Agree with an outside school, but I went to a business & tech school. Great experience, better
Posted By: job leads. nm on 2006-02-06
In Reply to: Check into your local community college. - just me
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You can also do the tech school thing
You can also go to a technical college (if you happen to have the time). Most offer a certificate program (which is not the same as being certified as a CMT), of course. I think it costs a little less this way...at least for me. I went a couple of years ago and both semesters cost me $3500. Most also help you find the first job. I did an internship for a clinic and was hired after I finished the program. I worked in-house for one year and then at home the next. My starting salary was per hour (which I personally don't recommend, but at the time I did not know better). My starting yearly income was $22K gross (I think it was about $10-something per hour). I am now an independent contractor being paid by the line and last year I made $45K. Good luck to you...hope this helped in some way!
Allied Business School
Has anyone out there actually graduated from Allied and found employment? I finised their medical transcription program on 10/25/07 and have yet to get any kind of job offer. I have sent tons of resumes with no luck. I am so frustrated I can't even begin to tell you. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I just want to find somewhere to start. Thank You. 
If you take an MT program at an outside college or business school, you might just be able to take
s
How long have you been away? Might need a refresher course from a local college or business school.
s
I went to a not-so-great MT school. However,
I supplemented my weak areas with other materials and was able to pass MT employment tests before even graduating my course. I did the SUM tapes for practice dictation, read every sample report I could find, and independent study for pharmacy and A&P.
I am doing just great without having gone to any MT school.
M-TEC is a great school. They will help you. nm
x
This is a great school. sm
I didn't graduate from there but am very familiar with the school and their teaching methods and would hire anyone from there in a minute. From what I understand they have 100% job placement rate and will work with you personally until you get a job; however, many students get job offers even before they graduate because the demand is there for good MTs.
If you can afford it, a college program or business school that teaches it. You'll make contacts,
s
I went to a not so great MT school, but I had two jobs before
I even finished the course. Both were at home, one was IC for a MTSO over the Internet, the other was at home for a hospital. It is possible. Just make sure that your correspondence and testing is immaculate and representative of your work quality.
I have no experience with this school, but
I went to their website and looked around. I'm just a student, but I got burned with the first MT program I tried, and it meant more than wasted money. It was wasted time and my sweat, blood, and tears. I hate to see anyone else make the same mistake I did. There are a couple of things that seem like red flags to me when reading about the MT program you asked about. One is that the course is supposed to take 4 months to complete. That seems very short to me. Another is that they describe your income potential in terms of your typing speed. There is so much more to MT than just typing that it makes me wonder. I hope you get some feedback from someone who has actually been in this program, but you may want to visit www.aamt.org and read what they have to say about MT training programs to help you evaluate the merits of this program.
School is NOT experience
Unless you have had a job, been hired by someone to work for them, you have NO experience. It is unfortunately that you wasted your money on that school, it definitely will make it more difficult for you to get a job.
I agree - it's an excellent school
x
Your experience transcribing reports in school
does not count as the type of experience they are looking for. The only way you are going to get a job is to keep testing, and ACE those tests. Eventually someone will offer you a position. That is what I did when I finished school to become an MT. But, you cannot list your *school* experience transcribing as experience when applying for companies because they will not accept that. We were all newbies once and it is a hard field to break in to. Keep applying, sending out your resume, and testing. That's the only way to do it other than trying to get a job at a hospital, clinic, etc. working outside the home.
I so agree! Doesn't matter to me what school...sm
what matters is how you do on grammar and such and then the test files. I can spot a good Transcriptionist a mile away and it has nothing to do with the school listed on her resume.
I Agree About a GOOD Online School
Unfortunately, a lot of companies look at where you went to school and not what you know. Andrews and M-Tec are great schools and are popular, and a lot of companies want graduates from those 2 schools. I went with EvCC and received a great education but no one wanted to give me a chance because the school's not well known. Finally, 2 places did and they realized that I know my stuff and am a hard worker. If you're going to spend the extra money, Andrews and M-Tec are both promising.
