You're right that account specifics will dictate how you

do this, but generally you don't abbreviate diagnoses, but using cm and mL are okay, just don't use CHF instead of congestive heart failure.   In the body of a report it is acceptable to abbreviate, but you should really transcribe as dictated.  If the doctor dictates CHF then type CHF, if they dictate congestive heart failure than type congestive heart failure. 

• Abbreviation Question - Confused
  • You're right that account specifics will dictate how you - HTH
    • Thank you. - Less confused

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Hi everyone! I'm a new MT awaiting my final exam results and was hoping someone could outline for me the testing procedures most companies put you through.  I just want to make sure I'm as prepared as possible before I start applying (once I get my certificate of course).

How long are the tests usually? Are they usually dictation only or are there separate written q&a's? Can you use research materials? Are they timed?

Any info you could share would be very appreciated.  I'm expecting my exam results any day now and I want to get rolling immediately with job hunting.

');>

whatever they are saying, flying, mumbling, eating, etc.   I recommend typing what you can and then go back and relisten and see if you can get blanks.  If you still can't hear listen a few more times.  With experience you are able to decipher.   You can slow down the dictation and that may help.

I had about 6 years' experience before I started doing the difficult ESL dictators and I was not very good, mainly because I was majorly stressed out with the whole job.  I've got about 18 years' experience now and can pretty much do any ESL without any blanks.  Sometimes I do have to listen 2 or more times to a word though.   Sometimes when I hear it first I swear they aren't speaking English at all and a couple of times that has been the case. 

You didn't mention the name of the company. It could be they have a new account and it's not off the ground yet. It was a month after I was hired before I actually started working. That was two years ago and I'm seldom out of work.  I'm still on that same account. 

Oh, just relax...Of course I want MT's with experience - and as long as there continues to be MT's with experience that want work at a certain rate, they will be hired in front of a newbie. In the work place it is all about what the market will bear. Nursing shortage? Nurse pay goes up. Until Filipino nurses flood the market. Then nurse pay goes down (just as an example). All I'm saying is as long as there are experienced MT's who are willing to work for 6-7 cpl (and I get plenty of them asking for work all the time at that rate), then a newbie can't be worth the same. It's all about what the market will bear. Therefore, you have to give the employer something to make hiring you more attractive than the next person....which is what? I'm always surprised that a newbie doesn't take an internship or something- whatever it takes- to get that experience. Without the experience, your chances of being hired go waaaaaay down.

My own suspicion is that it's the MT schools who keep telling newbies to go out and try to get jobs at 6 cpl - sometimes I even get resumes asking for 8 or 10! If the MT schools were honest about how difficult it was to break into the field - would people sign up and pay the money? No. But they take the money, train 'em and don't tell them that training isn't enough. Then the boards are full of postings from newbies complaining about how hard it is to break into the field. Well, for crying out loud - I would rather work for free for six months and then be marketable than to get 0 work at 6 cpl for years and years, holding out for that one chance in a thousand that someone would be willing to take me on

And I recognize that.  However, when my employer reviewed my first few batches of reports, he was quite impressed and surprised at the quality given that I was just getting started. 

So, I ask again- what is it that makes AHP an inferior education to other schools like Andrews and M-Tec?  Do they not provide enough anatomy/medical terminology instruction? Are they deficient in practice report experience? 

The only thing I felt under-prepared for was how quickly the doctor's dictate in real life versus what I was used to in practicing.  Other than that, doing real transcribing was actually easier than the practice tapes I was doing because AHP uses a good deal of difficult foreign accents on their practice tapes.  The account that I work on now has no foreign doctors (which is probably unusual), but some of them are ridiculously fast and incoherent. 

I'm really not trying to stir up anything here or argue that anyone is wrong.  I truly am just curious to know why AHP is not a good school.  I have many people ask me about what I do and where I got my training, and when I tell them that I've read online that the quality of an AHP education is questionable, I have no reason to give.  Thanks!

