Program Description

The Medical Records Transcribing Program prepares students to transcribe medical reports from physicians’ or other healthcare professionals’ dictation. Medical transcriptionists are language experts who translate medical dictation into formatted and typed medical reports. In order to do this, students must know medical terminology, pathophysiology (the study of disease), pharmacology (the study of drugs), and human anatomy and physiology.

The Medical Records Transcribing program teaches students how to listen to and interpret medical dictation. Transcriptionists are typing the dictator’s voice into a useful, printable format. The use of word processing software is taught.

The Medical Center Campus Medical Record Transcribing Program is a Vocational Credit Certificate program that is a 5 semester course of study requiring 40 vocational credits (1200 contact hours). Before entry into the Medical Records Transcribing Program, students must complete the Test of Adult Basic Education (T.A.B.E.) Completion of this test does not guarantee admission to the program.

The Medical Records Transcribing Program provides learning experiences that enable the student to acquire and assimilate the necessary technical competencies to function effectively as a supportive health care provider in the Respiratory Care profession. In keeping with its mission and goals, and in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Medical Center Campus promotes an environment of respect and support for persons with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations. Please see the ADA Standards listed for this program.

To facilitate the clinical portion of the program, students may be assigned to a clinical facility within Miami Dade County . Students are responsible for their own transportation to the campus and to various agencies in the community to which they are assigned for clinical experiences.

Students that successfully complete all program/course requirements and receive their certification of completion are eligible for 15 college credits towards the Associate in Science Degree in Health Information Management.


Testing

Students applying to the Medical Records Transcribing Program must complete the Test of Adult Basic Education (T.A.B.E.). The Testing Department at the Medical Center Campus is located in room 1303. Please call the Testing Department at 305-237-4375 for a testing schedule or contact any of the Testing Departments at any of the MDC campuses for their testing schedule.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or G.E.D. Students who have earned an A.A., A.S., or higher degree or have passed the C.P.T. on their first attempt are exempt from the T.A.B.E. Test.

For the Medical Records Transcribing Program the scores that are required are:

READING - 11.0
MATH - 10.0
LANGUAGE - 11.0

Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Medical Records Transcribing Program, you must complete the following steps:

1. You are 18 years old and have earned, or will earn at the time of enrollment into the program, a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma (GED).

2. If you have not been enrolled at Miami Dade College during the past 12 months, complete an Application for Admission or Readmission to Vocational Credit Courses.

3. Register for and complete the Test of Adult Basic Education (T.A.B.E.) through Testing Services, Room 1303, Medical Center Campus, 305-237-4275, or through the testing center at any of the other MDC campuses. Get Bursar Authorization form from the Admissions Office or an Advisor.

4. 4. Request former school and/or non MDC colleges to forward transcripts (including high school and degree) to the Admissions Office, before the admission review deadline.

5. Complete the Program Application process by submitting an application for Program Admission. Application must be received by May 30th for August entry.

Where Do I Send My Application Materials?

You may send your MDC application to any admissions office located on any of the six campuses of Miami Dade College . Applications for admission may also be filled out on line at http://www.mdc.edu.
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site

You must also send the following:

1. application fee (check or money order - no cash)

2. official high school transcript and official college transcripts (if available) to the Admissions Office.

Send your Application for Program Selection or visit the New Student Center , at the address below:

Miami Dade College
Medical Center Campus
New Student Center
950 N.W. 20th Street
Miami , FL 33127

Criteria for Program Selection

Enrollment in the program is limited. Meeting the admissions requirements does not guarantee program acceptance. For this reason, the selection committee uses the following criteria to determine which applicants will be admitted. Please note that there is no waiting list.

• Overall GPA

• TABE Scores

• Final acceptance will be based on the submission of all required documents received at the mandatory program orientation session.

ADA Standards Americans With Disabilities Act

In keeping with its mission and goals, and in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Medical Center Campus promotes an environment of respect and support for persons with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations. The definition of individuals with disabilities are those who currently have, have a record of having, or are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. Major life activities include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, and working.

Individuals applying for admission, progression to clinical courses, and graduation from a program in Nursing and Allied Health Technologies must be able to meet the physical and emotional requirements of the academic program. In addition, students admitted to the programs in Nursing and Allied Health Technologies must possess the following qualities:

• The emotional maturity and stability to approach highly stressful situations in a calm and rational manner.

• The ability to make clinical judgment using critical thinking

• The ability to adhere to ethical standards of conduct as well as applicable state and federal laws

• The ability to provide effective written, oral, nonverbal communication with colleagues, health care providers, and the public

An individual who poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or themselves may be denied admission, progression or graduation. The college’s determination that a person poses a direct threat will be based on an individualized assessment that relies on current medical evidence or on the best available evidence to assess the nature, duration, and severity of the risk and the probability that the potential injury will actually occur.

