Current and former students from all schools and programs -
Posted By: I have some questions, please. (sm) on 2008-10-16
In Reply to:
I would prefer to discuss via email as I don't want input from those who have not attended any of the MT educational programs and I don't want to incite arguments, etc.
I just need some answers and insight on your experience, etc. I have some questions I can send to you and would truly appreciate your input.
Thx
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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!!! 
CAI School - Any Current Students/Recent Graduates?
Hi Everyone: Have any of you ever heard of the CAI School of Medical Transcription? Any current students or graduates out there? I've been checking out their website and they seem to have a terrific program. I've searched the archives and the last posting on this school was from 2006. It got rave reviews then, just checking on the school now. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! FYI, the website address is http://www.caihometype.com
Unfortunately, the schools who hold "seminars" are the ones who rip off students. sm
It will be very difficult (but not impossible) to find a job with an "education" from those shysters. You will definitely be able to get a job after completing the program from Andrews or M-TEC, the money is worth it. Many companies waive the 2-year experience requirement and will let you take their employment test (which you should have no trouble passing) if you attend Andrews or M-TEC. Sorry you got suckered, but you're certainly not the first! (and unfortunately won't be the last)
There is current, you just need to know how
to search. Haven't heard anything good about them.
current company
So, if you were offered a job and not going to take it, mind sharing what company it is? I'm looking for work. I'll take what I can get!
I'm a current student
And now I'm worried after reading some of these responses. I only chose this program because it had a better price then some other ones out there (about $400 for a certificate program versus $2300 for another one that came with a "free" laptop). Unfortunately, money is tight for me so I had to factor that into my decision. Now I'm wondering if I'm going to be able to find work with my "education" from them...
Are you at the current doc's office all day long? sm
I was thinking that if he wants you to transcribe from his office, could you get that done in a couple of hours, and then go home to work from there? I started my "home work" with one doc. She raved about me so much that all her doc friends called me to get me to work for them. Sit down with your doc and feel him out. He could be a real help to you! Good luck!
It would be nice if there were current info
in the archives. I just joined them. I've asked on this forum myself about SGS and got no better answer. For the most part thus far, they seem basically okay, though not so quick to respond to questions/concerns.
Current MTEC Student
Robyn,
I'm a current MTEC student hopefully getting ready to graduate in 2 months and I would 100% recommend the school. You made a great choice. It is intense, but by the end you will be a wonderful transcriptionist. They do train well. Good luck in your studies. 
Their current ad on the other board says they're hiring
s
students unite
Anyone else out there taking the At-home professions medical transcriptionist course? As you can see many transciptionists have a network of other transcriptionists to ask questions. If anyone is interested in having a sounding board and being a sounding board I would be glad to buddy up. I am in the 5th course 42 lesson and I am finding some of the verbage difficult to understand due to the foreign accents and various other crap on the dictation and I speak spanish and understand it as well, So I am used to listening for this type of thing. Maybe I am just crazy but if your are looking for help I have a 98% in the course. IM me or email me - if we are all set up on IM we can have pretty much immediate answers if we know them- otherwise it is back to the message boards.
Support for AHP students and graduates
I would like to get any support or encouragement from other people who have either completed the AHP course or are currently taking it. I have read so many negative comments in here about the program. I am about 3/4 through the MT course and am now getting a little worried. Please share your stories and job searches to give the rest of us some hope. If all you have is negative comments, please keep them to yourself. This is meant to be a support group. Thanks!
Sometimes hire students before they graduate. nm
x
calling all M-Tec students/grads...
How many hours a week did it take any of you to complete the Tier 1-Premier program in 12 months or LESS? Is it possible to still work 30 hrs/wk and do this?
New Grads and students beware
DO NOT WORK FOR TOTH TRANSCRIPTION. They will not pay you, and they prey on new grads. There have been MANY people come forward claiming the same thing. They are a complete scam. Take my warning, do not work for them.
oops!...can't take on anymore students/trainees ...nm
.
Andrews teaches Canadian students.
Same goes for Andrews -- you can train with them from Canada and they have a number of Canadian students.
The suggestion to call the directors and talk to them is a good one. The schools teach much the same material and achieve the same ends.