I agree totally with these ladies! Especially about the school! sm
The school that I went to was "plain and simple". I have given up and working at something else. If I knew then what I know now, I would only go to the two schools that are mentioned. Too bad we can't live our life backwards!
The ladies on this forum are amazing. The knowledge they have are from years of hard work, study and a good school.
But I find they like my jokes! So I continue to post here to take them away from their work every once in awhile. Maybe take them to outerspace or down a river! Ha! Sometimes just have them rolling on the floor is enough for me!!! Same place I was when I read some of the jokes! And just add my 2 cents!
If she is a recent graduate she has NO experience, just school practice.
Why would she need a mentoring program if she went to a good school?
Schooling in an outside school as opposed to on-line is a much better experience, IMHO. No wonder
s
I agree. Take it for the experience. It will take you 2 years of experience but you will easily
You CAN get a job at home, right out of school, but it has to be a GOOD school.
You should enroll in Andrews School or M-TEC. I know you don't want to spend more money, but at least you WILL be able to get a job. If you thought At Home Professions was a good course, you will be totally amazed at what you DIDN'T learn in that course that you WILL learn at the two good schools. There is no "required" curriculum for MT, anybody can open up a school, charge what they want, and teach what they want. Companies will waive the 2-years' experience requirement for graduates of Andrews School and M-TEC, but NOT for the other schools.
I agree Shorthand is great
I use ShortHand it is the best investment I made
Great post. I totally agree! nm
X
I absolutely agree. I have 4 years' experience, but wouldn't try to enter the field now. nm
nm
School?
Has anyone graduated from Thomson Education Direct and got hired anywhere?
Just wondering about choosing the right school for medical transcription course.
MT school
I attend the Andrews School. It has a very good reputation among national services--some will even waive the minimum 2-year experience requirement and allow you to test for them if you are an Andrews graduate. I have heard good things about M-Tec as well. I would suggest that you contact hospitals, nationals, etc. that you might want to work for and ask them which schools they suggest as far as turning out job-ready graduates. Good luck!
$ for MT school
No, I don't. We have debt out of our ears but you can make payments or charge it or whatever it takes. I've always had to spend money to make money. I just want to make sure I can make it back fairly soon. When I do the math it seems like you have to be pretty darn fast at transcription to earn a living. I admire the people out there doing it!
School and $$$
Hey, sorry about your ankle. Sounds like this could be a perfect time to study for MT. I'm sure I saw scholarship information that was based on financial need on one of the "3" schools...Andrews, MTEC or Career Step. Go to their websites and see! All the best to you! 
What to look for in a school
There are three things to look at in choosing a school and neither of them is money.
The first is whether national services already hire their grads and keep them longer than 6 months.
The second is what percentage of the grads score adequately on the employer's test.
The third is how many students complete the course with a grade of 95% or better on the first try.
Even if an employer is willing to hire from a school, if few grads pass his test and qualify to be hired, then the school isn't so hot. If the employer hires, but the grads can't keep the job for even 6 months, then the school isn't so hot. If the school has a high drop-out rate and many students (sometimes "most") don't make it to graduation, then the school isn't so hot. If it takes students several tries to pass, then the school isn't so hot.
You can see that just examining whether an employer will hire a grad isn't such a good measure. You also have to look at how many students get to graduation, how they got there, how many of them passed the test, and how many of those didn't get fired or quit in frustration.
You want a school whose grads are almost uniformly hired by nationals and which graduates nearly all students (all have drops, but you want a low level of those) on the first try.
Considering all that, you have two options: M-Tec and Andrews. And Andrews has a pre-admission test you'll need to pass to get in.
In your case, you should not go for a school which will allow you to skip any courses. You don't know anatomy and terminology like you'll need it for MT--what you know is what you need for billing, and that is different. Unless you hold a PhD in anatomy, you need to refresh your memory. Any school that lets you get away with not doing that does not have your best interests in mind.
School
I recently graduated from Thomson Education Direct. Recently changed to Penn Foster.... I made 49.00 month payments with no interest. Is a good school!
yes, I'm still in school ..... nm
zz
Still in school????
I assumed from your post you were a recent graduate.
school
I agree.....Accept a challenge to succeed.
School
Education Direct,,,now called Penn Foster.
