They are legit, just not good. To take their courses you have to have
Posted By: me on 2008-09-08
In Reply to: Now I'm worried about my schooling - Rebecca
8th grade education, which should tell you they aren't that great right there. My teen son took one of their courses (not MT). It was very poorly written, if you flunk a test you can take it again and they will pass you, even if you flunk it again. There were lots of errors in it too.
I would look into a different program to take or try to find a menitoring program. It is difficult for people who have gone to some of the better schools to get jobs. Penn Foster does not have a good reputation so it will be much more difficult for you to get a job. I would try to find something local where you could work in-house for at least 2 years to get some experience.
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OK, looks legit - I am so paranoid
Its a small service in my town. The owner emailed me back with his phone #, but the kids are all home so I will not be calling until tomorrow. I googled him and found out he is a member of our Chamber of Commerce, no less. So, we'll see what happens. I guess I am just a little paranoid because there are so many scams out there. Better to be wary than to be suckered though.
Why do we have to take more courses
Why should we have to take more courses when we just graduated to get hired somewhere. That doesn't make any sense. Are there any companies hiring new graduates without this retarded request?
best on-line courses?
Hi all,
I'd like to take an on-line MT course; can anyone recommend one over any others? I plan on doing an internship for experience when I'm done for a while so I can get an actual paid position. How hard will it be to start working from home as I have a 20 month old that I want to stay at home with.
Thanks!
To compare courses ...
Why don't you check out Andrews and MTec's websites to get an idea of how much actual dictation you should have had to transcribe. Radiology is mostly anatomy, so if you had thorough training in anatomy and physiology along with concentration on acute care, you had proper training for radiology, IMO.
Just like home MT courses, not all SM
community college courses/programs are created equally.
I respectfully disagree with you about community college graduates receiving a sub-par education. Some maybe, but definitely not all.
I attended an EXCELLENT program at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon. The program director is a CMT. We had 2 semesters of medical terminology, 2 semesters of anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, a medical calculations class, a medical ethics class, 3 semesters of medical coding, 5 semesters of medical transcription (we transcribed the beginning and advanced SUM tapes two times each), business communication (intense grammar course), a 360-hour externship at a local hospital or MT service, along with all of the general education courses needed to receive an associate's degree.
So, while some CC programs may not put out qualified transcriptionists, others do an excellent job of preparing their students to succeed. I tested with and was hired by Medquist the month before I graduated, and I started the Monday after graduation. Granted I was a newbie and was slow and made some silly mistakes (as all newbies do), but I had a solid education, which made a huge difference.
So if you are trying to decide which program to attend, make sure you do your homework (whether you are choosing a home correspondence course or choosing to attend a community college program). Find out what classes are taught, which transcription tapes they use, whether or not they help with job placement, who is running their program, etc. Knowledge is power! :) Good luck to all of you who are struggling with this important decision. 
Warmly,
Chickadee
Cheap MT courses
A course from M-Tech or Andrews may or may not get you a job right after completion, but that's not the only way to get into the field. I took the good advice of some very helpful MTs from this board and shopped around my area for a job. With my meager PCDI education that I studied over about a year and spent $795 for, I was able to get a position at my local hospital ($15/hour!!). I will be in-house for a while, and then I will have the option of working from home. You do what will work best for you, but I didn't have an extra three grand lying around to train for a job when I could pay out less money and then get paid to better my skills.
cheapie MT courses
Some, not all, seasoned MTs are not very helpful. They can be very discouraging and try to convince new MTs that unless they get their training from some expensive school like M-Tec or the Andrews School that they won't find a job; I wanted to train with one of the aforementioned schools but just could not afford it. Most of my MT training was on the job. In later years, I took a Medical Terminology course. Currently, I am enrolled in a formal training program, because I would like to become an RMT and eventually a CMT. This is how I found a recent MT job: 1) posted my resume on MT daily; 2) posted my resume on Transcription Matters; 3) company contacted me and made me an offer without my even testing with them; all this occurred within little over a week's time. I only have 4 solid years of MT experience (specializing in Urology, Rehabilitative Medicine, and Psychiatry). Hallejulah!
NO courses can offer certification
Just to clarify, there are no courses which can offer "certification" in medical transcription, so there aren't any "certification courses."
If you want certification, you have to take the AAMT certification examination, which, if you pass, will grant the CMT certification.
Other than that, you can take a course which will give you a "certificate of completion." And that is only worth the price of a piece of paper. Having that piece of paper is not what will get you a job.
What gets you a job is the ability to transcribe well enough that an employer doesn't have to train you all over again.
And then you have to keep it, so the transcription skills you pick up in school had better be top-notch or you'll be wishing you had just gotten a job at MacDonald's.
