M-TEC and Andrews are the two best. Forget about the approved schools ...
Posted By: deb on 2007-07-15
In Reply to: Approved schools - Debbie
they approved Career Step despite the fact that it did NOT even meet their criteria!
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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.
Approved schools
First, I think M-Tec is the best school out there. As far as I know, they are the only one who includes technology training in their curriculum.
I would recommend looking into approved schools on the AHDI site (http://www.aamt.org/scriptcontent/mtapproved.cfm). Your friend can then consider getting her RMT and participating in the Registered Apprentice Program right afte graduation. (http://www.aamt.org/ScriptContent/apprentice.cfm)
You say CS, is this Career Step? Is this one of the AAMT approved schools? sm
I know there are several, but can't remember their names. If so, you probably don't need to worry about a local college. The AAMT approved schools (I am not an AAMT supporter) will at least get you a good chance at a job, if you do well.
Don't worry about the grumblers. Complaining is human nature, I do it myself. If you get good training, work hard and are a flexible, fast learner, you can make a good living. Those of us from the old school miss the "gravy days," but they'll never come back. It's still a good profession, especially if you approach it as one, not a sideline. Good luck.
There are only two very good schools M-Tec and Andrews.
There are only two schools approved by AAMT. Do you want to work for a national at home? If the answer is yes, then you need to go to a school that is acknowledged by the big services as the best. If you want to work at your community hospital, then you need to go into the community hospital and ask them where they would recommend you get training. Most likely they will not have heard of Andrews or M-Tec, but they may hire from your local community college and then you would be okay with going there.
Accreditation with on-like programs is not the same as with college education. What you are asking for doesn't exist with an excellent program. Places get accredited for their state, but this doesn't mean that they necessarily know anything about MT or even teaching MT. They have the money, and ability to fill out the forms that the teachers have credentials and they use basic materials.
Figure out who you want to employ you and back track. Being able to investigate is a skill necessary for being an MT. Good luck with your decision.
top 3 schools are Career Step, M-Tec & Andrews
xx
Andrews School and M-TEC are the absolute best schools.
Career Step is a distant third. Any other are not worth the money and nobody will waive the 2-year's experience for any schools but those.
Don't forget...new episode of House tonight!!!!
Don't forget radiology offices in your area.
Never know when they might need some part-time help. Or chiropractic offices. You might do other jobs as well, but variety isn't all bad.
Don't forget the Philippines, South Africa
Career Step has been training offshorees in the Philippines for over a year. They have a program in South Africa, also to take jobs from U.S.
Btw, Australia and Canada (where CS has training programs) are not really offshoring threats. There is some job interchange with U.S., but workers in these countries can not be hired for less than U.S. MTs.
approved course
What is the difference in being an Institutional Member of American Association for Medical Transcription and being an approved AAMT course?
M-TEC is AAMT approved
M-TEC would get my vote, because they are the only school that has been approved by the American Association for Medical Transcription.
AAMT-approved
My school was AAMT-approved. But so far even the local companies in my area won't hire without experience. I live right outside of Nashville and have several companies including eTransPlus, Transhealth, and Spheris close by. Medquist recently moved. TransHealth was at least nice enough to reply back to my application. The others haven't done anything. Thanks for your responses.
CS is AAMT Approved
:)
Are they actually AHDI approved?
You can find a list of AHDI-approved schools on their website.
There are only two approved/certified by the AAMT.
.
Which AHDI approved school is best?
I want to become a MT. Which online school/course should I go through? Once I am a MT will I have steady work if I choose to do it from home? Thank you.
MSU-Bottineau AHDI Approved
Hello, I work at Minot State University - Bottineau and we were recently approved by the AHDI. We offer a Medical Transcription Diploma program online. We are an accredited school and financial aid is available for this program. After you have completed our program, the AHDI will set up an apprenticeship for the student so he/she can start working right away. We are a small campus located in North Dakota. At our school, you get one-on-one attention and you aren't just a number. I just wanted to get our name out there. Let me know if you have any questions, thanks!
