However, having some sort of certification does

• I need to gripe or vent - please don't kick me off board - mfras
  • Yes, there something they can do about it. That contract does not need to be honored - MT225
  • I guess what comes around goes around... - ABC
    • I hear ya on that one!! I know that if I ever wind up in this hospital - mfras
      • That's a very good point! - ABC
  • I type legal cases...sm - longtime MT
    • May I ask... - Mt in MS
  • I have been an MT for 9 years and I agree on most of what you say but - there are hospitals out there that don't care e
  • I'm there with ya! I worked for a hospital that outsourced overflow to a very large, VERY SM - Tinks
    • Wait! 45 cents per line? - MTSO
    • That's what I been saying.... - TIAA
    • oh my gosh, I know which company you're talking - mfras
      • You have got to be kidding!!!! 45 cpl. What hospital in their right mind would pay that?!! sm - MT225
    • Sorry, but major HIPPA violation to "keep a - Whoa!
      • Oh, please, you delete the names. Where've you been? lol! - nm
        • I've been here. Better brush up on your - Whoa!
          • HIPAA only addresses PHI (protected health information) would is defined as anything that SM - Tinks
          • I would be proud if my records, with my name erased, could be used to help an MT be treated fairly. - nm
          • Been there - Dealt with that
          • As long as the name and any other identifying information is removed - sm
  • Unfortunately, this is nothing new - and it's - exactly the reason I was able to get my start
    • response - be
      • I'm not talking about a certificate that says you - completed an MT course; that means nothing.
      • clarifying this - okay, the mistakes that come through - mfras
        • Some QA is being instructed to not give a crap - sm
          • Yuppers. Except I wouldn't use the term - MGB
            • Depends...some are clearly being told - sm
              • You are so right! So professional its totally - MGB
        • I agree 100% with you, except for the QA - MGB
        • Do they hire people that haven't finished their MT course yet? - deb
          • I have heard the test is a joke and you don't need a high score - sm
        • What bother me is that we all pretty much know this, especially those of us who do QA for services - sm
    • However, having some sort of certification does - Wannie
      • It would at least weed out the wannabes and - those who just flat out don't know
        • Test who decides the standards - Patti
          • Oh, I agree with you about the BOS and AAMT - I would like to see AHIMA
            • There have to be guidelines and standards in place - sm
              • You may be right, but it is unlikely - Melissa
      • P.S - No, I don't have any type of certifciation - Wannie
  • It does make one wonder how long this is going to go on or is this just the norm now? Terribly sad - hvlmt
    • we were told how much the outsource service - mfras
      • goodness! Sure know what to "add" to the next contract Nego.sm - CAMT
        • I totally understand. - Frustrated
          • my friend from the other hospital that just lost her job - mfras

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Is there any way to verify that someone is indeed a CMT?  The work of some I have seen lately cannot possibly be.

I sent an email directly to them stating that when our wages went back up and work came back from overseas then they could talk about certification then they could talk about certification.  They should be working on the first two.  Every MT should email them directly.

dee

I need some help here please.  I have been thinking of taking the CMT test but cannot decide.  The company that I work for will pay extra for the certification but is it really worth it?  I have been doing this job for almost 25 years, however, I worked for a local multispecialty clinic that did not have any idea about BOS, we simply typed what the doctor said and the format depended on each doctor.  They phased out our department several years ago and I have worked for a few services so I have definitely grown in all areas and learned BOS.  Can anyone give me the pros and cons of taking the test?  Is it as intimidating as it seems?  To me, one of the pros would be, after doing this job for so long, feeling like I really accomplished something in my field.  Any opinions, pros, cons, etc., would be greatly appreciated!!!

TIA 

I have been a Transcriptionist for six years and am considering getting CMT certification.  I was just wondering what would be the benefit of having CMT certification, other than looking good on a resume? 

I guess what I am trying to say is would it be worth the time and effort to joint AAMT and pay to test when I already have a great MT position.

 "All Dictaphone transcription service partners are required to pass its rigorous certification program to ensure even higher levels of service and proficiency in speech recognition editing..."

(here is link to complete article)

http://health-information.advanceweb.com/common/editorial/editorial.aspx?CTIID=1433

 Why doesn't MQ ever tell there is "certification" for editors? 

