$30 a month is more than you can afford?
Posted By: Really? on 2006-04-19
In Reply to: schools - Donna
That's all I paid per month on my Sallie Mae loan that I used to go to M-TEC.
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My advice: If you can afford it, get the best
MT training there is, in the 2 top schools M-Tec or Andrews.
I believe that graduates from these 2 schools will always have a good chance to get hired.
All other schools are 2nd grade, not such a good chance.
Can you afford to work for minimum wage for SM
a year or more? AFTER your schooling. That is the reality. Even when you get proficient, you won't be making more than $15/hour for a few years after that also. Do you call that profitable? You will also be responsible for supplying your own internet connection every month and possibly your own equipment.
If you can afford it, a college program or business school that teaches it. You'll make contacts,
s
Two years this month.
I was just telling some gals that I have made the mistake of attaching versus copy and paste more than once. I was applying to many companies and simply not reading directions word-for-word while doing so. With "many" companies actually preferring the attachment method, I just honestly got in a hurry and didn't pay attention. I did this as a new grad, I've done it with a couple years' experience! I also caught it right away too, and resubmitted, but that's not the point. Just like MTSOs "scan" resumes in a few seconds, I scanned ads. Just a fact! I'm busy too, whether I'm working or not. I know better now though!
I think as a newbie, and with so many companies using the "two-year experience clause," I just felt like a submitting machine. I didn't put a lot of thought into what I was actually submitting, because I really didn't expect anyone to pay much attention to me no matter what I did.
I did, however, make sure that I spellchecked any communications and tried to be as professional as possible. You might be surprised at how "unprofessional" some MTSOs are! I am hearing them say that they don't want to hear about personal issues, but I have also had many come back and burden me with their own! They sometimes set the tone for casual-type communications, which I find offensive and unnecessary.
I started out with all my resources in place. I think that MTSOs have to remember that a newbie is just that. We have just spent thousands to be educated, bought a new computer in some cases, bought a library maybe, and had to set up an office in our home as well. I invested thousands before I applied for my first job! An experienced mentor and friend told me not to scrimp where resources were concerned, and I didn't! The generalization of the MTSO about newbies was what ticked me off. We might make mistakes, but who doesn't? That was unfair!
As far as the $400 phone system, that I would have noticed and passed on immediately. Some schools don't even explain what these are. I had to ask! I now own one that I haven't used in over a year since I bought it. You are trained with Wav files, which is the more prevalent of the two forms of obtaining voice files, and no, I don't have one sitting around "just in case." These bad boys cost from $300-$800. Get real. I doubt there are many experienced MTs who have this or would spend that kind of money upfront before ever hearing the dictators and knowing what you are getting into.
I do, however, think it is perfectly fair to expect that applicants have the basics in place, i.e., resource books, Word processing program, updated computer with protection, and at least a USB pedal.
There is no excuse for punctuation, spelling and grammatical errors in any communications related to finding work. I agree with that.
I hired on with Medquist out of school, or soon thereafter. Here was their attitude at my office: Leave a ton of blanks, time is money, you will learn from your feedback (if you are lucky enough to get it).
I was very uncomfortable with that! I wanted to learn and grow. I was perfectly willing to spend ten minutes researching a single word or phrase in order to learn, and I felt good about my results. Fact is, more companies than not could care less. I've been told that we hire editors for that, so move on. Time is money!
I continually st rived for perfection, and that does take time. You have to be willing to spend countless hours in research and then verification through viable resources your first years. I did, and I don't regret it. Let's take into consideration also though that I was in a position to do that! I do this because I'm good at it and I love it. If I had to pay the mortgage and support a couple of kids, I might look at things in a whole different light.
I think that schools and their ads are a big problem when it comes to moms at home. They give the impression that having children, as well as not being able to pay for child-care services is some sort of prerequisite for this work! If you have these needs, this job is for you. Bull!!
Then, you have people replying to questions like, "why did you choose this career" with responses like, "I have kids and can't afford child care," versus, "I love this work, and I am good at it."
I personally strive and always have for perfection. I have done my time in downtime, and that is with an extensive medical background beforehand! You really have to be willing to give your all, work hard and for little to start. That's a fact!
IMO, schools are failing sometimes to provide their students with essential information in important areas. I see new grads out on the moon alone the day after they pass their exam with nothing but a lousy outdated list of companies to apply to.
Yes, I think you addressed this issue appropriately. I hope it turns into a revealing and learning thread for all concerned!
