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they make it sound so good

Posted By: unhappy on 2008-11-13
In Reply to: I'm sorry that this happened to you guys. - Deb

They make it sound so good when you call and talk to them about the course. You know the $50,0000 or more a year for a course that takes less than a year to get through and the false promise of job placement. I have decided to go back to my old job ( at least for now) as good as it sounds being able to work from home and still be a great parent, sitting here waiting for work isn't going to buy my kids christmas. So I am going to go back to work and get my paycheck every two weeks and learn from my mistake. I will be looking into more course from a better school so that I can do this job someday. I can't just keep putting out resumes and keep being turned down and not passing tests and try to keep my chin up. I am starting to feel really stupid and getting seriously depressed. No career is worth that. So good luck to all of you out there.


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You make it sound like Medquist runs Career Step
I admit that I do not know much about Career Step, but it is new to me that Medquist runs it and will hire you upon completion. Is this new?
You make some good points, BUT please SM
It's interesting how you only see PCDI grads and the like complaining that no one will hire them as new grads.

I can't remember ever seeing an Andrews, MTEC, or CS grad complaining they can't get a job.

I know a couple of recruiters who have told me they won't even look at PCDI grads. Are they possibly short-sighted? Maybe, but sometimes it's just not worth picking through the haystack to find the needle when you have another source of needles.

I would suggest looking for a smaller MTSO or a local physician/hospital to start out with.
I make good money at it, wouldn't quit for anything.
This particular board has a lot of "the sky is falling" mentality but in reality, there are many, many MT jobs.

I make about $30.00 per hour, well worth my time.
the lower you start, the longer it will take you to make good money!
those are just the facts!
being able to make 40,000 year without a college degree is pretty good. I'm happy.

Unless you can work in-house somewhere, I feel the at-home MT who can make good money is a
s
Agree...not a good reflection on our profession. A seasoned MT would not make this mistake. nm
x
Does this sound right to you? sm
"HEENT exam was unremarkable with no lesions or erthyma of oropharynx."  She ran through these words so fast it sounded like ma-ororo!
what does it sound like?
nm
Does this sound fishy?

This ad appeared in my local sunday help wanted section:


"Medical Transcriptionists Looking for smart energetic applicants with good typing and computer skills. We will train.  Can work from home after training period.  Send resume to:  xxxxx@xxx"


I am kind of curious but am wary to send my resume with my personal information to this company (?).  I don't have a cert in transcription but have lots of medical coursework, so I am not totally in the dark. I have been considering one of the big 3 programs but am nervous about spending the money and then finding out I don't like the job.  This doesn't sound to me like some local clinic that would be willing to hire a relatively inexperienced person though.  It sounds too canned.  The whole, "we will train"  sounds weird - it takes a while to learn to do this even if you have med terms, a&p, pharmacology, etc....


Does this advertisement sound familiar to anyone as a scam?  You know, maybe I will shoot them an email on a yahoo mail account I use when I think I might attract spam, and that way, if it is not legit, I won't have given them my personal information.  If they sound on the up and up, I can then just submit my resume.


What do you think?


 


sound cards
Does anybody know if a sound card can be replaced in a lap top computer? I have bought new transcription head gear, but I am still sometimes having problems understanding some of the doctors.  Any suggestions?
That does not sound like Meditec
At least, certainly not the program as I recall it. And, no, the internship was not "a part of" my training requirements. It was something extra that I wanted and chose to do. I merely consider it a part of my overall training because of the added value of it. Yes, I already had my certificate and probably did not need to do that, but I wanted to and don't regret it. The Jumpstart completion requirements were basically to be able to proove yourself capable of producing quality, clean, error-free reports according to account specs. There were no special numbers or quotas involved. Each report completed was checked by QA who gave me very timely feeback. I do not recall any line requirement for that, especially 200 lph to start. Corie at Meditec is really the best person to talk to about this program and current requirements. I am sure she will answer and/or clarify any questions or concerns you have. It worked out well for me, although Jumpstart was totally separate from training and was something extra I wanted and personally chose to do for the experience. I am still glad I did.

