No, they didn't mind at all that I was new.
Posted By: Louise D on 2006-03-18
In Reply to: Thank you! Were they okay with you being a new - sm - looking for local work
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.
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She didn't say she didn't have the skills. She said she didn't have the experience.
x
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. 
Years ago you didn't need a certificate, didn't even
need experience, but things have changed. Unless your mentor is going to sit by your side 24/7 I would recommend finishing the class, because you need to have a knowledge base in place. I have seen recent posts though where companies willing to hire newbies will not hire those who has taken from the program that you are taking.
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!!!!!
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?
Jen, would you mind emailing me info too?
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?
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."
I didn't go to any of the BIG 3
And I did not have a problem either. I worked hard, got extra practice dictation and did a lot of extra work on my own. I got my first job, stayed there until I moved. They gave me such a good reference letter that I have had no problems landing clients since. Every single one has their own style and requirements, so the learning curve is always going to be there anyway. I interviewed a person who went to one of the top 3, and she didn't have a clue, by the way. It is all in how seriously you take the work, just like anything else.
didn't think of that!
Thanks! I just did it, and I think for the most part that did do it. I looked at EVERYTHING else! LOL
I didn't think so.
Can't hurt to ask.
I didn't about that.
Thank you Deb. That IS a very valid point. I appreciate your quick reply.
I didn't know....sm
I didn't know there was paid internships where you get paid for the work. I didn't have an AHDI approved school I don't believe so I didn't have that luxury. Wish I had though.
Didn't like my answer?
Didn't like my tone? That's just too damn bad. Get over it. I told you the truth. If you don't want to heed the truth, that's your problem, not mine.
Didn't mean to insult you . . .
I didn't mean to insult you. When I make suggestions like that, it's as much, or even more, for others who would read the posts later. Few people have that much money on hand--this is a topic that will be google-able for years. Maybe someone can use the ideas to finance their child's tuba lessons some day.
Look at it this way . . . you may have the money in the bank, but if you can get some cash by selling stuff you don't need, you'll have a roomier habitat and "free" schooling, too. Well, sort of free. You might not have to dip into savings that way.
It IS a lot of money. If it were me, knowing what I know, I'd feel a lot insecure about forking over that kind of cash.
but they didn't respond to me
They responded to a new MT, who responded to me. Therefore, they *did* read what I wrote correctly.
Kind of like W.C. Fields, a well-known atheist. He was found to be reading the bible and when asked why he said, "I'm looking for loopholes."
The MTSO found a loophole.
I didn't see it but for some reason
most of my posts and responses don't get deleted even when things get thick! I don't take it personally or think much about it when it does happen. I've seen things that seemed very benign get deleted, not just here but other places. Seems like it is just the way things work.
The OP didn't say anything about any thing other than TV
As I stated before, I work when my little one watches certain programs; however, there are bigger issues here just as you brought up. What I got from the original poster was exactly what those fly-by-night get-rich-quick while you stay at home with your kids try to sell newbies and don't prepare a new MT for the REALITY of working from home, especially with small children. Had the original poster said "in addition to having puzzle time, block building time, playing in the sand time, what good programs will help?" I would have felt differently but that is NOT how the original post was worded.
I'm lucky because I have learning centers set up. I don't rely on extensive TV to get my work done. Plus I'm not a newbie with unrealistic expectations and a huge learning curve to face while there are 2 little ones vying for my attention. It is certainly possible to have kids stay home and work, but to rely heavily on TV IMHO is wrong thinking for the future of our children. I take advantage of mother's day out as I am single with a child who was dropped on my door by a mom who didn't want to play mommy anymore. I have a child with no social skills, who doesn't know what home cooked food is, who never before had a regular schedule, didn't know another child her own age...I could go on and on.
My point is that having a variety of activities, interactions, settings is much better for a child than relying on hours of TV (the OP mentioned morning shows plus wanted more suggestions for other times, which indicates wanting to have the TV babysitting them). If you don't see it that way, read the OP again.
My child can go outside and play on my patio and I can watch and talk to her from my desk. How could a newbie who needs no distraction do something like that. TV. My child can ride around the house, collecting pretend mail while singing and I'll join in while waiting for the doctor to flip through the chart. How will a newbie handle that? TV.
I think you and I are arriving at the same endpoint, but interpreting the OP with different POVs. You never addressed the OP's obvious lack of insight about ENTERING the MT at home world with stay-at-home children. I did.
Didn't mean to jump on you
I'm sorry if I was overly defensive - I'm just so very frustrated. I'm glad things worked out for you, and I feel that if things had been handled differently, I would have been perfectly happy finishing the course. My problem has not been with the content of the course, but with their lack of help when I begged for someone to actually check on why the materials never arrived. I asked nicely about 8 or 9 times before I finally lost it. And then, when I lost it, they punished me for speaking out. These are not the actions of a reputable business, and their lack of response now makes them look even worse. But again, I'm glad for you and good luck.
I didn't say I was just going to wake up and be an MT
I didn't just say I want to be an MT. I said I was starting school with Career Step. They train you to become a MT.
You didn't say what was difficult about it to be
able to help you.
