I went to a local business college which sucked.
Posted By: RockinMT on 2008-07-20
In Reply to: Let's Do the Math!!! - Deenie
My first job was a p.r.n. position with a local hospital filling in for vacations and people off sick. That's where the real education came from.
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Your local community college...
It will cost a **** of a lot less, and your education will be just as good. Many will tell you that you only get help in job placement, externship, be ready to work, etc. via Andrews, etc., but that's just not true because they just don't know any better. Besides, that's a great sales pitch/gimmick, isn't it?
In learning this field, you need a classroom setting and hands' on experience/instruction. You'll see exactly what I mean when you get in the thick of it, or even starting out in learning it, for that matter.
My SIL finished a course at a local college
She got a job on-site and could be sent home, but she has decided to cross-train for a management position. If she takes it, the salary is $65,000.00 per year. So tell me there isn't money in this business. She just finished her course!!!
I went to a local community college
I started working for a small local MTSO.
Local community college nm
x
Check out your local community college -SM
I can't speak for all of them, but the one I went to offered externship programs and job placements for their best and brightest students. An acquaintenance of mine also got her MT training at a local college, and they did the same thing. Be careful, however, of the online courses. They cost a lot of money - much, much more than your local college, and you won't get the hands-on training or be able to get your questions answered in a flash with them as you would in an actual college setting. Also, an associate's degree at a college is much more impressive than admitting you received your training via an online course. That, to me, just sounds so "fly by night." 
I vote for local community college.
If you attend a community college, it helps to network. If you do on-line training, you won't have the social part of your training. Also, it helps to try and find an on-site position at first to gain the knowledge although since you are already in a clerical position, you probably know more about anatomy and the hospital/medical setting than you even think. I wish you all the best. Another good thing about a local community college is that sometimes they know of great jobs because the teachers are also employed or know of jobs. You will have a certificate of training in an MT program, but a certified MT is done through the AAMT or whatever it is now, and is not worth the money in my opinion. You wind up after paying a few hundred dollars getting to put CMT after your name, but not when you transcribe a report. For example, even CMTs cannot put XXX/xxx, CMT if you catch my drift. 
I graduated from a local community college. sm
Had my first job before graduation but it was in-house with hourly pay and great benefits. Those are very hard to find anymore. I worked in-house for my first 2 years and then went on maternity leave picking up side work through a company for more income. Realized I was tripling my money going from hourly to production by that time, turned in my notice, and never looked back. Been at home ever since. If at all possible, in the beginning I would recommend to anyone to work inhouse even if it is for a transcription company. The value of having other "ears" is definitely not something to take for granted. I also learned as much as I could while getting that hourly pay as time is money when on production. I have to say I probably would not be near as proficient of an MT today had it not been all those hours learning and having another ear around to help out when stuck.
You bring up a point too though that I haven't really thought about before....With all the transcription being outsourced out of the office, it is only going to get much more difficult for anyone to get those breaks and get the required "experience" as a beginner.
See if your local college has an MT program that you can just take certain units of, like terminol
s
I'm going to a local community college for culinary arts, I'm 52. nm
xxx
Your local community college. Just as good and a heckofalot cheaper!
I probably read about it on MSN or someone mentioned it to me. Maybe call local college or JUCO
?
Well, not really. In college I did a gruelng intership at a local express emergency clinic and got p
gas, lunch, uniform, etc., AND the head doctor ended up sexually harrassing me! I kid you not! So, I don't think anyone without any experience getting paid 3 cents to learn MT in their own home setting is half bad.....It could be worse. They could ask you to do it for free.
PS: My college major was nursing.
If you want to work at a local hospital or doctor's office, go to community college. Otherwise
if you want to work from home, for a national company, you need to take the course from either Andrews School or M-TEC. It does you no good to save money by taking the Penn Foster course, because most companies will NOT hire grads from that school, it is a poor course and does NOT prepare you sufficiently for MT work.
Either one are 9 month courses at the local community college..worth a shot!
!!!
How about your local community college and save a heap of money & get just as good of an education?
local business
Look in your yellow pages for companies that re-cycle as they will stand behind their cartridges -- at least in Portland they do. I have a large laser HP and my toners cost me over $100 at Office Depot even their re-cycled one. But several local companies offer for about $75 to $85 and they deliver and last just as long. I do a lot of printing and so go through about 3 per year at 10,000 copies per toner. Seems sometimes it is cheaper to buy a new printer.
