If you enroll in our MT program within 30 days of

 www.meditec.com
Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 1 NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Having worked in the field of Medical Transcription both in the education and transcription part of the
business, I am frequently asked about the profession and how to get started in it. Some people have the
mistaken impression that you just need to be a good typist, but being a good medical transcriptionist
takes an in-depth skill set and a good amount of training time to become proficient to do the work well.
This all-about article is geared toward explaining all about the career of medical transcription - both the
pros and cons of this career path. It is written with the intentions of giving factual information about this
career, a detailed explanation of how to get started in it correctly, and avoiding the common pitfalls that a
prospective student might have. As you well know, there are many schools out there teaching or trying to
teach medical transcription. Meditec doesn’t proclaim to be the only school capable of teaching medical
transcription, but we do purport to be second to none in having the top online self-paced program. We
have been in business for over 40 years, with an impeccable reputation. We are withstanding the test of
time. In this book, you will find testimonials from our graduates that attest to the solidity and integrity of
our training program. Our "Professional Edge" is based on 26 years in the business of medical
transcription which, we believe, gives us a "leg up" on how to train for it.
Please take your time in going over this material, and feel free to contact us at anytime with questions
about the career of medical transcription or our program specifically. It is important to be informed in order
to avoid the common mistakes wannabees often encounter. .
Best wishes for a successful career in medical Transcription.
Dawn Moreno, MT
Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 2 What Does a Medical Transcriptionist Do?
Medical Transcriptionists type a doctor’s dictation in order to create the legal document called “the patient medical record.” Medical transcriptionists must understand medical terminology across a variety of medical specialties. Additionally, medical transcriptionists must have excellent English grammar skills and enjoy sitting at a computer for sometimes long periods of time typing. Specifically, the medical transcriptionist (MT) listens to the audio dictation of a doctor, and then transcribes that information into a medical report. Understanding how to format the reports, what headings to use, and when and when not to use abbreviations are all a part of the skill set needed to be an MT. Medical Transcriptionists typically work at home; however, some may work in a hospital transcription department. Work is downloaded from the doctor’s (or MT service’s) computer (or server) as a WAV file and then transcribed using a foot pedal and WAV player software. Then the transcribed work is usually sent back to the doctor via a secure method such as file transfer protocol (FTP). FTP software is easy to find on the Internet for free and is not difficult to figure out how to use. Medical transcriptionists may work either full‐time or part‐time. It is a very flexible career. Some companies allow you to download your work every morning and then transcribe it whenever you want to, as long as you have it back to the company within their turnaround time (TAT) which is usually 24 hours. The pros of this career choice are many. One can work at home, which saves on expenses such as childcare, commuting, and lunches out. Also, a mother can be home with the children. The money is good at $18 to $20 an hour (more detail on how MTs are paid in another chapter), and the flexibility of being able to work a few hours in the morning, a few in the afternoon, and some at night offer MTs a very satisfying lifestyle. MT is an exciting career that has enough challenges to keep it interesting. An an MT, you will be part of the healthcare team. Additionally, training time and expense are relatively small compared to other careers that would net the same income amounts. The cons of this career choice are that you must become good at it to make money (and practice does make almost perfect). An MT must be a fast AND accurate typist. Production typing in front of a computer for long periods is not for everyone. MT is very detail oriented, and good spelling and grammar are a must. Some have concerns that some of the MT work has gone overseas or that technology is phasing out the Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 3 transcriptionist. This is just not so. Work is going overseas, but there is so much work that it is not difficult for a well‐trained MT to find a job. Technology has changed the field in ways, and some MT work is now doing editing for voice recognition, but the Occupational Outlook Handbook put out by the government states that the field is expected to grow through the year 2016. You may hear that it's hard to break into the field, but that isn't entirely true. Most of Meditec's graduates are taught how to apply (and where) to make sure they get tested; that's the trick – to get tested. If graduates have any problem finding work on their own, Meditec provides an internship program that launches them into their career for virtually certain. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 4 Money Money Money
Most people considering MT as a career choice want to quickly know the bottom line: How
much can I make? Let us take a look at how MTs are paid.
