While there are many entry-level work-at-home jobs available, there are also some industries that require special training or a degree. A few of those career paths are in the healthcare industry.
The majority of medical transcriptionists today work from home. The U.S. Department of Labor reports the median income for medical transcription is $27,810 to $42,690 a year. There are some standards in training for these jobs. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity offers a Registered Health Documentation Specialist exam which shows proficiency for entry-level medical transcription positions.
Medical coding and billing is also a career with work-from-home potential. The average income here is between $34,000 and $57,000.
While a certification may not be required by every employer, high-quality training can increase your chances of getting hired. Career Step is a popular online training center offering courses in these two fields.
They have been kind enough to answer a few questions for us today.
What sets Career Step apart from other medical transcription certification options?
- 900+ employers have hired our graduates.
- Career Step’s program is approved by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI)
- The curriculum is designed by experienced medical transcriptionists who know what it takes to get a job and be successful in the field.
- Hands-on work experience is built into the program with hundreds of reports by real employers to practice on, with 20+ specialties at all levels of difficulty.
- Our employer-trusted training is recommended by hundreds of employers nationwide.
- Career Step graduates are well prepared, and employers will often wave the required 1-2 years of experience.
- An exam voucher to take the Registered Health Documentation Specialist (RHDS) exam is included with the course upon graduation ($190 value).
- Self-paced learning enables students move through the course quickly (4 months of full-time study) or slowly (up to 12 months).
- The flexible 24/7 study schedule is done from the comfort of home.
- Student support advisors are available to help by phone, email, or chat, and their one-on-one help is like having a personal tutor every step of the way.
- Graduate support advisors help make a smooth transition from student to working professional.
- Career Step offers affordable tuition—under $3000 for Medical Transcription and Editing training.
- All Career Step programs are MyCAA approved, making it possible for eligible military spouses to train for free.
- Career Step has built an entire learning community so students can connect with each other and with instructors in forums or chat rooms. Technical and student support advisors are available by phone, email, or chat for one-on-one help.
- Per their website “over 84% of Career Step graduates are employed in their field of study, 92% of employed Medical Transcription graduates work from home in their first job, Medical Coding and Billing graduates report a certification exam pass rate that’s a full 15 percentage points higher than the national average.”
Career Step has an A+ rating with the BBB.
What will the Medical Transcription Editor course teach you?
We have worked with several experts in this field to design the most comprehensive course possible. As a result, the Medical Transcription Editor course covers a lot of aspects:
- Typing skills
- Medical terminology
- Grammar and punctuation
- Anatomy and pharmacology
- Medical record types and formats
- Productivity tips
The practicum section will allow you to practice your transcription and editing skills on hundreds of real doctor dictations and patient records. This opportunity will give you the skills you need to be workforce-ready.
What’s included with tuition?
Everything you need to succeed is included with your Career Step program. You’ll have:
- Complete online access to expert-created training
- Complete ebook library
- One-on-one support from your trainers and our technical support team
- A voucher to take the RHDS national certification exam upon completion (a $190 value)
- Career support designed to help you turn your training into a job
- Transcription foot pedal (a device used to control audio playback when transcribing)
- The AHDI Book of Style, 3rd Edition, ebook
How long does Career Step training typically take?
Both the Medical Transcription Editor and Professional Medical Coding and Billing programs include 640 hours of training that can be completed in 4 months of full-time study, 8 hours a day 5 days a week. The programs are completely self-paced, and the online format allows students the flexibility to study on a schedule that works for them. With this online flexibility, many of our students study part-time and finish in 8-12 months. The course includes a one-year enrollment to ensure students have the time needed.
There have been rumors over the past few years that the medical transcription industry is in decline. What are your thoughts on this? How is Career Step adapting their training to ongoing changes and new demands?
Medical transcription is part of the rapidly growing healthcare industry, and medical transcription employers regularly ask Career Step for more graduates to fill their entry-level positions. Career Step training is well-known and well respected within the medical transcription industry, particularly by employers.
With that being said, the medical transcription industry is evolving, and medical transcriptionists need to be able to adapt to the changing environment in order to be marketable. As more and more healthcare providers adopt speech-recognition software to initially transcribe their reports, medical transcriptionists are taking on an editing roll to ensure the final records are correct. But even with shifts in how documents are being created, medical transcriptionist training is the foundation needed to succeed in the field. The Career Step Medical Transcription Editing program provides hundreds of reports by real employers to practice on, with 20+ specialties at all levels of difficulty for real-world experience in transcription and editing.
Are advisors and teachers available to answer student questions and offer additional support?
Though the course is entirely online, with 25% of Career Step’s staff dedicated to student success, students are never on their own. Career Step’s student support team is available to offer personal, ongoing support all the way through the training program.
Is job placement assistance available to Career Step graduates?
Graduate Support Advisors help students with their resumes and interview skills. Job search techniques are also shared. Career Step recently announced a partnership with RCM Health Services. RCM is a premier provider of staffing solutions for over 400 healthcare institutions, placing more than 72,000 healthcare professionals in both remote and traditional new jobs across the nation. They intend to employ Career Step graduates, specifically those trained for careers related to health information management.
Is tuition assistance available?
There are several financing and funding options available to Career Step students.
- Eligible military students may qualify for the MyCAA programs which offers education training with no out-of-pocket expense.
- Career Step is an eligible training provider with Vocational Rehabilitation and Workforce Services in many states.
- Students in Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico may be eligible for an Education Line of Credit with Mountain America Credit Union.
- Active duty service members may be able to use their tuition assistance benefits through a Career Step partnership with Georgia Regents University.
- Career Step also offers payment plans and monthly promotions.
While Career Step training does not guarantee employment, graduates have done well on exams and in finding employment. Career Step’s partnership with employers also means their training is recognized and recommended by hundreds of employers nationwide.
Find out more about Career Step training and their current monthly promotion here.
Originally published in October 2015. Updated May 2019.