The Medical Transcriptionist program, offered at the Abilene Center, is designed to enable students to become highly skilled, well-informed medical transcriptionists, capable of functioning in various health information situations. Students in this program are also equipped with skills related to health information in general. Medical Transcriptionist students at the College learn about the structure and function of the human body and about the disease processes that can interfere with normal function. Students also gain a comprehensive understanding of medical and surgical terminology by learning to correctly define, spell, and construct medical terms related to body systems and medical specialties.
Students attend hands-on transcription classes which meet several hours each week.
These classes are designed to simulate a real working environment as closely as possible. In these classes, students apply their typing skills and medical knowledge by transcribing authentic physician dictation which features language from various regions and in various dialects, varied dictating styles, and male and female physicians' voices. In addition to the classroom work environment, students are required to complete 140 hours of clinical internship in a real work setting during the last quarter of study. Other classes included in the program cover medical records functions such as data filing and retrieval, medical record assembly, compilation of medical statistics, confidentiality and release of information, patients' rights, medical ethics, and more. With the help and support of the health information community in this area, courses are regularly updated to reflect the needs of employers, and Health Information trends in general.