agree. Much quicker for me to research the internet than take the time..
Posted By: MT for almost 30 years on 2007-12-04
In Reply to: I stopped buying reference books ten years ago.... - eversothankful
to stock a library of books that takes me more time to look through than finding some very dependable websites and bookmarking them in your favorites. I certainly don't miss the days when when you had to constantly update your medical library before the internet age. All new MTs should be very grateful for the wonderful resources available on the internet, as they save a lot of research time.
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A large part of MT work is research. Do some research on this company. Check Google, etc. nm
x
I also agree that there will be jobs for a long time. sm
Been doing this for 18+ years. You won't get rich, but you can make a decent living, at least as much as you would make on most secretarial or retail jobs, once you get the training. I make around $24,000 a year, but I don't push like I used to. I could make more teaching, have the qualifications, but nothing in the world would make me face that. It's a nightmare.
There will be decent jobs in transcription or editing for years, but not the gravy some of us are used to. Just a decent wage, probably average $12-18 an hour from now on, hope it doesn't drop lower. I don't think things are going to be too rosy in many other fields either, so I'll stay where I am until I'm ready to retire. JMO.
some day comes quicker than you think
and what you are not understanding, it depends on the platform. Dragon Naturally Speaking, our version, is unmanageable for the most part. But Dictaphone, a million dollar company, is going to make sure they stay in business. The only way they stay in business if is doctors continue to dictate. The only way doctors continue to dictate is if it gets cheaper. The only way it gets cheaper is to pay MT's for editing instead of transcribing...need I say more, friends?
Research.
If you enjoy research you will probably enjoy MT.
I've been working from home for the VA for six months and love my job. I feel at home with research, spelling, typing, solitude. For me this is a dream come true.
When I need to do something different, I hop on my bike. This relieves stress that can build up after hours of sitting and shallow breathing.
Research
Let me know if you hear anything and I will let you know the same. I have been doing some research on them so I will let you know what I find out.
Research, research
There are many post here that will answer those questions. Here are some articles that might help too. www.help4mts.com/articles.htm
If QA has to do research MT should do, QA should
x
Do more research
I would venture to say you haven't done nearly enough research. I would highly suggest either Andrews or MTEC. Go over all the info on this board with a fine tooth comb before you put your money down. SO many people come here complaining that they wasted their time and money with substandard schools. DON'T DO IT! How can you possibly know that the course this school offers is "comprehensive?" They may guarantee that they will "help" you find a job, but that in no way guarantees you will ever get one. Getting into MT is tough these days, but having a good education gives you a real advantage. Don't cut corners on your education!
Research first
I would suggest researching potential employers and seeing what schools they will hire new graduates from. The two that I always see are M-Tec and Career Step, the program my sisters took and I thought was excellent. These are both online programs. If you can't afford their payment plans, you could apply for a loan through Sallie Mae. I know all about this from mentoring my sister through her program at Career Step, which does help with job placement.
Do some research first
My suggestion would be to research the job market for coders and LPNs before making a decision on further education. From what I've seen advertised locally in PA, they are always looking for LPNs, but I rarely see jobs for coders. Good luck with whatever you decide!
Research
I researched MT on governmental sites to check the outlook for MTs from home. I also checked governmental sites for AHP as well to make sure they are not some kind of scam, which they are not. I did not, however, dig for information on what people THINK of AHP as a school. If I am to blame, blame me for that. Wait, you already did. Thanks for the encouraging words.
DSL, what is this in regards to the internet?
???
Will continue to research....
Thanks for your response Annette! I guess I need to call a combination of clinics, hospitals, private pratices to see what they want and what education background they look for.
See I live in Georgia and they have a hope scholarship (or grant) that would pay 100% of my certification, books and fees included. They have a link to most of the schools that one could attend. The technical schools that I looked into do offer full certification, but the "big 3" training companies are not listed. I first need to contact the Georgia Hope Grant to see if these schools would be covered as well. If not, I hope the local hospitals and doctors offices look forward to students from the local technical schools.
As much as I want to make extra money at home, I just don't know which way to go. I have a twin sister who just started the billing and coding certification in Ohio and I try to get some pointers from her, but she just started about a month ago and I can only digest what information she gets from others.
I look forward to reading a lot of posts on this site as I find it very helpful and interesting.
Thx Annette.
Internet satellite
Does anyone know any companies that hire MTs with internet satellite? I will be graduating in about a month from MTEC, and DSL is not available in my area. Thanks.
Internet connections
What exactly is the difference between broadband and other types? Do you have to purchase a card for the laptop to have this? I am very ignorant when it comes to different types of connections and what would be the best for me. My home computer is wireless, but they say it is not cable or DSL, just wireless. I hope that it is acceptable to the company. Any info on Internet connections would be greatly appreciated.
Looked it up on the old internet......
