More important than typing speed I hope
Posted By: me on 2008-03-16
In Reply to: typing speed - tgmt
you chose a good school. Doesn't matter how fast you type if you can't get a job because she chose a more "affordable" school that didn't give you the education you need to get a job.
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typing speed
So, what is the required typing speed for someone who is looking hired? Or should I say the minimum.
typing speed
I am starting school the end of this month and only type about 25 wpm just concerned and wondering if anyone else started out typing this slow and how it went for them and if school really help to pick-up their speed...or should
i just forget it and move on to something else.
How do you increase typing speed?
I am a fairly new MT who can type approx 150-170 lines per hour. I work p/t approx 500-1200 lines per day but it seems like I work f/t hours because of my typing speed. I have kids at home so when I get an hour long report I tend to try to hurry and that means I make more errors and slows down my typing speed.
My problem is I am constantly working so I can't find the time to work on my typing. I have only been working for about 3 months and am at 150-170 lph. How long should I give myself to get up to 200-300 lph like many can type?
Typing speed is no guarantee of success
as an MT. If you haven't had any MT training, you will fail rather spectacularly. Get some training. Get GOOD training, not some matchbook-cover school. Andrews, M-Tec, Career Step--those schools will provide the training that will get you a job. Don't try to cut corners with a cheap school. If you get the right training, and if you have the talent for the job, you will not lack for work.
looking into a typing CD to increase speed before school...
I'm planning on learning online with either M-Tec or CS, but need to wait until January to do so. Meanwhile, I thought it would be wise to do two things: 1. learn my Mac computer inside and out (I only know enough to get around plus alittle extra. This includes Word) 2. increase my typing speed
I recently bought Mavis Beacon typing 16 deluxe (I think that's what it's called) to help w/ typing speed... should arrive soon. Did anyone else do something similar to "ramp up" for MT school? Was there a need? Did it help you? Anything else I could be doing between now and January to get ready to go back to school?! (I'm 44 w/ four teens at home. Been a full time mom, and am alittle "rusty" when it comes to studying! But I'm up to the challenge, and family is very supportive.)
Your grammer seems good, and with your typing speed.....
you should have no problem. Wish you were in California.
See important, important message inside.
I put my real name and e-mail up here. The rest of you, do not let this person steal your dreams.
I stumbled onto this profession 30 years ago when transcription was part of my office duties. I went from there to a huge hospital and worked there for 15 years, all the while taking extra work from home (mostly because I just love the work, but also for extra money).
During the past 30 years, I have supported my family of four without a lot of help from my husband. That includes buying my daughter a very expensive horse and all the accoutrements (sp?) - including riding lessons, horse shows, show clothes, etc., etc. My son has a very expensive hobby that I also funded. I ran an entire household on my earnings.
I'm saying this to illustrate to you that it can be done, but you sure can't send off sloppy records. You have to learn the correct way. You have to be smart. You have to listen and be willing to be humiliated once every now and then!
MT may or may not be for you, but do not let one unsuccessful person define your future. There are plenty of us out here who make a wonderful living at this.
This is important. see message
You need to know that although you might have a "certificate" from an MT school, you are not a certified MT. In order to be certified, you need to have 2 years' experience and then take and pass a test with the AHDI (formerly AAMT).
You need to know this because when looking for a job, if you say you are "certified" and the employer checks the list of CMTs (certified MTs) and you are not on it, they will think you are lying about it to get the job.
It is a very common mistake, lots of new grads think because they have a "certificate" that they are certified, but there is a big difference.
Good luck in finding a job.
It is important to get your foot in the door
You can command more money as soon as you can prove your skills. I agree with those who say to take this entry level job and move up the ladder from there.
Response to important message
Deb,
Apparently they have changed the requirements. If you go on the website they say anyone can take the test, but they suggest two-years acute care experience for success on the test. It used to be you could not even take the test without two-years experience.
