AAMT is not the BE ALL of the MT industry. Frankly, I think they're a
Posted By: The Cats Mom sm on 2006-03-09
In Reply to: and there are 2 AAMT rejected for approval and won't - tell anyone who those 2 are so
joke. I also wouldn't recommend anyone to one particular "approved" school. The best schools are Andrews, MTec, Career Step, and SETT. Don't get hooked up with any school that you see on TV or read an ad in the paper that promises you can earn piles of money straight out of school.
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The AAMT and the "Top Three" just feed each other - so-called approval by AAMT means nothing
a lot of community college programs are far better than the "top three." Just make sure you get plenty of actual dictation. If you don't have good grammar skills and aren't a literary-type person this may not be the field for you. I can't tell you the unbelievable applications I get for MT jobs - misspelled words, sloppy grammar, and how about those st*pid email addresses THEHOT1@aol.com, etc. Sheesh. If you're one of THOSE, then be prepared to look for a l o n g time to get your first job LOL
Breaking into the industry!
I seriously would keep looking considering the money is already spent giving the education. Breaking into the field as a new MT isn't easy.
1. A small MTSO who is looking for a new MT. I have seen a few ads on the Job Seeker board here for new MTs if you have the right equipment.
2. Going in-house for a few years to train and then transitioning to the work-at-home atmosphere.
Keep looking! Good luck to you!
Industry certainly isn't the same anymore - sm
I'm a +35-year MT and still going strong, had my own business, worked in-house for hospitals/docs, done it all, work for MTSO now, but just like other industries, a lot has changed and most not for the good. I have stayed with an MTSO for only a couple of reasons - My husband has been transferred many times over the years all over the country and this is one job that I can keep doing wherever my next address is . . .I can visit family and take my work with me when I travel. It is a very isolating profession to be at home, lack of social networking and getting to meet people in new areas.
I have numerous docs for medical conditions and not one of them uses a Transcriptionist anymore, all have their own laptops they carry around. So much is offshored, VR is taking over for many facilities, and many transcription services have been gobbled up over the years by larger ones, also much of it not for the good . .I am just hoping to hang on for 10 more years until I can retire, but I'm not even sure how much of a demand there will be for my years of knowledge and quality work - it's all about the bottom line for these MTSOs and medical facilities - I saw the writing on the wall about 20 years ago or so in Calif when managed care started. One doctor I worked 15 years for was very involved in fighting it with insurance companies as HMOs moved in, of course, to no avail. It all trickles down eventually. I know many people in the business and with whom I keep in touch, and we all feel the same way. It's just sad.
It used to be you could find a mentor to see you through the early years - I had one and that was worth more than my college degree in some ways. I still believe that work experience in-house for acute care/multispecialty is still necessary to gain a good grasp of what transcription is about, but I'm old school, and I'm sure some will disagree - I tried to train/employ new MT's for my business right as they were getting started, and 90% of them just didn't get it, no matter what their courses - an at-home transcription course or college graduate - I couldn't believe the lack of comprehension of the English language in most of them.
This has just been my own personal experience I'm passing along. Overall would I recommend this profession to someone looking to get started in it - NOT ANY MORE.
Disclaimed: Please excuse any typos/grammar errors to those who love to play transcription police - I'm doing this very fast, as I am in the middle of working and typing on a separate keyboard off to the side - always have numerous computers going for different things. I normally don't even post on here, but I happened to click on the wrong board and this caught my eye - I'm sure this subject has been brought up many times here.
I truly am empathetic to your situation and wish I could give you a more uplifting opinion. Good luck to you and anyone else in the same boat.
You represent all that is wrong in the MT industry
I'm sorry, but it's true. And MTs wonder why we get no respect these days..... 
Try the FTC or your state's Department of Labor and Industry.
I think the FTC is www.ftc.org
will not - not if you're competent. If you're incompetent they will fire you anyway
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Need to finish...don't buy something like this until you're positive it's job you're goi
s
You're not a "new MT" if you have no training, you're not an MT at all. nm
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The AAMT.
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and since WHEN is AAMT the BE ALL of anything?
AAMT BOS
If someone tells you to use the AAMT BOS for a test do they mean just as far as grammar and spelling, etc., or do they mean there is a certain template and setup for the test?
AAMT BOS
Are you following the AAMT Book of Style? I failed the first time I took it also and it was because I did not use this book. I purchased the book and passed!
AAMT BOS
I just did my externship at a site that would not let me use the AAMT BOS third edition. They explained that it has to be reviewed by their review board. They explained that those books are made to make them money. They do, however, standby the AAMT BOS second edition.
I was so excited to have the newest version, too! Oh well, I know there will be a day down the road where I'll be thankful in having it!
M-TEC is AAMT approved
M-TEC would get my vote, because they are the only school that has been approved by the American Association for Medical Transcription.
Have you contacted the AAMT yet? sm
Have you contacted the AAMT yet? They have a message board on their website, and I believe they have a totally volunteer mentoring program.
A lot of new MTs who ask for mentors in public forums run into people who want to be paid, or who want you to work for free, or goodness only knows what.