MTs are paid on a production basis. Many MTs are paid by the line and some by the word. Let’s
look at some figures to understand how MTs are paid:
Pay per
line
.08
.08
.09
# of lines typed
per day
800
1200
1200
Pay per day
Pay per week
$64.00
$96.00
$108.00
$320
$480
$540
The above chart shows the going rates for working for an MT service. These are very reasonable figures. Now, you will want to know how long it will take you to type 800‐1200 lines in a day. In the beginning, a new MT takes about 4 hours to type 1 hour of dictation. How many lines are in an hour of dictation is hard to tell because it depends on how fast the doctor is speaking. Traditionally, an average MT can type 200 lines per hour. A fast MT can type 300‐400 lines per hour using productivity tools like word expander software, spellcheckers, macros, templates, etc. So, let’s take the 200 lines per hour as our base, so 1200 lines can be typed in about 6 hours. A faster MT may take 5 hours to type that amount. Many MTs are able to type 1500 lines in a day and if you figure they are making about 8.5 cents per line that is $127.50 per day! Now, you will not be able to type this much or this fast when you first start out. Most new MTs type about 800 lines in 5 ½ to 8 hours. This is because you have to look up and research a lot of terminology. After you get used to the account you are on and the doctors that you transcribe for, and your terminology knowledge expands, you will pick up speed quickly. The name of the game with MT is to have a solid educational foundation on which to build. As you gain speed, you gain income. Because production typing can be stressful, the goal of many MTs is to make Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 5 full‐time money working part‐time hours. If you can get your speed up to 200 lines per hour (and that is extremely do‐able) and you work 5 hours a day at .09 cents a line, you will earn $90.00. If you can raise your speed to just 225 lines per hour, then you’d make $101.25 per day for just 5 hours worth of work. If you decide to get your own accounts, you cut out the middle man—the MT Service—and your income goes up by a lot. Let us take a look. Pay per line
.12
.12
.13
.13
# Lines per day
800
1200
800
1200
Pay per day
$96
$144
$104
$156
Pay per week
$480
$720
$520
$780
The above figures in the chart are not inflated, and are in fact lower than what is currently happening in the industry right now. The money above looks pretty good, but it would be irresponsible not to mention that having your own accounts leads to enduring some headaches as well. You would need to have someone cover you if you are sick, on vacation, etc. If a report needed to be typed immediately, you’d have to stop whatever you were doing and type it. Again though, keep in mind that an average MT can type 800 lines in about 4 hours, and 1200 lines in about 6 hours. This puts a whole new spin on the above figures because you will clearly see that you are working part‐time and making an extremely good income. Have you thought about what you’ll do with all that FREE time? Spend more time with your kids, the family dog, grab a nap? Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Plus, you can do this work in your pajamas if you choose to. : ) And we are here to tell you that MTs that build experience with word expanders may make as much as $80 to $90K a year. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 6 Skills Needed to Become a Medical Transcriptionist
We’ve already discussed that MTs need to have good typing skills, excellent English grammar skills, and thorough training. An MT also needs to enjoy doing research. Sometimes deciphering difficult dictation is like solving a puzzle. Let me give just one example: If you heard “homotoo”, it would be very confusing as no such medical word or jargon exists. However, after some research and careful thinking, you realize that you are hearing two words together which are “home O2”, a short form for “home oxygen.” An MT should enjoy learning new medical words, procedures, instruments, and more details about the specialty they transcribe. This ultimately assists in becoming a faster and more efficient MT. Additionally, MTs need to enjoy learning about technology. MTs use different types of software to send and receive dictation; they use word processing software like MS Word, and productivity tools like word expander software which allows you to type a few letters and hit a key and the entire word appears (more about this later). The more you know, the faster you will become and the more money you will make. In MS Word, learning how to create macros, templates, etc., will assist in getting your work finished faster. An example of a productivity tool that MTs use is word expander software. Instead of typing esophagogastroduodenoscopy 100X a day, there is software you can buy that allows you to type in abbreviations for words. Example: you type esoy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy appears! It takes having a good system to form abbreviations, perseverance to add them into an expander program, and practice in using them to become proficient typing this way. However, it pays off big in the end. By the way, in the above example, the ABCZ method was used for creating abbreviations. In this way, you take the first three letters of the large word (eso) and the last letter of the word (y) to form the abbreviation. So, when want to type out the big word, just think automatically when typing out the first three letters and last letter of the words and voila ‐ it’s on your screen. If you’d like to play with this idea a bit, MS Word has a feature called AutoCorrect. You access it through your Tools menu. You can practice adding a few abbreviations and words and then typing with them. However, a note of caution‐‐MS Word’s AutoCorrect feature is NOT sufficient for the work at home medical transcriptionist because it corrupts after about 5,000 entries. Many an MT has been extremely upset to find their whole file corrupted and Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 7 their MS Word had to be reinstalled. I don’t recommend adding over 2,000 entries to your MS Word AutoCorrect. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 8 Training Needed to Become a Medical Transcriptionist
It cannot be stressed enough that the training you receive to start your career is imperative to your success. It is extremely difficult to make a great training choice when you are limited in knowledge about the field so careful research cannot be more highly recommended. As in many fields, poor schools abound that teach MT. Some just resell textbooks printed by major publishers; others sell you a chapter at a time (called correspondence courses). Traditionally, the schools that advertise on TV and on the back of matchbook covers are called educational clearinghouses. There is really nothing wrong with what they do in offering 100s of different courses from basket weaving to auto mechanics. There are some people in this world that simply enjoy learning for the sake of learning and these clearinghouses fill a need. However, let me ask you a question: If the brakes went out on your car, would you want a mechanic from one of these schools to fix your brakes? Probably not, because you know that the quality of education might have been subpar. I cannot stress this point enough: MT employers do not hire from schools that are known as subpar. You must choose a school that knows how to teach, has good support service (if the school you call doesn’t answer the phone or you have to fill in an infomailer to even talk to someone, beware) has established relationships with MT employers who hire their graduates. Choosing a school that has an internship is a wonderful way to get started working quickly after graduation. You don’t need a school that costs upwards of $3,000 to $4,000 either! Some schools do