Penn Fostetr isn't worth the time. Their
Posted By: me on 2007-07-24
In Reply to: best schools? - Lerissa Broome
classes are geared to an 8th grade level, so basically you would be throwing your money away. The better schools cost more because they offer a better education and you have a better chance of getting a position as a newbie, though it will still be difficult. If you take the Penn Foster class it will end up costing you more because you'll need more schooling if you expect to get a job. Why people are even looking at this profession anymore is beyond me.
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MT Schools worth the time
I have been being trained by friend of mine who has been a Transcriptionist for 15 years for 6 months. I feel like I need to still take a course to complete my training. I see many references on this website to the top 3 schools. Can someone please tell me the names of these top 3 schools. Any help is appreciated.
This is what I have talked about time and time
and time again and somehow the MTs get completely out of joint by just my saying it. I could not believe this "newbie" said she could not leave her home, she had to work from home. I did not get to start working from my home until 1993, hello!! This has not always been a stay at home job and then we did NOT ASK to go home, we were sent home because the hospital needed our space. We never demanded a job at home. Apparently you sound like really don’t want a job at all. If I were employing someone, I would certain run very fast away from you. The first little nosebleed from a child, you would stay off from work for 2 or 3 weeks. This again, folks, is why our profession looks really bad. These posts and yet people are highly inflamed when I call it to their attention. Same story, again and again on these posts. I cant work, junior is bothering me, gotta do the housework. Wake up, everyone! Do not ever expect to gain any respect for the job you do when you have someone like this tearing it down as just a reason to stay at home, oh yeh and I guess I might throw in a little work on the side. Enough said!!!!
is it worth it?
to spend the $3500, time and effort to learn MT and then have the fear of not having work or dealing with a less than reputable company waiting for my checks when they are late or they bounce?
I have to admit some of the posts scare the heck out of me? Am I the only one scared of this aspect of the business?
is it worth it?
It's not as bad as it sounds on these boards. A lot of complaining, but it isn't that bad. I have made a pretty darn good living at it and I get to work from home, don't have to pay those high gas prices! Don't let these folks scare you. They just like to see themselves talk!
Is it worth it to become an MT??
I am currently taking courses to become an MT, but from reading some of the post on this board about the difficulty finding work, or making any real money, I am left wondering if this career choice is really worth pursuing. I am not fully concerned with working from home, although I am sure anyone would agree that would be nice, I can work in an office just as well. Can anyone give me some positive advice? I don't want to waste anymore money or time if this profession is that hard to get into. TIA! S.C.
Is being a MT worth it
If you have small children & have a hubby that makes $90+ a year, perfect. Otherwise, women in this profession of 30 years have had to claim bankrupcy. Not too good. Used to be a proud profession,now the work mentality with outsourcing, etc., makes me wonder if HIPAA was tuned up, so people couldn't see the sloppy records that go to insurance companies, courts, etc. Mary
Is it Worth It?
It seems people have widely different experiences. I read a lot of negative posts when I was student, and it made me nervous that I had picked a "dying" field. Of course, people have been saying that about the MT field for years. My experience is that I went to a top-notch school with an excellent reputation (M-TEC) and was hired by a large national before I even graduated or had begun looking for work (my school called me and said this company wanted to hire 5 of its new grads to start immediately after graduating). It was honestly the easiest job I have ever gotten. I didn't even have to take a test. I work full time with benefits and incentives, and should easily make $24,000 my first year. I believe I can make 30,000 or more my second year. This is not really great money compared to a lot of other fields, but I believe its a reasonble wage for being able to work at home, not wasting time and money commuting, etc. It's what I want to be doing now and I'm very happy. Well-trained MTs are VERY much in demand, I believe. Make SURE you pick a good school. That's the ticket to getting that first job.
it is worth it
now it depends on what your goals are. Mine was to stay at home with my newborn while helping augment our family income. I am doing both now and I am pretty satisfied. I do have more goals to accomplish and I'll get to that in time.
For what its worth
I personally don't lump all "newbies" in together. It is pretty obvious by the questions that are asked who is taking advantage and who isn't. Even us old-timers get stuck on words now and then and this is a wonderful place to get some really good possible answers. I am always amazed and what the responders can guess out of a s/l or phonetic spelling with just a phrase to go on and no voice.
