes; distance learning classes (home study courses) offered by several large and well-known schools; training side-by-side with another transcriptionist; and, possibly, learning it on your own. Unfortunately, the options also include training with shortcut, fly-by-night correspondence schools - let the buyer beware...

If you are a person who is stimulated and challenged by the presence of other learners, if you learn best with a "live" teacher present to answer questions and give you guidance or coaching, consider a local community college or business/trade school.

If you are self-disciplined enough to follow a home-study curriculum, if you really learn best on your own and prefer to work at your own pace, if your current schedule or responsibilities would not permit you to physically attend classes or if there is not a local school available, consider a distance learning school.

When you research learning opportunities, just be sure that your course will offer ALL of the following:

• Medical Terminology;
• Acronyms, eponyms, abbreviations;
• Anatomy;
• Physiology;
• Laboratory tests and values;
• Medical procedures and equipment;
• Drugs;
• Transcription formatting;
• Ethics of medical transcription;
• Research methods and resources;
• Brush-up typing (if you need it);
• Brush-up English grammar;
• Marketing;
• MT "business" skills;
• Instructor availability, either in person or by phone;

... and LOTS of actual transcription practice (including dictation by foreign-accented providers). Each course that you investigate will be structured somewhat differently and will offer different values - one will suit you better than the others. One course may include a computer, another may include a transcriber, another may offer an apprenticeship program at the conclusion of the course, another may offer some sort of accreditation. Some courses offer employment opportunities or job-placement services. Some courses provide reference materials, others require that you purchase them in addition to the course. Ask about the details of each course and find the one that gives YOU what YOU want -- and then investigate it thoroughly.

A reputable course will EXPECT that you wish to check with its graduates for references. DO take the time and DO make the effort to call and talk with former students and be specific in your inquiries. Ask if the course material prepared them to work in the "real world" without a long period of post-study apprenticeship. Ask if foreign-accented dictation was included (there are many, many foreign doctors practicing in the U.S.). Ask how strong the research training was -- this is absolutely critical to your success as a home-based MT. Get a feel for how extensive the actual transcription practice is, and how thorough the anatomy training. Don't ask questions that will yield a one-word answer but start with "can you tell me about...." This is your time and money you are investing -- be sure that you will get value for your investment.

This is a good question to ask on the Internet or the other online services -- you will find many students and former students eager to share their experiences with you.

In my opinion, to be well prepared to work at home, you can't rush through a course. This is one area where you really don't want the "bargain basement" deal. As in everything else in life, you get what you pay for. Much of the terminology, anatomy and physiology learning is done through memorization -- and you just can't rush the process. You need time to understand what you're learning, and time to cram it into your brain. When it comes to the actual hands-on transcription, you also need time to accustom your hands and brain to work together typing words like "endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography." (You think that happens overnight??) You also need time to build up your transcription speed to the point where you can make the money you expect to make. When you are paid pennies per line, you must type a lot of lines to make the good income you hope for!

Be aware that, although some courses offer a "certificate of completion" and/or claim "accreditation" -- none offer certification in the American Association For Medical Transcription, the "CMT" that some medical transcriptionists are proud to add to their names. This certification is offered ONLY through AAMT and requires two tests. The general advice is that transcriptionists with less than three years' actual experience should wait for certification. (You are not required to obtain this certification in order to work. Many institutions will pay a slightly higher wage to certified MT's, but many other employers/clients are not aware of either AAMT or the CMT status.)

One final word: In my years of participation in MT online exchanges, I have noticed that most of us feel the way that WE prepared for this profession is the best way. Because my experience is with a formalized training, I find it difficult to imagine someone NOT taking a transcription class but instead learning the necessary skills at another MT's knee or on one's own. With the foundation of terminology, etc., that my course provided, I find it hard to understand where that particular knowledge would come from if you are trained one-on-one by another MT. Yet -- it happens, and those new MT's feel they are well prepared. (This is another area where I yield to others' experience.) It would certainly be a good way to ease into the business once you have a basic knowledge of terminology, etc.

On a personal note, I took a year to finish my home-study course, and I worked full time for most of that year. It was a demanding, exacting course, it was not cheap, but it gave me the results I wanted. You must not expect to be a top-notch medical transcriptionist the day you complete your training. You will "graduate" with entry-level skills, and hopefully this will be just the beginning of your learning experience. This is one of the reasons so many of us find this field so challenging -- the learning never stops.

TRAINING AIDS

These are a few of the methods I used to supplement my training class and enhance my learning to better prepare me to begin my business right away.

** I switched from my familiar but inadequate word processor to WordPerfect 5.1. Although many transcriptionists use newer versions of WP and many others use Word (or other word processor programs), a huge percentage of MT's use good old WP51+ (the + gives you fax capability). This version is still available for sale new, with manuals. It may not have the graphics and the enhancements that newer word processors have, but it will certainly (with speed and excellence) do the day-to-day production work required. One advantage also is that it runs on smaller, less expensive computers. Currently, (Christmas, 1997), the productivity tools (add-in or related software programs) you need to work at home are available for WP51+ -- HOWEVER -- they may not always be available. This may be a consideration in your decision as some updated versions of this type of software are not being enhanced for the MS-DOS operating system. The computer world is definitely edging toward the WIN95 operating system environment and those of us wedded to WP51+ will eventually have to upgrade. (I plan to be the last of the last!)

** I studied as much as I could by TYPING THE TERMINOLOGY. While learning medical terminology, I typed each word and its definition into documents and then manipulated the text so I was able to "test" myself constantly by bringing up either the word (and then typing the missing definition from memory) or by bringing up the definition (and typing the missing word). I also made my own voice recordings of both words and definitions and used them in learning to type the missing elements. Both of these methods accustomed my fingers and brains to work together long before I was required to try actual transcription. It's a little like learning to play the piano or other musical instrument -- your brain is not the only organ being challenged, and the more practice you get, the better off you are with transcription.

** I used my re-recordings of terminology and definitions while on the treadmill, in my car, while my husband watched racing on TV -- or any spare minute that I had around the house. I truly immersed myself in the course work as much as possible and feel I gained a good foundation of basic knowledge this way.

** I supplemented the course anatomy and physiology text with that from a local community college MT course, plus another text my son had used for his paramedic training. While learning each anatomical system, what may not have been covered by one text was certainly taught by one of the others.

** I learned many of the features of WP51 while studying MT so that when I was finished with the course I was also fairly expert with the word processor. This proved to be beneficial when clients asked for "fancy secretarial stuff" in addition to MT work. It's much harder to learn how to produce tables, lines, text enhancements, etc., when you're working against a deadline. It's also very much to your advantage to know how to REALLY use macros -- even the advanced programming macro language features. They truly enhance your productivity (and they take awhile to learn). The backbone of my business income is based on a workers' compensation form I developed for a client that is driven entirely with macros -- well worth the time it took me to learn this particular feature of WP51.

** From my former job, I was already a database program user -- and I highly recommend knowing how to use a simple database program. You can use it in future marketing and in your daily work, and you can also use it to supplement your MT study program.

** I purchased a medical online speller utility (Stedman's) while I was still doing the course work. I still learned how to spell all the terminology by using my learning methods as above, but I also produced quality work to send in for grading. You will be using the speller as you work for clients and I felt like I wanted my first "work" to be as professional as it would be later on.