Can't forget the AAMT Book of Style II! Gotta have it for style/formatting, etc. nm
Posted By: Most want you to follow it. nm on 2007-03-05
In Reply to: List of books - mg
s
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- training - lauren
- List of books - mg
- Can't forget the AAMT Book of Style II! Gotta have it for style/formatting, etc. nm - Most want you to follow it. nm
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BOS stands for book of style. They
want you to use the BOS guidelines for transcribing. There isn't a template, but using things like daily instead of q.d., etc.
It's a style thing (nm)
x
It's CLIENT preference, not style....no message
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General critique on communication style
Perfect practice makes perfect.
I read postings from new or student MTs and I am appalled at the errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation and the like. When the old pro's use contractions or abbreviations, I presume they are doing it for the purpose of saving time. When newbies (a contraction of a sort)do so, I wonder if they are aware of the impression they are making. Why not practice doing it right?
If I were looking at this site for someone to hire, and I did so several months ago, I would not touch a lot of you, because either you do not have good communication skills, do not care, or do not take the time to make your postings look good. This, obviously, does not apply to everyone.
Transcription is not like instant messaging. I know what im means, but I do not want to see it from a transcriptionist, unless that Transcriptionist is instant messaging.
Just a suggestion, if you are a new transcriptionist, or aspiring to become a transcriptionist, practice doing it well. Read your posting to see if it looks good and is grammatically correct. Again, perfect practice makes perfect.
If I am totally off base with the above, I know lots of you out there will tell me.
Get a copy of your BOS II guide for style, work with an expander, use your resources to the max. nm
s
Get a copy of the BOS II for style guidelines and take medical terminology/anatomy classes at
s
Read back thru the Word Help and Style boards, too, to see answers to ?? others have. You'll lear
s
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.
Yes, the Rad book is good, as is the Ortho & Rehab words. A drug book helps or one on CD. Book mark
,
Sted's Ortho/Rehab Words, a lab word book, and at least 1 drug book. nm
s
The AAMT and the "Top Three" just feed each other - so-called approval by AAMT means nothing
a lot of community college programs are far better than the "top three." Just make sure you get plenty of actual dictation. If you don't have good grammar skills and aren't a literary-type person this may not be the field for you. I can't tell you the unbelievable applications I get for MT jobs - misspelled words, sloppy grammar, and how about those st*pid email addresses THEHOT1@aol.com, etc. Sheesh. If you're one of THOSE, then be prepared to look for a l o n g time to get your first job LOL
Even an "open book" tests requires you to look in your own book, not just as the guy next to y
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Formatting Questions?
I am looking into becoming a MT, can anyone tell if there are any other references or templates available for formatting a medical transcription document or is formatting info only outlined in the AAMT Book of Style? Also, are there different formats for different reports?
...or maybe even a 3rd if the different formatting doesn't
s
First of all, there are so many variables...work type, formatting, platform, etc. SM
It is possible to make that kind of money, but I would not expect that for a long, long time. Making money depends macros, focus, work type, pay for lph, not having to look things up (for me its drugs), stuff like that, but most of all be persistent. I have never made $40,000, but I know people who do.
this job is like most others; ya gotta..
climb the ladder, which takes years to get to the top rung (my analogy for compensation). Ditto to the poster who remarked about a change in attitude.
gotta add something
it might help if i said i was at 98.7%+ accuracy both times i was fired... then again, why do i feel the need to paint this person as such a (insert mean-spirited name-calling word here)? i guess i just needed to vent! thanks for listening
I've gotta ask...
How could you not know you were typing with the caps on? Were you looking at your fingers instead of the screen? Do you always do that?
gotta wonder why it's 1/2 price
x
Don't forget...new episode of House tonight!!!!
Don't forget radiology offices in your area.
Never know when they might need some part-time help. Or chiropractic offices. You might do other jobs as well, but variety isn't all bad.
M-TEC and Andrews are the two best. Forget about the approved schools ...
they approved Career Step despite the fact that it did NOT even meet their criteria!
Don't forget the Philippines, South Africa
Career Step has been training offshorees in the Philippines for over a year. They have a program in South Africa, also to take jobs from U.S.
Btw, Australia and Canada (where CS has training programs) are not really offshoring threats. There is some job interchange with U.S., but workers in these countries can not be hired for less than U.S. MTs.
Gotta know your stuff or you'll have to look up everything you hear. Must
s
Newbies, ya gotta learn one thing here...sm
you must be accurate in all typed correspondence. I had a newbie that asked about doing an internship I offered. Here is her actual response:
Yes I am definetly interested.
Thanks you.
Now how am I supposed to hire somebody like that? 
