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A well-trained medical transcriptionist is an important member of the health care team. Properly transcribed medical records are of critical importance to health care providers. Medical transcriptionists transcribe physician dictation, resulting in documents that can be easily read and shared among providers, third-party payers, regulators, consumers, and health information systems. An increasing demand for electronic and standardized medical records may result in rapid employment growth for well-trained medical transcriptionists.*


Kaplan Continuing Education’s (KCE) Medical Transcription Certificate program is designed to help prepare you to pursue an entry-level position as a medical transcriptionist and navigate future changes in the field of medical transcription. You will review relevant grammar and punctuation skills and study the proper way to format and proofread medical records.


 Imagine What You Can Do 

  • Understand

  • Understand medical terminology, abbreviations, and pronunciations.

  • Edit

  • Edit medical records using industry-recognized proofreading and formatting techniques and processes.

  • Transcribe

  • Transcribe medical reports that can be easily read and transmitted.

  • Analyze and Improve

  • Analyze medical transcription techniques and processes and implement improvements.

  • Become a Registered Medical Transcriptionist

  • Prepare for the Registered Medical Transcription (RMT) exam offered by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).†

 Imagine Where You Can Apply 

Medical transcriptionists are in high demand. In fact, employment of medical transcriptionists is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2016.* Medical transcriptionists provide services to diverse health care providers. Professional opportunities may be available in hospitals, clinics, physicians’ offices, insurance companies, home health care agencies, and private transcription companies. Medical transcriptionists may also work from home as independent contractors or subcontractors.‡


The average annual salary for medical transcriptionists with 0 to 2 years experience is $24,500. On average, registered medical transcriptionists (RMTs) with the same level of experience have an annual salary of $26,100.§


 Is This Program Right For Me? 

This program is designed for individuals who possess a high school diploma or GED and wish to pursue entry-level medical transcription career opportunities. Entry-level medical transcriptionists may work in diverse health care environments, including physicians’ offices and acute and long-term care settings.‡


Prior to enrollment, students in the Medical Transcription Certificate program must:

  • Complete a typing assessment examination and achieve a typing speed of 45 cwpm (correct words per minute)
  • Achieve a minimum score of 70 percent on a grammar and punctuation examination.
  • Achieve a minimum score of 70 percent on a spelling examination.


Students enrolling in the Medical Transcription Certificate program must demonstrate basic computer skills through successful completion of a challenge exam or submission of a transcript reflecting completion of a college-level computer course. Students unable to satisfy this requirement must complete the Medical Transcription Certificate program's Introduction to Computer Skills course. There will be no charge to the student for either the challenge exam or the Introduction to Computer Skills course.


Click here to view the program comparison guide.


Courses Include


  • Medical Language
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Beginning Medical Transcription
  • Intermediate Medical Transcription
  • Advanced Medical Transcription and Professional Development

  

For complete course descriptions, click here.

  

  

 Take the First Step 

In six months or less, you could be on your way to a more rewarding career. Take the first step by calling 866.542.4042 (Toll Free) or click here for more information.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008–2009 Edition, Medical Transcriptionists, http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm (accessed June, 2008).

†Individual state requirements concerning practice as a medical transcriptionist may vary. These requirements may change at the discretion of the state. Kaplan Continuing Education makes no representations or warranties as to whether the Medical Transcription Certificate meets specific state licensure or regulatory requirements. It is the student’s sole responsibility to contact the appropriate state agency for information concerning the licensure and regulation of medical transcriptionists within that state.

‡Kaplan Continuing Education’s programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, KCE does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job or employed at all.

§Advance magazine, 2008 Salary Survey, http://health-information.advanceweb.com/article/2008-salary-survey-4.aspx (accessed February 2009)