Best way to start working immediately after grad is Andrews School or M-TEC online. nm
Posted By: deb on 2008-01-05
In Reply to: Want to start MT course this month - becca from mi
x
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
I did a community college certificate and immediately started working as an IC
I always recommend the community college route because it is VERY inexpensive compared to the MT schools. You can always do an MT school after your community college work if you think you really need it.
I am NOT a certified medical Transcriptionist (CMT) because that can only be obtained through AAMT. I DO have a certificate of completion of the MT course through my community college though. I have found it to be more than adequate for me to work as an IC MT, and my teacher has been very willing to help me with problems and questions that I can't figure out myself through these wonderful MT boards!
Good luck!
NEW GRAD WITH A JOB! YES, IT CAN & DOES HAPPEN! I'M NOT AN ANDREWS OR M-TEC GRAD!
I just wanted to share that I'm a new grad from EvCC/CS (Everett Community College utilizing CareerStep courseware), and I GOT A JOB! I'm IC status doing straight transcription and start working from home June 1st! I was offered .08 cpl, 24-hour TAT, and no ESL!
I'm posting my news here for a couple of reasons:
1. I want all the new grads out there job hunting to see that there are companies out there willing to hire you! I applied to only 4 companies, and I got this job on day 18 of my job hunt!
2. I'M NOT AN Andrews OR M-Tec GRAD! I believe those are probably great schools, but they are not the only schools that produce grads who get jobs! I graduated with high honors and earned real transferable college credits. If MT work does decline in the future and I need training in a different field, my credits will follow me.
I do believe getting that first MT job is about being in the right place at the right time! I also feel very lucky to have only applied to 4 places before landing this job, but my training played a huge part in that "luck." This company requires 100% on their employment tests, and without the great training I received, there is no way I would have made 100%.
In the end, great training, determination, hard work, and great networking skills will get you an MT job!
Another Andrews grad
I graduated from Andrews a few months ago. I cannot speak with any authority on the experiences of other schools' graduates, but I can tell you that doors were opened for me just based on my Andrews graduation. I heard comments from recruiters that were very complimentary and tested at companies who, according to them, do not consider newbies unless they are Andrews grads.
I found it to be a very comprehensive learning experience, and I felt very prepared to begin working on my very first night as an MT. I also got the job I wanted, instead of the job I settled for.
I am a recent Andrews Grad.
I finished the course in 9 months. It is at-your-own pace to a degree. You do have a time period to turn in each assignment--but it is completely doable. I graduated, started sending out resumes the next day and landed a job the day after that. I am very pleased with my choice. Just my 2 cents.
Ever see a disgruntled Andrews or M-TEC grad? Didn't think so.
I have compared me education with people from those schools. There IS no comparison. Real books, read teachers/advisers. The people who founded the schools actually have a part in running the schools and interacting with students/grads.
If all these extra programs are needed to transition CS students into the workforce, obviously they aren't trained as well as grads of Andrews and M-TEC.
The best advice is to start with the job leads your school gives you.
They will know who is willing to hire and train their graduates.
financial aid for MT online school
I am currently pursuing a career in medical transcription. I have been searching the net for over six months for an online course. I have applied to Fafsa "Pell Grant" for many schools which offer the online transcription course. Unfortunately all of the courses are listerd under "continuing education" which apparently is not covered by federal funds.  At this time I am unable to pay for my education, but it is something I want badly. If anyone out there knows of any online MT schooling that can covered by financial aid, please let me know. Also, if anyone knows of any funding that is available for this course, that would help me tremedously.
Try a good online school -
I graduated from M-Tec in 2001, had numerous offers to test before my actual graduation, passed all the tests I took (I believe it was 4),and had a job before I even had my diploma in my hand. I have been happily employed at home doing acute care ever since! Check them out! :-)
local or online school?