Andrews does have an entrance exam, so be sure to take that first. Some find the decision much easier after that . . . :)
HHELP! Any MAC computer students/MTs out there studying? or working?
there?? I was strongly leaning towards M-Tec for schooling, and just read you can't use a MAC computer while studying there. I can't afford to switch over to a PC right now.
Has anyone found that using a MAC handicapped them?
Please advise! TIA! -Anne
Career Step students PAY to train for Spheris
"Beginning in 2005, a select group of Career Step students will be offered the opportunity to participate in the exclusive Spheris Training Track. The Spheris Training Track has been designed around Career Step’s proprietary medical transcription training program. Portions of the training program have been tailored to meet the specific training and hiring requirements of Spheris." So goody. YOU pay Career Step for your Spheris training.
The solution then would be for potential students to contact the employers
If someone wants to work at home for a national company, contact them. If you want to work on site for a local hospital, contact them.
My bet is that the national services and some of the other large services will prefer certain schools and will not test others. I'll also bet that the local hospitals will have never heard of any medical transcription school and will prefer the school down the street. Of course they may not hire new graduates, so once that person graduates from the school down the street, they may have to go to work for a private physician's office for a couple of years. Do you disagree with that?
Spheris used to hire Career Step students nm
nm
A really good school won't need to have "specials" to reel in students.
Sometimes they even have a waiting list, despite being more expensive. It's because they are so much better. You get what you pay for. Check out all the desperate posts on this and other MT boards of people who saved money by choosing cheaper courses and now can't get a job.
Doesn't land her a check when she sends potentia students away
Private schools have the luxury of not having to enroll people when they know they can't do the work. Public schools do. Private school managers, owners, or directors can be honest with you and tell if you if they don't think you can type or spell well enough and would be wasting their time and your money.
MT Programs
I'm currently a Transcriptionist and a friend of mine wanted to get into the profession, however she had a question that I could not answer. Is anyone familiar with if you are able to use Pell grants towards an MT school? I figured I'd ask everyone here!
TIA
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.
typing programs
I used this website www.typingtutor.com and it was very helpful. You said you were using a MAC? I don't believe you will be able to use that once you are working, and I think that is a problem with training with M-Tec because of the software they use.You can check with them, but I'm pretty sure I saw that on their website.
Shareware programs
She said this is a set up fee that is the responsiblility of the MT. She use to pay the fee, but some MTs will leave after they get better. There are some shareware programs that the client requries and she is charged a fee when she add a new user the system. Does this mean I am paying for work?
Shareware programs
Thank you for your help. :-)
These programs are not required...
These extra programs are not necessary. CS grads can get decent jobs without them. Some prefer to have the extra training. The STT program prepares the students to start work with Spheris at an acute care level.
I cannot compare my education to the other schools and I do agree that the other schools may be better for some. For me, I had a medical background which included transcription. I felt that I would be fine without the one-on-one interaction. If I did have problems with the something, I did pick up the phone and called CS. The staff was very friendly and helped anytime I needed it. I am now a grad and am currently trying to decide between four different job offers one week after graduation.
No it isn't. Their programs are written so you
only have to have an 8th grade education to be able to take them. My teen took a class through them and he knew more than what they were trying to teach and there was lots of misinformation in them.
The saying that you get what you pay for is true here. You'd just be wasting your money because your chances of getting a job without further education or finding a menitoring program are very slim.
Mentoring Programs
Has anyone heard of the AIM Mentoring Program thru Allstate Transcription? They are asking for $99.00 for the entire 12 week program with possible employment at the end. I am wondering if this is a route I should go since I am having trouble getting a job.
Mentoring Programs
For those of you who have tested for the mentoring programs through AIM and Meditec, about how long did it take for them to get back to you?
Thanks in advance. :)
mentoring programs
Does somebody know which MT employment companies have mentoring or internship programs? Thanks in advance.
Mentoring programs
I applied to a company called Accustat (www.accustat-mt.com) and they responded that they don't hire new graduates, but they do have a mentoring program. There is no fee to join the program and it does pay a little, but I would have to purchase some equipment that I don't currently have. They also require you to produce at a certain level or they will drop you, but they haven't told me how much they expect yet. I guess that is what makes me nervous about it. I just can't afford to make financial mistakes right now. Has any one been through Accustat's mentoring program?
