Kaplan University

AAS in Medical Transcription
This program trains students on how to convert doctors’ audio tapes into electronic documents accurately and on time.

Medical Transcription Career and Training Information

An associate’s degree in medical transcription brings with it a numerous amount of challenges. The doctor in Texas will have a different accent and when you have to enter the information that he has recorded, you might have some difficulty understanding the words. Many medical professionals here in the United States also come from other countries, which also presents itself with the challenge of being able to comprehend the medical terminology.

Medical transcriptionists are constantly in demand and therefore, you can find a career pretty easily after you graduate. The MT (as they are abbreviated) who choose to pursue an associate’s degree of applied science in medical transcription can also choose to become certified as a medical transcriptionist (CMT). This degree is NOT transferable to a four-year educational institution, however, there are classes that are transferable to advanced medical transcription programs.

The program for MTs includes courses in the following:

• Medical Transcription
• Computer Technology
• Medical Terminology
• Physiology and Anatomy

You, as a certified MT, may become immediately employed within doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics or other health care facilities. When you pass the CMT examination, you will be certified in medical transcription. However, many people choose to become MTs before they study accredited programs. This affords them the opportunity to have experience working within offices that hire MTs and give them the chance to advance. As you work for an office or medical institution, they may provide you with the funds necessary to renew your CMT.

You must be patient in order to obtain your certificate as a CMT. The necessary courses for admission within a CMT program require you to have at least two years of experience in a health care facility. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) CMT exam also provides a general MT section as well as an MT performance section. The AHDI gives you the opportunity online to study for the CMT so that you may be totally prepared for the test. The test itself takes about four hours, so you must be prepared to endure that, as well.

An MT can immediately find work but the work that entails obtaining your certificate or degree is extensive and time-consuming. You must possess the requisite patience and understanding of the field in order to become a successful medical transcriptionist.