It's hard to tell because you are leaving out one important item
it says "can work from home after training period."
Is this a place that is local to you? Why don't you try googling the email address and see what comes up.
There are some hospitals that are willing to train people for this job, but I have found that happens in very very tiny hospitals where they may have something like 40 beds or less.
"well-trained" is the important point here
Those who aren't are running out of job options. The employers won't hire or keep people who are not properly prepared. They are dumping the MT services who don't have high standards.
Do not short yourself on the most important part of your career
You will be sorry if you try take the easy way out. Trust me, been there. After wasting 1 year and lots of money at one program, I went to the college and received excellent training. I graduated with straight A's on both programs.
re new mt speed
Hi Tomatoe! Remember, most important of all, hang in there. Secondly, if your company is complaining of too many blanks, with you being so new, you may want to find a different company with better mentoring. I've been at this for over 30 yr and there are a lot of variables to MT speed. But quality is way more important anyway; always make that your 1st priority. The best help towards building speed otherwise i can offer is building 'normals'. Try not to have to look up any same thing more than once. Use shortcuts for meds, ie, Tranxene might be trnx. Use shortcuts for phrases, ie, in satisfactory condition might be ins. Later, with some doctors who use the same phrases or same paragraphs or even whole reports, you can build these in your Expander and change any variables. Good luck. You'll do fine!
Your speed is probably fine according to your
email. You would be best to go and apply at some companies with your schooling that you have on hand. You will build speed as you do more work. Quality over quantity, but quantity equals money in this profession since it is production based.
picking up the speed
If you are using an Expander (which I hope you are) I agree with the other posts. Even after 15 years, I still find it helpful to me to put in every possible drug with an abbreviation so I don't have to look up if it is capitalized or generic. Also I do things like: asp8 which spells out aspirin 81 mg, asp3 = aspirin 325 mg, etc. If you know that the drug only is in a certain mg, put the number after it and let it expand the whole thing.
Nobody really cares about speed/wpm, only that you
know your terminology, grammar, punctuation, meds/dosages, etc. If you know your stuff, you'll be fine. :)
Dial-up vs. High Speed
Do all companies require High Speed Internet? I can only get dial-up where I live. Can't find a company that will hire without High Speed though. Any thoughts?
Co. that does not require DSL or high speed???
The little town I live in in Michigan offeres both DSL and high speed internet but not outside the town where I live which is 3.5 miles from town. No verizon internet either offered. Almost all the jobs I have applied for end up requiring DSL or high speed connections and I am having trouble finding any companies to apply for that don't require those. Anyone know of companies I can apply to that don't? I am looking for part-time MT work and am flexible in hours and days that I can work. Thanks for any help that can be offered.
I would not recommend it. Being a speed typist
isn't as important as being accurate, but if you have been typing "for years" and only type 55 wpm an MT course is not going to improve that. MT work can be very stressful. It is difficult for a newbie to get a position and the pay isn't very good even for experienced MTs who can work full-time. My MIL had MS and stress would make her muscles become rigid to the point she had to take some much Valium she was a zombie.
Speed comes with practice. A job for newbie
with no experience will pay tops 6 cpl, more likely 5 cpl. If you get a job in a local doctor's office/clinic you can expect $8 to $10/hour tops.
There is so much more to MT than typing. You need to know anatomy, terminology, how to research, be able to do different accents, etc.; though if you don't type fast you'll never make a living as an MT.
I took typing in 9th grade and I was horrible. If you had told me I'd make a living typing I would have laughed at you. I now type about 125 wpm.
What appeals so far? What's not boring? What gives you the most speed?
s
picking up speed - could use some tips!
Anyone have any tips on how to "pick up the pace" so to speak on
reports? I know I'm still not quite up to par or at least where I want
to be. I even consider myself a decent typist.
I will accept any and all advice. Thank you!