==============================

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE --- "certification program" 

I haven't heard anything about certifying editors, have you?

And if that's so we better get a HE^^ OF A LOT MORE MONEY!!!! doing it.

========================================

Aug. 30, 2005

CHRISTUS HEALTH CHOOSES MEDQUIST
CHRISTUS Health, a faith-based, not-for profit health care system comprising more than 40 hospitals, inpatient and long-term care facilities, clinics and other health care services serving more than 70 communities, has selected MedQuist as its premier vendor for documentation and speech recognition needs.

CHRISTUS Health was having challenges streamlining productivity and transcription costs. According to Robert Jacobs, CHRISTUS market information officer, a selection committee made up of HIM directors, radiology directors and physicians, evaluated vendors and selected MedQuist for its capabilities to provide front-end speech recognition and back-end speech recognition transcription services.

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:OAXm4i0GEUEJ:health-information.advanceweb.com/common/editorial/editorial.aspx%3FCTIID%3D1433+christus+health+medquist&hl=en

Can someone refer me to a website or something so I can get certified.  Finished my course with a college and they don't of course deal with the National Certification.  Anyone out there done the certification part.  Please help.  Thanks

CMT= certified medical transcriptionist.  

MTs with 2+ years of acute care experience who pass a test given by the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT)are CMTs.  They also need to prove they have accumulated a certain amount of continuing education credits every three years in order to maintain the certification.  HTH.

Ok, I have seen all the bad info about them in the Archives...  and I can't seem to type the name of this company; I get a message that I've used a "bad word!"  (Initials are TA -- sounds like a car name)  LOL 

I wish I had known about this site before my dealings with them.  Anyway, I finished trning w/them and have been a paid IC for them for some time now.  But I'm working way too hard for too little money.  I do MT, QC, and file managing for them, and I'm chained to my computer for very little return.  The good thing:  I AM working, and I now have experience with rheumatology, cardiology, vascular, chronic pain mgmt, pulmonology, psych, etc.  The experience has been great.

My question:  the only certification I have for MT is their course completion.  Anyone out there have experience with looking for another job with *only* a certificate like that? 

Just wondering...  I'll sit back now and wait for you all to tell me I'm foolish.

Hello,

I'm trying to figure out what the best all-around option is for gaining certification in medical transcription. (Balancing cost and quality of training)  This is what I've come across so far.  Recommendations would be very appreciated!

Penn Foster (online): Around $1000

Local Community College: Around $1300

TechSkills: Around $6000 (which I thought was ridiculous, since their training is done from online or prerecorded modules just like many other online or mail options)

Should I be looking for an Associate's degree, or is a certification (provided that it's accredited, of course) enough? I already have work experience on the clerical side of the healthcare industry.

Thank you!

MT does NOT.  A flying monkey could become an MT with a little training.  Some people make it sound as if we're doing brain surgery here.  Honestly, we are glorified typists.  Anyone who thinks it's more than that is just trying to feel better about being a medical typist.  I get slammed all the time for this opinion, but the harsh reality of it is that this is NOT a difficult field to get into IF you have the proper skills.  Don't slam someone for being a nurse and wanting to transition to MT.  She has more education and certification in the medical field than we do.  As long as she has good grammar, spelling, research, and typing skills, SHE WILL DO GREAT!!!!  Why do people have to be so egotistical and negative on these boards?  We ought to encourage newbies getting into the field instead of telling them it's too difficult or they aren't qualified.  Hey, let's just alienate all the newbies and send the work overseas to people who don't have EFL skills.

Make sure you check not only how much a program may cost you, but what your state requirements are. I'm in Utah and we are required to pass a state exam to be licensed to practice. There is also a national exam that is supposedly good if you take it, but is get pricey. I took the course locally with a program that included an internship. I personally found the career boring and it didn't pay well enough for me to pursue it, but every state has different pay scales so check into it.

You should have a leg up because you do have to learn and memorize a lot of drug names and what they are for. Also, make sure your basic math skills are good. Mine stunk, so make sure you can remember how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions and decimals. Good luck!!!

I still have a couple small accounts but they certainly aren't worth the aggravation and may be giving them up.

