ShortHand is very good and not complicated to learn. nm
Posted By: still wandering on 2006-06-22
In Reply to: Word Expander - emtee
s
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- Word Expander - emtee
- ShortHand is very good and not complicated to learn. nm - still wandering
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ShortHand is another good one. I didn't like IT; not simple enough for me! nm
s
I agree Shorthand is great
I use ShortHand it is the best investment I made
Word expander Shorthand
Can anyone tell me if the word Expander program of ShortHand works well with Editscript? If not or if there is another program that will work well, would you please comment and let me know? I am ready to make this purchase and I work on the Editscript platform. What I'd like to know is what you like and dislike about the program and how difficult it is to install, learn and use.
Before anyone posts to tell me to do a search, please know that I have searched and have not been able to find this kind of information. I just don't have much money and don't want to waste money on a program that may not suit my needs. So, your honest comments on how well this program works for you as an MT, particularly on that platform, would be very helpful and appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Shorthand will give you a free 30
day trial to try it out. After 30 days, if you choose to buy it, it'll cost about $100.00. It's pretty good.
Good luck.
I personally love ShortHand for Windows
www.pcshorthand.com
Shorthand versus Instant text
Looking for a great word Expander to work with. I am clueless at this point as to what is out there and how they even work. I have had ShortHand and Instant Text suggested to me, but not sure which one will be better.
Thanks for your help.
I find that lots of companies are using ShortHand these days.
They have a 30-day trial.
MTStars FlashType is also just like Shorthand only cheaper in price.
l
let's have a little fun, and learn something
I've always enjoyed word jumble. I think you all know that one ... the letters of a word are all jumbled and you have to figure out the word. Like this: ehrat = heart
I'll pick a word and then mix the letters up. In the subject line, I'll give the specialty (i.e. Cardiology) and you have to figure out the correct word. As soon as the correct word is posted, nobody else can respond. That round has ended.
I'll post one new word every day.
This game is ONLY open to people still in school or those with less than six months of work experience. So, all of you MTSOs with itchy fingers ... go transcribe an ESL who is dictating in the middle of traffic with the convertible roof down.
I'll take a show of hands ... would anyone else like to join in? 
If you could learn it all on the job, why do you need them?
I don't think that school is very serious about providing an education. It would be one of the ones that just is in it for the money. "Charity begins at home" is probably their motto.
You won't learn 1/8 of what you need to
know from that course. Don't waste your time and money. I saw work from a graduate of that program. She wasn't even prepared to do radiology, let alone acute care, poor thing.
You can learn a lot
by going to the websites of the 2 best schools out there. Both are on line. They are in the neighborhood of $4000, which is comparable to the cost of a community college degree, but these 2 schools will give you an education very specific to learning MT without all the stuff you wouldn't actually need. But of course you need to be sure that's what you really want to do. If you read everything these sites have to offer you should have a pretty good idea.
http://www.andrewsschool.com/
http://www.mtecinc.com/
**sigh** when will they learn?
nm
That is excellent! I am sure you will learn a lot from her
:-)
Test everywhere you can, you learn a lot that way - sm
also make cold calls. This is how I landed my first job. I had tested with a company and passed and was hired, but was waiting to actually start (took 2 months for that to actually happen). In the meantime I started calling local companies, I got hired over the phone by one willing to take a chance on me. I was on probation for 3 months, doing about $200 a month (she only had little bit of extra work), after I a month or so I knew I was "hired" for good and eventually got a little more work as the MTSO wanted to do less herself. I applied at another place (while working the 2 jobs) and picked up a 3rd. All were PT but different types of work, etc. so I packed in a lot of experience that way. Just keep plugging away, took me 2 months to land the 1st then 2 weeks later got #2, and 3 months later got #3. Just takes a little time, patience, and lots of persistence.
I don't think that is helpful. She needs to learn
to do it "right." Being a newbie is tough, but a strict QA is more beneficial at this point in her career. It does't do her any good to have "slack" QA and then she moves to another job later and they are tough and she has to struggle then.
I've been doing this for years and I still make mistakes. I've spelled calculus for gallbladder stones for years and no one corrected me until recently, so all these years I've been spelling it incorrectly. Learn to do it "right" the first time and it will serve you well in the future.
People Just Don't Learn
Why is CS still getting praise??? Affordable or not, you may be an experienced *unemployed* MT because many companies are discovering that CS just doesn't give the education needed regardless of the few praisers who got lucky.
