Please spare yourself from Focus. What you read on this site is right.
Posted By: nm on 2008-01-20
In Reply to: Advice please.... - Jill
f
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- Advice please.... - Jill
- Please spare yourself from Focus. What you read on this site is right. - nm
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spare me - taking a MT course is not going to guarantee a job
can we skip the sell job here? She has experience, might need some QA with different work but certainly NOT a training course.
Here is a site you can
test yourself on anatomy. Good practice before testing with companies.
Web site
I think she means this web site, the one you are on now. There is plenty of information right here about MT schools. The 2 most highly recommended are without exception MTEC and Andrews, with Career Step a somewhat distant 3rd place.
Try this web site:
http://www.mtjobs.com/
That's how I found my first at home MT job. Of course, I came with years of hospital and doctors office experience. I started with one company then moved to another with higher pay.
Also, do a Google search, just type in "medical transcription jobs".
You may want to try Medquist - www.medquist.com. I'm not sure if they're hiring folks with no experience but from some of the word help questions I've seen, I get the impression they might be. If they hire you, it would be at tier I, which is just clinic notes.and around 7 CPL.
Don't give up! You went through the training. Also, consider sending resumes to doctors' offices. That's the easiest transcription to do - I've always had the charts with me when I've done their transcription so if there's something you're not sure about, you can go thru the chart. Say you're willing to cover their MT's vacation. It will get your foot in the door.
Good luck to you!
Check out this site
http://www.mtdaily.com/faq.html
On site work
Find a job on-site before trying it at home w/company. You will make more money and get your experience. The at-home work is an entirely different complex situation. I have been an MT for 8 years w/schooling and working at home is much more difficult - Try your local hospitals, clinics, etc..before searching for at-home position best of luck
It is clearly posted on their site but
There are 3 schools listed here and it shows their prices and their web addies and stuff like that.
Thank you!! This is an excellent site!...sm
I will probably use this for any term I'm having trouble with or just want more information about. This is excellent! Plus, it's so easy to use as far as looking something up! Thank you for sharing!
Do a THOROUGH search on this site.....
Especially in March, May, and July of this year.
Cool site
. . . and thank you for the info! This is wonderful!
A great site
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
Did you find the job in a local ad or on a web site? Thanks! nm
x
Internship Program at this site
Below is a link to an Internship program for MT's
information site for newbies
I am a newbie at this as well and have gathered information from what I have learned through the courses and have compiled them into a blog. I yet have more to talk about and share with other newbies. You may want to check my job links list as there are a few that are hiring new MT graduates. You can visit it at
http://www.workathometranscription.blogspot.com/
Hope this helps.
This same issue was on the WAHM site. sm
Someone also commented that Hillary had said the same thing. I put that some companies have decided to bring there stuff back home anyways. Saw it on the evening news one night. Don't ask when since I have a hard time remembering which day of the week it is these days. So hopefully whatever happens with the presidential election they will see that this is very important to offer more jobs to the US citizens that so desperately need to work.
Just my 2 cents.
Jenn
Scroll down and search this web site - sm
The best schools I know of are M-Tec and Andrews. You get what you pay for. Their grads never have problems finding employment after graduation. Best of luck. 
Why don't you search out something local on-site
Most companies will not let you use your "school" time as experience.
I am no expert on the hiring processes, but new MTs need more attention which costs the company more money to pay QA. It is sad, but all new MTs get lumped together it seems.
What suggestions does the school have for you at ths point? Unfortunately, if you did not attend Career Step, M-Tec, or Andrews, you may have to work harder to find that first break in this field.
MT is not what it used to be. You'd have been better off to become a biller/coder and find a job at home.
I worked for 2 years on site before I went home, but that was just
the hospital I worked for. You technically had to do one year or so in the office, depending on how good you were. I didn't really want to go home at first, but they kind of forced the issue. I hear Medquist will hire right out of school to start at home. Good Luck!
Nicely indexed research site
http://www.fpnotebook.com/idxA.htm
I found this nextag site: price 5.99 to 44.50:
http://www.nextag.com/Microsoft-Word-2003-60348100/prices-html
(Here's the page I came off of to get to the "prices" URL: http://www.nextag.com/microsoft-word-2003/search-html . It has various MS Word 2003 packages. You might check it out also.)
I think that's a myth or old wives' tale about getting help working on site
I think working on site so you can have someone to help you is overrated. Working from home with someone designated to help when you need it is awesome! I'm sure some employers are better than others in that regard.
I'm guessing they mean the 3 schools listed on the AAMT site...