things like toss in a whole medical reference library that you do not need in order to jack up their tuition rates. What you need is an established school that has been in business for a long time, maybe even has been in the MT business (that’s Meditec – 26 years as a a medical transcription company) that offers internships or good job placement assistance, and a quality program that teaches the foundation of knowledge that you will build upon for your entire career. To be frankly honest with you many schools are falling short of producing work‐ready MTs. Meditec takes graduates of other programs into our internship program only if they can pass our entrance testing. Friends, you’d be shocked at the test results we see coming from students of some other programs. Most of those students are turned away because we are unable to get them into an Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 9 internship with one of our partners because their skills are so far below employable. We have to continue their training process to make them employable. A good MT program should include the following: ‐Medical terminology ‐Disease processes ‐Pharmacology ‐Anatomy ‐Report formatting ‐English grammar review ‐Abbreviations, plurals, sound‐alike words ‐A huge amount of dictation ‐Testing throughout the program ‐An internship program ‐Comprehensive job placement assistance Additionally, the school should be able to give you testimonials of successful graduates. Choose a school that has been in business a long time and has withstood the test of time. Some people ask me, “Which is better: Online education or community college?” For some careers the community college route may be a good idea, though they are always more expensive (rent, teachers and overhead). However, most of the MT employers know the good online schools, and online training for MT is a viable and preferable way to go. Let me explain why. The dictation used to train an MT is very important. Most community colleges use the least expensive dictation because every student has to buy it. The least expensive dictation is also too easy, not varied enough, and it doesn’t contain enough of it. It is often dictated by professionals rather than real doctors at work. Online schools have either developed their own dictation, or they use a higher‐end one from a reputable source. The subpar schools mentioned above mostly use the Hillcrest or Forrest tapes, both of which are too easy. Some use a book called MT Fundamentals and Practice, which is nice as “part” of a dictation program but if that’s all they’ve got, it simply not enough. Learning MT and tuning your ear to hear and understand the dictation takes a lot of practice and it’s not easy. You cannot shortcut your way through the process because you’ll just end up failing once you get in the workforce. SCHOOL CHOICE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Choose wisely. Avoid the pitfalls of bad decisions. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 10 The Medical Transcription Job Market
It would not make sense to train for a dying career or one that wasn’t projected to grow in the future. The Occupational Outlook Handbook (2008‐2009) states that medical transcription is a growing career through 2016 (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos271.htm#outlook). MT is a solid and growing career. There is some outsourcing of work going to other countries but the work from those countries is poor and US MTs are needed to edit the work. Additionally, there are more jobs in the US for MTs than MTs to fill the jobs. It’s a great time to enter this profession. Jobs are listed at the various MT job boards like www.mtdaily.com and www.mtjobs.com . Most good online MT schools have established relationships with MT employers eager to hire their graduates. At this moment, of this writing, Meditec’s hiring partners are in a quandary, needing MTs so bad they are writing to us asking when the next batch of graduates will be available for work. Having said the above, it is important to stress that there is a lot of work available for qualified and well trained MTs. On many MT message boards you will hear some bemoan they cannot find work, but these are people who do NOT passing basic employment tests. Remember, creating that solid educational foundation by choosing an excellent training program is the first step to reaching your goal of being a work‐at‐home MT. Additionally, as the baby boomers age, more jobs in all of the healthcare fields will be growing and needing people. NOW is the time to get in on it and start your career right away. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 11 Working for a Service vs. Own Accounts
As mentioned above, there are two ways to make money as an MT. One is working for an MT service, and the other is soliciting for your own accounts (we teach you how to do this in our Meditec HomeBiz Medical book). Working for a service has its benefits in that you don't have to do the business end (find clients, bill them, etc.) just tell them when you want to go on vacation and they find someone to do your work while you are gone. You don’t have to have direct communication with the clients and don’t have to worry about running your own business. However, you can make more money by getting your own accounts and doing them yourself or getting several accounts and hiring independent contractors to help you do the work. It’s really up to you, but many MTs start out working for a service to gain some experience and to have some QA (quality assurance) help before launching out on their own. Additionally, when working for a service, you can either be an independent contractor or an employee, depending on how the company hires you on. Most MTs are independent contractors. Independent contractors are given a 1099 form at the end of the year that indicates your earnings. You are free as an IC to work for more than one service at a time. Additionally, there are legal guidelines on how an IC is different than an employee. ICs don’t get company benefits, taxes are not withheld from their checks, and they cannot be told how to do the work. Employees, though, may be offered health insurance benefits and can qualify for unemployment if let go from the company. There are pros and cons in both situations. Most MTs like the freedom associated with being an independent contractor. As an IC you also have many possible tax write‐offs by working at home. Some possible expenses that could be deductions are part of the rent or mortgage on your home, part of your utilities, your Internet and/or telephone bills, office supplies, computer equipment you buy or maintain for your job, and in some cases if you must obtain health insurance independently, you may be able to write off the cost of your premiums. Also, if you are going to make a substantial amount of money, ICs should pay estimated quarterly taxes. All of this information is all detailed in the HomeBizBook. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 12 Articles