M-TEC or Andrews has a "refresher" course for MTs who have done 1 specialty or haven't worked for a while.
want to learn MT course for free?
you can use this blog site if you want to learn medical transcription for free
http://learn-free-medical-transcription.blogspot.com/
thank you
learn the basic tricks. sm
learn how to set up templates with field codes (F11 to jump). Learn how to set up your expander. If you don't have a clue look into the ABCZ system. Use Google to search for information on this. If you are stuck using autocorrect instead of a better Expander learn how to enter words quickly w/o a mouse (alt t a to open it. then tab then enter). These will save you a LOT of time entering or editing your entries.
Also was a nurse, still am. You NEED an MT program to learn about this job, not
s
Did you not have anything left to learn when you finished
school and actually started working in the real world? It is a learning process, day in and day out, just as nursing is. You can go to the best school in the world, have the most highly trained instructors, finish with flying colors, take the RMT, CMT or whatever, and still not be a good transcriptionist. Same thing goes with nursing. You can go to school and then pass state boards and still be a lousy nurse. A lot of what we all do is in the practical application day to day. I don't recall ever saying she shouldn't go to school. I just said it was possible to go from nursing to MT without formal training. 
/
I'd like to learn/do Veterinary Transcription
I tested for a local vet recently. No call back yet, but he was an @$$ (I can see why he went into Veterinary medicine rather than human). Expected the MT to transcribe while being the front desk in a hard-floored, echoing foyer area with dogs and cats and people and birds around, and be the receptionist too.
But, I think it would be very interesting and a good resume skill to add.
Anyone know of a company that will hire an MT to do VT? Or is there a VT module I could do to add to my training?
No matter what you learn in school, each
company has their own way of doing things. Some go by BOSS, some the account dictates how to do things and you do whatever they want, even if it is against what BOSS or JCAHO say. Even a different account within the same company will do things differently than the previous one. You have to adapt. With the rare exception QA is very helpful and don't nitpick.
Newbies, ya gotta learn one thing here...sm
you must be accurate in all typed correspondence. I had a newbie that asked about doing an internship I offered. Here is her actual response:
Yes I am definetly interested.
Thanks you.
Now how am I supposed to hire somebody like that? 
NOW versus KNOW - Learn the difference as you will need to KNOW it at some point.
Trust me, you don't scare us. As experienced professionals, we know what happens to MTs with delusions of grandeur; they are in for a very rude awakening, to say the very least.
you overcome it by doing it..you'll never learn if you quit.
bn
Allied doesn't care if you learn anything OR if you get a job. They just want their $$. nm
x
Definitely sounds like a scam. You can't learn much in an 8-week course. NM
x
Don't worry - you'll learn all that basic stuff
in school. They used to teach it in secretarial classes, of course, but if you know you want to be an MT, go to one of the top schools (M-Tec and Andrews), and you will be ready when it's time to test.
Career Step only give you a year, so at M-TEC you have 18 months and will learn a LOT more.
Your post made it sound like you would rather take more time to do the course, but there's a reason M-Tec requires it done in 18 months.
You can't really learn if you drag it out longer than 18 months. You have to keep doing it, working at it, familiarizing yourself with it, in order to learn it. That is why they push you to not drag your feet, either do it or don't do it!
Good luck to you.
Good. The lab book was a good choice.
Be sure you look through each book when you get it. Put tabs on sections you will want to refer to quickly. I know my lab book (not Stedman's) has all kinds of extra sections. I think my next purchase would be the cardiac book. Then neuro or OB-GYN after that, depending on which you are getting more of in your work.
that's good to know
At least there's a little hope for me
Good for you!! - nm
.
Good for you!
.
I know a good MT when I see one - regardless of
credentials, school or references. One run through the grammar screening knocks most of 'em right out of the ballpark...
good for you, 10/cpl is good
/
That is good
That is great to hear that someone else was exactly where I am now. Where did you land your first job, not the MTSO, the other one?
I do not think I am TOO GOOD.
companies that pay these low wages are taking advantage of new MTs that don't know their value yet. The MTs that received this offer had all spent thousands of dollars and a lot of time learning to become an MT. I just don't know why anyone would sell themselves short for 5 cpl ($10 an hour is generous by the way as most new MTs won't get to 200 lph). As I said, there are companies out there that pay better. If you are trying to help, steer the newbies to these companies, not the companies that have a reputation for not respecting their MTs. If you take the time, do your research, and graduate from a good school, you should have no problem finding a good job. I had 4 offers before I even got my final score. My first company paid 7 cpl and after 6 months, I took on my own client making just about double that.
good to know!! Thank you!
good to know!! Thank you!
Good For You!
