FAQ

Why should I choose Selkirk College's Advanced Medical Transcription Program?

Many people ask us the difference between our medical transcription courses and one that is offered either through other colleges, or courses that are offered through private schools. These are very important questions. Education is not cheap, it costs in both time and money. First, you must compare apples with apples. Ask questions!

• Is the program flexible (full-time, part-time)? Students may take our medical transcription courses either full-time or part-time. To keep students on track, schedules are available.
  
  
• Are the medical transcription courses offered through distance education? All of our medical transcription courses are offered online through distance education. A student may choose to take the medical transcription courses either on site or at home through distance education.
  
  
• What are the prerequisites? This is an important question. You should closely examine what is being offered by each school. Before entering a medical transcription program, you must have a good knowledge base in medical terminology and also be competent in computer usage along with a good typing speed of at least 50 net words per minute. Remember, you are interested in learning how to become a medical transcriptionist. Medical transcription cannot be learned in 6 weeks or 16 weeks. There are no shortcuts. When you exit the medical transcription program, you want to have the skills required to do the job. So, the medical transcription program you choose should be teaching you how to transcribe documents from various medical disciplines.
  
  Learning basic computer skills while trying to learn medical transcription does not work, you should already have these skills before entering a medical transcription program. Medical transcription is a fast paced, production based industry requiring medical transcriptionists to follow set procedures and standards while producing accurate, professional-looking, medicolegal documents transcribed within certain standards and timeframes. Our medical transcription program reflects real work situations within realistic timeframes and works towards providing students with the opportunity to gain the skill level necessary for entry-level positions as medical transcriptionists.
  
  
• Does the school have an Advisory Committee? Our medical transcription program has an Advisory Committee which consists of employers as well as a past and present students and meets yearly. The Advisory Committee members review the course offerings and course content and recommends industry standards for the program.
  
  
• Is the school accredited? When you graduate from our medical transcription program, you will receive a college certificate. Selkirk is accredited under the BC Colleges and Institute Act giving it recognition and credentials around the world. http://selkirk.ca/international/partnerships/
  
  
• Is the school recognized by employers? Because the demand continues to be high for trained medical transcriptionists and our school has an excellent reputation for quality education, we have employers calling our school on a regular basis for our graduates. Our graduates are currently working in hospitals, doctor's clinics and for online medical transcription companies. See our Tesimonial web page.
  
  
• What type of dictation is used in the medical transcription courses? Do they use *authentic dictation? This is an extremely important question and you should not consider a school that does not use*authentic dictation.
  
  What is *authentic dictation? This is an extremely important aspect of any quality medical transcription program when considering your education to become a medical transcriptionist.
  
  *Authentic dictation is more than just hiring a doctor or other professional to dictate scripted medical reports for students to practice transcribing.*Authentic means that the dictation is "real". It was dictated at the time, or shortly after patient contact under real situations and conditions by the original author of the dictation. This dictation will have been transcribed by a medical transcriptionist with the completed document placed on the patient record. The school is then given permission to use this*authentic dictation, which has been edited (all patient identifying factors deleted) to use for training. We use only*authentic dictation in our program.
  
  
• Another question related to *authentic dictation would be ... How much *authentic dictation does the student have access to? Students enrolled in the Selkirk College Advanced Medical Transcription Program have access to over 2500 minutes of*authentic dictation. When you enroll in our medical transcription courses, you will be transcribing real dictation. This is crucial to being successful when you leave the program.
  
  
• Does the student have access to an instructor? It is surprising how many medical transcription courses offered that have little or no instructor feedback. Our medical transcription program has two experienced instructors who work regular hours and have background in the field of medical transcription.

More about our online medical transcription courses:

In the Advanced Medical Transcription Program students may take the program full-time or part-time but there are deadlines just like in the real world. The program must be completed within two academic school years (maximum of four semesters). All of the medical transcription courses are offered on line.

