Years ago none of us needed training and there were no schools

• Frustrated!! - Amy
  • I have worked at home since day 1 of graduation from M-TEC - happytyper
  • Jobs are going overseas anyway - - sm
  • Be careful when people have to write you off the board - Caution
  • Sent you an e-mail - POT
  • On site work - dee
  • Don't need to go to the "top 3 schools" - Deanie
  • You can do it....keep trying!!! - IndyMT
  • Don't give up... - Jeannal
    • Love, love, love your story! nm - take that, top three
      • Yes! Let's encourage lack of education and bumbling into jobs - CMT
        • Education comes in other ways than only top 3 schools - LL
          • Being a paramedic is something to be proud of, but nothing to do with MT - Apples and Oranges
            • The insinuation was that anyone without formal training was bumbling... - EMT-P
              • Years ago none of us needed training and there were no schools - Wouldn't try that now though
                • There's some MT's that can't even figure out - No schooling
                  • Why doesn't someone give some good reports on other schools - MT
                    • They are probably all busy working! LOL - nm
                      • Of course! That must be it. LOL - :)
        • So thank you for saying Spheris employees are bumbling. That was nice. - Jenna
          • Who said anything about Spheris? The message was about accidentally getting into MT - MT
            • Maybe you should read before you post. - Patti
            • Jeanna did. And you said "let's encourage bumbling into jobs.." - MaggieDay
  • It's impossible for us to know how much you have learned - MT
  • I went to a community college and was hired - sm
  • You do not have to be a graduate from one of the "top three schools" to get a job!! sm - Tired of hearing about top 3 schools
  • Ten thousand dollars? On an MT education? - I seriously want to know about that.
    • cost - Amy
      • What type of education did you get? What did you study? - My BA degree didn't cost that!!
  • Breaking into the industry! - Brandy
    • Don't give up!! - NC Newbie

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I am seriously considering a career as an MT.  I have zero medical experience.  For the past ten years, I have worked as an Executive Assistant.  I feel that it is time for a career change, as I am no longer happy with what I am doing.  With that being said, I thought perhaps I wanted to do broadcast captioning, high demand, good pay and flexability.  So, without really doing any research, I jumped into the first school that came up when I did a Google search.  It was a seven month course and I graduated this past December.  The course itself was $15,000.  It wasn't a steno thery based course, it was voice recognition.  I made a huge mistake by not looking into the school and the other options that were out there and am now kicking myself in the butt for it because we spent so much money on it.  Sorry this is so long, but I am getting there (to my point and questions).  The requirements for graduation is that you had to pass the final at 180 words per minute at 95% accuracy.  What they didn't tell you and I failed to research this is that in the real world of broadcast captioning, the employers require at least 225 words per minute at 98.5% accuracy.  So the school did not prepare me to go out and be gainfully employed upon graduation. 

Do I need prior medical experience in order to become a succesfull MT?

After having learned the hard way, I have looked into many MT schools, researching for almost two weeks now.  I am leaning towards Career Step.  I would very much appreciate hearing from somebody who has taken thier course, or if I should go with somebody else, and why. 

I just want to be ready to be gainfully employed upon graduation. 

And I have to build my case to my husband as to why we should spend more money on my education. 

Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

I am looking for good online training MT schools that offer good quality education along with practise sessions and also job assistance. I am new to MT field and have gone through some of the discussions about top online schools (Mtec, CareerStep and Andrew).
For those who have taken courses from this schools (and have got jobs), can you tell me what makes it to take this online courses and why.
also which would come first interms of payling less and getting most of it?
which other online training institutes can NE considered?

Any kind of help, assistance would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

What items are needed for working at home. Such as best books to have, word expander, foot pedal and any other items that would benefit a person just starting out.

Hello.  I am new to all of this.  In fact, this is my first post.  I have not signed up for an MT course as of yet but I have narrowed my choice down to two schools based on my research.  I have taken the entry tests for both M-Tec and Andrews.  M-TEC gave me a response and I am waiting on the results from Andrews.  I have not spoken directly to anyone from either program but I received a very nice e-mail from M-TEC.  I have been through both websites with a fine tooth comb and feel that I would be very happy with either one.  Other than the educational program itself, what is needed to begin?  What are the computer software requirements outside of the ones provided in the courses?  Also, is it recommended to have a dedicated computer for this type of work?

Thanks in advance for your time. 