I wish you all the best of luck.
this may sound dumb,
but are you using resources when you take them? You should be allowed to. If you need some good MT internet resources, let us know. Everyone has something good to share on here.
That doesn't sound bad at all (see msg)
What I have seen for new MTs is about 500-600 lpd for the first couple-few months.

I work an 8-hour shift with a 30-minute lunch and two 15-minute breaks (I'm an employee). I start getting slower around midshift or a bit after that point. I have found it very helpful to have a timer on my desk and take a break when it goes off, whether it be my 15-minute break or a 5-minute one to stand up and stretch. I usually have my timer set at 2 hours. It's a pretty nifty digital timer that has hours/minutes and minutes/seconds (your choice) so you can set it for more than 90 minutes, although 90 minutes might be good for you since you're still new.

We don't request work at my company; it's already there and as soon as I submit a job I grab another one which helps me stay focused and not want to take a break.

I don't know if I was helpful in any way, but don't fret about speed; it will come with time.
I'm not trying to sound rude, but
are you sure that you have applied with them all?  There are thousands of companies out there, and testing takes some time.  Every time I thought I'd applied to them all, I found several dozen more.  From what the woman who hired me said, getting a job has a lot more to do with timing than just about anything else.  She says when she has an openning and receives a resume that day, she is more likely to hire them then sift through her file of resumes.  I am just trying to encourage you to keep trying if you want it.  Just remember that searching for an MT job is a full-time job.
Test sound files
Check out CNC Transcription. No cost, and good practice.
It doesn't sound familiar and
I don't see it in my Stedman's ENT book.

Sorry.
This is starting to sound like a company
that is known for being difficult. You aren't working for TranScam, are you?
Question about digital sound files

I posted this on the main board but thought maybe some of you might be able to give me some advice too. Thanks!


Hi everyone,


I am totally new to medical transcription and have a question. In doing transcription digitally, what are the most common sound file formats? I am about to take a test (both written & verbal) for a company and they sent me my test files as .wav files. The files are hard to understand at best  (the guy sounds like he's talking into a tin can ) and I am wondering why they didn't send them to me in a clearer form such as MP3. I am about to ask this same question to the person sending me the test but I thought I'd ask it here too. Is the .wav format the most common form of sound file for MT's? And if so, what's the best program to listen to these files in? I have Windows Media player, Real Player and WinAmp on my computer. Are there programs that MT's use to better hear these files? I hate to sound like a total dummy here but I'm new to this and when I went to school several years ago for MT, we only did tapes--not digital! If anyone can give me some info here, I'd really appreciate it!


Best,


RT


It still doesn't sound like you're getting the point

It would be great if we could just do our job, but when you're thrown into a national workpool where some MTs are getting 45 different clients with 45 different client profiles to try and keep straight on any given shift, that's next to impossible.  I don't think any of the MTs want to be nurtured, but some simple respect would be a step in the right direction.


What else do you want to know?  Some of the service areas have gone through numerous production supervisors in a short amount of time so that an MT may never know who they are supposed to report to or direct questions to, especially if a PS doesn't answer e-mails.  (I am fortunate in that I have a PS who is very good with communication). 


Add to the national work pool the fact that daily bonuses that a lot of the MTs depended on as part of their pay were done away with and with very little notice .  This was replaced with a quarterly bonus, the formula of which is so convoluted and confusing, I have no idea how it's even calculated.  If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, confuse them with BS, I guess.


This is the "real deal" from where I'm sitting for the next 2 weeks before I go elsewhere. 



 


My sentiments too. Sound card info please...(sm)
foot pedal info; any other pertinent info would be greatly appreciated in diagnosing this problem. Thanks.
Short for waveform.....type of sound file.
xx
Even some of us most experienced MTs don't make that. Make your
s
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.
make as many as possible
expanders equals $$$$.  But you have to be careful not to use the wrong one. If you have two that are similar you may end up with something ridiculous in your report so proofread well!   I like to make Expanders for entire physical exams and operations. Some operations by some doctors are so similar it's worth it to do that.
Low MT pay v. those who make $40k+

I see so many people complain about the current rates of pay for MT's and say that they're barely making it. Then, every once in a while there's a post by someone who says they've been working as a MT for two or three years and are making over $40k. What gives?