Yep! It's a term.
from Michigan, but looking for work over the internet.nm
.
Do an extensive search on the internet... (sm)
and also locally, and test with everyone that allows you to. A lot of companies say they will not hire newbies but some are willing to waive the experience requirement if you test well. Good luck to you!
Secure internet access.....
It's hard to know if you really have secure internet access at open places such as an airport, etc., but someone would have to really know what they are doing to access your computer while you're working. They would rather be stealing your identity than reports. Hotels will usually give you a password to log onto their network, but again, the same situation.
Nicely indexed research site
http://www.fpnotebook.com/idxA.htm
as a newbie, you need to research who hires newbies
nm
Quickly obvious which MTs dont want to research,
x
Keep sending out resumes via internet and locally -
There is nothing that can make up for your lack of experience. You can just hope someone decides to give you a chance. However, where I work we would rather hire someone right out of school who has gone to one of the Big Three than someone from another school with years of transcribing under their belt. Good luck to you.
satellite internet provider for at-home?
Anyone out there go to the Andrews and Holbrook school? Comments?
You don't need a dictionary if you have internet access (see inside)
just use www.onelook.com it has all you could ask for in a dictionary, has a search function, and is much easier than lifting a heavy book!
Questions about schools and internet connections...
Hi,
I am new to this website and to the MT world and have a few questions, mostly pertaining to my future school choice.
First off, I have heard that M-Tec, Andrews and Career Step are the 'top 3' online MT schools.
I have been very interested in M-Tec and have heard a lot of good about them, but I would like to know if anyone (who has gone to them) thinks they are overrated or too pricey. I have also heard from someone who is a CMT that Career Step is the way to go, but I've heard a lot of negatives about them and the course is much shorter. Do you really need the 1000+ hours that M-Tec offers or is the 600+ hours sufficient? This is all very new to me and I don't want to make a bad choice picking a school and waste time and money and end up not being able to get hired.
I also wondered if there is any hope of working as an MT if you can only get dial up internet. The area we are possibly moving to, is in the country and DSL and cable are not offered there at this time.
Last question, I have heard that the people graduating from these 'top 3' and getting work right out of school, are the students graduating with high honors. How hard is it to graduate with high honors and what are the chances of doing so? And, is there even a chance at getting work for those that don't get honors? I'm sorry I've asked so much, I'm just afraid of making a mistake! Thank you all in advance!
Any good internet based companys to work for at all?
hello everyone,
I am a newbie...after reading these boards, I am left with the question... are there any good internet based trascription companies to work for?
and, if not, who is the lesser of the evils? i know each company has good and bad aspects, but does anyone work for or know of a company that they are happy with?
...or do i need to look for MT jobs in house?
Not personally, but hundreds have and have been complaining on the internet for years.
It's not a good school, they don't teach you enough for you to get a job, and the companies know it. They will not hire "grads" of Allied School. If you don't want to believe that, hey, it's your money.
it is a type of internet connection faster than dialup but still uses a phone line
but you can use your phone and be online at the same time.
This is what I have talked about time and time
and time again and somehow the MTs get completely out of joint by just my saying it. I could not believe this "newbie" said she could not leave her home, she had to work from home. I did not get to start working from my home until 1993, hello!! This has not always been a stay at home job and then we did NOT ASK to go home, we were sent home because the hospital needed our space. We never demanded a job at home. Apparently you sound like really don’t want a job at all. If I were employing someone, I would certain run very fast away from you. The first little nosebleed from a child, you would stay off from work for 2 or 3 weeks. This again, folks, is why our profession looks really bad. These posts and yet people are highly inflamed when I call it to their attention. Same story, again and again on these posts. I cant work, junior is bothering me, gotta do the housework. Wake up, everyone! Do not ever expect to gain any respect for the job you do when you have someone like this tearing it down as just a reason to stay at home, oh yeh and I guess I might throw in a little work on the side. Enough said!!!!
I do believe its time....
Peggy
Thanks for the push.
I was sitting in the auto shop today, contemplating how I can afford to put the money down when I have all of these expenses this week: $100 tune up and oil change today, plus $600 for new tires for hubby, guestimate (my own) of $400-800 for 150,000 MI maintenance and fixing of a leaky tranny on my 93 volvo tomorrow, when I realized I CANNOT afford to wait.
My kids' school is not going to waive my tuition because I haven't gotten off of my butt to go to school and get a job. My car is not going to miraculously run forever on routine oil changes and tire rotations. Life is going to get more expensive and I am going to have to work at some point. Why not do it in a field I love (medicine) in a job that will give me the flexibility I need to work 5am-630, then 830-230, or something like that? Its either that or work 8-5 as an admin med assistant/receptionist for $8.50/hr and deal with all of the fun stuff that goes along with that. OR, even worse, work at Starbucks or Walmart because they are the only places that I can work "mommy" hours (ugh hate the term).
