When my youngest is in school... (SM)
Posted By: Teacher at Heart! on 2007-07-25
In Reply to: Well.... - Tam
I'll be going back to teaching, which I left years ago to stay home and have babies. I started doing MT when we had a financial problem when our "baby" was two, but this working early in the morning and late at night and during the summer when I'd rather be out playing with my kids is killing me! Considering how much of my own money I always spent on buying supplies and putting money in kids' lunch accounts and buying kids shoes and coats when I was teaching before, I'm sure I will make less as well... But I can't wait to work a normal schedule!
Good luck to you! Your family will surely be blessed by your decision. 
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After 25+ years in this profession and youngest is a high school senior..sm
There is no way, in my experience, I could meet my quota as a full-time MT with my young children at home under my full supervision. I had to hire a sitter to come to the home or send them to a home daycare during their infant and toddler years. I have always had strict turnaround times and have done every specialty out there. Many of these specialties involved an intense fund of knowledge be acquired during the learning curve, not to mention meeting my line counts. I have been working from home for a very long time, and speaking from my own experience, unless you want to be a part time MT, you cannot achieve the disciplined focus to do the job right if you are trying to care for your children at the same time. If you have a spouse who works opposite shift, wonderful. My spouse always worked the same shift as I did, so for my success I had to pay for child care. My best situation was having a sitter at my house where I knew my children were safe, but at the same time I could lock my office door with strict instructions that I not be interrupted. It was nice to take a break or have lunch with them. My youngest is now a senior in high school, one is a sophomore in college, and the other is a college graduate.
POLL: Home School vs. Charter School vs. Public School vs. Priv ate School...
Pros and cons of each too. I have two little ones that will be starting school soon and I would like opinions on all. Thanks in advance! :)
When my youngest son was 3-1/2, he was SM
talking to my mother on the telephone. She said to him, "Jeremy, I can't take you to the beach (weekend trip) because you're not potty trained yet." He threw the phone down and ran over to me and yelled, "Mama, put 'unnerwares' on me RIGHT NOW!" LOL...I did and he never had another accident from that day forward.
Just give your child lots of love and encouragement...and bribe him if necessary!  He'll get it sooner or later.
Chickadee
my youngest started
kindergarten this year and it made a HUGE difference in my production! I am definately glad I was home for those years, but it was not easy for sure. Now my husband is self-employed and has winters off.... I think he is worse than the kids! :) It was really nice to hear some averages of other MTs as far as line counts to kind of know where I was at. I am no super anything, but I think I do okay... So thanks for the post!
What part of KY are you in? My 2 youngest sons--sm
live in Nicholasville. Just came back from a month's visit. Love the state and would love to move there but my husband is from FL, we live in NC and he can't stand the snow!!
I think I used Maalox when my kids were small. Poor things, both youngest boys had them everywhere
It was 100 degrees out that year. They spent a week in the house in the tub with Aveeno and more Benadryl than I think they had in their entire lives.
Yep, he's smart! A tent sounds great! My youngest just got her's 2 months ago, and my poor hus
Well, suffice it to say, he just shuddered...and got a tent...
I did that with 2 kids with time mgmt and a high school girl who babysat 3 days a week after school
nm
The cost of running a private school or any school is expensive....
Why do you think public schools are so run down and can't find good teachers? Because the government and people to not put forth the effort or $$$$ to improve the educational system.
The School of Hard Knocks is the best MT school
n
We met in high school. My high school sweetheart
introduced us in a discussion over Ford versus Chevy versus Dodge. I used to race my Dodge Coronet with oldstyle 318 V-8 engine against the guys on the back roads and old highways. High school boyfriend had a Chevy truck. DH had a Ford Fairlane and later an AMC Javelin that just made me swoon. We didn't actually start dating until three years later, and my old high school boyfriend was a bit surprised at that since he introduced us.
I'm old school, but still know its 3/6
nm
never went to MT school!
I have been doing this for 10 years now. I have a great job, great QA reviews and make great money. So what???
ol school
LL Cool J and caramel
been to school should have known, especially since they
basically had the words correct. They were such common terms I don't know how anyone could have gotten through school and not had them at least 100 times.
Also doing one search on Google with the misspelled words would have probably turned up the answer.
going to school
Don't get discouraged - you will be able to use your MT skills in other areas to help with the cost of schooling. I'll be doing that too even if I have to work at a doctor's office part time as a receptionist! Just knowing I am making my way out of this field is something to aspire to!!!
Went to school and got my CPC
I have a national coding certificate. I cut back on my MT work and got a job auditing physician records and scoring their documentation, then gave them feedback to maximize their reimbursement for the services they provided. When I moved to a new area, the field for the type of coding I was doing had less of a demand, so I increased my MT work. Now that I'm back in my "home town" I need to network and re-enter the field. The money is just as good, if not better in some cases, with much better benefits, plus it is something you leave at the office at the end of the day.
d~
School
Northeast Guilford Senior High, North Carolina
School
North Clay Community H.S., Louisville, Illinois! SHHHH, don't tell anyone.
