Andrews vs M-TEC reference materials
Posted By: daphinewind on 2008-01-10
In Reply to:
I have been leaning towards M-Tec because their site is well-presented to my eyes. The students on the easily accessible boards have been enthusiastic and supportive.
Today I wanted to be thorough and investigate Andrews. One difference seems to be that M-Tec focuses a bit more on the software/technology than Andrews. I don't know whether that is a relevant factor as employers might have their own software. The big difference that popped out at me is the reference materials provided. Andrews seems to come out on top here. Again though, I suppose employers might have their own recommendation.
It's been hard for me to determine which school provides the better education. They are probably tied and graduates from both are always positive about their experience. I wish I could thumb through the books myself since that could be the deciding factor. Ease of learning and the ability to use those books on the job are important to me. Maybe someone who went to one school that knows someone from the other school could jump in with their opinion 
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Andrews vs M-TEC reference materials
I am in the same boat, trying to decide between Andrews and M-Tec. Did you ultimately make a decision and if so, which school and why?
Thanks - Renee
reference materials
personally, if you can look up info real quick, i dont see how they would know. i say why not.
reference materials
Can anyone recommend a good lab book, and a good surgical word book? I have my dictionary, abbreviations, and drug books covered, but I have a Career Step surgical word book, and I have not heard good things about it, so I would like to get a better one. I have never had a good lab book, and would like to hear recommendations from others before buying one. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
practice materials
has anyone used the practice/study materials listed by a particular ebay vendor? prices are good, and the seller's feedback is terrific.
practice materials
was it from a power-seller w/ a rating of about 1600? i looked at those, too. thought it might be handy for getting my ears back in shape
No instructors, and home-made materials = CS.
I'm also a CS grad, and if I had it to do over again, I would definitely choose Andrews or M-TEC. No more "training track" for Spheris from CS. Focus no longer hires newbies from CS. People are finally waking up.
reference books
I just accepted a position with a national and will be starting on clinic notes. I have some reference materials, but was wondering if Stedman's Pathology and Lab would be a good investment. Would anyone that types a lot of clinic have any advice on reference books that would be handy to have. Or do you all use the internet to research terms?
Do you use Google as a reference? When
I put in Olympus fiberoptic colonoscope (yes, I've known what it is for 20+ years now), I get lots of hits.
Just trying to help.
Reference Books for the New MT
What is your favorite MT reference book? What would you suggest a newbie absolutely has to have to start out in MT?
well, it is possible. You could have your sister or somebody be your reference
and lie about how much experience you have and you would never be found out, at least not that way. So, to answer your question about what would happen if you lied about your experience, probably in all actuality you would either a) be able to test for jobs you were not eligible before and/or b) you would get one of those jobs. And if you were really quick to learn and had good training, you could probably swing it and manage to get through those first horrible six weeks where you can't even figure out how to run the software much less understand what the ESL is trying to say. Then again you might not be able to make your line count or QA minimum to keep the job. That's happened to newbies before. Then you would be let go. But I don't think anybody could actually PIN it down that you did not have the experience. Perhaps you can look for a mentor instead or offer to work with an experienced MT and pay her for checking your work over. Like your own in-house QA person. All in all, lying to get a job is probably not a habit you should cultivate in the long run because you reap what you sow.
You may not even need to buy a drug reference CD...sm
There are lots of drug reference websites that are free and will be more up-to-date than the CD that will go out-of-date.
And the other poster is right, you don't need to buy the most expensive books. You can find them on e-bay or in the Classified section of this site.
veterinary reference
Hi
I am looking for veterinary dictionaries or veterinary word books. I seem to recall someone (john?) posting some information, but have searched again and cannot find it.
Anyone have good sources?
Also interested connecting with anyone who does or would like to do veterinary transcription.
Thanks
mary
Thanks for the Company Reference...
newbiemommt! I'll definitely check out that company. I also came across another Philippine company close to where we will be living. The hesitancy I have is that unless an expat (I'm not really expatting...I'm coming back to the U.S. in 2-3 years) is married to a Philippine citizen ( I won't be married to my filipina love until we can wade through the bureaucratic government redtape there) it can be very difficult for a foreigner to get hired by a Philippine company. As far as I am aware , Philippine-based companies pay at local wage rates...which is peanuts. For instance a entry-level filipino worker may bring home 12,000 pesos / month , which sounds like alot , but that equates to about $300 / month. If I were to be hired by a U.S. company and make just $1,000 / month I would be bringing home approx. 40,000 pesos /month and we could live very well on that.