Great School!
School
HHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMM! I just graduated and landed a job within one week.!!!!
School
Are you stocking me? Your a stress ball!
Is school a must?
I have been an administrative assistant for 8 + years and I will be graduating from my Medical Office Specialist/Billing and Coding class in May. Do I absolutely have to go to school to become an MT or can I just test to get a job? Any responses will be greatly appreciated.
Shona`
re: Is school a must?
Yes! Have you mastered anatomy and physiology? Do you know pharmacology? Can you know medical abbreviations? Can you decipher various dialects of providers well enough to produce a medicolegal document? How about the body systems, brain functioning, neurology, endocrinology, cardiology, orthopedics, pulmonology, etc., operative techniques? Medical terminology of all the above specialities, plus more, then if your answer is yes, then test away. Transcription is a labor intensive occupation that requires medical knowledge, dedication, and accuracy.
Is school a must?
If you are really good at learning from a book and feel like you lack experience in just a few areas, then study that way. I got a little training but mostly I was self taught. I knew what I wanted and studied from books and listened to any dictations I could find. The hardest part is getting your foot in the door. I put applications in everywhere and was lucky to have a small MTSO let me show them what I was capable of though. If you have the extra money for the schooling, then go for it. I dont believe that it's a must though.
Good luck!
What school did you go to?
They should be able to help you, if the school was any good. If not, then you need more education from a better school.
school
I graduated from Career Step recently and I felt they thoroughly educated me on just about everything i needed to know. I took the online course and it took me about 9 months to finish.
School
NC Newbie -- what school did you attend? I assume you're from North Carolina, and so am I. Since I have done acute medical transcription years ago, I am in the process of trying to find a school for refresher courses. A lot of medical stays the same, but there are a lot of new procedures, drugs, etc.
Perhaps your school? (sm)
I would first check with your school for assistance. Many schools will offer some type of program to help get you pointed in the right direction.
If you went to one of the top three I know for sure that they offer assistance in this area.
Get your school to help you.
Your school knows which ones of the employers really like graduates of the school you attended. They know where they have been successful. If they have no employers clamoring to hire their graduates, you've got a problem. That means the employers have seen what their graduates can do and they don't like it.
Then you may have to work in a doctor's office. The pay isn't good, there are rarely opportunities for pay increases, but at least it's something.
I hope the first scenario describes you. Good luck with your new career!
The School you went to?
Career Step. I've heard of this school before, but like you I am still in the researching process for the best place to take the on-line course. How expensive was this course? Can you email me your answer. Thanks
My email address is: louisem@cinci.rr.com
Thanks again. Awaiting your response.
Where did you go to school?
Many comapnies will waive that 2-year requirement if you attended a school with a solid reputation of producing work-ready grads. Again, you get what you pay for.
school
I wouldn't go by one person's opinion. I am going through that program and I think it is good. It is very detailed and they teach about everything. They didn't even say what they sent the 14yr old there for anyway, maybe that particular course was bad.
The best school for you
In the MT world you will hear people talk about the Top Three. That would be Andrews, MTec, and Career Step. These are all good. The best school is the one that is going to be the most comfortable fit for you, and you will find that out by visiting their websites and forums. Like everything else in life, cost may be the determining factor. All three of these "top three" schools are good and their courses are very comprehensive, so you will have tons of work to do whichever one you choose. Be sure to choose a program which will help you find a job. It is surprising how many people enroll in courses which do not offer them any assistance at all. Courses also vary in length and instructional methods, so you'll have to decide how much time you can spend studying each day. Good luck!
Best school
A good school to look at is Janet Stiles electronically taught transcription. You can get more info at www.settinc.com
Best school
I took Career Step and it was great. I graduated within 7 months with high honors and I got a job in less than a week. If you go directly through careerstep.com you will only pay about $1350. Yeah, it sounds like a lot of money, but it's not when you actually see how much experience you get from just taking the course. I got a job that was looking for 2 years of experience.
Anyone know anything about CAI School?...sm
I have a friend who is finishing up the course and wondering if anyone here has graduated from this school. I don't really see anything here about them.
TIA!
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