');

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You're not alone...
I graduated about a month ago and haven't been able to find a job yet either. The biggest hurdle has been trying to find a company willing to hire a "newbie". I've passed tests, then been turned down because I don't have two years of experience.

Let's just hope the economy improves soon and more jobs become available for new graduates.

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If you're just learning...
Why are you giving advice?

You're just beginning training. Where have you had marketing experience?

Also #1 priority in transcription and "landing" a job, be able to spell.

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You're kind!
appreciate the support ... this is harder than i ever imagined it would be (as a seasoned clerical for many, many years). i don't see how any of you make a living at this.
though i was told it was hard before i started, i didn't believe it could be that hard. famous last words!

surprisingly, most of my challenges come from the simpler things like hearing "a" instead of "the" (or where there isn't either).

how on earth did you get through this? my hat's off to all of you seasoned MTs.

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you're doing it correctly *the pt* until they..sm

tell you differently.  I have a surgeon who gave me lip about it, until I gave him specific copies of the HIPAA laws and showed him that not only was I protecting myself but I was also protecting him from any future lawsuit.

The thing is this....many medical records are used as examples in studies..., blind studies, and the like.  In today's world, as long as no patient name is mentioned in the medical record, well that record could be used in a study.  If the patient's name is mentioned in body of report, the people conducting the study(ies) CAN be sued down the road for exposing a patient name......being possibly sued by the patient whose name was exposed.

There usually is a method to most madness.....*lol*

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You're absolutely right!
I think it really depends on the individual.

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you're the one who is unrealistic...
you've got to be kidding. To see the technology changes and all the forces aligned and to think American MT field will survive? What do you do, sitting around watching American Idol all night? You are sadly out of touch with reality, though not my desire to inform you. I was simply sharing experience with newbies. You the one who judged me as negative, pessimistic and toxic. That's like telling the doctor who diagnosed you with cancer that he is negative, pessimistic and toxic. For Pete's sake, Heartland just completely 100% outsourced to India and Spheris has gone as VR as possible, except for the crappy ESL dictators...but no, outsourcing and computer technology aren't a serious threat to the field. Tell that to the folks on the company board, why doncha?

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You're confused? (sm)
I didn't make sense? Someone is posting using the name I always use. But I'm not really sure how to write for the 2nd grade level, which is obviously what would make sense to you.

If I didn't make sense, perhaps you need to learn to read something other than board books.

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Can I ask what state you're in? nm
nm

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They're Junk
Look here in the Classifieds or somewhere like Transcription Gear.

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Oops. How about you're or you are NOT your
Bad!!!!

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If you're already in an MT program, then do get it and
s

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I'm sorry you're having so much trouble
I know it is hard. It took me a while to find work after I graduated. The only thing that saved me is I had a great paying job as a legal secretary so I could afford to wait. Have you tried applying to Spheris. I know I've said this in numerous posts, but have you tried local MTSO or local doctors' offices. I started out with small local MTSO as an IC and now work for a local doctor's office regularly transcribing for 4 doctors and 1 NP. If you want to work for the big Nationals, this may help get experience.

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If I understand what you're asking...
It is mostly editing VR, but there is some straight transcription as well.

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You're too funny....

I do not work for any school, nor did I ever claim to.  I am an MT and have been for a long time.  You can say what you like about this school or that school, but the truth is there are many routes to success in this industry.  Why don't you put up a survey on the Main Board and ask what school, if any, the MTs here graduated from.  I think majority will tell you they did not complete a program through one of the "top 3." 

And here is a little splash to cool you down since you become so hot over outside opinion:  .

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Obviously you're not going to believe anybody unless they say what you want to hear.
So just go ahead an spend your money, and then come back here like all the others and complaint that no one will hire you without 2 years' experience, because NOBODY will waive that experience requirement for graduates of Allied. MANY places will waive that requirement for Andrews and M-Tec grads, and let them take their employment test (which they will most likely pass). The companies know that grads of Allied can't pass the employment tests because they are not trained well enough. So if somebody comes on here and tells you Allied is a great school and they had no trouble getting a job afterwards, go for it. Maybe you'll be one of the RARE lucky ones. Just don't hold your breath.