I would expect that I could make substantially more than $1,000/month working as an MT being paid at U.S. wage rates , which is attractive to me for three reasons. The first is that my love and our children will be able to live very well while living there. The second reason is that by being paid the going Ameican wage I am not taking part in depressing the wages American , U.S. based MT workers are making. The third is avoiding the hassles of just getting a Philippine company to even hire me and also avoiding the difficulties associated with getting a Philippine work permit work visa. Afterall , we are not going to stay in the Philippines for any longer than necessary and when coming back to the U.S. It would be great to already be working for a U.S. company all that time , with nothing more needed than just a change of address.
I really , really do appreciate your suggestions. Thanks much.
Ed
Reference books
Will be getting back into MT'ing in the near future, and was wondering what everyone would recommend as the three essential reference books to start with (was thinking possibly Stedman's abbreviations, red Dorland's and possibly one other). Hope to utilize online ref's a lot but know there's no substitute for books. Thanks, P
reference books
Is there one reference book you use more than others. What's your favorite way to search for a word?
Reference books
Definitely Dorland's Medical Dictionary. It is much more comprehensive than any of the others. When I was first transcribing (1969!)I learned a great deal of medicine from just reading the whole entry. After that, I would say the PDR. I always tell my students to ask their doctors for any reference books they are replacing. Saves a lot of money. Also, don't buy anything until you have a job. Employer may supply you and, if not, you will be able to deduct their cost from taxes if you are employed.
Rosie
Stedmans and other reference books
Hi! I am an MT getting out of the field and have an entire library of Steman's books and also some on CD I would like to sell. A Vera Pyle and Medical Phrase Index. They are in very good shape. I may have added a word as I learned a new one along the way that wasn't in the book and my initials are on the top along the pages as I worked briefly in a place that required it. If interested please e-mail me at angela.dill@gmail.com or feel free to call me at 623-584-4884. I live in Arizona on Mountain time. Thanks!
medical reference books
does anyone use Tabers?
no reference books offered
We do not have reference books. There are about 20 reports to transcribe in the entire course. No we do not use the SUM method. However, I am planning to purchase additional practice tapes from HPI. I was told that they do help with placement. From what I can tell so far, this course gives you the basics of MT. I know now that I will need to practice, practice, Practice.
How often should one replace reference books?..sm
I have a pharmaceutical word book from 2004. Do you think it's time to get a new one?
Reference links resource for MTs
Thought I'd share this useful resource for MTs, especially newbies. Its a page full of useful MT reference links.
http://linksformts.googlepages.com
Look stuff up in onelook.com. Great reference! And then there
s
Reference books--i.e., medical and english
dictionaries. Is this what you are talking about????
I stopped buying reference books ten years ago....
Use web sites such as RXlist for medications.
Newbie Reference -- Stedman's Medical Terms and Phrases
Hi Guys ~
I have started another at-home business and am planning to get out of the MT field in the next six months to a year, and so I am getting rid of any of the references I no longer use. The last one I have available is the Stedman's Medical Terms and Phrases. I LOVED this reference when I was still in school and brand new, but after using it just a handful of times I am now familiar with my accounts and no longer need it. Perhaps a newbie could use it. This is how it works:
It is the most current edition, which is the 2004. It is approximately 2000 pages,
hardcover, tabbed for easy looking up. Here is how it works, in case
you are not familiar with it:
The book is excellent for things like when the dingaling of a doctor is eating
Cheetos while dictating and says something that sounds like,
"chron-CRUNCH nonsuppurative CRUNCH CRUNCH -ructive CRUNCH
cholang-CRUNCH". Well, you got the "nonsuppurative" part and then a
bunch of half coherent stuff. So you use the one word you got out of
the bunch. When you look up the one word you got, nonsuppurative, you
look down the list of phrases under that word and you come up with
"chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis". AH-HAH!
That's how it worked for me when I was a student and when I was new and was shuttled around from one account to the next as I was needed. I have been placed on my permanent accounts for so long that I know what my docs are going to say before they say it. Therefore, I spent $70 for this book plus the ridiculous shipping that Stedman's charged me, plus tax, so the book cost me over $80 new thinking I would use it all the time... But I have rarely used it. If you have any marble-mouth doctors or any ESLs or if you are new to MT or if you work on multiple and/or
changing accounts ... This would be an incredible resource to
consider. It is in perfect condition.
