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Jen, would you mind emailing me info too?

Posted By: Marie on 2008-08-01
In Reply to: Internships - Jen

I do have some MT experience, mostly VR, but just haven't been able to break into a really good MT position yet. I could use some help too. What costs are involved?


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Something else to keep in mind ...
AAMT supports and even encourages the outsourcing of American MT jobs to places like India and the Philippines. They are perfectly happy to facilitate the loss of American jobs and the destruction of American families to fill their coffers. With that in mind, one wonders what value AAMT endorsement of an MT course should have to an AMERICAN MT. Just a thought.
Do you mind my asking...
...how long ago this was? Was this recently (since this economic meltdown)?
Hope you don't mind

I really hope someone chimes in with the answer to your question but I wanted to comment that I have heard nothing but positive reviews for MTEC and the reviews have been mixed, but leaning towards the positive for Career Step.   There are some CS students and alumni that will defend their school tooth and nail that it is not a second class stepchild to MTEC, and some that feel that MTEC (or Andrews) would have been a better choice. 


I had a friend who could not afford the down payment for Andrews, and either could not or did not want to try to get the Sallie Mae loan for MTEC, and I steered her towards the CS program at Everett CC because she had pell grant and student loan eligibility. 


You might want to ask some national companies whose grads they hire.  I asked a few (you could certainly ask more than I did, and I recommend that), and one listed a few schools I had not even heard about up to that point. 


It seems that the companies have some thing going on with CS because many of them have a link to request training info from CS.  Not a guarantee of employment by any stretch but worth asking what that is all about.  (hopefully not just about getting money from CS for advertising and referrals).


If it were me I would choose MTEC over CS.  But my decision is made - I chose Andrews over both of them and as soon as I can bring myself to send in the $1500  down payment(its just a scary amount of money to plop down), I am doing it!


I don't mind saying where I live.
I live in Granbury, TX. If thats nowhere near you then they probably wouldn't even bother w/ me, right? If you live around here, let me know, if not then let me know too. Thanks for helping!!!!!
No, they didn't mind at all that I was new.
In fact, I think they preferred it. That way, they can train me to do things their way. And no, I won't be the only one transcribing. They have one Transcriptionist that has worked there for 6 years and I will be helping her out. I will only have to work in the office for approx. 1 hour per day and the rest at home. They said I could work as many or as few hours as I need to. I've thanked them very kindly every day this week for giving me this opportunity.

I hope you can find something soon as well. It is so frustrating trying to get the required experience.
ConcernedtoBMT, if you don't mind me asking...
Which school did you go to and who are you working for now?
keep in mind when doing entertainment transcription - sm
this is faaaarrr different than medical. The companies that the poster referred to that are in California require VERY ACCURATE transcription. Thus, you must be excellent with punctuation and 100% accurate with transcription. In the medical transcription industry, hospitals allow for mistakes (both grammar and spelling). Go figure, the entertainment industry does not!!
possibly changing my mind
I think this is more than just a little discouraging. I am still working on my transcription course as well and the future doesn't look too promising from what I am hearing. I originally wanted to go into a radiologic technologist program, but it is full-time for two years. I cannot quit my full-time job to go to school. I thought MT would be something I could do from home while I went to college full-time. But it doesn't sound like I would make enough money for it to be worth my time. Very disappointing.....
Keep an open mind when looking for your first break.
For a first break into the business, you really need to welcome an in-office position. Not only is it a job doing what you say you want to do, but you may actually get guidance from an experienced MT and learn more than you could ever learn alone.
keep in mind that lines w/o spaces
average of 30% - so if you are getting 150 lph w/o spaces, it is the equivalent to 180 lph with spaces.
Hmmm, interesting. If you don't mind me asking *sm*
was it a paid apprenticeship?
It sounds like your mind is made up that you don't need an adequate course,
and that hard-working MTs in your area are just waiting to complete your education so you can be of help to them. But you did say you wanted advice, so mine would be that your future co-workers, supervisors and customers will all wish you were ready to transcribe when you got out of school, which can only be guaranteed by two schools: Andrews & M-Tec. So instead of wasting a few hundred dollars on an education that won't land you a job, spend what it takes for a real education. At these schools you can learn at your own speed with lots of support from the teachers, and when you graduate you will be an asset to the profession.
I guess you don't mind working for $5-10 an hour.
I don't feel 5 cpl is worth my time. Even doing 200 lph (it took me 7 months to get to that point), I would only be making $10 an hour. Why would anyone waste their time? Their are companies out there that offer new MTs much better rates. But if you don't feel you are worth more than that, by all means, go ahead and accept minumum wage.
How to compare MT training classes? I have 3 in mind...SM
For comparing M-TEC, Andrews, and Career Step, what is the easiest way to narrow this down? A person would hate to make the wrong choice, but how do you know before starting? Is one of these more flexible as far as time frame to complete? What if a person started the course and had to stop it for a while before resuming (such as taking some time off while caring for a newborn)? Are payments made as you go or do you have to pay ahead?

