What Medical Transcription Training Courses Consist Of

Many MTs did not come to be as they are now neither because they had the talent nor that they were born to be one. They were taught either through experience or by schools. At earlier times, education through first-hand experience were the source of training for MTs. Later, schools were put up to better train people who wanted to learn this career. But what does medical transcription training courses cosists of?

Basically, medical transcription courses will train you on:

Anatomy and Physiology of Body Systems
This includes:

• Digestive System  
• Urinary System  
• Female Reproductive System   
• Male Reproductive System   
• Nervous System  
• Cardiovascular System   
• Respiratory System     
• Lymphatic and Immune System  
• Musculoskeletal System  
• Integumentary System 
• Sense Organs:  The Eye and the Ear   
• Endocrine System

You will learn the human anatomy and physiology of all body systems. You will not see patients, but you need to know the medical terms the doctor is talking about as dictated. Knowledge of this will help you when you’re trying to figure out what he is saying. Some terms sounds very much alike, but if you understand what was happening, you’ll probably know which word the doctor is using.

Disease Processes

Learn what causes disease processes, their symptoms, typical diagnoses and possible treatments such as:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Skin diseases
• Tumors and Cancers
• Inflammations

Lab values, Tests and Diagnostic Procedures
Learn the terminologies used for various lab values and procedures such as:

• Endoscopy
• CBC
• ECG
• Laparoscopy
• Urinalysis
• etc.

Drugs

Doctors use a lot of drugs to treat diseases, whether they be prescriped, over-the-counter or illegal. You must be able to distinguish the difference between the brand names and generic names of a wide range of drugs used to treat disease. If the wrong drug is used, it might cause harm both to the doctor and the patient. This icludes drugs such as:

• Chemotherapy drugs
• Anti-hypertensive drugs
• Anti-pyschotic drugs
• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Antibiotics
• Antivirals
• Anti-parasitic drugs

Abbreviations
Sometimes, doctors use a lot of abbreviations when they dictate. You need to have a firm background on these so that you can tell if those terms used are consistent with your report. Knowing what they mean will help you ensure that the report you transcribed is accurate. This inlcudes such as:

• UA
• MCV
• P&A
• CABG

Legal Issues
Learn laws such as the HIPAA act that specifically talks about the patient's privacy. Medical transcriptionists have to refrain from talking or spreading information about the patient's health record. This includes such as:

• HIPAA Act
• HITECH Act
• MT ethics

Formatting and Style
Medical transcription is more than just typing.You need to use the correct format for every report. Every format is determined by a Style Guide, your training will teach you how to use it. this icluded in the AAMT book of styles. This includes:

• History and Physical 
• Emergency Room Report
• Initial Office Evaluation
• Chart Note
• Discharge Summary
• etc.

Actual Medical Transcription
After learning all of the lessons above, you will have to test what you've learned. You will practice on Real dictations by Real physicians on different types of specializations so you can see how well you are learning.

You will need to adapt with situations such as physicians who are difficult to understand, mumble or talk fast and many other situations which you will often come across when working as a medical transcriptionist. This includes:

• Editing and Proofreading
• How to Transcribe Numbers, Figures, and Abbreviations 
• Use of Reference Books 
• Use of Correct Grammar
• Punctuation  
• Capitalization 

In reality, most dictations are either fast or noisy. You’ll need to adjust yourself with a wide variety of accents as well. Dealing with different dictation styles is a big part of learning medical transcription. A good course uses "real dictations" as practice tests from "real practicing doctors".

Enrolling yourself in high quality training programs are worth your time and money. Not only will it prepare you for work, it will also drastically increase your chances of being able to land your first job. It's really a rare sight for an untrained and uncertified applicants to land a job in medical transcription.