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I'm an employer and I say it doesn't matter where you go to school.

Posted By: MTSO on 2006-06-13
In Reply to: It matters where you go to school. - MT

I'm impressed by an applicant who shows the ability to follow directions, troubleshoot and stick-to-it-ness. I have seen crap come out of the big three and I have seen crap come out of community colleges and matchbook schools. I have seen superb MT's come out of community colleges and I dare say matchbook schools. As a matter of fact, I didn't even go to school. I was a paramedic and just applied for a job typing x-rays. So I say it matters more what your natural abilities are. If you a linguist and type like the dickens, and know the medical field, you don't even have to go to school.


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I so agree! Doesn't matter to me what school...sm
what matters is how you do on grammar and such and then the test files. I can spot a good Transcriptionist a mile away and it has nothing to do with the school listed on her resume.
Form doesn't matter. I just do
it all is the usual format, headings capped and then just type.  I make paragraphs if needed.  Be sure and check for grammar (see your original post) because bad grammar will surely count against you, probably even more than a blank will.  Just do the best you can with what you have to work with.  If you don't pass it will at least have given you some experience and you have an idea of what to expect on the next one.  
If you file jointly it doesn't matter who paid for them, it all comes
from the same pot anyway.  
Wow, this busy message board and no one has a response? Doesn't matter anyway, I've already s

nm


Unfortunately, it's not just a matter of whether a school is good or not.
If you want to work online, from home, most places will only waive the 2-year experience requirement for grads of Andrews, M-Tec, and Career Step. Even a wonderful, fantastic community college course, if not recognized by national employers, won't get you a job. All you will keep hearing is that they "don't hire newbies" and "require 2 years' experience" which is actually not true because they DO test AND hire grads straight from the above three schools without experience.
No matter what you learn in school, each
company has their own way of doing things.  Some go by BOSS, some the account dictates how to do things and you do whatever they want, even if it is against what BOSS or JCAHO say.   Even a different account within the same company will do things differently than the previous one.  You have to adapt.   With the rare exception QA is very helpful and don't nitpick. 
Your employer will be counting on you
to meet a turnaround time. That will be very difficult to do with "nonspecific hours". This is a job, not a hobby you can pick up whenever you want or ignore when you don't feel like doing it. If you are not reliable, you will not be employable.
You really should discuss this with your employer or
You are setting yourself up for confusion and complete dependence on others by coming here for these kinds of answers.

Your business is between your employer and yourself (if you are an employee) or between you and your client (if you are an IC).

Just trying to help.
I have been contacte by an employer *sm*

based on my resume posted at a job site. I am in my last quarter of school. I've not spoken with the representative yet, but I am wondering if I should have disclosed that I am not actually out of school yet on my resume. I did not say either way, just the date being 2008.


My question is, how should I tactfully explain this approach. My hope is to be tested, set up, and ready to go with a company near the end of this quarter. Any ideas? I know it is not unheard of to have a company lined up to work for right out of school; is this the right approach?


Thanks


 


It all depends on your employer (sm)

and what they require.


I work a flexible 12-hour window in which I can put in my time at any point during that time frame.  I asked for 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. which is what I stick to.  If there is a time that I need to alter that, it is pretty much always allowable as long as I notify my supervisor.  I work employee status for a hospital. 


For those that work as an inidependent contractor, they sometimes work on turn-around-time only.  They can put in there time here or there as long as the jobs are back within 24 hours' turn around time, for example. 


HTH!


No employer ever cared if I had a degree or not. They did
All the employers have ever cared about is whether I could do the job the way they wanted it done. Never once has anyone even asked about a degree. In this industry I don't think it's that helpful, because most of the degree programs teach you everything except how to transcribe. The employers know that. It's not a selling point on your resume. So if you have a degree, that's fine. Degrees are good. You also need to have training on there that shows you can transcribe.
You have to pass the employer's test.
No services hire solely on the basis of what school the MT graduated from.

Most of them do require an applicant to score at least 98% on their employment test. If you can't do that, how will you be able to meet their accuracy requirement when working? Their clients expect about 98% accuracy, so they have to deliver. There is no room for MTs who can't do the work.

This is why big companies require so much experience. It goes hand in hand with accuracy. The more experience you have doing acute care, i.e., hospital, dictation, the more you know and the better you'll do. If you don't have the experience, the companies know you'll flounder. They don't have time to hand-hold you or provide remedial training.

The reason some schools' graduates are granted a waiver for experience is that their training has prepared them well enough to do acceptable work even without the experience. They are trained so thoroughly that they are able to pass the employment tests with 98% accuracy and they understand the employer's expectations regarding accuracy and professionalism.