My late Mother did the same thing. We didn't do homeschooling, but she did it all and did it exceptionally well. She was brilliant but never acted like it. She was a taxi to more than the 6 kids in our family. She taught piano, voice, directed the church choir, wrote plays (we were in them), was busy in RNC fund-raising, and on and on.
We just called her "Mother."
So good luck to you. It really warms my heart to hear stories like yours. As for the MT thing, it sounds like you could teach yourself. That's what I did.
Good luck!
Appy anywhere and everywhere. There are a lot of companies who say they require at least 2 years experience, but you would be surprised at how many will give someone who has just graduated a chance. If you pass their test they will hire you, 2 years or not. I know from experience. I graduated last year and I applied to every ad that had a 2 year minimum, before I graduated. I got hired 1 week before I graduated, and I have been working ever since. Good Luck!
Nothing is good for a newbie.
Ya, I think I won't take the job because it may be a little difficult. That's real smart.
I have not heard anything good about it.
If you are looking for a quality MT education, the gold standard training comes from Andrews and M-Tec. Some graduates of Career Step have had good luck in finding and keeping employment also. The top schools turn out job-ready MTs. Employers are eager to hire them. The cheaper schools do not turn out graduates that employers are eager to hire.
What do you consider a good living?
I'm thinking of work from my house instead of the office, changing careers.
a good living
Sounds like you are quite successful. Please share with me what is involved in actually earning this level of income. Have you been at it for a long time? How many hours/week do you work? Thanks. I'm strongly considering MT but I hear such variables on the pay.
good point
Knowing that pay=production can be a great motivator, especially if you are working for a company that provides consistent work flow and good HR relations.
Thanks for your input.
Good point!
Peggy, what excellent advice! I had not heard it put that way, and after thinking about it, I know you're right! thanks for opening my eyes to think "bigger".... better to be excellent, and more "employable", than to be somewhat limiting. I do plan to study in such a way as to be excellent! That's just the way I'm "built"! :) thanks again for your post.... -Anne (amh) :)
This is a good start for you (sm)
In light of the fact that you are new, this is an excellent rate of pay with a reasonable (generous, really) production requirement, even though you may not be able to meet it at first.
Add 20-25% to it for the benefits and you'll be making more on the lines of $13.08. As an on-site employee you will not have to pay self-employment tax or overhead.
When people scoff at this rate of pay, remember that everyone starting out in a new career field starts at the bottom. You have to work your way up. As an MT, your value lies in your ability to produce quantity work while maintaining high quality. Newbies aren't able to produce much while maintaining quality.
The incentive pay makes this better, and if it has good benefits, then you're doing well.
The most important thing about this job is that it will give you experience. You NEED that experience. If you can get it while being paid hourly, so much the better.
Unless someone scoffing at this can produce a job for you which pays better, do not listen to them.
If you do not have a job and you need a job, you are in no position to be turning one down because it doesn't pay top dollar. Take this job and do your best with it.
Yes, this is still a good field!
Hey Porr - Welcome! First of all, you have come one of the most negative MT sites on the internet. If you are easily discouraged or depressed, I would advise you NOT to come to this site. I have been an MT for over 30 years and every time I come to this board, I leave so dejected, I wonder if I have wasted my life doing MT. I have finally realized that this board drags me down, so I don't come here very often. The people who do come on here legitimately, come to relieve their frustrations, get advice, vent about work situations, etc.... we are not all this stressed out all the time But there are a lot of really good people on here, too, and you can get a lot of valuable knowledge, you just have to learn who the "trolls" are and ignore them (easier said than done at times!) The MT world is undergoing a lot of changes these days. A lot of work is being sent offshore and now they have the voice recognition platform that they are working on. The nationals make you feel very unappreciated, but I have worked for doctors, hospitals, clinics and had my own service for a while, and there are a lot of people out there who will appreciate your skills, just not the large nationals. Stay away from them until you are more seasoned, then, if you feel like tackling one of them, I say go for it. They have their negatives, but you will gain valuable knowledge and you will be able to get a job just about anywhere with one of the nationals on your resume.
This is a great field, just keep your nose to the grindstone and stay away from negative websites (). Do not let the comments you read here sway you one way or the other. I find this to be a personally rewarding field to work in. I hope that you do, too! Hang in there and don't give up!
Good luck!
You can't give up hope if this is the field you want to work in. I had been doing my job for 17 years and needed something new. I did a lot of research and liked the opportunites that being an MT provided. I'm sure it would not be for everybody, but I love what I do and have great docs to transcribe for. Plus, perhaps more important, it is an ongoing learning process. I like to stay challenged and this job certainly does that. Good luck to you!!
Good point..lol
nm
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