Cheapie Correspondence Courses
Hi everyone,
I really need some advice. I've looked into all sorts of different MT training courses - all I want (and need in the amazing job market in which I live) is a basic course to learn Medical Terminology and basic MT skills.
With this in mind - would taking a course like Stratford Career Institute's course, or ICS Canada's course help me get an entry level MT job? From there, would I be able to train on the job and take additional courses to gain more skills?
I am fortunate to live in a market where there are too many of these jobs and not enough workers. I even heard from one person that with just Medical Terminology you can sometimes get an MT job.
But, I thought at least one of these courses would teach me the very basics. Opinions?
Thanks,
Christina
I'm assuming you didn't take courses from one of the better
schools as they help with job placement. Have you looked into companies offering menitoring programs. I would love to mentor a newbie, but I get paid to produce lines.
MT schools are in the BUSINESS of selling MT courses.
Of course they are going to paint a rosy picture of this career.
Allied is not a very good course, and the MT companies know it. That's why they say they require 2 years' experience. (But they will waive that for grads of the better schools.)
Career step and Meditec-sister courses-sm
I understand these are two in the same course ran by sisters. One charges much more than the other. What makes Career Step any better than Meditec if the Meditec course is basically what Career Step is using to begin with, and the Meditec lady wrote the course?
People selling MT courses certainly aren't going to warn you
"Don't take my MT course, it's ***edited by Moderator*** and you won't be able to get a job afterwards." It's up to the person interested in becoming an MT to do some research about the job before plunking down money for training. If they do, they will learn that in order to be able to get a decent job, they need the kind of training provided at Andrews School or M-TEC, and not to try to save money on "cheaper" schools.
It's sad that people don't find out more about these courses before they slap down money
x
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.
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
another good response!!!
nm
Good schools??
How do you determine what is a good reputable school and which one is a waste of money & time?
Thank you!
The Good Schools
Andrews and M-Tec. Career Step is also considered to be a good school. Andrews and M-Tec are the gold standard, the Harvard and Yale, of MT training. Their graduates have no difficulty finding work because employers know those schools turn out job-ready MTs.
It has good advice.
Good luck!
Is this a good field to go into?
Does this line of work have a future? Is it a good field to go into? I welcome your opinions.
Good News
Finally, some good news for a change!!
That is pretty good.
That is a lot better than what I am making. I am making only 3.0 cents per line independent contractor status, which is ridiculous. This should be a crime to pay an MT this low of a rate. I am currently in the process of looking for a new job.
Is this a good start
I've heard Sten-Tel is a good starting company, is that true? I need to gain experience. I recently finished up an internship, but need 1-2 yr experience to be able to work in clinics or hospitals in my area. So I thought if I could work online at home PT or FT(I need to make around $400/mo to pay all my bills) for a year, then I could start applying again at the hospitals... anyone have any good leads?
Good advice. LOL!!!!! nm
.
I agree! Good for you!
with a mother's day out program for a few hours a week if you feel your child needs social interaction. That is someting I would do for your child if you felt they really needed it, but not for you though. I agree, and I have worked daycare years ago. You really are not the one raising your child if they are there all day. You feed them, bathe them, and put them to bed. The struggles in life and how you handle them are what make you, you... and your child is watching every move you make and will one day likely repeat them. Us moms only have one chance, we have to make it count! I am glad you made this decison and you sure won't regret it!
good question..
i was told it takes at least 2-3 years to really feel comfortable. its been about 5 now for me, and although i feel pretty comfortable (except for ops), i still consider myself a newbie, plus i am the baby of my company as far as experience, and i still have a lot more to learn.
on the good side (for me), there are 2 others whom i work with, who have 19 and 18 years, but, because they chose to cherry pick, they didnt qualify to work at home because they were not comfortable doing a lot of things they should have been comfortable with by now.
you may consider yourself a newbie, but motivation, initiation, and all that other good stuff can put you ahead of others.
good luck
GOOD POINT
I'm glad that this was brought up. I have often wondered myself. What encourages me is that there is always something new to learn. Even the MTs who have been in this for years admits it themselves.
I am still a newbie but being an IC helps a lot in learning different areas in this field. I am thankful that my contact "feeds" me work from a new field gradually when she thinks that I am already catching on with the one she gave me prior. I say "catching on" because I can get comfortable with surgery and here comes a new case with totally different words that I need to research on.
Just like a former professor of mine said - "the more you know, the more you realize that there is still much to learn."
Good attitude! You will go far. (nm)
(nm)
I agree - if you have a good
MT education and are any good, you won't HAVE to accept a job at such an insulting line rate.
Good company?
I am a well trained and experienced professional MT and have been for 13 years now. I have been looking at several of the work-at-home companies out there. Does anyone out there work for ImageStat Corporation and are they a good company to work for?
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