It is not necessary or desirable to pay a mentor.
If you go through the AAMT program, or at least ask on their boards, you'll be more likely to find an experienced, reputable MT who can mentor you without charge or obligation.
Good luck to you!
Redpen
Andrews School
Can you get a CMT from school or just through AAMT?
I had a gal tell me that other day she was going to finish school to get her certification. She plans to use the CMT title when applying for jobs. I always thought you had to take the exam through AAMT. She is just going to a community college taking a med. transcription course. Am I wrong or is she?
AAMT-approved
My school was AAMT-approved. But so far even the local companies in my area won't hire without experience. I live right outside of Nashville and have several companies including eTransPlus, Transhealth, and Spheris close by. Medquist recently moved. TransHealth was at least nice enough to reply back to my application. The others haven't done anything. Thanks for your responses.
Yea right... Just like the AAMT tried to pretend
they weren't involved in offshoring until they had no choice.....
When in doubt go my AAMT BOS, etc.
dangerous abbreviations. They are looking more at if you can spell, have good grammar, and know the terminology. Most companies use AAMT BOS, but there are always exceptions, so style really isn't an issue, unless instructed otherwise.
I've never had to do a retest so I'm not sure if companies change their tests periodically. I have found that testing can vary greatly, from something an 8th grader could do, to something that I with 20 years of experience thought was difficult (though they tend to have varying levels of testing depending on experience).
If you are wondering if you didn't test well the first time would it be beneficial for you to bone up on items you may have missed in hopes of getting them right a second time, I don't feel that is beneficial to you. You might be able to pass the test, but you don't really know the information, and that will be evident in a short period of time.
CS is AAMT Approved
:)
AAMT BOS 2 and 3 difference?
I have the AAMT BOS second edition. Of course, now there is a third. I am starting to notice a few things different (such as numbers). I want to know if I really need to buy the newest book or if there is a place I can download anything that might differ between the second edition and the third? Thank you for any suggestions.
You're new and you're already frustrated?
You better find a new profession because doctors have always been lousy dictators and they always will be. It comes with the job. Nobody will ever say anything to the doctors about lousy dictating. They bring in the money to the hospitals. They can do anything they want. Get used to it.
Just wondering why you are bothering with AAMT
They have no power to force a school to change its policies. They're just there to soak hardworking American MTs for huge membership fees so they can turn around and spend that money to support sending all our jobs to India and the Philippines.
In any event, M-Tec does have a tiered program for people with medical background. You might have better luck contacting the schools directly.
There are only two approved/certified by the AAMT.
.
and there are 2 AAMT rejected for approval and won't
how is a potential student supposed to know to stay away from the 2 not approved?
AAMT has some gall.
Because no one cares about the AAMT. Except India.
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CS Has to have instructors or AAMT could not approve them
It's part of the approval process. It's a requirement. They have to have instructors who are qualified.
That's cheaper than AAMT. Is a 3-part test, too?
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You've been listenng to AAMT and that will depress anyone!
The truth is, we've always had changes and we always will. Becoming hysterical about it runs off all prospective MTs so that eventually employers will have to go overseas because all of the American MTs will have been scared off by messages such as yours.
Keep learning. Stay flexible. Be ready to make changes when it's appropriate to make them, not every time someone yells that we're doomed!
AHDI (AAMT) approved list
http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/mtapproved.cfm
I doubt its "the CMT exam" which AAMT has some organization
the test you are referring to is probabky your final exam there at the school and you will receive a "certificate" for MT, not the same thing. Also it cost $300 or so and you must have a minimum of 2 years experience working as a MT before you are even allowed to take the test. Go to the AAMT web site and look up the test certification requirements.
I'm guessing they mean the 3 schools listed on the AAMT site...
...as being AAMT-approved: M-TEC, Andrews and CareerStep. Please correct me if I'm wrong, you actual MTs... (I'm just another newbie thinking of entering training!) :)
Definitely check Word board(s) daily to see what you don't know. And you need your AAMT BOS II
s
You say CS, is this Career Step? Is this one of the AAMT approved schools? sm
I know there are several, but can't remember their names. If so, you probably don't need to worry about a local college. The AAMT approved schools (I am not an AAMT supporter) will at least get you a good chance at a job, if you do well.
Don't worry about the grumblers. Complaining is human nature, I do it myself. If you get good training, work hard and are a flexible, fast learner, you can make a good living. Those of us from the old school miss the "gravy days," but they'll never come back. It's still a good profession, especially if you approach it as one, not a sideline. Good luck.
It is true. Those have tested and meet AAMT's minimum requirements
The Approval Process does mean something to me. It means that those schools have been tested and at least meet the minimum requirements, according to AAMT's standards. It doesn't say if they have gone over and beyond those minimum standards, but people in the industry know that already.
Anything coming from the AAMT holds no water anymore - they invalidated their status
when they sold us out for the $$ in India. AAMT means another chance to screw MT's, that's all.
Accredited basically means they offer financial aid. Did you mean AAMT-Approved?