In this section you will find a collection of interesting articles about medical transcription, working at home, organizing your home office, and other interesting information. Enjoy! Working at Home and Making it Work By: Dawn Moreno In today’s world many people are now making their home space also their workspace. With the rising cost of commuting to work, and the desire to avoid the corporate rat race, many are going home to work. Whereas many individuals find working at home very satisfying, some are finding it quite stressful due to the unique demands placed on home workers today. This article is about working at home and making it work. By adhering to a few simple tips, working at home can be an enjoyable experience. Tip #1—Boundaries: There is nothing more important to successfully working at home as setting healthy boundaries with family, kids, and neighbors. Some people feel that since you are working at home that you are not really working. Therefore, they do not hesitate to call or stop by during your working hours. You must tell family and friends the hours that you work and not accept interruptions during your work hours. If a family or friend calls or stops by, you must be able to tell them that you are working right now and can talk to them after work. If family members make demands on you during your workday, you must be strong enough to set boundaries and explain that you’d like to assist them but it must be after your work is done. Tip #2—Children: You must organize your time around your children that are at home. Some people choose to work two hours before their children get up, and an hour while they nap, and then two hours after they go to bed. Other people choose to hire a teenager to come in and entertain their kids while they work. If you have older children, they should be taught to be somewhat independent during your work hours Tip #3—Discipline: Being your own boss is great, but it’s really easy to be too nice to yourself and put off work for a nap or having fun. Yes, you have more flexibility for these things when working at home and Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 13 that is a benefit to being a home worker, but you must be disciplined and follow a schedule to make sure you that you get enough work done. Tip #4—Telephone: If you cannot make family and friends understand that you are actually working at home, then it is suggested to take your telephone off the hook when working. Have a business telephone number and a family home number. When working, take your family home number off the hook and turn off your cell phone. If you have children that you fear may need to call, you can use the caller ID feature to avoid unwanted calls. Also, if you are working and someone drops by, don’t answer the door. You really have to be firm in your resolve to set and keep these boundaries or you will not be able to get a sufficient amount of work done and will be plagued with feelings of being overwhelmed. By following the tips noted above, you can have a successful home work environment, make money at home, and still enjoy the flexible schedule that home workers enjoy so much. Working at home is not always easy, and it does take planning, creativity, discipline, and the ability to set firm boundaries with family and friends. However, it can be both a lucrative and satisfying way to balance both work and family needs. Tips for Choosing a Great Medical Transcription Training Program By: Dawn Moreno Many people today are looking for ways to be able to work at home and still make good money. Many women wish to work at home to save on the expense of childcare. Many men now want to work at home to save on commuting expenses, lunches out, and the corporate rat race. Medical transcription is a wonderful career choice for those who wish to work at home, have a great career that uses their mind, and that can be achieved in a relatively short period of time. The problem is that there are a lot of scams out there, subpar training programs and false information. So, how do you know just what you don’t know when it comes to choosing a good program for your medical transcription training? You need someone who’s been in the business for many years to give you some good information and tips on choosing a great program. Below you will find a series of tips on how to choose a great medical transcription training program. Tip #1: Look for an established school that has been in business at least 7 years or more. Being in business and developing a good reputation over time is a good indication that the program is solid. Tip #2: Ask for testimonials of those who have graduated from the program and are working. Tip #3: Make sure that the school offers REAL job placement assistance and/or an internship program to assist you in making the transition from student to work. Tip #4: The most expensive doesn’t mean it’s the best. It just means it’s the most expensive. A good MT program should not cost more than $2,000. Tip #5: It’s a great idea to choose a school that also offers training in medical coding and billing so that you have the option to cross‐train if you so desire. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 14 Tip #6: Stay away from schools offering huge specials and discounts. That means they are hurting for enrollments and may not be financially stable. Tip #7: Stay away from schools that advertise on television and also offer courses in auto mechanics and basket weaving. Employers traditionally do not look fondly on these schools and they steer away from hiring their graduates. Tip #8: Make sure the program has a lot of good dictation practice and teaches you medical terminology, disease processes, anatomy, report formatting, and has a student forum and office number and E‐mail address for your questions. Tip #9: Steer clear of high‐pressure strong sales tactics. Good schools don’t need to resort to these to get you to enroll. Tip #10: Choose a school that doesn’t throw in 1,000 different books to jack up your tuition costs. You can buy what you need and only what you need when you need it. This is a tactic that some schools use to validate astronomically high tuition courses. Choosing a good medical transcription training program takes a lot of research, asking the right questions, and being a good and educated consumer. Spend your money wisely and make sure that the program you choose is prepared to give you post‐graduate support in finding your first job or that they have an internship program to assist you in getting started. Medical transcription is a wonderful career choice, but one must be prudent when choosing a school for their training. Time for a New Career? By: Meditec Contributor Dawn Moreno Spring is around the corner and signifies renewal, rebirth, and the change of a season. In talking to the many people who contact Meditec each month interested in career training, we are hearing grave concerns about the economy, finances, mortgages, and job losses. Many are feeling a need to change careers because of massive lay‐offs and job losses in their chosen professions. Two major areas that seldom encounter recession and are not overly affected by economic problems are the medical and the legal field. No matter what else is happening in the world, people still get sick or hurt, and require health care. The same is true to some extent in matters of law. People just keep suing each other for a variety of reasons. The government keeps on adding new regulations that require legal interpretation and support. If you are concerned about the stability of your job, then it would be wise to consider training for a career in the medical or legal field. Medical transcriptionists, medical coders and billers, paralegals, and legal transcriptionists are needed everywhere and as the population increases and ages, the expanded need for more professionals follows. Pick up your local newspaper and read the classified ads. You’ll see what we mean. The best news is that these careers may be launched from home and managed as your Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 15 time allows, even to include starting your own business. Does it make sense to start a business in a weak economy? Yes, it does and this is a basic key that will stimulate and correct a failing economy. It’s small business that makes the economy in this country strong. Starting a medical or legal business at home may just be the catalyst that takes you from worry to financial security and abundance. The choice is yours. Either a job or a business both work!! Recession and Healthcare By: Dawn Moreno, contributor, Meditec.com According to Tom Barry of the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the healthcare industry is less affected by recession. He quotes the University of Georgia’s