By the way, I'm also from old school....sm
But I try to keep them all as simple as possible, one office with 2 surgeons has their own letterhead, so no problem there and they want things very simple. All work for all also, besides getting printed by me, is put on a diskette for them to download on their systems for them to make whatever changes they choose. All others with no letterhead, I supply all paper for (Xerox) and free delivery and pickup to all. It is free for them, I pay someone to pickup/deliver. That's how simple I want it, and I also want to bill out and get paid only once a month.
Everyone seems to like the idea, and it has been working for quite some time (10 years) and my theory is, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. *LOL*
As for the national, my weekend work, each client has a CP (client profile) and some of the CPs are more difficult than the others and once in a GREAT while, I might forget SOMETHING but then I contact someone beyond who usually fixes whatever I messed up. 
I went to school for
two years to earn a certificate in medical transcription (at a junior college) but so far no one has ever asked me if I was certified or if I went to school. I guess they didn't care as long as I could do the work.
School
I would not recommend if you actually want to get a job!
I am considering RN school...
I am almost 29 and have a daughter and am pregnant with another one. I've been going to school to get my RHIT but am bored with it and may go to RN school instead. I don't know... I feel too old to do it!
You should ask the school what they want.
/
school
Aug 14 for us here in Douglas County too. We're neighbors!
Woo-hoo - 1st day of school!!! sm
Both kids survived it quite nicely. That's 1 down, 179 to go!!!
school
All I can tell you is that I was thinking of going into nursing a few years ago, and a friend of mine who used to be a nurse discouraged me (strongly). It's not what it used to be - lots of paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, lots of long hours and tough shifts. She got her Master's and is now in nursing administration.
Old school
In the old days of 1" on top, bottom, 1" sides it was 54 lines, it was six lines per inch and using the common font of Courier 10 font which is now a 12 font. But now fonts are all so different as well as margins but I used to get 62 ines per page when doing continuous chart notes. One way to check in your font is to number 1, 2 3, 4 down a page and see how far you can go or check the line count is word but usually runs 54 to 66 again depending on margins, fonts, etc.
What MT school did you go to? nm
x
It might if you went to a school that
that is not well known or has a less than stellar reputation. However, if you went a school with a good reputation in the industry, you don't really need it. Companies know who prepares their graduates for entry-level positions or above, who produces graduates that need more assistance, and what programs do not even provide remedial knowledge.
Having your RMT credential might show an employer that you have the basic knowledge required to do the job, but you would need to weigh cost versus the benefit.
School is a must!
I respectfully disagree with the above poster. Not having gone to a quality school puts you at a serious disadvantage in today's MT market. Nobody wants to hire a newbie to work at home, UNLESS they attended Andrews, M-TEC, or possibly Career Step. That's because those schools really prepare you to work at home. I got a job right out of school (wasn't even job hunting yet - the company contacted my school, M-TEC, and hired me right before graduation). I have been very successful as an MT and started making very good money after my first year on the job. I wouldn't even think about trying MT without the right education. Even if you do get hired by someone, you will be so far behind it will take years to catch up, and you probably WILL only make 5 or 6 cpl. I was paid a reasonable cpl rate from day 1. My education was worth every penny I paid.
Re:school
"And yes, I have trained and QA'd Andrews and MTEC graduates and they have sucked eggs just as much as the next newbie MT."
I highly doubt the above response, but okay.
Also, MT profession is not losing their pay to new MT's as much as it is because of offshoring to other countries!
MT school
I graduated from CAI and got an offer to test with MQ the week I graduated. I also have a friend who took the CAI course and got a job soon after she finished. It covered all the word parts, abbreviations, and had lots and lots of real doctor dictations to practice. There is nothing like on-the-job experience and I will be the first to admit I learn something new almost everyday, but I felt I was ready to work by the time I was done with the course.
Great post BTW. I get tired of hearing about the "top 3" as if there is no other way to become an MT.
No School
I learned on the job 20 years ago. Approached a local transcription company, "bargained" a shift with them if they would train me. Worked there 3 years and then on to the home office. I now work for a wonderful company in QA/Auditing and I also learn something new every day. I continue to learn through articles, webinars, seminars, etc. There is no end to the knowledge one can have in this profession.
Yes, been to CR school
But it is very, very difficult. Maybe 1 or 2 in 100 makes it through to certification. Am not saying you wouldn't be that one, but be prepared. I had to quit after 6 years because I also worked full time and just couldn't cut the 50 mile round trip commute to school anymore. Figure I had about two more years to go. That's the thing -- you never really know when you will finish because you might fly through one speed level then get stuck for 2 years at the next. If I had it to do over again, I would have stopped working and just concentrated on school. You have to be really accurate and fast to close caption too. I really loved doing CR though! So if you really want to do it, just look into it in depth!
Who was the MT going to med school?
Can you tell me how busy you are with that? I just wondered if you actually have time for anything else. I have friend who is 1 semester shy of her bachelor's degree and is considering putting med school off because she has a daughter, and is worried about how much time she would actually get to spend with her.
School for MT
I have not heard of these schools, but I would suggested Career Step if you are looking for a good course for MT.