It's not really your speed that matters, it's your accuracy. sm
I have been an MT for over five years and have worked at many different MT jobs. Nobody every asked me, and definitely nobody ever tested to see how fast I typed.
Was there a time limit on the test? Was it a timed typing test, or a transcription test?
Uh oh, I hope you are not an MT because
I found an error in what you just typed!!!! Uh oh!!! You said, luckily you smelled something FISH and a lot of money, etc. LOLOLOLOLOL Fish. I bet she did. LOLOL
Yes, there is hope.
Even transcriptionists with a lot of experience have to leave blanks, which is an important part of this job because you should NEVER EVER guess. There is such a thing as an "educated guess" and context clue guessing, which I have done, but I have a lot of experience and still there are times when I just cannot fathom what they are saying or have never heard of that term. That is why this board is a very good tool. I wish I had known about it earlier in my career. I have learned so much from simply reading. As a matter of fact, I learn something new everyday. By the way, welcome to the world of medical transcription. Enjoy the ride because it goes so fast! 
There is Hope
You typed 3,716 words over 150 minutes and still made $$? That comes out to about 25 wpm! There is hope for me after all!!! My current typing speed is about 25 wpm!
Typershark. It is fun and helps with speed/accuracy.
x
Companies that do not require high-speed
FutureNet does not require high-speed access. FutureNet Technologies Corporation
do all schools require a speed test
also,I know it is necessary to type very fast, but is their an actual speed typing test and so many WPM that you have to pass? What I lack some in speed, I make up for by making very few mistakes and when I listen to doctors talk (I have done transcriptions for a lady-in training) I can type twice as fast as when I have to look off of a paper and do a timed test. One school told me it didn't matter how fast you typed--if you could spell and was good at grammer, that mattered. The grammer and proofing and spelling is all very easy to me. Thanks
Hope you don't mind
I really hope someone chimes in with the answer to your question but I wanted to comment that I have heard nothing but positive reviews for MTEC and the reviews have been mixed, but leaning towards the positive for Career Step. There are some CS students and alumni that will defend their school tooth and nail that it is not a second class stepchild to MTEC, and some that feel that MTEC (or Andrews) would have been a better choice.
I had a friend who could not afford the down payment for Andrews, and either could not or did not want to try to get the Sallie Mae loan for MTEC, and I steered her towards the CS program at Everett CC because she had pell grant and student loan eligibility.
You might want to ask some national companies whose grads they hire. I asked a few (you could certainly ask more than I did, and I recommend that), and one listed a few schools I had not even heard about up to that point.
It seems that the companies have some thing going on with CS because many of them have a link to request training info from CS. Not a guarantee of employment by any stretch but worth asking what that is all about. (hopefully not just about getting money from CS for advertising and referrals).
If it were me I would choose MTEC over CS. But my decision is made - I chose Andrews over both of them and as soon as I can bring myself to send in the $1500 down payment(its just a scary amount of money to plop down), I am doing it!
Thank you for post. It gives me hope
since I'm getting frustrated at the moment.
hope i'm not being too nosey but........
how much more schooling do you have and what state are you in?
Now there's a newbie I have hope for!
Somebody who can already communicate effectively! Just the same, I hope you chose your school carefully, jwhitman.
wow, I hope I do not turn out like you
after 15 years of transcribing. You really sound resentful.
Hope this is not a bad sign
I just finished a dictation that the dr. cancelled 20 seconds into it because he "already did it on EMR".
Acct still has a large volume of work, but I wonder if they are easing into EMR.
Has anyone else started to run into this?
I work for a service so at least this one account is not my only source of income, but it does provide a lot of work.
Keeping fingers crossed.....
That is really low pay. I sure hope you are not an IC to boot!
nm
I hope this info. will help you. SM
I posted this several months ago on this board, and have copied here for you:
I truly do not believe there is an online or distance learning program, or even a four year college degree for that matter (yes, I have a 4 year degree in healthcare 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 specialties 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 dictations 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.
