Great Basin College is offering online training for Medical Transcriptionist ENJOY THE FREEDOM OF WORKING FROM HOME Set your own hours Have job flexibility Do interesting work Spend more time with your family Avoid long commutes Eliminate day care For more information Contact: Cindy Hyslop Great Basin College Program Coordinator 775-753-2307 cindyh@gwmail.gbcnv.edu or Your local branch campus Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 1
Medical Transcriptionist Certificate of Achievement Student Learning Outcomes The Certificate of Achievement in Medical Transcription is a field of study offered by GBC. In response to an identified need for medical transcriptionists nationwide, the program is designed to develop medical language specialists who are highly skilled in transcribing medical dictation detailing a patient s health care. Medical transcriptionists (MTs) work in hospitals, clinics, and physician s offices. In the past few years a large percentage of MTs work from home through Medical Transcription contractors or as entrepreneurs with their own home-based businesses. A registered transcriptionist can live in an isolated rural area and transcribe for a physician in New York City. The Certificate of Achievement program contains general education requirements comprised of existing GBC courses in English and Human Relations. The emphasis coursework includes didactic instruction in the theory and practice of medical transcription including knowledge of human anatomy and disease processes, pharmacology, medical terminology and advanced medical language. Practical lab time will be used to develop skills necessary in transcribing digital medical dictation using the latest equipment accurately at a high rate of speed. Upon successful completion of the Certificate of Achievement in Medical Transcription. Demonstrate knowledge of medical language and its structure, including prefixes, suffixes, combining forms, root words, plurals, abbreviations, acronyms, eponyms, homonyms, antonyms, synonyms, and commonly used foreign words and phrases. Demonstrate a general knowledge of word processing computers, dictation and transcription equipment, and related technologies. Apply correct English usage, including the rules of proper grammar, punctuation, and style, and use of correct spelling and logical sentence structure. The student will meet demanding medical transcription accuracy and productivity standards. Demonstrate proper use of medical transcription equipment. The student will meet progressively demanding medical transcription accuracy and productivity standards The student will recognize, evaluate, and interpret inconsistencies, discrepancies, and inaccuracies in healthcare dictation and appropriately edit, revise, and clarify them while transcribing, without altering the meaning of the dictation or changing the author's style. Course must be taken in continuous sequence and completed within a two consecutive semester period. Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 2
General Education (6 credits) ENG 107 Technical Communications I or 3 ENG 101 Composition I BUS 110B Human Relations for Employment 3 Program Requirements (28 credits) MTRN 110 Introduction to Online Medical Transcription 3 MTRN 120 Medical Terminology, Applications and Pronunciations 5 for Medical Transcription MTRN 130 Anatomy and Physiology and Disease Processes 3 MTRN 140 Medical Specialties 3 MTRN 200 Editing and Proofreading 3 MTRN 220 Intermediate Medical Transcription Skills 5 MTRN 230 Advanced Medical Transcription Skills 6 Total credits of 34 for the program. Program requirements must be met with an average minimum score of 85% or higher for the total program. Certificate of Achievement in Medical Transcription SEMESTER I ENG 107 Technical Communications I or 3 ENG 101 Composition I or MTRN 110 Introduction to Online Medical Transcription 3 MTRN 120 Medical Terminology, Applications and Pronunciations 5 for Medical Transcription MTRN 130 Anatomy and Physiology and Disease Processes 3 MTRN 140 Medical Specialties 3 17 credits SEMESTER II BUS 110B Human Relations for Employment or 3 MTRN 200 Editing and Proofreading 3 MTRN 220 Intermediate Medical Transcription Skills 5 MTRN 230 Advanced Medical Transcription Skills 6 17 credits CERTIFICATE PROGRAM TOTAL 34 credits Total credits of 34 for the program. Program requirements must be met with an average minimum score of 85% or higher for the total program. Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 3
Medical transcription curriculum: The curriculum is designed to prepare you to successfully work as a medical transcriptionist. You'll be fully trained to transcribe medical reports of all difficulties, specialties, and from a wide variety of dictators. The curriculum is designed by industry experts and incorporates the feedback and suggestions of graduates, employers, instructors, and industry associations. GRADING POLICY Complete all online assignments and unit tests A= 90% or higher with 1-3 attempts B=85%-89% with 4-5 attempts C= 85% with unlimited attempts D=60-69% F=59% or less W= Completing less than all online assignments and unit tests by the end of the semester Scoring less than 85% with unlimited attempts on assignments and tests Final Exam taken through Career Step at the end of the second semester. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Course must be taken in continuous sequence and completed within a two consecutive semester period. The Medical Transcriptionist Program is designed specifically for the person who wishes to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to transcribe digital medical dictation using transcribing equipment. Medical transcription courses are offered online through an internet program. Student & technical support: Career Step has support teams dedicated to your success, and they are easy to reach and quick to respond to your questions and concerns. They also have the reputation for providing a personal touch to your online learning experience, offering a little boost or pep talk when you need it most. The student support team has professional experience working in the healthcare industry as medical transcriptionists, managers, and instructors, so they are uniquely qualified to answer your questions about both the curriculum and the industry. The technical support team will help you with any technical or computer issues you may encounter within the program. Benefits of online study: Gain practical experience You'll train hands-on with dictation taken from real patient records to create industry standard medical reports, preparing you for the workplace. Receive instantaneous feedback and grading You'll not have to wait on slow instructors or other students' disruptions. With instant feedback on all of your work, you will quickly master each skill and progress through the course. Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 4