AHDI (AAMT) approved list
http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/mtapproved.cfm
Don't forget your local papers and local Temp. Agency or Manpower office. nm
s
Can't forget the AAMT Book of Style II! Gotta have it for style/formatting, etc. nm
s
Accredited basically means they offer financial aid. Did you mean AAMT-Approved?
If it's an AAMT-approved school, you won't have a problem. Schools that provide financial aid are required to be accredited. That means their financial records are reviewed to make sure the government's money is being handled right. They aren't evaluating the value of the course or qualifications of the course to teach medical transcription.
Andrews vs. M-Tec...
Is M-Tec every bit as good as Andrews as far as:
1. Preparing a person to enter the MT field
and
2. Almost guaranteeing a job for a student upon graduation. (Realizing, of course, that this depends on the individual.) But all else equal, does graduating from M-Tec virtually guarantee that many companies will waive the normal 2-year experience requirement and allow a new graduate to test?
Thanks
Not at Andrews
As an Andrews grad, 95% was the minimum required of each assignment of each section before you were permitted to advance to the next section. And, 95% was no guarantee that you wouldn't still be assigned extra work! We were strongly encouraged and motivated to achieve 98% and above as we were told from the beginning of the course that this is the norm in the working world. They(the instructors) were upfront from the beginning that it would take lots of work (read: blood, sweat, and tears)to pass the course at the level expected. The plus side of Andrews is that they don't turn you loose until they are confident you can attain that high goal of accuracy. An 86% would have been absolutely unacceptable.
Both Andrews and M-Tec
are top-notch MT schools. Either one would be an excellent choice not only for MT skills but also for any required improvement in spelling and grammar skills that might be necessary.
Also . . . about Andrews
Have you spoken with Linda Andrews yet? Looking on their website, I see that the payment plan has an option with a lesser down-payment of $1000 with a monthly payment of $117, instead of the $98 it would be with the larger down-payment. There is no interest on that, I see, which would be a considerable benefit to you.
Also of importance is that this covers everything. Their students traditionally do not need to provide anything else for school--not one book, not one bit of software, nothing. And, when they go to work, they already have the references that most employers require.
The first question above asked about whether one school allowed you to retake sections until you got them right. This focuses on "failure mode." The thinking is that "this is so hard, nobody can succeed." It sets up the expectation that it is NORMAL for students to fail at transcription.
Students should not fail at transcription. The concept of having some students do well, others ok, and some fail is a concept dragged over from traditional education. Private MT schools are not public junior colleges. They do not need to follow that model.
Frankly, if I were thinking of putting down a fat down-payment on a course and the school thought that it was acceptable to have any students fail, I'd be a little worried. And I certainly wouldn't expect that I'd be the exception who did well, because a school which has students failing, or not doing well enough to be employable, seems to stack the deck against you.
It would seem better to me to simply select a school in which the students do not fail, instead achieving a high level of skill across the board.
Select a school where you KNOW your money won't be wasted, where the risk is almost nil. Select a school where students do not flounder around unassisted, failing and re-failing. Select a school where they achieve and are routinely offered new, extra material to improve their already high levels of achievement.
Medical transcription training does not need to be difficult, nor does it need to culminate in unemployability.
The best are M-TEC and Andrews
M-TEC has an abbreviated course for previous medical professionals. I don't know if Andrews does.
Andrews
I'm mentoring an MT right now who went to Andrews and she seems very knowledgeable.
Andrews
I graduated from Andrews in December of 2004. I was hired immediately after graduation and have been with the same company since. I work for a smaller MTSO, and she has been very happy with how well Andrews prepared me.
M-Tec or Andrews (sm)
M-Tec and Andrews are the only two schools that are approved by the AAMT right now. I am sure there are other good schools too, but these two have been around for awhile and are proven to produce job-ready MTs upon graduation.
www.mtecinc.com
www.andrewsschool.com
www.aamt.org
M-Tec vs. Andrews
I think I am going to end up going with either M-Tec or Andrews. Please help me decide! All opinions, comments, pros and cons of each are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
M-TEC, Inc. or Andrews are the very best...