...as being AAMT-approved: M-TEC, Andrews and CareerStep. Please correct me if I'm wrong, you actual MTs... (I'm just another newbie thinking of entering training!) :)
This site is a wonderful tool for anyone...not to mention newbies
Speaking for myself....it's always nice to have another MT to bounce things off of when I'm stuck on something. I can't say enough positive things about this site. It's amazing at all the helpful people on here willing to help someone else.
Can any of you that have been at this for a long period of time answer me this question? When you first started out...did you feel overwhelmed? How long does it take a person to really see if this is something they'll be good at? I find myself getting headaches really easy and only after a few hours of typing. I feel fatigued. Is it normal to feel this way in the beginning and what suggestions do you have to help? When do you feel that things are finally settling down and you start to move along at a normal pace? I'll give it a few months I guess...I'd think at that point I would have a pretty good idea if this is something I'm going to be productive at or not.
Sorry for all the questions.....I guess I am feeling uneasy and was hoping for some reassurance or words of wisdom from none other than another MT.
Use the email on the site to make contact. I think they're merging with
s
Most people lucky enough to be paid hourly worked on-site first.
Otherwise those jobs are very rare.
aren't we lucky this site has you to correct our spelling/grammar usage.
maybe you should consider editing.
And read on...
Hello there but you have graduated from the wrong course to "pay" for your intelligence/ability/everyday expenses...transcription does not "pay" it is all being sent over sea...and to be precise, "India" as India has a great college program for such and are willing to work fro 1/4 us American workers with a much higher cost of living,so I say who do we Americans look down upon...ahhhhh....would seem thouest government.
Please read
It is fantastic that the student graduated with honors from the MT course.
However, trust me, that does not equip them to receive pay that experienced MTs get for acute care work.
The mere mentioning of it tells me that you have not a clue of what you are in for or where you stand.
The honors MT grad should lower their expectations just a bit. :)
Please read
I think you need to understand that this industry is evolving very quickly and your skills will probably not have much time to develop to stay in the game. Only the most skilled MTs will have a chance at true transcription; it is being sold out to editing for voice recognition and offshoring.
It will take you years to get your experience, even after an MT educational program, to make this a profitable career for yourself. You will more than likely start out making minimum wage (at best) for the first year or two. If you can mentally survive the extreme challenge of working from home while learning MT work, you have a chance.
I would seriously advise against it. Especially with you not knowing anymore than you seem to and stating it seems interesting. One would have to have a true love and passion for this work to start it and survive it in this day and age.
Please, any new MTs, please read
I want to give you a piece of very pertinent advice. It comes with all the care and compassion I could possibly have in my being:
Please do not focus solely on medical terminology in your studies. Poor command of English grammar and punctuation is as devastating as poor medical terminology.
I cannot count the times that I have not been able to hire someone who has fared well in medical terminology but lost out due to English grammar and punctuation errors.
Please know the differences in past, present and future tenses. Please learn the appropriate uses of commas, semi-colons and colons. Please learn the difference between plural and possessive. Learn how to use articles appropriately.
You will do yourself a world of good professionally by nurturing your English grammar and punctuation skills as much as your medical terminology, etc.
The reason I am telling you this and not the experienced MTs is because I have had to argue them into a corner because they simply do not believe they are capable of making mistakes. Please never, ever feel that way. Every single one of us do. We always will. However, a mistake is one thing; complete lack of skills is another.
Do not allow yourself to be closed in the mind or heart to improvement. Some editors do not have good rapport, I know, but that is their shortcoming, not yours. Just glean what you can and keep your spirit strong.
Thank you and I truly wish the best for all of you!
You can read all about both
coding and transcription careers at the Andrews site because they teach both. Coding usually pays better, but most jobs are at a hospital or office. I would only recommend transcription to someone whose talent is strictly on the English language side. Coding still uses the terminology, but it's more of a treasure hunt to recover as much codable information and help the hospital (or MD) collect all it (or he/she) is due.
Read Read Read
I suggest you start here and read as many posts as your eyes can handle. Do a Google search for MT forums, go to them and read some more. I guarantee you will find more information in this forum and the forums all over the web than you ever thought possible. Fellow new MTs and experienced MTs are a wealth of information, not only about the trials and tribulations of going thru school and finding a job, but all the stuff that comes with actually working as an MT. Good luck!
You really have to read some
of the posts and take them with a grain of salt. Not all MT companies are so cut throat with QA and all. Yes, there is a lot of knowledge to learn, and yes, a lot of it you will learn once you actually start transcribing. A good program will help immensely. Some posters tend to be vicious and will start pointing out your spelling and grammatical mistakes just from making a friendly post, and you just have to learn to ignore those posters/posts. There is a lot of helpful information on this board and some really friendly people as well. Don't fear the unknown and keep your head up! Most of us are here to help! 