Hope this helps
I got this by typing "set font" into the help area:
(The default button is on the lower left hand side of the format font screen.)
hope it helps
I really appreciate your reply. I'm not concerned with benefits as I can go on my husband's group insurance. I saw a post that MDI-MD takes part timers. Ever hear of them?
Hope this helps
I was just in your shoes. I saw on the job board the other day there was a posting:
MTs wanted for Clinic work - all specialties
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted By: Alana Boser on 2008-02-19
TransRx Medical Trans. Needed immediately, full and part time MTs for clinic work. Newbies welcome, on passing testing process. Line rate /65 char line - depending on experience and test results. Click on the Apply Now link to submit your resume.
Hope for Newbies
Hi All!
I am a newbie. I haven't even officially graduated yet. I attend a school that has been called a 'matchstick school'. I have figured out why there was so much negativity about my school. The students are only required to do 20 (GASP!) transcription assignments throughout the course. However, the CD we are given to work off of has over 100 dictations. I would not be defeated by this school! I not only did the required assignments, I worked my way thru the other 100 in my own time.
Well, this weekend I found a website that lists 137 transcription companies located in the USA. I wrote my resume, omitting the name of the school I attended. I also listed all the transcriptions and specialties I worked on. I listed the amount of time I spent working on these as experience. Then I wrote up a cover letter expressing my desire and drive to work for a great, solid company. I sat at my computer over the weekend and went down the list of the companies. I emailed EVERY company on there with my cover letter and resume. By Sunday night I had a request to test with a company. I tested with them Monday afternoon and by Monday evening I had a job offer. They have asked me to start tomorrow. I also have 4 other requests to test with different companies sitting in my inbox. This amazes me because I have not even officially graduated yet!
Please do not mistake this for bragging. I have worked very hard and have been extremely discouraged over the past several months. I have sent out over 100 resumes and have had my fair share returned stating I do not have enough experience. During my downtime I worked thru all the dictations my school offered. I also found a website that helps improve typing speed. So for all you newbies, do not give up. When you are not job searching, practice your transcribing, even if it is one you did a hundred times before.
I hope this gives some fellow newbies some hope.
A little hope for newbies!
Hey ya'll!
I just want to give a little hope to fellow newbies out there! I have finally found my first job!
I started searching at the beginning of the semester, and now, a week before graduation, I have finally gotten my first position!
It takes a lot of hard work, determination, begging, crying, giving up, starting again, crying some more, and networking, but it pays off in the end!
So please, don't give up! Test, network, practice, make phone calls, apply for positions, knock on doors, pretend your sick so you can get some one on one time with your doctor, and most importantly, pray! You will get there!
Good luck everyone! I hope this gives ya'll a little boost! I know how frustrating it was, but you'll forget all about that when you finally get a "yes" from someone!
I'll be praying for all of you!
Also, you better hope you like working for them, because (sm)
that's all they're training you for. Most companies have never heard of this training program, and unless you have 2 years' of experience, they won't hire you. This place trains you to work for THEM only. You have no way of knowing how qualified you would be to work elsewhere.
Typing on a lap top
I too type on a lap top. I use a wireless keyboard. I prefer it to a desk top.
most software applications require high speed. sm
problem with dial up is like using a little pipe to get water into your home. The pipe is too little to allow a big flow. Your program will crawl on dial up. Do a search for wireless internet and your nearest town. I cannot get cable or DSL here but found out there is a tower half mile from my house that is wireless. I didn't know it and they sure didn't tell me. So check around that way. Until you get high speed, most likely you will be unable to work unless you find a place that transfers .wav files from an FTP site.
Never heard of needing a speed test in school, and you certainly won't need
s
I emailed you; hope it helps.
.
Sorry to hear that. I hope you can find one
x
you're quite welcome! hope it helps.
x
Great job! I hope you find a job
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