Not much money to be made for new grads at MedQuist.
Posted By: They are only offering 5 cpl to new grads on 2007-11-13
In Reply to: One person's sinking ship is another - person's yacht!!!
Guess it is pretty profitable to get rid of experienced MTs and then fill their spots with new grads at half the rate.
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I made 7.75 with MedQuist my first year.
I started out with Medquist making 7.75 based on my all-around experience and test scores I was told. That was PTE.
I went on to make 8 as an employee, and I work a second IC job making 16, 13 to start, 16 after 90 days.
Everywhere I have worked, coders made more money than MTs.
nm
Medquist does not own Career Step, but I think they hire CS grads. nm
x
CS website says there is money to be made for those who promote the training program!
No wonder people are so quick to promote CS. I don't think M-Tec or Andrews pay people to promote their school! If they do, they owe me some money, LOL!
Most companies will not hire grads of the "cheap" schools, so it's a waste of money.
Their courses are crap, and the people who do the hiring know it. They don't teach you anywhere near enough for you to be able to work at home on your own.
Also, you will have very little time to study/learn (or work, for that matter) with that many children. You need it quiet, and you need to be able to concentrate. You can't do this job with children running around, or on your lap, or at your feet. You have to do it when they are sleeping, or at school, or have someone watch them (which will most likely cost you money).
I think Medquist is looking..
for QA.....
Have you tried MedQuist?
nm
MedQuist
I agree. One has to start somewhere, and it is the same in any other job area. I only have one small account now (local) and am looking for more steady work now. So it sounds like a pretty good option to me. I need benefits too, and like yesterday...
MedQuist
Have you tried MedQuist? They have been known to hire transcriptionists without any experience.
MEDQUIST
Does anyone know about taking a test with Medquist if they aren't hiring? I took a test with them a few days ago, and I had a cousin look over it before I turned it in. She's been doing this 9 years, and she said it looked great! I was so proud since I'm a newbie. Today, I got an e-mail that said I failed, but they had no information on how bad I did on what part of the test, and that I could just reapply in 3 months. Is this standard procedure when they don't need help, or did I really fail the test. I'm just so frustrated. I've put in so many applications, and taken so many tests that I've never heard back from anybody. I just don't know what to do.
Medquist
has been sued by everyone from their investors to client hospitals to MTs who claimed they had been cheated on lines. Why would you want to work for someone like that?
Does Medquist and Spheris pay you when you
first start and are in full QA? I know Focus Infomatics does not and they expect you to work for 2-3 weeks in training before you get what they call DSP (direct submission priveleges), plus they expect you to spend approximataely 600 minutes long distance (don't know where to) during that training. So, I was thinking about taking the MQ or Spheris plunge because of the NAZI QA where I currently work. I've been doing fine for a year, no complaints or problems, then they put me on a new account with a ton of specs with little explanation and no examples. I kind of feel like I've been hung out to dry. But, I can't really afford to work for free, which is why I did not take the Focus job even for a couple of weeks.
I've read negatives for MQ and Spheris, but realize lots of people still work there anyway, which makes me wonder just how bad bad really is.. Is Spheris a better option if I don't really need health insurance? What's the pay like and QA like for both. Which would be considered better and why? The "cesspool" madness sounds like a real turnoff. Thanks in advance for any shared information or opinions.
MEDQUIST MT test
I replied to your message once, but never saw the reply here...so if this shows up twice, please forgive me! I took the Medquist test a few days ago, also, and today I got the same letter...FAILED...with no explanation. Like you, I thought I had done pretty well as a newbie. Now I am trying to take the Focus Informatics test. However, the very first test...I cannot understand her at all, and it is supposed to be a test for newbies. Is there someone who can give me some insight into Focus Informatics and their MT tests for newbies? I really want to get started working and thought I had a chance with Focus, but if I can't even transcribe the first couple of lines of the first report, I'm doomed. HELP, PLEASE!
Medquist Test
I recently took the Medquist test and failed for a second time. I looked everything up before submitting it, and still failed. I have been in the medical field for for almost 20 years, and this really surprised me. Does anyone know how many questions you are allowed to miss?
