I'd not attend the Comm College if teachers are not helpful
Posted By: toni on 2008-07-23
In Reply to: comm. college - allie
Hi Allie,
I wouldn't attend that Community College from what you have said. The CC I went to had two wonderful teachers who were semi-retired MTs. I vaguely remember that the clerks I enrolled with knew very little. I grew to be very impressed with the teachers over time. A great teacher is such a blessing.
Med Workshops' staffing school did a good job for us almost 2 years ago. I've spoken with the owner Karen over the phone. She is bright and honest. We moved to another school because they offered us a better deal financially. We will probably use Med Workshops again in the future sometime. Remember that they are like a wholesale alternative. They probably don't have a sales staff for the "retail student".
But, a wholesale approach doesn't mean you don't get assistance. It means they make most of their money training students for individual employers. Companies like this don't advertise to the public. They contact the larger transcription companies and are looking at a different model. They are dealing in groups to be able to cut overhead, etc. etc. Companies like who I work for find this very appealing because a basic education is usually very similar everywhere because the same 2-3 teaching aids (books, CDs, online) are used by almost all schools.
We are looking at teacher/mentor support for the students and also the cost of education. We won't be able to find enough students at one time if we have to rely on a very expensive retail school- they aren't set up to satisfy our needs, but their program might be great. Retail at $3800 or wholesale at about $2000? For employers like mine the answer is simple.
I'm getting caught in a "25 words or less" dilemma in trying to explain this. I feel some here will jump all over me if I don't say just the right thing.
I've been saying that, I see this wholesale or staffing school approach as the new wave in education because it solves problems for the students and the employers. It's a win win.
I hope everyone keeps an open mind and just considers these ideas. I'm not saying this is the only solution for everyone. Don't hit me, I'm just a messenger.
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Question re teachers at this college
I have a friend considering MT. Does the Everett College MT course provide teachers and feedback, or is it more self-study like the straight Career Step course on line.
Thanks.
comm. college
I'm new to this forum and am trying to find a good program. I've been accepted at a community college but tey aren't very efficient in returning phone calls or emails. It's like after they answer you one time they don't want to be bothered by you anymore. They refuse to answer certain questions , ie, if they train in any specialty fields. I've looked into M Tec and the Bright Start program They both sound good but the AHDI and an MT company I spoke with have never heard of them. Advise?
comm. college
Hi Toni,
Thanks for the advise. That's what worries me about this college. The instructors are the ones who deal with phone calls and emails. Classes haven't started yet and I'm really struggling with to go on with them or apply to one the online programs everyone keeps talking about. I've asked one specific question 2-3 times and it gets ignored everytime. I've tried to call that one with the Bright Start program you mentioned but still yet haven't gotten anyone to answer the phone. Do you know anything about them besides just looking at their website?
comm college
Toni,
I called Med Works several times during the day and only got voice mail. However, one of the ocunselors did call me back tonight. I had never heard of a staffing school until I read your post. For starting out of just what is required you're right, it is cheaper. I'm thinking of signing up with them. They just got bought out by someone else so I hope that's not a bad sign. They have a program going on with a particular company, like what you do I guess. (hiring students solely for them.) If they don't pay good or are hard to work for I'll be stuck for however long. But at least it's a guaranteed job to get experience. Right? Thanks for all the advise you give to us newbies.
comm college
Maybe I didn't clarify it well enough but I wasn't talking about M Tec.
take Career Step thru San Juan Comm. College
If you have federal funding such as Veteran's, Pell grant, worker retraining, disability retraining, FAFSA, displaced homemaker, etc. - this is the way to go. Get by far the most for your $. Much better price than Everett Community College for the same program.
SJCC is self paced, just have semester deadlines, whereas EvCC has deadlines for every assignment (too demanding for my busy schedule - but some people like those deadlines because they need the push).
San Juan Comm. College in NM has the Career Step program. It's just a direct login link to the Career Step program thru the school, the school has no addditional classes required, etc. Costs about the same as Career Step gold so it might even be cheaper if you get all the features of platinum, etc., I don't know. Runs on semesters, only starts in January and August. Takes 2 semesters about 9 mos. You graduate Career Step and also get a certificate in HIT (health information technology) from SJCC. They said if you finish early you can get your Career Step graduation and then later your HIT certificate from SJCC. There is no limit of # of students who can register per each semester.
I have been researching schools a LOT for awhile and just found this one. It is not well advertised but it sounds like an awesome deal. This is the one I am going to use, it will stretch my monthly veteran's educational benefit cheque a lot further.
passed on for your benefit . . .
solid education is right! Your advantage with the comm. college is you have credits so when...
you go back to school for your next job you will be ahead of the game. The gals with M-Tec, Andrews, etc. will have to start at the beginning, English 101 and Speech. And Jennifer, as far as the opinion that "those with 'local community college' education are sorely lacking in even the basics to be a success" - I just hired a newbie with community college training and she is outstanding! So my experience has been it doesn't matter where you went to school - if you're good, you're good and it will show on your testing
.  Good luck on your job search. Search this board's archives. The question gets asked here ALL the time. It's not unusual for a newbie to have difficulty landing the first job.