Email for pictures. Price is $45.00 plus $5.00 for
media mail with delivery confirmation (this book weighs a ton, so actual shipping cost is over $6.00, but I will do for $5) for a total of $50.00.
Thanks!
Andrews vs. M-Tec...
Is M-Tec every bit as good as Andrews as far as:
1. Preparing a person to enter the MT field
and
2. Almost guaranteeing a job for a student upon graduation. (Realizing, of course, that this depends on the individual.) But all else equal, does graduating from M-Tec virtually guarantee that many companies will waive the normal 2-year experience requirement and allow a new graduate to test?
Thanks
Not at Andrews
As an Andrews grad, 95% was the minimum required of each assignment of each section before you were permitted to advance to the next section. And, 95% was no guarantee that you wouldn't still be assigned extra work! We were strongly encouraged and motivated to achieve 98% and above as we were told from the beginning of the course that this is the norm in the working world. They(the instructors) were upfront from the beginning that it would take lots of work (read: blood, sweat, and tears)to pass the course at the level expected. The plus side of Andrews is that they don't turn you loose until they are confident you can attain that high goal of accuracy. An 86% would have been absolutely unacceptable.
Both Andrews and M-Tec
are top-notch MT schools. Either one would be an excellent choice not only for MT skills but also for any required improvement in spelling and grammar skills that might be necessary.
Also . . . about Andrews
Have you spoken with Linda Andrews yet? Looking on their website, I see that the payment plan has an option with a lesser down-payment of $1000 with a monthly payment of $117, instead of the $98 it would be with the larger down-payment. There is no interest on that, I see, which would be a considerable benefit to you.
Also of importance is that this covers everything. Their students traditionally do not need to provide anything else for school--not one book, not one bit of software, nothing. And, when they go to work, they already have the references that most employers require.
The first question above asked about whether one school allowed you to retake sections until you got them right. This focuses on "failure mode." The thinking is that "this is so hard, nobody can succeed." It sets up the expectation that it is NORMAL for students to fail at transcription.
Students should not fail at transcription. The concept of having some students do well, others ok, and some fail is a concept dragged over from traditional education. Private MT schools are not public junior colleges. They do not need to follow that model.
Frankly, if I were thinking of putting down a fat down-payment on a course and the school thought that it was acceptable to have any students fail, I'd be a little worried. And I certainly wouldn't expect that I'd be the exception who did well, because a school which has students failing, or not doing well enough to be employable, seems to stack the deck against you.
It would seem better to me to simply select a school in which the students do not fail, instead achieving a high level of skill across the board.
Select a school where you KNOW your money won't be wasted, where the risk is almost nil. Select a school where students do not flounder around unassisted, failing and re-failing. Select a school where they achieve and are routinely offered new, extra material to improve their already high levels of achievement.
Medical transcription training does not need to be difficult, nor does it need to culminate in unemployability.
The best are M-TEC and Andrews
M-TEC has an abbreviated course for previous medical professionals. I don't know if Andrews does.
Andrews
I'm mentoring an MT right now who went to Andrews and she seems very knowledgeable.
Andrews
I graduated from Andrews in December of 2004. I was hired immediately after graduation and have been with the same company since. I work for a smaller MTSO, and she has been very happy with how well Andrews prepared me.
M-Tec or Andrews (sm)
M-Tec and Andrews are the only two schools that are approved by the AAMT right now. I am sure there are other good schools too, but these two have been around for awhile and are proven to produce job-ready MTs upon graduation.
www.mtecinc.com
www.andrewsschool.com
www.aamt.org
M-Tec vs. Andrews
I think I am going to end up going with either M-Tec or Andrews. Please help me decide! All opinions, comments, pros and cons of each are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
M-TEC, Inc. or Andrews are the very best...
Companies waive the 2-year experience requirement for their grads. Pick one of the very best. Your future success as an MT depends on it. 
So, you went through Andrews AND M-TEC after CS?
I'm really curious.
You sound just simply disgruntled over CS and have no real experience comparing the other schools to CS.
Andrews is the very best, IMO.
Look at Andrews or M-Tec
Andrews or M-Tec are simply the best programs out there.
Andrews or M-TEC are best. nm
nm
I think Andrews is the best, but everyone has their
M-TEC or Andrews
Truly, if you want to be prepared to work at home immediately upon graduation, M-Tec or Andrews is the only way to go. These 2 schools are worth every penny you will spend. Their education is top notch. I am a graduate of M-TEC but know several Andrews graduates. Please...don't skimp on your education. Speak with the directors at both M-TEC and Andrews before making a decision.
