Are you taking tests and failing or not even getting responses? nm
Posted By: lub-dub on 2005-10-19
In Reply to: I can't find a job!!! - sidelinesmom
s
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- I can't find a job!!! - sidelinesmom
- Are you taking tests and failing or not even getting responses? nm - lub-dub
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Taking Tests
I am considering MT as an at-home career also and I wanted to know what is the procedure to sending in resumes, taking the tests, etc.? Also, are you hired on an hourly basis or by the amount of lines you can produce in a certain time? Any help and advice you can send my way is very much appreciated.
Newbie failing test HELP!!
I have taken 2 test and failed both. Could not hear the Doc's mumbling and talking fast !!!! Also, the multiple choice was 7 pages in 10 min. that I had to answer did not get it done. Do I need more school. I graduated from At-home professions. Thanks for your reply.
Barbara Tucker
Wow is right and thanks for the responses!
First off, to mighty, you didn't offend me because I didn't participate in the similar-earlier thread. I had just read through that thread and it left me curious about specific schedules MT moms were finding worked for them, why and how!
My schedule, as is, seems to work pretty well. Although it is crazy and hard for other people and family members to keep up with. Like I said, my son actually does very well entertaining himself and letting me get some work done, but when you're home alone with your child there will always be things you'll have to jump up for. I'm sure that has an impact on my productivity and was mainly just wondering if anyone had some BIG secret that would shed light on a way to do it all with the least distractions and the most productivity. As is, I don't see how I could ever become a HUGE producer of work. I do plenty with the current set up and am realizing that the only way to improve (much) would be to work during a time when there would be fewer distractions. Than again, that may not help either because I tend to get fidgety and need to get up and walk away from "it" frequently, at least I consider it frequently.
I'm not sure what I was hoping for, a miracle perhaps? 
My schedule works pretty good though. Thanks for all the responses. I do think that I'll probably change up my schedule a little once my son starts school in the fall, I'll at least have that block of time for steady, kid-free work!
Thanks again!
Now, let's have a good weekend!
Thank you very much for all your responses...
and thank you for saying the most important thing is to hang in there. I was feeling like maybe I shouldn't have gotten into this line of work, but I will just keep trying and do all those things that yall have suggested. Thank you again for your suggestions.
Thanks for the responses
Thank you to those who responded to my post. As a newbie, and new to this board, I couldn't help but feel like it was an advertisement for M-Tec and Andrews schools. Forgive me - it was just an observation by someone totally ignorant of anything MT. That's why I am here - to learn. 
Thanks for all the responses! sm
By the way, 150 lph is with a very easy dictator where I can understand almost all of what he says.
make sure your responses are squeaky clean...sm
in terms of grammar, spelling, typos etc. This includes every email you send, resume, etc. Follow directions in posting exactly. Be willing to invest in equipment you need to run your business if you are wanting to work from home as an IC. I've been preaching for quite a while for newbies to offer their work for less. There is an unbelievable amount of training that happens post grad from course, and frankly, I'm not interested in doing that for free...so tend to hire experienced people. Go in house temporarily if you have to. Experience is key, so do whatever you have to, to get experience, IMHO.
Oh boy, you're going to get some interesting responses! Here's mine (sm)
First of all, I am not an authority on what the MT future is. I recently got into this business myself and consider myself fortunate in my situation, as I was able to find a job with a private MTSO who was willing to give me a chance. So I do believe it is possible to find work.
Secondly, if you're considering M-TEC, that seems to be the best choice for schooling (for those who can afford it), as I have seen many posts from M-Tec grads who say they were placed the day after graduation.
Thirdly, you seem to have the drive and the affinity for the English language that it takes to succeed in this field. Personally, proper grammar and use of the English language has always come natural to me, and I have always loved typing, and those two things helped prompt me to make the decision to go into this field. That, and I wanted to be able to work at home doing something I enjoyed.
So I say GO FOR IT! I think you will do well. Best of luck to you!
