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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Comparing schools

Posted By: mtjb on 2008-08-09
In Reply to: Med Trans, Inc., transcription course - bgs

I took a quick look at their website, what they offer, and how much it costs. Are you interested in this course because they say they often hire top graduates? This course does not guarantee you a job with them. They even say you have to go out and market yourself.
As an M-Tec graduate, I can tell you that if you study hard and after graduation really stick to it, you will find a good job. You receive a large number of real books with M-TEC and not just some workbook. With M-TEC you have your own instructor to answer your questions and guide you through the course. Not to mention the online classes and vast online resources they offer. They have their own IT expert, who will answer your questions and holds online classes. After graduation, they will always be there to help if they can. They help with your resume, and after graduation they provide you with a large list of MT companies that hire new grads. Make a list of questions, submit them to the top 2 or 3 schools, and compare answers. Good education has its price, but it will also open doors for you!!


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comparing
I work for Medware and their platform is super easy. I was off quality after 5 hours of work. I'm not sure of the benes, but from what I hear they are quite good. Many of my friends work there as well & they love it.
comparing pay
I've always been IC, so I don't know how it compares to employee pay. I can understand how it would be quite a cut in pay for you.  The pay is lower than my other job, but I just find I like it more, so I think it's worth it.  If I ever stop enjoying it, then I guess the lower pay will be an issue.  I had found that I was so horribly bored with my hospital work that I dreaded getting on the system to do it, so I wasn't making a lot of money anyway.  So I finally quit and got this job and 2 others, actually, that are small jobs in interesting specialties.  I'm also doing more legal work.   
Comparing reports
Knowing I was going on DocQscribe, I kept 10 reports from MTs and their line counts and then pasted them into DocQScribe after I had been on it for a time - compared the line counts and they were almost right on - I had to manually subtract the header information in order to make it come out, but we know that we don't get paid for headers anymore.

I know that my biggest problem is the internet - when late afternoon comes and I am pressed to get done, my line count goes way up. If anyone can figure out how to discipline themselves from "surfing" - post it here - a lot of people would be very grateful.
Comparing companies
Currently interviewing for employment with both WebMedx and Medquist and was wondering which company I should choose to transcribe for.  I am going in as a part-time employee.  I would appreciate any and all feedback and help on this very important decision I am to make in the next few days.  Thank you
comparing companies
I'd love to hear from employees of Axoloti, Keystrokes, and WebmedX as to which company pays the best line count and has the best benefits for full time employment.  It would also be nice to know if their line count systems are accurate and reliable. 
comparing companies
Thank you so much for writing and sharing your experiences.  It's very helpful to hear someone who's been there, done that. 
that count on none of us comparing notes...
what else can they say when confronted? I doubt much of middle management even realizes how easily their line counting system can be manipulated...
Yeah, it's sort of like comparing - (sm)
The tone was a bit on the stern side today too, don't you think?

I, too love the current platform. Entirely easy & user-friendly. I worry that the speech-rec part of the new platform will turn this into a boring editing job.
Exactly. Even comparing our industry to carpentry.
industry workers have a plan - a set plan and structure for their trades. You progress up the figurative ladder, gaining more skills and expertise, and you get paid accordingly - money, benefits, where to sit on the scaffolding, etc. LOL.  Would a man who was a slacker complain and ridicule his peers when they wished they made more money for their skills?  Its so beyond ridiculous that its almost funny, right??? Oh, please, dear employer, I don't want anywhere near what i deserve to be paid. I like making peanuts, because I can play games with my kiddies in my jammies and type a few lines now and again...so, no, please don't pay me more to do so.  Heck, making more $$, our happy mom poster could even buy little Jimmy MORE games. Would that maybe strike a cord or flip the light switch on??? Honestly.... I can just see the master carpenters having debates about same.
Comparing a few companies, it seems OSI has a lot to offer!
Whatcha think?
Comparing Cymed counts to Word
I work for Cymed and find that my counts are pretty comparable to what they were when I used Microsoft Word. I've done the same reports in both programs, and they were essentially the same, give or take a space or two. As someone mentioned, they did give you a heads up on not paying for spaces, which I agree doesn't seem fair, considering our thumbs work pretty hard and the report would certainly not be acceptable without them, but apparently you agreed to it.

As far as headers/footers, since I don't have to manipulate that information in any way, I honestly am okay with not getting paid for them. Heck, considering the time I save by not having to name my files, put page breaks, page 2 headings, count my lines, transmit files, etc., I actually am able to get more dictation done in the same amount of time than before in Word.

