You don't need to check out those schools. I am a certified
Posted By: Michigan MT on 2005-11-07
In Reply to: starting out= need help - Gwen Holden
medical assistant who fell into transcription after only 5 years of doing clinical work. I started doing transcription at home for the same physicians I was working for as an MA. I had the ability to type fast and obviously the knowledge and terminology because of my experience as an MA. After that, I had no trouble whatsoever finding a position with a national. I have since had NO problems AT ALL finding positions without going to a school to learn how to be an MT because of my experience in the field as a medical assistant and the ability to type. If you have 30 years of nursing experience and can type, I would think you shouldn't have a problem finding a position if I didn't.
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Check out the Schools board at this website.
Excellent on-line schools include M-Tec, Andrews, and CareerStep, and you'll find the Schools board right under the Medquist board.
It's both the schools and co.'s fault. Schools are trying to kick em' out as soon as they
"graduate" and companies are very willing to hire anyone who says "they went to this school or that." I know. I've been there as a former instructor.
I truly believe that not everyone has what it takes to become a good MT. And I mean good. You absolutely cannot guess on anything - and I would stress this over and over to my students at all times. You have to know how to spell, and you have to have basic, or beyond basic, grammar knowledge.
My classes would normally start out at 15 to 17. And by the end of the first week it would go down to about 10. And then after that I would graduate around 8 or so. I would tell them straightforward that this job entails - the skills you must have to do this work - and I probably did turn a few of them away. But when they had it, and I knew they could do this work (I could usually tell by the first 5 papers they turned in) then I would encourage them over and over. I would call them, meet with them, and tell them to stick it out, and that I thought they had found their "spot" in life....That's what my MT instructor did for me many years ago and I am so grateful for her.
I know these gals and guys want to be at home with their young ones - hey, I do too! But as an editor also, I believe that some are just not cut out for this.
Also, I find acute care a lot less challenging than actual clinic work! I have been editing clinic work here lately and boy have I found that to be challenging. It is very, very specific. If they can do clinic work no problem, then they should train on acute care too.
Just my humble opinion.
Oh, as for VR. No, newbies cannot do that right now. You need people with editing background who know thousands upon thousands of words to edit VR. I don't think schools care about training them for VR - just graduate them with the basic knowledge and get a job doing clinic work! Yeah, if it were that easy!
should I get certified?
I'm fairly new to this site, and all of you seem to have so much knowledge and experience. Next month, I will be eligible to take the CMT exam. Currently I work in-house at a hospital. Certification is not a requirement, and I am not even sure if it is recognized. I'm considering certification because of the possible benefit to me if I do need a job elsewhere. In your opinion/experience, is it worth it?
Becoming Certified??
I'm wondering how hard it is to get your certification and what the positives are to becoming certified? Is the pay better? Do you have more opportunites, etc?
Do editors have to be certified? - nm
--
Bad transcriptionsts can get certified,
just like bad teachers. It is just a title.
I agree. I am not certified.
organization that says I am is the answer. I feel if the organization is for MTs, then the test should be free for anyone who wants to take it. I think the fee is all part of the money making scheme set forth by any and all organizations aimed at certain professions.
Experience is the gravy in this main meal. Once you've got it, you pretty much have it in the bag and do not need initials after your name to make you look good.
I would not advise a new MT in this day and age to go straight to online work for a national. Go in-house at least part-time and learn all that you can. That is by far more favorable than initials after your name, for sure, all in my opinion, of course!
yes sent a certified letter ...(sm)
which was an invoice/demand for payment. Then waited 10 days to file in small claims court. This happened in California. I'm not sure how much you're owed, but check with the court to see what their limit is and GO GET YOUR MONEY :D
Good luck to you :D
Certified MT, Is it worth getting??
nt
send a certified letter
to the company, and make sure you put a CC: to an esquire with an address - if you have to, just make up a name, they never check.
Put in the letter that you are sending a CERTIFIED written notice giving them such and such number of days to respond to the letter from the time it is signed for receipt to pay the amount that is owed to you. Notify them in your letter that you will be contacting small claims court to file a suit (which can be done out of state), as well as contacting their state attorney general's office of illegal business practices. Make sure you put down who their state attorney general is so that the company knows you are not kidding around.
Question re: certified mail
I wasnt home today when the mail arrived, but the mailman left a postcard that my husband has a piece of certified mail to p/u. The sender is listed as from the Clerk of Courts... What do you think it could be? Nothing good I am sure!!!
