I was thinking the same thing....what a great way to advertise!!
Posted By: ME... on 2007-11-24
In Reply to: There's a job on the seekers board for new MTs. - I think it's nice of them to advertise this way
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How much do you pay them to advertise your name? nm
nm
Thinking of MT
Hi, I am exploring the idea of MT as a way to fund semi-retirement. We will be traveling, and I'm looking for something that can be taken up and put aside for days, weeks, or months at a time. So my question is, are there companies that let you join a pool and take what they want to offer when you are wanting to work? Or is this a career that you need to be working constantly or you're out? Thanks!
Thinking of MT
Thank you sm, that was very helpful. I do realize MT isn't a simple job. I've been a court reporter for 16 years and thought this might be a fairly smooth transition. May not be the retirement income situation I desire. Thanks for your response!
That was what I was thinking...
I was thinking maybe I wasn't hearing a lot of problems with them because they weren't having a lot of problems! lol That is one reason I was asking because I didn't know if a lot of them were finding jobs or just being tight-lipped about their experiences. Thanks for your response! I appreciate the info. I will check out the other board!
thinking of MT as second job
you know...there is a reason that MTs with tons of experience are asking what they can do instead. By the time you find and finish a good MT course...more and more jobs will have been outsourced to india or elsewhere. It is hard for ME to compete with that 5 cents a page thing...as a newbie it is bloody well impossible. The learning curve AFTER school is pretty long too. Instead of getting into the offshore mess...consider instead taking a course in medical coding. There is a huge huge huge shortage of certified coders. You can train to become a coder at home on your own time frame (AHIMMA has a very good on line course). YES it is tough...so is transcription...but almost any hospital/clinic of any size has at least one opening for a coder. They are not yet offshoring those jobs! YES you need to get certified...that's improtant to get a job. But at least check into coding instead.
I still am thinking of canceling....
There is so much negativity regarding MT. I really think I am going to just cancel the program and at least recoup a little money. I am taking some college course right now and am trying to decide which degree program I would like to enter. But good luck to you.
Thinking about applying but have a question.
I currently work for a small MTSO and have a small account with her but there is not enough work to support myself. I realize newbies don't start off with the best pay and that is fine with me but, if you don't mind me asking, do they start you out with the usual 5-6 cents per line? Is it gross or 65-character? Is work pretty steady?
Thanks in advance for the info.
I'm thinking if I was selling something I wouldn't
point out the bad things about it.
That may be wishful thinking on your part
I think you've been proven wrong about the community colleges being good. Most of them are closing their MT courses because their graduates can't get jobs. Some of the others are still offering MT but they offer it with all sorts of other classes that have nothing to do with transcription. They aren't doing a good job of teaching people to transcribe though. They do a good job with terminology though, I will admit.
Please tell me about Focus, I'm thinking of applying.
Hello,
I have been thinking of applying to this company since I heard they are willing to hire newbies. I don't have much experience since graduating from my MT program, but really do need to make some decent money.
The only thing I have heard about this company is that they are Indian owned, thus offshore. I do not know anything about the pay, training, benefits, platform, QA relationship, recruiting practices or anything that might make me worry. Please tell me why you would not recommend them, I don't want to get stuck with a bad company. But I also realize that some companies are not good fits for some people.
Please reply here or by email if you like. I just want honest information. Are there other companies willing to hire and give new MTs a good starting chance?
Thanks.
Anyone even thinking of starting school SM
for this field, go to the Main Board and read the post from "I AM DONE" - I didn't type it, but it's a pretty good summary of what an MTs career ends up to be.
Thinking about MT as 2nd job - extra money
Hi there - I have a very sound career holding a Management position making great money, however we are trying to pay off bills and I thought I would pick up a second job. A friend told me about being a MT and at first I was kinda excited to start my research, then sites like this (some of the posts) have scared me. HOWEVER there are a good number of success stories. I think I may continue on, as this will not be my main job, just for extra income.