Economic Outlook 2002, stating "Health services typically are viewed as necessities, which consumers are very reluctant to forgo or even postpone, even during hard times," due to the fact that people need healthcare and they hesitate to cut back on that even when things are not good, therefore, jobs in healthcare are for the most part stable through recessions. This does not mean, however, that the healthcare industry will not feel a recession to some degree. Bringing on extra staff or starting additional projects like new wings of a hospital, wage freezes, or extra employee benefit plans may be things that would be affected during a recession. Hospitals or doctors’ offices may be inclined to work with the least amount of staff possible, but there will continue to be a need for qualified healthcare and support personnel in both the good and bad economic times. It is always a wise idea for an individual to think ahead and have a plan in place should a job loss occur for any reason. Gaining new and additional skills especially during a recession is a smart idea. A medical transcriptionist would be wise to cross train into medical coding or billing. A medical coder or biller would be smart to obtain training in medical transcription. The more varied skill sets one has to fall back on, the less chance of floundering during an unexpected job loss. Additionally, enhancing your skills is a smart idea in case you ever want to launch out on your own and start your own business. If you can transcribe the medical record, then code it, then bill it, you have the capacity to triple your income. Many people today find themselves in jobs that are not what they have their college degree in. Last week, I read a post on a message board from a woman who had just completed her master’s degree in counseling and has been unable to find a job in her field. It was suggested she begin looking for work using her degree in another capacity like the human services field for now. In my opinion, even more important than having money in the bank during a recession is having a large repertoire of employable job skills. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 16 Frequently Asked Questions about Medical Transcription
And the Meditec Online MT Program
Q: What exactly is Medical Transcription? A: Virtually every encounter that takes place between a health care provider and his or her patient must be put into written documentation. Generally, the information is recorded either onto tape or a digital voice processing system. The dictated information is then listened to by a medical transcriptionist (MT) who transcribes the report into either a hard copy or an electronic medical record using a computer and a word processor. Q: And it requires training? A: Absolutely. It is a highly specialized field requiring a strong medical background, knowledge of Latin (and Greek) word derivation, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacy. Those who learn to do it successfully generally are good spellers, and have good keyboard skills. Speed increases with training and experience. Q: How does your program work? A: It is a home‐based on‐line distance learning program that is entirely self‐paced. You do it in your own time frame at home. It is entirely platform learning so you are presented information, and then you are tested on it. You do not move forward until you fully grasp the topic you are working on. The first part of the program teaches the derivation of words, how they are combined, and where to find them in reference material. The second portion provides hundreds of medical reports you must review, analyze and answer questions about. Then you are ready to begin transcribing. First you listen and type the reports in the Surgical Compendium, and then you move into the entire transcription phase. You will do about 40 hours of dictation which provides you a great deal of experience with dictation. You may also decide to enter the Jumpstart Program that is designed as an internship when you complete the training. To learn more, read about our Jumpstart Internship Program. Q: How much does it cost? A: The cost of the Medical Transcription training course varies according to the options selected and the type of course selected, whether as a full on‐line course or as an eBook. For current pricing and course details and options, please refer to the following: Course Overview Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 17 Full Online Course Order Form Full Online Course Quick Payment Plan Form eBook Course Order Form Prices and Course Descriptions are subject to change without notice. Additional financing and payment plans other than those linked by reference above may also be available. For more information, please call us toll free: 877‐335‐4072 Q: How long does it take to complete this program? A: It is about 400 clock hours and requires anywhere from 3 to 6 months (depending how much time you have to devote to the program). Q: Is this field for me? A: If you have at least average keyboard skills (50 words per minute), are already a good speller, have a good grasp of English grammar, and can learn and retain what you've learned, this could definitely be for you. The platform learning system provided really helps on the retention end. Q: Why should I look into this field? A: Consider first and foremost that it is a major career in one of the top economic industries: health care. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that there will be a 44% increase in MTs needed by the year 2006 (and thereafter), so the demand will definitely exceed the supply. Then consider the time and money savings by training and working at home‐‐gasoline, day care expense, general reduction of the overhead of daily living because you are at work instead of stuck in traffic and wasting the most precious commodity you have: time. The part of your home that you use for business is an expense for tax purposes, and, as already mentioned, you can usually write off as an expense the cost of the program. And the best reason, you set your own hours and have more time for family and friends. The medical industry historically has been virtually immune to recession ‐ the demand for medical services, and therefore the demand for all related products and services, such as medical transcription, coding, and billing has never diminished. Security to that extent is difficult to find. The medical industry has experienced the most steady and concrete growth of any North American industry that actually has economic impact on a national scale. And because you are paid by the word, line, or page, you are rewarded according to your own ability and dedication, so your ultimate success is up to you. Your earning potential is entirely in your hands, enabling you to take charge of your future. Our best transcriptionists averaged $50K or more 10 years ago. We provide you in‐depth information on MTs making $50 to $100K a year. In the HomeBizBook, all of the information related to earnings, contracts, and tax information is provided. Also, the eBook Transitioning Student to MT in our Mega‐MT Course Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 18 provides valuable information on the business aspect of medical transcription. You will not only develop a specialized skill, but also a greatly increased understanding of the human machine and its mysteries. You will interface more successfully with your personal and family health care providers and the billing and payment process, an informed consumer as it were. The work‐‐patient care‐‐is interesting with its triumphs, frustrations, and failures. And developing this specialized skill can lead to other venues too, such as insurance claim review‐audit, peer review, editing, building your own MT company, procedural and diagnostic coding and abstracting, and medical billing. The rewards can be fantastic! Q: What about voice