Is picking any of these 3 generally a safe bet? They stand out to me as the 3 that I hear the most about that aren't the scams that I have been warned about.

I guess a speedier time frame for completion would be a plus, but then is that shortchanging the education?

Any advice would be great.

Thanks!
Sorry, I read the wrong post. I had way too many things on my mind.
but that said, I think the local hospitals would be your best bet. You can get invaluable experience there. Especially with acute care.

Good luck with your job search. WIll keep you and your family in my prayers.
Apparently, the AHDI can't make up their mind! See inside
From the FAQ on their website (as mentioned by someone else here):

"Two years of transcription experience in the acute care (or equivalent) setting is required to take the CMT certification examination."
My info
I am currently enrolled in Andrews MT course (started last week) and I'm almost 29 years old. I do think that probably most people in their early 20's don't necessarily consider MT as a career. For me, the thought had been in my mind for several years, but it wasn't until I started thinking more seriously about starting a family relatively soon that I finally enrolled. When you're very young and don't have kids, and aren't thinking about kids, you tend to have different priorities. For me, I've been working for more than 10 years, have a long commute (an hour one-way) and want to start a family, and it's important to me to be involved with my kids, be able to see them off in the morning, be here when they get home... MT becomes more and more attractive.
course info..
has anyone heard of the At Home Professions MT learning course?
My info
I graduated in October of 2004 and I'm 38. I did several years of medical billing and opted to try mt as i became disabled. Been unalbe to find work or a mentor so far. If you have any ideas let me know.
Need info

Could someone please explain the major differences between acute care basic 4 and multispecialty clinic transcription?   It seems that the job ads usually specify which one and how much experience is needed with each of these categories, but I am curious to know the differences and why someone with several years of multispecialty clinic experience may not do well with acute care hospital transcription.


TIA for any info provided!


Need more info
Does this pt have some sort of respiratory condition?
Here's some info..... (sm)

Sorry to hear of your troubles! 


There are two main schools, Andrews School and Career Step.  If you graduate from one of these schools, then you will likely find employment quickly.  They cost more, but you get what you pay for!  You will have to test with individual companies to get hired, but that should not be a problem with the proper training.  There are plenty of companies that hire at-home workers, so that will not be a problem either.


Don't quote me on this, but I think Career Step qualifies for Pell grants so if you go through voc rehab be sure to check that out.  Good luck to you. 


Thanks for the info.
I will send resumes to those companies.
Too Much info
If I were you I would hang on to my day job at that school unless you have to work from home. It is hard for a newbie fresh out of any MT school these days and the line rates are going down hill fast. Even with experience they don't want to pay for all we have to know/do. Still if your heart is set on MT work I would go with one of the top 3 schools, wish I had but at the time I picked the only school that I could afford to go to. Best of luck to you whatever you decide but if you have full benefits where you are now -- I would stay there.
Thanks for the info! nm
x
Thank you for the info
.
Some MT info

This link has helpful info if anyone is interested.


http://www.help4mts.com/gettingstarted.html


CAI info

CAI has a message board on their site where their students exchange info, you may want to check there http://www.caihometype.com/.  Hopefully some grads will see your post here as well and contribute.  I found it to be an excellent education and I got a job within 1 1/2 weeks of graduation.  They have an extensive list of companies who hire their grads that you can ask for upon graduation.


Good luck with your choice!


Thanks for the info

I did look into community colleges.... It seems like the same Career Step program but triple the cost.   I like that the career step program is pretty cheap when compared to others and is an approved program. I just wonder how much harder it will be to find a job after graduating from career step then it would Andrews or m-tech....And then when you get into what program (basic, premier, etc, etc) it gets even more confusing!


Thanks for all the info!


Where did you get your CS info? more..
Hi Amanda,
I've posted here on the boards about CS through Everett Community College and have received many emails from working CS/Everett grads telling me they loved it. They had jobs before graduation and felt very prepared to go to work.
I just wondered where you're getting this info about their education. Did you go through CS? Does your employer not hire CS?
Do you think going through Everett makes the difference?
I'm not trying to be nasty in anyway. I really do wonder where this info comes from.
Thanks,
Christy
Thanks for that info.
I really do look forward to getting started with them.  Everyone there to whom I have spoken and contacted has been really nice.
Thanks for the info! (nm)

Thanks for the help and info!