If you took M-TEC or Andrews there are
companies that will hire you without the experience, otherwise you'll have a very tough time getting an at-home job. I suggest you look for an in-house position locally and get your experience.
M-TEC or Andrews
It shouldn't even be a question anymore...
Ignore the rah-rah Career Step down there (unless you don't care whether you get a job or not).
The 2 best are M-Tec and Andrews. This
same question has been asked many times, so spend some time looking through past posts. Also read the posts about how difficult it is to get a job if you don't take one of the better courses, how low the pay is, etc.
Andrews vs. M-TEC
Hi! I'm not proud of my newbie question, but here goes. :)
I've been reading forums and researching medical transcription for about a year now. I understand Andrews and M-Tec are regarded as the best schools. I worry my reasons are partially superficial, but I feel drawn to M-TEC in particular.
I recently took their skills assessment and scored 100%. I've been seconds from enrolling a couple of times. My only concern is a general vibe that Andrews is #1. Is there a known reason for this vibe? Will my job prospects as an M-TEC grad closely mirror those of a comparable Andrews grad? Superficialities aside, my primary concern is marketability post-graduation.
Thanks in advance!
M-TEC or Andrews
Why don't you call both schools and see for yourself which one you like better?
Not Andrews or M-Tec
Thank you for the encouragement in not giving up.
The person that said she got a job so quickly said she attended Everett Community College.
My husband has suggested I write a letter to AHP, but I think anything I have to say will fall on deaf ears, and that will only make me more upset. The only thing I can say in their defense is that it seems to me that even Andrews and M-Tec make it sound like a getting a job is a piece of cake after you complete school. According to what I've seen on mtstars, it's not that easy. Granted, it's easier if you have gone to one of those schools but still not as easy as they ALL make it sound. While I attended AHP, I felt like I was learning a lot and getting a decent education, but then again, I don't have anything to compare it to. I do know that my education is not getting me anywhere now.
Andrews School
provides about the best MT training available. Even their training, however, is NOT equivalent to two years' experience. That is simply not a reasonable assumption. However, should you do the smart thing and select Andrews for your MT training and complete it successfully, you will come out FAR ahead of someone who chose one of the cheaper or less reputable MT schools. The reason companies waive the two-year experience requirement for Andrews graduates is not because they actually have two years of experience, it is because they know that they are getting a well-trainined newby who will require a minimum of handholding and someone who has been trained to deal with the realities of being an MT. You should have no qualms whatsoever about choosing Andrews. M-Tec is an equally good school that would offer you the same chance of early success. Many Career Step students have also found their transition to work to be relatively painless.
Yes, you can't go wrong with either M-TEC or Andrews.
x
Is Andrews a notch above? (SM)
It appears that if one wants to pursue an MT education, that it's either Andrews or M-Tec. I know there isn't a whole lot separating these 2 schools--the money difference is irrelevant to me--but something in the back of my mind tells me that Andrews offers just a little more. I have absolutely no concrete reason to think this, it just kind of seems that if you want the VERY best, it's Andrews; if you want REALLY GOOD, but not quite Andrews, then you go with M-Tec. Is this a faulty perception? Don't Andrews students actually transcribe more total hours than do M-Tec students?
If a person got their education at M-Tec, would they have the exact same advantage that Andrews graduates have as far as being positioned to get an opportunity to test for an at-home MT position?
Thanks.
Still Deciding: M-Tec v. Andrews
Thanks to everyone who replied below. I learned a lot. I'm seriously concerned about M-Tec & the 86% to graduate thing. I'm also worried because I feel like I may have uncovered a bit of deception on M-Tec's part. Their financial overview section states that they offer an interest-free payment plan option. However, when I calculate the cost of the payment plan described in the payment plan section, it costs $150 more to use the payment plan. Isn't that pretty much the same thing as interest?
You might be thinking well why doesn't this person just choose Andrews, but I also have concerns about Andrews. For one thing, their website hasn't changed in years, and it is not very user friendly. For another thing, they have a private board. In my previous MT training experience, when the students started complaining about how badly the program was going, our board was made private, so I am a little leery of any sort of secrecy. Another thing is I'm worried about fitting in with the Andrews culture. It is hard to explain, but there are things like the Irish pub that I realize are just to blow off steam and have fun, but I am a very serious person, and I'm not sure I could fit in. Especially since I already had a bad experience with MT training, I just want to get the work done with no extra nonsense.
If anyone has more insight or information, please help!
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