My question for all of you who are certified. I keep reading about the BIG 3 schools. I don't know who they are, but I was going to go to one of my technical colleges in my local area. Is that a no no in the MT world? I mean, it's an accredited school. I'm just scared that when applying for jobs, they will want those that came from the big 3 that you all are talking about.
If anyone can share information I would greatly appreciate it. Thx a bunch!!!
thinking about selling my transcription business...
 and just wondering if any one has any opinion on interest in that. The person owning the company would make a minimum of $82,500 a year, running the business and doing some transcribing part time. It would be very easy to do some marketing and bring in some new accounts, which could easily push that 82500 to over 100000 a year. I have repetitive stress injury and my doctor has told me I need to find something else to do. I was thinking if there was an MT or a group of MT's (the company is incorporated so shares can be sold) that would like to get together, they can eliminate the middle man, earn retail price for their lines and establish job security, not to mention satisfaction. Price would be around $250,000 but like I said, a group of people could go together to cover that and with a little work in marketing, it could be paid off in three years. The business is about 10 years old and to the point where it is generating its own referrals. It could really go places if someone wanted to spend a little time marketing to a few new hospitals. Any one have any thoughts on this.
Does anyone have any experience with TRS Institute- thinking of applying.
.
Amanda, you know what? I sat here all weekend thinking about offering Lisa an IC position (sm)
that might be able to help her out, as I work in 12-hour TATs, but the more I saw the posts left from her, the more I chose not to get involved. I come to this board for the specific reason of offering help, as I feel anyone who truly needs a break should be given the opportunity. However, Lisa has made it blatantly clear that the only opportunity she wants is on HER terms and I actually feel slighted that I was willing to take a chance with someone who comes across the way she has.
Also, I am offended by the fact that Lisa states her first job is "Mom," as if mine is not. Yes, I do WORK as an MT and I work hard at it, but I also am there for every single aspect of my children's lives, including class mother, PTA chairperson, basketball, softball, baseball, dance, etc. I work hard daily for the balance (without the benefit of my wonderful husband) and I MAKE it work for all of us and for that I am rewarded and blessed. How dare someone even critique my abilities, especially as a mother.
you got it down pat.....the only other thing I would ask is...
I might ask how may doctors are in the pool you will be typing for. The less the better. That way you can get some normals down. If you type for a few hundred, the chances of seeing the same doc twice in one day is rare. You can ask "what constitutes a line". That will answer your question with regard to characters per line, spaces, etc. Don't forget to ask what work types you will be typing, and will you have a primary and secondary account; that way in case your primary runs out of work you would like a secondary as a backup. Good luck.
I don't think its a bad thing
I think it is hard to gain respect anywhere when you are **new**, unfortunately. There are some people that take the word newbie to the extreme and make it seem like it is a bad thing and like you will never amount to anything, but for the most part I think that most MTs don't mean anything ignorant when they say the term.
Everyone has to start somewhere--and those transcriptionists who are constantly putting down the newbie need to remember however many years ago when they were first starting out. I'm sure they still make mistakes now (whether they are willing to admit to it or not is a different story).
I have been a Transcriptionist for only 2 years and I still consider myself a newbie. I am constantly learning new things every day. I don't think I will EVER put myself so high up that I will forget how rough my start was.
first thing I would do
(I'm saying this gently)
is make sure I know the difference between advice and advise...
Thing is..
It was not an error, it was her personal opinion on what he/she does on the report. Not in any way an error, nothing about it in the BOS. Just something that she prefers. And as you know, most QA go about things differently. I just wish she would have left it be, because even though it didn't count off, it is still marked now because she decided to correct it to fit her style. I am not mad at QA because they do their job, but I don't expect them to try to make everyone do it exactly as they do when it is not an error.
For one thing...
This is a job, plain and simple. Why should you be able to pick and choose your accounts? You receive work to complete and companies expect that work to get done. I'm speculating they did just the opposite to knock you down a notch because they are, after all, paying you.