Does anyone know of a good MT refresher course to suggest?  I've taken a couple of preemploymehnt MT tests here lately and did not pass.  I feel I've lost my edge by working on a radiology account for a couple of years.  I would appreciate any and all ideas.  Thank you in advance.

wow...and which company would this be?  i do not mind investing in myself here...and my head is spinning w/ all the various soft-/hardware i see used among MT outfits.  i have one place interested in hiring me; they want me to purchase a piece of equipment, which is fine, as far as it goes...and i don't want to end up w/ something i'll never use again if things don't pan out.

in the meantime...back to googling!    

Does anyone know anything about this company, DocMed Medical Transcription

Thanks. 

Hi Andrea!  I am a current M-Tec student and I am so impressed.  It's a great place to learn!  I would recommend getting a good headset, several binders for organization, a printer (if you don't have one already), some highlighters, and a book case for your text books.  Eventually you may need a dedicated computer, but for training purposes you should be fine with a shared system.  That's what we do here at my house!

Good luck!

Hello to the board! Glad I found it. There's a wealth of information here and on the Main Board.

I have a few questions about what I've been researching about MT. Any replies would be appreciated.

1. Is the general feeling among MTs that if a person doesn't do a program thru one of the "Big 3" MT schools, they cannot get hired at all?

2. Or is the feeling among MTs that if the Big 3 schools aren't used, the person can't get hired at a good place?

3. If a student doesn't go thru one of the Big 3, then they can't get hired ANYWHERE and thus can't get that magic "two years' experience?"

I was really burned thru a sonography school. If you don't go thru an accredited program, you simply cannot be hired. Anywhere legit at all. No matter how great your skills are. GOT to have the certification that can only be gained thru an accredited school (can't sit for the test w/o this). I was told the accreditation of the school would be retroactive and cover us (the first students to attend the new program) but that was WRONG. And this was thru a community college!!!

I don't want to go thru a program and then find out that only Andrews, M-Tec, and CS are considered valid for any employment chance.

Many thanks for any help in clearing up the ability to get hired w/o one of the 3 programs mentioned. I find it odd because AHDI "approves" other places as well, not just those 3. 

One last question: DOES A STUDENT HAVE TO COMPLETE AN EXTERNSHIP to get hired? Because I live in Podunkville USA so to speak and there is nothing here for 300 miles in any direction...

THANKS!!!

but I could not get the footpedal to work.  Anybody have experience with this?  I downloaded Express Scribe to listen to the dictation.

Thanks in advance.

Okay, it is time to let the cat out of the bag on how you are going to be successful as a Transcriptionist out of school.

The first thing I am seeing is that these schools promise that you will be working from home making in upwards of $40,000 a year. Forget about that. You are new to this. If you come out of school working on a production basis you may very well fall flat on your face and make $3 an hour by the end of the day. I was a transcriptionist for almost 5 years working for a hospital and I decided I could make more working on a production basis.......I failed miserably my first year.

First off, get experience under your belt and make an hourly rate in the meantime. How did I do this? Well, I started out getting a job in a hospital, any job I could get. I started out in billing, even though I wanted transcription. I watched and waited for openings, when finally someone in the psychiatric unit called me (I made friends with everyone, the key to getting calls like this one) and said they were losing their transcriptionist and I should apply. I applied and got my first transcription job, making an hourly rate. Had I not gotten pregnant with twins I would probably still be there.

After babies were born, went back part time in the evenings. This time since I had experience and another local hospital was willing to hire me in the radiology department. Again, hourly. I watched and waited once again (I hated radiology transcription). I got to know who was in charge in the transcription department. I sent her a fax asking her if she needed any part time help (back then there was no work related email). She said, yes, I could work part time (I now had "experience"). The part time went to full time with benefits. However, I got bored and decided to work for, of all companies, Medquist. I thought with my speed I would be making at least $20 an hour.....hahahahahahahahaha, what a joke. I was lucky to make $8 an hour with them. After about a year of struggling I finally got my foot back in the door of a hospital in another state. I had to commute to the hospital every day during training, it was awful, however, now I again work from home, have the ability to make about $20 or more per hour, I own my own home, own a half decent car, I am divorced and don't take any child support from my ex, instead we share in the custody 50/50.

The moral of my story........