The most successful schools teach students in an atmosphere that mimics an MT work environment, with the same expectations that employers have, so the students have a firm grasp on the requirements by the time they graduate. They behave much like experienced MTs, perform much like experienced MTs, and go about getting up to speed just as an experienced MT would. That's why it's important to choose a school that tests constantly and provides competent, personalized CMT instruction, not just an answer key and a computer grader.


If you are an MT employee or MT employer pls EMAIL ME!
I need all the help i can get.  I'm submitting my package to get into the MT program by the end of June 2009 and the only thing I haven't completed is the informational interview.  I have to ask 3 MT employees and 3 MT employers a few questions about this line of work and I'll be able to get my package processed and hopefully get into the program right away.  I am on maternity leave and it's difficulty for me to leave the house and search for people.  Please help me out so I can get into this program and finally make something of myself that I can be proud of.  Thanks everyone who has taken the time to read this.  My email is carpio_cat@hotmail.com
the previous post said it only matters what the employers think. I'm an employer and that's wh
think. What exactly do you identify as **balderdash**?
No matter who you think you offended

I've known Linda for a long time and she is one of the most honest, honerable, professional, does what she promises people who knows what she is doing person I know in the MT industry.  Her school has always been one of the best.


No, I am not her and do not portray her on a TV commercial. lol


I work for MQ and no, it won't. It won't matter if you
Have you tried that yet?

It does matter where you live
as well as all the other things mentioned in other posts. That said, Meg is obviously new to the profession and does not understand that by charging 6 cpl directly to the doctors offices you/she/whoever would be doing all MTs a disservice and contributing to the decline of our compensation. I am on the other side of the country, but the rates here are typically charged by the gross line at about 12-14 cpl, which translates to a couple of cents higher for 65-character lines. Even if you are working for a service 6 cpl is low, although admittedly not much lower than what is average these days, but take into consideration that you are not having to fight to attain and keep accounts, and all that goes with that end of it, and are doing only the transcribing and what goes into producing the actual reports. Services are charging hospitals even more than the rates I mentioned above, to the tune of about 21-23 cpl. (which also varies and is based on several factors).
It is a matter of personal opinion. Some like
Shorthand, some like Instant Text. 
I'd also rather hear from a successful employer with a good plan for continued success
Success breeds success. When I look for a leader or mentor or someone to give me advice, I look for someone who has been successful. That person will have to be able to identify his or herself and have verifiable proof to back up their claims. There are ways to do that. Blind posts on message boards don't do it.
That's a matter of each persons opinion. I happen to like
MT, I have my own accounts and do the work myself.  I get up, take little breaks in between and don't beat myself up.  I also have a separate private life outside of work, so for me I am not isolated. 
That wage per hour is a crock, no matter what! Look at the 3 recommended
s
Um, no. Actually, it doesn't.

In any event, the OP knows what MTSO means.  She wants to know how to find one.  This was in the message. 


So what? That doesn't mean we have to be members. I'd
rather not be involved in an association at all than a two faced one like AAMT.
So you got lucky. Doesn't mean everyone will. nm
x
...or maybe even a 3rd if the different formatting doesn't
s
Thank you. It doesn't hurt to
.
It really isn't a very good course and doesn't
prepare you enough to get a job.  Most who take it have difficulty passng testing with companies and end spending more $$ to take another course of a mentoring program.
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.
AHP doesn't have a very good reputation. SM
I have heard from many MTs who have a VERY hard time finding a job because major companies will not usually accept a newbie from that program. Some smaller MTSOs or offices might, but why make things more difficult? I recommend checking out Andrews, MTEC, or CareerStep. I have no bias towards any of them, just have heard good things about those 3.
CS doesn't even supply you with real
reference materials, except for the dictionary and drug book. All other books were written by the owner, who was trained by her mother, who taught herself.

I would rather have had real instructors instead of an "automatic grader" and real books instead of "home made" ones.
It doesn't sound familiar and
I don't see it in my Stedman's ENT book.

Sorry.
Sounds like my DH, doesn't care that he - sm
is leaving behind a wife and 2 kids(me and our children)---and I presume you have at least 1 child from your name. I hope you had life insurance already in place since no one will undoubtly touch him now. ---Good luck in your new job.
Andrews doesn't grade that way
The "high honors" bit doesn't apply to Andrews. They don't grade that way. It isn't just their top students who get jobs, but every graduate.

