become more familiar with the work, when you work more often, and if you increase your speed or efficiency. Do I need to be certified?

Transcription

1 What is medical transcription? Medical transcription offers you the opportunity to have a real at-home-career in the growing medical industry. The field currently includes 2 important roles: Medical transcriptionists type the audio dictations of doctor-patient interactions, creating the reports that make up patients' medical records. Medical transcription editors specialized medical transcriptionists-correct and edit dictation reports created by speech recognition software, which electronically translates dictations into text. With this training program you can train for both of these career paths, work from the comfort of your home, and prepare for the future of the industry. What is the job market for a medical transcriptionist? As part of the expanding healthcare industry, the Medical Transcription field (encompassing both medical transcription and medical transcription editing) is also enjoying significant growth. The report released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates: A healthy job market as industry employment is projected to grow by 11%, or 11,700 new jobs, from 2008 through A high demand for transcription services, sustained by the continued need for electronic documentation that can be easily shared. Growing number of professionals needed in the field to amend patients' records, edit documents from speech recognition systems, and identify discrepancies in medical reports. The report also further states, "Contracting out transcription work overseas and advancements in speech recognition technology are not expected to significantly reduce the need for well-trained [domestic] medical transcriptionists." The training programs are well-known and respected within the industry, particularly by employers. Most medical transcription companies require job applicants to have several years of experience, but because Career Step's curriculum is so trusted, many companies are willing to waive the experience requirement for Career Step graduates. Over 700 companies have hired Career Step grads and the vast majority is hired within a few months of graduation. How much can I earn as a medical transcriptionist and editor? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report encompassing both medical transcription and medical transcription editor professionals states that the middle 50% of professionals in the field earn between $27,090 and $38,590 a year. However, it is important to remember that the majority of transcriptionists are paid on a production basis, which offers the opportunity to earn more as you

2 become more familiar with the work, when you work more often, and if you increase your speed or efficiency. Do I need to be certified? The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) maintains two industry credentials, the Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) credential and the Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) credential. The RMT exam is designed for entry-level medical transcriptionists, and the CMT exam is designed for medical transcriptionists who have two years of experience in the industry. Very few industry employers require these credentials as a prerequisite to employment, and while your graduation from a Career Step program will not award you either credential, graduates who have taken the exams have generally done well since the Career Step's training programs helps students build a solid foundational understanding of the medical transcription profession. What are the advantages of taking this training program? Career Step has been a curriculum provider in medical transcription education for almost 20 years and offers one of the most comprehensive medical transcription editor training programs in the industry. You will study online, on your own schedule and at your own pace. You will receive personal, on-going support; and the resources and guidance you need to turn your education into a job. Is Career Step s curriculum AHDI approved? The Medical Transcription training program is certified and approved by the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP), which is a joint committee established by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). At this time, AHDI does not have an approval process for editing specific courses; however, the AHDI-approved Medical Transcription curriculum is the foundation of the Medical Transcription Editor program. How are the MT and MTE programs structured? The programs are offered entirely online, providing 24/7 access to all material and allowing you to progress through the curriculum on your own schedule and at your own pace. The programs are broken into modules, or course subjects, and the first half is devoted to building your knowledge base while the second half is an extensive practicum designed to help you gain the practical experience you need to smoothly transition to the workplace after graduation.

3 What type of student support is offered? The student support has several levels and is designed to ensure that you're not alone as you work through the online course. Student Support Advisors have professional experience in the industry and are uniquely qualified to answer questions about both the curriculum and the industry. They provide timely answers to questions about the program material and offer a number of personal consultations throughout the training to help students master important concepts. Technical Support Advisors are knowledgeable, experienced, and available six days a week to help you work through any technical or computer issues encountered within the training program. Though the course is entirely online, you'll never be on your own. The student support team will always be there to offer personal, on-going support all the way through the training program. How much practice transcription is included in the programs? There are 41 hours of real-life doctor dictations included in the Medical Transcription program and the medical transcription section of the Medical Transcription Editor program. These dictations cover a wide variety of medical specialties as well as the full spectrum of doctor accents and dictation style. The Medical Transcription Editor program also includes 16 hours of additional dictation in the editing practicum section. How long does it take to finish the program? The Medical Transcription Editor program is estimated at 640 completion hours as well as the Medical Transcription training program. Since the programs are completely self-paced and the online training format allows you the flexibility to study as much or as little as your schedule allows, the time it takes to complete the course will vary from other students. Some students are able to complete their 640 hour training program in as little as four months (working on the course full-time, 8 hours a day 5 days a week) and others, who are more limited in the time they can devote to the course, take longer (for example, students who can devote about 20 hours a week may finish the 640 hour MTE program in about 8 months). How do I find work after graduation? Included with your program are personalized, post-graduation resources for your job search Personal consultation with an employment advisor Access to employment and referral directories Contracts and pricing guide Personalized interview tutorials and training Individual resume and sales letter review, tips, and advice Access to Career Step's help hotline for a full year after graduation