You will hear responses from both ends of the spectrum and everything in between on these boards. (s
Personally, I LOVE MT. I went to The School That Dare Not Speak Its Name (not one of the "big three") and I had a job before I finished my course. I have had plenty of work since then working for a local service.
I only work about six hours a day. I could work more if I wanted, but I have children and would like to spend my time with them. I make about $1500 a month, which was what I needed to make to supplement our income.
You will read here about people who say they make $60K a year, and you will read here about people who swear they have no work and that the end of the world is nigh. Take it all with a grain of salt.
For what it's worth, I love what I do. I spent six years in college getting a BS and an MA, and I will never use them again... I love MT! Good luck, and feel free to email me if you like. I think you'll be just fine.
taking the course
HERRO??? I thought that taking the MT course would be a great idea having a past career in nursing and health insurance, but now that I'm about 1/2 way thru, I feel SOOO incompetent due to my grammar and punctuation errors. I posted a portion of a transcript to see if my punctuation was correct and the moderator deleted it...Another thing that confuses me is that a sentence can begin with "comes into er today..."; but in other parts of the transcript, if the sentence isn't grammatically correct, it's wrong. WTH? Anyhow, can anyone direct me to the best way to relearn punctuation/grammar as my educators will not reply to my e-mails or return my calls! Great school...javascript:editor_insertHTML('text','');
Help with taking test
Hi there....I'm hoping somebody can help me. I have to take a test using Windows Media Player (no foot pedal yet), and I can't figure out how to type in Word and still be able to use the keyboard keys. Any tips would be much appreciated.
How long is it taking all new MTs
I have been at this job for almost three months and I have yet to rest the goal everyday in one week. I can't wait until my little ones are in daycare/school again!
It will depend on what course you are taking.
nm
I am taking Career Step course and ...
if you go to their forums, you can find that a lot have gotten jobs. The Career Step course is self-motivated. You do a lot on your own, but you have a support group to help when you need it. I have never had a problem w/ getting a reply back when I have needed one. It is taking me over a year to finish because I work full-time, and I am transcribing for a dentist that I started working for after I started the transcription portion of the course. Again, you have to be self-motivated, but don't you have to do that with almost everything?
Advice for taking the test!!
Just nervous.
Yeah, and if you can't make it as an MT after taking the VLC course,
you can always take their basket making class.
spare me - taking a MT course is not going to guarantee a job
can we skip the sell job here? She has experience, might need some QA with different work but certainly NOT a training course.
It all depends on the training course you are taking
If it's not Andrews, M-TEC, or Career Step, you're going to have a much harder time finding an at-home job. Not that it can't be done, just will be harder.
Is it worth taking the RMT exam?
Does passing the RMT exam help you find a job if you have no experience? I'm wondering if I should try to take this test.
Thanks for taking time to answer.
x
Taking a quiz - I'm stumped!!
We do not allow test/exam/quiz questions on this site.
Moderator
It's called taking advantage. SM
Two weeks at no pay? Two year contract? Please. More like 2 years of indentured servitude. Good luck with that.
When taking the online test with companies...
...that offer it, is it acceptable to use reference materials. I didn't see anywhere on the page that I couldn't. Just askin'.
I've replaced them in a desktop, taking apart a
laptop isn't quite as easy and I'd recommend you have a professional do it.
There is no difference in working on a laptop versus a desktop. If there is a problem it may either be an equipment issue, such as the sound card, or a setting issue. Maybe you need to update drivers or something similar. I've worked on a laptop exclusively for 6 years.
The courses worth taking are M-Tec and Andrews. Their graduates
are usually able to get jobs without 2 years of experience that is normally required. Is if worth it? Do you have small children, a husband, do you want a social life - then no it isn't worth it. If you just want to do this PT, in addition to a FT job, it might be okay for a short time, but it gets harder and harder to make a living as an MT. A lot of companies use offshore MTs, they get the good work and the crap gets left for us, or it all goes and we get stuck editing it for pennies and you end up working for minimum wage. You'll also burn out in a short time trying to do both.
if there is just you and you don't care to have a life then it would be okay and if you have a knack for it you can make some decent money. If you are a respiratory tech in a hospital talk to people in your department. Maybe you can start out doing work-related transcription without having to go to school and you can get a small taste of what it is like to see if you really want to pursue it.
