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 certifcation 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 Enrollment Services at (217)-875-7211, ext. 267.
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 call the Office of Financial Aid at (217) 875-7211, ext. 272.
Registration is currently underway for fall semester courses which will begin August 18th. Please contact Crystal Kitchens, ckitchen@richland.edu, for more information about fall registration. Also visit the following pages for more information:
- Registration Information
- Important Dates - includes last day to recieve refunds for withdrawal from classes
Books can be purchased at www.rccbookstore.net or http://www.cbamatthews.com/richl.
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 244 - Interpreting Healthcare Records
- OT 242 - Medical Transcription 2
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.
