You got a job, but still have less of an education than if at M-TEC or Andrews.
Posted By: deb on 2008-04-12
In Reply to: Those aren't the only good schools - oh boy
I know because I also graduated from CS. I have seen the materials that M-Tec and Andrews use for teaching, a lot different (and better) than the homemade books written by Andrea Anaya from CS. No "automatic grader/comparter" either
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You can't beat Andrews or MTEC for an education. NM
x
With an M-Tec education,
you will have no trouble getting a job and KEEPING the job once you get it. With AHP, you will struggle to find anyone willing even to let you test for a job, and it is unlikely that you will be able to pass even an employment test let along succeed at any MT job. Get your money back from AHP and spend it on M-Tec. Choosing a school just because it is cheap is a poor decision. Choose a school that provides a QUALITY education that will get you a job. M-Tec will do that. A cheap "education" is a waste of your money. You will quickly make up any difference in the cost between AHP and M-Tec by being able to get a job right away. All the months and months and months you will search for a job with an AHP education is money you would have been making with an M-Tec education. Go for cheap and you will pay for it for a long time.
MT education
I've had four people approach me in the past few months wanting to get into MT to work at home. One went so far as to take an employment test and couldn't understand why she didn't pass. When I told them it was really necessary to get some schooling, i.e. Andrews, etc., not one of them pursued it. There are a lot of people out there that think this job is a piece of cake.
You really need some education in
and punctuation. General English rules. The terminology is one thing, but you also have to know how to accurately transcribe the document. You also should have HIPPA training, pharmacology and other things. This is just my opinion. You may be able to get hired somewhere with what experience you have, but I think you would be very frustrated. Especially if you have never actually listened and tried to transcribe dictated reports. Doctors can be very hard to understand and a good school will have live dictation for you to practice with to get some experience before getting out there and trying to do it for real.
Education
Does anyone have any information whether good or bad on Gatlin Education Programs. I am thinking of registering for their online MT courses and want to make sure it is a good decision. I appreciate any information.
Thanks
Education
I am a recent graduate of a 2 year college. I received my Associate Degree in Medical Transcription (Health Science) and did an externship within my schooling. I am so fearful of not finding a career now that I am out here sending resumes. I keep seeing the "need 2+ experience" listed for qualifications. I just spent over $30,000 and a huge amount of time in being sure that I was getting the top grades. The idea of going back to school really breaks me. I am so eager, passionate, and willing to work hard.
While I understand that as a newbie I will not be paid as high of a rate as the seasoned MTs, I would not work for this low of a wage. My education and knowledge stands for something. I know in dollar amount, it is costing me way more than 3 cents a line.
If anyone has any suggestions, other than go back to school, I am more than willing to listen. It is not that I oppose more education, because that is actually the quite opposite. Medicine will continue to evolve and we will all need to stay current through education.
Continuing Education?
I have been working as an MT for a few months now and received my education through a local technical school that only provided the basics. I work on very easy accounts with no ESLs. I am concerned about not having the proper knowledge and skills should I have to change companies in the future. I have been looking into further education through M-Tec and Career Step. I am noticing a significant price difference in the tuition for both schools. Is one better than the other? Or is graduating from Career Step just as good as M-tec. Another question I have from anybody who has graduated from these schools is how many hours approximately do you need to put in to graduate within the allotted time? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!
continuing education
I have a question and need some advice: I took one of those cheesy 5-month courses for little money and was basically blessed to get a job with a local company. I have been working for 6 months now and LOVE my job. Although, I do not feel as though I have enough education to be the best MT I can possibly be. I also feel limited in my work as I was put into one particular field and I am fearful that if I ever should switch companies I would not be able to pass their tests. I am considering going to Career Step or Andrews School. I want to do this while working full time. Are these schools self-paced or do you have to put in a certain amount of time during each week? Any information from graduates of these schools or tips would be greatly appreciated!
Do you have any education MT-wise? . . .
It you have some MT schooling, you have a better chance. However, if you simply think you can work as an MT because you type well, that's a different story. There is so much more to medical transcription than just typing (transcribing). You need to know medical terminology, formating and more.