recognitions systems? Will they hurt the aspiring MT? A: Voice recognition systems are often discussed as an imminent threat to MTs. This has been true since 1989. Despite millions and millions of investment into the technology, it has never materialized very effectively. The vocabulary of medicine with the ability to combine Latin words is virtually infinite. No voice‐based memory thus far developed has been remotely capable of addressing that with any precision, let alone the exigencies of a voice with a cold (not recognized by the software), set maximum speech input speeds (mostly too slow) so the dictator wastes a lot of professional (and expensive) time. Those that have been implemented require MTs to edit the errors out. Currently one of our Jumpstart clients uses VR and the MT trainees listen to and edit the computer version (at a lower line rate than producing it entirely, but the speed with which it is done well compensates). We don't see much of a threat from our observation and research since MTs still need to listen and edit. Q: Can I really make any money at home? A: By developing this skill, yes, you certainly can. All of Meditec's transcriptionists worked at home on contract. The average transcriptionist types about 300 lines per hour, about $24 per hour. High‐end MTs with good keyboard skills using word expanders and macros do 400, 500 and even 600 LPH. You do the math. Q: How can I learn to do it? A: Meditec has trained hundreds of medical transcriptionists for over 27 years for its own service. Early on, we discovered we had to train them. We had to do it rapidly to meet our client expectations, and developed a method that worked. The course is the culmination of all those years of training in the real world. We have now been exclusively in the training field for more than 10 years. Meditec's Jumpstart Program is unique too in that we have a number of clients who await our successful graduates for 30 to 90 day internships, and then those clients hire the interns. A real edge indeed. Q: Do you have instructors? A: If you visit most medical transcription student boards, you will find a constant complaint of "no Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 19 contact", "no teacher." Meditec has live instructors on‐line every day Monday through Friday for any course questions. They are also available by email with fast turnaround. Remember too, when you are working, the same professionals are available to help you. Q: What equipment do I need? A: For the training, a computer with a word processor, the ability to get onto and surf the internet (dial up or DSL) and a Waveplayer or a cassette transcriber to do the dictation or listen to the audio. When you are ready to work, you will need a medical spellchecker (inexpensive), sometimes software communication upload/download protocols (inexpensive), and other types of reference books depending upon what type of dictation you end up working with. Most vendors for these products will provide you a discount as a Meditec student. The course provides you with a spellchecker while you are training. When you enter the Jumpstart Program, the upload/download protocols are part of the training. Q: Do I need to be certified? A: AAMT provides CMT certification. You can read all about it at that site. You do not need to be certified to work. Most potential employers certainly appreciate that designation, but do not require it. Other certifiers are available: www.med‐certification.com. Q: Do you provide placement or otherwise provide work? A: Meditec.com does not guarantee employment in any sense. The Career Development and HomeBizBook will greatly assist you in finding work. Staff is dedicated to that end, too. Employers constantly contact us for successful candidate applications. We provide those company sites to you. The Jumpstart Program is a wonderful way to bridge the gap. Q: Are your programs accredited? A: No, we are not nationally accredited, but few if any online programs are. We are Registered under the "Utah Postsecondary Proprietary School Act." We do not award credits that you can transfer to any other school. Those that offer associate's degrees do not provide transfer credits either. Our Certificate of Completion and award of "Medical Transcriptionist" designation from a 400 hour program is quite sufficient based on fact. Q: So how do I get started? A: Call 877.335.4072 or enroll online. If you need financial assistance, review that information. Q: Anything else? Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 20 A: Only this: If you want a new and specialized career that is in great demand, one that has been immune to recession and other economic and industry fluctuations, one that can be easily developed into a home business and get you the independence you want, then look no further. If you've shopped the others, and hopefully you have, you know the most cost‐effective way by far to get on track in this exciting field is with us. Just do it! Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 21 How Meditec Measures Up
Meditec Medical Career Training School Courses Provide Medical Transcription
Certification.
Medical Transcriptionists continue in high demand. More and more MTs now work at home.
Medical record-keeping requires massive amounts of records, and the quality care issues
continue to drive the record volume and the professional management requirements. The
ageing population puts more and more people through the healthcare system as well.
Earnings: MTs are usually paid on production (per line). When the learning/production curve is
complete, earn as much as $50 an hour or more. Meditec has and knows MTs earning $90,000
a year.
Meditec MT Training: The course offers you the most effective way to become a medical
transcriptionist. Add the Jumpstart Program (internship) for the experience factor and when
complete, get hired.
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Complete online training for transcription certification (MT)
Fast track high tech medical terminology training
Hands-on interactive exercises from patient charts
Dictation practicum with actual physician dictation (no actors)
Internship - real jobs for student graduates - valuable 2 year experience factor
Waveplayer. (What is a Waveplayer?)
Certification: Upon completion of the course, Certification Examination required.
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85% or better = MT Certificate + Recommendation Letter, eligible for Jumpstart
Program.
80% to 84% = Certificate of Completion - job potential excellent
Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 22 Training Course Options (multiple options): The Medical Transcription Course includes over
2000 minutes of dictation, plus a Surgical Compendium, the required hardware and software,
everything you need to become fully trained and ready to work.
Career Advancement with Cross Training: Consider adding Medical Coding, Medical Billing,
or even Legal Transcription to your MT course.
MEDITEC COURSE SYLLABUS- WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN OUR MT PROGRAM
MODULE I
SECTION I - LANGUAGE ORIGINS AND ADAPTATIONS
Chapter 1 - Etymology
Chapter 2 - Grammar, Spelling & Punctuation
Chapter 3 - Medical Words
SECTION II - DYNAMICS OF MEDICAL VOCABULARY AND WORD STRUCTURE
Chapter 1 - Word Dynamics
Chapter 2 - Body Dynamics
Chapter 3 - Medical Instruments & Equipment
Chapter 4 - Medical Specialties & Specialists
Chapter 5 - Diagnostic Medicine
Chapter 6 - Abbreviations
Chapter 7 - Anatomy and Physiology
Chapter 8 - Diagnostic Medicine
Chapter 9 - Abbreviations
Chapter 10 - Anatomy and Physiology
Chapter 11 - Pharmacology
Chapter 12 - Just for Fun
GLOSSARY AND REFERENCES + ILLUSTRATIONS (INCLUDED NO EXTRA CHARGE)
Anatomical Words, Drug References & Instruments (on-line access)
DRUG LISTING - generic alpha, name brand cross-reference, plus 200 of the most commonly
prescribed drugs.
