Medical Transcription
Program Summary
A program that prepares individuals to execute verbatim medical conference minutes, medical reports, and medical orders. Includes instruction in dictation and simultaneous recording, analysis of notes and visual evidence, medical terminology, data processing applications and skills, formal medical report and correspondence formats, professional standards, and applicable law and regulations.
Discover More About a Degree in Medical Transcription

Recent Questions
What is Medical Transcription?
An individual working in the field of medical transcription will be required to take recorded notes by physicians and other medical professionals and transfer them to digital transcripts available for access in the future. The work requires individuals to carefully listen to notes provided, and accurately document them. The need for accuracy is high due to the transcripts being used in patient histories, with errors possibly having negative results in future treatment or care. Employment is normally offered through specialized offices or medical centers such as clinics or hospitals.
Educational Requirements
A medical transcription degree qualifies an individual to transcribe oral notes of physicians and hospital administrators. An education in medical transcription requires an individual to have excellent hearing and a large medical vocabulary, including abbreviated and slang terms in order to accurately record what has been said in order to attach it to the permanent record of the patient. Certificate and associate degree programs are available to aspiring medical transcriptionists with the program taking between one and two years to complete.
Courses that may be offered in a medical transcriptionist program:
- Anatomy
- English
- Legal Terminology
- Healthcare Documentation
- Medical Terminology
Employment and Certification
Medical assistants will work with doctors and administrators to ensure that all notes and recordings pertaining to patients are accurately cleaned, edited and transcribed so that they may be placed within the patient file for future reference. Medical transcriptionists typically work 40 hours a week within the hospital, clinic or office. A medical transcriptionist should have excellent hearing and command of the English language.
Though it is not required, most employers prefer individuals who have graduated with a certificate or degree in medical transcription. Additionally, certification in medical transcription is available through the Association of Healthcare Documentation Industry (AHDI). To increase job security and obtain higher pay, medical transcriptionists are encouraged to become registered medical transcriptionists (RMT) or certified medical transcriptionists (CMT). Those who pursue certification will have to update that certification every few years through continuing education courses.
Job Growth, Salary and Related Fields
The need for medical transcriptionists is expected to increase over the next decade as the population gets older and more administrative assistance will become necessary in the managing of hospital operations.Additionally, the expansion of the healthcare industry in the United States has created a need for transcription services due to increase patient care and a reduction in available time by physicians and others to perform such duties on their own.
The average salary of a medical transcriptionist is $27,000 – $38,500 per year.
Individuals interested in medical transcription may also be interested in health care administration, medical administration, or medical office administration.
Top Schools That Offer a Medical Transcription Degree or Program
4-Year Colleges and Universities
| Baker College of Flint | |
- Flint, MI
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| Cox College | |
- Springfield, MO
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| Davenport University | |
- Grand Rapids, MI
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| Kaplan University | |
- Davenport, IA
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| Lake Washington Institute of Technology | |
- Kirkland, WA
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| Lewis - Clark State College | |
- Lewiston, ID
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| Madison Area Technical College | |
- Madison, WI
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| Mercyhurst College | |
- Erie, PA
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| Midland College | |
- Midland, TX
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| Midstate College | |
- Peoria, IL
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| National College - Salem | |
- Salem, VA
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| Peninsula College | |
- Port Angeles, WA
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| Presentation College | |
- Aberdeen, SD
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| Rasmussen College - St Cloud | |
- St. Cloud, MN
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| United Tribes Technical College | |
- Bismarck, ND
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| University of Northwestern Ohio | |
- Lima, OH
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| Vincennes University | |
- Vincennes, IN
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Community Colleges
| Carver Career Center | |
- Charleston, WV
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| Central New Mexico Community College | |
- Albuquerque, NM
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| Cleveland Community College | |
- Shelby, NC
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| College of Dupage | |
- Glen Ellyn, IL
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| Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas | |
- De Queen, AR
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| Delta College | |
- University Center, MI
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| Eastern Maine Community College | |
- Bangor, ME
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| Everett Community College | |
- Everett, WA
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| Forsyth Technical Community College | |
- Winston Salem, NC
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| Gateway Technical College | |
- Kenosha, WI
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| Georgia Northwestern Technical College | |
- Rome, GA
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| Guilford Technical Community College | |
- Jamestown, NC
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| Harper College | |
- Palatine, IL
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| Hutchinson Community College | |
- Hutchinson, KS
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| Indian Hills Community College | |
- Ottumwa, IA
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| Iowa Central Community College | |
- Fort Dodge, IA
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| Linn - Benton Community College | |
- Albany, OR
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| Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley | |
- Kansas City, MO
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| Middle Georgia Technical College | |
- Warner Robins, GA