Thanks,
Missy C
I applied about a month ago, but they said they
.
It's been only a little over a month since the last posts about this (sm)
Tsk, tsk. This woman needs to go away and stop ripping people off.
I reported her to the BBB about one month ago (sm)
I still haven't received anything from her. Good Luck!!!
6-month job assessment
I have been employed as a full-time MT for 6 months now, and I want to give myself a 6-month job review to truly assess my progress and outlook for the future. To be honest, I am a little depressed and frustrated. My story is below. Maybe some of you newbies can relate to what I am saying. Maybe some of you old-timers can help me put things into perspective. I welcome all comments and input.
My Story --
I graduated from one of the top 3 transcription schools last spring (the best of the 3), and I had good grades when I graduated. Even with this training, it took me several months to locate a full-time transcription job. I finally found a job last July with one of the major national MTSOs transcribing acute care dictation. I work from home. The company has a strict policy against allowing newbies to transcribe operative reports, so I don't do that work type. I transcribe everything else -- ER reports, H&P, discharge summaries, admission notes, consultations, and even a few SOAP notes for individual physician offices. I also do some procedure notes like cardiac cath and colonsocopies.
My primary account is a group of 7 inter-related hospitals under one ownership. Each hospital has its own formatting rules for the reports, and it took me a long time to memorize how to format each report type 7 different ways, and which hospital wants which format. It may sound easy, but it is not. The formatting rules are very specific and very picky, and it is easy to get mixed up and make mistakes. Imagine trying to play baseball using 7 different rule books at the same time. Imagine the chaos that would ensue and you have the general picture.
This brings me to my main problem -- speed.
Right now, I'm transcribing 80 to 90 lines per hour on a typical day doing straight transcription (no speech recognition). I seem to be stuck at this speed, and no matter how hard I struggle, I can't seem to raise the production. I use a ShortHand Expander and add to it every day. Still, the problem persists.
Here are the main speed issues:
1. I have 7 hospitals, hundreds of dictators, and almost no repeats. How do you build normals and templates if the doctor you transcribe for today is someone you may never hear again?
2. I have about 50% ESL, and that percentage is apt to grow to 80% in the future as they move more and more of my native English speakers to speech recognition. I feel good if I can transcribe these ESL guys at 60 lines per hour. I can't imagine whizzing along at 150+ How do you gain speed on ESL dictators you may never hear again?
3. Teaching hospitals yield resident dictators who yield lots of page flipping and no dictation. How do you do these guys quickly? Some dictate so slowly that I almost fall asleep waiting for the next word or two.
I really don't have answers to these questions, and that's why I am depressed. I am doing the hardest possible transcription (slowly), and I am earning minimum wage for my effort. I'm beginning to think I need a different job where I can learn the dictators and build speed. Clinic work for a few good doctors is looking better and better to me all the time.
Do you think I should change jobs? Should I stick to this job in acute care a little longer?
Thanks for reading all of this.
Want to start MT course this month
Hi -
I'm new and looking for information. I would like to start a MT course as soon as possible. I need a way to make some kind of income for my family. Right now I'm looking at Academy of Medical Transcription & Professions out of Maine and CareerStep. Would there be any recent graduates from either school that would be willing to tell me the pros / cons they found of their school? It's hard to compare and would like some input. There's some difference in money, but I really would like to take a course that is going to prepare me to start working right away after graduation. Any thoughts or advice?
Thank you for your help!
Becca (in MI)
"Guaranteed" but will you have the job after 1 month??
Sorry, MT courses are NOT what you make of it. You have to have adequate training with teachers who know what companies want and produce the best possible medicolegal document. You haven't even finished the course?? Talk to us after you've held a job for a month and THEN tell us your experience.
Signed, QA who wishes newbies had enough education and training.
After I graduated, I took about a month off.
When I started applying I was hired, the day after I began sending out my resume.
I found a job after about a month of searching
I have read the threads with so many negative comments about Softscript, but they do hire new grads.
You can get a Sallie Mae loan for M-TEC and pay only $30 a month.
,
You can get a Sallie Mae loan for M-TEC and pay only $30 a month.
.
I'll sign that one...I quit reading her posts about a month ago
because they are so negative and condescending. If she was nearly as smart as she thought she was, she would be kinder. I haven't read one of her posts in at least a month. If I see her name as the poster, I simply skip that particular message. She is a nasty individual, in my opinion anyway.
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