Be honest. Which of those "matchbook" schools do YOU work for?
Posted By: deb on 2008-05-08
In Reply to: It has nothing to do with the MT companies... - MT
Or are you afraid of competition from well-trained MTs? Just contact MT companies and ask, and you will see how many of them DON'T hire grads from schools other than the "top 3" because they are not educated enough and most of them cannot pass employment tests, that's why so many companies won't even let them test and just give them the "you need 2 years' experience" line.
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There's a reason these "matchbook schools" keep changing their name.
Word gets out that they are crappy schools that do not teach you what you need to know, and more and more people complain that they can't find a job after completing courses from these so-called schools. It's an online "correspondence course" not a "University" no matter what they choose to call themselves.
Unfortunately I don't think ANY of the schools, including the Big 3, are honest about MT outlook.
The amount of work going overseas, the fact that you CANNOT work twice as fast with most voice recognition as you can with straight transcription (despite the fact that the companies insist you can and therefore only pay you half as much). There are a lot of MTs with a lot of experience who are getting out of the business.
Also, it's even harder to find a part-time MT job when you are a newbie, because there is a big learning curve regardless of what course you take, and companies don't want to spend that much time on someone who only wants to work part time, because it will take them a lot longer to get up to speed.
Right. Some schools are in it for charity work.
x
There is plenty of work, I agree. Grads from good schools
I never hear of those who attended decent schools unable to find work
You can pay now or later. I had job offers with every company I tested with when I graduated from M-TEC, which was more than 8 years ago. I have worked from home since day 1 doing both clinics and mostly acute care. I do not know of anyone who graduated with me who has ever had problems finding a job. Employers are catching on as to which schools offer enough training so that the grads actually have some experience under their belt or are worth bringing up to speed. I also did not have to start out at 6 cents a line. That is absolutely insane.
Honest question
Why is it that when an answer is already given to a post, someone else comes along and posts the exact same answer?
M-TEC not honest? Are you for real??
I have personally met Susan and Kathy several times, both in and out of school, as a student and a working grad. They never glossed over the reality of being a working MT, what is required to find and keep a job, the kind of money one can make. Ask them real questions and you will get real answers.
While they prepare you for the real working MT world, you DO have to do the work yourself and secure your own job testing, which I found was not a problem one bit because I applied myself in school and absorbed as much as I could. I was offered to test for too many places to list when I graduated and landed a job within days of graduation, which I have successfully kept and flourished in for more than 5 years. I have also made really good money and been very satisfied with my career choice.
I believe, as in most things, good communication is key. If someone has issues they really do need to take them up with the source and allow them to be addressed in an honest and open fashion.
Here is my honest opinion. sm
I started MT in my mid 20s (over 20 years ago) Started working for family doctor in high school, went on to college for two years in health care administration (worked part time for college professors), married and had children right away. My first independence with my own doctor clients occurred when I had two toddlers at home. There was no possible way I could have been successful unless I hired child care during that period of time. I was spending a minimum of 8 hours per day typing. There were days when I would put in an additional 3 hours late at night when my children went to bed. My husband worked long hours, so depending on him to take over was not always possible. It is only my opinion that the dedication, concentration and ultimate success in this profession is not possible unless you get the help with your children. Unless part time supplemental income is your goal, full time pay and the intense experience needed to peform well long-term in this profession, reality is not always seen by those entering this profession as a means to stay home with your children.
honest question reply......
 Maybe they don't read all the posts b/c some of them can get pretty long. They are just trying to help, thats all. They don't mean any harm as far as I can tell. I don't think its anything to get anxious about though.
If you're going to be honest about it, you'd check nothing.
With just an education under your belt, whether it's At-Home or M-TEC, you have no working experience.
Looking for honest answers about the future of MT...
I am considering MT (again). I already do some transcription but have never trained for medical.
Many of the posts I've read on different forums are pretty discouraging about the future of this profession.
I am a relatively fast typist (80 wpm, 99% accuracy)and have a pretty good command of spelling and grammar. (I'm sure I could use some improvement.)
I would really like some flexible work from home. I have a child with special needs and don't want to go out to work in an office for ten hours a day.
What is the average pay? Is off shore and voice recognition going to make the profession obsolete in a few years? I hate to invest in training and have it be for nothing down the road. Though, I guess I could look into coding in the future! Maybe there will be more at home jobs in that field down the road.
Many thanks,
Mariah
Well-stated, completely honest (nm)
//
Yes, and these were people trying to make an HONEST living
nm
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.
I've seen awful work from "experienced MTs and good work from new graduates
I've seen awful work from "experienced MTs and good work from new graduates.
Training and education really does make a difference. Some people just have 15 or 20 years of very bad experience. They may be fortunate that one employer was willing to hire and keep them, but if that one closed, they would be in trouble. It all depends on the person. some new graduates are a better bet then some experienced MTs. I would prefer to find an experienced MT with great skills and a teachable attitude, but many experienced MTs know everything and are only willing to do things the way they've always done them.
most psych work is included in multispecialty hospital work..sm
contracted to a medical transcription service that requires multispecialty experience because of the hospital work. Unfortunately, very rarely can a medical Transcriptionist these days be given only one specialty when working for a service or hospital. We have to be well versed in multi specialties. The Turn Around Time on demands have increased, and thus the service or hospital gives the MT many different types of work. Learn as many specialties and gain as much experience in different specialties, which in turn will make you a more valuable MT and more apt to gain employment.
