NEW PROFESSIONALS ALLIANCE
Transition: Noun: Passage from one position, state, etc., to another (Webster’s 4th Edition)
Preparing yourself for the future in the constantly changing clinical documentation landscape can be daunting. The New Professionals Alliance is a bridge to help you make the transition from MT student to MT professional with support and encouragement from each other and from your Association. With tips on study skills, links to essential resources, networking and career-building tools, members of the NPA share their knowledge and experiences in an ongoing dialog with each other and with AHDI staff and leadership. The NPA reaches out to students, newly employed professionals, and all individuals new to the documentation field to address the needs and challenges they face. The NPA also supports and promotes lifelong learning through certification. Join us and take another step forward on your journey to a fulfilling career.
New Professionals Alliance Leadership
Steering committee structure
The NPA is guided by a group of volunteer leaders who step forward from the Alliance to take a leadership role in setting priorities and projects, working with AHDI staff and leadership to establish and review policies and goals for this dynamic group. Goals will include the creation of products and projects that further the goals of the Alliance and of AHDI national. Committee roles include Chair, Chair-elect, Members, and Staff and Board Liaisons. The latter two individuals are appointed by AHDI’s CEO and President; all other roles are filled by individual members of the Alliance who are interested in developing and using their leadership skills. Typically committee service is for one (1) year, except for the Chair-elect, who serves one (1) year in that role and then an additional year as Chair.
Steering committee leadership, 2012
Chair: Suzanne Birk (43suebee@bellsouth.net)
Board Liaison: Barbara Marques, CMT, AHDI-F (bmarques96@aol.com)
Staff Liaison: Tina Wilson (twilson@ahdionline.org)
Hot topics: What’s happening now in the New Professionals Alliance
In 2011, the NPA created the RMT Study Group to assist Alliance members preparing to sit for the Registered Medical Transcriptionist exam. The RMT Study Group course is now delivered on the AHDI Online Training Moodle platform. This 12-week online study group will have reading assignments each week along with a PowerPoint presentation and recording. There are weekly quizzes each week to help assess your progress throughout the study course. You will have the access to forums and the live chat feature to interact and ask questions. To register for this course click here.
Each week a new topic is posted on the Google forum reflecting issues of current interest to Alliance members. Recent discussions on our Google forum have included information on drugs and medications references available, best practices in research and the Benchmark KB as a high-value resource. We have also recently discussed the state of the MT industry, text expanders, the AHDI eMentoring Program, the remote work environment and speech recognition.
New Professionals’ Viewpoint
“As a newbie looking for a job and as an ex-librarian I am so glad that I am not the only information junky out there. Since taking my classes I have created a large collection of web sources as well as books. I … have created a book of words that I seem to have the most trouble with. Even if I know them but I draw a blank I just pick up my notebook and look and there is my word. I also have made a deal with myself that when I get my first job that I will only spend 5 minutes looking for the needed information. I hope that I have the will power to stick to it. I just love researching and finding out new information.” – Kathleen L
Resource Materials
Remember that the discussions within these sites are often written by non-professionals, so spellings and usages should be cross-checked with professional medical references.
Top 200 Prescription Drugs
This list, compiled by Prescription Drug-Info.com (“The People’s Medicine Community”) will help new professionals to identify most-frequently prescribed drugs and may be particularly useful for individuals studying for the RMT exam.
Monthly Prescribing Reference
This site presents a wealth of information about prescription drugs, including a “New Product of the Week” feature, an RSS feed, and applications for a variety of mobile devices.
The Speech Accent Archive
This fascinating site, though not specifically using medical vocabulary, provides a valuable insight into how speakers of various languages pronounce English. Go to the Browse section, click on Language/Speakers, and find the accent of your favorite ESL dictators.
ACE 2011 DVD
These video recordings from AHDI’s 2011 Annual Convention and Expo provide a valuable selection of topics about the healthcare documentation industry, medical language, and advances in technology and clinical medicine.
Model Job Descriptions
Here you will find what typical scopes of work are for medical transcriptionists, editors, and others in healthcare documentation.
WEBINAR: “A National Survey of MTs: Results, Unique Findings & Future Implications”
Dr. Gary David explains the results of the second Bentley College medical transcription survey, describing current conditions, trends, and future expectations.
Healthcare and the Electronic IT Revolution
Learn what to expect as implementation of the electronic health record proceeds across the United States.
Speech Recognition Technology
Use this important information to understand the types of SRT being used today, as well as trends in SRT editing and compensation for MTs working as SRT editors.
Plexus and Plexus Archives
AHDI’s flagship publication continues to offer invaluable information for everyone from new professionals to seasoned Certified Medical Transcriptionists.
Training Courses
Here you’ll find an extensive list of courses available from OAK Horizons, AHDI, AHIMA and other sources, addressing topics such as building specialty skills, preparing for certification examinations, and understanding the electronic health record.
Credentialing Candidate Guide
The Candidate Guide contains everything new professionals need to know to prepare for the important step of credentialing as they move forward in their careers.