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| Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical | |
- Winona, MN
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| Minnesota State Community and Technical College | |
- Fergus Falls, MN
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| Montana State University - Great Falls College of Technology | |
- Great Falls, MT
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| Mott Community College | |
- Flint, MI
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| National Park Community College | |
- Hot Springs, AR
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| New Mexico State University - Dona Ana | |
- Las Cruces, NM
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| Northampton County Area Community College | |
- Bethlehem, PA
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| Northcentral Technical College | |
- Wausau, WI
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| Northeast Iowa Community College - Calmar | |
- Calmar, IA
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| Olney Central College - Illinois Eastern Community Colleges | |
- Olney, IL
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| Owens Community College | |
- Perrysburg, OH
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| Pikes Peak Community College | |
- Colorado Springs, CO
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| Pulaski Technical College | |
- North Little Rock, AR
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| Rend Lake College | |
- Ina, IL
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| Richland Community College | |
- Decatur, IL
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| Roane State Community College | |
- Harriman, TN
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| Rochester Community and Technical College | |
- Rochester, MN
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| San Juan College | |
- Farmington, NM
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| Schoolcraft College | |
- Livonia, MI
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| Snead State Community College | |
- Boaz, AL
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| Southern Crescent Technical College | |
- Griffin, GA
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| Southwest Georgia Technical College | |
- Thomasville, GA
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| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College | |
- Fennimore, WI
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| Southwestern Community College | |
- Creston, IA
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| Texas State Technical College - Harlingen | |
- Harlingen, TX
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| Trinity Valley Community College | |
- Athens, TX
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| Wallace State Community College - Hanceville | |
- Hanceville, AL
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| Wayne Community College | |
- Goldsboro, NC
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| West Georgia Technical College | |
- Waco, GA
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| Western Dakota Technical Institute | |
- Rapid City, SD
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| Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | |
- Valdosta, GA
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Career Colleges
| Abdill Career College Inc | |
- Medford, OR
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| American Commercial College - Odessa | |
- Odessa, TX
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| American Commercial College-Abilene | |
- Abilene, TX
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| American Commercial College-Lubbock | |
- Lubbock, TX
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| American School of Business | |
- Shreveport, LA
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| Antonelli College-Hattiesburg | |
- Hattiesburg, MS
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| Antonelli College-Jackson | |
- Jackson, MS
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| Bidwell Training Center Inc | |
- Pittsburgh, PA
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| Brown College of Court Reporting | |
- Atlanta, GA
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| Brown Mackie College - Findlay | |
- Findlay, OH
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| Choffin Career and Technical Center | |
- Youngstown, OH
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| Community Services Division - Alliance City | |
- Alliance, OH
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| Delta College of Arts & Technology | |
- Baton Rouge, LA
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| Emily Griffith Technical College | |
- Denver, CO
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| Empire College School of Business | |
- Santa Rosa, CA
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| Erie Business Center - South | |
- New Castle, PA
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| Fortis Institute-Forty Fort | |
- Forty Fort, PA
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| Fortis Institute-Scranton | |
- Scranton, PA
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| Latter - Day Saints Business College | |
- Salt Lake City, UT
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| Maccormac College | |
- Chicago, IL
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| Mountain State College | |
- Parkersburg, WV
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| Newbold Technical Institute | |
- East Liverpool, OH
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| Newport Business Institute-Lower Burrell | |
- Lower Burrell, PA
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| Northeast Technical Institute | |
- Scarborough, ME
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| Opportunities Industrialization Center - North Central West Virginia | |
- Fairmont, WV
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| Pace Institute | |
- Reading, PA
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| Pioneer Career and Technology Center | |
- Shelby, OH
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| Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics | |
- West Mifflin, PA
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| South Coast College | |
- Orange, CA
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| Spencerian College | |
- Louisville, KY
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| Spencerian College - Lexington | |
- Lexington, KY
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| Stautzenberger College-Maumee | |
- Maumee, OH
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| Sumner College | |
- Portland, OR
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| Techskills - Charlotte | |
- Charlotte, NC
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| Techskills - Columbus | |
- Columbus, OH
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| Techskills - Indianapolis | |
- Indianapolis, IN
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| Tri - State Business Institute | |
- Erie, PA
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