Just be sure not to pay for work. There is an MTSO below who apparently charges to work for them (sm
It might be tempting when you're getting desperate for work to pay someone so you can work for them, but don't do it. You can buy software and a foot pedal on your own, so don't let them fool you. If you are approached via e-mail from this site by an MTSO saying they have work for you, please read the posts below before making any decisions.
Can you share where you work that the work is plentiful? nm
s
MT schools
Thank you for the advice. I have been researching M-Tec and have decided that it seems to be the best choice. Wish me luck.
schools
Can anyone give me any info on Laird's School of Medical Transcription. 
MT Schools
Hi
I am looking to train in this field and have looked into the Career Step Program. There are soo many programs out there and I'm not sure which one to choose. Looking for opinons on which programs are some of the best. Its an awful lot of money and I certainly don't want to chose the wrong one.
MT schools
I am researching MT schools to see which one is best. I am having trouble figuring out who will give me the best training. I am a medicla biller (18 years) and would like to work from home. I thought about PCDI and VLC but I am not sure. I don't want to spend a lot of time and money on a school who is not recognized in the MT industry. Also most of these schools start the medical terminology and anatomy, that's great for someone who's new to the medical field, but what about those who know terminology like the back of our hand. Can anyone recommend an online or correspondence school?
Thanks!
MT schools
Thanks for the information, I will keep this in mind:)
thank you, thank you!!
Schools
Just wondering which schools are best. I checked out a few. Does anyone know anything about Meditec? Is it a good online course?
Schools.
Thanks for the advice. I will check into both of those schools. I presently work in the Administration Office of a hospital, and on occasion when a doctor quits the hospital I have had to type Discharge Summaries, etc. for him/her when they finally return to catch up on what they did not complete. I have yet to figure out why they quit without having all their charts complete--however, they realize there's more time allowed for DS than H&P's, Op Notes, etc. So, besides taking extra terminology courses and practicing with Absolute Experience tapes, I have done a little "real life" transcription.
schools
"career step" is highly recommended, and the gal with whom i've been e-mailing is very helpful. i was an MT in my past life, am now and RN (could you guess from the ID?), and seriously thinking of doing both. i suspect that if i go the course route, it will be via career step. good luck!
Schools
The best schools are M-Tec or Andrews. The next best is Career Step. You will need to go to one of those to brush up on your English skills and learn everything else you'll need in this industry. For instance, your first two sentences should have been just one sentence, and the little things are very important in this field if you want to compete. If that is too picky and boring for you, you won't enjoy going to school or working as an MT.
Re schools - please SM
The top 3 are Andrews, MTec, and Career Step. Companies are more willing to hire new graduates of these schools and some have partnerships with CareerStep, in fact.
You can search the archives here for posts regarding schools and get more information.
In addition, ask the school what placement assistance they offer and who hires their graduates. Don't take their word for it, either - call the companies they say will hire you and ask them if they hire grads from that program.
MT schools
I recently heard only graduates from Andrews and MTEC were getting the newbie jobs out there. Well let me tell you what I did, I graduated from HTC Education now called Brighton College and I was educated with a SUM based program. I also took Medical Coding at the same time. I called the director of MTEC to inquire about the program they offer and discovered it was not any better, still the same based SUM program that I took. The tuition cost were about 250 dollars higher but given inflation over the last year that is relatively a mute point. So I paid the same as their students do. I invested 10,000.00 in my tuition and references and computer, just to be as highly educated as an MTEC graduate and so I asked the MTEC director what their job placement was. I was told that their job placement was at 98%. Well Newbie MTs let me tell you this is purely political on the part of the AAMT and those two schools and by the way when I was looking into schools for MT I went to the AAMT and found Brighton College/formerly HTC Education and it was at the AAMT website at that time my school was also recommended by the AAMT so why am I not able to get hired as Newbie. As far as I am concerned and the research that I have done on this subject it is all a lot bull! Just hang in their work for the peanuts, get internships, do anything you can to get the experience it will happen.
Schools
As a recruiter, I can tell you firsthand that Andrews School trains the very best transcriptionists. I will look at their graduates before I look at any others.
schools
Ok, I have looked at the different schools, and am good at working on my own. I am 9 credits away from being a Registered Health Information Tech. So I have Medical Terminology, Anatomoy and Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, already among my knowledge base. I just don't have the $3000 to put into a transcription course that I know is going to just reiterate most of what I already know. I want to know if Career Step would be adequate enough for me to be Hirable as a transcriptionist?
Thanks for any input that you might be able to give me!
re: Schools
Thank You!
Schools??
I'm an MT-wannabe and I have a few questions:
What are the "Top 3" schools?
Are tech schools really that much better than online schools?
Does anyone know anything about Penn Foster online? They're nationally and regionally accredited. Does this make them a "better" online school?
