General Description:
Medical transcription is one of the fastest growing home-based professions in the country. The demand for qualified medical transcriptionists continues to accelerate, creating unprecedented financial and career opportunities for people who have the skills to succeed in the fast-paced environment. Richland Community College offers a dynamic Medical Transcription certificate that can be completed in three semesters completely online. Richland is proud to offer medical courses that provide a strong foundation and support for the exceptional medical transcription experience attained in our program.
Students interested in starting the online medical transcription certificate should register for courses and/or apply for financial aid as soon as possible. The total fees for all the certification courses are approximately $1554 for in-district students and $2574 for out-of-state students that are paid on a semester basis (not a lump sum).
In order to register, you must first apply to Richland Community College. For assistance when registering for courses, please contact Janean Garrett at (217)-875-7211, ext. 304 or jgarrett@richland.edu.
Financial aid is available for qualifying students. Prospective students should fill out a FAFSA form at www.fafsa.ed.gov to get started with the financial aid process. For assistance with financial aid questions, please contact Sandy Joyner at (217) 875-7211, ext. 274 or sjoyner@richland.edu.
Please contact Crystal Kitchens, ckitchen@richland.edu, for more information. Also visit the following pages for more information:
- Registration Information
- Important Dates - includes last day to receive refunds for withdrawal from classes
Books can be purchased at www.rccbookstore.net or http://www.cbamatthews.com/richl.
Students registering for online courses are required to complete an online Angel student orientation. In this orientation, students will become familiar with our online learning platform so they will be comfortable completing coursework in Angel. Students will not be allowed access to their courses until the orientation is completed. Please visit the online orientation page for more information and to begin the orientation.
Courses:
The courses for our certificate include:
- OT 140 - Medical Terminology (prerequisite for all courses)
- OT 141 - Medical Office Anatomy (prerequisite or concurrent enrollment in Transcription 1)
- OT 142 - Medical Transcription 1 (prerequisite for Transcription 2 - passing with a C or better)
- OT 240 - Pharmacology Terminology
- OT 242 - Medical Transcription 2
- OT 244 - Interpreting Healthcare Records
The above coursework will take 3 semesters to complete in the following sequence:
1st Semester: OT 140 - Medical Terminology
2nd Semester: OT 141 - Medical Office Anatomy, OT 142 - Medical Transcription 1, and/or OT 240 - Pharmacology Terminology (OT 240 can be taken in the 3rd semester)
3rd Semester: OT 142 - Medical Transcription 2, OT 244 - Interpreting Healthcare Records
Students are required to be able to type and effectively use Word (save, transfer, and attach files, etc.). Although speed is not stressed in our transcription courses (accuracy is more important), if students cannot type 35 wpm, they should complete a typing/word processing course before entering this program.
The degree includes the above courses plus: Business Math, Business English, Professional Office Procedures, Business Communications, Record Management, Voicing and Transcription, Insurance and Patient Billing, Human Relations, Speech, Work Experience Practicum & Seminar (internship), and 2 general education electives. The degree is NOT offered online.
Program Approval and Association
Richland Community College's comprehensive medical transcription program is approved by the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP), a joint committee established by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) to approve medical transcription education certificate programs. AHIMA and AHDI acknowledge the ACCP approval committee as the process to identify quality medical transcription education programs that have been evaluated by a peer review process against a minimum set of standards for entry-level medical transcription professionals. This process allows academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and private companies to be acknowledged as offering an AHDI Approved Medical Transcription Certificate Program.
Tuition and Fees for the Medical Transcription Program
The Medical Transcription program tuition and fees varies slightly from the regular Richland Community College tuition and fees.
| Course | Credit Hours | In-District Students Total Course Cost | Out-Of-District and Out-of-State Students Total Course Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health OT 140 | 3 | $252.00 | $422.00 |
| OT 141 | 3 | $252.00 | $422.00 |
| OT 142 | 3 | $273.00 | $443.00 |
| OT 240 | 3 | $252.00 | $422.00 |
| OT 242 | 3 | $273.00 | $443.00 |
| OT 245 | 3 | $252.00 | $422.00 |
| Total Certificate Cost | 18 | $1554.00 | $2574.00 |
For Further Information:
The lead instructor, Crystal Kitchens, MA, CMT, has over 20 years experience in the medical transcription field. For more information about the program, please call (217) 875-7211, ext. 446 or by e-mail at ckitchen@richland.edu. You may also view the Medical Transcription Frequently Asked Question page.