Curious, though. Since they have several different locations, may I ask which office you work out of?
What I found comparing straight on 1 computer and VR on another....
I was making 30-40 dollars more a day straight typing. i really like the idea of VR it was nice on my wrists but, you are right about the a, an, the, whole sentences left out, etc. I used all the short cuts but figured even with those I couldn't double my line count as easily as it was touted. I don't have 6 months to go down the tube before VR caught on or I did. That is just my opinion. Maybe people with 2 paychecks in their family could do this but I couldn't.
Comparing figs & plums. Advantage/disadvants to
x
There are schools, and then there are schools.... (sm)
and so far no one where I worked before or currently has been interested in hiring. Some schools are nothing but a scam. Others are excellent. It's the transition period from newly-graduated student to income-producing worker that has a lot to do with the MT shortage. Many newbies throw in the towel and quit the profession because even though they're ready to work, they can't get in. Back in the day, many services & hospitals would take a couple newbies under their wing (I was one of them) to basically learn on-the-job. That may not be a completely viable option nowadays, but something in-between would. Another thing that I'd love to see changed is the snooty attitude many old-timers have to newcomers to the field.
The two best schools seem to be
Andrews and M-Tec. I have been in this industry for decades, both as an MT and MTSO, and it seems that the grads from those two are the most ready to hit the ground running. I wish you luck with getting money back from TranSCAM; they have, unfortunately, ripped off many people who fall for their shtick.
Yes, these schools
just want your money because so many people who get into this field shouldn't be doing it in the first place. It takes certain skills to be able to do this and the schools don't even care if you know how to read, they just want your money. I took a $600 course and finished in 3 months and luckily I found work on this website 3 years ago as a newbie. Since then, others have talked to me about this career and I discourage them if they don't have the capabilities it takes to do this type of work. So many think that it's a piece of cake since they can already type. And it is very difficult to find a job with an internship included. And they want experience, usually 3 to 5 years. Those seem to be very difficult to find these days. I wouldn't recommend it myself and I do enjoy my job.
I wonder about schools s/m

KIds seem to be graduating now without skills in the old basic, reading, writing and arithmetic and it didn't just start recently.  Another of my pet peeves is hearing people say, I'm not reliable for accidents.  Good grief!!!!!  I've heard this spoken and seen it written.


A lot of the crap schools do

take that as truth.  I know I certainly did not.  There are schools that cannot get you a foot in the door, let alone promise that you can make those amounts.


Then there are schools like Career Step who have information about grads who did/do make that amount...but they don't promise it and have never promised that their grads would make that wage. 


It is very possible, but for a lot of us, it's not. We cannot really blame that on the schools. We need to blame ourselves and the companies for the the 5-7 cents a line that we settle for because, like all families, we need to feed our children and pay our bills.


I see it with colleges. You can make this much in this field, you can make that much in that field. It all depends on where you work, how productive you are, what state you are in, tons of factors. Same is true with MT, too many factors.


Nothing is ever promised, especially in this line of work.


I am just happy to have a job that I love, that I am able to have the opportunity to stay at home with my young daughter, have deductions come tax season. 


Hey, I made more waitressing than I did doing transcription my first year, but does that mean I want to go back to waitressing? Not a chance.  I could have made more at McDonalds, in fact, but do I want to deal with that crap?  Not really. 


I am thrilled about being an MT and would not trade it for the world and certainly didn't buy into the get rich scheme that a lot of those schools throw our way. 


It's a shame that schools have to use that as a way to get people to attend, but it works..and let me tell you, I have plenty of people that have never ever done transcription that tell me what a cake job my job is, you've all heard it before.. I CAN DO THAT, ALL YOU DO IS TYPE


...and THOSE are the people that get backed into the corner by these schools thinkin that this is going to be something that they just type and can throw out lines like crazy and make that $40,000 a year....because we all know, MT is EASY... psshhh.  Those schools should have to provide proof and stats.


Recommedations on DL Schools
I am looking to take my MT training. I want to make sure that I choose a distance learning school with very rigorous and demanding courses. I want to learn as much as possible. If anyone has any recommendations, they would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!
Two online schools

that have a record of getting their graduates placed in positions at home WITHOUT needing 2 years of experience are:


Andres


MTEC


 


I blame the schools also.
Work at home, big money, easy job. Yeah, right. Just like stuffing envelopes.
Shame on MT schools
Shame on these MT schools saying they can guarantee graduates $60,000 per year!! Of course some say up to, which is very subjective, though very misleading.  They ought to let people trying to get into this business know that unless they are fortunate enough to find the right fit, they are in for a bumpy ride.
these MT schools only care about the sm
money they can get and that is the bottom line.