I have read that
I should wait until I get a client like you said and I see that it makes sense. In your experience, do physicians in smaller offices generally use microcassettes or wav files? Even if I don't purchase ahead, I would like to have an idea what everyone else uses or recommends so I can scope out sources for purchasing. Thank you!
Hmmmm........obviously did not read
her question correctly then. She asked what SCHOOL is the best to choose. Her question was not WHETHER OR NOT to enter this field. By the way, I am over it.
Have a good day!
Read - think i can tell you where to apply.SM
Hi - Go and apply at RIUnlimited - they hire new people - they do pay for spaces - they will pay you 6 cents a line which is low but it is a good place to start - i started there when i got out of school - they will hire you - Good Luck to you!
Maybe you should read before you post.
"I don't remember anyone mentioning Spheris. Maybe they did. I don't have time to go look."
Please read through the posts below (sm)
and be forewarned that there are so-called "companies" and "MTSOs" out there who say they hire newbies but then ask for money upfront in order to work for them. Bottom line: do not pay to work, except for purchasing your own software and equipment. Reputable companies and MTSOs will not ask you for money and will not need you to buy a footpedal from them. Take care and good luck!
Christie - Please read. (sm)
I did clean up this thread. However, I'm not deleting every single post because it is offensive to you.
This IS a public forum. You should probably get a thicker skin to post here. The posters were trying to give you some advice, though not quite in as tolerant of a manner as we would like to see.
If you have any issues, it is best to report them to the Administrator or myself.
Goldbird
Has anyone read this book....?
Hello all-
I had gone to the AAMT site (now AHDI) and found the e-book entitled Getting Your Foot in the Door: Two Years' Experience Not Required. Before I purchase it, I wonder if any one has read it and if it had any good tips for an MT that does not have the 2 yrs that is spoken about so much.
Thanks in advance.
don't believe all that you read on this board.
I have worked for Medquist for a few years, and I think they are a great company to work for. There have been a few bumps in the road, but they hear the MT's and are trying to correct them. The pay is good, and the platform is excellent.
You need to re-read your post. You did
not say you asked for a back-up account, you said you asked for "another account." You also stated you were tired of begging for what you want.
I never proof and never re-read
Even in school I didn't proof or reread or re-listen. Unless there's a word/phrase I can't understand, my foot is on play the whole time. I tried proofing long ago but that just messed me up and slowed me down. I've had 99% accuracy consistently for over a year and it saves a lot of time.
No disrespect, please read
The problem I have here is that my address and all my info are on my resume on a COMPLETELY unregulated board--do you see my issue? I am so willing to work for someone, but anyone can access this site and get personal info--such as my address and contact information. Is there more a secure way to do this?
Definitely read the thread below..
I am happy that Annette gave such a clear cohesive response..in that one MT course will MAYBE get you clinic work..but you will no way be ready for acute care until you have had a minimum of 1-2 years of training. MT is a difficult and technical and the best training is on the job..no doubt,with a great mentor... and I just do not see all the time needed to get proficient as worth it. If you have time to take the course..I would recommend coding as well...and a terminology class before hand..might help give you a small foundation of understanding. Good luck
Read the website
Read the AHDI website under Under CMT elibibility it states.... "Although any candidate is eligible and granted permission to take the CMT certification exam, two-years of transcription experience in the acute care (or equivalent) setting is strongly suggested for success on the exam."
So apparently they have changed their mandatory 2- years of experience requirement.
focus
I guess everone's experience must be different. I recently started with Focus and have received nothing but exceptional treatment.
FOCUS
I jus quit Focus....they do not speak English, can not type English, are no help, you do not get paid what they will tell you!!! I worked 60 hours for 2 weeks for a total of 120 hours and just got my paycheck of $106. Not even a dollar an hour. I ran out of work many times. They would tell you to do it one way one day, and a different way the next time. They are reallly good with insults! Please do yourself a favor and don't work for them!
Focus
I tend to disagree with the person who said stay away from Focus. A lot of the negative postings are older. I have been working for them for three months, and I have had few problems with them. Although, they may not be the ideal medical transcription job, they have allowed myself and many other newbies a chance to gain some experience. I cannot say the same for a lot of employers out there. Since working with Focus, it has enabled me to get my foot in the door with another company. I now work for Focus and another company. If it is a foot in the door you are looking for to get started, I would not automatically discount focus.
Focus
Experienced MTs won't work for 10 cent straight trans and 5 cents VR? Wonder if those experienced guys know WHERE their work comes from!!!!!
focus what?
What is the full name of this company? Thanks a bunch!
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