Well-stated, completely honest (nm)
Posted By: Yet another CS graduate on 2007-12-11
In Reply to: CS grad - Former CSer
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Yes, as I stated above,
I use my own computer, but there are some companies out there that will send you a computer to use while you are working for them. The company I am with does not do that. I think that is a nice thing though because if anything happens to the machine, it is their problem and not yours. However, there is usually a fee for this that is taken out of your paycheck every pay period. I think it is normally a small charge though.
I ask ed you because you stated in your 1st
comment...'I am going back to school,' when the woole post was about EMR.
thank you for clearing that up. As I stated, I was not saying
that you were a scam, but I will tell you this - there are a lot of people that would take advantage of new transcriptionists just to pad their own pocketbooks.
I appreciate that you are willing to take on the newbies and help them and motivate them.
perfectly stated.
I live in California and 14 cents is not too high out here, but it might be in other places. I agree with your entire post.
She explicity stated she would fail the test
that I did very well on.
Perhaps she does not need a course, and I know I could benefit from going to an MT school, but I did not "walk in off the street". I have a 4 year degree in health sciences, and a technical certificate in medical coding and billing. The employer recruited through my college's career placement office and was looking for coding grads since the school does not have an MT program.
She has a hs diploma, types about 40wpm and has customer service and tax preparation experience. Without some time dedicated to studying med terms and A&P, she would not make it through the interview process.
I did not take a transcription course, but I have a lot more background than she does. I never said it would be easy - I believe I said I felt I was in a bit over my head.
I did not expect to work as a tax preparer at her company without taking the required tax prep course, even though I have 16 hours of Accounting, to include intermediate and tax accounting.
I didn't think I was scoffing.
That is a completely different
That's a better description of your situation than just saying you were certified and couldn't get a job.
Unless you completed one of the courses whose students typically get jobs with national services, you're not going to get a job with that unless you do some planning.
With the HIT in progress, your best bet is to take ANY job in ANY medical records department at a hospital or large clinic. Try for a part-time one now. File room, release of information, secretary . . . it does not matter. You have enough qualifications for an entry-level job. You can put the lapsed CPC-A on your resume, too, but be clear it is lapsed.
Once you have that job, you should find it quite easy to move into a coding position. Coders are very hard to find. If you want to begin helping out in coding, or doing a little extra, or getting some on-the-job training, I know few administrators who would refuse you.
If you are attending an accredited HIT program, it is preparing you for the RHIT exam. That's the one you should take first. The CCS is going to be more difficult unless you have actually worked in inpatient coding. You'd be more likely to pass the CCS-P, and you could probably do it now.
The easiest way to get a job in transcription is to go through one of the schools whose grads are accepted by nationals. The easiest way to get a job in coding is to get a certification, preferably one each from AAPC and AHIMA, and, if you cannot get a coding job outright, take any job in a HIM department in order to shift into a regular coding slot. That's quite easy to do.
I agree completely ...
It is a very good option for some ~ and the ONLY option for several. I referred a nice lady there this morning who learned that the CS online course would not suit her needs financially.
Completely agree!
I got my start doing PT transcription. I had no prior experience in MT and had no difficulty at all with doing PT reports. I found that I loved PT. For the account I had there were tons of normals. I rarely had to type a full report.
Good luck!
Completely agree.
nm
Agree completely.
My heating bill this month was almost $400!! It used to be right around $100. I also have to have high-speed internet, which I didn't before, so that is an additional $45 a month. I also have to buy new reference books quite frequently when my accounts change (references were provided when I worked on-site). I also had to have a landline, so I now pay $33 a month for that (only used cells previously). I have also had to pay to upgrade my computer and purchase Word (again, a cost a company would pay if working on-site). So there are additional costs to working at home as well.
I agree completely
I know others who have complained of the same thing. They really struggled with their test, but they were still hired on. Just do the best you can. Good luck!
This is not true at all -- completely false.
You don't know what you're talking about!
Honest question
Why is it that when an answer is already given to a post, someone else comes along and posts the exact same answer?
M-TEC not honest? Are you for real??
I have personally met Susan and Kathy several times, both in and out of school, as a student and a working grad. They never glossed over the reality of being a working MT, what is required to find and keep a job, the kind of money one can make. Ask them real questions and you will get real answers.
While they prepare you for the real working MT world, you DO have to do the work yourself and secure your own job testing, which I found was not a problem one bit because I applied myself in school and absorbed as much as I could. I was offered to test for too many places to list when I graduated and landed a job within days of graduation, which I have successfully kept and flourished in for more than 5 years. I have also made really good money and been very satisfied with my career choice.
I believe, as in most things, good communication is key. If someone has issues they really do need to take them up with the source and allow them to be addressed in an honest and open fashion.
Here is my honest opinion. sm
I started MT in my mid 20s (over 20 years ago) Started working for family doctor in high school, went on to college for two years in health care administration (worked part time for college professors), married and had children right away. My first independence with my own doctor clients occurred when I had two toddlers at home. There was no possible way I could have been successful unless I hired child care during that period of time. I was spending a minimum of 8 hours per day typing. There were days when I would put in an additional 3 hours late at night when my children went to bed. My husband worked long hours, so depending on him to take over was not always possible. It is only my opinion that the dedication, concentration and ultimate success in this profession is not possible unless you get the help with your children. Unless part time supplemental income is your goal, full time pay and the intense experience needed to peform well long-term in this profession, reality is not always seen by those entering this profession as a means to stay home with your children.
honest question reply......
 Maybe they don't read all the posts b/c some of them can get pretty long. They are just trying to help, thats all. They don't mean any harm as far as I can tell. I don't think its anything to get anxious about though.
If you're going to be honest about it, you'd check nothing.
With just an education under your belt, whether it's At-Home or M-TEC, you have no working experience.
Looking for honest answers about the future of MT...
I am considering MT (again). I already do some transcription but have never trained for medical.
Many of the posts I've read on different forums are pretty discouraging about the future of this profession.
I am a relatively fast typist (80 wpm, 99% accuracy)and have a pretty good command of spelling and grammar. (I'm sure I could use some improvement.)
I would really like some flexible work from home. I have a child with special needs and don't want to go out to work in an office for ten hours a day.
What is the average pay? Is off shore and voice recognition going to make the profession obsolete in a few years? I hate to invest in training and have it be for nothing down the road. Though, I guess I could look into coding in the future! Maybe there will be more at home jobs in that field down the road.
Many thanks,
Mariah
Yes, and these were people trying to make an HONEST living
nm
Be honest. Which of those "matchbook" schools do YOU work for?
Or are you afraid of competition from well-trained MTs? Just contact MT companies and ask, and you will see how many of them DON'T hire grads from schools other than the "top 3" because they are not educated enough and most of them cannot pass employment tests, that's why so many companies won't even let them test and just give them the "you need 2 years' experience" line.
Unfortunately I don't think ANY of the schools, including the Big 3, are honest about MT outlook.
The amount of work going overseas, the fact that you CANNOT work twice as fast with most voice recognition as you can with straight transcription (despite the fact that the companies insist you can and therefore only pay you half as much). There are a lot of MTs with a lot of experience who are getting out of the business.
Also, it's even harder to find a part-time MT job when you are a newbie, because there is a big learning curve regardless of what course you take, and companies don't want to spend that much time on someone who only wants to work part time, because it will take them a lot longer to get up to speed.
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