Are the MT's making this much money just "lucky", with the right company or in the right situation, or just very fast? Are they working for their own accounts with no benefits and have to take a lot of taxes out of that $40-45k? Are the people who complain most about pay just newbies? Or, do many of you consider that amount to be barely making it? I live in the midwest, and that salary could easily support a somewhat modest lifestyle for myself, my partner, and our baby while he goes back to school.


I have a pretty good understanding of all the variables that go into MT salaries and that it's slow starting out. I realize this isn't a profession you get into solely for the money. I'm just wondering if it's reasonable to shoot for (for example) making $40k/year as an MT three years after graduating from Andrews.


Try these guys. They make (sm)
all sorts of handy gadgets like that.
I'm sorry you couldn't make it
Business actually is growing at a record pace. I'm truly sorry that you weren't able to meet the standards (one error per page...50 pages, 50 errors). It is not unusual for disgruntled students to forgive their inadequacies and blame it on the Company.

However, once enrolled in our program you can always come back and display your "talents". If you have been inactive for 6 months, you can pay a $50 reinstatement fee, submit a new application, and resume.

If you are that talented, making all that money, what do you have to lose? Another client, hospital, clinic?

I really don't think I'll hear back from you, $50.00 reinstatement isn't "petty cash," right?

Lin
Then you don't have what it takes to make it

as an MT.  If you can't digest truthful information being given and have the courage to digest it, apply it to any areas of yourself that might need tweeking, then you will not last as an MT.  This industry can be pretty rough at times.  If you have thin skin, you won't make it.  I can only imagine how you will take QA feedback.


Good luck to you.


Did you make the wine?
Some friends of mine like to make muscadine wine, here in Georgia.
Make sure you present yourself at your best
There is a lot of competition out there. You have to make sure your resume reflects you at your best. Have someone review your resume for typos, spelling, grammar, puctuation, or other errors. Make sure it is as perfect as it can be. Make sure your cover letter is perfect as well. The MTSO I work for has commented more than once that when she gets a resume with errors (for example, run-on sentences, missing punctuation, typos, etc.), she just drops it in the trash. When she advertises a job, she gets so many applicants that she doesn't waste her time with those who don't even look good on paper.
Y would it make it MORE DIFFICULT?
Having NO school experience is worse than having school experience????? I find that very hard to believe.
Actually, someone did make the statement
above that if you graduated from M-Tec, Andrews, or CareerStep many employers will waive the experience requirement. I'm thinking that is where the discrepancy lies. The statement is being misinterpreted to mean that they will waive experience altogether instead of just waiving it for testing.
do you mean you make 9 per every 65 char?
x
It isn't going to make much difference either way because
you're not producing a lot of minutes, a lot of lines, or a lot of pages. 
That sure is a lot $$ for the course. You can easily make
$15K/year, but getting that first job will be difficult.   I personally would not have invested that much money in taking an MT course. 
Yes, this does make sense...
 in the fact that I see the differences between these two sentences. The problem is, I don't know what to do with that information.
Forgive me, but WHAT do I have to do to make $40,000

a year?  After 18 months I am so frustrated...0.07 cpl at 1000-1200 lines per day.  Did I make the wrong choice or am I just not SHARP enough? 


 


 TIA


To make 40K per year,
You have to make roughly $20./hr for a 40-hour week (if my math skills are any good!). To do that, you need to either make a higher line rate, or produce more lines per hour. That means doubling either your lines per day or your cents per line.

I would venture a guess that most folks making 40K a year do NOT work for nationals, but have their own accounts which tend to pay more per line, which ups the $ per hour. Of course, with that comes a whole new set of headaches and probably more incidental hours (billing, delivering, bookkeeping...time spent maintaining an account in addition to transcribing hours.)

Unfortunately, by the time we see ads everywhere for big money opportunities (transcription, selling on ebay, raising alpacas, etc.) the prime time to get involved has probably already passed, and then folks who respond are stuck with disillusionment and bills for starting costs/prep.