Secondly, the whole "kids come first" thing is very condescending. We know that. Do you think the mothers here or in the world, even, WANT to work 40+ hours a week instead of spending time with their kids? These days, both parents need to work in a lot of cases and tons of the mothers don't get to work from home and don't just work a few hours a week.
The best thing to do is
contact your school for a list of who hires their graduates. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find entry-level positions with companies if your program is not well-known nationally or does not a have an reputation for graduates that can hit the ground running.
If you are unable to obtain job placement assistance from your program, the alternative is find companies who allow testing without an invitation. There are some out there that will let you test as part of the initial application process.
I am wondering the same thing! nm
It's a style thing (nm)
x
One thing I have learned...
It seems that most people in this business are perfectionists, to say the least. Even when someone is rude, there is something to learn by the answers that they give. I take it with a grain of salt, because there are people like that in every business.
I have never heard of an MT having to do such a thing.
That is definately not your responsibility or your job description. I would be bringing the issue up with someone to get it taken care of.
The OP didn't say anything about any thing other than TV
As I stated before, I work when my little one watches certain programs; however, there are bigger issues here just as you brought up. What I got from the original poster was exactly what those fly-by-night get-rich-quick while you stay at home with your kids try to sell newbies and don't prepare a new MT for the REALITY of working from home, especially with small children. Had the original poster said "in addition to having puzzle time, block building time, playing in the sand time, what good programs will help?" I would have felt differently but that is NOT how the original post was worded.
I'm lucky because I have learning centers set up. I don't rely on extensive TV to get my work done. Plus I'm not a newbie with unrealistic expectations and a huge learning curve to face while there are 2 little ones vying for my attention. It is certainly possible to have kids stay home and work, but to rely heavily on TV IMHO is wrong thinking for the future of our children. I take advantage of mother's day out as I am single with a child who was dropped on my door by a mom who didn't want to play mommy anymore. I have a child with no social skills, who doesn't know what home cooked food is, who never before had a regular schedule, didn't know another child her own age...I could go on and on.
My point is that having a variety of activities, interactions, settings is much better for a child than relying on hours of TV (the OP mentioned morning shows plus wanted more suggestions for other times, which indicates wanting to have the TV babysitting them). If you don't see it that way, read the OP again.
My child can go outside and play on my patio and I can watch and talk to her from my desk. How could a newbie who needs no distraction do something like that. TV. My child can ride around the house, collecting pretend mail while singing and I'll join in while waiting for the doctor to flip through the chart. How will a newbie handle that? TV.
I think you and I are arriving at the same endpoint, but interpreting the OP with different POVs. You never addressed the OP's obvious lack of insight about ENTERING the MT at home world with stay-at-home children. I did.
One thing to remember..
A lot of companies won't hire newbies who took just any course..it has to be an approved course (AAMT-approved or at the very least a course that is approved by that particular company.) If you take an unapproved course and try to go to work for one of the big companies, you might find that they won't accept you without more experience first.
One thing to remember
Maybe 7 years ago they would hire (or even test) someone in your situation, but these days there are so many who have taken the MT courses that they choose to test those first. Hands-on learning positions are around but usually only locally. Just want people reading this to know that. As you can see a few posts down I believe, there is someone who went to school and cannot even test because she did not go to a well-known school and/or she does not have enough experience even to test. So to say that it is possible is technically right, but people out there need to know that these situations are rare.
When less is more that is a good thing - sm
unless it is a tiny font or very extreme margins. From your indications below I'd say you have a good deal.
I did the same sort of thing through a different CC
It definitely enriches the Career Step material. I don't think the CS material by itself would be entirely adequate to begin working productively out of the gate in MT, but that is my opinion. With added instruction through community colleges that use the curriculum, then it's kicked up a notch.
Good luck!
I agree. I did the same thing.
