Don't waste your money on Penn Foster.

• Working from home - Tasha
  • Scoping Training Available - Guest
  • online testing - Keri
    • focus informatics - Lisa
      • right - Keri
        • Still... - Lisa
  • Do you have any MT training? - nm
    • some..... - Tasha
      • It will depend on what course you are taking. - Most companies only hire from 3 schools. nm
  • There are a few companies out there... - Eric
    • Thank you - Tasha
      • Absolutely do not take Penn Foster. - me
      • Don't waste your money on Penn Foster. - If you want to work as an MT...

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Hi,

I just came across this wonderful site!

I'm  planning a career in Medical Transcription & would like to know if anyone could recommend an accredited online/correspondence school. (if there is one out there) 

I've received mailings from Penn Foster - formally Education Direct.  Is anyone familiar with them?

Thanks for your time,

Christy

Thanks for the info, I had a feeling she should look further.  I had already given my recommendations, but she chose to go this way.  Luckily she had not paid yet, and is now going to re-think this carefully before jumping in again.

Thanks again!

I took my training from there, it was actually Eduction Direct when I started. Am not impressed at all with what I recieved to try and get a job in the "real world." If at all possible, I would have my friend try to get into another training program even if it is more expensive. I've read a couple listed here..andrew's and another one-can't remember the name. I'm just happy I didn't foot the bill for the course as I got it through a job retraining situation. I'm doing general transcription while trying to get more training for MT.

Hope that helps.

Hi,

Has anyone out there graduated from Penn Foster Career school and had any trouble getting work?

Thanks!

Hi :)  I graduated from there this year.  It is difficult to get a job in Med Transcription if you didn't graduate from the Med-tech, Career Step, or Andrews.  Penn Foster has ads from MRTservices and MediVoxx on their website.  You might want to try one of those.  However, they didn't work out for me, and I tested with both. 

I think MRT was having human resource problems because some new girl took over the position, made me resend all of my tests and then never got back to me.  The first person I was in contact with said I had done well on them.

MediVoxx is a pain to apply for.  I never got my interview, and I think that is partially why I "messed up" on my test.  I didn't do that bad.  For instance, she marked me off for putting "she's" instead of "she is."  Then, she marked me off for putting "Marsha's" and then corrected it by putting "Marsha's" right next to it.  I was wondering what was wrong what the correction was.

I think that the course was good except for the ACTUAL transcription part, which is obviously the most important.  That part was very unorganized, and I didn't like most of the instructors, especially that one guy.

I think I found a good place to work.  I'm doing more testing on Monday.  Email me for details.  I don't want to put it on here. 

Also, you might want to try Focus Infomatics.  I tested there last week, and they called me, but I'm more interested in this other place.  Plus, the posts on here about Focus scared me.

You only have to have an 8th grade education to make you eligible for their courses, so that should tell you right off the bat it can't be that good of a program.  My teen son took a course through them (not MT) and it was very poorly written and the information wasn't always accurate.

It is a cheap program, but you get what you pay for. 

probably one of the worst schools.  I have not seen their MT program, by my 15-YO took one of their other courses.  The only requirement needed to take any of their courses is to have an 8th grade education.  From my son's books that I have seen they are not well written.

I would recommend trying to get an in-house position, taking another course, or find a legitimate menitoring program. 

I am asking on behalf of a potential new Transcriptionist student about Penn Foster Career School.  Does anyone have any positives or negatives about them and their medical transcription training?

Thanks in advance!

I took their course and will not recommend it to anyone.  First of all, they fail to tell you is that most companies won't hire you if you don't have at the very least 2 years experience not including school.  And a lot want even more than that.  It took me almost a year to find a job and for many others I've read about a lot longer.   If you research on the boards you'll find that's a very common problem.  However, you'll also find a "few" who found jobs right away.   By the way, I'm not trying to be discouraging about becoming an MT, just stating that AHP made it sound like you'll get a job right away and you'll be rolling in the money in no time.  HA!

The other thing, and this is what really, really has me so irked about them is that they teach you using standard cassettes for dictation.  There are very few doctors who use them, or mini/micro cassettes, anymore.  Most have gone with the  MTSOs.    That being said, they teach you absolutely NOTHING about the MTSOs, the platforms, expansions, templates, standards, etc.  Come to think of it, I don't even know HOW they dictate.   I think some use their cell phones or something portable.  All I know is it's not a cassette player.   I have absolutely no idea.   Not that it's really important but it would just be kind of nice to know.   T

They also don't teach you about ASR, VRS.  There was 1 little bity paragraph about it in course 5.  All it said was basically that it exists.   AND...at the company I work for, the MT's pay actually decreased (by about 30%, I believe) when they got put on ASR. 

