Wondering if anyone has any good references for
Posted By: expanders or do you makeup your own - sm on 2007-09-22
In Reply to:
as you go along and create your own since you will know what they are. I didn't know if there was a 'general' list that was out there in the web world. LOL.
Thanks for your help.
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References
Here are a few: An up to date drug book, I prefer Stedman's Quick Look, but there are others; a good medical dictionary if you don't have one, either Dorland's or Stedmans (I prefer Dorlands); a lab reference book, there are several, I have Stedmans. If you are doing acute care and OP notes, Surgical Word Book by Claudia Tessier is an excellent reference for both equipment as well as anatomy terms for surgical procedures. 
references
For the drug reference, I use Saunders and I also purchased Stedmans Words in Orthopedics and Neurology because those are the specialties I was transcribing last time I worked. Stedman's has great reference books for any specialty you need. I also used a lot of online resources.
Andrews References
For the BMT (beginning medical transcription, or Module I) part of their course, Andrews provides AAMT's Book of Style, Medical Phrase Index, Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference, Turley's Medical Language (terminology), Medical Abbreviations: 26,000, the SUM BMT CD, a foot pedal, and a very comprehensive Step-by-Step training guide. As you progress though the course, additional disks and reference materials are provided.
I am a current student at Andrews and find the course to be exceptional. I am a former technical training instructor and course writer, and the quality of instruction was my primary consideration in my choice of schools.
Best medical references
The school I am enrolled in sent me a Stedmans Medical Dictionary. I don't have any drug reference books or anything else. What do you recommend for drug reference books and dictionaries? Also, I am wanting to try to supplement my education as much as possible before I graduate. Does anyone have any advice on how to do this? I guess experience is probably the best thing?? TIA
Most companies don't even check references, school or otherwise?
Most companies don't even check references, school or otherwise!?
If a company doesn't care enough to check references, I wouldn't want to work for them. They are encouraging lies and deception. That's not the kind of people I want to work for.
Employers don't check references? Not very wise of them
We're dealing with confidential work. You're telling me that there are still MT employers who don't care enough about the quality and accountability of the work that they would "bother" to check references? You are going to put confidential patient records in the hands of people with no attempt to even see if they are who and what they say they are? No educational references checked? No past employment checked?
Former employers do not give "true" references. Because of lawsuits. So irrelevant.
x
Wondering
I would be glad to talk with you. You may e-mail me at mtizfun@yahoo.com.
Just wondering...
...what exactly is going on with all this bickering here -- yours and few others comments are totally out of this "polite" world (so I thought). You are all stuck on yourselves and totally without any care about hurting other people's feeling!! Did you all hear about being nice to other people? Would you mind checking and double checking the purpose of this board?
I saw that, but I'm wondering if she SM
was saying it is 2 hours of dictation (120 minutes a day). That's a lot for a newbie (even for this "oldbie" at times). It does sound interesting, though.
JM
Wondering about ELL TX, Inc.
Has anyone worked for or heard of ELL TX, Inc.?
Just Wondering --
What about old MT's who have not worked in years, but still have a good basic knowledge of the MT field? Do we count as newbies?
Even though we have tried to stay abreast of the terminology and have done some transcription (approx. 9-1/2 years doing general, legal and some medical), do we need to take a full-fledge course such as Career Step, Andrews or M-Tec?
Is there a MTSO out there that would be interested in mentoring someone in this situation if after completion of the mentorship would be interested in signing a contract to work for a stated period of time for that MTSO?
Thanks for any response.
Wondering
Thanks for your response. I will check M-Tec. I just do not feel that I need a full program considering I have done this type work before.
Wondering
Thanks for your response. I will e-mail you this evening.
Wondering
Hello,
Have anyone heard of Proficient Transcription? There is a $99.00 fee. The fee is because of shared programs.
Wondering..
I had a discharge summary that I did yesterday and had to send it to QA because I had several blanks. I checked my feedback and saw that none of the blanks were filled on my end, so I pulled the report up and saw what corrections were made. There were still a few blanks and it looked like QA didn't go through it that well because there were things that were repeated where I had left blanks..like they filled the blank and had the same thing type right beside one another. My question is, since this was a report that I did that I had to let QA go over, should I say something about the report not being done correctly by QA or let it be?
Just wondering...
I just started working from home about a month ago. I am just wondering how you MTs that work at home usually go about your day? I have been getting up about 9 am (the account I am on is one hour behind me) and we have to request our reports (maybe that is how everyone does it?) Usually I get somewhere from 10-15 reports in the morning. They are all office notes, usually not lasting over 5 minutes in length. I try to sit and do them all and then maybe get up and have some breakfast, take about a 10 minutes break, and come back and request more. It usually takes me about two hours, sometimes longer, to do 15 reports, depending on the docs. The problem is, by 3pm, I feel like my brain is fried, and the worst part is I am maybe at 600 lines. Is this normal just starting off? It is midnight and I have been working since 9 am. Granted I stopped for about three hours this evening, but this is the first day I have made 900 lines. My boss keeps telling me to worry about quality and quantity will come, but I know that full time MTs are required to do a minimum of 1200 lines per day at our company, and I want to pull my own weight.
I am using a text expander, and I add to it daily. Am I not taking enough breaks, or am I taking to many? I thought I was doing real good coming out of school typing 90 wpm, but now I feel like I am very, very slow! javascript:editor_insertHTML('text',' ');
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Anyways, any info or tricks of the trade that you know would be greatly appreciated!
I'm wondering too
I am interested in seeing responses to this question as well. I graduated in April and still haven't found a job yet. Still searching...
I am wondering the same thing! nm
wondering transcriptionist sm
I would suggest that you steer yourself more towards the companies that accept "newbies" or transcriptionists who have less than 3 years experience. You must start somewhere to gain some experience and learn to decipher the doctors.. Not all docs are awful, usually just a handful. The more you do the work, and the more terminology you become familiar with, the easier it will be for your mind and ears to HEAR everything the doctors dictate. To begin with you may make less than what you're expecting, but the experience will be priceless in the end.
Just wondering why you are bothering with AAMT
They have no power to force a school to change its policies. They're just there to soak hardworking American MTs for huge membership fees so they can turn around and spend that money to support sending all our jobs to India and the Philippines.
In any event, M-Tec does have a tiered program for people with medical background. You might have better luck contacting the schools directly.
an MT should know the differnece between wandering and wondering...
:)
I'm not wondering at all why you can't pass the test! Sheesh...nm
s
Just wondering, since you lied on resume, did you also cheat on test? nm
x
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!!
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