Medquist test
I don't know how many Qs you can miss. I have taken that test, passed the objective part, then flunked the actual transcription test. Maybe they would go over your test results with you a bit if you called them? In my case, I know I need more transcription practice. You might just be missing something easy to correct like one of their punctuation questions or something. I would ask them.
Medquist also hires newbies.
Some companies have you work on their platform. Word is required sometimes, but not 2007. You're best bet is Word 2003, which is compliant with most MT platforms.
As far as convincing your husband, don't expect to make a whole lot in the first probably 2 years at least. This business takes a lot to get up to speed. Nothing lucrative until your probably 5 years in, and that's definitely not working part-time. You'll probably need to work at least one full-time job and a part-time to make any great money in this business unless you get your own accounts. If you get your own accounts through local physicians, then you're looking at being a contractor, which means no insurance help.
Good luck with whatever you decide! 
More can be made
The problem with MT pay is that it's all over the board and dependent on so many factors. If you're really good at MT and fast, you can make pretty decent money. You also have to be fortunate enough to find a good job fit. I'm into my 3rd year as an MT and averaging $20 an hour as an employee of a large national. During my second year I made about $12 to $16 an hour. I believe that many people who go into this field are not really well-suited to do this kind of work, and it shows in the paycheck. If I were making anything less than $15 an hour, I'd sure be looking for a new place to work.
How about Medquist? is it a good company to work for?
I recently received a reply from an application I filled out for Medquist and was wondering exactly how they operated and what to expect if it turned out to be promising. Do any of the companies provide all of the equipment? My MT instructor said that there were companies that did provide everything from computers to software and the hardware, too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...I'm willing to do just about anything to get my foot in the door somewhere.
Medquist flex part-time; try them.
good luck
And yes, I now see that I have made a typo
and "it's" should be "its".
LOL.
see, I just made one with only 1 parenthesis lol
/
I have not seen this comment made yet....
I am a newbie to this board and trying to decide on a MT school. I find it very interesting that while there are many negative comments out here, there are virtually no negative comments about Andrews school or M-tec..... I understand that they are considered the "best" but "best" is not "perfect". Does anyone out there have any thoughts on this or have any not-so-perfect experiences with these schools? Just something to think about.....
I only made $13.00 after 20 years
If you want to just get the experience, then go for it. Once you've gained talent and speed and enough experience, you can take that and make more than that much per hour by working production, but at least hourly, you can slack a little at times and not worry. 
I too made a mistake
I received my certificate from them in May, The guy that I talked to at the school said this field paid 10cents per character at 65 in a line making it $6.50 a line. haha and we paid the extra $1000 for job placement for life. with the promise that as soon as I got certified they would send me a doctor to work for and if I didn't like that one they would send me a different one. Only to find out that they do not send you doctors, they send you assessment tests and you have to do the background check on the company yourself. I was sent to a company that has been scamming people for over eight years by not paying them, so I got my first and only job in June and worked for no pay until September and it is now November and I have no job and no money and very little help from the school on finding one, and I am seriously considering going back to unloading semi trucks for a living. Oh yeah and most of the places they have send me suggest I go to a Career Step training course. So I am very sorry about the decision I had made to go through that school. I hope you have better luck than I did. I would not recommend anyone to go to that school. I feel like I have been lied to from the very start.
Good luck.
Almost made a mistake
I too have been considering this and went to a seminar - was led to believe they have a very high reputation. I would have made a big mistake if it wasn't for this board! Thanks so must for the inputs!
HELP someone, I applied online to MedQuist, MedScribe and MT Recruiters..what do you know about
I just finished school this summer and passed all my requirements for MT...I applied to these online companies and wasn't real sure if they were reputable. I've heard from previous students about companies that don't pay on time and are a little shady. How can I know if I apply to online MT work at home companies if they are OK? Better Business Bureau?
I was going to post my resume on Monster.com. Can anyone tell me if that would be a good decision?
I would appreciate any and all feedback.