Registered/Certified does not get you any more money
in the real world.
I'm a CMA (certified medical assistant)...
and can give injections with a doctor's order, so I assume a CNA would be allowed to also. Not sure about Florida rules though.
No reason to become certified. You will not be paid well enough to
compensate for the annual dues, seminars you must attend, etc. to maintain your certification. Not worth it. You do not need it to work as a medical transcriptionist. The AAMT, now ADHI, has been our downfall and a hindrance, not our advocate.
A physician won't care if you're certified and neither will his... SM
office manager. When will MTs learn that certification means absolutely, positively nothing?
Butr I digress. I would make the rounds if I were you. Handout business cards, talk to office managers, have brochures ready, and follow up conversations with a letter of thank you and "please keep me in mind." It's hard to say exactly what a physician is looking for regarding transcription. I have found it depends a lot on the age of the doctor. Older doctors are more old school and like the control of having an in-house person typing for them. Younger doctors are technology driven and like the idea of an electronic record and having an MT type outside the office and electronically transfer it in.
Another thing I do is always carry business cards with me to doctor's appointments. One of my accounts is a dermatology practice. I was referred for a mole removal and got to talking to the physician about what I do for a living and she asked me to leave a card with the receptionist on my way out because they were needing more help with their transcription. I did and then sent a letter with another card praising her bedside manner and her office staff and then reminded her that I had left my card and if she ever decided to get some extra help, to please give me a call. She had her office manager call me and it is my main money maker.
Good Luck to you!
Start with a Certified Mail letter.
Make sure you send your letter Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested. They will have to sign saying that they received the letter. You should detail the exactly amount you are owed, a date you expect payment by and what your next step will be should they not pay you by that date. Typically, your next step would be Small Claims Court, usually administered by a local District Justice/Justice of the Peace. Be sure that you state in your letter that they would be responsible for any costs incurred should you need to go to the DJ/JP.
Step one, send a Certified Letter...
Return Receipt Requested (CLRRR). Keep the signed receipt as proof that they have received the letter. Your letter to them should outline what service you performed for them and what is owed for that service, the time by which you expect to recieve payment, the form that payment should be in, and what the next step(s) you take will be should they not pay up. Also, if the CLRRR is returned to you, keep it to show that you tried to contact them and go to Step Two, which would be to file a Small Claims judgement against them. Depending on where you live, this can be done at a District Justice's office and does not require the services of a lawyer. If you have to go to that step, make sure that you include the cost of filing that judgement in what you are owed. Just showing that you're smart enough to know what to do and how to get it done should be enough motivation for them to pay up. Good luck!
MTIA...we want you certified, or you won't work. That's what it boils down to.
PRESS RELEASE:
**** Please post URLs, not actual copyrighted materials. ****
My jury duty papers didn't come in certified. sm
They were just left in the mailbox.
You don't get certified taking a program. You test & pass your
s
Send him a certified letter with bill demanding payment within
within five days from receipt (make it RRR). You have your proof that you notified him. If it is not picked up or signed for, you have your proof that occurred to. All these things go in your favor when trying to collect money. that's just a starter. I would never have let him get away with it this long. Once would have been it.
Yes a SCAM, huge email fraud..they would notify you CERTIFIED MAIL or lawyer would call
 I get 2-5 of them a day...ALL FOREIGN using yahoo or hotmail.
best schools
What are the best online schools that will guarantee a job? Are there any under $2000? Thanks.
top 3 schools
I know this has been posted, but doggone if I can find in the archives. Friend looking into MT training. What are the top 3 schools? Thanks Karen
Top 3 MT schools
I just read about this and they are on the www.aamt.org web site--they are:
M-Tec, Andrews & CareerStep.
Some schools
I graduated from M-Tec. I am constantly getting e-mails for job opportunities from them even 2 years later. Andrews is also good and there is a third one that is mentioned here a lot that I always forget the name of. With any of these schools, you should be able to get an entry-level job with a national company. Whether your local doctors/hospitals feel the same way is questionable. My locals weren't impressed with my online education.
Rates: Avg for newbs is 6 to 7 cpl. Take that times 1200 lines for an average wage. Double it for an upper estimate. Even for experienced transcriptionists, it is really topping out at 8-9 cpl max. And this rate will probably continue to go down in the coming years, just as difficulty of the dictation goes up. (The easy stuff really is going to EMR/VR and overseas.