In order to fulfill the requirements of the Medical Records Transcribing program at Miami Dade College , students must be able to meet the physical demands associated with the profession. Examples of these requirement include but are not limited to the following:

Code: F = frequently O = Occasionally NP = Not Present

For specific Performance Standards associated with the Medical Records Transcribing program, please contact the Program Coordinator

Because of the unique responsibilities involved in all Allied Health professions, each department reserves the right to require that the student who appears to be unsuited for any program therein withdraw from the program and be guided into another curriculum of study at the college.



Curriculum

Students are admitted to the Medical Records Transcribing Program in August of each year. Course content is sequential, and students should plan to enroll in all Medical Record Transcribing courses in the order and during the terms indicated in the following curriculum outline. Some courses associated with this program are offered through Virtual College only.

Ratio of Credits to Contact Hours

In order to practice safely as a Medical Records Transcriber, students must complete a predetermined number of classroom or "contact" hours. For this reason, the number of hours you spend in class will be greater than you might expect. The required ratio of credits to contact hours is spelled out in detail below.

Contact hours for vocational credit courses are the equivalent of 30 contact hour per semester for 16 weeks for each credit.

If courses are taught in less than 16 weeks, the total number of required contact hours will be divided by the number of weeks the course is offered.



Approximate Costs 

As of August 2006, the cost of tuition is $57.62 per vocational credit for in-state students and $225.12 per vocational credit for out-of-state students. Here are estimates for total tuition, based on 40 vocational credits at these per-credit rates. In-state students: $2,305.00. Out-of-state students: $9,005.00. Tuition is due at the beginning of each term and can be determined by multiplying the number of credits by the cost per credit hour. Additionally, over the course of the program, students should expect to pay approximately $350 for books, $125 for name tags, uniforms and footwear, $15.50 for malpractice insurance, and $10.50 for health insurance annually. Most laboratory courses have an additional fee between $20.00 and $50. All costs are subject to change.

Financial Aid

All students at the Medical Center Campus should apply for financial aid, which includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work Study, and Federal Subsidized loans. The Campus also offers emergency short-term loans and a variety of scholarships.

Application can be made in the Financial Aid Office (Room 1201) on the Medical Center Campus. Those who apply before April 1 st for the following academic year are given priority. Only courses in which students have registered before the 100 percent refund date qualify for financial aid. For additional information, call the Financial Aid personnel at 305-237-4160.

Accreditation

Miami Dade College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). For information, contact:

SACS
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur , Georgia 30033
Phone: 404-679-4500
Fax: 404-679-4558
http://www.sacs.org/
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site


Licensure

Upon completion of the Medical Records Transcribing program, graduates are eligible to apply to the American Association for Medical Transcription for permission to participate in the examination process. The credentialing process associated with this profession is considered voluntary. For further information, contact:

AAMT
100 Sycamore Ave.
Modesto , CA 95354-0550
Phone: 800-982-2182 or 209-527-9620
Fax: 209-527-9633
Email: aamt@aamt.org
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to send emails

AAMT Certification Program
100 Sycamore Ave.
Modesto , CA 95354-0550
Phone: 800-982-2182 or 209-527-9620
Fax: 209-527-9633
Email: certification@aamt.org
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to send emails

http://www.aamt.org
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site

Important Phone Numbers

New Student Center		305-237-4141
Advisement Services		305-237-4238
Financial Aid		305-237-4160
Student Life		305-237-4213
Testing Services		305-237-4275

 

Faculty and Staff

Christine Dundas, RHIT Program Coordinator Coder/Biller Specialist Medical Records Transcribing Office: 2237 Phone: 305-237-4265 Email: cdundas@mdc.edu Mary Worsley, RHIT Program Coordinator HIM Programs Office: 2242 Phone: 305-237-4156 Email: mworsley@mdc.edu Leslye Danglade, RHIA Office: 2236 Telephone: 305-237-4043 Email: ldanglad@mdc.edu Tavares Scott AHT Secretary Office: 2204 Telephone: 305-237-4475 Email: tscott1@mdc.edu   Inetha Howard Student Services Assistant Office: 2204 Telephone: 305-237-4295 Email: ihoward@mdc.edu

 

 Visit the Medical Center Campus on the Web at www.mdc.edu/medical/
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site
 

The mission of the Medical Center Campus is to provide students with affordable, accessible, quality education in health care careers. Faculty and staff strive to respond to the changing needs of students, health care providers, and health care consumers in the community at large through collaboration with health care and business communities. The Campus provides and environment that is conducive to learning by recognizing and responding to the diverse learning styles, cultures, and resources of its students.