I would not recommend applying to Focus. That is a bad company and
Posted By: recently sold to Nuance. nm on 2007-03-30
In Reply to: Keep at it! - You can do it.
t
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Please tell me about Focus, I'm thinking of applying.
Hello,
I have been thinking of applying to this company since I heard they are willing to hire newbies. I don't have much experience since graduating from my MT program, but really do need to make some decent money.
The only thing I have heard about this company is that they are Indian owned, thus offshore. I do not know anything about the pay, training, benefits, platform, QA relationship, recruiting practices or anything that might make me worry. Please tell me why you would not recommend them, I don't want to get stuck with a bad company. But I also realize that some companies are not good fits for some people.
Please reply here or by email if you like. I just want honest information. Are there other companies willing to hire and give new MTs a good starting chance?
Thanks.
applying for a job
If the job asked for experince preferred and typing speed of 70, should a newbie apply for this positon. If she has no experince and can't type 70 wpm.
Should you give SS# when applying?
X
Please remember this when you are applying
Send yourself an e-mail first ... make sure you have your email account info updated so that it actually shows your name.
You really will score points if the recruiter or HR person can find you by seeing your name in the email list rather than "dogsRpeople2@whoknows.com"!
Thank you.
Start applying.
x
I agree with applying first to see if you can get a job. sm
The answer to your real question is probably yes, transcription companies are only going to consider your experience in medical transcription, and most want either 2 years acute care, or a nationally known school. Sorry, but those are the facts. Most nationals will not even let you test unless you have one of the two.
However, since you feel you already have some training, you might try applying locally at hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics, etc. Even looking at national clinic jobs with smaller companies might get your foot in the door. Since you have a job now, you can afford to take a little time.
I don't know about the mechanics of using a machine for transcription, I believe that is done by some, but I'm not sure. It certainly would make for good speed.
If I were you, I would not waste any money on a course that is not nationally known. You may get an education just as good somewhere else, there are other really good schools, but if they are not known to the nationals, your chance of getting a job is slim to none. I do not approve of AHDI in any form, but they have given new MTs a job outlet by "accrediting" several schools, I believe Andrews, M-Tech, and Career Step. If you don't want the full course, I think Career Step may have a shortened form. I would contact the schools first and ask all the questions you can. Good luck whatever you decide.
I don't know where you're applying,
but I didn't go to CareerStep & I've never had a problem getting a job. I had a job with Medquist before I graduated! NO ONE has ever told me I should have gone to CareerStep, & I've sent out plenty of resumes.
Thinking about applying but have a question.
I currently work for a small MTSO and have a small account with her but there is not enough work to support myself. I realize newbies don't start off with the best pay and that is fine with me but, if you don't mind me asking, do they start you out with the usual 5-6 cents per line? Is it gross or 65-character? Is work pretty steady?
Thanks in advance for the info.
When I was applying for jobs and I had no experience,
was "real," but it was school experience and not work experience. I made sure they knew the difference. I didn't want to insult their intelligence, but I did want them to know that I at least had some familiarity with the various fields, if not direct experience. Most of them were just fine with that, so long as I was upfront about it.
You could start applying first to see if anyone will let you test now and
s
Does anyone have any experience with TRS Institute- thinking of applying.
.
Check out the Job Seekers board and start applying everywhere.
/
I recommend you (sm)
start with a secure FTP server for uploading and downloading your work. Shop around for the best deal and pay attention to how charges are calculated for the server space. With that in place, it won't matter where you live as your clients can upload to the server over the internet and you can download from wherever you're living!
What course do you recommend? sm
I have a friend wanting to take an MT course. She has looked at Andrews, but cannot afford that. Is there another course that is more reasonable in cost, but still a good reputable "school"? Thanks.
Have it but don't recommend it
The purpose of this book is if you can only make out one word of a phrase, you can look that word up in this book and it will have a list of phrases containing that word. It definitely does not take the place of all the separate Stedman's specialty books.
The terms & phrases book has helped me out a few times, but all in all I do not recommend it unless you can get it for super cheap (like $10) somewhere. I would continue to collect the individual specialty books.
Usually here we recommend (sm)
Andrews or M-Tec. I don't know anything about Meditec, but grads of the first two I mentioned get jobs when they get out.