Plus, it seems there are a lot of MTs who have 4 year degrees so I don't think I will feel like my education was wasted because there are plenty of other MTs out there who have the same level or more and love their work as an MT. But I digress.
This time next year, I can be starting a job as an MT for a national company, but only if I start.
Time to go finish the paperwork and clean the house.
So much to do, so little time
I think I must have posted on the wrong board earlier...I got 55 views, but no responses to the following message..if anyone can help with info, I'd really appreciate it. I'm sure I had too many questions, but any answers will do just fine. Thx
*************************************************************************************************
Hello,
I am really hoping to get some detailed information about anyone's RECENT experience with TASK as a transcriptionist. Are you working steadily? How long does it take to get on board with them -- I returned the contract to them recently with no results yet. Just a little concerned. Also, I only found posts here on them from 2003 and 2004 which didn't sound great...how are they handling the growth spurt now? Have the checks been submitted in a more timely manner? Sorry about all of the questions, but I really want to start working on a full-time basis and want to know who/what companies to contact that will get me started and paid as soon as possible. Thanks for any help everyone!
Q & A time
Hi all!
Does anyone know anything about Allstate Transcription and the mentoring program through AIM? They are telling me that I would have to take this mentor program and that it would be $99. I am newbie and wanted to see if this is legit or just someone trying to scam me outta $$$$$.....are you hired on there after the mentor program? Someone please.....give me an A!!!
Thanks, Sher
not all the time
Thanks, Keri, for sharing your experience. The unsettling thing is that I *do* find myself missing the occasional word--not all the time, but enough to make me feel that I need to be re-listening to the file. I am always surprised when I've missed a word because I am listening so carefully. Sometimes I feel like a dog with its head tilted, waiting for the crunch of the family car's wheels in the driveway! Any advice on how to be a better listener??
Doing MT Part Time
I work 8 hours per day, 4 days per week, at my job outside my home. I'm doing transcription on Fridays and what I can fit in on Saturdays and Sundays. I'm an IC. I love doing the work, but you really have to discipline yourself to sit there in that chair and do it. It's very easy to get up and wonder off or take off somewhere and say "oh I'll finish this later. Before you know it the weekend is gone and you have to hustle to get it done. Luckily the company I'm working for has a QA person that is the greatest and she knows my schedule and time limit and sends me work accordingly.
The company I worked for before would send me work all during the week, and I was busting it trying to do that and work during the day too. It was tough. Best of luck to you.
She's been trying for some time to find
someone to tell her she can take the $1.95 MT course, then get a job making big bucks working only when she wants. She's been told the truth, she just doesn't want to hear it. And I don't care what you think of me, Carol.
I don't have to time or patience...
for people like her! MAYBE she needs to find a new career!
I have a FT job (not MT) and do MT part-time.
It's worked for me for over three years. I drop off the previous day's work and pick up my new work on my way home from my FT job. They want a 24-hr TAT, so that works out all right. Of course, it wouldn't work with a shorter TAT. It can work if the logistics are acceptable. The fact that I can do the MT work at home makes it easy to fit in with the rest of my life. If you're organized, it can be done.
Get another part-time to go with this one if
it is full-time. Don't wait for the work to come in. Do you have set hours or can you work when you want. I mean are you employee or self-employed independent contractor?
If you are an employee, you could get unemployment or partial but I doubt that you are an employee.
Do something soon. Don't sit and wait till there is no work.
There are typical times when there is not enough work but I don't think this is particularly one of them.
time with hubby
On the weekends..lol. He usually leaves me alone during the week, and he knows if I don't get my work done that I need to do, I'm not in a good mood anyway.
This was the same time I worked for her (sm)
I didn't work very long with her because I couldn't ever log into the site. She said there was "system failure"... right, a system failure for a week. What it sounded like to me was she didn't pay the fee for the website, just my opinion of course.
I never received my foot pedal either. I repeatedly asked her what the hold up was and she either told me she would check on it or just not reply to my emails. Finally, after I stopped working for her, she told me that she had a receipt where FedEx tried to deliver the foot pedal and no one was home. This I know to be false, the FedEx driver for my area is a personal friend and knows what to do with our packages if no one is home. I receive packages fairly often and this has been the only one I have ever had problems with. She told me when she "sold" the foot pedal she would send me the money for it. I won't hold my breath waiting for it.
As for the paycheck, same thing. I never received it. She said she would check and see if it had been cashed and if not, reissue one. This was at the end of July and I have still to receive anything from her.
As for what is going with her now, all I can say is she got what she deserved. The only thing that bothers me is the number of people that she scammed.