I didn't indicate that anyone can do it. I simply
stated my experience. I thought that was the reason for this forum, sharing experiences and opinions.
Would you not be upset if someone that you didn't know,
had never met, knew nothing about you or your work ethics questioned everything that you are supposed to know to be able to accomplish you job? The whole tone of your post was condescending whether you meant it to be or not. Almost every sentence said *do you* know this or that and I could only assume that the *you* that was being referred to was me. Just because I didn't go for formal MT training doesn't mean that I have forgotten the basics of grammar. Believe it or not, nurses have to know where to put commas, too. We have to know all the basics of grammar. That's why we're required to take college-level English in our nursing programs. Having CMT behind one's name doesn't make one a good Transcriptionist either; it only means that person is a good test taker. Sure, they have to know the basics, but that doesn't mean they're perfect. Neither am I. I'm quite sure I make mistakes even though I strive to produce a quality report without mistakes. CMTs, just like the rest of us, are constantly learning, too, I hope. So, please think twice about how a post is going to sound before you jump on the bandwagon and beat someone down. Maybe you didn't mean to, but you did anyway. Have a wonderful evening.
Agree. Didn't go to either, but SM
those 2 are the only 2 schools I recommend to anyone who asks me about going into MT (if they insist on going into it even after I've told them the income is going down and not up).
You didn't offend me
Lynn, you wrote a lovely post. And if this board was for MTs only, I'd chime in with you about how I like working from home too. You did not offend me and I certainly do not think you are insensitive. I offer you and anyone else my apologies if what I wrote came off sounding that way. That was not the intent. You have nothing to apologize for.
I am mad at the way the companies play tricks on us and I was just trying to get people to see the other side of this coin if they haven't seen it yet and often newbies don't to the delight of the MTSOs. They love posts like yours. They think that is all we want, so that is what they emphasize when interviewing, and some people think they have found the perfect job only to realize later on that if they're not experienced and can't produce like the wind, all these goodies aren't worth much at bill paying time. If you've got a great job, good for you! I'm happy for you!!
Working from home IS great but let's do all we can to make it even better. We need to learn the other side's tactics and not fall for them to our detriment. I've bought into lies and suffered the consequences. If I can help prevent others from doing so, I want to.
I wish you and everyone nothing but success and the most this job can give you.
Mine didn't, but I am IC
so maybe if you are employed with this company they should be paying you to train.
I didn't think that was sarcastic.
Just stating the truth, which you know since you've been in it for so long. I've been doing this over 20 years too and it hasn't changed now, has it? Every Transcriptionist comes into this business with the bright idea "Why doesn't someone tell the docs to talk slower/faster/clearer/enunciate/speak English". Hasn't worked so far but I guess we can keep trying. 
Well, why ask if you didn't want the answer.
You asked why anyone would get into the industry now. Why ask the question if you didn't want to hear the answer. We weren't necessarily defending our jobs, but explaining why we do it. We make more than working at Wal-Mart and are much happier at home doing MT. If you were just trying to make a point, then just spit it out instead of asking questions you really don't want the answers too.
I agree about the post above, but many of us come to this field with our eyes wide open. I knew what to expect. I knew I would have to work hard to get where I needed to be financially and I have far exceeded my expectations. For some of us, MT does pay and pays well, better than any of the other jobs available in my small town.
You didn't say if you are an MTSO or IC or employee or what. (nm)
nm
I didn't use a dating website...
but I met my husband online in an AOL chat room. We now have 2 kids and have been together almost 7 years.
sorry, that should be Department-knew something didn't look right
nm
I didn't have the trouble you described after school.
The school itself was very hard and the work was similar to most of what I did on the job. There were some differences, of course, and I was very slow at first. My experience was different from yours though and the school was the biggest reason for the difference.
I didn't see YOUR name on this message, MTSO!
nm
I didn't ask about finding work.
I asked if anyone knew anything about Gatlin Education Services.
I didn't go to their website, but I knew they
probably weren't legit because they used 2 different names on 2 different boards to post about their "internship."
Just checked email, didn't see it
Thanks for the email. I just checked my email and did not see anything. I will keep looking, maybe there is a server delay or something. I really do want to know the real deal before taking the leap.
Thanks.
If you didn't go to one of the better schools your chances of
getting a job are slim. There are probably 100 schools out there, the majority of them fly by night places that say you can make $40,000/year, etc.....The training that you receive at most of this places is so poor that you (not you specifically) can't even pass the tests to get hired.
If you read past posts there have been lots of people who have been through some of these programs and after they start testing they realize they don't have enough education to get a job and they go back and take one of the better programs, who have a good reputation, and who usually offer job assistance, or they try to find a menitoring program.
I'm not saying there is no way you can get a job if you didn't go to one of the better schools, just that if someone went to Andrews or M-Tec they would have a much better chance than someone who took the At-Home Professions or similar course.
I didn't go to Andrews or M-tech
So no, you do NOT need experience in order to get a job.
I'm assuming you didn't take courses from one of the better
schools as they help with job placement. Have you looked into companies offering menitoring programs. I would love to mentor a newbie, but I get paid to produce lines.
I didn't know Allstate went out of business...sm
Do you know why? I did the AIM program and worked for Allstate too.
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