MODULE II
SECTION I. INTRODUCTION AND ORIENTATION
A. Report Types
B. OUTPATIENT REPORTS
C. INPATIENT REPORTS
Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 23 SECTION II
Keys (actual transcribed reports) to the 16 hours (1,000 minutes) of dictation - all physician
dictation, 85% hospital, 15% clinical.
PHARMACOLOGICAL COMPENDIUM
Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their interactions with living organisms. It is one of the
oldest branches of medicine. The course material includes:
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Drug terminology
Dosages, schedules
Terms, symbols, spelling, packaging
Administration
Classification (brand, generic, and trade name)
Drug use/listings by medical specialty
SECTION III - SURGICAL COMPENDIUM
• Includes General, Breast, Digestive, Intra-abdominal, Bowel, Colon, Rectal, Anal, Biliary,
Ear, Nose and Throat, Endocrine, Herniae, Nail, I&D, Gynecology, Neurosurgery,
Obstetrics, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic, Otolaryngology, Reconstructive, Thoracic,
Urologic, Cardiovascular Surgery - with all related terms listings, dictation and sample
reports.
• 4 hours of dictation for pronunciation specifics
MODULE III
Medical Dictation Practicum:
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20 hours of physician dictation
Keys (actual transcribed reports) to the dictation
The Dictation: - We emphasize that practical experience is the best teacher, and 20 hours of
dictation by men, women, foreign doctors, all styles and difficulties--just about everything you
will encounter in the work place, and the Companion Key are used to compare your work
against the actual transcripts, one report at a time.
APPENDIX
• Surgical Instruments, Supplies
• Sutures and Dressings
The Professional Edge HomeBiz Book - This book is an excellent resource on how to
set up a home business, find and apply for independent contract work or market and sell
your own clients, and may be purchased separately with any course.
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Current & Projected Status of the Home Business Market
Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 24 •
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Home Business Types
Self Assessment
Business Naming & Legal Entity Setup, e.g., Corporation, LLC, etc.
Marketing & Sales
Medical Transcription - specifically for medical transcription home business
Appendices jam-packed with resources - including $100s worth of documents, Articles of
Incorporation/Organization, Operating Agreement, sample contracts, solicitation letters
and proposals, resumes, and much, much more.
The Professional Edge Exam - This is the Final Exam, necessary to receive a Certificate of
Training and a Letter of Recommendation. Depending on your final score, certificate and/or
letters are provided. The final will provide you the look and feel of a real employer exam. If you
pass Meditec's, you will pass almost any. NOTE: The Professional Edge Exam and Certification
are NOT included in the CD-ROM based eBook version of our medical transcription training
course, but those items may be purchased separately by eBook customers at any time. Learn
more about the eBook course here.
We encourage you to compare this syllabus with any course.
Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 25 Meditec Testimonials
What others are saying about Meditec Training…
Please Note: The content has been edited as appropriate, to remove company names, apply generic names,
or to protect other private or confidential information. The following letters are just a sampling of the many
letters we've received and have on file. The testimonials are updated periodically, but they are listed in no
particular order.
Hi, I wanted to drop a note to say just how great all the staff at Meditec are. Everyone that I have had the privilege to chat with, either by email or phone, has been extremely courteous, helpful and encouraging. There have been times when I wondered if I was in over my head, but then I'd get a reminder on the CD or in the book to stretch, take a deep breath and just keep going. And it is wonderful to know I have a support team just a phone call away. It has been a real pleasure and I look forward to the next phase. Blessings, Teresa P. Hi! Just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for doing such an excellent job of preparing me to be an MT. While still finishing up your course, I thought I'd begin searching for jobs. I replied to a few ads I saw, telling them that I had no experience but was up for the challenge if they'd hire me. The next day I got a response from one, was asked to take a 50‐question test, and soon was hired. I've been working for them for almost a month now and am loving it! So a big thanks to you guys here at Meditec!!! I do have a question though. Am wondering if I should go ahead and still try to take that 3‐hour exam or is it not necessary since I already have an excellent fulltime job?? Thanks again. Marci Just wanted to share some good news! After getting through only about 1/3 to 1/2 of the actual MT course dictation, I got a job! In my neck of the woods, there's a company which subcontracts MTs for local accounts. The owner gave me some test dictation and apparently I did really well. My first day was yesterday and I got done in half the time I expected. I also have a seasoned MT monitoring me, and she said I did really good on my first reports. To tell the truth, I was a little surprised they were so easy. I expected them to be more like our practice dictation. This course is amazing, and the practical experience was the key to me landing this work! Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 26 Chris Well, I just signed and forwarded a real contract, and I begin transcription work on Monday. I can't believe that I just completed the course a little over two weeks ago and I'm already hired! I had to pass their transcription test with at least 98% accuracy in order to be considered. Obviously, I was prepared ‐‐
thanks to you. I wanted to say thank you very much for the patience, the encouragement and all of the help. Everyone at Meditec.com is wonderful and I am singing your praises! Here's to the new journey..... Susan R TESTIMONIAL ‐‐ Note from a Jumpstart partner: From: Deborah Moore To: Jari Davis My company has worked with Meditec for almost a year now on one of my larger accounts. I have been extremely pleased with the editor/mentors that Meditec provides for the Jumpstart students because of their knowledge and professionalism and I trust their judgment when it comes to hiring their students. I can say that as far as the Jumpstart students themselves, well I am especially pleased! I have hired on every Jumpstart student that has finished the Jumpstart program while working on our accounts. The best part is once they were hired, their accuracy and knowledge was so great that we rarely had to QA their reports. The individuals knew when to ask questions instead of guessing, which in this industry is a very dangerous practice. I will definitely continue to use Meditec and the Jumpstart program as long as they want to work with us and I will indeed hire each and every student that completes the Jumpstart Program!! Deborah Moore (company name has been removed for privacy reasons) Learn more about the JumpStart Program... Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 27 Enrollment/Payment Options
