How Do I Become a Medical Transcriptionist in Evansville, Indiana?

Medical transcriptionists provide a valuable service to the healthcare industry.

Medical transcriptionists transcribe recordings made by healthcare professionals. They work in a variety of healthcare settings or telecommute from home. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for medical transcriptionists are expected to grow 11 percent nationwide through the year 2018. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development estimates a growth rate of 8.45 percent in Indiana for medical transcriptionist jobs through the year 2016. Medical transcriptionists employed in Indiana are not required to be certified; however, employers prefer candidates with vocational training. Coursework is available at Ivy Tech Community College (see Resources) or through online universities. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) provides a list of approved programs (see Resources).

Instructions

1. Apply for admission to the colleges of your choice. Request that your official high school and college transcripts be sent directly to those colleges. In addition to Ivy Tech Community College, TechSkills Medical offers a medical transcription training program at the Indianapolis campus. Kaplan University and Med-Line School of Medical Transcription offer online medical transcription programs.

2. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You may apply online (see Resources).

3. Select the college of your choice and adhere to enrollment and financial aid deadlines. Discuss possible internship and college placement opportunities with your adviser.

4. Apply for student membership to The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI). This organization offers a discounted membership to students enrolled in a medical transcription program who are not yet working in the field (see Resources).

5. Apply for Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) certification when you have completed your course of study. It will give you an advantage over noncertified candidates. Tests are given at the Prometric Test Center in Evansville (see Resources).

Tips & Warnings

• Schedule informational interviews with current medical transcriptionists and their employers to learn more about the field.

• The RMT certification designation test is available to recent graduates of a medical transcriptionist education program, or to medical transcriptionists with less than two years of experience.

• The CMT certification designation test is available to medical transcriptionists who have worked at least two years in the transcription field.

• Take continuing education courses to stay current in your field. Many employers will reimburse your cost.

References

• BLS: Medical Transcriptionists
• Indiana Dept. of Workforce Dev.: Hoosiers by the Numbers

Resources

• Ivy Tech Community College: Accelerating Indiana's Workforce
• AHDI: Approved MT Education Programs
• FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• AHDI: Becoming a Member
• Prometric: For Test Takers