Accredited Medical Transcription Training

Medical transcriptionists create medical reports from dictated recordings.

Medical transcriptionists type into a computer medical information that has been dictated by physicians and recorded on a tape or audio file. They wear headsets that deliver the phone recording and pause the listening by pushing a pedal with their foot. With their hands on the keyboard, these professionals key in the text into a word processor, editing for clarity and grammar. Speed of typing and ability to grasp the content of the dictation become essential in meeting 98 percent of transcription accuracy while making a good income, at a median wage of $15.41 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Training

Employers tend to select transcriptionists with post-secondary education in medical transcription. This training takes the form of a two-year associate or a one-year certificate degree offered by vocational schools and community colleges. Distance-learning programs also offer courses leading to transcriptionists jobs. The coursework covers medical language, anatomy, medical standards, medical law and, frequently, refreshers on grammar and punctuation. Education may also include on-the-job exposure and practice.

Accredited Programs

Employers prefer hiring individuals who received degrees from accredited schools. The Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP) worked with the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and followed the guidance of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) to develop an accreditation program for the profession of medical transcription. The list of ACCP-approved programs provided by AHDI includes 23 schools as of June 2010.

RMT and CMT Certifications

The AHDI grants two types of certification. The registered medical transcriptionist (RMT) most applies to entry-level transcriptionists. The second AHDI certification refers to the CMT designation that represents certified medical transcriptionists with at least two years of experience in transcribing acute care dictation for different types of of surgery areas. Both certifications must be maintained with continuing education.

Registered Apprenticeship Program

The Medical Transcription Industry Association sponsors through the U.S. Department of Labor a structured on-the-job learning opportunity for RMT professionals. This facilitates entry into the marketplace and allows participants to gain experience required to seek subsequent certifications or higher levels of involvement.

Employment and Wages

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 105,200 transcriptionists worked in the United States in 2008, about 1/3 of them within hospitals and 1/4 in physicians' offices. The BLS foresees this profession groing by 11 percent between 2008 and 2018. The median hourly rate as $15.41 per hour in 2008 and top 10-percent wages stood above $21.81 per hour.

References

• United States Department of Labor: American Association For Medical Transcription: Medical Transcriptionist
• Bureau of Labor Statistics; 2010-11 Edition: Medical Transcriptionists
• The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity
• The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity: ACCP-Approved Programs

Resources

• "The Independent Medical Transcriptionist, Fifth Edition ..."; Donna Avila-Weil; 2008