I started my education
at a community college and finished at PCDI, and the materials were identical, so I can't say either way is better, but the best help I got was once I started working, and the training on the job. I think PCDI teaches the basics, and if I were you, I'd shoot for an in-house position to start with to have some help. All of PCDI's tapes were incomparable to what you really get. If I had a doctor speaking like that, I'd be making millions :) Good luck!
Good education
I did have a good education! Did you? Andrews M-tech whatever..there are other schools out there that can provide good, solid training and I believe I received that! I wish you would stop judging, you have no idea what I can do! Check out the board a little more, there are some happy people out there .
The difference in education might
Have you compared how many hours of transcription training you had in college/school with Andrews and M-TEC? Were your instructors CMTs with many years of experience? Did your curriculum include anatomy, diseases, pharmacology? I assume it included medical terminology. Maybe if people were to compare the curriculums (or if you prefer, curricula) they would understand why M-Tec and Andrews have such a good reputation. When you graduate from those top two schools, you are very well prepared to work, and that is what many companies have come to realize.
Right now is a difficult time to find employment because many companies are running low on work due to the holidays. Have you inquired about internships locally? Doesn't your college/school offer any help with finding a job?
Was your goal always to be an MT? If so, why obtain an associate degree? If you have come to realize that you want to be an MT, then maybe you would be better off investing into Andrews or M-TEC.
Have you passed any tests/all tests? Many companies have a direct link on their websites for the testing. I would assume if you aced a test they would be willing to talk to you. How many resumes have you sent out? I believe it will be harder for you to get your foot in the door somewhere, but if you really want this, you will find a way.
Good luck!
Wrong, you CAN get a job with education.
You CAN get a job with just an MT education, if the education prepared you well enough. I know slews of MTs who did this. Certification in MT isn't necessary, either.
You CAN get a job with just coding education, but certifications help. I did it. I know someone who just a few months ago got a really nice inpatient coding job with no experience at all. She completed school, got 2 certifications, and was hired after testing successfully with a hospital.
In fact, I work with about 15 coders who got their jobs straight out of school with no experience.
If you are well-prepared and are able to present yourself appropriately, you CAN get a job straight out of school.
MT Education and Training
I am in the process of attending Allied Business Schools and have found that their programs are challenging, but yet easy enough that somebody who has no clue about medicine can do them.
http://www.alliedschools.com
BTW---I earn nothing from this, just giving what I have experienced.
Anne
No, not really. Experience in the field - but not just more education.
x
I think PIE stands for Partner in Education SM
Medquist used to have a program with several MT training programs listed as their Partners in Education (PIE). They would hire people who graduated from the MT programs on their list without requiring work experience (they still had to pass the test). I'm not sure if they still have this program or not.
They're not recommended for MT education. Go elsewhere. nm
n
Your situation may allow you to test without further education
Contact the employers and see if they will let you test. It can't hurt to try. You have some good experience. I doubt that you need a complete course.
Ten thousand dollars? On an MT education?
What in the world? What company?
What type of education did you get? What did you study?
??
Education comes in other ways than only top 3 schools
I started my medical career as a paramedic and segued into MT (without any further formal training) so I could work while being on call. Though perhaps you might think I'm bumbling, perhaps you might not think so after I intubated and defibrillated your husband during his heart attack?
Good education works. sm
The reason why most newbies can't get a job is because their education is lacking. The top 3 AAMT approved schools have a proven track record in producing employable graduates. Those are the facts and they'll never change. However, it's unfair for you to spread the false message that you're spreading of how education doesn't count. It does count and there's enough unemployed newbies on this website alone to prove it.
Gatlin Education Services
Has anyone taken the MT course from Gatlin Education Services? I don't see much about it on this board and was just curious about everyone's opinion.
It has to do with the education you received and what your skills are.
If you paid for a crappy course and didn't learn half of what you need to know, why should a company let you prove what little you did learn? They know which schools provide GOOD training and which do not. You also need grammar help, it's "should have" not "should of," if you don't know simple English grammar why should anyone trust your medical terminology skills?
Also, coding education/certification will not get SM
you a transcription job at all.
