Medical transcription training programs may be on site or online. Associate programs in medical transcription are two years, while a certificate program is one year. On site medical transcription training may include an on site internship, while online training may include a telecommuting internship with an online medical transcription company. In any type of medical transcription school and program, you should expect your study to be focused on pharmacology, anatomy, grammar, ethics, typing and learning the different medical document formats.
Clinic notes, professional letters, consultations and discharge summaries are some of the medical documents you can expect to learn to type in medical transcription training. Knowledge of common diagnostic tests and surgical procedures is also taught along with basic laboratory and pathology techniques. Typing and computer skills are emphasized and hands-on medical transcription training with assigned letter grades for the completed work should be expected.
Ethics and medical law are a part of medical transcription training and understanding patient confidentiality is a must. Medical transcriptionists must understand the laws that apply to medical records and medical reporting. Although many students may have taken grammar courses previously, grammar and punctuation are important to improve as all medical documents should be well written and free of errors. Many medical transcription programs include weekly grammar quizzes.
Learning anatomy is a large part of medical transcription career preparation. A lot of studying and memorizing the names of different parts of the body is required in medical transcription training. You should think of methods that fit your learning style and these may include making flash cards or creating self-quizzes to make sure you understand all the different body systems. Medical transcription schools teach information about different specialty areas such as cardiology, which is the study of the heart, and oncology, which is the study of cancers.
You can expect to learn about pharmacology, which is the study of medicines, and most medical transcription programs include lessons on both legal and illegal drugs as well as common drug names. After completing a medical transcription training program, finding a job in the field within three to six months is a reasonable expectation. Perseverance in handing out resumes with well-written cover letters that promote your skills and training experiences is the best way to ensure finding medical transcription jobs.