Just my humble (and maybe a bit pessimistic) opinion.
You make more editing???
I make $22/h transcribing...interesting
I make more as an MT than I did as a nurse...
Nurses do not make the big bucks, let me tell you....I make more now as an MT...plus do not pay for daycare, etc....
We all make mistakes

No matter how long we've been at a job.  It happens.  You'll learn more and more and make less and less mistakes, but they will always happen.  I see mistakes that even QA make while looking for samples, often. 


Want to see a silly doozie I did the other day?







ERROR poor glucose tolerance (managed by died alone)







CORRECT

poor glucose tolerance (managed by diet alone)


This error was upgraded because of this mistake and when I got my audit I was like huh?  I kept looking at it wondering what was wrong with this.  Finally I saw my mistake and felt so st*upid.  And, I've been doing this for almost 10 years. 


So, either you feel better knowing that you are not alone or worse knowing that you'll still be making these mistakes 10 years from now (just not nearly as much). 


you can make up to $40 per hour.....
if your speed is good and you have a good expander. anyone who types less than 70 words per minute, will probably have a hard time earning over $20 per hour. Those who are making $5 to $9, well that's just crazy. Terrible account, terrible dictators, terrible expanders...something is definitely wrong.

Trying to make the right choice

I have spent months reading and learning about becoming an MT and I am still left with questions that I hope maybe a broader range of people might be able to answer (you all


Is Career Step's program the same as what's offered at M-Tec? The price is clearly not and I have spoken with enrollment at both locations and asked them directly the cost differences but normal everyday people who do the job is who's opinions I'd like most.


1. Training (are the both relatively close in what they teach)


2. Certificate vs. diploma


3. 4 months for one program vs. 9-12 for another.


Any honest, none school bashing, opinions would be very gratefully appreciated.


Need to make a decision soon....
Here's my situation: After months of research, I finally decided that I would like to go to M-TEC. Actually I would LOVE to go there! But I have one problem. I don't have the money for the down payment. As a teenager, I made a mistake of maxing out a couple of credit cards so now my credit is really bad so I cannot get the student loan they offer. Actually I can't get any student loan (that is credit based). So, I can either go through Everett Community College and use financial aid, and then maybe go back in a couple of years and go through the M-Tec Program? (I'm saving a little at a time so I can get my debt paid off) I guess I am just wanting a little advice on what to do or maybe hear from someone who went to Everett, because I don't want to go through this program and end up with no job! My son is already three and my husband and I don't want to wait too long to have another baby so I would really like to stay at home. Thanks a ton! You guys give really good advice on this board and that's why I came here to ask :)
Make your own hours?
absolutely not.. that's a myth..
Make Sense?
Does this make sense?

On sight apnea secondary to number one.
Yeah, and if you can't make it as an MT after taking the VLC course,
you can always take their basket making class.
How do people make a living in ....

this business?  I'm new and realize how lucky I am to have a MT position in which I can work from home.  I was hired by a MTSO who needed people on a new account she was getting.  Now I am not needed on the account because it's just not rolling in all the work it was suppose to (maybe that is how is going to be or maybe just cause of the holidays). She continues to give me as much work as she possibly can and is constantly stating how amazed she is by my ability to catch on quick to the new doctors she throws at me.  However, I am lucky to make $100 every two weeks.  I am looking for a second MT job.  Does anyone have any suggestions? I am wonder if even a second job is going to bring in enough money though.  I actually just have to bring in around $500 (rent because my husband can pay everything else) but of course to be financially comfortable I would like to bring in more.  Is it worth getting a second job or will I eventually have to get a third?  I really want to stay working as an IC for the MTSO because she is so nice and it lets me be more flexible than a national would.  Any advice would be appreciated.


Thank you in advance.


I'm working, why would I need to make myself feel better?
I'm sure if they wanted them to know, they would have told them. I think you know we don't give out names here!!

Facts are facts! Good job cheering them on though!
It's okay as it is, or make it 'of the' oropharynx..nm
s