I disagree. Newbies deserve respect too.
Posted By: MT on 2005-12-05
In Reply to: A newbie answer - 6-month newbie
You get what you give in this world! I don't care who you are or what you do, and I especially don't care what your position is and how much money you make, everyone deserves to be treated with respect, even newbies!
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RESPECT
First let me say this: I am NOT ignorant to the fact that this requires dedication and commitment. I also have a great deal of respect for those of you who have accomplished what I am hoping for. The gentleman that gave me the opportunity to work with/for him was wonderful and I am grateful to him for what he taught me in a short amount of time. I have two small children at home for most of the day. The older of the two goes to pre-school part time, but is home for the remainder of the day. I find it quite difficult to transcribe correctly and efficiently with two small children whining/talking/playing/tugging/etc...in the same room as me. I have a hard time concentrating on what I am doing, I guess, unless it is very peaceful! I see now that most everyone that is already an MT thinks I am being ridiculous in my quest for at home work. I chose to be an MT because I am fascinated by medicine and health and I do enjoy the work believe it or not. I like the feeling of finishing a document and KNOWING that it is correct. I didn't choose it because I thought it was EASY pay. Believe me, if that's all I was looking for there were other "opportunities" staring me in the face that were much easier. But, I did invest a lot of my time and money into what I thought was a good school. PCDI...I am learning now is not so great and I wish I could get my money back. I came here looking for support..this is the second time, and more often than not I have had responses from people who seem to think I'm selfish and disrespectful. It's very disheartening to tell you the truth. Sorry so long...I felt I needed to defend myself. :) LISA
I Respect Your Opinion. However...
I'm not an advocate for Career Step and I don't know what is on their page. That IS misleading, but researching the MT field on the Internet would bring you here (MTStars) as well as taking you to Career Step. I don't think CS deserves all the blame.
Hi applescruff. With all due respect..there is not a school out there IMO..sm
online or even a four year college degree for that matter (yes, I have a 4 year degree in health administration with emphasis in medical records) that will prepare a new MT for the "cut throat" world of MT. When I say cut throat, I don't necessarily mean cruel, but rather very competitive. You better know your stuff or you will not survive, or at least not make a good wage, unless you have the hands-on experience of working in a hospital in a wide variety of specialties with close supervision. Yes, one can succeed starting out at home if you have one specialty and learn that inside and out. The time and errors involved in the learning process starting at home in a variety of specialities for a national company (which for the most part is required to compete in this profession) will afford the new MT a minimum wage at most. Like I mentioned in my previous post, there are those few gifted new MTs who will pick up new specialties and satisfy the large online companies, but the general population will not. Just like a doctor, you have to spend several years in fellowship or internship to work your way up with fund of knowledge, etc. I say to any newbie, if you think you have what it takes, go for it. I'm just trying to be honest in saying that you need to be realistic in this profession, as sample dications in school, as well as test dictations, are no comparison to the real world of MT where we continue to learn even after many years on the job. I hope this helps any new MT take the route that will be of most benefit to them in this profession.
With all due respect, that is simply BS. Please prove to me that MTSO will waive experience
depending on which school you went to. Please share your information because as an MTSO I have never done this and know of no other services that do this. What a disservice to newbies to make this statement.
Janet Stiles is a very lovely lady. I have great respect for her.
I don't know anything about the program, but Janet is a lovely lady. I know that she does an honorable job of everything she does.
I disagree 100%
I went to a crappy school (didn't know any better until after I paid for and started the training). I studied hard, found as many sample dictations I could on the web (in addition to the ones included in my course), did everything in my power to learn what I could. Interned for 3 months (2 months during training and 1 month after - was offered the internship because I did so good on the homework). I sent out probably 30 resumes, passed tests at 98% or better...no one would hire me without experience...until the day I sent out a resume to a company who was hiring with "a minimum of 3 years experience." I included a cover letter begging for a chance, explaining what a fast learner I am. They hired me at 8 cents a line with incentives on top of it. After 3 weeks I got the okay to submit directly to the client, I was (and still am) praised repeatedly for the quality of my work. My second pay period I was the 2nd highest producer of 16 MTs on the account and the 3rd pay period I was the highest producer on the account. After 3 months I got a 1 cent raise. In short, got my certificate in March, got hired in April... and here I am at 9 cents a line and they tell me I am one of the top 4 MTs in the group. The lesson here...if you KNOW you can do it then you can! I say apply...ESPECIALLY if you went to one of the top schools. They can only say no. Good luck to you!