I live in Spokane, WA, and I'm considering studying MT
to become a transcriptionist. I am very much attracted to the idea of studying at home at my own pace. I am deciding
between 3 distance learning schools:
1. Andrews 2. M-Tec 3. Career Step
I have read that Andrews and M-Tec are very good (both
cost under $4,000) and that Career Step doesn't prepare one well for the MT profession (costs under $2,000).
After I spoke to a former student at the Spokane
Community College MT program she advised that she wouldn't spend more than $1,500 on the MT training and strongly recommended Spokane Community College.
Here's my dilemma:
The SCC program takes 4 quarters. If I signed up on January 3, 2008, I would be done at the end of 2008 - the program takes the whole calendar year.
The online options are self-paced, and because I only work part-time, I imagine I would be done a lot sooner, maybe in 6 months.
The former student at the SCC also explained that if I attend a local program = Spokane CC, I will have a much better chance of getting a job locally.
However, at this point in time I don't know if I will be staying in Spokane for the foreseeable future (it depends on my husband's job situation) and might be moving out of Spokane sometime at the second half of 2008.
I have a Master's degree in English. I'm mentioning this because I know a good portion of a MT program is language study.
Would you please give me advice on what to do? Take the Spokane Community College course or one of the expensive online options?
Thank you very much.
online medical transcription school
Do you know of any legit online medical transcription school that I can consider ? I really want to do this but seems like all of the schools out there cost an arm and a leg and can not afford to take out so much loan and be in such debt espcially it's not even paying much after I graduate.
Please help me if anyone know of a good, reasonable school I can apply to. Thank you so much.
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.
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.
Andrews School
I am a current student at Andrews and I can tell you that there is a reason why this school is highly recommended, it is a great course. The boards are private because the students want it that way. There are not any students complaining about the program, because there is nothing to complain about. It is an exceptional program. The Andrews culture is very diverse. It is a positive, supportive, and extremely kind group of people. The program is well structured. The instructors are very professional. You are only required to participate in the instructional forums. If you do not wish to participate in the social forums you are not required to. If you are looking for a program with no extra nonsense this is it. I urge you to contact Linda Andrews, she is very easy to talk to and will answer your questions completely and honestly. I love attending the Andrews school and I am confident it is the best MT education available.
Andrews School
Before I enroll I want to hear from people who have actually received employment from this school. I went to PCDI and actually worked for a year but I cannot get employment at all. I have been looking local and on the net. I liked the job I had but the work ran out and no one else will hire me. If anyone has anything good or bad I would like to hear it.
Andrews School
I am a student at Andrews, and I would be offended by your comments if I didn't know better. Have you ever called Linda? If you had you would not feel uneasy about her being the contact person. She is a lovely person, very easy to talk to, and she will answer any questions you have. You have choices with your payment plan. She never asked me to pay upfront, and Andrews doesn't charge interest on your student loan. Linda is a very involved with the students. She follows every student's progress. I think the only reason you would feel uneasy about Linda Andrews or Andrews School is because you haven't talked to her. In my opinion, Andrews is indeed promising, to say the least.
Andrews School
I have been a student at Andrews for 7 months. During that time, several people have graduated and have found employment within weeks of graduating. Some of those people were off QA in 4-5 weeks. I have never come across anyone that has anything negative to say about his or her experience with this school.
The Andrews School
There is a thread below discussing schools and employers and why they may test and hire new graduates. I can give a definitive answer for our school.
The Andrews School does not receive monies from any employer for any reason. They test and often hire our graduates because they want to test and hire them. I don't have any hiring arrangements with any employer. I hope that helps a little with the discussion. I don't keep track of what other schools do. They will have to answer for themselves.
M-Tec vs Andrews School
I am getting ready to start classes for MT and i've been trying to do as much research as possible. I think i've narrowed the schools down to M-Tec or Andrews but I would love everyones opinion on which school would give me a better education.
Thanks!
Andrews School or M-TEC are the two best. NM
x
Question about Andrews School...
Hello.
