For the ones who know, the title of the post would be more apt as ‘Who is a CMT?’ But this post is for people new to medical transcription who want to understand the credentials in the profession. CMT stands for Certified Medical Transcriptionist. It is a credential offered by the Association of Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).

If you want to be a CMT, you cannot become so immediately after joining the profession. You have to establish yourself in the field in order to be certified. You need to possess two years of medical transcription experience in acute care for taking the CMT test. Wondering what acute care means? AHDI defines acute care as:

(Source)… incorporating medical center dictation to include many dictators including multiple ESL dictators, many formats and report types, and all the major specialties, including and especially surgery dictation of all types, and some minor specialties.

You have to pass a five-hour test to become a CMT. And, yes, you will know your results as soon as you complete the test. In fact, the test report will give you value-added feedback to help you understand your strengths and the areas of improvement.

Don’t be disheartened if you don’t pass the test in the first attempt. You can take the test again after six months of your previous attempt. The credential is valid for three years. On completion of three years, you are required to take another test for re-certification.

You have to pay a fee of $275 USD for the CMT test. However, if you are a member of AHDI, you need to pay only $195 USD.

Check the AHDI website for more information on medical transcription credentials.