It is worth it!
There are many MT jobs out there. Every time I go to my doctor or the pediatrician they are asking me if I would type for them. Our hosptials always have overflow they will give out and I even had another Transcriptionist recommend me to a doctor because she already had too much to do and could not take on any more.
It can be difficult to get your first job (as most want experience) but if you are willing to start out working in the clinic or hospital it will be a little easier to find a job. If you want to work from home it may be a little more difficult but there are national companies that will hire new transcriptionists, it just takes a little time. Our hospital has a program where you work six months at the hospital and then they will set you up to work from home if you want to.
If you are worried about voice recogition, don't. I have been editing files transcribed by voice recognition and there is no way that voice recognition will ever not need editing and most doctors don't want to edit their own reports. I love being able to stay hom and still contribute to our income. My biggest problem is being offered more work than I want.
Is it worth it?
I am disabled and need to train in a new profession. After some reading and researching, I wonder if I should learn MT.
With so many jobs going to India, Philipines, etc is there really work (and I mean work that will pay me enough money to more than survive) in the US?
With Dragon, is it easier for non English speaking persons to transcribe? I am really nervous. I can't waste time and money learning something that is no longer offered here.
Is it worth it?
It's worth it
If you are a self-motivated person than I do think it is worth it. I took classes through an online program, the SETT program, which gave me an excellent background for MT work. I chose to work out of my home and it was very convenient and profitable for me. I chose how much and when I wanted to work.
If you really want it, then it will be worth it!
If you are doing this for less stress and more time with your family and to be home only, then don't do it....It takes a lot to get started and if you want to make money you have to type long hours. I work for a small company and also do some work on the side for a local therapist. At first, I had my doubts about getting into this career because I never that it would be so stressful and hard. I would work almost full time hours and bring in 300 dollars every two weeks. I have more than doubled that since and I love what I do.. With anything the beginning is hard, but the job is alot better than a lot of other things. I also like the fact that I get to learn some much everyday on the job...Good luck to you!!
I do think it is worth it.
In my opinion I think it is worth doing it. That is something only you can decide though. Unfortunately, through Canada, the course is more expensive than the US. For me, it was worth it and I'm a happily employed from home MT. If I were you, I would continue especially if you have job placement assistance like I know I had through CS.
GOOD LUCK!!!
the course is thorough and worth the $
So what if someone is an affiliate and gets a cut.
Yes, it is worth it. sm
I did their Jumpstart program after training and I highly recommend it. You learn a lot in Jumpstart and it is all relevant because you will be working on real reports with account specs. Corie has an awesome knowledge base and is very encouraging. I've been working steady since completing the program. Great experience during Jumpstart and post Jumpstart. There is plenty of work. Do yourself a favor and contact Corie at Meditec. Some people are skeptical of internships, no doubt with good reason as there are some scams out there, so you have to be careful. I know I wanted a training program that had an internship attached for the experience. I can tell you I got my money's worth and then some. I consider my entire experience with Meditec an investment in myself and future and I'm satisfied with what I got.
That's less than 1 day's worth SM
of work and you want it spread throughout a whole week. I can't imagine any service even trying to work with you on that.
This is a time-sensitive business. If I owned a service and someone wanted to work for me with that kind of a schedule, I'd tell them to look elsewhere. Someone who wants to work this little is probably not going to be too dependable. Even at 8 cpl, this only amounts to $80.00 a week. You can make that in 1 day at Target.
Is it worth it!!!!!!!!!?????
"Quoting" Do you have small children, a husband, do you want a social life - then no it isn't worth it. "Unquote"
Oh my goodness what a statement! That sounds like you're unhappy with your job, or have been at some point. THOSE ARE EXACTLY the reasons I do it from home. Well, small child anyway.
I have been working from home for 16 years as of October 6, and frankly I would never go back to an office. Working from home has allowed me to move in with my elderly mother and care for her during her Alzheimer days until her death, be with her during her cancer experience years before that, and be with my newborn and throughout her life. She is 5 now and doesn't know what it's like for a mommy to go "off to work" although she does know that when I'm working, I can't be incessantly at her disposal. I am an older mom and will probably be given about 25 years with her, so being able to sit and hold her in a sling while I worked was worth every moment.
