As someone who advocates CareerStep’s Medical Transcription and Medical Coding programs, I am often asked various questions regarding the courses such as; time allowed to train, and employment thereafter.  CareerStep is what I think to be the absolute best in online training for non-clinical health care careers.  At times, people are skeptical of online training programs and it’s value due to the lack of hands-on training and a standard school environment.  So, I thought I’d address the most frequently asked questions that I receive to help in your decision making.

Although having a background in health care would be of great benefit to someone interested in Medical Transcription or Coding, it is not required that you have a medical background of any sort in order to train or gain employment thereafter. Having a background in health care will place you ahead of the game. Someone who has never learned or trained for a career in health care may find transcription and/or coding to be a little intimidating.

CareerStep will allow you a year to train for each course. This may cause you to think that the course isn’t very good if it’ll only take up a year of your time, but trust me, these courses are very thorough. Once you complete them, you will be ready to work as a medical transcriptionist, and on an entry level basis as a coder. These courses were created by professional MTs and coders, and these two courses are the only ones they teach.  In my opinion, this allows for more focus and attention to detail regarding your training. If a year is not enough time, you can apply for an extension.

CareerStep offers job placement assistance. This doesn’t mean that someone will sit each day and submit applications for you. CareerStep partners with a number of Transcription companies that hire CareerStep MTs, which goes back to my statement in the previous paragraph. If established companies hire new MTs who don’t even have experience, what does that say for the training program? These partner companies actually prefer CareerStep MTs because they know that they’re thoroughly trained. CareerStep can help you obtain employment, but you still have to do your part in seeking out available positions, and applying.

This all depends upon the person.  Some people are dying to work at home.  They hate having to leave their children, not to mention long commutes, and added expenses.  Some people work best when left to themselves, while others require interaction and a typical office environment.  As a new MT, you will have the option of working at home or in an office, but as a coder, you won’t be able to work from home until you’ve had over 4 years of experience.  A benefit for the MT to working in an office setting is that they’ll have more access to help if they run into a problem.  As for coders, you have to begin on an entry level basis and progress your coding skills over time.   In both professions, you’ll need to understand the demands of your job and be able to work independently.  You may want to try both to see which suits you best or you may decide to work for a number of years in an office setting and once comfortable, you can move your office to a spare bedroom.

Each company is different. I’ve had someone tell me that a company they were familiar with didn’t supply any type of equipment. From my experience, the company I worked for supplied me with an entire computer setup and accounts to work on. I received a week of computer based training to learn the company’s transcription system. After that, I was on my way to transcribing. That was in 2002. Since that time, technology has changed in regards to security measures for digital medical records and how files are transferred on the internet. It is possible that you can work from your own computer, but companies are legally bound to maintain all access to personal health information.  You will not be allowed to have legal health files on your personal computer, due to the possibility that others may access them.  If you’ve filled out an application and are expecting a future interview, be sure to list this as one of your questions to ask the company rep. Each facility is different.

I think this is one of the best questions and I saved it for last! It’s interesting how we think of time when we have matters that place time constraints upon us. I hope that no one thinks of starting a career as a Medical Transcriptionist or Coder just so they can work at home. These careers are to be respected, as well as, the people who perform them. They’re not easy jobs and at times are very stressful. Enough of the lecture!

When I completed the CareerStep course in transcription, it was June 2002. I gained employment with a company called EDIX (which is now Spheris) in November that same year. Please don’t base how quickly I found a job on your own search. Be mindful of the variables that make it difficult to say when you might begin working from home. Yes, there is a great demand for transcriptionists and coders, but with the present economy, a lot of people aren’t retiring and leaving jobs. But, there are also new hospitals and medical facilities opening up every day around the country. A lot of former CareerStep students on the forums and newsletters state how they’ve found employment and it was within a good timeframe after graduating.

If you apply for a job in your local area, you may run into some managers who won’t let you put your foot in the door because you don’t have experience, but you can tell them about your training and how many hours of transcription you’ve performed and ask them if you can test for the open position. CareerStep will provide you with a letter of recommendation. Now, how many schools do that? Your future employer will either let you test or they won’t. If you don’t get anywhere with one company, try another. Look at trying to gain employment as a transcriptionist like any other. It’s no different because you’ve been trained by a company that guarantees it’s training. Your future employment success still depends upon you and your efforts. With a certificate from CareerStep, your future employer will be so happy they hired you, because you’ll be exceptionally trained and more than qualified!