Companies waive the 2-year experience requirement for their grads. Pick one of the very best. Your future success as an MT depends on it.
So, you went through Andrews AND M-TEC after CS?
I'm really curious.
You sound just simply disgruntled over CS and have no real experience comparing the other schools to CS.
Andrews is the very best, IMO.
Look at Andrews or M-Tec
Andrews or M-Tec are simply the best programs out there.
Andrews or M-TEC are best. nm
nm
I think Andrews is the best, but everyone has their
M-TEC or Andrews
Truly, if you want to be prepared to work at home immediately upon graduation, M-Tec or Andrews is the only way to go. These 2 schools are worth every penny you will spend. Their education is top notch. I am a graduate of M-TEC but know several Andrews graduates. Please...don't skimp on your education. Speak with the directors at both M-TEC and Andrews before making a decision.
If you took M-TEC or Andrews there are
companies that will hire you without the experience, otherwise you'll have a very tough time getting an at-home job. I suggest you look for an in-house position locally and get your experience.
M-TEC or Andrews
It shouldn't even be a question anymore...
Ignore the rah-rah Career Step down there (unless you don't care whether you get a job or not).
The 2 best are M-Tec and Andrews. This
same question has been asked many times, so spend some time looking through past posts. Also read the posts about how difficult it is to get a job if you don't take one of the better courses, how low the pay is, etc.
Andrews vs. M-TEC
Hi! I'm not proud of my newbie question, but here goes. :)
I've been reading forums and researching medical transcription for about a year now. I understand Andrews and M-Tec are regarded as the best schools. I worry my reasons are partially superficial, but I feel drawn to M-TEC in particular.
I recently took their skills assessment and scored 100%. I've been seconds from enrolling a couple of times. My only concern is a general vibe that Andrews is #1. Is there a known reason for this vibe? Will my job prospects as an M-TEC grad closely mirror those of a comparable Andrews grad? Superficialities aside, my primary concern is marketability post-graduation.
Thanks in advance!
M-TEC or Andrews
Why don't you call both schools and see for yourself which one you like better?
Not Andrews or M-Tec
Thank you for the encouragement in not giving up.
The person that said she got a job so quickly said she attended Everett Community College.
My husband has suggested I write a letter to AHP, but I think anything I have to say will fall on deaf ears, and that will only make me more upset. The only thing I can say in their defense is that it seems to me that even Andrews and M-Tec make it sound like a getting a job is a piece of cake after you complete school. According to what I've seen on mtstars, it's not that easy. Granted, it's easier if you have gone to one of those schools but still not as easy as they ALL make it sound. While I attended AHP, I felt like I was learning a lot and getting a decent education, but then again, I don't have anything to compare it to. I do know that my education is not getting me anywhere now.
Andrews School
provides about the best MT training available. Even their training, however, is NOT equivalent to two years' experience. That is simply not a reasonable assumption. However, should you do the smart thing and select Andrews for your MT training and complete it successfully, you will come out FAR ahead of someone who chose one of the cheaper or less reputable MT schools. The reason companies waive the two-year experience requirement for Andrews graduates is not because they actually have two years of experience, it is because they know that they are getting a well-trainined newby who will require a minimum of handholding and someone who has been trained to deal with the realities of being an MT. You should have no qualms whatsoever about choosing Andrews. M-Tec is an equally good school that would offer you the same chance of early success. Many Career Step students have also found their transition to work to be relatively painless.
Yes, you can't go wrong with either M-TEC or Andrews.
x
Is Andrews a notch above? (SM)
It appears that if one wants to pursue an MT education, that it's either Andrews or M-Tec. I know there isn't a whole lot separating these 2 schools--the money difference is irrelevant to me--but something in the back of my mind tells me that Andrews offers just a little more. I have absolutely no concrete reason to think this, it just kind of seems that if you want the VERY best, it's Andrews; if you want REALLY GOOD, but not quite Andrews, then you go with M-Tec. Is this a faulty perception? Don't Andrews students actually transcribe more total hours than do M-Tec students?
