I think jealousy makes the unsuccessful schools say bad things about the others
Posted By: Just thinking what I would do. on 2006-06-15
In Reply to: It makes me livid to hear the line of BS these schools are handing out- - Past MT
If I had a really bad school that nobody liked and it had a really bad reputation, what would I do? I would claim that education doesn't matter. I would tell people that you don't need all those books and materials because you learn it all on the job anyway. I would tell people that all schools are horrible. In other words, I would try to bring everyone else down to my level. Sometimes I wonder if that isn't why we see so much negativity about schools when the graduates tell a different story. Graduates of schools that do a good job say it was worth it. Graduates of stinky schools say they wish they had done it differently. Then someone yells that all schools are bad. I think they protesteth too much.
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It makes me livid to hear the line of BS these schools are handing out-
such a disservice. Why are they misrepresenting what remains of the MT field? Cha-ching!
Thank you. That makes sense. nm
//
Makes sense
That makes sense too. One of my places to go to relax is the library. I love walking around larger libraries and just thumbing through books that look interesting. I used to like reading all of the back issues of nursing magazines in my college's medical library.
I really appreciate your response. This is looking good for me!
Thanks, that makes sense to me
nm
If this makes you feel any better......
On my first day, regardless of college course I had passed, it all sounded Greek to me. Learning in class and actually sitting there real time is a lot different. It helped to know that the medical records director, who was a RRT as well, hated transcription and ran as far from it as she could. Made me feel better to know that at least I was hanging in there doing it.
WHAT??? to say that if a newbie graduates from a top three, it makes
her as qualified as someone with two years experience. Puhleeze. That is simply wrong.
Of course it makes matters worse...for YOU (sm)
But it's enlightening everyone else. Of course you want to "let it rest" because now it has caught up with you. Shame on you for ripping people off. I hope you do discontinue your "business."
She makes some very good points and offers
very useful advice. Newbies would do well to pay attention. There are plenty of professional MTs, experienced and freshly minted, who will be able to understand and follow her instructions, so I doubt she'll be spending much time on her own. She has every right to expect applicants to be able to understand and follow instructions.
That makes sense. When you have hundreds of applicants though
Sometimes I've been known to look at the resumes and choose some based on the training I knew they had gone through. I've also been hesitant to even test some when they told me they had gone through a course that took three months and they had actually transcribed at least 10 reports!!! I tend to put those on the bottom of the stack. I've never had to reach that far down in the stack.
Seriously, don't you use any kind of screening or use anything you see on their resumes to decide which ones you want to test, because if you have hundreds you can't possibly test all of them!
This makes sense, good logic....nm
nm
sticking flyers on windshields and under doors is just assanine and makes -
you look EXTREMELY unprofessional. And I will bet you $1000 cash that not one person would respond to it.
Also, when you do a professional letter, make sure you get the name of the office manager. NEVER EVER EVER address the letter Dear Doctor or Dear Office Manager. I hate being referred to as my job title. I have a name, and if someone is interested in seeking business from me, I expect them to do their homework and find out my name if I am the office manager. I have thrown out every single letter that comes to me addressed Dear Owner or To Whom It May Concern ... I am a Transcriptionist ...
nope, in the garbage. If you managed to find my address, then you can manage to find out my name. Simple as that.
Forget "approved" schools. AAMT set the criteria, then approved schools that didn't meet i
Stick with Andrews or M-Tec (both of which happen to be "approved") but forget about any others, they are not worth it.
Some things to think about regarding
It's expensive and time-consuming for employers to train a new MT. You have to consider this from their perspective. They run a business, not a support group.
Being new to the industry, you won't know this, but the chance you want them to give you requires them to hire someone to, basically, do all your work over again and then tell you what's wrong with it, sometimes for six months. You're asking them to spend in the range of $20-30,000 in addition to what they paid YOU to do the work inadequately . . . so that you can have a chance.
If you've taken an employment test with them and have not scored in the 95% and above range, or, with some companies 98%, they're not going to take you because they believe that after completing a course, you should have been able to make that 95 or 98%. If you cannot, it tells them that you spent a year or two in school and still didn't get the message. They're not going to give you a chance because they think you already had one.
They also look at the school you attended. If that school has a reputation for turning out poor prospects, then the employer knows that hiring you will be a waste. He also knows that you could have determined in advance which schools he will hire from and whose graduates do well, and he thinks that you made your choice about jobs when you chose your school, and if you chose a school that he won't hire from . . . well, that was your decision. Not his. He owes you nothing.