So you got excellent "secretarial" but not transcription education
There's a big difference. If you want to do transcription, you don't want a secretarial or technical course. You want an expert instructor teaching you to transcribe the way employers want it done.
Unfortunately, many people have to go to local schools because they are "accredited" for financial assistance. That's great, but if they don't teach you want you need to know, I don't think it's worth the time and effort you put into it, regardless of how cheap it is.
If you have a good MT education, work from home. Besides
There's not much help going on at hospitals and clinics these days. At least the national services have someone assigned to help you if you need help from home. I wish they had done that when I was just starting out years ago.
If you have already done the right thing and you have a good MT education, go for the work-at-home job. Good luck with your new career!
If you didn't get a good education, neither on site nor at-home jobs are going to make a difference. Just go get a good education and make things easier on yourself and your potenetial employers.
Get a solid education and doors will open
Many companies waive the 2-year experience requirement for testing if you attend M-Tec or Andrews. Their schools consistently produce grads who are ready to hit the ground running. I hire those grads every chance I get. I have found those with "local community college" education sorely lacking in even the basics to be a success.
Good education DOES work. And there are more ways to get it than Three.
Continuing education is required to do this job, you must know terms as well as the providers do.
Either one will prepare you equally well (& give you the best education of any MT school).
Call each school and speak with Linda (Andrews) and Susan or Kathy (M-TEC), and then go with your gut as to which one you feel most comfortable. You can't go wrong with either of them.
I don't know about the footpedal issue, but M-Tec does teach expanders.
OR if you got a good education but test as poorly as some of my applicants
it won't matter if you go back to school (I'm assuming the posters mean to go to a REAL school, like ONE OF THE BIG THREE). If you got a decent MT education, and you aren't getting work, it may be either that you are not testing well or you haven't gjven it enough time. Another idea may be to ask an MT to test you and critique how your work is. That might give some insight. Or you could try to find an internship. Or you could ask an MTSO to exchange a sum of money for some on-the-job training. I mean, the possibilities are endless if you are willing to be creative.
Yes! Let's encourage lack of education and bumbling into jobs
That should be our goal. Talk people out of education. Years ago most people did exactly what the poster described. In fact, there were few schools and the ones that did exist were pretty much useless. They still exist, but they have bad reputations. Why you would think that one person's success story is a slam against schools that give a solid education? That's a rhetorical question. I don't think I want to know. I think I already have a good idea. As someone said, it's jealousy.
Education and Internship at a Medical Transcription Company
I live in Austin, TX. A local medical transcription company has their own in-house training and internship. They started their own training because they couldn't find qualified people for their workload. The cost of the education and internship is $2,000. They then hire you as a contractor, if you get a 'B' in the class. Although they cannot guarantee work, they say they are very busy handling work from 5 area hospitals. Someone my sister knows works for them full-time and is happy.
I've also looked at the job requirements for the company Medquist. One suggestion they have is learning at a school based in Utah, Career Step. The education is online and through cassettes and books, not at the school itself. Their education costs around $1,500. Although you're not guaranteed a job at Medquist, you most likely will be considered because you trained at CareerStep.
I'd like your opinion about this. It seems you need to take a training or education course to learn medical transcription and at least 1 year of experience to get a job. I didn't see any problem with paying for training. Do you?
Thanks, amelia
You need a GOOD education to have the experience waived. Simple as that. NM
x
Put the money towards good education, not an unnecessary laptop.
It should tell you something that a school offers a "free" laptop to get students to sign up. List how many good things and how many bad things you have heard about Andrews and M-TEC. Then make the same list for Allied and TRS. There's your answer.
You don't need the medical education for GT but that doesn't make it easier
"General" covers a lot, some of it is easier, some of it is a nightmare - just like MT.
solid education is right! Your advantage with the comm. college is you have credits so when...
you go back to school for your next job you will be ahead of the game. The gals with M-Tec, Andrews, etc. will have to start at the beginning, English 101 and Speech. And Jennifer, as far as the opinion that "those with 'local community college' education are sorely lacking in even the basics to be a success" - I just hired a newbie with community college training and she is outstanding! So my experience has been it doesn't matter where you went to school - if you're good, you're good and it will show on your testing
.  Good luck on your job search. Search this board's archives. The question gets asked here ALL the time. It's not unusual for a newbie to have difficulty landing the first job.