Get your foot in the door. Look for jobs that are front desk, secretarial, whatever. Once you are in there and they realize how great you are you can go wherever you want. My first transcription job in the psychiatric unit also involved secretarial duties, so not just straight transcription. I highly recommend getting into a hospital. The bennies are the best and lots of hospital transcriptionists are working from home with full hospital benefits. If you can't get into a hospital, get into anywhere where you can do some sort of typing/transcription, that way you have your first reference/experience when you apply to a company that is strictly work from home. Everyone wants experience, they just don't want to be the ones to give it to you. 

I am so tired of seeing these schools and companies swindle people.

If you are looking into training, I highly recommend your local community college. You will probably take some credit college courses that will be able to be used should you decide to do something else. My local community college has a course for under $3000 and there are college credit courses that are able to be used towards another degree.

I did my training as a medical assistant, transcription was only part of the course. However, now I am so bored with transcription that I am going back to school to be a nurse.

I hope this helps someone out there. Good luck to you all!

in this business.  One lost an account to EMR and the other lost a good portion of an account to "writing in charts" which is a clue that particular account is going EMR most likely in the near future and trying to save money to purchase it...  It is very expensive for the doctors (more than our pay).  My PCP uses it and he said it is very costly but he is still using it. 

Now those MTs that lost accounts are working for nationals and averaging between 6 and 8 dollars an hour because they are being thrown horrible dictators and platforms that aren't up to par. 

Everyone in this business is struggling and thankful for what they have and afraid to ask for a raise.  I have 2 of my own accounts that I haven't had a raise in 10 years because I know someone will underbid me in a New York minute if I were to raise my rates. 

I just like what I do and like the flexibility, but if I were to spend $4,000.00 it would definitely not be to become an MT, not by today's standards anyway. 

How are newbies supposed to get experience?

Does anyone know of companies who hire newbies?

You say, "In-house jobs are being outsourced rapidly" and then draw the conclusion that there must be a demand for more MT's?  Where do you think those jobs are being outsourced? It ain't Kokomo, it's New Delhi, etc. It used to be new MT's COULD get a job, back in the old days when the market wasn't imploding.  But even then, you really needed to work in house before you could work from home. It ain't as easy as it seems, especially with ESL's.

Look I'm sorry you got misled about the field. But flogging a dead horse isn't going to help.

had a better chance at getting a job.  If you only want to hear the good stuff you aren't going to learn anything.  I feel for you, I really do, but if you had investigated before taking your course you would have been better informed.  I don't care how much anatomy and terminology you had and I don't care if you made 100% on every test, you still have not experienced real transcription.  There was one newbie MT that had a cerficiate stating she had a completed a course and she insisted she was a certified MT, which she was not.

I'm self-taught, got into the business quite by accident, but I have also seen at it for 20+ years and things were much different then.

I know you're frustrated but we're trying to educate you and you aren't open to hearing anything that isn't positive. 

My husband and I file a joint return, and my social security number was what I used in lieu of a federal tax ID#. 

your offer is more than fair.  with all the new MT's on this forum saying they can't get a job, this is a fabulous offer. 

my hat is off to you for taking the time to train, and pay 7 cents a line.  I started out at minimum wage 17 years ago...just grateful for the opportunity.

It really isn't something you just go to school for a while, and then go and grab a part-time position and think it's going to make you some cash.  I have always encouraged others who wanted to enter this field, but I can tell you that after 20 years, I am only being offered 7-8 cpl and the accounts I can get on my own are few and far between with the VR, EMR, and large national MT companies taking all of the clients at low rates and offering spit shined reports and fancy platforms for easy access.

Your best bet is to go ahead and choose the closest flower shop and work the register.  It will be much easier on your heart, soul, and sanity!  Trust Me!

I'm only 38 and I'm so burned out I could scream and throw my headphones.  I make 45K a year, but I work long hours and put up with a lot of crap from the offices I service as they know they can find someone cheaper in a heartbeat.  I've had no raise in 10 years.  I worked on-site for 17 years at 13 dollars an hour with benefits only to find out I would be training my replacement (C-Bay).  I gave 2 weeks' notice and here I sit. 

My rt hand throbs, my back aches, and my stress level is high.  If you really think after hearing this that it sounds like a good idea to go to school and become an MT, then have at it, but it will have you in a tail spin and wishing you never did.

My sis-in-law thought she'd be on easy street!  Well guess what?  Two years later, and she's not an MT but has the education.  She gave up because it was too hard! 

I wish you all of the luck in the world, but keep you day job and keep your money in your pocket that you'll pay for the education because we're being sold down the river and fast without a paddle or life jacket!