Before you choose a school, do your research. Going with the lowest bidder gets you a low-bid education. You need to go with a school that can demonstrate results. Graduates of those schools do not have trouble getting a job.
If you have already completed a school and cannot get a job, you can go on to a better school, or you can look locally for a physician office employer and work your way up from there.
Most college programs train only at the "physician office" level. Most distance programs train at that level, as well, so you should have the skills for that kind of job. Once there, you can work your way up to a larger office, a larger clinic, perhaps a local hospital. Along the way, you can improve your skills by self study. It may take three to five years, but you can advance that way. It's often less expensive just to take a better course, even if you've already completed one.
If you are just out of school and nobody wants to hire you, they're telling you that your academic preparation is not what they consider to be adequate for the jobs they have.
there's several things to consider.
Are you working 12+ hours because it takes that long to get the required line count, or just to make enough money at your line rate? Under most circumstances, i would work your 1st job for at least 1 year, and maybe more. Many employers will overlook the time requirement, or not be as strict with it, if you have the knowledge and skills in place. Have you asked your present employer for a raise? Are you getting the mentoring that a newbie needs? Do you have worthwhile benefits? If you are getting 'very good' work experience and do not run out of work, it may be worth staying put awhile. E/m me if i can be of more help.
Things to look out for
There are errors in their course material. There are other courses that are more thorough with more accessible knowledgeable staff. Also be aware that there are people, a lot of them former students, out there who are "affiliates" that make a decent income by promoting CareerStep and getting people to sign up for the course.
Yes, but all those things you
mentioned can be written off as business expenses since they are required for your work. There are other write offs and percentages you can take as well by working from home, maybe not the whole heating bill of course.
Like working anywhere, there are always expenses incurred associated with any job.
there are all ways of looking at things
I'm going to respond to you, item by item –
>>>The seasoned MT's and recruiters are using this forum to vent on their frustration with the newer MT's.<<<
What I saw was one harshly worded message from MTSO. As a former business owner myself, I see where they are coming from. While I do not agree with the manner in which they expressed their views, I can look beyond their frustration and understand how they feel. Try to look beyond how MTSO expressed their views and focus more on what they were saying.
>>>This is just my opinion, but if you need to put others down to make yourself feel superior go to the site where the seasoned MT's are.<<<
Putting others down to make yourself feel superior is what kids do. And why are you using the term “seasoned MTs" when you speak of people with a lot of experience. You make us sound like a steak going on the grill.
>>>This site is for newer MT's that need advice and a place to talk to other new MT's. Seems inappropriate for the experienced MT's to jump on this site to talk about what makes them mad about the newer MT's.<<<
What MTO did is give you serious advice, and you need to seriously consider WHAT was said rather than HOW it was said. And if you want to speak of what’s inappropriate, I feel it is very inappropriate for someone trying to break into the industry to post messages on the Main Board asking for help with their test.
>>>Has it been that long that we cannot remember what it was like, or was it like this.
Every day of my life. And I was grandfathered for this job. I never went to school for it. If you had a good ear and good spelling skills, you received on-the-job training. I vividly remember my first day on the job ... I think I transcribe 250 lines in 8 hours. And the work was filled with blanks and errors. Now, I'm asked to do some dictators that more experienced MTs say they can’t do.
>>>I did not have to apply for a job with my computer. I actually got to speak face to face with someone hiring. Maybe if my lack of experience did not charm them, I could. I think it is harder to apply on paper than it was for us in person.
I agree with this. I do very well with face-to-face interviews. With respect to applying for a job over the Internet, it’s become “dog eat dog” so to speak. With so much being outsourced to foreign countries, there are thousands of MTs in this country who are fighting for the same jobs with the same companies. You’re no longer a person; now, you’re a white piece of paper with black ink on it. And that’s all you have to sell yourself beyond the competition.
<<<Let's lighten up a little bit ladies and play nice.<<<
Kill joy! 
mastering these things?
Doesn't a lot of this come with time? It's seems like with transcription, like anything, you have to jump in there and do it. If your serious about it, will you not learn to master all these things over time? I mean anyone can do anything they really put there mind to.
It depends on a LOT of things.
Have you systematically inundated companies with your resume? And what's your resume like? Is it EXCELLENT? Does it show the employer all the specialties you've learned? Does it show other experience that might be helpful, such as working at home in a home business (many employers wonder how you will handle being at home) or general transcription, etc.? Are you keeping HIGHLY accurate records of all the places you've applied to and following up with thank you notes even with the places that won't hire you? Have you reapplied after not hearing from them in a couple of weeks? Have you networked on different chat groups with other MTs? Have you placed your resume on any of the sites that take MT resumes (including this one)? What exactly have you done? We need more information!