That added, but imperative, "second ear" yrs. of education was positively priceless.
.
They changed their name from Education Direct to Penn Foster to mislead people ...
when too many people found out what a worthless course it was. She needs to get her money back, and save up enough to take the course at Andrews School or M-TEC.
Andrews vs. M-Tec...
Is M-Tec every bit as good as Andrews as far as:
1. Preparing a person to enter the MT field
and
2. Almost guaranteeing a job for a student upon graduation. (Realizing, of course, that this depends on the individual.) But all else equal, does graduating from M-Tec virtually guarantee that many companies will waive the normal 2-year experience requirement and allow a new graduate to test?
Thanks
Not at Andrews
As an Andrews grad, 95% was the minimum required of each assignment of each section before you were permitted to advance to the next section. And, 95% was no guarantee that you wouldn't still be assigned extra work! We were strongly encouraged and motivated to achieve 98% and above as we were told from the beginning of the course that this is the norm in the working world. They(the instructors) were upfront from the beginning that it would take lots of work (read: blood, sweat, and tears)to pass the course at the level expected. The plus side of Andrews is that they don't turn you loose until they are confident you can attain that high goal of accuracy. An 86% would have been absolutely unacceptable.
Both Andrews and M-Tec
are top-notch MT schools. Either one would be an excellent choice not only for MT skills but also for any required improvement in spelling and grammar skills that might be necessary.
Also . . . about Andrews
Have you spoken with Linda Andrews yet? Looking on their website, I see that the payment plan has an option with a lesser down-payment of $1000 with a monthly payment of $117, instead of the $98 it would be with the larger down-payment. There is no interest on that, I see, which would be a considerable benefit to you.
Also of importance is that this covers everything. Their students traditionally do not need to provide anything else for school--not one book, not one bit of software, nothing. And, when they go to work, they already have the references that most employers require.
The first question above asked about whether one school allowed you to retake sections until you got them right. This focuses on "failure mode." The thinking is that "this is so hard, nobody can succeed." It sets up the expectation that it is NORMAL for students to fail at transcription.
Students should not fail at transcription. The concept of having some students do well, others ok, and some fail is a concept dragged over from traditional education. Private MT schools are not public junior colleges. They do not need to follow that model.
Frankly, if I were thinking of putting down a fat down-payment on a course and the school thought that it was acceptable to have any students fail, I'd be a little worried. And I certainly wouldn't expect that I'd be the exception who did well, because a school which has students failing, or not doing well enough to be employable, seems to stack the deck against you.
It would seem better to me to simply select a school in which the students do not fail, instead achieving a high level of skill across the board.
Select a school where you KNOW your money won't be wasted, where the risk is almost nil. Select a school where students do not flounder around unassisted, failing and re-failing. Select a school where they achieve and are routinely offered new, extra material to improve their already high levels of achievement.
Medical transcription training does not need to be difficult, nor does it need to culminate in unemployability.
The best are M-TEC and Andrews
M-TEC has an abbreviated course for previous medical professionals. I don't know if Andrews does.
Andrews
I'm mentoring an MT right now who went to Andrews and she seems very knowledgeable.
Andrews
I graduated from Andrews in December of 2004. I was hired immediately after graduation and have been with the same company since. I work for a smaller MTSO, and she has been very happy with how well Andrews prepared me.
M-Tec or Andrews (sm)
M-Tec and Andrews are the only two schools that are approved by the AAMT right now. I am sure there are other good schools too, but these two have been around for awhile and are proven to produce job-ready MTs upon graduation.
www.mtecinc.com
www.andrewsschool.com
www.aamt.org
M-Tec vs. Andrews
I think I am going to end up going with either M-Tec or Andrews. Please help me decide! All opinions, comments, pros and cons of each are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
M-TEC, Inc. or Andrews are the very best...
Companies waive the 2-year experience requirement for their grads. Pick one of the very best. Your future success as an MT depends on it. 
So, you went through Andrews AND M-TEC after CS?
I'm really curious.
You sound just simply disgruntled over CS and have no real experience comparing the other schools to CS.
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