Important note: If a medical transcription course includes courses on how to use MS Word, allows students to enter the program with minimal typing and computer skills, be suspicious! Advanced medical terminology, word processing and a minimum typing speed of 50 net words per minute should be prerequisites to entering any credible medical transcription course. Closely examine what is being offered. A good medical transcription program should only be teaching medical transcription, the bare minimum of nine months, and teaching the application of medical transcription standards, use only *authentic dictation (a minimum of 2000 minutes) and require students to purchase medical transcription books (tools of the trade). Anything less will put you at a disadvantage when you have completed your training and applying for work.

Our program is jam packed and our standards are high! We want our graduates to meet the expectations of the medical community. Students work on medical transcription and proofreading for nine months with a three-week practicum at the end. All of the dictation is *authentic. Our goal is to teach students how to transcribe professional-looking, medical documents within acceptable industry standards. We have graduates working in hospitals, doctor's clinics and for on line medical transcription companies as subcontractors through home business.

Our program is recognized by many main medical transcription contracting companies in the US and Canada - some of them have hired our graduates to work from home as subcontractors both as transcriptionists and editors. From the feedback we have received, these companies are extremely happy with the skill level our students have upon graduation.

To work from home as a medical transcriptionist, companies hire students that attain top marks (normally a minimum of 98% must be achieved on testing) as working from home can be extremely demanding.

There continues to be a high demand for experienced medical transcriptionists in this business. To work at home a person needs to be highly motivated, have a fast typing speed - at least 60; but, 70 or 80 net words per minute is even better (medical transcriptionists usually are paid by the line), be extremely accurate in transcription and must be extremely proficient in computer skills.

The Advanced Medical Transcription Program is a two-semester, 9½-month program for full-time students and can be taken over two years as a part-time student. Students may register for either full-time or part-time and may take the program on campus or on line. There are two intakes - September (main intake) and January (space permitting). Early registration is recommended due to limited seats. When registering, be sure to inform admissions the mode you are planning to take the program: on campus, on line, full-time or part-time.

How is student selection done?

Student selection is done on a first come, first served basis for those students who have their file complete.

How do I register?

To register, contact Admissions. Remember, if you are applying for prerequisite courses, you must complete a separate application for the Advanced Medical Transcription Program. This does not cost extra.

How do I know that my file has been opened?

Upon receipt of the application form, admissions will send a letter indicating your file has been opened. The letter will indicate what is needed on your file for it to be complete. This letter is very important! Submit all required documentation to admissions as soon as possible. Student selection is done on a first come, first served basis for those students who have their file complete.

Non-Canadian residents: International fees apply - contact Admissions for fee schedule.

How does taking medical transcription courses on line work?

The complete medical transcription program along with all prerequisite courses are offered online.

The full-time Advanced Medical Transcription Program is nine months of study with a three-week practicum at the end for qualifying students. Although you will not be sitting in class 30 hours a week, a full-time distance student will need to spend just as much time dedicated to study at home in order to succeed. Monthly time sheets are submitted to help keep students on track. Part-time students are expected to spend at least 15 hours per week on studies. All required courses must be completed within two academic school years.

Students submit and receive assignments via on line, e-mail and regular mail. Close contact is made possible through instructor and classmate feedback via the Internet using Discussion groups. Working as an on line student enables independence in choosing individual work environments. A student choosing this method of instruction should be highly motivated, be able to work independently and be proficient in the use of the internet and word processing to achieve success.

Students will access all of the course information using the internet through the Moodle platform. Students submit and receive assignments using both e-mail and Discussion Groups so close contact is made possible through regular feedback. Students become part of the program even though they do not have a physical presence in the classroom. Working as an on line student enables flexibility and independence in choosing an individual work environment. A student choosing this method of instruction should be highly motivated and proficient in the use of the internet and word-processing to achieve success.

To enroll in this method of instruction, students will be required to provide their own equipment and work station.

Can a distant student work on the medical transcription courses at any time during the day, weekends, holidays, etc.?

Yes, that is the advantage of doing the medical transcription courses online through distance education. You can practice transcribing at your convenience. You will be given a schedule to follow so that you will complete the program on time. Note: the program is only available during semesters.