Pharmacy tech 15 weeks, polysomnography 7 month course at local community college..worth a shot!
!!!
Small Local MT Business
Hi Rachel,
What part of California are you in, and are you looking for any partners?
If so, please e-mail me.
Do you have a weekly ads pub that you could put it in under Business Opportunities, or in your local
s
don't get sucked in to thinking you did something wrong
What a tough situtation. It would definitely be a good idea to tell him you don't want to continue the relationship until he gets the appropriate help.
I agree with the other poster, it is somewhat of an abusive relationship. My father was like this and is still. He would go through "moods" and we all would be walking on eggshells, he'd eventually fly into a rage . . . once even going so far as to hold a shotgun to his head because the world was so against him . . .(drama). He's never gotten any professional help. At one time my mother decided to put St. John's Wort (herb for depression) into his mashed potatoes. What dysfunction, I know. Anyway . . . People like this just have it in their personality to be miserable . . . it goes back generations in my family, I think it's the internal negative dialogue they have, never being able to let things go.
Think about what your future will be living with someone like this (and your children's).
With a family history like his he very well could be depressed but maybe it is viewed as a weakness in his family to admit it. He's probably embarassed. It definitely sounds like he has anger issuses, which they say "depression is anger turned inwards".
How about manipulative? Could he like the even negative attention he gets from acting like this?
You have done the right thing . . . to be concerned. How would you feel if you made no attempt to help and something bad happened?
I think he has too many problems for you to be involved with him. Find someone else. Don't waste your nice caring personality and life on someone like this. Sometimes people like this are just happy being miserable and wouldn't have it any other way. So just let them be.
Definitely take a step back until he gets his life in order.
What do you think you should do???
Do not get sucked into the black hole -
MDI is not as great as they want everyone to believe and as far as the OP goes, her word is very "questionable" to say the least.
They never, never follow through with what they say they are going to do!
4000-5000 I can't believe I'm getting sucked into this again. SM
This is gross pay with two different places. It is not full time. Yes, I use expanders, no, I don't do the same two doctors every day.
Yes, I am very lucky. Yes, I am very fast. No, I am not lying, and I am sorry if you are not in as good a position as mine.
mine sucked when I first started with them
They were so bad I actually thought it might be a joke. but I stuck it out, made very little money for a long time.
I've doing the same crappy dictators now and average 350 lph with them. They say the same thing over and over. After a while your ears can hear what they say and you can pick up your speed.
Most MTs flit from job to job so fast they never get used to the dictators.
got to stick it out to make the $
Yep, sure do. They've sucked up to the Trinidad thing, just like some other
companies we know. They use a platform and it's a system where they use common MTs, and those common MTs are in Trinidad. It APPEARS as though they don't outsource offshore, but in reality, they do.
Don't get sucked into joining AHDI (formerly AAMT)
Buy local. The local stores pay taxes to support your city and state. (SM)
Using online and catalogues does nothing to promote the local economy. We complain about outsourcing and about the big companies gobbling up all the work so the jobs at local hospitals are gone, yet we do the same thing when we buy on ebay, catalog, and these web sites that may be located any place in the world as their primary business location.
I went local. Great local tech support, they know what I do and were able to set it up just for me
:)
Unfortunately it is legal..so yes it is business and they will continue with bad business practices
x
I made my business your business by posting and...
I totally respect everyone's opinions. It is easier for others on the outside looking in. That's why I pushed the "post reply" button yesterday. I trust my fellow MTs and I know the more I read from you all, the more confident I am becoming. I just need that final push, not from him though. I also wanted to let you all know that the physical abuse while I was pregnant was documented by my doctor and the hospital. I only wish I had known then that it is a felony to abuse a pregnant woman. I also photographed my face from a couple of weeks ago and told several people in my circle. I had such high hopes for us. Now...not so much. I'm not saying that I won't try to get him to church, but I realize that God can only do so much for someone who isn't listening. j
Business is business. Internet forums are
.
For a business ad?! A business that deals
''Transcriptsis'' x2
''with good track record''
''serve our clients of all sizes'' (I know what they mean, but I just think the wording is funny)
''strive to achieve highest possible quality'' (once again, they never met an 'article' that they didn't hate)
''all departments including H&P...'' (or a comma, for that matter)
I'm in college myself ...