Remember you will probably be an IC so will have to pay all your own taxes and equipment. Just because you are considered an independent contractor, don't expect to be treated like one by a transcription service. Most want you to log in and log out during certain specified hours of the day, and they might not be the best hours for you. Most will expect you work at least 1 weekend day every week as well and probably even holidays (don't expect a higher rate either).
Top 3 schools
I agree with you. I wished I had known about the top 3 schools. My husband and I decided to go with a non-accredited school that promised a job. Well, there were problems in the very beginning. After 15 months, I quit. Now, because I did not go to an accredited school, it is very hard to find a job.
Schools
If you go to either of these schools you will be prepared and you will be able to get a job when you finish:
Andrews
M-Tec.
Otherwise, you're right; getting that first job is a bear.
Schools
I am looking for a school that provides refresher courses for medical transcriptionists who have not worked at this type work for long periods of time. I do not feel that someone who has done this type work in the past for several years and is still working in a hospital doing administrative or clerical work should need to take a complete course. Replies will be appreciated.
Schools
Andrews or M-TEC. I do QA (and graduated from Andrews). I just finished editing a newbie's work who took a different course. Had I done work like that when at Andrews, they never would have let me graduate, let alone have given a recommendation. The work was terrible. Obviously this newbie had not had much in the way of ear training, let alone any basic grammar. I could handle mistakes if it was a matter of simple style issues, i.e., learning specifics for an account, but mistaking "cranial" for "perineal" just did it for me. Sorry for the vent, but if you're going to spend big bucks, make sure you can do the job when you're done. JMHO.
schools
I need help deciding which MT school to use? I am debating Career Step, Mtecinc and Andrews? I want to be sure I make the right decision.
Schools and such...sm
OTJ training seems to be very rare these days, as I found out when researching this field. A school with an excellent reputation is a must for a newbie wanting to work right away--Andrews School and M-Tec are the top 2 that national employers recognize. Look around here on the New MT/Student board for some of the questions about those schools. All I can say is make sure she does her research extremely well before starting on this path; talk to the directors at the above schools; ask a lot of questions--it will save a lot of frustration and money in the end. Good luck!
Top schools, etc...sm
The top 2 schools that potential national at-home employers will recognize are Andrews School and M-TEC. It was a difficult choice between the 2, but I went with M-TEC. I believe that both have payment plans, and I was able to get a Sallie Mae (SLM) loan for M-TEC. Talk to all the schools that make your short list. They can give you an idea about the job market, their placement rates after graduation, average length of coursework, and any other questions you can think of. Don't be afraid to pester them! :)
Best Schools
If you want solid training with companies standing in line to hire you after completion, then check out Andrews School and M-TEC. Both have a solid, well-rounded education and will open doors to companies that generally require 2 years of experience. There are many good companies and smaller MTSOs who will hire these new grads. You will take your chances going anywhere else. Do your research of all schools to find the right one for you, but in my opinion, you won't find any better than those 2 schools. An expensive school isn't so expensive if you can get a job right away and have the tools necessary to do the job.
Schools
Like you said, the school has a vested interest in telling her a lie. After hearing the truth from you, she must take a considerable amount of the responsibility for her decision to ignore your advise.
Check at a local nursery/garden center for varieties that are bred for your area, then check online
s
Check the connections from where the cable originates to wear it comes into the house. Also check t
had a similar issue with TWC and they had done some upgrades and the modem I had was no longer compatible. The tech knew what the problem was the minute he saw the modem, only it took me about 3 months and threatening to cancel for them to get out here.
transcription schools
Hi,
I just graduated from M-TEC and was extremely happy with the course-I took the Premier Course which is tougher but will help you when you go to look for work. Their website is www.mtecinc.com and it should answer any questions you have. I have also heard good things about Andrews and Career Step. These three schools partner with companies making it a little easier when the time comes to apply for jobs. There was a good article in choosing a school in the HPI online journal. Let me know if you want more info. And yes, I think you really do need to invest the money in a good school or else it's a waste of time. As far as how much money you can make, I haven't started working yet!
Good luck.
Jen
Need advice on schools
Hi - I am currently a chemist interested in becoming an MT and working from home. What online schools would you recommend and which ones should be avoided at all costs? I would hate to waste time on a course not worth its salt. Thanks!