Student loans

Full-time students with a student loan must complete at least 60% of a full course load each semester to meet commitments for the student loan. The September to mid-January semester cutoff for 60% of full time is 300 hours total based on the courses you choose. If you have a student loan, it is your responsibility to make sure you are aware that you meet requirements and scheduling. For complete information and assistance with BC student loans: student loan.

When do the courses begin?

• There are two intakes: September and January each year.
  
  
• Once you have registered for the program, contact the instructor at amt@selkirk.ca
  
  
• Each course has a specific end date. Once you are enrolled in the medical transcription courses, you will be given a schedule to follow depending on your status of either full-time or part-time.. Please note: When you register, the Admission's receipt will indicate the end of the semester as an end date - this is not the end date for specific courses - end dates for each course will be on your schedule. Students are responsible for keeping track of their course end dates for each course as specified in the course schedule supplied by the instructor and are responsible to complete courses within the allotted time. Failure to complete courses within the allotted time may result in a DNW (did not withdraw) and will require reregistration and the student will have to pay for the course again.
  
  
• Courses not completed on time will receive a DNW. See Note from Admissions. The time allowed for each course is equal to the time you would spend if you were attending on-site classes - normally 30 hours per week for full-time students.
  
  
• The usual time spent on each course per week is 30 hours (15 hours per week for part-time students). Therefore, a 30-hour course should be completed in one week. Note: Some students may need to spend more time per week on a course in order to have a successful outcome.
  
  
• Courses may not be carried through the summer months. If you do not complete a course(s) that you are registered in before the end of the semester, students will have to re-register and pay again to receive credit. All courses must be completed within two academic school years - a total of four semesters.

When is my instructor available?

Though you may work on your courses at anytime, instructors are available from Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Time is also set aside for individual instructor/student consultations as needed.

How does the practicum work?

The practicum requirement is 90 hours. It is usually unpaid. The practicum is done upon successful completion of all of the required courses (program policies will be available upon registration). It is the responsibility of the student to arrange practicum placement. Students are encouraged to obtain a practicum where there may be a chance of employment upon completion of the practicum.

What are the career opportunities?

The demand for experienced medical transcriptionists continues to grow. Graduates are qualified to compete for entry level positions as medical transcriptionists in various areas in the workplace such as hospitals, doctors' offices, medical clinics, home care facilities, and home business. Graduates are currently working in doctors' offices, medical clinics, and hospitals in Canada and Saudi Arabia. Many of our graduates are working at home and contract with transcription services both in Canada and the US. It is recommended that anyone considering the career of medical transcription to do some research regarding working opportunities. This could involve visiting your local hospital and clinics. If you are interested in working at home be sure to do some research on the internet.

Why is a minimum copy typing speed of 50 required as a prerequisite and what is the minimum copy typing speed required at the end of the program? Is copy typing different from transcribing speed?

Copy typing speed is very different from transcribing speed. There is a direct correlation between the two. We have found over the years of instructing that students who have a low copy typing speed have trouble completing their test documents on time. Just like in the real world, all of the transcription tests have a time limit so it is important that students work on their speed building along with transcription. We have an excellent course to help students increase their copy typing speed. Students who follow through with this course can expect to increase their copy typing speed 10 to 40 words a minute. The minimum required copy typing speed at the end of the AMT Program is 60 net words per minute (industry standard).

Does the program use templates?

Students will learn to follow instructions to choose the correct template to transcribe their dictate on. We have over 40 different templates to choose from. By the end of the program, students become very proficient at using MS Word.

What is the difference between your program and the medical office assistant programs?

Our Advanced Medical Transcription Program concentrates specifically on medical terminology and transcription. We have found the demand for trained medical transcriptionists continues to be high. In order to become a medical transcriptionist one must practice transcribing *authentic dictation. This cannot be learned in 6 weeks or 16 weeks - it takes hard work and dedication to become skilled in this profession. Our program consists of nine months of transcribing *authentic dictation learning and applying medical terminology. Students should already have a good command of the English language and excellent computer skills when entering this program. Usually medical office assistant programs only offer a minimum amount of transcription time.