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Yes, and they're great.

Pay always on time.  Great counts.  Always good communication. 

Training can be tough because QA's pretty tight, but if you make it through it...wonderful place to work for. 

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You're wrong
This is VOICE RECOGNITION work so you really should learn to read. (let me know if you don't know what voice recognition means.) I have been in the transcription business for a very long time and absolutely know your type which is why I declined to put our company's name. We are actually offering a fantastic internship which many people are required to do. Personally I absolutely love to help people get into the transcription business and love to train as I know how hard it can be to get your foot in the door. However, I absolutely detest people who have no idea what they are talking about make it seem like everyone is out to do something that is shady or unethical.

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I don't know where you're applying,
but I didn't go to CareerStep & I've never had a problem getting a job. I had a job with Medquist before I graduated! NO ONE has ever told me I should have gone to CareerStep, & I've sent out plenty of resumes.

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You're asking the right questions.
You're asking the right questions.

Some schools start a lot of students, but have a high drop-out rate or they have a lot of students who can't pass the final. The observation about job-hopping in the first 2 years is on-target, too. Some schools graduates get jobs, but can't make it 90 days. One estimate was that 90% of one schools enrollees never graduate and of those who do, only one in ten will keep a job more than 90 days.

You might ask your question over on www.mtchat.com. A lot of Andrews grads hang out there.

The reason you don't hear much about their grads may be that there isn't a lot of job-finding upset among them. In other words, they don't post about how much trouble they have finding jobs because they aren't having trouble. You can only post "I got a job!" once, after all. Any more than that and it sounds like gloating.

They typically get acute-care jobs, often with several offers, at good rates of pay and get up to speed quickly, staying in the same job long-term. The M-Tec experience seems similar.

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Maybe they're getting desperate because MTs
are realizing having your CMT is worthless & a waste of money. Not to mention, MTs are purposely not getting their CMT because they feel AHDI/AAMT has sold us out by pushing for the offshoring of our jobs.

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PMS-ing --- you're one lucky newbie!!!
May I know what company are you working with? Thanks.

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You're blessed! Take it and be thankful. nm
b

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You're wrong, there was nuttin' in there about only new MT's...sm
this is a discussion board. The first post, if you remember, was something like an "open letter to newbies." That means it went to all newbies not just one. And I think the questions were **hypothetical**?  I mean, come on, do you think someone is going to sit there and really think about "why would I apply for a job when I don't have the equipment?...hmmmm."  I think the MTSO was just frustrated at having to weed through some poor applicants. Too bad. If people really want to be MT's as badly as they post on this forum, you would think they would put a little more effort into the application?

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That's part of what you're being tested for
Your tests are not just about getting the right words in the right places. You're also being tested on how to use your reference materials, not on how other people do it. Tests are to find out what you know, not what other people know. The goal is an education for you, not to test people who are already employed.

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You're doing fine-just hang in there (sm)
You're doing fine. In fact, you're doing quite well for 8 weeks!

Just keep on doing what you are doing. You'll eventually improve as everything comes together.

You can look for ways to improve your efficiency, but you should not try to "go faster." Trying to speed up usually results in increased errors and correction rates.

It's easier to focus on not making any errors, on listening far enough ahead that you never have to erase and make a correction, and on eliminating wasted time and effort.

Eating and drinking, smoking, listening to music and/or office chatter, a disorganized desk, interruptions from children, phones, and housework, EMAIL, and inefficient work habits will be THE main things that reduce your productivity.

If you look at your work activities, you will probably see more time spent doing "other things" than doing transcription. What you want to do is eliminate all the things that are NOT transcription, by which I mean keying in text and/or truly necessary job responsibilities.

The easiest way to improve your productivity is to simply start spending 99.9% of your work time actually working. If you observe yourself closely, you'll be able to see the not-work things you need to eliminate.

Over time, for many MTs, this occurs naturally, but you can help it along!

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You're obviously web savvy, what a jockster!
baahhhaahhhaaa!!!

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