I am considering becoming an MT. If I do decide to attempt to enter into this profession, I have decided that I want to attend Andrews for my MT training. I have read numerous people say that once you have finished with Andrews, if you really apply yourself, you will have the equivalent of 2 years actual working experience. Personally, this seems unrealistic. Would anyone here say that it’s true that if you do well at Andrews that you will be at a similar level with an MT who has 2 years experience? I have read that it is quite typical to have the 2- year-experience-requirement waived if you have completed your training at Andrews, but beyond that, is it at all realistic to think that a newly-hired Andrews graduate will be able to hit the ground running, and be very confident in his/her abilities.
I realize that this is somewhat of a strange question because everyone’s different, and not every Andrews graduate is going to be at the same level after their training, but I’m talking in general terms.
It would really be quite the motivator knowing that, although the studying and practicing will be tough, I’m going to be able to rock-n-roll when I get through, and there will be less of a learning curve upon being hired.
I do realize that, regardless of where you get your training that the “real world” always presents different challenges than what you prepared for in school.
I have all of the tuition money saved and I’m ready to get started, however, before I spend the money, I really want to cover all my bases.
Thanks so much for any advice that you can offer. 
Is the Andrews School accredited sm
so I can get a student loan to attend? The guy at the bank asked this question and I am not sure even after going to their website. Thanks for any info.
It depends on the school you went to. If you went to Andrews or
M-Tec you stand a good chance of getting a job. If you took one of the cheaper courses like At Home Professions your chances aren't very good at getting an at-home position, but you might get a position in a local clinic or a hospital. Does your school not offer job placement?
Post your resume on the various job boards.
Frankly you would have been better staying with coding as there seems to be a pretty good demand for that and you'll make more money with coding.
They are not a good school; try Andrews or M-TEC
x
Andrews School and M-TEC are the absolute best schools.
Career Step is a distant third. Any other are not worth the money and nobody will waive the 2-year's experience for any schools but those.
Need advice from current or former Andrews School students
Hello,
My daughter wants to go to school to become an MT and wants me to recommend the best school. I've been an MT for 10 years and went to a community college, but she needs an online school. I have heard on this board that Andrews is one of the best schools.
Could anyone who has experience with this school tell me about their experience, whether the school is work-at-your-own pace, and just their general likes/dislikes about the school, and most of all--do you feel it prepared you well to begin your career (for those who have graduated and started working). I would appreciate any info so much!
Thanks so much!!! 
Try asking the school directly. Both Andrews & M-TEC have some sort of assistance programs, not sure
x
it will start low
I started with $200 or less every 2 weeks when I started. Currently, I make around $500+ every two weeks. That's good for me considering I am just doing this part time while taking care of my baby. Hopefully, I can bring that figure up.
Start looking now
It won't hurt to start looking now. I'd go ahead and start sending out resumes and test with any company that will allow you to test with them. One of the most important things companies need to know is that you have skills and a good base background. Actual experience in the market will come after you land that first MT job. Good luck to you.
Where did you start?
Where do newbies get their start? I have been applying everywhere, but everyone wants 2 years experience.
HELP!
Possible start...
I took the classes, graduated high in my group, etc. And I was facing the same problem; nobody wants a newbie that they have to babysit. I actually got my foot in the door through a temporary staffing agency, working in the medical clinic at the county jail. After that, I was on a role -- 1 more in-house position and now I'm an independent contractor. There are companies out there that will take a chance with a newbie (the lady that picked me up on contractor status, for example) and be very patient with them until they learn the ropes.
Don't ever give up (I've been fighting for this for 12 years now, and am finally able to say that I have 2 years under my belt)!
Where/how to start?