I've taken on an AHP newbie before, and she wasn't even ready for radiology without lots of help. It didn't teach her 1/5 of what I expected her to know.
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.
What training would you all recommend
Hi,
I am looking into schooling. I thought I had decided on Career steps, but after reading the board, Andrews and m-tech seem better. Is career steps a bad decision and does anyone know if it is easy to get a job after you graduate. I am looking to work from home only. I have an associates of applies science degree and passed my CNA course (certified nurses assistant). I planned on being a RN but got pregnant and am not willing to ever take him to daycare. I need to work from home and have been looking into medical transcription for almost a year now....... Just wondering what course will get me a job the easiest and if Career Steps is a good idea?
THANKS!
charie
I don't think it is. I would not recommend this business
to anyone. With all the work going offshore or going to VR and the line rates dropping, or not increasing with inflation, plus all the horrible platforms, etc. it just isn't the business I woulud want to retrain for.
I would recommend Stedman's Orthopedic
Word Book. It sounds like it isn't the exam that is the problem, but the tests/procedures, which is where a good reference source would help.
I recommend Career Step
I am a CS graduate and found it to be reasonably priced and very in depth! It prepared me well!!!
Go to www.MTinTexas.com for more info or feel free to email me at lyndi@MTinTexas.com. :)
HTH
I would not recommend it. Being a speed typist
isn't as important as being accurate, but if you have been typing "for years" and only type 55 wpm an MT course is not going to improve that. MT work can be very stressful. It is difficult for a newbie to get a position and the pay isn't very good even for experienced MTs who can work full-time. My MIL had MS and stress would make her muscles become rigid to the point she had to take some much Valium she was a zombie.
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.
Hi So, what school would you recommend? Thanks in advance.:-)
xxx
Call their office to see which one they would recommend for you :) nm
x
I would not recommend buying the CD versions used
because you are only allowed 2 downloads and then they don't work.
I would not recommend Penn Foster. In order
to take any of their courses you have to have completed 8th grade, and that is about where the courses are geared to. My teen son is taking an automotive course through them and he knows more than is in the books and he has found many errors in the books. They emphasize that the testing is open book and if you do poorly they allow you to test again. I don't feel like you learn much this way. While the school itself is an accredited school in most states, I feel like it would be a waste of time and money for MT.
I started MTing in 1979 and right not would not recommend it to anyone.
..
I personally would not recommend them mainly because of the poor way they treat their staff.
/
Didn't she sell it, or just your company to an offshore company. The woman
has a screw loose.
No, the woman who owns this company can't transcribe herself, much less run a company.
kk
Any company that charges anything to work is not a reputable company. However,
if a company offers a job and requires that you have a certain pedal and offers to provide it and then take it out of say your first paycheck or couple of paychecks, then that is acceptable.
My belief is that companies that charge you for software or anything else is trying to make money off of you.
While $11.95 isn't much, figure that amount times 10 or 20 or 100 and what do you come up with? Smells like a scam to me.
company was sold so they have no company to hire you after graduation!
They are not a reputable school and I went there so I should know. Even when they did have Trans. Relief Services they never answered my email about employment upon graduation.
focus
I guess everone's experience must be different. I recently started with Focus and have received nothing but exceptional treatment.
FOCUS
I jus quit Focus....they do not speak English, can not type English, are no help, you do not get paid what they will tell you!!! I worked 60 hours for 2 weeks for a total of 120 hours and just got my paycheck of $106. Not even a dollar an hour. I ran out of work many times. They would tell you to do it one way one day, and a different way the next time. They are reallly good with insults! Please do yourself a favor and don't work for them!
Focus
I tend to disagree with the person who said stay away from Focus. A lot of the negative postings are older. I have been working for them for three months, and I have had few problems with them. Although, they may not be the ideal medical transcription job, they have allowed myself and many other newbies a chance to gain some experience. I cannot say the same for a lot of employers out there. Since working with Focus, it has enabled me to get my foot in the door with another company. I now work for Focus and another company. If it is a foot in the door you are looking for to get started, I would not automatically discount focus.
