Sounds like they made a poor choice of EMR...sm
Posted By: Old MT on 2006-04-10
In Reply to: EMR - Patti
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...
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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.
This all sounds nice, but newbies have to choose MTSOs wisely and this one is not a wise choice.
me, I will explain.
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.
You Poor Thing - This people must be
First of all, I did not go to MTEC, Andrews or Career Step, but it does seem like they companies to train with.. it seems most people get good jobs in a timely manner when training with them. You pay more, but it seems to be worth it.
As far as days/hours... I have been working for the past 9 months WORKING MY OWN HOURS. The days are set, but as long as I get my lines in during that day, they are very happy. I was a newbie, they started me at a great rate, and I got a 1 cent raise after 3 months (I am very lucky). There ARE MANY companies out there that know that MOST of us ARE moms at home in our PJs. I actually get more accomplished dressed as such.. sitting in my office wearing my pumps is really not necessary... maybe that's why these other people are so damn cranky!!! Anyway, a lot of accounts are 24-hr TAT and as long as you get your lines in, most people don't care when you did it.. as long as the client is happy. Don't these idiots bring you down .. good luck!
I agree about the poor training, but s/m
Try to remember how it was when we started. I really feel for these people just starting out. When I started, I was sitting in a room with my boss, and if I had any questions, I could ask. I can't imagine working the way it is now, being trained and then being all alone without anyone to help. The training they get at school is I'm sure nothing like what what they're going to hear get once they're at home. They probably have them listening to tapes where the doctors talk slowly and carefully, none of them have accents, the sound quality is perfect, etc.
Anyway, I AM shocked when I see some of the questions they're asking, but I had a lot of help when I was new, and was not all by myself working at home without anyone to bounce things off of. I think a lot of them get caught up in the "work at home" thing, and don't understand how hard this really is.
I personally would not recommend them mainly because of the poor way they treat their staff.
/
Unfortunately they have a very poor record of grads finding employment.
Many companies will waive their 2-years' experience requirement for Andrews or M-Tec grads, but they know the education at Penn Foster, AHP, and many others is just not good enough and they will not let grads of those schools even take their employment tests. I'm not saying you CAN'T get a job, just that it will unfortunately be much harder, as evidenced by the many, many people who have taken these courses and posted online that they can't get a job.
Unfortunately Allied has a poor training program, and the companies know it. nm
x
Could be poor MT material to start with - my absolute best MT came from community college and
I've had some Andrews, M-Tecs that couldn't even pass the first grammar screening.
Very nicely put. Distractions equate to typos, which lead to poor QA scores. nm
.
wise choice
xx
something you like! seriously, MT is a terrible choice
for a full time job; much too isolating and much too hard on the neck, back and fingers to do 40 or 40+ hour week. Even if you work Wed and Sat at the flower shop, you will be better off in the long run.
School choice
I feel school choice is important. The problem with some of the educational clearinghouse schools is that they teach using the Hillcrest and Forrest tapes and they are just too easy.
I don't feel it is helpful to slam every school except 2 or 3. I went to MT Advantage Career Center and had a job before graduating. However, I would not slam other schools.
I can understand posting that you feel a particular program is subpar and then backing up your opinion with why you feel that way, but there seem to be a few people here that post nasty and negative posts everytime a school is brought up that isn't one they particularly like.
Trying to make the right choice
I have spent months reading and learning about becoming an MT and I am still left with questions that I hope maybe a broader range of people might be able to answer (you all  )
Is Career Step's program the same as what's offered at M-Tec? The price is clearly not and I have spoken with enrollment at both locations and asked them directly the cost differences but normal everyday people who do the job is who's opinions I'd like most.
1. Training (are the both relatively close in what they teach)
2. Certificate vs. diploma
3. 4 months for one program vs. 9-12 for another.
Any honest, none school bashing, opinions would be very gratefully appreciated.
Andrews is an excellent choice, sm
but I have no experience with them to give you advice! You may try asking Linda Andrews to put you in touch with some current students (contact info on the Andrews School website) ***Edited by Moderator*** Good luck to your daughter!
How did you make your school choice decision?
Why did you pick the particular schools that you chose? Did you ask them for help in job placement? What do the employers tell you when you test for them, or do they even allow you to test? I know that several schools' graduates are not having any problems like this at all, and they don't cost $10,000. Not even Andrews costs $10,000.