Time to complete
I keep careful track of my study hours with a timer. I have spent 790 hours studying so far. I am in Month 12 midway into Week 49. There are 77 weeks in the course. According to my quick calculations, it would take me 61.5 weeks to complete the course if I studied 20 hours/week, 49 weeks @ 25 hours/week, 41 weeks @ 30 hours/week, and 31 weeks @ 40 hours/week. I am a slow learner, but I have had most of this material before, so it is review for me. Also keep in mind that the estimates above do not include any time for illnesses, vacation, houseguests, etc.
Don't waste your time
Focus is known to hire new MTs, but then they rarely have work available for these MTs. Currently, they have hired a lot of people from my school and have postponed training because there is no work available. I would look elsewhere.
put your time to work for you
If you're with a company and you know what Expander program you will be using, you can spend your free time working on that. Look up sites on the Internet that give free lists. Practice with them. If you have any reference books like Stedman's with sample reports, start building your program from them. Most of what you type on every report is common English phrases -- you can concentrate on entering them into your expander now while you wait for work. When the work comes, you'll be able to do it faster. Don't worry about what medical terminology to enter now. You'll type "the patient" and things like that many, many more times than medical terms. Enter phrases that begin with the words "was, were, in the, on the, over the, below the, into the, under the." Make shortcuts for blood pressure, pulse, temperature values. You'll get ideas from the Internet sites. In the end, it will really pay off when the work comes. Just practice condensing words and phrases into their least amount of letters and work on developing a system that works for you. Train your mind to think in "expander mode."
Takes time
My friend made $50,000 last year and has only been doing MT work for 4 years now. It can be done. You just have to find the right companies and work hard to get what you want. She has never worked for any nationals. She does do IC work for 3 companies right now. I just graduated and am looking forward to getting my first job.
Good luck!
It takes time
I think most do, but I have heard some do not. You just get to where you can proof as you go. I know it seems like you are not very fast right now and that 1200 to 1600 lines a day is completely unreachable, but it is possible. There is an MT with the company I work for who commits to 2300 lines a day. I could not do that. It just takes time to build up your speed and make as many shortcut keys as you can.
You will get better, it takes time
We have all struggled in the beginning. Pretty soon, you will find you look up less and less each day and many days you won't have to look up anything at all! Hang in there and persevere. You will be okay.
Sorry it took me some time to reply (sm)
It is totally normal to be nervous when you first begin a job. I have been an MT for a long time and I still get nervous when I first begin a new account. You will make mistakes, and that is to be expected. My best advice for you: Always be polite to QA. Do not take their advice personally. Thank them for the advice that they offer and let them know that you will always be open to that advice. Do not be afraid to ask for samples. Many times they are available. Make notes of all QA feedback and keep those notes on file. That is the best way to prevent repeat mistakes. It also shows that you value your job and are serious about learning the account. Good luck!
Part time MT?
Hello everyone,
I am interested in becoming a part-time MT and thought I would ask anyone willing to respond a few questions. Though it may make no difference whatsoever, I am about to graduate with a master's degree in education. I am interested in supplementing my current income. I have been researching MT for several months and would really appreciate any feedback. Here are a few questions:
How difficult is it to receive job offers without any formal training like Career Step in MT?
Does anyone know of a place that offers internship or other opportunities where I can obtain practical experience in lieu of formal MT training?
Is it realistic to make the amount of money publicized on many of the training websites without working 12 hours a day?
Thank you for your responses!
I had a hard time
I had a hard time getting through this course too, I found that I was marked off for things that were not wrong on the previous chapters. So I would argue every grade I got and although most of the time they fixed what they counted wrong they still never gave me a higher grade. I finally got finished with the course and the only job I got was one that has a severe history of not paying their employees. I trusted the school to provide me the jobs for life like I paid for and being new at this I didn't know any better, so I took that job and never got my money and when I contacted the school they said that they had looked up and researched that employer and was very sorry for all my troubles. I have not gotten another job yet and it has been since September. They do not provide doctors to work for like they say, they provide assessment tests and I have tested with hundreds and still had to take a part time job that has nothing to do with transcription work. I strongly urge you to research any job you get from them. I think the grade all depends on the mood of the grader that day, I did great the first half, above the expected grade and then about chapter 10 they were confusing on the grading and it took sometimes 2-3 weeks before they posted a grade and by then I was ready to submit my next test and was again waiting, Very rarely did anyone return my calls and so I e-mailed everyone that I had an e-mail address for with my questions, I figured somebody would answer. haha. It worked. Well good luck to you, but one thing I did find when I was working is that you learn so much more on the job than the school ever teaches you, Good luck to you.
This is not a good time to be SM
a newbie trying to get a job. We have a number of services not hiring at all right now and one that even just laid people off. You have a lot of experienced people out there looking and they will always have a leg up on someone with no experience. As long as the economy is bad and the MTSOs are tightening their belts, it's going to be tough for you to find a job.
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