I absolutely agree. I have 4 years' experience, but wouldn't try to enter the field now. nm
Posted By: deb on 2007-07-25
In Reply to: Well let's see; no raises in years and even pay cuts, - me
nm
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If you do decide to enter this field,
I would visit www.aamt.org and check out their approved schools.
I agree. Take it for the experience. It will take you 2 years of experience but you will easily
Or if you're interested in investing 2 years to break into a field that won't be around...
but if you are wanting to get into a field where you can invest some time and money and actually have a job, you better look elsewhere. Seriously. I don't like it either but that's the way it is.
No, not really. Experience in the field - but not just more education.
x
Experience: 2, 5, 10 years
How are newbies supposed to get experience?
Does anyone know of companies who hire newbies?
as an MT with 17 years experience....
your offer is more than fair. with all the new MT's on this forum saying they can't get a job, this is a fabulous offer.
my hat is off to you for taking the time to train, and pay 7 cents a line. I started out at minimum wage 17 years ago...just grateful for the opportunity.
with my 15+ years experience, I could never be as arrogant......
as you sound. Why would you lump all the new MT's in one category and assume they all expect $60,000 per year. When I first got in this field, I found most MT's were burnt out nurses who felt they were the only ones who could perform this job. They were wrong. Anyone with dedication and the desire to learn can be good at this job and YES make $60,000 with your kids at home. I should know, I have four kids, and have done all the little league, gymnastics, school volunteering, etc., that a mom wants to do. I find your assumptions an embarrassment and I would like the new MT's to know that you and your opinions do not represent me. Good luck to all newbies. Stick with it, and you can make your $60,000. It just takes time and hard work.
People have been saying that for years. Some have a different experience
I think that the industry is screening out people who don't really enjoy medical transcription and some who weren't prepared to do it well enough to make money. The jobs and money are pretty good for the people who like to do this work, are motivated, and know what they are doing. No complaints here! Also no put down of those who are not doing well. Medical transcription is not for everyone. That's not an insult. Find something you love and do it well!
I would rather hire someone with years of experience
and could care less what school they went to, than someone with no experience who came from the Big Three. Experience is valuable!
I'm making that after 19 years of experience
It would depend on what you're doing in three years as far as a job or having your own clients. I wouldn't expect to make $40,000.00 after three years. I think it will take a lot longer than that to build up to that kind of money; however, if you work 2 or 3 jobs, you could probably come close. You'll just always be transcribing and you'll have no time for anything else especially if you plan to work for a national.
You need 2 years of experience to take the CMT test. NM
x
Four years' transcription experience, but new to MT
Hi, all.
I've been reading the forums with great interest for a few weeks now, and I realize the job market is pretty dire these days, but I thought I might ask for some advice all the same. I'm a stenographer, so I can write up to 225 words per minute in realtime, which comes in handy when producing accurate transcripts very quickly. During the school year I transcribe for Deaf and hard of hearing college students, but summers are slow for me, and I thought I might be able to find some seasonal overflow work to supplement my savings until August. I've been a general Transcriptionist since 2005, and have produced media editing scripts, scripts for closed captioning, transcripts of seminars and business meetings, among many others. Just this year I've been getting a lot of experience with medical terminology, transcribing interviews for an ophthalmology journal and classes for a Deaf student in Pharmacy school. The fact remains that I've never done any actual medical transcription work, per se. I'm not sure whether to market myself as an entry-level transcriptionist or as one with some experience. I've got a robust medical steno dictionary and considerable research skills, but I'm unfamiliar with formatting conventions. Where should I look to either supplement my training or to find an employer who would be willing to fill me in on what I need to know and then set me loose at 225 wpm?
wanted to share something from my 15+ years experience....
When I first started out, I graduated from a business college. Nine months, five days a week, four hours a day of schooling. When I finished top of my class I thought I was ready. I struggled to find a job; not too much outsourcing back then. I begged a medical records director to hire me on, and he did. I literally was not ready for what was to come. Luckily I was mentored by a lady who knew it all. She was great. After six years at the hospital, I broke away and started with my own accounts. I have raised four children (youngest in kindergarden). I have been a team mom for baseball, board of director member for local little league, and never missed a school function. This has been an awesome profession for me. Some days are better than others as far as pay is concerned, but on average I am pulling $200 a day....not bad.
There is a book out there that might be of help to you new graduates. It is called The Medical Phrase Book. That book helped me very much. The other thing that really works is using a telephone book A-Z to jot down new meds and words you learn.
Good luck to all of you.
How can you sit for the CMT exam without the 2 years' experience required?
.
Unfortunately, you need 2 years' work experience to take the CMT exam. NM
x
Who said I HATE this field? I LOVE this field but
also see the changes coming down the pike. Also feel it is not fair to withhold or misrepresent that part of the equation to someone who is considering entering MT or just starting out. Knowledge is power. It would take years for a new MT to have the kind of insight into this field that a 20+ year experience lends. Believe me, I would be only too happy to keep running my MTSO, making $75,000+ year while working 20 hours a week, paying my MT's well, but it's not going to happen. Try reading "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman if you want a perspective of what's going to happen to not only MT work but a lot of great white collar jobs. India and the rest of the world are breathing down our necks and in the next decade will be serious competitors for American jobs. There will be no "american" jobs - we will be competing against the rest of the world for jobs.
