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Looking for a good medical transcription course can be tricky.
There are so many different MT schools popping up all over the
place, and a lot of online schools too. It's definitely a
difficult choice and you should take your time before making any
commitments.
Remember, the better your training the better your earning
opportunities will be. So keeping that in mind, it's really
important to choose the best medical transcription school
possible.
So just how do you choose a good medical transcription school?
If you've decided a traditional school course is right for you,
then start having a look around your local area. Ask other MTs
where they were trained. Look in the yellow pages and the
internet and make a list of all the local community colleges and
technology schools in your area.
Call each school individually and ask them to mail you
information on their medical transcription courses. Then narrow
it down to a few schools you feel area good fit for you.
While deciding ask yourself some questions such as - Can I go to
school on the days and times required? Is it too far? Will I be
able to stick with a course for that long? Can I afford it?
Once you have your list of schools, call them up and make an
appointment to visit. This will give you a better feel of the
school before making any commitments. Remember, good schools are
always willing to take the time to show you around and answer
your questions. If the staff isn't happy to take a few minutes
to speak to you then how will they treat you once you're a
student.
Here's a list of things to look for once you visit the school:
What subjects are included in the course?
A good MT program should include word processing & typing,
medical terminology (various levels), anatomy (at a general
level), pharmacology (introduces you to different medications),
grammar/English, and lots of hands on transcribing.
Do they have job placement assistance or Internship?
The upshot of choosing a school course is they usually have job
placement. It can be difficult to get a job without real
experience so job placement is important.
An internship is almost as good as job placement. Your school
places you at a location to work (as part of your course
training). You will not earn any money during this training but
it is great hands on real experience. Sometimes, the employer
may even hire you after your training. They will also give you a
reference which you could use to find future work.
What are their success rates?
What have some of their students gone on to do? Are they working
as MTs? You could also ask what percentages of students actually
receive the job training. Good schools will have statistics of
how well the course worked for their students.
How much is the course and is there payment assistance?
Most schools are pretty good about funding issues. They will
usually have in place certain schemes where you can get
discounts depending on your situation. Some have a sliding scale
fee which means their fees are based on your income.
You may also find scholarships or the school will have a payment
plan in place. This will allow you to break your payments down
into smaller chunks. With some schools you don't have to pay
back the remaining amount until 6 months after your course
finishes. They may also have reduced interest rates.
What to look for in Online Courses?
If you decide an online course is right for you, then ask all
the same questions as you would for a traditional school course.
Job placement assistance is a bit more difficult with an online
course but you should receive a letter of reference you could
use to find local work.
Whichever method of training you receive, you can find your own
work right away. This is sometimes easier than starting with a
big online company. You can send a letter or visit your local
doctors and offer to type a free report or tape. This will show
them you can do the work before either of you make any
commitments.
About the author:
Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of www.AskTheMT.com -
an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical
transcription questions.
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