I'm going to say at an outside source where you attend classes - college, business, or computer
s
curriculum and/or faulty teachers. nm
s
but of course remember if you DO go to a Comm Coll, at least
you will have college credits, and a two year degree under your belt when you go back to school for your next REAL JOB. But if you go to the BIG THREE, and it's time to go back to school, you can start with all the other freshman in English 101 and Speech.
but of course remember if you DO go to a Comm Coll, at least
you will have college credits, and a two year degree under your belt when you go back to school for your next REAL JOB. But if you go to the BIG THREE, and it's time to go back to school, you can start with all the other freshmen in English 101 and Speech.
Which of the Big 3 did you attend?
Which of the Big 3 did you attend? Since all the Big 3 claim that employers like to hire their grads.
First, what school did you attend for your
MT training? If you went to one of the schools well known to employers to turn out JOB-READY MTs, you will have no difficulty finding a job. Employers waive the experience requirement for graduates of the quality schools (Andrews, M-Tec, Career Step). If you went to a matchbook-cover school (i.e., received a poor-quality MT education), you will have difficulty. If you are having trouble passing the employment tests, then you might want to consider getting more training, preferably with one of the better schools.
Also, (and please take this as meant constructively to help you, because it is), if your post is any indication of your English-language skills, you might want to consider brushing up on your grammar and vocabulary before presenting yourself for employment. That "... don't know one want to hire" comment betrays a significant weakness that could keep you from becoming employed or staying employed. Please think about this.
What school did you attend?
nm
What is the best school to attend?nm.
xx
What school did you attend
just curious
Very helpful. Thanks! nm
nm
Maybe she is trying to be helpful.
That's helpful.
Besides the company name, what do you expect someone to search by? There is only so much information available by searching. I have not heard anything good about them either, but that's not saying much.
If you are trying to be helpful...
Why not send her an E-mail privately instead of calling her out publicly? That is the polite and helpful thing to do. Tact: Something that is not taught in MT school.
Helpful to Know
Thank you for posting, because it is really hard to get a balanced picture about the "best" education and job prospects. Even though it is anecdotal, such remarks help form that "big" picture.
Good schools to attend that you will not have problems with and
likely be able to get a job upon graduation.
Andrews School - www.andrewsschool.com
MTec - www.mtecinc.com
Career Step - www.careerstep.com
SETT - www.settinc.com
Don't fall for the fly by night schools. What are fly by night schools? Generally, those that advertise all over creation trying to drum up business. Those that rent out halls in hotels and have conferences promising that you'll make a ton of money the first year. Any school that promises you big bucks straight out of school. Those that run TV ads offering every "degree" under the sun including medical transcription. Those that make you buy their expensive players and footpedals before you can get started. Those that you find a zillion "testimonials" posted on every discussion forum available.
...top 3 programs from this board or attend an actual
b
I don't think that is helpful. She needs to learn
to do it "right." Being a newbie is tough, but a strict QA is more beneficial at this point in her career. It does't do her any good to have "slack" QA and then she moves to another job later and they are tough and she has to struggle then.
I've been doing this for years and I still make mistakes. I've spelled calculus for gallbladder stones for years and no one corrected me until recently, so all these years I've been spelling it incorrectly. Learn to do it "right" the first time and it will serve you well in the future.
All of your posts are helpful, but
I'm an almost Newbie who has become very confused reading all the posts about good schools, bad schools, good companies, bad companies -whew - my head is turning. This is something I have wanted for a long time. I've gotten taken by 2 bad schools and I'm just about to finish my third attempt and this time I'm determined to work. My problem is I can't afford to quit my current job in insurance and maybe not make enough money as an MT. I also don't know where to start to find a reputable company to even try to get MT work. I got into the Trans-Scam deal about 4 years ago and that had just completely discouraged me. I thought I would never be able to be an MT. I just didn't have what it takes. This time I'm determined and would certainly appreciate all the feedback you all have. I read some posts from MT's making pretty good money - but does anyone ever reveal what those good companies are?
ANY qa and feedback is helpful whether you are
x
Helpful hint
When you e-mail a company requesting to be a part of a mentor/internship program, and that company takes the time to e-mail you back with all the particulars, a polite thank you is in order whether you accept or decline. I just had this happen recently. Perhaps this person didn't check her spam filter, I will never know I guess, and now I'm upset I took the time to offer her a position to help her out when she is the one who contacted me in the first place. OK, rant over. 
Competition is the american way. Can you imagine only having 3 or 4 colleges available to attend?
Since you've already done the on-line route, why not attend a local MT
s
Glad you found it helpful! :) NM
x
Quick, helpful advice for new MTs
While I'm thinking about it, I just wanted to post this tip really quickly.
One of the ways I REALLY helped myself when I first started in transcription was to hang out on word help boards (like the one here). When a question came up, I would research it and answer if I could find the correct word. This not only helped the people who asked the question, but it super duper hugely helped me learn what words actually sound like when a doctor says them, and what certain things were and/or did.