At any rate, it really is "to each his own," because not only medical transcription, but also working from home, doesn't fit everyone. I think Redpen gave you excellent suggestions. Good luck!
my opinion...take it for what it's worth
but when I read your post your grammer was good and you seemed very bright. These are things you cannot learn in medical transcription school. When you finish your schooling and if you have any trouble landing a job, I suggest you revisit this site and as eloquently as your post above, ask for someone to mentor you. I do not think you will have a problem at all. Good luck.
Here is my 2 cents worth
Sometimes clinic work won't really be for a few doctors, it'll be for a system of clinics often with very, very short reports with just as much fact checking and account specs as any other place. You might be surprised and find your speed much slower for a while, I know I was.
Teaching hospitals often have the best and the worst of dictators. Residents are honing their craft and learning to dictate well is a part of that. I think we all have to bear with them. Eventually, they will improve.
As for the group of seven hospitals all with different specs, sure it will take you a while to get up to speed. It would take anyone a while to get up to speed. Granted it would be very nice if the company you work for would just give you one hospital per month to get a good grip on the specs before adding another. But, unfortunately, MTSOs are not so considerate anymore. You do sound to be learning them and basically doing okay.
My first MT job was for a teaching hospital too, only there I could do operative notes, but no ER. I had to look up a lot of words/phrases here and there. I looked up things just to make sure I knew what they were. I probably wasted a lot of time. For my efforts, I started off making less than minimum wage and was stuck at about $4.00 per hour for close to a year as far as speed goes, so I would work 12 hour days or as long as I could in a day. But after a while, I broke that and started to make a bit more per hour and in my day. I discovered I was flying through some dictators, while others still held me back. Eventually, it does get better if you hang in there. We who work at home are production employees or ICs and not hourly employees. I started feeling better about my speed, production and myself once I put that into perspective. I also increased my speed and production once I got it off my mind and concentrated on each job at hand. I also set myself line goals for the day, say 800, 1000 or 1200, whatever you feel comfortable with and worked steadily until I met that daily line count, which increased my pay also.
I did not start using ShortHand until I was working for about a year. It certainly does help. Anymore I do so much editing that it is not as much help as I had hoped it would be. I think that really depends on the account(s) you have. Shorthand is nice, but is limited with editing. And as far as editing goes, it is crap everywhere. I just decided to bite the bullet and accept it. I actually don't mind it so much now. But, again, that really depends on the account as some are better than others.
I sincerely do not think you should beat yourself up over your concerns. Despite what schools and MT advertisements tell us, it really does take a while to learn to be a really good MT. We all have been where you are (and some of us never thought we'd get through it to make decent money), but with continued practice, patience and confidence in yourself, it will all get better. I myself would think twice about leaving any job right now in this economy. I've had enough jobs so far to know the grass isn't always greener in another pasture.
I hope my perspective was helpful to you. It is, after all, only my opinion.
God bless you.
MTEC - Because for what it's worth
I had 4 job offers within 2 weeks of graduating. Four years later, I'm still at the company I went to work for right out of school.
My opinion, for what it's worth..
I haven't read the other replies, but a few things struck me from your message. First, if you had researched MT as much as you say, then why did you choose At Home Professions? Secondly, finding "MTStars" isn't the Holy Grail of MT information, LOL. Actually, MTStars is great because if a newbie does find this message board, they'll run like the wind from medical transcription and leave more work for the rest of us. Either way, this message board is more or less and "venting" site. Most of the folks that have nothing to complain about are busy doing their jobs, and there are plenty of them. I've been reading MTStars for years, don't really post much, but at least I get a laugh or two every day.
Worth being a medical transcriptionist
Yes, it sure is worth being a medical transcriptionist.
It is worth it, but with a couple of caveats (sm)
It can take several months to two years to train for this profession, depending on where you get your training and how many hours a day you can put into it. Then, it can take up to several months or more to land your first job (again, depending on where you get your schooling - M-Tec grads get placed right out of school sometimes). And when you do get your first job, chances are your pay isn't going to be great at first because "newbies" are generally hired at a decreased rate, and it also takes a while to get your speed and line counts up.
But, like I said, it is worth it.
