Newton — Are you interested in a career in healthcare, but not sure about working directly with patients? Fortunately, there are many opportunities in healthcare for people who prefer to work behind the scenes. One such career training option, medical transcription, can be found at Sussex County Community College.
Medical transcriptionists (MTs) are the healthcare professionals who listen to recorded dictation and transform it into a permanent legal document that becomes part of a patient’s medical record. This could be a health history, a letter to the insurance company, MRI results, an operative report, or even an autopsy.
The Medical Transcription Program at SCCC is a comprehensive one-year program that trains students to become entry-level transcriptionists. Students will learn the necessary medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and medical transcription skills. Students are also introduced to the electronic health record. During the final semester, students participate in a supervised on-the-job externship program and take the national certification exam. Additionally, certain basic skills are necessary to become a successful medical transcriptionist: strong English grammar skills, good computer skills, and good typing speed.
Variety of work place settings available
There are a variety of work place settings available to MTs including hospitals, doctors’ offices, other healthcare offices, transcription services, pharmaceutical companies, medical malpractice attorneys, and health insurance companies. Many MTs work from home. They are able to receive the recorded dictations over the Internet, transcribe the report into a formatted document, and return it to a client over the Internet.
Donna Mappa, a program graduate, currently transcribes from her home office for Dr. Denise Autotte, a Family Medicine physician in Hamburg. Mappa said, “I really enjoyed the learning process; it was all very interesting. I was pleasantly surprised by the sisterhood I developed with my classmates.” When asked what she likes best about medical transcription, Donna said, “The thing I like best is that each report is like a story, and I feel a sense of responsibility and accomplishment to be a part of that.” Donna “I really enjoy and appreciate the flexibility it gives me to be at home
Job opportunities expected to be good
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of MTs to grow faster than average. As the nation’s baby-boomers reach older adulthood, they will invariably seek more healthcare services, more diagnostic testing, and more procedures. This will result in a strain on the existing MT workforce. “The medical transcription industry is currently facing a serious labor and skills shortage.” noted Keith Flannery, vice president, Medical Transcription Industry Association, As such, job opportunities are expected to be good, especially for those who are certified.
In an effort to replenish the workforce, the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity has launched its NextGen recruitment campaign to attract a new generation of skilled MTs. In conjunction with the Department of Labor an apprenticeship program has been created for MTs. This program offers certified graduates structured on-the-job learning and technical instruction.
In addition to medical transcription, SCCC offers a variety of healthcare programs including Medical Assistant, Medical Office Assistant, Medical Coding and Billing, Professional Medical Coding, Surgical Technology, Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, Health Information Technology, and Emergency Medical Technician.
For more information specifically regarding the Medical Transcription Program, call Paige Gebhardt at 973-300-2261. For information about any of the other programs, call the Department of Allied Health at 973-300-2332.
Source : http://www.strausnews.com/
Friday, August 8, 2008
College offers Medical Transcription Program - Comprehensive one-year program: trains students for entry level position
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