There are many medical transcription training programs, and possibly even one at your local community college. However, Career Step is by far the best medical transcription training program available. Here are X reasons why you should become a medical transcriptionist with Career Step.
1. AAMT approved. Medical transcription training programs don’t generally seek accreditation from the traditional accrediting institutions that accredit other schools and colleges. This is because they’re considered technical or career training and offer certificates instead of a degree, because accreditation is expensive, and because these programs are held to a different standard than colleges are. As a result, Career Step is not accredited, per se. It is, however, approved by the American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT). It’s competency-based, and even offers the option of a specific training course to go directly from medical transcription training to a full- or part-time position with Spheris–one of the leading employers of medical transcriptionists. Additionally, the AAMT only approves programs that enable graduates to pass their Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) exam. Career Step is one of these programs, and graduates have been surprised how easily they passed the CMT exam, due to the superior training Career Step provides.
2. Job placement. Unlike your local community college, Career Step offers job placement to its graduates. It provides national, regional, and local listings of companies who employ at-home medical transcriptionists. It also offers resume and sales letter proof-reading, editing, and other services. Companies like MedQuist, Spheris, E-trans, All Type, and Ascend Healthcare Systems hire Career Step graduates. Many employers require two to five years of medical transcription experience, not including training, before hiring. However, most of these companies waive this requirement for Career Step graduates, because they’re confident the training gives students what they need to transcribe competently. These companies also refer prospective students to Career Step, thereby endorsing its training.
3. Self-paced training. A community college has requirements, including a set amount of time in which to complete their medical transcription courses. Career Step, however, offers one year of enrollment, with extensions available on request. Take all the time you need to train to become a medical transcriptionist. With Career Step, you can even skip through the course if you choose, or you can learn the topics in order. This is preferable to a three-quarter (9-month) program. You can either finish this program by studying full-time for four months, or take a year or longer to complete it. It’s all up to you.
4. Real-world dictation. Career Step provides more than 500 medical reports that you’ll transcribe over the course of your training. Many of these were dictated by doctors. So instead of only transcribing a few reports at a local training program, you get to familiarize yourself with different specialties, accents, background noises, etc–all of which will help you in your career as a medical transcriptionist.
5. Train online. All you need for this course is a computer, internet connection, and possibly a stereo that plays cassettes. The course is completely online, and transcription software is provided. There are pronunciation cassettes, but terms can also be found in an online library, played in RealPlayer.
There are more reasons to train with Career Step, including the ability to train when and where you want, to put other commitments before training if need be, and to spend more time with your family. But the only way to know if this program is right for you, is to research it yourself. There are other great medical transcription schools out there. This is just the one that I, as a work-at-home mom with another job, prefer.