I am going to school now myself -
I just started my second quarter and am going to be an accountant. Thinking about going into forensic accounting since there obviously is so much greed and criminal activity in the money world - gotta love the job security!
school
I am definitely aware of what is going on with the economy. It just happens that now is the perfect time financially for me to go to school. Also, I do not plan on going to school for economics, finance, or marketing, which are the main areas grad students are having a hard time finding jobs for (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008149224_gradjobs31.html). For some of us, there is no time like the present.
There is no QA school because
it requires EXPERIENCE. What a strange thing to say...
Did you miss the part about different levels of MTs? Or did you even bother to read it?
Does your school have a job
placement program. Most companies require at least 1 year experience. Good luck.
old school
I have heard that old school MTs who learned the usiness when they were working on typewriters and with carbon sets, etc. learned to listen ahead several words so they could hear any changes the dictator made before they got to it so they didn't have to stop and correct anything. I've never figured out how that works, though. I get a couple of words ahead of where I'm typing, but if I get too far out I confuzzle myself too much.
I think MTSO management doesn't always want MTs to talk to other MTs because then they might find out how crappy they are as bosses.
The other thing that has helped me enormously on my speed is to put errors in my Expander - when I type teh for the or pretty much any typo I make. This makes a huge difference, especially when my hands are tired or stiff, and I'm not stopping to fix stuff like that any more.
I'm in school too -
I am so ready to leave this profession. I started school for an accounting degree and will graduate in December with my associates, then on to another school to finish up.
Things have changed so much for me over the years that I cannot stand it anymore. there was a time when I thought I would die doing this because I loved it so much --- not anymore!!!
$33,000 now and $25,000 when son goes to school.
Drive would have to be within 25 miles from home as well on those pay rates otherwise more for more miles away from home. I hate working from home, and my son is finally old enough that he can tell you what he wants, so I am all for working outside the home. No jobs around here though that will pay enough unfortunately.
Your school should be the first place you go
for job-placement assistance. At the very least, they should be able to tell you what employers seek to hire their graduates. In the case of schools such as M-Tec and Andrews, many employers will waive the two-year experience requirement for their graduates because of the high quality of their education and their reputation for turning out job-ready MTs. Some employers will also waive the experience requirement for Career Step graduates, as well. Perhaps there are employers who hire graduates of your school without experience. Your school should be able to give you a lead on employers who have hired their graduates. In any event, any reputable MT school will provide job-placement assistance to their graduates.
I QA'd reports for a school once sm
Keep in mind these were ladies just starting out, but it amazed me that almost all of them typed the patient's temp as * 200.2* 
Seems common sense would tell a person that a temp cannot get to 200.2 and the person be alive.
Your school should be helping you
to find employment. All the best MT schools provide job placement assistance. At the very least, your school should be able to tell you what companies seek to hire their graduates. It should be something your school is proud and eager to share with you. If no one is willing to hire graduates of your school, you might have to bite the bullet and get some further training from one of the MT schools that turn out job-ready MTs. Companies are eager to hire from those schools because they know what they're getting. Good luck to you.
school shopping w/my 14 YOD
I think I'd rather be working!!!  this is me at the mall w/her!!! Looking at the same pair of jeans for the 100th time, trying to decide if she likes them!!!
Mine were school age sm
when I started working at home. They learned at that early age that they were to come and stand quietly beside me until I finished a sentence or whatever point I could break my concentration and I would then give them whatever time they needed. Now, if I could only teach my 2nd husband to do the same. We'll be married 13 years next month and he still hasn't figured out when I'm working. I must be slipping....I had my first one trained in 30 days.
I would never have been able to work at home with my four 2-year-apart children, that is if I expected to make any money.
I've never been to an MT school.
I've done this over 20 years and make around $1500 a week. I have never had a QA score less than 98%. I am very successful in this field, more than many, less than others.
It is fantastic that we have MT schools available now but that does not discredit anyone who learned this without those educational programs.
It is a job that has to be learned like any other one. Having the education from an MT school will give you a great start.
WHat will serve you better, though, is your ability to comprehend and actually use the information you are learning - whether in a classroom or on the job. If you cannot do that, you won't be successful in this industry regardless of whether or not you have been to MT school.
Unfortunately, this is not a regulated business. There are no standards. Even the AAMT does not really stand for the MT anymore.
The criteria for working for nationals and MTSOs are set by their owners. While most of those do tend to want to see an education from newer MTs, I don't imagine they would refuse to test someone who had 10+ years experience.
Even if starting out without a day of training, if someone can wrangle an account or 2 on their own and they do well enough on it, and they are paid for their work -- they are an MT, same and you and I.
Sounds like everyone is going to an extreme here...an extreme right or left of a line that does not even exist -- as long as one can find work and be paid to do this work.
School sports
I think it's a sign of maturity that he is ready to concentrate on something else. Be glad he is ending it before he gets hurt. My DH has had to have rotator cuff surgery, cervical spine surgery, and knee surgery, all due to high school and college sports.
I saw a news story this morning about a previously healthy boy in grade school who died after his football practice.
You are very fortunate.
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