I've replaced them in a desktop, taking apart a

if you go to their forums, you can find that a lot have gotten jobs.  The Career Step course is self-motivated.  You do a lot on your own, but you have a support group to help when you need it.  I have never had a problem w/ getting a reply back when I have needed one.  It is taking me over a year to finish because I work full-time, and I am transcribing for a dentist that I started working for after I started the transcription portion of the course.  Again, you have to be self-motivated, but don't you have to do that with almost everything?

Does passing the RMT exam help you find a job if you have no experience?  I'm wondering if I should try to take this test.

...that offer it, is it acceptable to use reference materials.  I didn't see anywhere on the page that I couldn't.  Just askin'.

are usually able to get jobs without 2 years of experience that is normally required.  Is if worth it?  Do you have small children, a husband, do you want a social life - then no it isn't worth it.  If you just want to do this PT, in addition to a FT job, it might be okay for a short time, but it gets harder and harder to make a living as an MT.  A lot of companies use offshore MTs, they get the good work and the crap gets left for us, or it all goes and we get stuck editing it for pennies and you end up working for minimum wage.  You'll also burn out in a short time trying to do both. 

if there is just you and you don't care to have a life then it would be okay and if you have a knack for it you can make some decent money.  If you are a respiratory tech in a hospital talk to people in your department.  Maybe you can start out doing work-related transcription without having to go to school and you can get a small taste of what it is like to see if you really want to pursue it. 

I don't know how much the start out pay is, when we get paid, or any of the details, but I am so excited I can't hardly see straight.  I passed a test.  All of my effort has paid off.  All I can say to all of my other fellow newbies, is that it takes a while, but don't give up.  Someone, somewhere, will give you a chance.  I'm so happy, and life seems a little less bleak.  Thanks for everyone's advice, and support.  Without you guys, I would have given up, and went back to flipping burgers.

It's not easy. I have found that medical transcription is straightforward and somewhat predictable, GT is usually not. It is particularly difficult if you have multiple speakers. I would take MT any day of the week. BUT if it is something you are interested in, then you should try it. There are a lot of forums where you can pick up overflow or you can test with some GT companies.

It really isn't something you just go to school for a while, and then go and grab a part-time position and think it's going to make you some cash.  I have always encouraged others who wanted to enter this field, but I can tell you that after 20 years, I am only being offered 7-8 cpl and the accounts I can get on my own are few and far between with the VR, EMR, and large national MT companies taking all of the clients at low rates and offering spit shined reports and fancy platforms for easy access.

Your best bet is to go ahead and choose the closest flower shop and work the register.  It will be much easier on your heart, soul, and sanity!  Trust Me!

I'm only 38 and I'm so burned out I could scream and throw my headphones.  I make 45K a year, but I work long hours and put up with a lot of crap from the offices I service as they know they can find someone cheaper in a heartbeat.  I've had no raise in 10 years.  I worked on-site for 17 years at 13 dollars an hour with benefits only to find out I would be training my replacement (C-Bay).  I gave 2 weeks' notice and here I sit. 

My rt hand throbs, my back aches, and my stress level is high.  If you really think after hearing this that it sounds like a good idea to go to school and become an MT, then have at it, but it will have you in a tail spin and wishing you never did.

My sis-in-law thought she'd be on easy street!  Well guess what?  Two years later, and she's not an MT but has the education.  She gave up because it was too hard! 

I wish you all of the luck in the world, but keep you day job and keep your money in your pocket that you'll pay for the education because we're being sold down the river and fast without a paddle or life jacket! 

It really takes a lot to be a mentor one-on-one with someone entering this field.  My experience has been that there is an attitude of entitlement (not that I'm saying this about YOU personally, your mileage may vary).  It's as though I am supposed to overlook the lack of pervserverance to research words because I'm there as the buffer to fall back on....like just don't worry about, Milton will pick up the slack so I can just get a higher line count. 

Once I actually offered to mentor on the condition of being paid for my efforts and I was accused of being a scheister just into it for the money.  The deal was that I would mentor the person until I could help them get a job and after two months of being gainfully employed (all the time answering questions), my pay would be equal to 2 weeks pay of the person I mentored.  Now, I'm investing all this time and effort into the situation for potentially months on end and then I'm accused of being into it for a couple hundred dollars??  I make that in a day of transcribing so that got me out of being interested in mentoring.

I had no mentor, I had no QA feedback, I worked from home, didn't have the electronic resources that are available today, worked mostly 12 hour days usually 6 to 7 days a week and I made very little my first year but doubled my income every year for 4 years until I hit a plataeu and now pay is going down for reasons beyond my control. 

If you don't have the dedication to making yourself a success, you may find a mentor who gives up on you and you'll be feeling as though you are a victim.  Don't count on a mentor.  Count on yourself.  Best of luck.