The downside is getting used to only having 1/2 the money as before since the taxes are being taken out from the get go and now having to meet production on a daily basis which is getting tougher to do, having to remember to ask ahead of time for time off and vacations and especially trying to remember to ask if I want a holiday off. Having someone tell me what to do.

The upside: Health insurance, pension plan, savings account, paid holidays, extra pay for overtime, having taxes taken out immediately and not having to pay quarterly taxes. .. No more headaches. No more scrambling to find more tax write-offs at the end of the year, getting refunds from the IRS instead of paying in.Incentives for going above and beyond the call of duty.  Having weekends off (first time in 8 years), having part of a day for myself (first time in 8 years).

Need I say more?

When I came home to type 13 years ago, I was expecting my third child.  Prior to that I did have 5 years on-site experience, but it was all in one specialty.  So, acute care was new to me.  I did it.  My line count at that time was 1000 lines a day.  I admit that many days I did not get to the count, but I tried very hard to make every report perfect.  I learn a lot from looking things up.  I kept my babies close by with plenty of toys, play pens, VCR, Disney movies, etc., and there were many times that one fell asleep across my arms while I was transcribing.

I think it can be done if you want it bad enough.  I love working from home!

My mom's doc told her in 1996 that she had "a touch of emphysema, nothing to worry about." (He was a lousy doctor but I didn't realize it then).

She had lived in a trailer on our property rent free for 10 years independently before this happened, then she got the shingles, "most severe case I've ever seen," was hospitalized for 2 weeks and went downhill after that. I moved her in with us as she developed macular degeneration, plus she was almost deaf.

The last straw came when she was walking through the hallway and her legs went out from under her. She broke her hip and walked on it like that for 2 weeks. I quit my job to stay home with her after that.  She spent 2 wks in a hospital and 6 wks rigorous PT in a nursing home, then came back home.  I did everything for her. She even gained weight, went up to 96 pounds (4'11"). She also came on on oxygen because of her "touch of emphysema" which turned into full blown COPD.

She then got pneumonia, was hospitalized, and then started to develop memory loss. Her macular degeneration got worse and she couldn't tell day from night and sometimes, her biological clock would get mixed up and she'd be waking me up at 11 p.m. thinking it was 7 am. She loved to read but couldn't do it anymore. My son gave her his large screen TV so she could at least see that, but she couldn't hear without the sound being turned up LOUD.

After 3 years, she was almost bedridden. Her bedroom was next to my office and I had a bell that she would ring if she needed me.

 I had a nurses' aide come in every day for 1 hour a day to bathe her and give her breathing treatments. That was all Senior Services could do for her because of her limited SS income.

In the meantime, I got a job through my former hospital working for them at home after she broke her hip. .I also worked full time 1 job, and had a couple small accounts, took care of her bills and checking account, our three accounts (both self-employed).  

We had a lot of friends that would come over on the weekends but where was I? In the house working and taking care of her. I never left the house for those 4 years except to do grocery shopping...and it was never more than 1 hour so the nurses' aide would be with her while I was gone.

She broke her other hip in January 2000.  I spent every day in the hospital with her, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't stay the night because this hospital wasn't set up for that and I couldn't afford it anyway.  I knew she wasn't going to make it this time and 2 weeks after celebrating her 79th birthday, she was gone.

Anyway, I feel for you and know what you are going through with the exception of 1 thing....I have no siblings. Hang in there and keep doing what you are doing. You'll never regret it. Three people know you're the right person. You, your mother, and God. Forgive your uncouth (sic) siblings...and if you get mad enough, tell the one that keeps winning the money to hand some over for a change. He might surprise you. Heck, he may not even know the problems you're having. You should tell him.

But in the meantime, just keep taking care of, and loving, your mother for as long as you can...and don't forget to tell her you love her all the time, too.

I don't hear anything around me.  My husband literally has to come up and touch me to get my attention when I'm working and then I nearly jump out of my skin cause it's like he snuck up on me.

I've been working at home since my son was a baby.  He's 14 now.  He had asthma and respiratory difficulties from birth and so I needed a profession that allowed me to be at home with him.  At first, my production was just gross, but you'll find that you adapt pretty easily.  Now, with both kids at school (my daughter just started kindergarten), I've seen my production shoot way up to the 1800 to 2000 range just because there are no interruptions and no excuses!

Your production will get better and better.  It just takes time.