They begin the first day coaching you to achieve work that is good enough to be marketable. Their students go for 98% accuracy. Any time a student has trouble getting there, they do extra dictation to improve. The instructors work with them on this. Andrews doesn't use computers to grade or just sit students down with answer keys and expect them to grade themselves.

Andrews works with students until they are ready to graduate. When an Andrews student graduates, they are able to do work good enough to get a job with a national.

There isn't any make-or-break final at Andrews, either. Their students know exactly where they stand from the beginning, so there are no surprises at the end.


Um. What? Your message doesn't make any sense.
Why should any MTSO be expected to hire someone who is clearly unqualified. Why should someone who broadcasts his or her poor skills in the initial contact be given "equal opportunity" with someone who really is qualified? It takes time and money to test and set up a new MT for work. That's time away from earning and money out of the MTSO's pocket. You think she should give that clearly unqualified and incompetent applicant a job? Why? It's not going to work out, as any experienced MTSO can tell you. You can tell from the initial contact when you've got someone who will not be able to do the work, no matter how much you try to help her or how many chances you give. It's not a matter of just being new, it's a matter of wheter the applicant is qualified, regardless of level of experience. New people with good skills will know enough not to make egregious errors in their communication with potential employers. Those people get hired. Those newbies get the opportunities. They deserve to get the opportunities because they can do the job. The unqualified, poorly trained newbies make their incompetence clear very early on, and MTSOs have learned to identify and eliminate them "right off the bat" (or bet, or whatever you think it is). Get down off your high horse and understand the needs of the person doing the hiring. Your message makes it clear you know nothing about the MT business or how to run any business. No one deserves a job just because he or she wants one. An applicant is going to have to show some potential before an MTSO is going to take a chance and make a job offer.
Doesn't work in Word XP (2000)
Dern it lol.  I was told this answer a long time ago and was so greatful to finally have it, but have lost it..literally! 
Well now I'm confused. She doesn't even make sense. nm
x
I'm saying a certificate doesn't sway me either way. Performance does. nm

Yes, new MTs have value. Doesn't mean companies should lose money on you, though.
There's an extremely high cost to mentoring/training new MTs. You've come into MT work with the wrong expectations, I think, regardless of where you got your direction.

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. 



 


Exactly. Just because you get a certificate doesn't mean you're certified.
.
Allied doesn't care if you learn anything OR if you get a job. They just want their $$. nm
x
That's because CS doesn't have an entrance exam, they will take money from anyone
regardless of whether they have a snowball's chance in you-know-where of ever making it as an MT.
59 hours doesn't come close to teaching
you even the basics.  You could apply to do only ophthalmology.  Typing speed isn't that important, but 95% accuracy isn't good enough for most companies.  It might be enough to pass their test, but QA usually requires 98+%.  You might want to look into a menitoring program.
"approved" by AHDI doesn't mean its great (nm)
TRSI is "approved" and they are a terrible school. They ignore students, they don't teach you anything, and I wasted my money there. I'm at Medline now and its a great school, yet both are "approved," so just because a school is approved doesn't mean its the best. Its how the school treats the student, I have learned. Jeni.
Why doesn't someone give some good reports on other schools
One person on this board constantly rips the so-called Big 3. Instead of doing that, why doesn't she bring some good facts forward about her own school. That would be more productive.
Newbie from here was earning 3 cpl with them in January. Much too low! And your first check doesn
s
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.
Doesn't land her a check when she sends potentia students away
Private schools have the luxury of not having to enroll people when they know they can't do the work. Public schools do. Private school managers, owners, or directors can be honest with you and tell if you if they don't think you can type or spell well enough and would be wasting their time and your money.
Agree with an outside school, but I went to a business & tech school. Great experience, better
s
I didn't find it rude that you didn't agree with me. That doesn't
matter.  We don't have to agree.  What I found rude and condescending was the way you hammered away at how you had to have training, saying that anybody with common sense would know that you had to go to school to be an MT; things like that are what I found rude.  Some of us did just what you said couldn't be done.  Like I said, it doesn't matter if we agree or not.  We all have our opinions and are entitled to them.  Just don't try to tell me that what I, and others, have already done is not possible. 
You CAN get a job at home, right out of school, but it has to be a GOOD school.
You should enroll in Andrews School or M-TEC. I know you don't want to spend more money, but at least you WILL be able to get a job. If you thought At Home Professions was a good course, you will be totally amazed at what you DIDN'T learn in that course that you WILL learn at the two good schools. There is no "required" curriculum for MT, anybody can open up a school, charge what they want, and teach what they want. Companies will waive the 2-years' experience requirement for graduates of Andrews School and M-TEC, but NOT for the other schools.