There was a posting on the Job Seeker's Board here last week (I think) for a company that was offering a unique opportunity for disabled transcriptionists. If you didn't see it, be sure to check it out.
Lastly, check in regularly on these boards. Yes, there is some sarcasm and negativity, but mostly it's people willing to help other people, and I have learned a lot from here. Best of luck to you in whatever decision you make!
Is it worth taking the RMT exam?
Does passing the RMT exam help you find a job if you have no experience? I'm wondering if I should try to take this test.
Penn
Thanks for the advice. Has anyone heard anything about Penn Foster? I have also been checking on this one.
Thanks Donna
New student, are ergonomic supplies worth it?
I'm looking into ergonomic keyboards, chairs, etc. Are they worth it? Are there any items out there that you think are trash, worth the money, or "must haves"? Any other advice to a new student of M-Tec is welcome!
Thanks in advance!
M-Tec and Andrews as the 2 best, definitely worth the money. See message.
They both have instructors, Career Step does not. They also use REAL books, CS uses books written by the person who sells the course and they are not as good. I took the CS course and if I had it to do over, I would choose M-Tec or Andrews instead.
You will be limited as to companies you can work for using only dial-up, and I think that's actually getting worse as more and more places require high speed internet.
Penn Foster?
Hi,
I just came across this wonderful site!
I'm planning a career in Medical Transcription & would like to know if anyone could recommend an accredited online/correspondence school. (if there is one out there)
I've received mailings from Penn Foster - formally Education Direct. Is anyone familiar with them?
Thanks for your time,
Christy
I have seen ads for Penn Foster as well..
but as far as "accredited and reputed" schools. There are 4 or 5, which you can see here:
http://forum.mtstars.com/schools
Penn Foster
Thanks for the info, I had a feeling she should look further. I had already given my recommendations, but she chose to go this way. Luckily she had not paid yet, and is now going to re-think this carefully before jumping in again.
Thanks again!
penn foster
what does everyone think of them? are they a good school for MT? i came across them but i am not finding anyone saying much about them..so was wondering what everyones opinions were on them! thanks
penn foster...
I took my training from there, it was actually Eduction Direct when I started. Am not impressed at all with what I recieved to try and get a job in the "real world." If at all possible, I would have my friend try to get into another training program even if it is more expensive. I've read a couple listed here..andrew's and another one-can't remember the name. I'm just happy I didn't foot the bill for the course as I got it through a job retraining situation. I'm doing general transcription while trying to get more training for MT.
Hope that helps.
Penn Foster
Hi,
Has anyone out there graduated from Penn Foster Career school and had any trouble getting work?
Thanks!
Penn Foster
Hi, I am also a soon to be grad of "Penn Foster". As we all know now, its subpar. I'm wondering if getting my RMT would help with future employment? Any thoughts?
Penn Foster
I, too, recently graduated Penn Foster and am having difficulties finding employment. It seems everyone wants 2+ years experience or graduation from a different school..I wish you luck in finding employment.
Unfortunately, Penn-Foster
will not prepare you for the demands and competition of today's MT world. I do not think many MTSOs take it seriously. You would be better off to take your loss and enroll in Andrews or M-TEC. You get what you pay for. There are too many well-trained MTs out there looking for jobs, many with decades of experience, competing for the little work available. Unfortunately, I do not think Penn-Foster is going to give you what you need to compete in the reality of today's MT world. It may not be a complete waste of time and money, but it surely leaves much to be desired.
when every newbie gets a job right out of school at 6 cents per line, I will say they are worth 6 nm
nm
The courses worth taking are M-Tec and Andrews. Their graduates
are usually able to get jobs without 2 years of experience that is normally required. Is if worth it? Do you have small children, a husband, do you want a social life - then no it isn't worth it. If you just want to do this PT, in addition to a FT job, it might be okay for a short time, but it gets harder and harder to make a living as an MT. A lot of companies use offshore MTs, they get the good work and the crap gets left for us, or it all goes and we get stuck editing it for pennies and you end up working for minimum wage. You'll also burn out in a short time trying to do both.
if there is just you and you don't care to have a life then it would be okay and if you have a knack for it you can make some decent money. If you are a respiratory tech in a hospital talk to people in your department. Maybe you can start out doing work-related transcription without having to go to school and you can get a small taste of what it is like to see if you really want to pursue it.