Friedman states: "The convergence of 'flatteners' has created a whole new platform. It is a global, Web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaboration. This platform enables individuals, groups, companies and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate...this platform operates without regard to geography, distance, time, and, in the near future, even language. Going forward, this platform is going to be at the center of everything...wealth and power will flow to those who get these basic things right...the infrastructure to connect with the platform and the education to get more of their people working on the platform.
Please wake up and look beyond our box.
What about pressing enter once?
nm
Agree with an outside school, but I went to a business & tech school. Great experience, better
s
You have not been transcribing 10 years. Your resume reflects about 4 years tops. I am going to put
very little MT experience and now you're pushing software that posters can get for free. There is a problem with that. You need to search YOUR heart ands ask yourself just how helpful you are really trying to be to new MTs or if your lining your own pocketbook because you don't know how to transcribe yourself.
You are absolutely right!!!!
I'll be the first to admit it. Not only myself but others in my field who I am friends with make bloopers and blunders. It has nothing to do with newbie versus old timer. It is how much time you put into what you are doing, and if you have the desire to put out a good product. To error is human, right??????
absolutely
I agree with you. I took this course thinking it was going to be a breeze. I got to the reports and had to go back and review most of what I had just learned. It isn't as easy as one thinks. Now I am working and it is really hard.
Absolutely!!!
Spend every penny you can afford on an excellent chair and a keyboard that works for you. You need to try both out before you buy them. I would say nothing is more important than those two items. People who skimp on them normally pay with pain! Good luck in your studies! M-Tec grad here as well. :-)
Absolutely!
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7. I must have noise canceling headphones and these are awesome. Check on E-bay for a good deal. They cup the ears like earmuffs (which is what I prefer) and they are SOooooo comfortable. Great brand, great headphones.
If you don't absolutely know it, don't type it.
Blank it. Don't just type what you hear. Know what you are typing.
You're absolutely right!
I think it really depends on the individual.
They are absolutely a scam. They
tell you that you must buy $400 worth of software from a specific company. Many times the software doesn't work but TranSCAM will not help you because you didn't buy it from them and the company you did buy it from won't contact you. I personally think it is a company related to TranSCAM,
If the software works they tell you that you have to get good QA scores before they release you to getting paid for your work. In the meantime you are doing work they are getting paid for (how they get accounts I have no idea) and you are never good enough to be released.
There have been multiple complaints filed with the BBB against them, several never resolved. They have moved to a different state at least once and changed their name at least once. If you "work" for them you will get some experience, but it really will not help you get another job because their reputation is well known and it isn't good.
Those are absolutely the 2 best schools.
You can't go wrong with either one, they are worth every penny.
I chose a less expensive school, and if I had it to do over, I would definitely choose either Andrews or M-TEC.
Absolutely do not take Penn Foster.
You only have to have an 8th grade education to make you eligible for their courses, so that should tell you right off the bat it can't be that good of a program. My teen son took a course through them (not MT) and it was very poorly written and the information wasn't always accurate.
It is a cheap program, but you get what you pay for.
Absolutely untrue - no school here
I never attended or graduated ANY school! Hired off the street at a hospital 5 years ago, due to my coding/billing background - I didn't even apply to be an MT, they asked me to try it. After 3 years left the hospital, applied to a major MTSO, hired immediately on the results of my test, after a year applied to a different major MTSO, again hired immediately due to my test scores.
So if 2 of the major MTSOs (Spheris and Webmedx) hired unofficially trained, uncredentialed little old ME, it proves schools and credentials don't pertain - its skills that matter.
Thanks for replying... It sounds absolutely perfect - sm
that is what I would be looking for exactly. It is nice to know that there are opportunities like that around. Good for you! Enjoy your job! Thanks again!
Why wouldn't one
do anything they could to get the upper hand??? Everyone is complaining about finding jobs.
In this economy, with all the competition, it is necessary to set yourself apart from the others.
Nobody is saying that you need to take a test to prove anything to yourself.
"Most don't care as long as you do the job and do it well"....how will they know if they haven't hired you yet?
My point is that if you don't have a job at the moment, and you obtain the CMT, it may set you apart and get YOU the job before someone else.
I'm not saying that getting a CMT is necessary. Only that it can only be more beneficial, especially in this job market if you are looking for a job.
you wouldn't consider it an insult if...sm
you saw the number of resumes I get when I post a job. You are missing the point. If you are looking for work for 6 months and no job, then better some lines at 3 cents than no lines at 6 cents. You can be insulted if you like but you still have bills to pay.
I wouldn't panic (sm)
Especially since it's only been a few days. I was hired by a company as an IC, signed the contract, and didn't hear anything about work for 2 weeks, maybe more. This was a few years ago. Finally, I did hear back and I'm still with this company today. I know you're anxious to get started, and probably worried about whether they changed their mind or something, but I think it's pretty common for these delays in getting started. Don't let it discourage you. If it drags on for quite a few more days, you might try to find how to contact them by telephone, but at this point, I really wouldn't worry too much.