Sorry - I disagree
I disagree since I have seen both sides. The younger ones, below 30, might be okay with this but those over 35 do not like this. Another thing there is too much standardization and the insurance companies are cutting down on payment, etc. when a note is so standardized that it does not show the 45 minutes spent with the patient they will pay at the rate for a 20 minute visit which makes a big diffence in payment. Anytime Medicare or an insurance company can cut down the payment they will which then costs in rebilling cost. I work right where the billing is also done when I work on the EMR's, typing directly into them, and I hear what is going on. Also legal wise, the docs are finding out it is not good. Like I said the 5 docs in this clinic would rather pay me $18 an hour to type into the charts than take the 2 to 3 hours it takes them to do them along with the procrastination. Most of them dictate while driving home -- they have good machines, easy to understand and this is not a problem for me, and by the time they get home, their chart notes are done and they bring me the tape the next day, I do them and chart notes are done within 48 hours. Anyway it works for them. Trouble is now they want me 40 hours per week but cannot give up my other accounts. Started out doing just 10 to 15 hours per week -- 2-3 docs, to get out of the house, then 20 to 25 wtih four and now they want me full-time for the five. But I make too much off of my own personal accounts and cannot do it so they are looking for someone else.
Also, I have been approached by two other clinics to help out with their EMR's as they are having the same problems. Patients are speaking up and telling the doctor, hey I am paying for your service, look at me when I talk with you and don't be typing into that darn computer. But then this is just my side of it. Patti
I disagree.... sm
I went through CAI and got hired with MQ after I graduated. They are acredited with the New Jersey Deptment of Education as well. I don't see why everyone is so quick to disregard this program.
(Read this quick, because my posts about being a CAI grad get deleted rather quickly, no matter how much that fact is denied!  )
I disagree.
.
I disagree with you
I totally disagree! I am not new; I have 22 years of experience as a medical transcriptionist. I think of "newbie" as a somewhat affectionate term. It is used in many other fields as well. I don't find it at all demeaning. When I am posting, I do not want to have to write out "new transcriptionists" all the time. Let's hear from those new to the field, though - do they mind?
I disagree
M-TEC and Andrews are the best schools out there. If you have a decent GPA upon graduation, you are pretty much guaranteed a job. Quality MTs are desperately needed, and these 2 schools produce quality MTs.
Actually, I disagree
"Spelling correctly should be second nature for an mt, whether it is an email or a quick response to a post."
If I'm sending an email to my boss, you better believe I spell check it. Taking a test for a job? Obviously that too. Posting on a forum? Not on your life.
I do glance at my posts 90% of the time to see if I catch obvious errors, but I could care less if my spelling skills impress strangers on a gab forum. Not to mention, in our profession of using typing shortcuts all day, I'm lucky if I remember HOW to spell these days.
I disagree...for me anyway :)
Working two hours before getting up is not at all burdensome on my body. I guess it depends on who you are. I've been doing this 11 years and have had no problems. Two hours FLIES by for me still to this day. If you're somebody with back problems, etc., then yes, I would say every hour get up and move your body. I do ankle circles and stretch my leg out while sitting in between reports to keep the circulation going in my legs. :)
Sorry got to disagree
No disrespect but I do not think that is fair or all the way true. I feel it is more frustration than complaining. To spend thousands of dollars on school to constantly be told 'No' or 'You need experience' can be frustrating to anyone. I mean we are human and not fortunate to have had a job as a MT for 25 + years as yourself (congrats btw) so please be a little more open minded and understanding what us newbies are going through. No need for you to complain due to your resume, but us newbies are trying to get there. Just a lil bit more positive feed back would be helpful.
I totally disagree with you
I took Allied's course and I have two jobs. I applied with over 100 companies, and all of them allowed me to test. It was my decision on whether to take their offers or not. Some of the tests I did not pass, I cannot lie about that. But I totally DO NOT blame it on Allied.