Christy - Penn Foster
Hi Christy,
When deciding on what school to attend it is very important to do a lot of research. There is a list on this board under "schools". There is a lot of information out their and questions asked about almost every school there is. Read through the web sites, contact schools directly (several so you can compare), then get a list of employers and contact them to see what grads the will hire. There are other websites you can also get infromation on MT Chat and AAMT. It is important to do the research before you decide on what school to attend. In the long run it may cost you a lot more if you try to save in the first place. Choose wisely! Good luck.
Penn Foster transcription
Try Career Step, M-Tec,
or Andrews School for MT training. they are AAMT approved and will help with employment.
Penn Foster Grad
Hi :) I graduated from there this year. It is difficult to get a job in Med Transcription if you didn't graduate from the Med-tech, Career Step, or Andrews. Penn Foster has ads from MRTservices and MediVoxx on their website. You might want to try one of those. However, they didn't work out for me, and I tested with both.
I think MRT was having human resource problems because some new girl took over the position, made me resend all of my tests and then never got back to me. The first person I was in contact with said I had done well on them.
MediVoxx is a pain to apply for. I never got my interview, and I think that is partially why I "messed up" on my test. I didn't do that bad. For instance, she marked me off for putting "she's" instead of "she is." Then, she marked me off for putting "Marsha's" and then corrected it by putting "Marsha's" right next to it. I was wondering what was wrong what the correction was.
I think that the course was good except for the ACTUAL transcription part, which is obviously the most important. That part was very unorganized, and I didn't like most of the instructors, especially that one guy.
I think I found a good place to work. I'm doing more testing on Monday. Email me for details. I don't want to put it on here.
Also, you might want to try Focus Infomatics. I tested there last week, and they called me, but I'm more interested in this other place. Plus, the posts on here about Focus scared me.
Absolutely do not take Penn Foster.
You only have to have an 8th grade education to make you eligible for their courses, so that should tell you right off the bat it can't be that good of a program. My teen son took a course through them (not MT) and it was very poorly written and the information wasn't always accurate.
It is a cheap program, but you get what you pay for.
Trying to say this gently. Penn Foster is
probably one of the worst schools. I have not seen their MT program, by my 15-YO took one of their other courses. The only requirement needed to take any of their courses is to have an 8th grade education. From my son's books that I have seen they are not well written.
I would recommend trying to get an in-house position, taking another course, or find a legitimate menitoring program.
I did the Penn Foster route too!
I did the course and I found employment within 1 month of grad. You just have to apply, apply and apply!!! Good luck to you.
Penn Foster grad
I took the Penn Foster course and was hired by the first company I tested for...they knew what school I attended because I put it on my resume. I agree that some schools may be subpar, but that doesn't mean the students/graduates are subpar. If you work hard, you will reap the benefits- no matter what school you attend.
Any luck with Penn Foster?
Has anyone graduated from Penn Foster and had any luck finding a job?
I graduated from Penn Foster sm
I recently started my first MT job after graduating in December 2008. Because of this course, I felt right at home with transcribing hospital reports, which seemed to surprise my new employer. Penn Foster taught me the basics, and I've been able to apply what I've learned to looking up unfamiliar words, etc.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
I'm a Penn Foster Graduate sm
I graduated from Penn Foster in December 2008 and found an MT job within two months after graduating. Before you consider your education from there a total waste, my suggestion would be to apply to some of the companies who don't require two years of experience and see how you do on their tests. If you aren't passing them, then you probably should consider additional education.
If you pass them and the only thing stopping you is lack of experience, you might want to give it a bit of time and continue to apply to every company you can find who will take on a newbie.
Good luck to you!
MT is not worth it anymore. Would not worry about past. Did need to give ID to be hired though.
.
I would not recommend Penn Foster. In order
to take any of their courses you have to have completed 8th grade, and that is about where the courses are geared to. My teen son is taking an automotive course through them and he knows more than is in the books and he has found many errors in the books. They emphasize that the testing is open book and if you do poorly they allow you to test again. I don't feel like you learn much this way. While the school itself is an accredited school in most states, I feel like it would be a waste of time and money for MT.
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