Hi, 'me': You suggest taking a mentoring program
for newbies.
Could you name some companies or schools which offer mentoring programs?
TIA
Taking classes for medical terminology and "some transcription"
Most nationals will only consider you if you are an actual graduate of one of the AAMT-approved courses. If not, she may look for local clinics who are willing to train.
TAKE THE TESTS!
Most places will let you take there tests, then they can determine if they feel like you have the experience to work for them. The worst they can do is turn you down. As for entry level johs, search the boards. There are usually a few on there all the time. You might start out with a low pay rate, but it will give you the experience that you can use for the better paying jobs in time.
Thanks!
tests
No I do not need help on the tests. I was stuck on a word in a transcription assignment. I had researched it but came up empty. I just needed to know where else to look or anything.
I do not need help with tests.
typing tests
Don't understand the reason either.....I just take the test...
Employment tests
Most services want to see 98%, or at the least 97%, on an employment test. Anything less than that is "failing" in their eyes.
Think about it from their perspective. If their clients expect 98% accuracy, you need to be able to produce 98% accuracy. If you can't do that while being tested, which they assume is your best effort, you're not likely to do it on the job later.
Not saying this is a great thing or not, just that it's what they may think.
online tests
I also took the Medquist exam after they sent me an email requesting that I take it. I felt very confident that I did well but was told I did not pass. They said to take it again in three months, which is now.... and now I have no confidence at all to do it.
Passing tests but . . .
Is anyone else having this problem? I am passing tests and being told that though I passed, I don't have the experience required for the position I applied for. They then tell me that they will keep my application on file until some thing opens up that I do qualify for. How often do we see a position listed that doesn't require experience? I know I did well, so I don't think that they are lying to me, but it is frustrating. The only skill I lack is speed, but that will only come with experience. I guess I'm just writing this to vent. Why won't anyone give me a chance?! Ok, now I'm off to take another test.
If you can't pass the tests. . .
If you can't pass the tests, that is an indication that your knowledge and/or ability isn't what it needs to be to do the job.
If you're getting a chance to test, they ARE giving you a chance. THE TEST is the chance.
You can improve your chances by learning more. Get some materials that Allied didn't use and study with them. Get the BOS and learn it by heart and be able to apply it. Get some HPI training materials and transcribe them. Then try testing again.
The one thing that won't help is begging for "a chance." Employers can't afford to spend money on that chance--they have a job that needs doing at 98% accuracy. If you can't show them you can do that, they're not going to give you a job.
Typing tests
I've never seen a typing test, timed or untimed, as part of any medical transcription application process. Transcription tests, yes, but not TYPING tests.
If I had ever been asked to take one, I'm afraid I would have gotten up and walked out. I would have assumed that the employer didn't understand the nature of the work they were calling "medical transcription." If they didn't understand that, they wouldn't be likely to understand much else about it, either, and that would be unfortunate for everyone.
If you're applying to legitimate MT employers, I don't think they will ask you to take a typing test. I do not believe our students have reported having to take a typing test, either.
You might want to check what MT services actually require.
That being said, you should . . . of course . . . improve your keyboard speed. That isn't achieved by going faster, but by keying slowly enough that you don't make any typos, but just keep going on and on. Eventually, you'll speed up. Try keying medical reports and books. There are lots of them on the internet.
In order for you to work comfortably as an MT, you'll need to be able to keyboard a whole shift, or about 7 hours with a 10 minute break every hour and a half-hour to an hour break in the middle.