Hello,
I am currently looking to find a part-time at home transcription job. I have been endlessly looking at all different websites and just am not sure how to apply myself and what is real or a scam. I've been working as a full-time Certified Ophthalmic Assistant for the past 10 years as well as transcribing consult letters and in office surgical procedure reports. Though my work experience is all Ophthalmology, I do hold an Associates Degree in Office Technology with courses that included machine transcription, medical/legal terminology, business english, etc... I also took a refresher course last year in Medical Transcription. It was a 59 hour course which included medical terminology, typing with daily timed testing and actual transcription from taped dictations. I would really like to expand my experience and skills but am leary on who would consider me with my lack of experience in anything other than Ophthalmology. My speed was estimated to be 65-70 wpm but I have been trying to keep up on it with timed testing and practice. My accuracy was about 95%. Most places seem to want higher speed. I know I can learn and get my typing up to speed and accuracy. I am willing to do what it takes as I could really use the extra income. Any help to go in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. I just don't know where to begin.
Thank you.
new grad
I see I left out the word
'hire' in my post!
Jewels
I'm a soon to be VLC grad...
... I've had no problems with the VLC. The instructors are wonderful, especially Carol. The tech team has always been helpful if I needed them. My materials came as scheduled, maybe a few days late but I live in a very rural area so wasn't expecting them on the EXACT date.
I've found the course to be very good. I've already tested for several companies, though I am a few days shy of completing the course, and have been told I am testing very well.
One thing about the VLC is you make your own deadlines, ect. and you will get out of it what you put in. Don't just rule out VLC because one person had a shipment problem.
New grad pay
I started as a new grad doing acute care at 7.5 cents a line. This was a year and a half ago with a large national. However, I think a new grad should be careful not to set expectations too high if they want to get a job.
CS grad here...
I have posted on here before about my experience with CS, it was all good.
I had NO problems getting a job right after school, or getting new jobs since. I think it was money well spent. :)
CS grad
I am a CareerStep grad. Their course is at your own pace. There were no mandatory online classes at all. There were chats that you could participate in, but they had little bearing on the actual course material. There are no instructors; you compare all your course work to a computer program. If your answers do not match verbatim what is in that program you then have to decide whether your answer is correct and phrased differently or wrong. Student support is available by phone and email. Looking at my email logs, I sent in 26 questions/concerns. I got 18 replies. There is a student forum, but any question you post there is typically answered by fellow students. I got through the course in 9 months, but I did work a full-time job during the course. I chose not to pay extra for the job assistance package and found a position through networking on a forum outside of the course.
I did get a job within a short time of graduating, but I trained with 2 M-Tec grads and an Andrews grad. They were way ahead of me from a newbie point of view. I felt like I was constantly swimming upstream just to keep up with them. I ended up getting some of the workbooks they had in their courses and studying at night which helped a lot. In retrospect, I probably should have taken a harder look at the course content and given less weight to the cost issue when choosing a school.
I hope I answered each of your questions, and best of luck to you with what ever course you choose.
M-TEC grad
M-TEC can be completed in various amounts of time. It just depends on how much time you invest daily. I started on May 23, 2006 and graduated on December 10, 2007. I had a lot of things interrupt my studies, but I still graduated before needing an extension. However, extensions are available on a month-to-month basis if you need more time than 18 months to graduate. The course is great, the instructors are knowledgeable and very helpful. All in all M-Tec is the best! Good luck!
M-TEC grad
As an M-Tec grad, I can assure you that we have incredible marketability, and did you know that M-TEC currently has a 100% placement rate of their grads? (I'm sure Andrews' rate is just as good too though - helpful, huh! hehe)
I have never gotten an "Andrews is #1" vibe; the vibe I've always had is the "Andrews and M-TEC are THE top schools" vibe. You cannot go wrong with either school, but M-TEC gets my vote. :)
CAI grad
Hi Erica. I'm a CAI grad and I have 2 friends that are also CAI grads. I loved the course. The director is great about answering any and all questions. They have a great message board for students. They also were very helpful with job placement. Good luck to you!
CAI Grad
I graduated last June and had a job within a week and a half. It is a really good program, easy to follow home study. I needed no additional guidance. When I took the course it was done in 6 months, now I think they give you a year for the same program. More than enough time. I really enjoyed the class. The dictations at the end are tough, but they are trying to train you for the worst of the worst.
