Goodie for you for making the decision SM
Posted By: Chickadee on 2006-02-24
In Reply to: It is a tough decision, but - my two cents
to not use your degrees and stay home with your babies...but in the REAL world most women do not have that option if they want to be able to feed and clothe their children. You really CAN'T live on love. I had to put my oldest son in daycare at 6 weeks old. I hated it, but he certainly couldn't stay home by himself! It had nothing to do with "social skills" or "convenience." It was "necessity." I was fortunate enough to be able to stay home with my other 2 children (as my paycheck would have just barely covered the cost of 3 kids in daycare, so it wasn't worth it).
You really shouldn't be so judgmental and self-righteous. There are 2 sides to every story...not just YOUR side.
Seriously.
Chickadee
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Thanks all for your input! It helps alot in my decision making! nm
Hard Decision
I am trying to decide between Andrews and M-Tec for my MT education. I realize this is beating a dead horse, but I would like to share some of the things I've noticed about the two and hope someone might have some insight for me.
Andrews: Has had an excellent reputation for a long time. You can take as long as you need to finish the program. Students have same instructors, i.e. everyone gets to experience REDPEN.
M-TEC: Very good reputation also. New website is very professional. Long list of well-known CMTs and AAMT members on staff. You are assigned an individual instructor. You need to finish in 18 months.
I've been weighing these things in my mind trying to decide. I had a bad experience with MT training before. I was completely dependent on one person for feedback, etc. This was great while it worked, but all of a sudden this person stopped responding to my messages, phone calls, etc. I never want to get in that situation again. I am attracted to M-TEC because I know I could track down some of the people on staff there in other contexts if need be. I realize this is probably paranoia on my part because neither program is likely to disappear like mine did, but... The no time limit that Andrews has might be good if an illness or emergency arose. On the other hand, a deadline could be good because I tend to be perfectionistic and overwork things before handing them in. I'm a little nervous about being assigned one instructor at M-TEC because this puts me in somewhat of the same position I was in before of being dependent on one person. However, I would be able to contact Susan Francis or Kathy Kropko if there was a problem I suppose. Still, I kind of like what seems to be more of a traditional classroom experience with a lot of students under one instructor at Andrews.
Thanks for any comments or suggestions.
Hard decision
First of all, let me say that you will get a good solid education with either school. That said, here are some further points to consider:
Redpen is no longer teaching trancription; she teaches coding now.
Andrews has been around longer, their teachers are more experienced, both in teaching methods and transcription. For instance, a recently hired teacher for M-Tec has only been a Transcriptionist for less than 5 years.
M-TEC only requires you to have an 86% score on your final exam to graduate; Andrews hold you until you get a score in the high 90s. Of course, you could compensate for this by just not allowing YOURSELF to graduate until you can achieve a high score.
HTH.
It is a tough decision, but
it is one that you will not regret for either of you. Your work will get better and your line count will increase and your child will learn social skills and how to interact with other children. It can be a good thing, to a certain extent, for children to be in that type of setting before they enter Kindergarten. It teaches them social skills and structure and how to interact with others throughout their day. Not that we as parents can't teach them that, but they get it on a much broader scale when they are in a daycare setting. I have talked to teachers who have said they always can tell a huge difference in the children who went to daycare and were introduced to those things from those who stayed at home and weren't.
Need to make a decision soon....
Here's my situation: After months of research, I finally decided that I would like to go to M-TEC. Actually I would LOVE to go there! But I have one problem. I don't have the money for the down payment. As a teenager, I made a mistake of maxing out a couple of credit cards so now my credit is really bad so I cannot get the student loan they offer. Actually I can't get any student loan (that is credit based). So, I can either go through Everett Community College and use financial aid, and then maybe go back in a couple of years and go through the M-Tec Program? (I'm saving a little at a time so I can get my debt paid off) I guess I am just wanting a little advice on what to do or maybe hear from someone who went to Everett, because I don't want to go through this program and end up with no job! My son is already three and my husband and I don't want to wait too long to have another baby so I would really like to stay at home. Thanks a ton! You guys give really good advice on this board and that's why I came here to ask :)
Ok thanks.. I think I've come to a decision...
I'm either going to go to M-Tec or Andrews. I've done more research and I have concluded that these two schools are the best from reading many comments and reviews. Now the problem is deciding which one I should choose. They both seem to be equally good. Any help here?
How did you make your school choice decision?
Why did you pick the particular schools that you chose? Did you ask them for help in job placement? What do the employers tell you when you test for them, or do they even allow you to test? I know that several schools' graduates are not having any problems like this at all, and they don't cost $10,000. Not even Andrews costs $10,000.
Can I ask how document formation will input your decision? Seems like a sideways way
s
You are still making typos
I hate to burst your bubble, but this is a tough field. Any smart client is going to ask you how much experience you have. In fact, they may not have to ask, they will know by talking to you or by your email or correspondence to them that is filled with typos. You need to get a job first and get some experience behind you first.