Gotta go thru all the posts here and on the Company board to see if you
s
Don't forget your local papers and local Temp. Agency or Manpower office. nm
s
book for MT
Go find "The Language of Medicine" and go through it chapter by chapter. It has a CD with it and do all of the tests, each worksheet, etc. That will give you a good start. I have been in the business for 17 years, and have taught from the bottom up, and have also taught MTs who had a solid MT certificate. I can say with all certainty that this is not an easy business by any means, but it is worth it. The first years I did MT work, we were paid hourly and I made decent money. Seventeen years later, I make great money, but without those years behind me and knowing every discipline of medicine, every tool used in surgery, every disease known to man, every laboratory value and study, ad nauseum, I would not be making the money I do at this point. If you are good and persistent, it is easy to make anywhere from $25 to $40 an hour in this field (with a good shortcut program, I prefer ShortHand 8). I have taught nurses, chiropractors, anyone with a medical background, and those were the people who needed the most help, not the ones who had gone to actual MT school, although they needed help too. With the ESL dictators, if you don't know the procedures, etc., being a fast typist with a basic medical background will not be of any help. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but honestly, do the schooling before you attempt this career and expect to be placed. Otherwise, try transcriptionmatchmaker.com and see what she can do for you.
Gastro book
I began transcribing for a gastroenterologist and I have to look up every other word. Does anyone know of a really helpful gastro terminology book?
 Thanks for any help.
gastro book
You need to get a GI/GU book from Stedmans, www.stedmans.com. I believe they are the best.
Has anyone read this book....?
Hello all-
I had gone to the AAMT site (now AHDI) and found the e-book entitled Getting Your Foot in the Door: Two Years' Experience Not Required. Before I purchase it, I wonder if any one has read it and if it had any good tips for an MT that does not have the 2 yrs that is spoken about so much.
Thanks in advance. 
Drug book
Stedmans Medical Dictionary is a good start. The drug books I use are Saunders and Quick Look Drug Book. The Quick Look is good for beginning as it has a lot of information in the appendix section and drugs listed by disease process in the back. The AAMT Book of Style is a "must have" as some companies require you to follow the guidelines in this book; this book you can study now and it will help you be a little ahead down the road when you start testing for jobs and working. Stedman's word books are good (each book for a different specialty), but you may want to hold off on getting any of these until you know what specialty you will be working in when you graduate. I do hospital acute care and so have the complete library of Stedman's word books.
I don't know how far you are in your schooling, but testing for different companies is the best way to know what you do not know and what to study.
I wish you luck in your schooling and hope it is a rewarding experience for you,
DJ
Another good book is
Grammar and Writing Skills for the Health Care Professional. You can get a used copy on Amazon for around $10 shipped. The Gregg Manual is also good ad you can find that used on Amazon for around $7 shipped. Good luck and don't get to discouraged, you'll learn over time what is acceptable in the "real world" of transcription.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0766812596/ref=dp_olp_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1220570885&sr=8-6
Which drug book do you prefer? NM
x
Which lab word book do you prefer?
Which lab word book do you prefer the Sloane one or Stedman's?
medical phrase book
What is the best medical phrase index, Stedman's, Vera Pyle, or Lorenzini.
which is best medical term book
Thanks much for the input.
in addition to the phone book
Go get 2 Rolodex's. They are cheap at any office supply store. Use one for medications and one for medical terms that are new to you. Also for a pharmaceutical book, the Monthly Prescribing Reference is free on line. Just Google it under that name and download it into your system. It will give you weekly updates to the drugs that are either being taken off the market or being put on the market. It's the drug book physicians use and far superior to any book that has to be renewed year after year.
That is a book that is part with the CareerStep Course.
You would only need it if you are a text student. Otherwise, it is a unit in the online course.
Grammar Text Book
Hey sm, just looked for that book on Amazon and there are quite a few different Little Brown Handbooks, could you tell me the ISBN#, author and edition? Thanks.
The AAMT.
x
and since WHEN is AAMT the BE ALL of anything?
AAMT BOS
If someone tells you to use the AAMT BOS for a test do they mean just as far as grammar and spelling, etc., or do they mean there is a certain template and setup for the test?
AAMT BOS
Are you following the AAMT Book of Style? I failed the first time I took it also and it was because I did not use this book. I purchased the book and passed!
AAMT BOS
I just did my externship at a site that would not let me use the AAMT BOS third edition. They explained that it has to be reviewed by their review board. They explained that those books are made to make them money. They do, however, standby the AAMT BOS second edition.
I was so excited to have the newest version, too! Oh well, I know there will be a day down the road where I'll be thankful in having it!
Good pathology book recommendation?
Can anyone recommend an easy to use pathology book? Needto brush up. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
buy...couldn't resist! :) LOL...great book though. NM
d
I usually update the drug book every other year as I
use it so often and there are new drugs all the time. Equipment books I update about the same as there is always new equipment coming out. Other books I don't update as often, depends on how much I use a particular specialty.
New Saunders 2008 Drug Book
Just received it in the mail yesterday. I get a new one every year and sell the old one either to coworkers or on Ebay.
M-TEC is AAMT approved
M-TEC would get my vote, because they are the only school that has been approved by the American Association for Medical Transcription.
Have you contacted the AAMT yet? sm
Have you contacted the AAMT yet? They have a message board on their website, and I believe they have a totally volunteer mentoring program.
A lot of new MTs who ask for mentors in public forums run into people who want to be paid, or who want you to work for free, or goodness only knows what.
It is not necessary or desirable to pay a mentor.
If you go through the AAMT program, or at least ask on their boards, you'll be more likely to find an experienced, reputable MT who can mentor you without charge or obligation.
Good luck to you!
Redpen
Andrews School
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