West Virginia University, through a partnership with Gatlin Education Services, offers online career training services for adults who want to attain the skills needed for many in-demand professions such as medical transcription.

Computer Requirements
Gatlin Education Services will provide each student with digital transcription equipment. This equipment is not compatible with Mac computers. You must take this course on a PC. In order to use the digital equipment you must have:

• Windows 98 or later
• 32 MB RAM
• 25 MB hard disk space (additional space required to store voice files)
• Display mode set to 800x600 pixels with 256 colors or higher
• Double-speed CD-ROM
• USB port

You will also need to have a word processing program – Microsoft Word is recommended.

Background
According to the current edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical Transcription is among the ten fastest growing occupations in the U.S. An MT will often work for hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician offices, national transcription services, or other medical offices. An MT will listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other healthcare professionals and transcribe them, creating medical reports that eventually become part of patients’ permanent files.

Course Goal
The Medical Transcription Certificate Program is designed for students to gain a working knowledge of medical terminology and the ability to transcribe medical reports, learning the skills they need to obtain an entry-level position as a medical transcriptionist.

Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to accomplish the following:

• Describe the importance of the confidential nature of medical reports.
• Describe the content and purpose of the medical reports used.
• Transcribe medical reports using correct report format.
• Transcribe medical reports using correct capitalization, number, punctuation, abbreviation, symbols, and metric measurement rules.
• Spell correctly the English and medical terms in addition to the abbreviations, either by memory or by using a dictionary/reference book.
• Define the medical terms and abbreviations presented, either by memory or by using a dictionary/reference book.
• Define the prefixes, combining forms and suffixes presented and use them to build medical terms.
• Identify and/or define the knowledge, skills, abilities, and responsibilities required of medical transcriptionists.
• Understand networking through the professional organization as well as career opportunities.

Course Structure and Schedule
This is a non-credit course offered for 240 hours. The student can register at any time during the year. Cost is $1,595 per student. A certificate for course completion will be issued.

Prerequisite(s)
Students should have command of a word-processing computer program to include:

• The ability to create documents in either Microsoft word or another windows program.
• Proficiency in keyboarding-accuracy is most important at first, but some jobs pay on production, so speed will become a factor.
• E-mailing-a major route of communication between student, the facilitator, and Gatlin Education Services.
• Printing-some jobs require your work to be printed, some do not; however, the skill is essential.
• Browsing the Internet-important for looking up information on medical terms, drugs, procedures, etc., when they cannot be found in your reference books.
• Knowledge of English grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. When changing the spoken word to the written word, all these aspects of language become vital.
• The ability to discern what is being said, and more importantly what is meant, even if the dictator has accented speech.
• The ability to comply with the student-led, self-motivating aspects of the Gatlin program-much more responsibility is placed on the student in an on-line course than in a classroom situation.

Materials

Included are the following textbooks: Hillcrest Beginning Medical Transcription (with audio), Stedman’s Concise Medical Dictionary (with CD ROM), Medical Terminology Made Easy (with audio), Medical Abbreviations, and a Grammar and Punctuation Guide.

Overview/Subject Matter

1. Complete the medical terminology portion of the course using the textbook and audio provided as well as the exercises provided on the Gatlin Education Services web site. The textbook covers ten units.
2. Complete the medical transcription portion of the course using the text-workbook and transcription equipment provided plus completing the 20 units on the Gatlin Education Services web site. The text-workbook covers the following information.
   1. Ten inpatient cases involving the 10 systems of the body.
   2. Ten inpatient reports utilizing a variety of body systems and formatting. These reports can be used as tests or as extra assignments. They do not test on a specific inpatient case.
   3. Twenty-five outpatient cases.
   4. Ten outpatient reports using a variety of body systems and formatting. These reports can be used as tests or as extra assignments. They do not test on specific outpatient reports.
3. Skill-Building
   1. Medical Terminology Made Easy
   2. Hillcrest Medical Center Skill-Builders
   3. Gatlin Education Services Web Site Skill-Builders

Registration

Register online through our secure server or fill out this form and fax or mail it to Extended Learning. You will be given class access by email within five working days. Call 1-800-2Learn2, or email WVUEnrich@mail.wvu.edu if you have any questions. Major credit cards and electronic checks are accepted.

Refund Policy
Any cancellation and refund request must be submitted in writing by the student to WVU Extended Learning. A $50 processing fee will be charged to the student for a cancellation requested before materials (books) are mailed to the student. If the student cancels within ten days after the materials are mailed to the student, then a $100 processing fee will be charged, provided the student returns the materials, within five days of the written request, in their original condition. If the materials are not returned within the specified period of time or are not in their original condition, then a $500 processing fee will be charged to the student. If the student cancels any time between eleven and thirty days after the materials ae mailed to the student, then a $300 processing fee will be charged, provided the student returns the materials, within 5 days of the written request, in their original condition. If the materials are not returned within the specified period of time or are not in their original condition, then a $500 processing fee will be charged to the student. No other refunds will be considered.