you said it! The schools just turned sm
Posted By: MT30+ on 2009-05-16
In Reply to: Yep - Been around for a while myself! - Fingers
into a money making scheme all their own. It does take 10-15 years and then you find out you are barely experienced. Some of the "newbies" here if not most of them will not work the years it takes to find that out because they really don't want to be in this business anyway. It was just an easy work at home job to some (not all) of them.
When I think about it, I blame some of the large MT companies, especially MQ for some of this. They hired these people right out of school, they have worked several years but not gotten the experience they need. They really are not "experienced" but they think they are and that is sad.
I wish MT would ALL go back in house and these companies were just to pick up the slack in the hospitals and not take over their accounts totally. That way MTs could get their experience before they ever venture out into the MT working at home thing.
I started at 23.
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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!
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.
when i turned 18,
my mom gave me a necklace that used to be my grandmas, which i still have now 35 yr later...when one of our daughters turned 18 and was going on to college, we bought her a computer. You could ask her what would be meaningful to her too...
I just turned 24 yrs. old. MT x 5 yrs. & QA x 2 yrs.
Used to work in-house, but on my own now. Love working at-home too! :)
Can these be turned off?
I agree, the cursor and snowflakes are really cute, but distracting to me. At the risk of being labeled a Grinch, is there any way to turn them off on one's personal computer? Thank you--
I turned him in ...
x
I just turned 40. nm
x
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.
MT schools and expectations. sm
What do you say to people who believe the hype the MT schools push? I'm having an exchange on another board with someone who absolutely believes that after a 4-month course she will immediately be making $60,000 a year while working at home with 5 kids one of whom is a special needs child. I tried to tell her to be realistic, but she won't listen. She basically insinuates I don't know what I'm talking about even though I've been in the field for 30+ years. I have nothing to gain by telling her the truth, however, the schools have a lot to gain by propagating these unrealistic expectations. What do you tell someone like this? I really have my doubts this person will even make it through the course even after paying $2500.
Online schools....
Well, I don't know about any online for LPN or RN, but if you Google your state and BSN/MSN, you should pull up quite a few. I actually found a few within 30 minutes of me that have the BSN and MSN programs online. Not all MSN programs will be online because if you specialize, you will have clinicals.
Scam schools
I am posting this in the hopes of locating other students/grads who attended the same school in Wisconsin that I did. Thank you for your help.
LOL I tried to take an hour nap, but it turned into
11 hours of napping. LOL At least I'm refreshed this morning. Time to type quickly so I can go play.
YES! nationals have turned
wife's kind of job......need a second income to live.
It is no longer a career
It is no longer a respectable job.
They have lowered it to _drop in_ make a few bucks_go to bed
But don't expect or receive RESPECT, A LIVING, OR ANYTHING ELSE
from a transcription company. They are there to make the profit
OFF OF YOU.
 Bows sounds real darn good - when do we start - I'll make the
wagon to sell them from - I'm pretty handy with power tools now since
my husband left because I had to type 26 hours a day! Stupidly he thought
we should have a life.
I just turned 30 and have been doing transcription...
since I was 21. I love my job and wouldn't trade it for the world. I also have several friends whom are my age that do this work and though our work changes with the science of medicine, I think you are going to find your job changing in whatever field you are in because everything changes and evolves over time. I do understand where you are coming from though about people my age not being pushed towards this field. I can't tell you how many times when I meet new people and I tell them what I do, they have no clue what transcription is, LOL.
The only people that give this profession a bad name and a bad rap is the people who are unhappy. Sure, I have had my ups and downs in this position, but I have also had other jobs where I have had those same ups and downs in different fields. It is called moving on and finding peace within yourself. If you are unhappy, fix it. Only you can make your own happiness, nobody else can make it for you.
Are you sure the volume is not turned down (sm)
in the "audio" of the gearplayer or that mute is checked in the "audio"?
Just turned on puter
and find all kinds of slander about the x-3. So if you are confident that I have been "bad mouthing" the company give me your facts. If I recall correctly I went off on you and apologized for it. You are the one in the end that said you needed time to lick your wounds. I have not bad mouthed the company to anyone!!!! and to quote someone whom I thought was an excellent friend "venting to friends is okay, that is what friends are for."
I am actively seeking employment, will continue to do so, and keep my opinions of the company to myself. If you feel I have done otherwise share the facts you have, give me a chance to defend myself.......
It tears me apart on a daily basis that we have no friendship........if you truly feel you cannot forgive me that is fine, but please don't bash me on a public board about things that are not true.
I interviewed with them and turned them down
but can't remember all the details. I think they offered 10 cpl for IC and 11 cpl for lines over 12,000 per pay period. You have to "punch the clock" , which I just won't do. Sorry I don't remember other details.
I am glad everything has turned out okay....sm
for you. I am also glad you shared it and I was fortunate enough to read it. I hope I may not have to encounter what you have but some day if I do I will always remember reading this. God bless and I wish you the best....
Thanks for the responses. It turned out to be a bad box (the little one). nm
nm
I just turned 40 and have the same thing going on! nm
x
Just turned 29 in June..nm
nm
mine turned out to be--sm
3025 for today. It started out poorly but ended up good, although it is 9 pm here and I have only been done for a half hour. that was 12 hours worth.
Guess what this s/l turned out to be.
What this probably oriental ESL said when I slowed him way down:
AN dis TIN AL DIZin
With a little research I discovered he meant:
end-stage renal disease
It's typical of him, but I do wonder why he doesn't invest in some speech therapy.
coders turned MT? Any of you out sm
there that went from coding to MT? OR, MTs who went into coding? Love coding, hate coding? Not much talk amongst coders anywhere. I just wonder what it is like and if it is worth considering.
I am tired of being turned down....
I am new to MT but I am not new to hard work and determination. Companies have turned me down just because I don't have experience. I know I don't have years and years of experience but that doesn't mean I am inapt. I have decided to seek out my own accounts because I am tired of waiting from someone else’s approval. It is scary but I am determined to make this work. I really need your input on what type of doctors I should start with. I was thinking family medicine or psychology since I have experience with medical coding in these areas.
Please offer your honest opinion on how I can make this work. If there is anyone else that has started out as a newbie and is transcribing on his or her own, please reply with advice also.
But if you are going to rude or cruel please don't reply.
Tables turned on me....
I had the strangest thing happen to me. I have been contacting some people who had tested for a position I was filling. When I interviewed this one applicant, as soon as she got on the phone she started interviewing ME. I mean she was shooting questions left and right and before I had a chance to really explain how the account worked she was like, "Well I'll let you know about the position in a day or two", like it was hers to decide and I hadn't even offered her the position. She was actually my first choice and I was going to give her the position, but after talking on the phone I have decided against it. I'm afraid she would be trying to run my business instead of me. I had just never had such an experience and thought I would just voice it here. Let me know what you all think.
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