I had an interview where they wouldn't
tell me what they would pay me until they offered me the job. They did at least know the hours...........
I wouldn't say Spheris is better.
I wouldn't recommend going FT with MT currently.
If you can do both for a while do that and then it will give you a chance to see if you like MT without having to give up the other job. You can get an idea of what your income would be as an MT and see if you could leave on that income alone. By working the 2 jobs you could also save some money or pay off bills so that if you did go MT full-time you would be in better shape when the lean times came around.
They should supply something so specific to the VR job. I wouldn't buy it. 6 cpl is about the ex
s
I'm thinking if I was selling something I wouldn't
point out the bad things about it.
I wouldn't let it rest til I got my money!
That is what the scammers want you to do, so they can get away with it and keep cheating other people. She is asking an honest question that pertains to her problem, while at the same time keeping it in people's minds to look out for people like this.
I wouldn't recommend MT for you based on your
situation, but if you have no previous MT experience/training you would need to take a course, either by correspondance or at a local community college. Training can take 9 to 18 months, or less depending on how much time you have to put into it, but if you are working FT you're probably looking at a year. Then you need to either get hired by a company that will hire newbies and pay them next to nothing, or do an internship, which you may or may not get paid for and may have to pay to do.
Everyone has their preference. I wouldn't spend
much for your first pair. USB earphones are better than the others usually.
I'd tell you my opinion on the whole MT field, but
I'd be accused of being negative and bitter. LOL Yeah, people get buffaloed into thinking that there is good money to be made doing MT. Evidently, some people do make good money at it. I haven't met any real life person who actually does, though. I've never seen it myself either.
Yes, this is still a good field!
Hey Porr - Welcome! First of all, you have come one of the most negative MT sites on the internet. If you are easily discouraged or depressed, I would advise you NOT to come to this site. I have been an MT for over 30 years and every time I come to this board, I leave so dejected, I wonder if I have wasted my life doing MT. I have finally realized that this board drags me down, so I don't come here very often. The people who do come on here legitimately, come to relieve their frustrations, get advice, vent about work situations, etc.... we are not all this stressed out all the time  But there are a lot of really good people on here, too, and you can get a lot of valuable knowledge, you just have to learn who the "trolls" are and ignore them (easier said than done at times!) The MT world is undergoing a lot of changes these days. A lot of work is being sent offshore and now they have the voice recognition platform that they are working on. The nationals make you feel very unappreciated, but I have worked for doctors, hospitals, clinics and had my own service for a while, and there are a lot of people out there who will appreciate your skills, just not the large nationals. Stay away from them until you are more seasoned, then, if you feel like tackling one of them, I say go for it. They have their negatives, but you will gain valuable knowledge and you will be able to get a job just about anywhere with one of the nationals on your resume.
This is a great field, just keep your nose to the grindstone and stay away from negative websites (). Do not let the comments you read here sway you one way or the other. I find this to be a personally rewarding field to work in. I hope that you do, too! Hang in there and don't give up!
Is this a good field to go into?
Does this line of work have a future? Is it a good field to go into? I welcome your opinions.
PT is an easy field.
i type a PT account from home. Like any other field, you just get used to it and it's easy. I think you should do well. susan
seriously considering the MT field, but I have a few questions!
Hello Everyone! first of all, I want to say thank you for all of the great information I have found so far from these boards. I am very seriously considering being an MT. I currently work full-time as a Transcriptionist in a Psychologist's office and I really enjoy it. However, I believe I would enjoy the medical field more. I have a few questions that I would really appreciate you guys answering...
Can you make a decent living as an MT working for an online company? (i.e. Spheris, Focus or accuscribe?) Currently, I would need to make at least 25k a year to suppliment my husbands income for our family, and I do not mind working full-time.
I believe I am going to being training with CareerStep... will companies like that consider hiring me if I test and score high enough, even without prior MT experience?
Thank you so much for your help!
Maybe the OP should consider another field of employment. NM
x
Getting back in the field
I have a certificate in medical transcription with four years experience working from home; however, I have not worked in five years since quitting to be a full-time mom. Can anyone recommend a great way to back into the field or a refresher course from a reputable company? I would love to do transcription again but don't want to spend a lot of money to do it since I already completed a course a few years back. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Getting back in the field
Thank you for the advice. I do need to update my reference materials. The school I attended no longer offers the program and unfortunately the company I worked for is no longer around after my supervisor retired, so I am at somewhat of a disadvantage. Has anyone ever heard of FutureMT? They have one of the least expensive programs on the internet. I'm looking at that one and MedTrans Inc. I hate to repeat a lot of what I know, but may not have a choice at this point.
Getting back in the field
I'll look into this. Thank you!
No, dear. I wouldn't dream of commenting
on your "typo". It's more fun just to let it sit there and speak for itself.
Besides, you're just not worth the effort.
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