Network with other students and make new friends You'll enjoy access to a vibrant online community of students, graduates, employers, and industry experts through online forums and chat rooms. Train at home or on the go, and set your own pace You'll have 24/7 access to the course materials, giving you the freedom and flexibility to train whenever or wherever is convenient for you, so you can learn at your own pace. Online skill assessments that reflect employer hiring exams You'll be better prepared for the post-graduation job market because the Career Step skill assessment tests are similar to those used by employers to hire new employees. In fact, Career Step is the industry's leading provider of pre-employment testing. Online learning environment & tools: Intuitive navigation Simple, intuitive navigation is quick and easy to learn, so you'll be able to start making real progress from day one. Images & visual enhancements Photos, illustrations, as well as many transcription specific forms, documents, charts, and references enhance your learning experience. Interactive coursework exercises Coursework contains hundreds of exercises that help you review concepts and simulate the professional transcription experience and give you a chance to reflect on your progress. Games & flashcards Crossword puzzles, word searches, and flashcards are scattered throughout, so you learn important terminology, concepts, and definitions while having fun! Transcription practice tools The course contains online tools that will allow you to practice transcription procedures on hundreds of authentic medical reports using built-in, real-world resources. Study planner, grade book, & enhanced security The program offers tools to help you set and track study goals, chart your progress and see results from all exercises and tests, and monitor account access and safeguard your private information. Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 5
Example of Program Module Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 6
Medical Transcription - Train at Home to Work at Home Great Basin s College Transcription online career training program consists of 21 modules, or course subjects, that are broken into smaller units. The program helps you develop transcription skills through the acquisition of knowledge and hands-on application. Immediate assessment and guidance is offered upon the completion of each unit, and a final exam is scheduled and graded by our transcription student support specialists. Each module has to be completed with an 85% or better to receive a grade. You will want to strive to get the highest grade. Medical Transcription program module descriptions: First Semester through Midterm Program Orientation This module provides you with an overview of training components, instruction on how to navigate the program, and tips and resources for getting the most out of the course. You will be introduced to the medical transcription industry, medical transcription training program, and become oriented within the online program. A syllabus for each of the modules in the program is presented, as well as information for navigating, using the features and functions of the online program, and understanding tests and feedback. Skills necessary to be a successful medical transcriptionist are outlined, and a host of available resources is presented along with a detailed study guide designed to enable a successful learning experience. Technology and the Medical Professional In this module you will learn basic computer skills, including using hardware, software, peripherals, wireless technology, using the Internet as a resource, and operating various facilities for data storage and networking. You will learn about the many software and hardware products available that are specifically designed for the healthcare environment. Keyboard Kinetics This module will teach you keyboard basics, such as which fingers are supposed to touch which keys, and help you increase your efficiency on the keyboard. Medical Word Building In this module you will learn medical word building, including root words, combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes. Grammar and Punctuation This module is a refresher course in fundamentals of English grammar and punctuation. You will be taught to recognize and identify proper usage and correctly punctuate sentences. Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 7
Anatomy and Disease This module will introduce you to basic human anatomical structures and the various diseases that affect these structures. You will be introduced to disease entities, diagnoses, and treatments. Pathophysiology This module will familiarize you with the major body systems, including the digestive, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, excretory, cardiovascular, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems, and the diseases associated with each system. Mastering Medical Language This module will teach you the specialized vocabulary used by healthcare providers and familiarize you with a variety of nuances unique to medical language. Specifically, this module will cover word differentiation, abbreviations, plurals, foreign terms, and slang and jargon in medical language. Pharmacology In this module you will be introduced to the science of pharmacology and provided an overview of basic pharmacologics, including drug