At Meditec we believe in giving you options! We have our premiere online self‐paced training program that is both interactive and fun. For those who just can’t afford that option, we have an eBook program that has all the same content as our online course but comes in CD format. It doesn’t have the same interactiveness but does contain the same content. Now, let’s talk about the bottom line. Our MT program usually sells for $1989.00 plus registration and shipping fees. Our MT eBook program sells for $795.00. We do have payment plans to fit just about any budget with both plans and we do run monthly specials. You can visit www.meditec.com and check out our specials page for further details. Some of our payment plans are not advertised on our website, so feel free to contact us and we’ll discuss your unique situation and will work with you regarding a way to fill your training needs. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 28 Interesting Links
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MT Message Boards
http://www.mtdaily.com
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Learning Medical Terminology
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games_vocab_med.htm
http://www.pathguy.com/medvocab.htm
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Typing Tutorials
http://www.nimblefingers.com/
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Online Medical Dictionary
http://www.online-medical-dictionary.org/
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Online Drug Reference
http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/hp.asp
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Learning Anatomy
http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
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Learning About Diseases
http://www.merck.com/mmpe/index.html
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English Grammar Resources
http://www.aacton.gladbrook.iowapages.org/id3.html
http://www.geocities.com/athens/parthenon/2692/grammarlink.html
http://www.yourdictionary.com/dictionary-articles/interactive-grammar-games.html
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INTERACTIVE TOOLS
Abbreviation Search
Site Search (Search inside Meditec)
Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 29 •
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MT HelpLine
Spellchecker
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JOB LINKS...
Fun Careers
Missy's List
Monster Healthcare
MT Daily
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MEDICAL REFERENCE LINKS - General...
Abbreviations - Dangerous
Abbreviations - Standard
Abdominal Examination
Chest Examination | Lung Workup
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diseases and Disorders
Do It Yourself C-section Don't Try This At Home!!
Drugs (Reference List)
Drugs (Top 200)
General Surgical Types
Heart Examination
Laboratory Processes & Values
Laser Eye Surgery - LASIK
Laser Eye Surgery - Vitrectomy
Laser Surgery
Medical Transcription Rules
Neurological Examination
Normal Lab Values
Physical Examination
Pulse (Pulses) Exam/Testing
Radiographic Testing
Radiology
Presurgery Cardiac Evaluation
Robotics Telesurgery
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MEDICAL WORDS & MORE...
Alternative Medicine Words
Cardiovascular Words
Commonly Misspelled Words
Common Tests & Signs
Eye Terms/Problems
Medical Plurals
Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 30 •
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Obstetrical Words
Podiatric Words
Sound-alike Words
Surgical Words
What Is Health Insurance?
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ONLINE RESOURCES, SOFTWARE, PROGRAMS
Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI)
About Medical Software Directory
Go MTD - Medical Data Technicians
HealthLinks
Human Anatomy Software
Medical Transcription Services A portal for MT services
MedlinePlus Guide to 9,000 PX and OTC medications
MedWord Canada Partner
MT Daily
MT Desk
MT Help
CVS/Caremark A resource for researching drugs.
Word Expanders
University of Iowa - Virtual Hospital Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 31 Coupon
If you enroll in our MT program within 30 days of receiving this EBook, and you mention this coupon code: MeditecMore
We will send you our Transitioning to MT EBook
FREE of charge and give you $10 off our premiere
Home Biz book, which explains how to start your
own MT business. Both are invaluable
resources!!!!!
Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 32 Conclusion
In conclusion, one of the things that makes Meditec (www.meditec.com ) stand out above the rest‐‐
aside from our comprehensive training program, many enrollment and payment options, and job placement assistance‐‐is our Jumpstart internship program. When you complete your training with us, you may want to go get your own job right away as many Meditec students do. However, we do have a Jumpstart internship program available which you would pay for separately. This is where you would work for a client doing real work for free for 30‐90 days until you reach 98% accuracy. You would have extensive QA help during that time, and then if there is an opening, you would go on to paid work. In the years that we have been doing the Jumpstart internship program, only 1 person has failed to become employed by the client they intern for. In this manual, we’ve presented both the pros and cons of a career as a medical transcriptionist and good training has been emphasized. Now the decision is yours. Ask yourself: Are you happy in your current job? Would you like to work at home? Does medical transcription sound like a good fit for you? If so, contact us, and we will work with you in order to make it happen regardless of your financial situation. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions you may have on this book, about MT as a career, or about the Meditec program in particular. I look forward to hearing from you. [email protected] or [email protected]. Best wishes for a lucrative and satisfying career and to making a great decision for yourself. Meditec.com Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Page 33