Do you have an undergraduate bulletin from the U? If not, GET ONE TODAY. Look at the degree programs. He must pick out a major and register and be assigned an Academic Advisor first.
Make sure he fills out his FASFA anyway and has it sent to the university. Just because you make $40K does not mean he should not qualify for grants or scholarships whatsoever. I don't know who told you that or if you just are assuming that, but it is not true.
A university has many, MANY avenues for financial aid. He will be assigned a financial aid counselor and you need to call up there right now, TODAY (if he is planning on attending this fall semester in about 5 weeks) and go talk to the immediately. Do you know the FASFA website? Have you filled it out? You MUST fill it out, it will be processed and sent to the university, then they will send him an award letter and you can go from there.
Now, student loans are not bad debt at all. It is an investment in your future. Just make sure you are borrowing responsibly an amount that can be paid back easily. As well, it will not hurt him one bit to pay his own student loans back and/or you pay just part of them. He should have to be payint and investing in his OWN future.
He probably needs to find a part-time job, period. Nothing wrong with that. It will teach him discipline and show you whether he is serious about an education or not. If he has registered already (and he should have if he is attending this fall ... if he hasn't and wants to go, REGISTER TODAY)...you know when his classes are and he can hit the pavement today on finding a part-time job.
You've have a bad experience as far as academic counseling at the junior college -- at least from your description, I would call that near idiocy. At the U, he will have to claim a major and it should have a sports program so that should not be a problem. Do NOT---NOT---NOT---NOT just "put him in a major". This is his education. It must be what HE wants.
There's not a lot you can do until you:
1) Fill out that FASFA and process it
2) Call the U, physically go in with your son and see a Financial Aid Advisor
3) Register, see your Academic Advisor and get your classes
If I can help you in anyway, let me know.
I had it in college
I went for PT - they did u/s and massage and heat application. Also, I received medication via (I am going to get this wrong I think) iontophoresis.
I had to change the way I held my food trays (I was a waitress) and do some exercises with a one pound weight.
It resolved with cessation of what was causing the problem in the first place. Every so often it comes close to flaring back up if I am not careful. Now my big problem is mild tendinitis in my thumb .
I never needed surgery though I have heard some people do if it gets really bad.
Did they do the Finklestein test (is that what its called?) on you to dx it? Its where they have you make a fist and then they flex your wrist down. I yelped and almost kicked the dr!
Good luck.
What did you go to college for? nM
x
I was in college before
I attended college off and on from 1989 - 1997. It will only take me a year to complete what I started.
college or not (I did) - what you do....sm
What a person does for their entire lifetime is a career, a profession. Some of us went to college, some graduated, some never went to college. Who cares? I spent 27 years doing this so yep, it has become my profession......worked Wall Street for 3 years in the 60s-70s, well that was my profession at the time (decade). Worked restaurants as a kitchen manager for 5 years - that was my profession during those 5 years and what a chef I am....*LOL*
Worked in a major teaching hospital for 10 years PRIOR to doing full-time MT work.....so yep - the medical profession is my profession and I'm a paraprofessional !!!
Dream on..........
For College - sm
You may want to check with the school. At FSU, your laptop needs to have specific programs/capabilities if you want to take it to class with you to use in class, and also to download from their blackboard on the internet.
My tech also agrees Toshibas are the best and I was lucky that the Toshiba was compatible with many of the requirements.
college or not
I graduated in 2004 with an Associate Degree in Medical Office Administration, Office Systems Technology, when I was 18 yrs. old I went to nursing school and then worked a few years as an LPN. I don't regret my college or degrade college in any way, but, most employers want an experienced MT but won't give anyone a chance to prove that someone just starting out can do the job.I am now 50 years old, taking care of my disabled husband and CAN NOT get a job at home working as a medical transcriptionist, and can't afford to take the extra tutoring that some suggest. I would just like a chance to make a living, not a bunch of money, just enough to pay my bills.