Thanks for the info.
I'll check it out. I just completed a full course and I'm wanting to find something that I will get paid for and not spending even more money.
Really? Who? Please provide more info
about these unsuccessful M-Tec and Andrews graduates. I'm sure Susan and Linda would want to know so they could help them. Because they DO help their graduates find jobs. Good jobs. I think you're making it up just to make yourself feel good.
I hope this info. will help you. SM
I posted this several months ago on this board, and have copied here for you:

I truly do not believe there is an online or distance learning program, or even a four year college degree for that matter (yes, I have a 4 year degree in healthcare administration with emphasis in medical records) that will prepare a new MT for the "cut throat" world of MT. When I say cut throat, I don't necessarily mean cruel, but rather very competitive. You better know your stuff or you will not survive, or at least not make a good wage, unless you have the hands-on experience of working in a hospital in a wide variety of specialties with close supervision. Yes, one can succeed starting out at home if you have one specialty and learn that inside and out. The time and errors involved in the learning process starting at home in a variety of specialties for a national company (which for the most part is required to compete in this profession) will afford the new MT a minimum wage at most. Like I mentioned in my previous post, there are those few gifted new MTs who will pick up new specialties and satisfy the large online companies, but the general population will not. Just like a doctor, you have to spend several years in fellowship or internship to work your way up with fund of knowledge, etc. I say to any newbie, if you think you have what it takes, go for it. I'm just trying to be honest in saying that you need to be realistic in this profession, as sample dictations in school, as well as test dictations, are no comparison to the real world of MT where we continue to learn even after many years on the job. I hope this helps any new MT take the route that will be of most benefit to them in this profession.
More info on expansions sm
I have not read through this whole thing recently, but a few years ago I read it and it really helped me improve my expansions.  There is a lot of information, but it is some of the same information I so lamely tried to explain in my first post.
Need digital info
I know.  I hate these tapes.  However, I am currently working for a local group of physicians and that's all they use.  One of the doctors asked me if I was set up to transcribe digital and even though I know that it would greatly improve things, truth is that I don't know the first thing about it....What equipment is required on each end?  Would I have to bring their dictating equipment home to connect to my pc?  He said something about after he finished dictating I would just connect it to my port.....?? 
There is info further down this board regarding CS.

Info about Medgarde

They pay via Pay Pal. You have to pay a weekly license fee for software or you can purchase it. You will need 3 professional references. They deduct if you make the same mistake a few times. They do not pay for spaces or templates. They do work out of a pool although on their website it sounds as if not. You are assigned the accounts they determine. They only have someone to help you between 8 and 5. If you have a question at any other time, too bad. They do a lot of testing before you can talk to someone and more testing during phone interview. You will need to provide them with proof of going to an MT school.


School info
The best schools are Andrews, MTEC and MT Advantage Career Center. Stay away from the short courses because I've heard many say they can't get employment after taking those courses. (Not enough content nor practice.) Make sure you get plenty of practice exam with instructor feedback. All 3 of those schools use the SUM CDs for training, and MT Advantage has an advanced program at half price this month.
There is some info in the archives.

great info!
I just wanted to let everyone know that I am a newbie, and just completed an MT course at a local community college. I have yet to find employment, but would like to let you all know that you are giving great advice and wonderful words of encouragement. I get discouraged from time to time but all of you give me hope that if i continue to work at this, something good will come of it. For that, I thank you.
Internship Info
My training course did not offer/require an internship and now I am interested in an internship to get some real experience. Do you have any information about your company's internships?
Internship info
Jen, I would love some information about your internship program.  Could you email it to me?  Kelley
Any info on this company?
Does anyone know anything about this company good or bad?
CLK Transcription, Inc.
Internship Info
I would like to get the information about internships too.  Thanks. 
Seeking MT info
Congrats on your graduation.  May I ask how/where you went to school.  I am trying to find more information about this field, i.e. time, cost, etc.  Where to start?  Thanks, Kelly
I found this info... don't know if it could help

What companies hire new MTs?


Very few, best start is with local contacts.


MedWare, Emergency Room Transcription, Karen Dual, Director of Human Resources, 1-800-881-3131. Don Flannery, MedWare@internetMCI.com


Medi-Scribe, http://www.medi-scribe.net P.O. Box 31651, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, 925-689-2617, carolrowan@medi-scribe.net, Carol Rowan


TransQuick (Rodeer), Atlanta and Phoenix areas, local. 4848 Riverdale Rd, Atlanta, GA 30337, 770 991 2220


Rapid Transcript, 800-592-4602 or 213-964-0400 (ask for Ora or Cris), Fax 213-964-0412. 4311 Wilshire Blvd. #209, Los Angeles, CA 90010-3716, Attn: Resource Management. ojemi@aol.com or eauh73a.prodigy.com


InHealth Transcription Service, http://www.inhealthtranscriptions.com; Atlanta, GA, Samuel Edelman, 1-800-477-7374 Fax: 770-394-2183. New MTs are only hired locally in Atlanta.


 


NEWBIES - I need some input/info
I read an article in the Baltimore Business Journal about offshoring, and without getting into too much detail about the article I would like to send a follow up article back to the Baltimore Journal.

Basically the AAMT representative stated in the article that "younger workers are not lining up to enter the profession." And that the median age for a transcriptionist is 48-50 years of age. I find this to be quite untrue, and I hope to be able to get information to back that up.

I would like to know what school program/course you attended, where you attended, and your age, and anything else you may want to add to help me with a "rebuttle" on the perks of offshoring. I have left my email address.
Thank you


86%?? As a recruiter, this is valuable info!
I'll be rethinking how I look at M-Tec graduates, and testing them more thoroughly, as 86% is certainly not acceptable in the real world.