Cannot say enough good things about M-TEC!
You get what you pay for! :-)
Depends on a lot of things
Depends on how long you have been working as an IC, do you have a husband that works and has taxes withheld, what deductions you have as an IC, combined income, etc. My best adcive is that if this is your first year as an IC, to go to an account with your last year's taxes, your husband's (if you are married) last pay check stub, a report of what you have made year to date and what your expenses have been and get some advice. Do not wait until after the first of the year when they are so busy. But for the first year talk to an accountant, pay $50 to $100 for some advice. They are not as busy right now and it could be cheaper than if you wait until the first of the year. Or else, get a copy of Turbo tax and try to do your taxes even it if is based on last year's program and that will tell you what you need. If you are married and have trouble putting aside money, I suggest you have your husband up his withholding, it is easier that way. E-mail me with questions and I will try and answer for you. Patti
Cannot say enough good things about M-TEC!
I graduated from the premier program nearly 8 years ago now and have been employed at home since graduation. I had numerous offers to test because many companies will waive the 2-year experience requirement for MTEC grads. I had job offers every place I tested, so I had my pick. Like the other poster said, go to their site and research or call them up. Best of luck to you! 
A couple of things...
1. People who hire do read these boards so, for your own sake, watch spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
2. Have you tried contacting your school for help with your job search? That should be your first step.
Lots of luck.
These questions seem like things
your instructor could answer better than anyone here could. In general, when to edit for grammar, what format to use, and how to decode mumblers are all things that you will get better at with more and more practice, so don't get too discouraged. For those hard to understand dictations, try playing at different speeds (even faster) and going back to the difficult parts after you have transcribed the entire report. As you do more and more reports, you can look back through them to figure out what a dictator might be most likely to say at that point, which may give you a clue. Another trick is to put key phrases around the part you can't understand in Google and see if you come up with something. You can put an asterisk for the part you can't understand and put the key phrase in quotes and sometimes that will help, for example "* prostatic hypertrophy."
It can really help to say it out loud in the doc's accent! Really! Some things just pop out at yo
s
Unless you are facinated with all things medical
.
Thank you so much for you honesty. The things you said are very true. I only wish I had read some
Hard to tell as each company does things differently.
I'm sure they'll ask the basics about your experience, what work type you prefer, hours/lines you can do each day, etc. They may ask you questions to see how well you know your stuff. They should also ask you if you have any questions and they should tell you what they are looking for, what their platform is, how they pay, etc.
typo, fascinated by all things medical. nm
.
Moving to California and selling a few things
Hi All,
I am taking a long break and moving to California. Yeap that's right I am just up and leaving. So I must travel Lite.
I am in search of a house to rent--so if any of you Californians know of a place I would appreciate it.
I am selling: This would be great for someone thinking of evidently having their own accounts.
C-phone and headset with instruction manual (paid $200)
USB universal foot pedal (paid $100)
Panasonic Cassette transcriber with foot pedal (regular cassette) (paid $250) Great for those doctors still using regular cassettes or great doing general transcription work.
Resource materials:
Medical Transcription Guide Do's and Don'ts 3rd edition (this is the most recent one) (paid $44)
Nurse's Pocket Drug Guide
PDR Nurse's Drug Handbook
Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary 27th edition
Sloane's Medical Word Book
The AAMT Book of Style
Stedman's Medical Dictionary (Illustrated in color) 28th edition with CD
The language of Medicine with CD inside
Medical Transcriptionist's Desk Reference (Carolyn Collins-Gates)
CD transcription sample reports
I would like to sell all as one price so best offer.
I hate it when husbands INSIST on things ...
when they don't know what they're talking about!
Way too many people drop out of MT courses, the schools are smart enough to get all the money up front.
Plus there is the "monitor" board to report things, look at left - nm
s
Sorry, I read the wrong post. I had way too many things on my mind.
but that said, I think the local hospitals would be your best bet. You can get invaluable experience there. Especially with acute care.
Good luck with your job search. WIll keep you and your family in my prayers.
Only 1 post recently from someone who heard good things and wished they
s
...You'll get questions & answers right away, make contacts. See things done as
s
Thank you Corp Anon! Everytime I say those things, somebody starts with the "oh, you're so neg
whining. But as an MTSO, I couldn't agree more. The resume is your first contact with the MTSO. It had better be good because you only get one shot to go on to the next round.
