I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving and I pray for a nice Christmas season and Happy New Year to follow... for all of us.
My apologies for not adding a new post in such a long time, but I never imagined how much time dedication would be required for my classes. [Or I've just plain forgotten what it is like to be a student!]
For those new to my readership, I'm taking an online course through a company/vocational school based out of Provo, UT. It's called Career Step, LLC. Although they have instruction available for several fields, I'm studying to become a Medical Transcription Editor. [This course includes training for both fields: transcriptionist and editor.]
The course itself is broken down into modules that are themselves a progressive learning track. Each module is a building block to the next modules; so you can't skip around. For the MTE course, there are 23 modules to work through ending in a final exam. Each module is made up of units and each unit is broken into subunits. As it happens, each subunit ends with a quiz, each unit has a unit test, and each module has a final module exam. I have taken over 900 quizzes/tests so far!
[Note: quizzes are generally short 5-20 questions. Unit tests and module exams can be longer, but they're not 'horrible' by any means. As far as grading, anything below 85% is considered failing. However, the testing is all 'open book' and you can take them as many times as you feel necessary. So, there is no reason you can't have an excellent grade-book! The kicker is that, even though they keep a grade-book of unit tests and module exams (not the subunit quizzes)... the only grade that "counts" is the Final Exam at the end of the course. However, if you take the time to learn and really soak up the information, there is no reason you can't sail through that as well; or so they say. But so far, I tend to believe them.]
I'm currently in the remaining units of Module #13. Upon completion of the module exam, I will be taking the class Midterm Exam that will cover everything up to this point of the course. The midterm marks completion of the background education (or the objective part of the information). This includes everything from keyboard use and transcription technology through anatomy, pathophysiology and disease to pharmacology and healthcare documentation (not to mention learning the basics of medical language that ties the whole thing together). After the midterm I will be going directly into the practical part of the course, starting with the transcription training.
Truthfully, I'm not sure if the transcription/editing modules will still have the same testing formats because the work will be "practical application." There must be elements of personal style that would make computer checking... awkward to say the least. [I guess I'll find out when I get there.] I do know that after I begin the transcription work, I'm required to take part in a phone-conference "consultation" that will last from 60-90 minutes. This should be where those 'missing details' will come into the light.
I must admit that I have times when I just "don't want to do it anymore." Not because I'm not enjoying the learning. No. It's because it has absorbed and obsessed my entire life since enrollment. It is a necessary thing though, as I want to complete the course in the least amount of time. I "attend" school 6 days a week with variable hours. I tend to work 2 to 8 hours per day as 'life' allows, and I take Sundays off (at least I try to). The pace is exhausting (for me) and I have no doubts about the honesty of the fellow students who have taken several years to finish the program. [The course is self-paced so working people can still work, and parents can still be parents.]
The job-displacement retraining program that I'm in is giving me one year to complete the course - in exchange for paying my school fees. I believe that I can do it, and I'm actually pushing to complete the course in 10-11 months (leaving the extra time for "just in case"). I've also recently been encouraged by other students and graduates who say that my timeline is a reachable goal.
And so, now you know what I've been doing for the last 20-21 weeks. And by default... you know what I'll be doing for the next several months, too!
So, until the next post...
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God Bless & Godspeed