I really think I made the wrong choice
All I keep hearing about is how hard it is to land a job in this profession. No one wants to go to school and then find out there are no jobs available. I have almost given up on finishing my school for fear of there being nothing at the end of the rainbow for me. I was naive in thinking that I could just work from home immediately and have no cares in the world. Oh well, live and learn - right? I guess I better just go back to college and get a degree in something else.
home-made wine
First time in a while I have sit down at a computer and enjoyed it with a glass of wine.
I made the Wal-Mart post below, and
I've only been working for a little over a year, so I am still a newbie. I do not think this is something anyone should go into if they need money quickly, but I do think it might be the right choice for some. I make a very small income, but it works right now for me and my family.
Spheris and Medquist get commissions for referring to Career step...
it's called The Affiliate program. Talk about one hand washing the other...you would think it is the City of Chicago.
You make it sound like Medquist runs Career Step
I admit that I do not know much about Career Step, but it is new to me that Medquist runs it and will hire you upon completion. Is this new?
Sounds like they made a poor choice of EMR...sm
the whole point of EMR is not to type the notes into the system - it's to choose from a menu and point and click to get the information in. Think
chief complaint: sore throat. choose: erythematous edematous purulent drainage and so on
if it's a speciality with a lot of redundancy, i.e. podiatry, they fly through their notes. If it's more unique situations a little tougher. But don't worry... the EMR companies will soon figure out the missing link...
You've made some good points.
Thanks for posting.
It sounds like your mind is made up that you don't need an adequate course,
and that hard-working MTs in your area are just waiting to complete your education so you can be of help to them. But you did say you wanted advice, so mine would be that your future co-workers, supervisors and customers will all wish you were ready to transcribe when you got out of school, which can only be guaranteed by two schools: Andrews & M-Tec. So instead of wasting a few hundred dollars on an education that won't land you a job, spend what it takes for a real education. At these schools you can learn at your own speed with lots of support from the teachers, and when you graduate you will be an asset to the profession.
I make 2-3 times what I made as a nurse. nm
I was lucky if I made $1 an hour my first week! sm
It was horrible! After a month, I am now up to $8 an hour.(I know that is still not much!) I would look up every single drug and doublecheck the dosages. Now, I am familar with many of them and it feels good not to have to look them all up. It is great that your company thinks you are doing good work!
Not true, I made a 95 once. But grammar and spelling
are key issues as stated below.
No instructors, and home-made materials = CS.
I'm also a CS grad, and if I had it to do over again, I would definitely choose Andrews or M-TEC. No more "training track" for Spheris from CS. Focus no longer hires newbies from CS. People are finally waking up.
They're templates or shortcuts that you've made yourself as you go along...sm
All the physical exams you've saved for each doctor, all the op reports that you've saved as templates, shortcuts, or macros. Your opening and closing sentences in your letters saved by doctor...your lab tests that get repeated over and over...your doc versions of any tests that you get over and over - their EKGs, cardiac caths, PFTs, etc. Your normals are what make you even more successful at this job in addition to just having words and phrases in an expander. nm
6 or 7 cents? :::snorting::: I made 7.5 at the job I landed even BEFORE I graduated from (lm)
The School That Dare Not Speak Its Name. I then left that job for another one making 8 cents. I am now making 8 cents a line from home, and my one-year anniversary of graduating from MT training is not until May.
Six or seven cents? Not in THIS life. And I have had NO trouble finding jobs. I still get people calling me based on the resumes I sent out back when I first started looking, and I have to tell them I am no longer looking for work.
Nice try, MTSO. But trying to convince people to work for 6 or 7 cents a line shouldn't play as long as some of us are here to bring a little reality into the situation.
Money
What are the chances of making $35K yearly and still having your wits? That is really what I am concerned with. I live in South Florida and am considering this profession. I would like to make enough to supplement husband's income of $85K. However, I don't want to be so stressed out that I can't enjoy life, either. Is there a happy medium here?
money
Those are good ideas.
Its not that I don't have the money, I just have a hard time spending large amounts. I can fritter away $100 here and there at Target and Walmart, but, phew, a $1500 check is hard to write.