If a person got their education at M-Tec, would they have the exact same advantage that Andrews graduates have as far as being positioned to get an opportunity to test for an at-home MT position?
Thanks.
Still Deciding: M-Tec v. Andrews
Thanks to everyone who replied below. I learned a lot. I'm seriously concerned about M-Tec & the 86% to graduate thing. I'm also worried because I feel like I may have uncovered a bit of deception on M-Tec's part. Their financial overview section states that they offer an interest-free payment plan option. However, when I calculate the cost of the payment plan described in the payment plan section, it costs $150 more to use the payment plan. Isn't that pretty much the same thing as interest?
You might be thinking well why doesn't this person just choose Andrews, but I also have concerns about Andrews. For one thing, their website hasn't changed in years, and it is not very user friendly. For another thing, they have a private board. In my previous MT training experience, when the students started complaining about how badly the program was going, our board was made private, so I am a little leery of any sort of secrecy. Another thing is I'm worried about fitting in with the Andrews culture. It is hard to explain, but there are things like the Irish pub that I realize are just to blow off steam and have fun, but I am a very serious person, and I'm not sure I could fit in. Especially since I already had a bad experience with MT training, I just want to get the work done with no extra nonsense.
If anyone has more insight or information, please help!
Andrews School
I am a current student at Andrews and I can tell you that there is a reason why this school is highly recommended, it is a great course. The boards are private because the students want it that way. There are not any students complaining about the program, because there is nothing to complain about. It is an exceptional program. The Andrews culture is very diverse. It is a positive, supportive, and extremely kind group of people. The program is well structured. The instructors are very professional. You are only required to participate in the instructional forums. If you do not wish to participate in the social forums you are not required to. If you are looking for a program with no extra nonsense this is it. I urge you to contact Linda Andrews, she is very easy to talk to and will answer your questions completely and honestly. I love attending the Andrews school and I am confident it is the best MT education available.
Check out Andrews and M-TEC if you want the best-nm
nm
The most "expensive" are M-TEC and Andrews
I didn't graduate either of these schools. I made 8 cpl within the first six months, and now at around two years, I make 16 cpl.
No, they are not necessarily the best schools. It depends on the individual and their needs.
They are the most "mentioned and expensive" in these circles, but I know of much better on the horizon!
Andrews is self-paced, but . . . (sm)
This is something you should ask the director of any school you consider attending. Check not only whether it is self-paced, but whether there are time limits and what happens if you exceed the time limit. Is there an additional fee? Do you have to pay all over again? Do you just fail?
Andrews is self-paced, but there is the expectation that the course can and should be completed in a certain time-frame. Linda Andrews can give you the details on the requirements. Just phone her.
It wouldn't do you much good if you worked on it only sporadically.
The key to completing a self-paced course lies in setting up a certain time every day for study. If you wait until you "find time," nothing will happen, but even 30 minutes daily will enable you to make progress. Even studying 20 minutes three times a week while in a hot bath will add an hour to your study time. Thirty minutes every morning will add 3-1/2 hours. Reviewing material on note cards while you walk on a treadmill or bicycle at the gym will add perhaps another 1-1/2 hours.
That's already 6 hours a week--if you focus and make the most of your study time, you can do a lot in 6 hours.
And that's not counting the time you have standing in line at the grocery or sitting waiting for the kids at dancing lessons or ball games. Andrews' materials are not tied to the internet, so you can tote them around easily and, other than the actual transcription, study away from the computer.
There is time available, but you have to identify it in advance, plan what you will study and prepare materials for it, and make an appointment with yourself for this just as if it were another job.
If something is worth doing for the benefit of your yourself and your family, then it's worth rearranging your and your family's schedule a bit to accommodate it. Perhaps you could study with the kids while they do their homework, making it a family activity.
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