As far as the med term, A&P and other subjects......medicine has come a long way from when those lessons were printed! 

Oh, I did get a chuckle when they said you could use a typewriter if you don't have a computer.  

Another thing, the tapes they give you are  everyone's "dream dictators."   If I could have those docs every single day my line count would be through the roof!  I'd be rich!!   AHP mentions a little something about ESL docs but don't tell ya anything about the American docs who dictate like they're are in the Indy 500 for dictation (it sounds something like this:  dflhofhdfhdkljoehkej....), nor the docs who think it's okay to dictate in the middle of the cafeteria during lunch hour, the ones who carry on conversations with other people while dictating, so you're wasting time which is money to you, or the docs who dictate while driving.  That one's fun.  You get to listen to their radio, the wind from the windows, a train, screaming kids in the backseat, the spouse in the passenger seat talking loudly on the cell.   Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, when it comes to dictating, these people with these 10 years + education and fancy degrees lack common sense when it comes to dictation.  (By the way, you even get an occasional doc who doesn't think you can hear the grunts, gas and plops when they're using the freaking bathroom!!!)  You'll here slurping from drinks, burps, blowing noses, passing gas, hacking, gum chewing/popping.  That's just to name a few. You name it, we've heard it.   Don't get me wrong, we do get those perfect dictations also, but not as often as we'd like and not often enough to make the kind of money we'd like.

That's just a few of the things AHP doesn't teach you about.  There's a lot more you'll find out when you get a job.  I think a major factor in myself getting a job was my 10+ years of experience in the medical field.  Don't take this wrong.  Like I said, I'm not trying to discourage you from becoming an MT.  Some love it, some hate it.  I actually like it.  I just would encourage you to at least research other schools (even your community college, which call it medical language specialist instead of medical transcriptionist) before you decide. It may cost a little more, but it's worth it in the long run.  This is definitely a case of where you get what you pay for.  Besides, a lot of the employers take into account where you got your training from.  I guarantee, if they had a grad from AHP versus a grad from Andrew's or MTec, they'll hire the the one from Andrew's or MTec first.  

Oh, AHP doesn't help you find a job either.  They give you a little packet about making business cards, talking to local docs, etc.  Pretty much stuff you learned in high school when they were preparing you for the work force. 

Thanks for the advice. Has anyone heard anything about Penn Foster? I have also been checking on this one.

Thanks Donna

classes are geared to an 8th grade level, so basically you would be throwing your money away.   The better schools cost more because they offer a better education and you have a better chance of getting a position as a newbie, though it will still be difficult.  If you take the Penn Foster class it will end up costing you more because you'll need more schooling if you expect to get a job.   Why people are even looking at this profession anymore is beyond me.  

What are the chances of making $35K yearly and still having your wits? That is really what I am concerned with. I live in South Florida and am considering this profession. I would like to make enough to supplement husband's income of $85K. However, I don't want to be so stressed out that I can't enjoy life, either. Is there a happy medium here?

Those are good ideas.

Its not that I don't have the money, I just have a hard time spending large amounts.  I can fritter away $100 here and there at Target and Walmart, but, phew, a $1500 check is hard to write. 

We actually have enough money in savings, IRAs and investments to live at our current standard for at least 18 months without either of us working.  Not that I would want to do that, but it could be done.  So, its not that I don't have the money, its just a matter of spending it. I'm sure you can tell that since we have almost 2 years of living expenses saved up in the bank (and we have about 30-35 yrs to go til retirement), we are kind of tight with spending money.

Thanks for the suggestions though. I do need to have a Yard Sale, as much to get rid of stuff as to get some cash on hand. I have a pile of childrens' clothes to take to the resale shop for some cash too.

I was wondering...do MTs make better money working for someone or having a business of there own?  Just wondering.  I realize being new I will not have my own business for a couple of years but will I be able to make a "living" until then?

Do tons more research before you spend your money, please!  I went to MTEC, graduated in 9 months, and have been working from home for more than 8 years now doing acute care.  I had recruiters banging down my door to test and was offered positions after every test I took.  The little medical backround you already have is nowhere near enough to be an MT, so get a SOLID education so you will not come back here at the end begging for someone to hire you for 2 cents a line.  Best of luck!