So did a number of other grads I know. I am now making 10 cpl plus production bonus. I was fortunate to find a small company that still does straight transcription (although they are bridging into SR soon). I received excellent mentoring and have a great QA department that gives wonderful feedback. The nationals are not the only game out there.
one thing someone once suggested to me
is to slow down the dictation so much that you barely have to take your foot off the pedal. I don't have the patience to go that slow, but maybe it's something to try. The problem is that you miss a word because you're typing something else (have had that happen), and maybe slowing down so much will help avoid that. A good thing about proofreading is sometimes it doesn't make sense and then you realize you missed a word. I realize this isn't always the case. I guess aside from that, you'll just have to be patient and it will come in time. (I know, not the words you wanted to hear.)
LOL! I was just going to post the same thing!
You said exactly what I wanted to say!
I don't know why people keep going for the cheap courses. Especially considering they're not actually cheaper in the long run, not when you consider the lower pay you'll have to take if you only get a crappy job and the lost pay for possibly months when you can't get one at all.
Some people seem to believe they'll be the exception to the rule, i.e., everybody else who can't get a job after taking a course must just be stupid.
Or, they're stuck in some kind of cosmic-scale perpetual self-defeating mode. They don't see themselves as being worth the tuition at a better school. Or something. I never can figure out what.
You can "believe" all you want but there is such a thing as truth. sm
Medical transcription is not relative and you won't get a job because you "believe" you will. It takes a lot of hard work. As the other posters have said, you need basic English skills and they're not coming through on your posts.
You Poor Thing - This people must be
First of all, I did not go to MTEC, Andrews or Career Step, but it does seem like they companies to train with.. it seems most people get good jobs in a timely manner when training with them. You pay more, but it seems to be worth it.
As far as days/hours... I have been working for the past 9 months WORKING MY OWN HOURS. The days are set, but as long as I get my lines in during that day, they are very happy. I was a newbie, they started me at a great rate, and I got a 1 cent raise after 3 months (I am very lucky). There ARE MANY companies out there that know that MOST of us ARE moms at home in our PJs. I actually get more accomplished dressed as such.. sitting in my office wearing my pumps is really not necessary... maybe that's why these other people are so damn cranky!!! Anyway, a lot of accounts are 24-hr TAT and as long as you get your lines in, most people don't care when you did it.. as long as the client is happy. Don't these idiots bring you down .. good luck!
Remember, that stapler was the only thing that
made it through the fire! You kind of need that kind of durability on this board!
you could always do the passive-aggressive thing...
and just not do the tracking "very well..." the ol' oops I forgot may be in order here. Sometimes it is easier to step around the problem sideways rather than trying to take on management. So what would happen if you just didn't get around to tracking? They would probably give the job to someone else!
This LPN/MT echoes your sentiments exactly. Can't add a thing. Thx. nm
s
You can also do the tech school thing
You can also go to a technical college (if you happen to have the time). Most offer a certificate program (which is not the same as being certified as a CMT), of course. I think it costs a little less this way...at least for me. I went a couple of years ago and both semesters cost me $3500. Most also help you find the first job. I did an internship for a clinic and was hired after I finished the program. I worked in-house for one year and then at home the next. My starting salary was per hour (which I personally don't recommend, but at the time I did not know better). My starting yearly income was $22K gross (I think it was about $10-something per hour). I am now an independent contractor being paid by the line and last year I made $45K. Good luck to you...hope this helped in some way!
I wondered the same thing, actually...sm for thoughts
I guess I am suspicious by nature, because when I started looking into schools, I kind of figured there would be one or two negative posts about even the best!
However, I think that Andrews and MTEC are structured so that there are very, very few disapointed students. First they screen applicants--very important to make sure that students have the aptitude for this field. During the course, students have a lot of contact with instructors--support system is great. Then they have minimum graduation requirements that insure you will be ready for a job. Finally, they help with job placement. All of these things pretty much garuntee that complaints are pretty much nil. They are upfront about what they expect from students, so no surprises there either.
I worked for a bank that did the same thing
and laid off about 3000 US customer service reps (3 call centers in 3 states). I was a CSR on the phone and luckily left less than a year before that happened. It was WaMu (and look how great they are doing with their home loans too. I hope they go down the tubes).
Yeah, I wondered the same thing...
