According to the current edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical Transcription is among the ten fastest growing occupations in the United States. A medical transcriptionist (MT) often works for hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician offices, national transcription services, or other medical offices. An MT will listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals and transcribe them, creating medical reports that eventually become part of patients' permanent files.

Students must have excellent editing and proofreading skills. Students should have a basic understanding of a word processing program, to include being proficient at keyboarding, creating documents, e-mailing, and printing. (*See prerequisites below.) Students in the Medical Transcription program gain the ability to transcribe medical reports, learning the skills they need to obtain an entry-level position as a medical transcriptionist.

This recently revised and revamped program has been designed to provide students with a beginning knowledge of the transcription of medical records. Included are ten inpatient case studies, ten inpatient reports that can be used as tests or as extra assignments, 25 outpatient reports, and ten outpatient reports that can be used as tests or as extra assignments. Each of these reports has been taken from hospital medical records. The reports utilized include history and physical examinations, radiology reports, operative procedures, pathology reports, consultations, discharge summaries, a death summary, an autopsy report, and correspondence. Reports are digitally recorded to be transcribed by the student. Different regional accents and background noises, which duplicate real-life situations, are used in the recorded dictation, the speed of which picks up as the student goes forward through the course. Transcription times will vary, depending on the length of the case study and the students' keyboarding skills, command of the English language, and knowledge of human anatomy and medical terminology.

The Medical Transcription online program has been updated to the latest industry standards, and we have added in various interactive elements to better engage students. In addition to these enhancements, we have also created over 50 interactive audio exercises that give the students extra hands-on transcribing practice. These audio activities give the students extra practice and help them learn to transcribe medical reports that simulate real-world cases with varying speed and dialects in the dictations. Students check their work immediately, which provides multiple opportunities to practice transcribing before they submit full reports for instructor grading.

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TOPIC HIGHLIGHTS

Introduction

Pre-Transcription Phase

1. Introduction
2. Understanding Medical Records
3. Language Basics
4. Medical Transcription Basics

Transcription Phase – 1

1. Reproductive System
2. Musculoskeletal System
3. Cardiovascular System
4. Integumentary System
5. Urinary System
6. Nervous System
7. Digestive System
8. Endocrine System
9. Lymphatic System
10. Respiratory System

Transcription Phase – 2

1. Report Type: Correspondence
2. Operative Report
3. Pathology Consult
4. Discharge Summary
5. Operative Report
6. Radiology Report
7. Oncology Consult
8. Discharge Summary
9. Death Summary
10. Autopsy Report

Transcription Phase – 3

1. Gynecology Operative Report
2. Pathology Report
3. Cytology Report
4. Oncology Consult
5. Infectious Disease SOAP Note
6. Pulmonology Procedure Note
7. Oncology Consult
8. Correspondence Report
9. Infectious Disease Consult
10. Pediatrics – Emergency Center Report
11. Internal Medicine History and Physical
12. Psychiatry Consult
13. Radiology-Echocardiogram Report
14. Colonoscopy Procedure Note
15. Radiology – CT Scan of Abdomen
16. Infectious Disease HPIP Note
17. Radiology-Mammogram & CT Scan of the Abdomen
18. Oncology Consult
19. Correspondence Report
20. Pulmonology-Sleep Study
21. Psychiatry Consult
22. Radiology – MRI
23. Pediatrics – Emergency Center Report
24. Hematology Consult

Transcription Phase – 4

1. Hematology Consult
2. Oncology Consult
3. History and Physical Exam
4. Oncology Consult
5. Radiology Report – Echocardiogram
6. Infectious Disease Consult
7. Oncology Consult
8. Correspondence Report
9. Orthopedic Consult
10. Physical Therapy Consult

Post-Transcription Phase

Grammar-Punctuation Style Rules Review

Final Exam

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CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

A 70% or better must be achieved in order to receive a Certificate of Completion.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of the GES Medical Transcription course, the student will be able to accomplish the following.

