Program Prerequisites
Click <here> to download a program information packet.
Click <here> to download a packet of all forms needed for admission.
To apply to the program, do the following:
- Have a phone or in-person interview with the Admissions Advisor to discuss the program, the career, and the admission requirements. If you decide not to proceed after that interview, there is no cost.
- Submit a completed and signed Application Form (mail, fax or email) along with your $100 application fee. The application form is attached. The application fee can be paid by cheque, cash or credit card, and is non-refundable–This form is attached.
- The other forms needed to complete the application process will be emailed to you, or can be downloaded above.
Admission Requirements:
To enroll in the Thompson Career College Transcription program you need to meet the following requirements:
STUDENT STATUS - You must be 19 years or older and have been out of school for at least 1 year. We require an up-to-date resume. If you also have a high school or college transcript we would like a copy of that document.
AT LEAST 50 NET WORDS PER MINUTE TYPING SPEED - 50 wpm is the minimum required to start our program, but if you are under 60 wpm we recommend you spend time upgrading your keyboard skills prior to your start date. We recommend 'Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing' as an inexpensive but effective typing tutor program. Click here to access our typing test.
FLUENT IN WRITTEN AND SPOKEN ENGLISH - You will take our AccuPlacer testing to determine if your English language comprehension and sentence structure skills meet minimum entry requirements. If English is not your first language, and if you did not complete grade 12 English with a mark of 65% or better, you will need to provide further proof of English fluency.
NO MEDICAL CONDITIONS - You have no medical conditions that will impact your success in this course or as a medical transcriptionist. Specifically:
• Anything that would prevent you from sitting for long periods of time.
• Hand or wrist problems that would prevent you from doing high speed keyboard entry for long periods of time.
• Hearing problems that would prevent you from hearing the transcription voice files accurately.
• Sight problems that would prevent you from reading text on a computer screen for long periods of time.
• Learning, attention, or anxiety disabilities that might affect your ability to learn or to focus on transcription work.
FAMILIAR WITH MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST RESPONSIBILITIES AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES - You are required to research the Medical Transcriptionist career and job opportunities and become familiar with the job responsibilities. You must be satisfied that you will be able to perform these responsibilities once you are properly trained, and understand the job opportunities and income potential that exist in this field. You will have discussed the career and job opportunities with potential employers and people who are currently working as transcriptionists. You will complete our MT Program Admission Questionnaire to document this knowledge.
APPROPRIATE SCHEDULE AND PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES - You have a schedule that allows you to dedicate at least 30 hours per week of uninterrupted time to interact with course materials at home or to attend the program on site at Thompson Career College. If you have children at home, arrangements must be made for their care while you are studying. As part of the admission process you will fill out a study schedule commitment contract for a typical week of study in the program, showing the days and times you will dedicate to the program during each week.
ABLE TO RESPOND DAILY TO EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS FROM THE COLLEGE - Staying in contact with us is vital to your success as a student. You must be willing and able to check your email and phone messages a minimum of once per day on scheduled study days, and to respond to emails and phone messages from the school within 4 hours on scheduled study days.
APPROPRIATE COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS - You have an appropriate computer setup (Windows Vista, Windows 7, or a recent Mac system, good keyboard, good monitor), high speed internet access, and a quiet work area with a phone where you can work on the program without interruption. Even if you are taking the program on site at the college, you still need these resources at home. See computer requirements below for more information.
• Experience using word processing software such as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect is recommended
Home Computer and Working Environment Requirements:
• A quiet study environment with a desk, a phone, a computer (specified below), good lighting that minimizes eye strain, a good chair that supports your lower back.
• Macintosh: 10.4.11 or greater or 10.5.X (
Safari 3.1 or greater or
Firefox 2.X or 3.X)
• Windows: Vista, or XP with SP 2 or 3 (Internet Explorer 6.X or 7.X, or Firefox 2.X or 3.X)
• High speed internet access, an available USB port, Microsoft Word, and a printer.
• A good monitor that minimizes eye strain.
• A keyboard tray, and a mouse and keyboard that minimize hand and wrist strain.
• Transcriptionist foot pedal and headset are provided by the College.
• A headset for the phone is desirable, for hands-free discussion with support personnel and employers via the toll-free numbers.
Even if you are making use of the Thompson Career College learning lab, it is still essential that you establish a working environment in your home, both for successful learning, and for later employment as a transcriptionist.
Remember, in this business your computer and home-based working environment are the tools you use to support your career. It is not wise to destabilize this environment by allowing unfettered access to the computer by users who may not be careful about security or about the impact of loading heavy demand software (such as gaming applications) onto your machine. |