OSI, Heartland Mentoring Programs
Just wondering if anyone has heard of these mentoring programs. I, too, am finding it hard to get a job with no experience. Are these programs worth it? Has anyone out there gone through these? Please give some friendly advice!
There are line count programs
available. If you use Word, you can go up to Tools, Word Count and take the characters w/spaces and divide by 65. That, of course, is assuming that you are paid for spaces - which some places do not do.
word expander programs
I am getting close to birthday time as well as graduation and want to ask for a word Expander program as a b-day present from my husband  Is there a decent priced one out there that still is easy to use and works well. I have heard of Smarttype but that is pretty expensive (though I hear well worth it) Are there any others
Intern/mentor programs
I am a recent graduate having difficulty finding employment. Would you recommend Allstate Transcription (AIM) or Meditec - both require a fee to join their programs but guarantee experience and if you reach the 98% accuracy rate, very high rate of employment opportunities.
I am not saying all apprenticeship programs are scams.
I am saying that in the not-so-distant past, the companies that wanted you to pay up front for training or wanted you to pay to work for them were scams. Now, I think that companies have found more effective way to defray the cost of, or in some cases profit from, hiring and training new grads. Yes, it is costly and time consuming to get a new grad up to speed as far as quality and productivity, but in the past, having a mentor train and provide feedback and guidance to a new grad was SOP. It was seen as an investment for the future in a way. Now some companies want you to pay them or to work for free during your "apprenticeship" which has made it even more difficult for the uniformed or the desperate to discern which companies are scams.
I have previously been advised not to post names of companies that do hire newbies because they get inundated with applicants that either do not have the requisite training or have no training at all. Also, most companies,especially the small to mid-size services, only hire grads intermittently because of the resources required to train them.
The very best resource for who hires graduates of your education program is the school itself. Often companies or MTSOs that have an opening or two for a trainee will contact the schools they know provide quality graduates ready to enter the job market. www.transcriptionresource.com has a rather comprehensive list of companies with links to many of their websites.
new mt mentoring programs or internships?
are there any good newbie MT mentoring programs out there? or internships?
thanks
Honestly, there are a number of MT programs that do
provide an education adequate enough to pass entry-level exams. If you went to one of these programs then you may need to take an honest look at your options.
There are a number of posts further down this page and in the archives regarding how to improve your chances during the application and testing process.
Don't do it! Do a search on the New MT board for recommended programs. nm
n
Very few provide. Most programs get loaded to your machine from CDs or
s
Not all foot pedals work with all programs - sm
so unless you are buying a digital player like Bytescribe or ExpressScribe, etc. there is really no point to just buying a foot pedal. You may buy a serial port one and land a job where only a USB port pedal will work (it happens). So far I have been lucky and my serial port pedal that I bought with Bytescribe has worked for all but 2 jobs I have had. The one job loaned me a footpedal, which I returned when I quit, and the other I had to purchase a USB pedal for Start/Stop, unfornately that one was probably a waste of money as I did not like their platform or the work so will probably end up selling it here or on ebay someday. --but if you need one so you can take tests then download the free version of Express Scribe and get the kind they recommend to work that (I use a 9-pin serial port pedal)-- though it would probably be smarter to get a USB pedal if it works with that as I think more companies use the USB pedal, though sometimes it is all in the set up of the program/foot pedal. Good luck.
...top 3 programs from this board or attend an actual
b
Requesting student info about MT programs, please.
I want to hear from recent students completing the MT programs - how did your MT program work? Was it all just work at your own pace? Did you have any classroom time or any time that you had to join an online class? Did you have good communication with your instructor(s)? Did they answer you timely? nything you would have like to have seen done differently in the program you chose? How long did it take you to complete it? Did they help you find a job?
I know I need the education to fill in the big holes on the little experience I have. I will be getting info from schools like Career Step and Andrews and MTEC but I would like to hear from anyone in or graduating from those programs, too.
Please feel free to e-mail me.
Thanks,
Roz
Any mentor programs that requir Vista
I have Vista and cant' find a Mentor program that is compatable with Vista. Can anyone help?
BT
Try asking the school directly. Both Andrews & M-TEC have some sort of assistance programs, not sure
x
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.
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