Not allowed at our schools either. sm
You can volunteer and go in and do reading with the kids, etc., but all visitors need to check in with the office and any "in class" volunteering needs to be approved by the teacher and the principal.
I have found this a good thing in light of the world changing. Fathers have shown up in the past to get their child when a protection order had been filed and they were not allowed to have unsupervised visitation. Of course the mom would forget to inform the school and the kids would always run to daddy.
I have one child left in the elementary school, my older two have graduated and one will be a freshman in high school starting day after tomorrow. (Yay! can't wait to see that bus! :)) I have seen a lot of changes, both with parents and with policies. The staff at the elementary school know me by name, but I would never dream of picking up my child without checking with the office first. Every time I check in, the office staff says, "Oh hi! Go on up to the classroom." I still check in after 18 years.
These parents that interfere should be told to sign up for when volunteer help is needed in the classroom or other areas of the school. And only then. They need to stay out of it. If they're so worried about "little Bobby" and have so much time on their hands, they should home school and leave the teachers to do what they do best. I've been through 25 elementary school teachers and only had a problem with one who was finally fired.
I think in most USA public schools....nm
x
What MT schools can you recommend?
I am about to see my voc rehab counselor. I have some information about schools for MT, but would like some input.
What schools would you recommend? I would like to hear from people who have worked as MT's for more than 5 years and are successful and satisfied with their work.
MT schools questions. (m)
What are your thoughts on them? I have a friend who just started Career Step and says they have 98% placement in at-home positions upon completing the course. Does anyone have expeirence w/them or know if this is true? I've never had a client ask about my education, only my experience. This is why I ask about the validity and usefulness of the courses. I appreciate any thoughts!
opinion on schools
Hi, I am very new here and would just like the opion of those of you who are more experienced. I am now taking the At Home Proffesions course but after reading this board and others I am thinking that was a waste of my money. I am considing switching to a school recognized by AAMT. Any opinions on this? Thanks in advance.
Recommendations on schools
I am looking at the online schools and am getting overwhelmed. Can anyone tell me your thoughts on the best schools for training and support? I have looked at VLC, Career Steps, Allied, MTec, and Andrews plus a few others, one offered by IHA as well. They all seem ok......some offer more actual transcribing hours, not as much text material, tuitions vary vastly, and they all seem to follow the recommended critera.
There are a few good schools. sm
My top vote would be for the MT Advantage advanced program. There are only a couple other schools that even come close.
Med Trans Schools?
Hello! Hoping that someone may be able to provide some guidance. I am looking at starting school in about 1 month, but trying to determine if distance or class room learning would be best. And how difficult is it to get started in the field? Any assistance that you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Med Trans Schools?
I did distance learning through a community college for all of my courses, it was the only way I could even go to college with a job and family to tend to. I got just as good an education as some one who sat in class three times a week. However, you must be self disiplined to be able to set aside your own time to work and study. You also have to have a Proctor site, somewhere to go take test. You local community college should be where you go through for that. I also heard some libraries and schools participate too.
Online Schools
How can you knock what you don't know? How do you know that Andrews and M-Tec aren't graduating qualified MTs? No one said that a graduate knows everything straight out of the gate. I'll bet the grads from the vo-tech school didn't either. But, Andrew and M-TEC teach how to research (major plus!), fine tune grammar that should have already been learned, and teach how to take constructive criticism with a positive attitude-all in order to teach how not to make the same mistake over and over. As an Andrews grad (and current Editor for a mid-sized MTSO), I have seen grads from the other schools, and they require a huge amount of "schooling" on the job as compared to the top 2 schools. JMO.
Christine
transcription schools
I was manager for hospital transcription department and our absolute best MT's were "home grown" - they came out of any and every transcription course very inexpert and worked with experienced, seasoned hospital transcriptionists. They did three months as unpaid interns and then the best were hired on at bottom of the wage scale. I told them in two years they could work on their own from home.
Do the MT schools lie to their students?
On another unrelated board someone asked about medical transcription. I mentioned that pay goes down instead of up because of offshoring reports and isn't the most secure job. She came back and said she asked her teacher about offshoring and she said: "They used to do that but they are sending it back to us now because what the clinics would have to do, is hire someone to edit them and then redo them so it wasn't working out. They talk about it at every advisory board meeting apparently." Hmmmm, okay.
Just wondering.
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