They are not gone...they just went to college--sm
They will be around more than you think....when they need money...when they need their laundry done...and, of course, holidays. They will miss you too, I am sure. You won't be nearly as lonely as you think you are going to be. lol
College
I have 2 kids in college, one I helped on the front end and because of this career, one I will have to help on the back end (meaning help him pay off his loans while he is in school instead of giving him money up front). The Stafford loans have very low interest rates right now, the rates went down. I live in Western NY and there are 2 MT jobs that I know of at one hospital. The other hospitals don't have inhouse transcriptionists. One uses a service (used to be my competitor) and they are giving all new residents laptops for EMR and the other gave all their doctors laptops 2 years ago. I'm tired of MTing to be honest, 10-12 hour days, 7 days a week, first as MTSO as qualified people were hard to come by and then because either the service didn't pay, didn't pay on time or didn't have any work so I have needed to work for more than one. I would love to do anything else.
Thanks - I have 1 in college and 1 soon to be..nm
x
kid drinks in college
And what are you gonna do if you kid does drink at college?? Kidnap him/her and deprogram them? They are adults when they are in college. I would hope by the time a child gets to be 17, 18, they have been taught right from wrong and no I would not want to know if my child was partying and drinking in college. They are living a normal young adults life. I would want to know he/she is having fun and doing their studies and, of course, if they became a drug addict or alcoholic, they I will be there but normal partying for young adults, Im okay with that..better than being tied to my apron strings.
Paying for college for my son..
My son is attending college and I have paid for 2 years through a junior college, but it is now time for him to move to a major university. Because of my salary of just over $40,000 a year, he has never qualified for any type of scholarship, only student loans (which I have paid back). Does anyone know of ANY scholarships, etc. that can be applied for? I know nothing at all about how the system works and feel I have failed in trying to help him (it's all I can do to hold down 2 jobs in order to make the $40,000). We even tried to have him set up on a student work program, but they said you could not do the student work program if you were getting student loans. It was like at every turn, there was something to disqualify him from getting assistance. He carries an 'average' grade point (more interested in social aspects, of course, than his studies). He has never had a counselor at the junior college that helped much. He is interested in sports administration, so the junior college counselor did not know what field to put him in, so she put him in liberal arts, and now we find he needs some other classes instead. I'm searching for any help with limited time to search. He tries, but he does not seem to get anywhere either.  ANYTHING ideas would be appreciated, and thanks in advance.
Do you have a college degree, and in what?
I know there are MTs out there who have Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degrees. According to other posters, those of us with higher education who choose to do MT are pitiful.
48-1/2 WF, M, 2 kids, 1 to college
/
2 kids in college
I have 2 kids in collge, 1 in state and 1 out of state. My daughter's financial aid (out of state) is based on my income because she is still considered a dependent (she lives in dorm). My son's financial aid (in state GA) is based on his income because he is independent. The difference is if the student has a lease for rent in their name, they are considered independent and it is based on their income. Depending on what you and hubby make, he might be better off on his own financial aid wise for college. Both of my kids get about the same in federal financial aid ( I am considered lower end of income - long story) Both of my kids get pell grant and also get the subsidized and unsubsidized loans from government. College is very expensive even if they go to a local community university/college. Hope this helps
what are you studying in college?
xx
WHERE DOES YOU CHILDREN GO TO COLLEGE sm
Maybe our children go to the same college.
I will start
One daughter goes to Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. The other daughter will be going to UMass at Amerst in the fall.
What are you studying in college? nm
xx
No I never said that, they paid for college, I only - sm
helped with incidentals. I did not have too, I wanted to. They did not say I had to work but I wanted to contribute as much as I could to the expenses. Art supplies and books are not cheap and I told them I would take care of that. I spent about $2K a year in art supplies alone, w/o food. My first 2 years they paid tuition and board in the dorm, my Jr. & Sr. year I got an apartment which I shared with 1 person the first year, and the next year I got a bigger apt. and shared with 2 people, cutting the rent cost in the process. I also covered my butt by subletting in the Summer so they would not get stuck paying rent on my empty room (though I would have paid that from my summer job if it had happened). In no way do I think I put myself through college. All I did was try to save my parents some cash and be as self-sufficient as I could in the circumstances. I am very grateful for what they did for me. During 2 of my years in college they were shelling out $15K a year for my older brother to go to Drexel (his tuition and apartment), so they had their plate full. Luckily my dad had it all covered through extremely wise investments when I was just a little girl. I have been extremely fortunate but I never expected it all to be handed to me on a plate, and I have never said "oh, I put myself through college", what a load.
I also went to a community college
and never had any problems finding a job. In fact, I got my first job at home before I was even finished with school. I took all my classes online and have worked from home for the past 3 years here with my kids. I say go for it!
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