Would you like to learn medical transcription? Are you looking for an online school which may offer that option? Do you still want to work at home once you become a medical transcriptionist? Then CareerStep might be the school for you!
What is Exactly is Career Step?
CareerStep is an online school which offers a variety of programs, one of them being the medical transcription program. Career Step has been in business for over 20 years as a vocational school. The medical transcription program takes between 3 to 12 months, and you can go at your own pace and have access to the materials 24/7 online.
As many of you home-based workers know, medical transcription or any type of transcription can be a great work-at-home career. Local doctors in your area as well as online companies and even bidding sites such as Elance look for medical transcriptionists.
While the medical transcription training course will not allow you to become certified upon completion of the course, you can take the exam for either the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity certification (AHDI) or the Certified Healthcare Document Specialist certification (CHDS).
Career Step will even give you a $250 voucher to take the AHDI exam upon completion of the course.
It appears that they only accept US and Canadian students for the medical transcription program.
An overview of the program and what types of courses to expect from it would include:
- typing skills
- medical terminology
- grammar and punctuation
- anatomy and pharmacology
- medical record types and formats
- productivity tips
What other programs are available at Career Step?
Career Step also offers:
- Medical Coding Training
- Medical Billing Training
- Medical Scribe
- Medical Office Manager
- Medical Administrative Assistant with EHR
- Pharmacy Technician
- Health Information Technology
- Computer Technician
- Executive Assistant
- Medical Billing
What Does It Cost to Attend Career Step?
If you are a military spouse, you may receive up to $4,000 from MyCAA (Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts), which could go towards a vocational career including medical transcription.
The cost of the medical transcription program is $3,799. And yes, there is a payment plan available. You can pay for this in 3-monthly installments or 12-monthly installments. You can also ask about the scholarship programs.
Does Career Step Guarantee Clients/Jobs After Graduation?
While no school can “guarantee” clients/jobs, Career Step does offer:
- a personal consultation with an employment advisor
- access to referral directories
- personalized interview tutorials and training
- individual resume and cover letter review, tips, and advice
- a RHDS certification exam voucher to take the certification exam (a $190 value)
- access to Career Step's help hotline for a year after graduation
Are There Any Alumni Success Stories?
This one military wife was on a YouTube video speaking about how the program worked for her.
I found another good success story shared by CareerStep on their Twitter account:
Meet Terryl! An amazing mother that chose #CareerStep to help her become #successful in her #career as a #MedicalTranscriptionist! pic.twitter.com/f0uHR8cFVE
— Career Step (@careerstep) August 24, 2017
As always, it is a good idea to do your homework and decide for yourself if this is the right opportunity for you. Overall, it looks like they have a great reputation.
There were also online reviews at Indeed, where students spoke very highly of the program and how it was well worth their time and money.
Are There Any Other Reviews?
In an older post on this blog, a guest writer stated that Career Step is a faster and less expensive option than Andrews and M-TEC — two other well-known schools for medical transcription training.
However, the writer went on to say that no personal feedback is given on your work, and you would also need to be highly motivated to attend class there for a few mentioned reasons.
It's definitely worth noting that Dave Ramsey, well-known financial advisor, fully endorses Career Step.
Does Career Step Have a Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating?
Career Step has an A+ rating with the BBB and has been a member since 2001. The headquarters is in Provo, Utah and the business itself has been around since 1992.
How Would An Interested Individual Get Started with Career Step?
You can go here to read more about the training and get started. Remember, they do offer a payment plan.
If medical transcription isn't for you, they do have several other programs including medical billing & coding, which can also be done from home.
If you're still on the fence and feel like you need more information, Career Step does provide a way to request it via their website.
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Good luck!
Leisa Good has worked in the corporate world as well as side hustled and operated a virtual assistant business full-time since 2006.. She wrote the eBook on that one! She is also a PFYP certified career coach and the owner of the blog, Powerfully Purposed For Success. She empowers folks 50-ish to find fun, flexible, and financially rewarding work both now and into retirement. However, this time it will be work/life on their terms.
Career Step is a great place to learn and prepare for a job in medical transcription! I am a graduate of this online school in 2007. I’ve had an at-home job of medical transcription for over 8 years now. Doesn’t seem to be a good paying job unless you sign in as an employee and have fixed hours with set line counts. I’ve done only independent contractor and make 3 cents per line for VR and .065 cents for straight typing. A friend of mine did well, though, as she got hired under employee status with insurance, 401K, paid vacation and was making about $2000 per month. Just have to find the right company and decide if you want employee versus independent contractor status.
I can’t say enough good things about CareerStep. I’m a current student in their medical transcription program and not only is the support awesome, it’s the only program I’ve been through that gives students real world experience. I’d definitely recommend it for those who have decided that they are interested in being a medical transcriptionist.
@Nicole – That is absolutely wonderful. So glad to hear that.