I appreciate any and all feedback on this. TIA!
MT Schools
I just want to let everyone and anyone that is looking for a good MT school not to go the TechSkills. When I started with the school there were several things that I was not told up front which could have affected me later. I wanted to pass this information on because I wish someone had informed me. Please pass this information to anyone looking for a MT school. Have a good day!!!
Schools
I posted above about schools but I thought I would address you directly. I went to two different schools. My first was Professional Career Development back in 2000 I finished. Had a hard time finding work like others and decided to take a refresher course at TechSkills. I have completed that course and received my certificate but it was more that I expected and more than what I was told. So if you as me do not pick TechSkills. Hope this helps!!
Look at other schools...
I am attending At-home right now. Almost done in fact but there are way better schools out there. I attended college first to earn a degree for medical office which would have included med. transcription. Unfortunatly, I had to move and dropped out.
I do have a job right now working at home and have two main accounts. My point is that I had a college education before I started At home. I would have prefered to finish in school but due to a complicated pregnancy and lack of income due to having to leave my job I could barely afford At home.
There are many many other that are better. Many will help place you. At home gives you a book on how to start out but that is about it.
Schools
I recently graduated from Career Step and I started working within a couple of weeks. They are now AAMT approved. They do offer a payment plan, that's what I did, it wasn't too bad compared to the other schools. Good luck.
schools
Thanks, I have been looking at Career Steps, but yet again the payment plan is more than I can do at this time. I also contacted M-Tec, and the same thing with them.
Thanks
Donna
MT schools
Hello,
I have been looking at two different MT schools, and was hoping to get some opinions. The two I am looking at are Career Step and TNI. If anyone has gone to these or has any feedback please let me know. I would really appreciate it.
Thanks
Schools
I went to Everett CC online, that uses Career Step materials, but you also have teachers, deadlines, and lots of interaction with other students. I found it to be an awesome program and have been offered three jobs this week just graduated in August. My testing and good references must speak for themselves. My job right now pays well and I get a very good cpl. So I would have to disagree about the Career Step program.
Top schools??
I am intrested in MT -- So what are the top schools to go to?? I want to try to get off in the right direction.
Thanks,
Cassandra
Only schools I would consider (sm)
Career Step, M-Tec, Andrews. They are the only three that are endorsed by the AAMT (if that really means much) and have proven to be the schools that prepare students to be gainfully employed after finishing the course.
What schools were they?
That you hired from before that did not work out, as I am currently researching on-line courses for MT and need to know which schools are reputable. Thanks
Can you email me your answer thanks.
to: louisem@cinci.rr.com
Schools
Would that apply to someone who did this type work for approximately 6-7 years way back all through the 60's? I was trained by 12 physicians in a small hospital and did the "whole nine yards" -- meaning Radiology Reports, Op Notes, Labor and Delivery Records, H&P's, Discharge Summaries, Consults, etc. for 12 physicians (being the only transcriptionist). I've tried to stay current with this field by going back to school to take only the terminology part (in a Community College -- GPA 4.0). And I try to keep abreast of what is going on by checking this site along with others regarding transcription on an almost daily basis. What do I need to do to get back into this career? I did take the PCDI course before learning it was not one of the accepted ones.
MT Schools
This is for any one who is looking to become a medical transcriptionist. Everette Community College in Everette Washington has an excellent online MT program it is an accreditted school, and offers financial aide. As we all know, MT schools can be very expensive and all the $ sure helps. You can live any where in the US and take this couse. Get a FASFA grant and there ya go.
There are two of these schools...
One is Allied Health Schools and the other is just plain Allied Medical Schools. I have read all of the info on Allied Medical Schools and also on MTec and Career Step and they are all the same. They all teach the same thing and are accredited by the AAMT. So I figure how different can they be. Is there anyone out there who has went to Allied Medical School? If so can you tell me if things went OK for you in the job market or not. I am just curious is all. I am not down grading what you wrote to me. I just think that not all of them can be bad. If they were then there wouldn't be so many people out there working doing MT. I know that not all of them grad. from just those couple of schools that everyone here has mentioned as the best and the only one that you can go to in order to get hired by someone. Please don't take offense to this.
Schools
Does anyone know any good schools in South Carolina? I've been looking into tech schools and wondered if they're any good. What about Gatlin Education services, Ed2go, Jer Courses? And what courses/schools are good if I want to work locally after graduation?
MT Schools
You might start at http://www.aamt.org/scriptcontent/mtapproved.cfm. They have a list of schools approved by the AAMT for MT education.
Top Schools
Does anyone know if any of the top 3 schools have a shortened program for someone with 1 year experience? I have 1 year of experience in family practice and went through a medical transcription program, but not at one of the top 3 schools. I already have invested a lot of money, but I know see how hard it is to get another job unless you have attended one of the 3 top schools.
schools
I did not go to one of the top 3 schools and I got a job as soon as I finished my online course. I'm making good money (though working a lot of hours) and I've gotten a raise already. Also, a healthy quarterly bonus. I love the company I'm with. I work from home.
top 3 schools
Career Step, Andrews, and M-Tec.
I can provide more info on Career Step if you would like. Let me know!
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