Focus
Experienced MTs won't work for 10 cent straight trans and 5 cents VR? Wonder if those experienced guys know WHERE their work comes from!!!!!
focus what?
What is the full name of this company? Thanks a bunch!
Focus
Meagan, I am glad to hear you enjoy working for Focus Infomatics. I will be starting their apprenticeship this month, and I am looking forward to getting started.
Focus
I started with them in March, and I am really enjoying working for them thus far. I have a great account manager! Actually, all of the people I have dealt with at Focus have been super nice. Good luck!
Focus
What exactly does lack of work mean? Are you struggling to have work sufficient enough to be considered part-time or do you have just 6 or so hours of work? I ask because I want to work full-time, but I don't want so much in the beginning to overwhelm me. Also, are you an IC? How does that work for you. I would need to work some in the morning and some at night. My husband works 2-11 p.m., and I have two small children. I really need to work around these hours, I just don't know if these is even considered by them. Right now I am waiting for the internship to begin. One more question, do you use a laptop and are able to travel while working? There is times this summer that I will have to be in a different location for a week or two at a time. I'm really nervous that once I get there, my equipment won't fully work. Any help on any of these questions would be fully appreciated. I know it's alot, but I'm new to this world. All I have right now is questions and many of them. But thank you for your information and any other information that you can give. I really appreciate your time and effort!!!!
Focus
FYI, Focus is currently hiring newbies for their FOF program. It consists of a few weeks of unpaid training for a few hours a day, but at the end of the training you are guaranteed a job with Focus, and they are hiring for both pt and ft. Focus has one of the higher cpls for newbies that I've seen. They have an online test you can take. Since it has been a few years since you graduated, this might be a good way to get back into the field. I'm a newbie too, and things are really competitive right now. Best of luck to you in whatever path you choose :).
I would RUN from Focus!
Just read all of the negative posts here about them! I also heard from a RECENT graduate that she contacted them about a job. They told her that she would have to work for free until her work was up-to-par as far as quality! FREE! With no time limit?! Also, it would have to be between 10 pm and 7 am. Just contact them and ask them. If I were you, I would do what the above person said. Get your stuff together and go door to door. Just think, you probably only need 1 good doc, to get started! Just 1 to give you a chance! That will get your foot in the door for experience. My chiropractor just hired me. But before you do, make sure to do your homework for the going rates in your area for MT work, maybe call some local services and see what they charge and underbid them. Also, just ask the doctor/office manager. Tell them you would be willing to work for a little less than what they pay now, just to get in. Also, you will get paid a lot more for a private doc, than with an MTSO. Cuts out all the middlemen! Good luck to you!
Focus Infomatics
Has anyone heard anything about this company?
Thank you
focus infomatics
my friend works for them and i am starting monday. i am concerned they only pay 8 cents a line though. what do you want to know?
Focus infomatics
Yes, I have worked for this company since October of 2005. The people are terrific to work for....very helpful and always willing to answer questions and make sure you're happy with their company. There isn't always a whole lot of work available, but they are constantly trying to remedy that and keep you busy. Drop me a line if you want to discuss things further. Amber (trblmkr778@netins.net)
I also work for Focus...
and I love it there. I have had no problems whatsoever. The people are very nice and will help to remedy any problem you may have. I make 8 cpl and am making great money. I think the lack of work comes in depending on the account they have placed you on. The account I am on keeps me busy all the time and you can ask if it is possible to get a secondary accout to keep you busy during slow times.
Focus Infomatics
I am going to be testing with Focus Infomatics later today. Does anyone have any advice about their test? Also, does anyone know anything about their program Focus on Future? Since I am a recent grad, I would have to complete this 2-4 week program. Any info anyone has would be greatly appreciated!!!
Do a search on Focus...sm
You will be interviewed by US employees, tested by US employees, and be working with off-shore employees with heavy accents both spoken and written. I wouldn't work for them. You make your own choice after searching the archives.
Better than Focus Infomatics and MS?
Is Spheris at least better than these two companies?
Focus Infomatics
Focus is a good company to work for. I have no problem communicating with Team leaders as we use Yahoo IM. I have never had an issue of not getting paid on time. Pay is direct deposited and always on time. Team leaders are great!!! Highly recommend this company!
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