If you are an intelligent person, you may be able to learn on your own, all the medical knowledge required to become an MT. For an experienced word processor, it is possible to learn medical transcription while working in an entry-level position, but it is rare because of the need to learn medical vocabulary and formats.

Medical transcription requires a practical knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, disease processes, and the internal organization of medical reports. Medical reports take many forms, including histories and physical examinations, progress reports, emergency room notes, consultations, operative reports, discharge summaries, clinic notes, referral letters, radiology reports, pathology reports, and an array of documentation, spanning various medical specialties. Thus, the medical transcriptionist, or medical language specialist, must be well versed in the language of medicine and surgery. In order to be sure that you are educating yourself in the proper areas, it is probably best to take a formal course in medical transcription.

A number of vocational programs also include an internship at a local hospital or similar facility, which is a real plus. A good MT course will probably be taught and/or administered by an MT or at least someone with a medical background. In most countries, medical transcriptionists are not required to be certified to prove proficiency. Many community colleges offer full-time day or part-time evening programs in medical transcription. There are many correspondence courses available in medical transcription, so you can learn at your own speed, in your own home, and at a time convenient for you.

Courses offered through training establishments or other in-class learning institutions may range anywhere from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000, in India and $2,000 to $3,000 in the US. This is the most expensive method of learning to be a medical transcriptionist, though educational bank loans and guaranteed placements are offered by most institutions. Correspondence or online courses are usually less expensive than in-class courses, however they might not land you a job!

You are urged to check out all the different kinds of programs before you purchase any of them. Be wary of any institutions promising job placement and try to confirm how they will place you in a job, how many new MTs they have placed and where they have been placed. If it suggests potential income, a reference source for the amount should be cited. If it refers to certification, it should clearly state that a certificate will be granted upon completion of the educational course.

However, the recognized professional designation of "certified medical transcriptionist" (CMT) can be obtained only through successful completion of both parts of the core certification exam administered by the Medical Transcriptionist Certification Program (MTCP) at AAMT. This job requires a broad background in medical language and science, and experience, and the only way to get that is to take a reputable course and then work in a supervised position for a few years.

Services and institutions are literally desperate to find qualified MTs. To overcome this shortfall, companies such CBay Systems, HealthScribe and Heartland have developed their own in-house training programs for training their MTs, supervisors and editors in India. ASoft India Pvt. Ltd launched Meditech's Personal Edge Medical Transcription Training Program in India two years back. Career Step and Cbay have also launched their own training programs.