Career Step is a good choice for some
nm
Great choice for work-at-home jobs
I'm a physical therapist and an MT as well, not bad for a part-time job, plus you have to stay at home; although you are not going to earn as much as you do as RN. Working indirectly with the patient is as exciting as working directly with them. Good Luck!!
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.
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!
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.
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.
Sure sounds the same
nm
Sounds like...
C-pak, seepak, zeepak. It's an antibiotic for airway disease. Currently taken with albuterol MDI. I've looked online and through my Saunders but I am stuck. It is probably embarrassingly simple but any suggestions would be appreciated.
It sounds to me like
the training you did get was enough to secure a job for you, which you say you are doing ok at. This is a huge accomplishment in and of itself! It is quite normal to feel like you are not producing what you should be when you first begin. I too let this overwhelm me and quit my first good job, which I now regret. With regard to the BOS, if you own one or have access to one, I would just review its major points until you memorize them. "Saving Keystrokes" is a great book, and adding to your expansions is one great way to increase line count. Most companies, I believe, like the ShortHand software for word expanding, which you can download online and try out for free if you don't already have it. I would not worry so much about going over your old text books; you can learn a lot more by sticking with the job you have , and speed will come with experience. The CMT certainly is an ego-booster and would qualify you for practically any MT job, but I agree this is not something you should attempt without at least 2 years of full-time work experience. These are just my thoughts. Good luck!
Sounds odd
I have never heard of such a thing either. To get into my MT educational program all I had to do was take a pre-enrollment test and meet the requirements like having a computer, high speed internet, virus protection, Windows xp or higher. Things of that nature.
You've made some good points.
Thanks for posting.
Everywhere I have worked, coders made more money than MTs.
nm
I make 2-3 times what I made as a nurse. nm
Not much money to be made for new grads at MedQuist.
Guess it is pretty profitable to get rid of experienced MTs and then fill their spots with new grads at half the rate.
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.
6 sounds sleazy to me!
You can and will get 7, just keep looking. I made 8 right out of school, and no it wasn't one of the expensive schools.
Six is a rip, three is absolutely ludicrous, and you are worth more than that. I applied with every company out there, two-year clause or not. It was not hard at all to find 7-8 my first year. My second year I make much more, and I don't and never have had to "beg" for anything. Just because someone else did 15 years ago, doesn't mean I have to or would.
I don't see anything sleazy about a list either. Name me any school that has job placement. What else is there? Sleazy is the ridiculous comments above from the owner suggesting new grads are worth 3 cpl.
This sounds really questionable to me.
x
Sounds like a company I know in
Alabama near 280. If it is and you want to talk, send me an email. I worked there before.
Sure sounds like a certain company
that is notorious for this very thing.
It sounds like you are doing good (sm)
so far with your line counts. You are also very fortunate to be making 9 cpl with your experience. There are many MTs with years of experience who are not paid that much. Your line counts will increase as time goes on. You will become more familiar with your dictators and will spend less time verifying words, etc.
I think it sounds great!
I am a newbie who is currently in an internship program which I paid to participate in. I am not getting paid, and it doesn't bother me one bit! I studied through the US Career Institute without studying up on which schools were best, so I was in a real bind. I did not have the "proper" MT education, and as I am finding out, it really was not a good one either.
When I started, I had only a tape player, computer, a dictionary. I had to purchase my foot pedal, headphones, several references. I think that is doable for a serious prospect.
I also feel that a newbie that has been looking for work without luck, and one that possibly did study through the best schools would be more than willing to work for a couple weeks sans pay. My unpaid internship is a lot longer than that, but I see it as practice/education rather than a pay-less job.
It may be different for someone who went to one of the best MT schools and is fully prepared, I don't know. Maybe then they would want to be paid. But seriously, 2 weeks to prove yourself is not that bad is it? Especially for a person who cannot find a job, and has been searching for an opportunity for months. I think you are very kind to consider it!
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!
You'll do great, as it sounds like
you've already done your "homework". Best of luck to you!
Sounds like you need the position from Boo2
is requiring. Maybe you wouldn't have to look for a job, filling out those applications and trying to do those tests. Since you do not have children, you should have no problem at all with the turnaround. You two could be two peas in a pod.  Oh, I'm bad, very bad! Take a taste of your own medicine, bitter or sweet? Lord, forgive me, please!
I also think $3.00 a page sounds fair. sm
Ask for templates. Most of the formatting is probably done for you. My thing would be though even if say the last page is only half, then still charge the $3.00 for that page as well. JMO.
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