I do not have to run after children, etc. so making a
schedule is just great with me. This is a place where I was up and running right away with the work because it was work I have done for the past 16 years. I was so happy to find who had the acct when the other service lost it, just luck in that a person from MTs told me who had it. I love op notes and was working a 12-5 p.m. and guess what, that is exactly what they wanted so see we fit just like a glove. I am so lucky to be able to choose what I want now. They wanted those, I wanted those. I think the IRS could care less as long as they get their money. I have yet to find out much I need to sit aside but again will have to talk with my tax person pretty soon. I just started at this new job at the end of November. By the way, read on this post about how others are treated in their jobs with QA, etc. This job is a DREAM. They leave you the heck alone. Anything coming from QA in an email and really constructive criticism and taken as such. I love my job and my life. Happy, happy!!
Missa, I'm making 5c
And it is depressing. But like you say, you have to pay your dues. Just finished my first year of MT. I was getting 3c at Sten-Tel for VR, but that's IC.
i am. i've done this 25 years and making top $
newbies, however, who get all puffed up about how much they've mastered, omg i am laughing here trying to type this, are quite the funny.
Try making a handwritten list as you have to look up
the drug names. I have a lot of experience, but I also get stuck on drug names sometimes. That is my weakest point as well even though I hate to admit it, but one thing that helped me is to handwrite on a piece of paper that sits next to you all of the new drug names and their correct form (whether to cap or not), and then for some odd reason (it worked for me) when I'm transcribing I'll think to myself, oh wait, I know that one is on my list. Googling is good too, but you have to watch the sites as not all are consistent or may not be correct. Googling can pull up all forms of that word being used, so just be careful there. You'll get there, and happy MT'ing... 
I'm making that after 19 years of experience
It would depend on what you're doing in three years as far as a job or having your own clients. I wouldn't expect to make $40,000.00 after three years. I think it will take a lot longer than that to build up to that kind of money; however, if you work 2 or 3 jobs, you could probably come close. You'll just always be transcribing and you'll have no time for anything else especially if you plan to work for a national.
Making decent money here.
I was one of those stay-at-home moms that wanted to make my own hours and earn a good living and I am doing just that. I have been an MT for 2 years now. I work at home while caring for my 3-year-old son. Yes, it is not easy, stressful even, but I make more money at home (close to $20 an hour) than I would make at a B&M job and I don't have to pay $1000 a month for daycare anymore. I have a completely flexible schedule and I work early in the morning while my son sleeps and during his nap times. If I have to, I work again in the evening to finish up work.
This profession is difficult and takes a lot of work, but what career that pays a decent salary doesn't. It is possible to make more than $4-8 an hour. It does not take years and years. I was up to $12 an hour after 6 months, comparable to what I made in my previous position, where I had been employed for 3 years.
Just because you can't make it in this industry is no reason to discourage others from trying.
No way to tell. Is the software easy to use? Will you be looking up addresses? Making a log? Having
s
you are making an assumption (a dangerous thing to do)...sm
you are assuming chiropractic care and chiropractic adjustments are the same thing and I don't think you can make that assumption. For example, he may be thinking of doing some myofascial release under chiropractic care and then specifying adjustments. I would put "chiropractic care, (the other treatments,) and chiropractic adjustment.
a) he probably won't even notice what you consider a redundancy, if he reads it all
b) why would you want to take OUT words from a dictation - you get paid for them, don't you? 
In the healthcare field, we don't make assumptions.
I personally did not incorporate until I was making over $50K a year because
of the added fees (paying CPA for one thing), corp taxes, etc. MT services carry so little liability I don't think incorporating to install a corporate shield is really necessary, especially since they go after deep pockets anyway. But incorporating if you are making $50K or more per year is a very important tool for income tax savings. If you are sending work out to other people and they are doing the work, then you turn around and send it in to the client, essentially YOU are not doing the typing, YOU are not earning the money, YOUR BUSINESS is. Therefore you should not be paying social security tax on earnings that are not YOURS but YOUR BUSINESS'S. If you incorporate you can pay yourself a reasonable salary for any transcription you do, plus shuttling the work back and forth. Let the rest of the earnings ride as the company's earnings. You will pay income taxes on them as any profit flows through to your personal taxes but you will save on that big 15% bite from social security. Other advantages though of incorporating are to set up your 401K and let your business make contributions to it. Again, though, that's something that's not likely to happen until you are making a lot of money. As you are a newbie, I don't see that in the near future...
&that rate is experienced MT. Figure you making
x
I remember my first job quite a few years ago and making about $2 an hour until I learned...sm
the account, got used to the doctors, learned how to efficiently research etc. I also needed to create my own expansion program as the system I worked in back then would not allow an outside expander. Keep at it and good luck, it will get better.
Who are you?? I think at this point someone is making up names to post. Get a life! nm
xx
OOhhhh - they have basket making classes? Too bad they don't offer a class on maturity.
**
Wow..how does that work. Your making $5 an hour. Didn't minimum wage go up? If you pay or line co
does not go up, I'd probably move on. I understand right now your probably just getting the experience but you work a whole day and make $40??? I'd be tempted to change jobs soon. I know personally I could not survive on $5 an hour.
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