For people to post on these boards saying that they HAVE to take the M-Tec or Andrews course is just insane. I do agree that there are some schools that do not prepare you. All of the jobs saw that I took the Allied course and still let me test.
I do not know why people are so quick to judge or try to bring new MTs down.
I disagree that 6 cpl is tops
I am also a recent CS grad. I was offered several positions and only 1 paid less than 6 cpl and that was for an extern position. The rest of the offers were 6.5-7.5 cpl. I hate to see grads who take jobs for less than 6 because they think that is all they are worth. There are better jobs out there.
I do think the main problem is your line count though. Even at 7 or 8 cpl, you won't make much money if you are only transcribing 100 lph. I would look into ways to increase productivity. Are you using your Expander to its fullest potential? Are you staying focused your whole shift? Are you finding you spend a lot of time researching? What is it that is keeping you from making more than 100 lph? I have been working for 6 months doing acute care work and average 150 lph, but can hit 200-220 on a good day.
I disagree 100% with your advice.
Every hour take a 15 min break? OMG! It will take them all day to get their work done!
A 5-min break after working solidly for 2 to 3 hours is more effective.
Books go out of date every year. However, having a handful of great reference websites keeps you in the know at all times. Do stay away from chat boards while you are working.
If it takes more than 4 letters, make an expansion for it but only do a handful each week. Write them down and put up so you can see them. Don't do anymore new ones until you've actually memorized and easily incorporate the current ones in your work. Using Expanders must be as natural as typing the words themselves.
Totally disagree
Congratulations should NEVER be spelled incorrectly by an MT. We are grammar and spelling specialists, are we not? In my opinion, if you are not able to put together an e-mail with correct spelling and grammar, you are in the wrong business (and I don't mean a little typo). From what I've seen, there are plenty of people in this business who should not be because they can't use the English language properly. That's the basis of all other MT learning and skills. It's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
I disagree. I've been in a
position of hiring and training MTs and I've worked with several Career Step grads. Some were very good and some not so good. I really think the bottom line is the actual MT. They will get out of any program what they they put into it regardless of the money they spend. I've worked with Career Step graduates who had absolutely no grammar skill whatsoever and were still communicating like a teenager on IM, but they heard that Career Step gets them the job. It may get them in the door, but staying afloat in this business is a whole different story.
Not that I disagree with you totally, but (see inside)
there just aren't many hospitals in many areas any more where people can work. Many of them hire services.
Graduates of Andrews School and M-Tec seem to have no problem getting hired or keeping their jobs at home right out of school. "Grads" of the "matchbook" schools are the ones who need all the extra in-house assistance.
disagree with scam part about equipment above...sm
keep in mind that if you are applying to a company who is hiring independent contractors, that the IRS definition of employee vs. contractors hinges on three main areas, one of which is how much control the "employer" has over the worker. If the employer is providing equipment to get the job done, the IRS tends to look upon this as more of an employer-employee relationship. So if you are applying for a job that is independent contractor status, remember you are self employed and have to provide your own equipment.
Employee vs. Independent Contractor Status is a hot area of IRS Audits.The IRS, state taxing agencies, as well as the Departments of Labor (which are responsible for Unemployment tax collections) have been stepping-up their audit activities. The purpose of the audit is to misclassify a subcontractor as an employee. The taxing agency can then collect the taxes which "should have been withheld" as well as large fines, penalties and interest. So if you want to be an IC, expect to provide your own equipment.
Disagree. MT is dying. Get out and don't loook back.
x
I have to disagree. I think it's a great field and I make
I respectfully disagree--Allied has a GUARANTEED...
...lifetime job placement program. Any of the MT schools iare what you make of it and how you work it. I have already been offered a position and I haven't even finished the Allied course yet. Just sayin'.
Disagree. We have a gravy account that we, as IC's, provide our own equipment and pay for
a token to get into the software. Big deal. You pay $150 for a C-phone and $150 for the token but then you make scads of money! So would weigh the ROI (return on investment). Not a hard and fast rule to never buy equipment you can't use on another account.
I disagree. Allied has a pretty decent program.