Just type what you hear. Lots of things are repeated in differnent notes.
s
9 cents per 65 character line and 9 cents every 65 char are two different things.
do they take your character count and divide by 65, or do you have a line length of 65 and you are paid for however many lines are on a page.
MT schools
Thank you for the advice. I have been researching M-Tec and have decided that it seems to be the best choice. Wish me luck.
schools
Can anyone give me any info on Laird's School of Medical Transcription. 
MT Schools
Hi
I am looking to train in this field and have looked into the Career Step Program. There are soo many programs out there and I'm not sure which one to choose. Looking for opinons on which programs are some of the best. Its an awful lot of money and I certainly don't want to chose the wrong one.
MT schools
I am researching MT schools to see which one is best. I am having trouble figuring out who will give me the best training. I am a medicla biller (18 years) and would like to work from home. I thought about PCDI and VLC but I am not sure. I don't want to spend a lot of time and money on a school who is not recognized in the MT industry. Also most of these schools start the medical terminology and anatomy, that's great for someone who's new to the medical field, but what about those who know terminology like the back of our hand. Can anyone recommend an online or correspondence school?
Thanks!
MT schools
Thanks for the information, I will keep this in mind:)
thank you, thank you!!
Schools
Just wondering which schools are best. I checked out a few. Does anyone know anything about Meditec? Is it a good online course?
Schools.
Thanks for the advice. I will check into both of those schools. I presently work in the Administration Office of a hospital, and on occasion when a doctor quits the hospital I have had to type Discharge Summaries, etc. for him/her when they finally return to catch up on what they did not complete. I have yet to figure out why they quit without having all their charts complete--however, they realize there's more time allowed for DS than H&P's, Op Notes, etc. So, besides taking extra terminology courses and practicing with Absolute Experience tapes, I have done a little "real life" transcription.
schools
"career step" is highly recommended, and the gal with whom i've been e-mailing is very helpful. i was an MT in my past life, am now and RN (could you guess from the ID?), and seriously thinking of doing both. i suspect that if i go the course route, it will be via career step. good luck!
Schools
The best schools are M-Tec or Andrews. The next best is Career Step. You will need to go to one of those to brush up on your English skills and learn everything else you'll need in this industry. For instance, your first two sentences should have been just one sentence, and the little things are very important in this field if you want to compete. If that is too picky and boring for you, you won't enjoy going to school or working as an MT.
Re schools - please SM
The top 3 are Andrews, MTec, and Career Step. Companies are more willing to hire new graduates of these schools and some have partnerships with CareerStep, in fact.
You can search the archives here for posts regarding schools and get more information.
In addition, ask the school what placement assistance they offer and who hires their graduates. Don't take their word for it, either - call the companies they say will hire you and ask them if they hire grads from that program.
MT schools
I recently heard only graduates from Andrews and MTEC were getting the newbie jobs out there. Well let me tell you what I did, I graduated from HTC Education now called Brighton College and I was educated with a SUM based program. I also took Medical Coding at the same time. I called the director of MTEC to inquire about the program they offer and discovered it was not any better, still the same based SUM program that I took. The tuition cost were about 250 dollars higher but given inflation over the last year that is relatively a mute point. So I paid the same as their students do. I invested 10,000.00 in my tuition and references and computer, just to be as highly educated as an MTEC graduate and so I asked the MTEC director what their job placement was. I was told that their job placement was at 98%. Well Newbie MTs let me tell you this is purely political on the part of the AAMT and those two schools and by the way when I was looking into schools for MT I went to the AAMT and found Brighton College/formerly HTC Education and it was at the AAMT website at that time my school was also recommended by the AAMT so why am I not able to get hired as Newbie. As far as I am concerned and the research that I have done on this subject it is all a lot bull! Just hang in their work for the peanuts, get internships, do anything you can to get the experience it will happen.
Schools
As a recruiter, I can tell you firsthand that Andrews School trains the very best transcriptionists. I will look at their graduates before I look at any others.
schools
Ok, I have looked at the different schools, and am good at working on my own. I am 9 credits away from being a Registered Health Information Tech. So I have Medical Terminology, Anatomoy and Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, already among my knowledge base. I just don't have the $3000 to put into a transcription course that I know is going to just reiterate most of what I already know. I want to know if Career Step would be adequate enough for me to be Hirable as a transcriptionist?
Thanks for any input that you might be able to give me!
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