NEW GRAD
DO NOT let her apply with TOTH Transcription. They hire anybody, particularly new grads to just type the work, but you will never see a pay check. TOTH is a scam operation. You have to trust me on that.
Look on the forum for all the complaints against Toth Transcription.
New Grad
I did graduate with a certificate in medical transcription. Any help would be appreciated, although from all of the boards I have read it look like you have to be in the right place at the right time. I guess everyone eventually gets that first job.
New Grad Help
 Help! How did everyone get their start in the MT business? I just graduated from Penn Foster and I have a medical office background and have worked as a medical claims insurance analyst for 14 years. I have applied to every online MT business I can find, but with no luck. Does anyone have an ideas?
Thanks
Kim
Sorry, but I am a CS grad. I can
of the education one receives there, but also to their business partnerships with the companies that are paid for everyone student that signs up with CS. I can attest to the fact that Andrews and M-Tec provide a more comprehensive MT education than CS does because I train new MTs. Our company no longer hires CS grads because they require far more remedial training and mentoring than grads from the other 2 programs.
This is a good start for you (sm)
In light of the fact that you are new, this is an excellent rate of pay with a reasonable (generous, really) production requirement, even though you may not be able to meet it at first.
Add 20-25% to it for the benefits and you'll be making more on the lines of $13.08. As an on-site employee you will not have to pay self-employment tax or overhead.
When people scoff at this rate of pay, remember that everyone starting out in a new career field starts at the bottom. You have to work your way up. As an MT, your value lies in your ability to produce quantity work while maintaining high quality. Newbies aren't able to produce much while maintaining quality.
The incentive pay makes this better, and if it has good benefits, then you're doing well.
The most important thing about this job is that it will give you experience. You NEED that experience. If you can get it while being paid hourly, so much the better.
Unless someone scoffing at this can produce a job for you which pays better, do not listen to them.
If you do not have a job and you need a job, you are in no position to be turning one down because it doesn't pay top dollar. Take this job and do your best with it.
Is this a good start
I've heard Sten-Tel is a good starting company, is that true? I need to gain experience. I recently finished up an internship, but need 1-2 yr experience to be able to work in clinics or hospitals in my area. So I thought if I could work online at home PT or FT(I need to make around $400/mo to pay all my bills) for a year, then I could start applying again at the hospitals... anyone have any good leads?
start up costs
to start up, you need a medical spellchecker loaded in your PC, electronic version of Quick Look Drug Book, high speed internet and Google. You will probably need to get some version of a .wav player in order to test. And for goodness sake, you don't go buying reference books full price at Barnes & Noble's. You get them used through the classified ads on MT sites and you only buy the ones that relate to your specialty. At this rate, you'll never be out of debt.
I would start with PT. Good way to
get your speed up, familiarize yourself with macros. Easy work - no drugs or labs, usually no ESL, lots of repetition. Start with PT and then go from there.
So it's better to start out in the clinic
area rather than the hospital setting? How do you find clinics who are hiring? I look in the paper and I don't see any.
I start Jan 8.....more inside
I start with the tech call on the 8th, training on the 9th, and begin work on the 10th. Any insight no how to start off great? Any recommended reference books? Are you employed with them?
Jill
Start in-house!
Meryl, I can't believe no one answered your post! If you are new, I highly recommend that you start in-house, as a lot of us did. You can get the help you need starting out. Benefits are usually good working in a hospital or doctor's office.
If you don't see any jobs in the newspaper locally, put out some feelers. I got my best job, one I have been doing for 13 years, at my daughter's oral surgeon's office. I mentioned I do transcription and asked who did theirs. Turned out the bookkeeper did it when she had time.
It is difficult to work at home just starting out due to the lack of the support you need.
Good luck, Meryl. We all wish you the best.
|