Newbies, ya gotta learn one thing here...sm
you must be accurate in all typed correspondence. I had a newbie that asked about doing an internship I offered. Here is her actual response:
Yes I am definetly interested.
Thanks you.
Now how am I supposed to hire somebody like that? 
I agree 100% with you on this "social skills" thing..sm
I am sure you will get some flack on this one, but I agree with you. Daycare has become way to convenient for some moms to dump their kids for eight hours, and sometimes more, a day.
I also have to disagree with the other poster who says a teacher can spot the kids who never got out of the house and went to daycare or preschool before entering school. That is just not true. My 11 y/o never went to preschool and she has been an honor roll 4.0 student since day one. She will actually advance to 7th grade next year and skip 6th grade.
I have a bachelor's in business and I am a CMA. I dont use either right now because I want to be home with my kids too. I chose to stay home and do transcription to keep me in the medical field and be home for my kids.
I will never chain myself to my computer and put my kid in daycare in order to meet a line requirement for the day. It just wont happen. I am lucky to have found my employer who lets me have that freedom.
It is one thing when newbies make mistakes, but
it is another when an older MT makes such careless mistakes. I do not think I would want to work for such a person who cannot even spell themselves.
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 went to M-TEC & did the exact same thing you're planning.
I had absolutely no problem finding part time work during the evenings and on weekends.
It's a common problem, the no experience thing--
you may want to try to find someone to mentor you through that. If you have really good skills, another thing is to do an internship. Some MTSO's (usually the smaller ones) are willing to trade off the time it takes to walk a newbie through the rest of their training, if the newbie is willing to work for less. I know I see newbies all the time who want their 6-8 cpl, but all I can say is I find experienced people with good skills who offer to work for that, so why would an MTSO pay a newbie that? This is all part of the unfortunate decline of the MT trade...
The best thing for you to do is post your resume on the various free
job boards. There are companies that will hire from the resumes and don't post openings. Unless you went to one of the better schools you probably don't stand much of a chance of getting an at home position. Even if you did go to one of the better schools it may be difficult to find an at home position. There are companies that will hire newbies and pay them almost nothing, there are companies that offer mentoring programs that may or may not pay you anything and some may even cost you. There are companies that may offer you a position and then say you have to buy equipment/software from them first. These are probably not legitimate companies and you need to stay away from them.
Most companies want 2 years of experience, though there are exceptions. Your best bet would be to look through your local classifieds and see if you can find a position in a physician's office or a hospital.
The $3000 educations will become a thing of the past
Have any of you been feeling the economic pinch. High gas costs, cost of food rising, dropping real estate values, credit cards being used more and the balance getting higher, spouse out of work, etc etc.
This is the trend and not the end or these events. IMO, we will see more of this rather than less. Thank goodness healthcare is pretty immune. I feel very safe.
Tuition costs will come down because they have to. Who can afford $3000 to $4000 for an education now? Not many people. Who can afford $2000 for an education with no job guarantee???
I'll say it again, you must get a job guarantee if you are a prospective student. Staffing school, partner alliance, MT Company that operates a school. Those will become the favorites out of necessity. My old college major was business. Look for changes.
First thing you want to do is get a tough hide! This board is brutal!
I would like to say we are all civil and well-mannered, but you can take a quick look down the first page and see that we are not, so first of all, don't take offense at some of the replies you will get. There are many more of us out here who are willing to help out, but you will see the "nasties" are the majority on this board. I quit coming here for a long, long time...still not sure why I came back....anyway. Things are quite different than they were when you were an MT (I know, I've been an MT for 30+ years). You have a great background and it wouldn't take you long to get back into the game. The first thing I would do is talk to one of the MT schools. The 3 best are the Andrews School, M-Tec and Career Step. You can speak to one of the counselors, you may be able to bypass some of the class work because of your previous background. There a LOT of new procedures, equipment, drugs, tests findings, etc. in the past 25 years and you need to get reacquainted with things. Good luck to you - you can do it! Let us know how you make out. (And don't forget to ignore the trolls  )
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