On the other hand, there have been plenty of MTs on this board who have spoken against these MT schools and their advertising practices. We have said that this is no field to get into if you just want to work at home etc and that no school for four months, six months whatever was going to be enough to get into the field and that it takes years and years of working to even be qualified to work at home alone. But you know what? Everytime somebody talks against the schools and the fact that this profession is going down the tubes because of the attitude of wanting to work at home and make lots of money, we get blasted by other posters with rude and nasty posts.

Many of us have warned folks who wanted to go to these schools, not to do it and folks won't listen. They pay their money and just as you describe, they get out of school and still can't do the job.

Im glad somebody else is saying what the real deal is with these schools and these advertisements because for myself, this is the last time I will ever mention it. Some folks will only learn by doing and wasting their money. They won't listen.
Allied Business Schools, Inc.

I have had no problems getting job offers.  Right now I am working for a great lady that really respects her MTs.  She just got a new account, so she is growing, which is a good thing.  I can work whenever I want, literally.  The only she asks is that I do at least 30 minutes of dictation a day for five days a week.  Of course, I will do way more than that, but it is nice to know that if I need a break for a day or two then she won't mind.s


I wish you the best of luck!!!


There are 2 great on-line schools
that are so good their graduates are hired right away: Andrews and M-Tec.

Don't accept less than the best where your livelihood is concerned.


Here my schools requirements for an externship












I am enrolled at Kaplan University in the AS degree program for medical transcription


MR203: Medical Externship and Evaluation (3 Credits)

 
Course Description
Successful completion of this course will require 90 hours of transcription experience at an approved health care setting. Students will be evaluated on the performance of expected competencies at the end of the course. The course requires a final presentation. The online version of MR203 requires each student to locate their own externship site and obtain approval by the clinical coordinator prior to beginning externship.

Course Objective
By the end of this course, you should be able to:



  • Transcription of health care dictation to demonstrate accomplishment of the transcription program outcome (MRT-1).
  • Prepararation of patient care documents to demonstrate accomplishment of the patient records outcome (MRT-2).
  • Medical Transcription practice within the ethical guidelines, standards, regulations, and laws demonstrating accomplishment of the standards, laws, and ethics program outcome (MA-3).
  • Application of learned foundational knowledge demonstrating accomplishment of the foundational knowledge program outcome (MA-4).
  • Professional communication and conduct demonstrating accomplishment of the professionalism program outcome (MA-5).

 


I agree with you about the way substandard schools
operate, but I would call people who fell into their traps, 'suckers.'
I am convinced that they came into this profession with diligence and the honest wish to give their best, work hard. but were overwhelmed by what they were confronted as not well- and enough-trained newbies.

They were misinformed and taken advantage of by misrepresentation and false promises.
and they can afford to BUY TRANSCRIPTION SCHOOLS!!!
...and they didn't lower the cost for the HOSPITALS! They're just pocketing all the money they are making by RAPING US of our pay!!!!!

CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!
Gee, ya think that's maybe why the original poster asked about SCHOOLS??

Amazing! Obviously brains are not too much of a requirement...Ya just had to get that dig in about how hard it is due to medical "language", yadda, yadda.  Give it a break and say something we or the original poster DIDN'T know!


MQ will hire newbies from "approved schools", what are they? sm

I am considering going through a community college that has a 100 hour internship program at the end.  I want to know if this will be enough to hire on as a trainee with them. 


 


Is it just Career Step they approve of?  Anyone know? 


It's all those matchcover schools telling them they can make
$40,000-50,000 in their first year working at home while their small children play quietly at their feet! The only ones getting rich are the so-called schools. There ought to be somewhere to turn them in for false advertising.
How do these MT schools get away with saying you can make $40,000 per year. That is a fake
advertisement and should be banned!
Has anyone else seen ads for MT schools that promise 40,000 yearly? This doesn't appear to be tru
with my experience, at least starting out anyway.
I know of 2 MTs from reputable schools who started w/o the 2 year exp. nm
.
Yep, one of the "top 3 schools" has grads that will work for this.
On the forum of the MT school I graduated from, I see all the time new MTs taking jobs for 1-2 cpl for editing jobs. Right now there are posts of those willing to work for free just to get experience. It drives me crazy. They don't get that they are driving the rates down for everyone. Why would a company pay more when there are new grads beating down their door to work for 1-2 cents per line. They don't get that they are ruining the profession they have just worked so hard to get into.
They changed their name ... check the AAMT list of schools
it shows it as being changed
It's a myth perpetuated by the students and staff at those schools. nm
x
A lot? You've got to be kidding. Name them. "Big schools" still don't equal experience.
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