Newbies
Hi Sarah,
It can be very discouraging and frustrating. Not to burst your bubble, but it may be very difficult to start off working at home if A) you did not go to one of the "big" schools and B)you have no experience. A lot of the schools will have partnerships with MT companies so they can plug you right in to work; I know Andrews school, MTEC, Career Step, VLC...those schools can offer assistance with employment. Unfortunately, it's a little tougher through community college! I know it's not what you want to hear, but working at a small office or even in a hospital setting would be key to starting to work at home. You will have to put in some time outside of home to get some practice before a company might allow you to test and work for them at home. Not saying it's not possible to work at home right out of school...just difficult.
newbies
I absolutely agree with CMT. I also graduated from a local school and was blessed to be hired by a local company (2 weeks after graduation) who hires newbies on occasion. Although, many companies did allow me to test for them. I would suggest going the office route for now and try to work something out with your employer maybe after a few months' time. Send your resume to everybody. There are new jobs everyday. It is time consuming and frustrating but you will get something. Stay positive.
Newbies, etc.
If there are any newbies or wanna be's out there who would really like help getting going and are willing to put in the time and effort, I can help. The pay will be minimal to start, but with LOTS of hard work, you can raise that fast. There are two must-haves before I will take you on. If you answer yes to both questions, you will be on your way to learning. Please e-mail me to see if we can work together. I am in Illinois.
MT Newbies
I just wanted to say something on a positive note.
There has been a lot of talk about being a MT newbie, following directions and resumes, etc... I am a newbie myself. I am still in school; however, I sent out some resumes and I received several job offers. I am employed now and I can tell you that one of the reasons that my MTSO was interested in me was because I followed their directions. My resume was short, but I tested well and I got the job. My advice to all newbies is to take your time while submitting your resumes and follow their requests. You could get a call too.
So, to all the newbies (including myself), keep your heads up and keep on plugging away. There are companies out there that are good.
Keep Smiling!
MT newbies
newbies
contact transcriptionmatchmaker.com and maybe they can place a newbie - I've sent a lot of students to that website and they have been placed.
Newbies
I worked at a hospital and had no help. I was the only trancriptionist for 12 doctors. I applied for the job having no idea what it consisted of, was given two weeks--and a the end of the two weeks, the hospital administrator would tell me if he thought I could do this type work -- and also, I would tell him if I felt I could or could not do the job. I fell in love with the challenge and worked there (between three maternity leaves) approximately 7-8 years. I kept the medical dictionary close by. I must have done all right since all of the doctors seemed to like my work. But, there was no one to help with the terminology, etc.
NEWBIES
Does anyone know of any companies who hire newbies? Thanks!!
newbies
I have been at this for a over a year now and still consider myself a newbie. best bet is to find a local account and get some experience and hopefully, you may find someone that is impressed with you and want to help you. as far as just getting an account on line, it would be pretty hard, first of all to find a job, but most of all, it would be hard on you when you are home alone. take the time to learn, school teaches you some stuff, but you really learn through experience.
newbies
Hi,
I replied to you via email, subject "pay for newbies".
Cindi
I wish the newbies would come here and ask or
otherwise investigate schools to get the real scoop before wasting their money and then coming here complaining they can't get a job.
newbies
Unfortunately this is usually the rule of thumb, no experience, no job. Especially in this field, it is usually not open to training newbies straight out of school from home. I would highly recommend you finding a hospital/clinic to get at least 6 months training in ahead of applying for any job to be worked at home. Been there, and sure was happy to go home to work, lots less stressful than working with a bunch of nagging women, although I have to say, I do have plenty of nagging women with All Type Inc., the company I currently work for. They love to send IM's and E-mails to harrass the employees, and I have learned to just laugh to myself about it!
who hires newbies?
I am a recent graduate from our community college and I have been looking for at-home work for a few months now. I am determined to make this work for me, but finances are running low and I am a bit discouraged. What companies hire new graduates?
Newbies are getting hired.
I didn't have to pay big bucks for my education and did just fine. I also got hired with a national right out of school and have never had trouble getting offers and the best pay.
If you haven't been to one of the other schools, you should keep your opinions to yourself! What's right for you may not be for someone else and vice versa. I get so tired of hearing crap like yours.