actions and effects, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, and drug classifications and formulary. This module also gives you the opportunity to see and reference commonly prescribed drugs and other pharmaceutical terms in the context of medical reports. Building the Medical Record The purpose of this module is to teach you how to build the medical record. Specifically, the module will cover report types, report components, formatting rules, and effective resources. The physical exam and laboratory data report components will also be studied in detail in this module. Diagnostic Reports In this module you will exposed to diagnostic reports. You will take an in-depth look at emergency medicine, physical medicine, radiology, and pathology. Each unit will contain terminology, headings, exercises, and sample reports. Focus on Medical Specialties This module will introduce you to the various types of reports transcribed by medical transcriptionists and provide you an opportunity to study in depth reports from every major medical specialty. You will be introduced to specialty-specific information including terminology, abbreviations, types of reports, and document formatting through sample reports, varied exercises, targeted curriculum, and word lists. Midterm This module provides you an opportunity for self-assessment after completion of the objective modules and before moving on to the practical components of the training program. Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 8
Second Semester through Final Perfect the Text In this module you will improve your editing skills by reviewing common proofreading problem areas, including commonly misspelled words, fragments and run-on sentences, punctuation, capitalization, incorrect words, and sloppy dictation. Introduction to Transcription This module will introduce you to the fundamentals of transcription with both tips and exercises designed to facilitate a smoother transition into the transcription practicum portion of the program. In addition, this module includes a brief preparatory transcription practicum to help you gradually step into medical transcription. Clinic Notes This module will allow you to gain practical experience transcribing authentic clinic note dictation. It includes a wide variety of clinic notes and progress notes across various specialties, such as cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, otorhinolaryngology, GI, GU, neurology, OB/GYN, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedic, pediatrics, podiatry, primary care, and psychology. Basic Acute Care This practicum module provides you with practical experience transcribing authentic acute care dictation files. This module includes basic hospital reports, including radiology, emergency room (ER), multispecialty clinic, discharge summaries, operative reports, procedure notes, consultations, and physicals, all with accompanying account instructions. Enhancing Productivity This module provides you information and exercises for tracking and improving productivity, along with tips for preparing to be productive on the job after graduation. This module also includes extensive descriptions of productivity tools, software commonly used in the medical transcription industry, and a 4-month free trial of a word expander software program to be used with the training program. Advanced Acute Care This practicum module exposes you to a wide variety of account instructions and difficult acute care files. The module is broken down into an in-depth account instructions unit, verbatim instructions unit, radiology unit, complex account instructions unit, and an extremely advanced acute care unit. All dictation is authentic, and the full spectrum of dictator accents and dictation style is covered. The practicum files cover radiology reports, operative reports, consultations, history and physicals, ER reports, discharge summaries, procedure notes, and progress notes. Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 9
Final Exam Preparation This module provides you with final exam information, including an overview of the final, tips for preparing for the final, scheduling the final, and accessing the examination. Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 10
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How much can I earn as a medical transcriptionist? Well, that varies a lot. This chart will give you the low end. This is figured at the STARTING RATE working for somebody else in the lowest-paid parts in the country, so between $0.05 and $0.06 cents per line. The dollar figure is the GROSS ANNUAL INCOME. Hours Worked per Week Typing Speed Gross Annual Income (LOWEST PAYING MARKETS) 50 WPM 60 WPM 70 WPM 80 WPM 10 $6,240 $7,280 $8,840 $9,880 20 $12,480 $14,560 $17,680 $19,760 30 $18,720 $21,840 $26,520 $29,640 40 $24,960 $29,120 $35,360 $39,520 Now if you get your own client, DOUBLE THAT. If you type faster, YOU'LL MAKE MORE. If you work more, YOU'LL MAKE MORE. If you get your computer doing some of the work for you, YOU'LL MAKE MORE. If you make more than 6 cents a line, YOU'LL MAKE MORE. You get the idea. Oh, and if you are fortunate enough to live in places with higher standards of living, such as California or New York, you will make substantially more. Some people have been known to average between $40 and $50 AN HOUR! Most people make MORE THAN $20 AN HOUR. Any way you look at it, medical transcriptionists make EXCELLENT MONEY! What is the job market for a medical transcriptionist? A well-qualified conscientious medical transcriptionist, according to all the latest information, has a secure future. There is a huge demand for such MTs in all areas of the country, although presumably some regions have a stronger demand than others. With national services hiring, location is not as crucial as it once was. While voice recognition systems are seen as a distant threat to the MT's vocation, experts are predicting that it will be years, if ever, before voice recognition takes over the MT's vocation. Even then, experienced MTs will be needed as editors and record managers. Medical Transcription Certificate of Achievement Page 13