We actually have enough money in savings, IRAs and investments to live at our current standard for at least 18 months without either of us working. Not that I would want to do that, but it could be done. So, its not that I don't have the money, its just a matter of spending it. I'm sure you can tell that since we have almost 2 years of living expenses saved up in the bank (and we have about 30-35 yrs to go til retirement), we are kind of tight with spending money.
Thanks for the suggestions though. I do need to have a Yard Sale, as much to get rid of stuff as to get some cash on hand. I have a pile of childrens' clothes to take to the resale shop for some cash too.
Where is the money at?
I was wondering...do MTs make better money working for someone or having a business of there own? Just wondering. I realize being new I will not have my own business for a couple of years but will I be able to make a "living" until then?
Big name=big money when you-sm
can get the same elsewhere at much lower prices. This board and its members often advocate only three schools that charge more than the others and don't offer a lot more. Most companies don't even know these names and could care less as long as you have a certificate and are certified. If you look into these higher priced courses, the only thing different is that they might use the more expensive transcription tapes, that's about it. These courses, all of them, are basically taught by sending you a few books then it's up to you as an individual to make it work. You will see members of the big three schools advertising their wares left and right here and everywhere they see someone looking. They are out to make a catch, so don't be fooled by the nonsense you here about their grads being the only ones being hired out of school. That's total bull and being said their by their little advertising cheerleaders, as well as the owners themselves who have no pride or too much. They order a bunch of books, sell them to you at twice the price and sit back and rake in the profits.
The money isn't what it used to be, and
job security isn't what it used to be.
It might still be a good career for somebody who is especially suited to it. That is, someone who has outstanding skills in written English and has the time and money to to to one of the best schools (Andrews and M-Tec are two two IMO, and cost about $4000. Some people have reported it took them 9 months to graduate, just to give you an idea). He or she must be interested in constantly researching new things and learning every day. You need a great work ethic, especially if you end up working at home. It isn't easy to sit at a computer at home working when there are so many things at home calling for your attention. You need to be able to invest in books/CDs, computers, and equipment when necessary. There are many factors to consider. You should go to Monster.com. I think you can take little tests there to see what kind of work you are suited to. You'll be happier in your work if you choose something you will be good at.
No money for us
Simple....corporate greed. Make more money sending work abroad. It'll turn around, may take a while but once the first big law-suit happens, it'll turn around.
I never said she owed me any money.
nm
Before you spend your money -
Do tons more research before you spend your money, please! I went to MTEC, graduated in 9 months, and have been working from home for more than 8 years now doing acute care. I had recruiters banging down my door to test and was offered positions after every test I took. The little medical backround you already have is nowhere near enough to be an MT, so get a SOLID education so you will not come back here at the end begging for someone to hire you for 2 cents a line. Best of luck!
Your money would be better spent on
coding and billing. The MT profession is making less and less and having to work more and more. A new MT has a hard time finding a job. As far as boredom, it is what it is. If you find sitting for hours with headphones while mumbling baboons try to put a report together entertaining, than this job is for you. If not, select something different. The top schools is where you want to go if you decide, but again, if I could start my career (been in this for 20 years), I'd go with the billing/coding. It can be done onsite or at home, and all practices need these people to bring in the dough. You'll make more money at it anyway especially since new MTs make next to nothing.
My living is a fair wage for the time and effort, but the effort is from having many, many years of experience. A new MT will have to look a lot of words up which takes time away from production.
Good luck whatever you decide.
P/S: EMR will be mandated probably by the year 2015, so if you're young and smart, you'll choose another profession. I hate to be that way but it's the truth.
If I were you, I'd want my money back from whatever MT course you took.
If you've had any decent MT training at all, this shouldn't have been any problem for you.
MT Grads
Hi,
I am in the same boat. Recent grad that has applied to numerous companies-I think I am running out of options. Single parent with 2 children and stressed about where to go from here. May have to get a job doing something all together different just to get by. Feel I am running out of time and don't know what to think or what to do or where to go.
Jade
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