You can do this if you start now and work at it gradually and without causing yourself stress. :)
Typing Tests
I have applied to several online companies and I haven't found any that don't require a typing test. Do you know of any? Also, as a newbie with no working experience, it's extremely to get my foot in the door anywhere. Thanks.
The timed tests are a test of how well you know
your stuff. Some of comes from education, most comes from experience. If you are unable complete the test without it timing out then you know you still have lots to learn. No 2 tests are the same so you can't take it enough times to get all the answers, but it gives you an idea on what kinds of things they are looking for and shows you your areas of weakness, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I have nearly 20 years of experience and I have some across questions on testing that I had to look up. Not all tests are timed, but I did take one test that was timed and it timed out on me too; more probably because I was rereading everything and didn't realize it was a timed test, but I was still offered a position. You just might get started on clinic notes rather than acute care and your pay rate will most definitely be lower than if you had scored better.
I flunk many tests at first, but I learned from each one - sm
that is what you must do. I used to joke that I learned more from the tests than I did from my course. Not quite the case but I did learn a lot from the tests too, they were certainly eye-opening some of them. All you can do is keep trying, what is the saying you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince, well finding a MT job is sort of the same thing, in both finding a job and finding one you like. Try again at Transolutions when they say you can try again (usually 6 months) and in the meantime apply anywhere and everywhere that you can. Good Luck.
Are you not passing the hiring tests or isn't
s
You can leave blanks and some tests even have
instructions on how to notate a blank. I have 20 years of experience and I have only had one test in my career that I have had to leave a blank, but there are usually different levels of reports. One report may be very clearly dictated, clinic type work where there really isn't a lot of medical terminology. Another may be an acute care report, possibly an Op, and then one may be a report there the sound quality is bad, an ESL dictator, or a fast talking US dictator.
The company is trying to get an idea of your skill level. If you do very well on the first report but not so well on the second and horrible on the third, then they will probably offer you a clinic account and start you off at the bottom of the pay scale.
Leaving a blank wouldn't count against you as much as guessing at something and getting it wrong. I don't think leaving a blank will stop you from being offered a position, but excessive blanks would probably would.
trouble with online tests?
Anyone else applied to Medquist or FocusInfomatics and have trouble passing the test?? I cannot figure out why I did not pass the transcription test and they can't tell me...just hoping I'm not alone...thanks
Sorry, meant pre-employment MT tests.
nm
eMedicine website - neurologic tests
This website is great reading. This link takes you to a page of neurologic physical examinations, but it has everything, not just neuro. I guess it's a site for doctors. You do have to register to certain things, and I don't know if they require you to be a doctor to register because I haven't tried it lately. There is plenty to see without seeing close-ups. Something constructive to do while waiting for that first job.
http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic632.htm
Not true. I score tests for new and experienced MTs.
I'm shocked at what should be basics that newbies do not have. Shocked.
There are a few good newbies but most have not a clue what they are typing. Applying knowledge to actual transcription is FAR different than just spouting off what a term or value means.
Have you taken and passed tests for anyone yet? MQ? Spheris? Keep testing even w/o experience, if th
,
I always found the tests more difficult than actual work (sm)
I think they try you out on their most difficult to see how you do. It also may be the stress of taking a test too. I tested with anyone who would let me test, and I failed a lot of them, but just keep trying. Persistence does pay off. It sounds like you have a great start and you should probably stay where you are to get the experience. Yes, it will count. Best of luck to you!
Does anyone know how long it takes for tests to be graded at MediVoxx or OSI?
I recently tested at both companies and am beginning to wonder how long this process takes. While I am waiting for their replies, if anyone could tell me of other corporations that hire new MTs I would appreciate it.
Plenty of jobs out there w/o typing tests. Haven't
s
Employment tests are not easy, even for entry level.
They need to know what you know. Sometimes the things you blank are just as important as the things you get right.
I believe most of these tests can be played using Winamp or Windows Media Player.
Not as a newbie! Lots of new drugs, lab values, tests, implants, etc. Clinic would be better. nm
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