If it's an AAMT-approved school, you won't have a problem. Schools that provide financial aid are required to be accredited. That means their financial records are reviewed to make sure the government's money is being handled right. They aren't evaluating the value of the course or qualifications of the course to teach medical transcription.
Forget "approved" schools. AAMT set the criteria, then approved schools that didn't meet i
Stick with Andrews or M-Tec (both of which happen to be "approved") but forget about any others, they are not worth it.
Can't forget the AAMT Book of Style II! Gotta have it for style/formatting, etc. nm
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You're not alone!
I'm so with you! After my recent work shifts I am more convinced than ever of the need to find something less stressful than nursing. I love the medical field but I really can't continue to endure the nursing world. It's going to hell-in-a-handbasket and I'm sure you know what I mean. I hurt my back last nite responding to a seizure! The guy was in a pool of blood and cyanotic. Found out later he's Hep C+. Great...and now my back is tweaked. Keep me posted on your plans!
You're welcome, Dee
I'm glad I was of help to you. :-) Good luck with your endeavour!
but you're not getting it!...sm
Oh, just relax...Of course I want MT's with experience - and as long as there continues to be MT's with experience that want work at a certain rate, they will be hired in front of a newbie. In the work place it is all about what the market will bear. Nursing shortage? Nurse pay goes up. Until Filipino nurses flood the market. Then nurse pay goes down (just as an example). All I'm saying is as long as there are experienced MT's who are willing to work for 6-7 cpl (and I get plenty of them asking for work all the time at that rate), then a newbie can't be worth the same. It's all about what the market will bear. Therefore, you have to give the employer something to make hiring you more attractive than the next person....which is what? I'm always surprised that a newbie doesn't take an internship or something- whatever it takes- to get that experience. Without the experience, your chances of being hired go waaaaaay down.
My own suspicion is that it's the MT schools who keep telling newbies to go out and try to get jobs at 6 cpl - sometimes I even get resumes asking for 8 or 10! If the MT schools were honest about how difficult it was to break into the field - would people sign up and pay the money? No. But they take the money, train 'em and don't tell them that training isn't enough. Then the boards are full of postings from newbies complaining about how hard it is to break into the field. Well, for crying out loud - I would rather work for free for six months and then be marketable than to get 0 work at 6 cpl for years and years, holding out for that one chance in a thousand that someone would be willing to take me on 
You're probably right lol...
I guess I should have said "Someone who knows what the heck they are doing." Or I could use a name of a great MT, but she'd probably hurt me for putting her in this conversation.
So you're saying..
...that I can't go and apply to a GI Clinic to perform colonoscopies since I know them in and out (pun intended)? That's not very encouraging.
Geesh Kat. You're a big meanie, but boy that was easy to have someone else prove your point for you.
The above posters who can't find a job did it for me, as well as the smart one who said if she could do it over she would go to SCHOOL.
I guess our work here is done.
You're Welcome - nm
You're certainly welcome.
I have trained a few MTs in the past myself, and made friends with all of them and still keep in touch. Which is why it makes me really angry to see scam artists try and take advantages of "newbies."
You're right
And I recognize that. However, when my employer reviewed my first few batches of reports, he was quite impressed and surprised at the quality given that I was just getting started.
So, I ask again- what is it that makes AHP an inferior education to other schools like Andrews and M-Tec? Do they not provide enough anatomy/medical terminology instruction? Are they deficient in practice report experience?
The only thing I felt under-prepared for was how quickly the doctor's dictate in real life versus what I was used to in practicing. Other than that, doing real transcribing was actually easier than the practice tapes I was doing because AHP uses a good deal of difficult foreign accents on their practice tapes. The account that I work on now has no foreign doctors (which is probably unusual), but some of them are ridiculously fast and incoherent.
I'm really not trying to stir up anything here or argue that anyone is wrong. I truly am just curious to know why AHP is not a good school. I have many people ask me about what I do and where I got my training, and when I tell them that I've read online that the quality of an AHP education is questionable, I have no reason to give. Thanks!
You're not alone...
I graduated from Penn Foster with a 95% and have run into the same situation. I did find out I passed the test given by one national company, and now I'm on a waiting list for additional, unpaid training.
Hopefully this is just a slow time of year and things will work out for all of us! javascript:editor_insertHTML('text','');
You're not alone...
I graduated about a month ago and haven't been able to find a job yet either. The biggest hurdle has been trying to find a company willing to hire a "newbie". I've passed tests, then been turned down because I don't have two years of experience.
Let's just hope the economy improves soon and more jobs become available for new graduates.
If you're just learning...
Why are you giving advice?
You're just beginning training. Where have you had marketing experience?
Also #1 priority in transcription and "landing" a job, be able to spell.
You're kind!
appreciate the support ... this is harder than i ever imagined it would be (as a seasoned clerical for many, many years). i don't see how any of you make a living at this.
though i was told it was hard before i started, i didn't believe it could be that hard. famous last words!
surprisingly, most of my challenges come from the simpler things like hearing "a" instead of "the" (or where there isn't either).
how on earth did you get through this? my hat's off to all of you seasoned MTs.
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