Why do I have to buy so many books?

The instructors have very carefully reviewed many medical reference books and the books that are required for our program are some of the very best in the industry. Each reference book that is required is important and used during your studies and students become very intimate with them during the program. The bonus is that each book can be then be used on the job. Just like a carpenter needs tools, the medical transcriptionist needs tools of the trade which consists of a good library of medical terminology books.

Do you have any information on medical transcription home business?

The following was been provided by a medical transcriptionist subcontracting company. This business was located in Alberta and receives dictation both from Canada and the United States and then subcontracted out to online, home business medical transcriptionists. As of January 2003 she has since sold her business - we have kept the following on our site as you may find the information useful.

"I would strongly recommend the Advanced Medical Transcription Program at Selkirk College, taught by Esther Storvold and Christette Cromarty, only because it is one of the best I have seen in North America (and I have recruited graduates from a large number of programs around North America - I have the highest client satisfaction with graduates from Esther's AMT Program).

One word of advice, make sure you learn everything your program teaches you and get very high grades - 98% or better - because the program cannot possibly teach you EVERYTHING....the learning curve is almost vertical for the following two years after graduating. Study a good nursing human anatomy course in a college to get an excellent grasp of the anatomy of the human body before you take any MT program.

... although we will not shut out the American side of things since they hold a huge percentage of the market currently - simply because ALL American hospitals contract out their medical transcriptionists, whereas Canadian hospitals tend to be unionized and contract out only if desperate for clearing up backlog... If you are wondering about the job market in the future, I anticipate it being very, very good. Saudi Arabia, for example, has many American hospitals and they are just attempting to recruit transcriptionists that do not live on Saudi soil....as well, other countries around the world are opening up, including Canada."

Choosing the right education

Question : I would like to become a medical transcriptionist. I first have to select a school to receive my training. As a Canadian, what are the pros and cons of taking training through a US school; or, is it better for me to take training through a Canadian school?I am just trying to figure out any differences between the two.

Answer: There are no borders when it comes to medical transcription. Your choice of a school should be based on some important factors:

• What is the length of the program? Medical transcription cannot be learned in 6 weeks or 16 weeks. Our program is 9½ months in length.
  
  
• If you are planning on working in Canada, it is important that employers recognize the certificate the school is offering. Is the school or college accredited, does it have an Advisory Committee, are their standards high and meet industry standards? We receive calls and emails on a regular basis from employers that want our graduates because of the skill level they have. One employer wondered why our graduates are so capable and that she prefers our graduates over those of other schools. Do some research and ask employers what program they prefer.
  
  
• Does the program length include learning other basic skills? Our program requires these before entering the program. It is important to choose a program that focuses on teaching transcription. See prerequisites.
  
  
• How much actual time do you spend transcribing and practicing? For 9 months, students concentrate specifically on  accessing online *authentic medical dictation with varying accents and dictation styles, learning how to accurately transcribe medico-legal medical documents, applying correct medical terminology while using rules of medical transcription.
  
  
• Does the program include a variety of dictation with different accents? Our program uses only *authentic dictation obtained from an acute care hospital and includes medical dictation from easy to difficult. Our program includes real situations built into the program to encourage students to develop their critical thinking skills.
  
  
• Does the program follow recommended industry standards and guidelines? Selkirk College is a member of  ahdi (American medical transcription association. Currently Canada does not have a medical transcription association). Our program follows the ahdi medical transcription guidelines - students are required to purchase the ahdi Book of Style along with a variety of current medical word books and dictionaries to ensure that they have the most up-to-date resources available.
  
  
• Is the program recognized by the industry? Graduates from our program are working in hospitals, doctor's offices and for on line transcription companies. Many of our graduates are MT subcontractors.
  
  
• Are graduates successful in obtaining employment? Graduates from our program have been successful in gaining employment in hospitals, doctor's offices and home business. Many of our graduates who have a home business are subcontracting from Canadian and American companies. Please see our graduate Testimonial web page.

If you have any further questions, after reviewing all of the web pages including the informational pdf file contact the instructors at: AMT Contact