I could create what you call a top-notch school in no time. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to do it either.
Newbies getting workq
I too had a job before my MT course was completed.
I scored well on the preliminary testing with a couple of job prospects. I had to work hard on the account specifics part of the transcription but the effort has been well worth it.
I started working part time, with the lowest pay I had seen since my yournger days and felt I asked way too many questions. A year has gone by and now my hard work is rewarding me. It can be done.
where do the newbies go to find a mt job
I just granduated from my school as a Medical Transciptionist and would love to find a work at home job and everywhere I look they want you to have all this experience. Where does one get that experience? Please help!!!! 
well, Snort-old MT-I do not think that the other newbies
had any type of entitlement attitude or that she new everything from her schooling. Wow! Your attitude is really negative.
Nicely put!... seems some newbies...
haven't learned yet that there's a complete underground network when it comes to this field. Someone's always watching to see where promising candidates are, and people who indicate they are "teachable." 
It is hard enough now for newbies to get a job, but if she
is going to take a program like this she will have a tougher time to find a job with a reputable company. There are 3 good schools M-TEC, Andrews, and Career-Step and there are companies willing to hire newbies provided they have graduated in good standing from one of these schools. Another option would be a local community college who might help with job placement. I worked for a company that used to let the MT student some into the office and do a short rotation to get real hands-on experience.
Some people are just determined they are going to do something and you can't do much about that, but I feel she is throwing away money if she goes this route. I don't have any personal experience with any of the above schools, but they all come highly recommended.
Newbies I know started at 6 cpl
/
no. your pay is comparable for newbies.
x
Some Advice for Newbies
I have been a medical Transcriptionist for 22 years, but I wanted to share with you what I hope will be helpful advice.
When I lived in Pennsylvania, I was the manager of a large transcription department. Because I had been there myself, I hired newbies. I would have them come in and take a typing test with a simple chart note from an easy dictator. I did not time them. I wanted to check their English/grammar skills and their ability to use the medical dictionary. I trained 5 new transcriptionists in cardiology myself. Even though I no longer work there (having moved to Colorado), those 5 still do.
I obtained an Associate Degree in Medical/Legal Secretarial Science in the 1980s. Having no transcription experience, I signed on with several local "temp agencies". They still have those, don't they? Physician offices who are desperate will try to get help from these agencies. They sent me to a local ophthalmologist's practice. I tried really hard, used my medical dictionary a lot, and trained myself. After a few months, I was offered a job there, and they asked me how much money I wanted to start! That's how I got my foot in the door.
True, the field is not the same as it was back then. But I am trying to be positive for you newbies. I was willing to hire newbies and train them, and I am sure there are others like me.
Don't give up - keep trying - and good luck to all of you!
Newbies looking for jobs!
Regarding the recent posts from those looking for a job - I cannot stress enough that you should really consider looking in your local newspaper for an in-office job to start with. Sometimes you can find a job as a "medical secretary" that combines transcription work with filing, answering phones, etc. If you have gone through a program such as At Home Professionals, a lot of the national transcription companies will not even consider you. It is simply not realistic for you to think you can obtain employment working at home with no experience during these times. The jobs that are available are being offered to those experienced MTs from companies such as Medquist or OSI. The important thing right now is for you to get your foot in the door. I am telling you what worked for me when I first started out. If there are no jobs listed in your local paper, start calling some local physician offices and hospitals just to check things out.
That being said, I wish you all the best. Be persistent and willing to take a job that might not be your dream job at first, since you so badly need some experience. Good luck to all new graduates!
More than 1/2 of these are extinct and most do not take newbies. Quite
s
We were all newbies, but 5 years ago you
had a better chance at getting a job. If you only want to hear the good stuff you aren't going to learn anything. I feel for you, I really do, but if you had investigated before taking your course you would have been better informed. I don't care how much anatomy and terminology you had and I don't care if you made 100% on every test, you still have not experienced real transcription. There was one newbie MT that had a cerficiate stating she had a completed a course and she insisted she was a certified MT, which she was not.
I'm self-taught, got into the business quite by accident, but I have also seen at it for 20+ years and things were much different then.
I know you're frustrated but we're trying to educate you and you aren't open to hearing anything that isn't positive.
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