• Describe the importance of the confidential nature of medical reports
• Describe the content and purpose of the medical reports used
• Transcribe medical reports using correct report format
• Transcribe medical reports using correct capitalization, number, punctuation, abbreviation, symbols, and metric measurement rules
• Spell correctly the English and medical terms in addition to the abbreviations, either by memory or by using a dictionary/reference book
• Define the medical terms and abbreviations presented, either by memory or by using a dictionary/reference book
• Identify and/or define the knowledge, skills, abilities, and responsibilities required of medical transcriptionists
• Understand networking through the professional organization as well as career opportunities

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PDF BROCHURE

Please click here to download the PDF brochure for the Gatlin online courses offered by OCPE.

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WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Students must have the following prerequisite skills:

• A basic understanding of medical terminology is a prerequisite for this program. Therefore we strongly recommend that if you have not had any previous medical terminology experience you take GATL 0317: Medical Terminology. If you enroll in Medical Terminology at the same time that you enroll in this course, you will receive the terminology course at the discounted rate of $300.
• The ability to create documents using Microsoft Word (any version). All reports submitted to the instructor for grading must be created using MS Word (MS Works, Corel Word Perfect, and other word processing programs are NOT compatible).
• Proficiency in keyboarding- accuracy is most important at first, but some jobs pay on production, so speed will become a factor.
• E-mailing- a major route of communication between student, the facilitator, and GES.
• Browsing the Internet-important for looking up information on medical terms, drugs, procedures, etc., when they cannot be found in your reference books
• Knowledge of English grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. When changing the spoken word to the written word, all these aspects of language become vital.
• The ability to discern what is being said, and more importantly what is meant, even if the person dictating has accented speech.
• The ability to comply with the student-led, self-motivating aspects of the Gatlin program- much more responsibility is placed on the student in an online course than in a classroom situation. The student is responsible for reading and following all instructions.

Audience: The intended audience for this program includes individuals interested in gaining the education and skills necessary to enter the medical transcription field and/or those individuals interested in changing careers to become a medical transcriptionist.

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Nancy Anacker
Patricia Ireland
Sara Proctor
Carrie Stein

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1. How do I register for a Gatlin online course?

Please contact our office on the Fairfax campus in Northern Virginia (NOVA) or call 703-993-2113. Click here for more information or to download a copy of the registration form.

2. How much do Gatlin online courses cost?

To view the prices for all Gatlin courses that are offered by George Mason University, please click here.

3. Why do I have to take Gatlin courses through a participating school?

Gatlin does not offer courses directly to the public. They partner with major colleges and universities to offer their programs.

4. Do I have to travel to register for or to attend a Gatlin online course?

All Gatlin courses are delivered entirely online, you do not have to go to a class or travel to a school. If you are unable to visit our office on the Fairfax campus in Northern Virginia (NOVA), please contact us at 703-993-2113 or click here for more information or to register for a course.

5. How long does it take to complete a Gatlin course?

All of our Gatlin courses are asynchronous. You can start and finish the course at your own pace. Most courses are designed to be completed within 180 days. You may request an extension if you think you will need more time to complete a course (fees may apply). Please contact us at 703-993-2113 or click here if you have any questions or if you would like to register for a course.

6. Do I have to buy additional materials?

Please refer to the green Included Materials box located on the upper right hand side of this page. If materials are included in this course, they will be shipped by Gatlin to you via UPS ground service after you have registered for a course.

7. Can I get financial aid for Gatlin courses?

Gatlin courses are non-credit and therefore are not eligible for Federal Student Aid. However there are a number of loan programs that can be used to fund your course. Click here to view a list of these options or call 703-993-2113 for more information. Gatlin also provides a loan opportunity for students (www.collegeloanapplication.com).

8. What happens when I complete the course?

If you obtain a final passing grade of 70% or greater in a course, we will award you a George Mason University certificate of completion.

9. Who will be my instructor?

Each student is paired up with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (by e-mail) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. Facilitators are all successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.

10. What are the system requirements in order to take an online course?

Please see the "PC requirements" section listed for individual courses.

11. When can I start the course?

Registrations are rolling. Please send us your registration form at the time you wish to start your course. Registrations take five to seven business days to process.

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