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Medical Transcription

What will I learn?

The medical transcription field is an exciting and rewarding career choice for those who desire to find employment in an area that offers a variety of experiences on a daily basis. Individuals will have an opportunity to make contributions to their communities through their work in the health care field.

What is the occupational outlook?

The Medical Transcription certificate program at Heartland Community College is designed to prepare individuals for employment in hospitals, doctors' offices, and nursing homes. Individuals may choose to work full-time or part-time. Some employers may transmit encrypted digital recordings over the Internet; once transcribed and edited by the employee, these recordings can be returned to the employer in an encrypted format over the Internet.

The job outlook for this field is positive. A growing and aging population will increase the demand for medical transcriptionists. Good job opportunities exist in health care agencies. Medical transcriptionists can expect to earn an average salary or wage for full-time employment of $27,415.

Note: Career descriptions are based on information found in Illinois Career Services Information Systems (2006).

What are my options?

The Medical Transcriptionist program at Heartland Community College is a one-year certificate designed to prepare individuals to use transcribing machines and to listen to taped and digitalized recordings of physicians and other health care providers who dictate a variety of medical reports including, but not limited to:

  • Patient assessments
  • Therapeutic procedure reports
  • Treatment and clinical notes
  • Emergency department visits
  • Operating room reports
  • Chart reviews
  • History and physicals
  • Discharge summaries
  • Patient instructions

The recordings must be transcribed and translated to medical electronic forms for editing, review, correction, and provider signature.