UPDATE
Introducing: Penn Foster’s Medical Transcriptionist Career Diploma Program
While Ashworth College is no longer accepting enrollments in our Medical Transcription Fundamentals Career Certificate Program, we’re excited to introduce you to our partner school, Penn Foster.
Open the door to a career in the medical field with Penn Foster. In our online Medical Transcriptionist Career Diploma Program, you’ll gain the need-to-know skills to work as a medical transcriptionist, a career that can be done from home. At the end of the program, you’ll prepare to sit for the Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) exam offered by AHDI.
LEARN MORETake the Next Steps Towards a Career You Want
Penn Foster’s online Medical Transcriptionist Career Diploma Program can help you prepare to take the first steps toward the job you want. With flexible, online courses, you can learn skills and knowledge on your schedule, from home.
Why Penn Foster?
Penn Foster has been on a mission to help people like you launch, accelerate, and thrive in their careers for more than 125 years. We provide students with a quality education that fits your busy lifestyle and budget, offering over 100 self-paced, career-relevant programs across our College, Career School, and High School. The program you choose is structured to fit your learning needs so you can achieve your goals, and is designed to work with your schedule, anytime, anywhere you want to study. With a focus on relevant skills and career preparation for the job you’re after, Penn Foster can help you graduate with confidence and help provide a pathway towards your career goals.
AFFORDABLE LEARNING
Your medical transcription training doesn’t have to spell “debt.”
REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE
Training with professional tools and software gives you an edge in your career.
SUPPORTIVE
STAFF
Academic and general support are all just a call, click, or email away.
What You'll Learn in Penn Foster’s Medical Transcriptionist Career Diploma Program
- How to transcribe and interpret dictation into diagnostic test results, operative reports, referral letters, medical reports, and other documents.
- Translate medical abbreviations and jargon into the appropriate long form.
- How to use common transcription software.
- How to enter electronic health records into appropriate databases.
Penn Foster’s Online Medical Transcriptionist Training Curriculum
As part of our Medical Transcriptionist Training Program course curriculum, you'll learn the foundational skills that can help you prepare to start a successful career in the field. Your courses include:
- Medical Billing and Health Insurance
- Body Systems, Anatomy, and Medical Terminology
- Medical Transcription
Medical Transcriptionist Training FAQs
Post-secondary education and training is often the first step toward becoming a medical transcriptionist. Employers prefer to hire candidates who have completed medical transcription classes and getting certified, while not required, can help you stand out among other job applicants. While certification isn't a requirement for employment, transcriptionists can sit for the Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) exam offered by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).
Medical transcriptionists listen to voice recordings that physicians and other healthcare workers make and convert them into written reports. When transcribing reports, they're responsible for interpreting medical terminology and abbreviations, creating clear patient medical histories, discharge paperwork, and more.
There is a range of ways you can use your medical transcriptionist diploma. Medical transcriptionists play an important part on a healthcare team, translating and transcribing voice memos from physicians. As more patients and an aging population seek healthcare services, there will likely be more data and notes that need transcribing. However, it's important to note that, with technological advancement, some physicians and healthcare providers have begun to rely on speech recognition software versus hiring transcriptionists. Additionally, medical transcriptionists often have the option of working flexible schedules from home.
To become a transcriptionist, you'll learn the basics of medical office procedures, medical terminology, billing, and medical transcription.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national average salary for a medical transcriptionist is $37,060†.
State requirements
A career in this field may require you to meet certain licensing, training, and other requirements that can vary by vocation and state. You should check with your state, local government, and/or licensing board to find out which requirements may be applicable in your state. Click here for contact information on state licensing/regulatory boards and certain professional licensing information.