4 These resources offer the personalized help you need after graduation to quickly and easily transition to the workplace. With this individualized help and attention, the vast majority of our graduates are hired within a few months of graduation. What materials and computer specifications are required to complete the program? Your enrollment includes everything you will need to train for a successful career in medical transcription. Your enrollment includes: Access to expert-created curriculum Unlimited student and technical support Transcription foot pedal (device used to control audio playback when transcribing) 15-month membership to the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) 15-month subscription to Benchmark KB (an online database that includes a dynamic medical dictionary, AHDI Book of Style, and many other medical transcription resources) Since the course is completely online, your computer will play an important role in your learning experience. We recommend the following minimum computer system specifications: Hardware Active internet connection (High speed/broadband connection recommended) 800 X 600 minimum resolution (1024 X 768 or higher recommended) Sound card and speakers (Earphones recommended) Available USB port Software Adobe Flash Player (ver. 10 or higher) Windows Media Player (ver. 10 or higher) or Quicktime Player (ver. 7 or higher) PDF reader Browser Internet Explorer 7.x/8.x Firefox 3.x * Safari 4.x or greater (Mac only)* Javascript and cookies must be enabled Operating System Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, 7 with latest service pack) Mac OS X ( or greater)*

5 *Note: The Medical Transcription Editor program includes a third party software tool that makes the training only compatible with Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer 7.x or 8.x. How soon will I receive my materials? It takes about hours to process the application. Once the application is processed you will be ed your course login and password and can start training immediately. Additional course materials are shipped UPS. The average wait is about 7-10 days. What is your refund policy? The following text is taken from the Career Step Enrollment Agreement TERMINATION RIGHTS AND REFUND POLICY: Please review this Section carefully so that you are aware of Career Step's termination and refund policies. You are not entitled to any refund from Career Step except as set forth below. By signing this Agreement you are agreeing to these rights and limitations. (a) 3-Day Right to Rescind: You have a right to rescind this Agreement and receive a full refund of any amounts paid to Career Step, which you must exercise (if you so choose) in writing within three (3) business days from the day you submit the online application or sign the written application. You must deliver a written rescission of this Agreement to Career Step within such 3-day period, or if the rescission is mailed, it must be postmarked on or before the last day of the 3- day period. Prior to receiving the refund, you must first return all program materials and supplies sent to you, as set forth in subsection (d) below. (b) 14-DAY MONEY BACK POLICY: In addition to the rescission rights set forth in subsection (a) above, you may also withdraw from the program for any reason within fourteen (14) days after you first receive initial access to online program materials, based upon the date of the sent to you containing your password and login for the online program (the "Initial Access Date"). In this case, this Agreement shall be rescinded and Career Step will refund your money IN FULL, less a $50 application fee and any initial shipping and handling fees, provided that you first return all program materials and supplies as set forth in subsection (d). (c) No Refund After 14 Days: If, for any reason, you withdraw after the initial fourteen (14) day review period, you are not released from your obligation to pay the program fees in full and you are not entitled to any refund from Career Step. (d) Before receiving any refunds under subsections (a) or (b), you must first return any and all program materials and supplies received from Career Step. You must notify Career Step before the last day of the termination period to receive a return code, and returned materials must be sent to Career Step at your expense, insured and tracked through the carrier. You will be assessed a fee of $10.00 per book for minor damage, or the retail price of any book that is returned written in, more severely damaged, lost, or destroyed. Please pack returned materials carefully to prevent damage.

6 (e) Any student withdrawing under this Section terminates his/her enrollment and may not transfer the program materials to any other person.