Now I go to the word board mostly to help, but I'm still amazed at how much I learn 12+ years into the business.
A helpful note about expanders
I just thought I'd offer this up: The ABCZ method for making shortcuts. I just came upon it after reading about it in the archives here. It's just a simple method that offers advice and suggestions about how to make and organize your abbrevation/expander files. Here's the link: http://home.earthlink.net/~agjon/abczrule.htm There's also the book Saving Keystrokes, but you have to buy that. Anyhow, the method description is free for those who don't want to spend any $$. I hope this helps! 
It's better to do it through a college, you will have more help
instead of totally floundering around by yourself, never sure if you are doing it correctly or not.
If the college CS course costs more than Andrews or M-TEC, I'd go with one of those instead. But CS through college is definitely better than just CS alone.
Brighton College
I am considering taking courses through Brighton College or MTEC. Any advice?
I went to a Community College
/
I went to a local college here.. and now...
I started off with $19/h plus incentive. Now, I make $22/h plus incentive at a local hospital. Yes it can be done.
MT as instructors in College
I attend a College here in BC, Canada and our instructor is a MT in a Surgical office by day and she teaches at night at college! She likes the schedule for her family and really enjoys teaching.
Not all of them! Community College
can be great if you find one with a well rounded program. I went to a CC and was hired by a national before I even graduated. Don't knock community colleges. There are some that have really great programs. You just have to do your research.
college credits
I would recommend that you check with the college you might plan to attend in the future to see if your credits would actually transfer. I had the experience of taking a course at the college but found that all my MT courses at the community college were listed under continuing education or something. My "credits" were not transferrable to another program or school. In other words, not all credits are accepted by all schools. Check into that before you go to far.
there is a Community college in BC . . .
That partners with the CanScribe program I think, their fees might be different or that way you might qualify for some financial aid $ from the Canadian gov't based on income level, worker retraining, displaced homemaker, etc. It's online so you don' have to be there. Basically what I'm doing on the other side of the border through EvCC. I forget which college it is but it is on the Career Step Canadian info link. Good luck!
How about seeing what's available thru your local college? Might be able to take
s
community college
You may want to research Career Step through one of the community colleges that offer the program. Some colleges offer financial aid and instructors. It seems to be worth looking into.
Yes, Community college is better
I'm doing the CS program through Everett community college and I would definitly say it is better than doing CS alone. I have instructors I can email/call at anytime if I need help, plus, you get more assistance that way!
I am going back to college
I went to school back in 06 for this. I know MT is going down. I know I cannot give my kids the kind of life I want to doing MT. I absolutely want to stay in the medical field, so I chose to go back to college for nursing. I am getting a loan for it, and at least I know that when I am done with schools and testing I CAN get a job in the hospital without a problem and be able to pay off my loan. Its just right for me and my family.
college grad + training
Does being a college grad plus a grad of MT training school improve one's chances of being hired with no experience?
Selkirk College Canada
Advanced Medical Transcription program
What CMT exam? What college are you attending? (sm)
What CMT exam would this be? What organization sponsors it?
Yes, there are a number of groups offering "certification" exams, but there is only ONE recognized exam, and that is the CMT exam offered by the AAMT.
Somebody pops up monthly, it seems, offering some half-baked "exam" or other. Nobody recognizes them.
You can take them if you want, but they are a waste of your time and money. Most of them are only a means to get you to shell out money for the test, for the alleged "certification," and for continuing education units in the years after. And it's all a complete WASTE.
This is almost as big a scam in MT as crummy schools.
Please do your homework and find out exactly what this is before you spend money on it.
If it is not the AAMT exam, it is not recognized by anyone. And if it is the AAMT exam, you can't take it anyway because you don't have 2 years of experience.
Don't think that taking a different exam is going to help you get a job, because it won't. If you pass it and claim to be certified, employers will assume that you are misrepresenting your credentials and they won't hire you.
Everett Community college.
I attended Everett Community College online. They utilize the Career Step program and also you have teachers and classmates, and deadlines. It was a very good program and I have had no problem getting a job right out of school. Actually, I have three working accounts right now. I was able to get a Stafford Student loan and there are many options on repayment. Please to any seasoned transcriptionist, please do not nit pick at this email, I just woke up.
I went to my local Commuinty College
took all my courses online. Much less expensive than those "other schools" and the program I was in was more intensive than the others. I was hired by a national before I even graduated.
4 CMT instructors of community college course? I don't think so
4 CMT instructors of community college course? I don't think so. Prove me wrong.
Someone below said 4 CMTs instructed their community college MT course. That is so hard to believe since CMTs can make more transcribing than teaching and community colleges are hurting for money. When they get money, it doesn't go to the MT course. There may be 1 or 2 exceptions. Would you post the name of your school and the web site so we can give them the credit they deserve?
I went to Randolph Community College and
the instructors do not have their credentials listed on the website. You would have to email each on individually, and I'm not giving out names on a public forum. I'm sorry that you don't believe me, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I know I got an excellent education from 4 CMTs among other instructors in my program.
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