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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Obviously you're not going to believe anybody unless they say what you want to hear.

Posted By: deb on 2008-06-26
In Reply to: Can someone that graduated from Allied please respond... - Lynette

So just go ahead an spend your money, and then come back here like all the others and complaint that no one will hire you without 2 years' experience, because NOBODY will waive that experience requirement for graduates of Allied. MANY places will waive that requirement for Andrews and M-Tec grads, and let them take their employment test (which they will most likely pass). The companies know that grads of Allied can't pass the employment tests because they are not trained well enough. So if somebody comes on here and tells you Allied is a great school and they had no trouble getting a job afterwards, go for it. Maybe you'll be one of the RARE lucky ones. Just don't hold your breath.


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will not - not if you're competent. If you're incompetent they will fire you anyway
x
Need to finish...don't buy something like this until you're positive it's job you're goi
s
You're not a "new MT" if you have no training, you're not an MT at all. nm
x
I hear ya...

I'm new too and typing clinic notes only for an ortho clinic.  I have about 2 wks under my belt and what I found to be very helpful was that the QA person would point out to me some of the common phrases used by the different docs. He even made a list of terms the podiatry doc uses often.  There are a few new MTs on this account - perhaps that is why he made the list. Not everyone will have this resource, but you can slowly create one yourself.  I keep a notebook next to me and write down the phrases that I have gotten stuck on. 


I have found that going back and listening to the unclear parts after finishing the report helps, and sometimes I hold the ones with blanks in them until I am done the batch for that particular dictator. I then go back and by that time, my ears and brain have adjusted to that person's style and I can hear things I did not hear.  I am lucky that out of the 6 or 7 dictators, only one is ESL and I have gotten used to the regional accent of the other one that was hard at first to figure out. 


Good luck. I don't know what is expected of newbies, and I would bet that it differs from place to place.  It can be overwhelming at first getting up to speed.  My first few days were simply awful. I am sure if you work hard and get good QA feedback, you will find that you get used to the account and your blanks will go down quite a bit. 


Hear! Hear!
MRS is absolutely right. Anyone offering to perform skilled work for free undermines the economic base of the whole profession.

Please reconsider, if not for the sake of the rest of us, then for your own sake. There are any number of unscrupulous people who would be happy to take you up on your offer and string you along at no or very low pay for a long, long time.

If you have received a good MT education, with a little time and effort invested in the job search, you WILL find paid employment. It seems hopeless when first attempts meet with rejection, but good training and persistence will pay off. You do not have to work for nothing.
Sorry to hear that
Sorry to hear that. I personally would not all the negativity get you down. I think they just are unhappy and are just trying to share their sorrow.

Good luck in what you decide to do.
I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but here goes...
I only hire new grads from M-TEC, Andrews, and Career Step (sometimes). Of those grads I've hired, they were ready to hit the ground running even without experience. Granted, they made mistakes and were not as good as someone with years of experience, but they definitely heard more than 3 or 4 words out of each sentence.

You probably don't want to hear this, but you likely received an inferior MT education, and that is going to hold you back from being successful. If you are truly driven to succeed in this business and want to treat it like the career it is, your best bet is to get a better education. I know M-Tec has a course (by the way, it's "course," not "coarse") for people with prior medical knowledge, and maybe one of the other AAMT-approved schools do as well. If money is a concern, I also know there are payment plans and loans available.

I strongly urge you to look into more education before trying another MT job. The path you are currently on is designed for failure.

Anybody ever hear of TTS, LLC
Are they a good company to work for?
Sorry to hear that

The lack of new MTs to fill the shoes of those who leave will cause companies to continue to look for oversea's MT's. This will probably continue to make the wages drop for those still trying to thrive on a MTs pay. As for me, My degree was obtained through the University system, why would I pay 4,000 more for one online. It makes no sense. Good luck to you all ...I hope things work out well for you ..as they evetually will for me.


I hear ya...

I actually researched this profession for a few months before actually taking the plunge into extra school.  I have an extensive medical background.  But I started by calling different hospitals, transcription companies, etc, around the state that I live in.  They all told me the same thing, experience, experience, experience.  So I asked them what would make me hire-able without experience.  A few of them gave me names of medical transcription schools that they would waive the requirement for.  I followed up and am now extremely happy with my choice. Being a lurker here, I know that many people who are extremely bright and smart cannot get hired because of lack of a certain certificate from only certain schools, which I think is crazy to limit the hiring process based on that only.  BUT what matters at the end of the day is who signs your paycheck.  So instead of standing on my soapbox and shouting all that is wrong, I bit the bullet and enrolled.  I am only a few weeks away from graduation and every graduate from my school has been able to find a quality job in a matter of days or a couple of weeks. 


I hear you!
Were we separated at birth or what?!?  I used the word "pest" when I emailed my mentor last night!
I hear you.
Good luck to you.. I am a new graduate with one year experience.. and finding NO luck... I always wonder how the people in this field break in.. and I think the only answer I've found is persistence... majorly.. hopefully before long we'll both find our way in.
When you don't hear from QA anymore nm
//
Same here. Took me two weeks to hear anything
I still work there today. Just took a little while to get things sorted out, I guess. Call them! What will it hurt?
Also still waiting to hear...
I sent my assessments back on Friday the 28th and haven't heard anything yet. They were very quick to reply after I sent my resume and sample transcription. I was hoping to hear something soon, but I'm sure they have tons of people to sort through.
Now that's good to hear!

As in any profession, you will come across people that feel they are greater than thou.  You've made the right choice.  Now, take that education and go with it!  What I have found is that it is not so much being corrected by QA, it is the manner in which it is done.  I always felt I'll take all of the advice I can get, but only use what I need, and let the worthless advice come in one ear and out of the other!  TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS!  When it is all said and done, you are helping people even if it is behind the scenes.  Proper documentation to a caregiver means the world and do not ever forget that! 


So sorry to hear about your husband.
Have you tried your local hospitals or do you need to work from home? That would be one of my suggestions since it sounds like you are not a newbie. That is how I got my job. I had gotten several calls from potential employers here, but only one solid offer. Unfortunately, it came after I started the job I have now.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
I hear you, Sasha!!
I have had the same issue.  I graduated in November from one of the top 3 schools, only to find the same thing as you - testing with so many companies I have to keep a log to keep them straight, no responses from e-mails, "we'll be hiring in a few weeks" responses, "you need 2 years of experience", etc.  I graduated with a 95% average and thought I would get a much warmer response than I have.  Granted, the economy does affect some, but I would not think it would affect all.  I landed a phone interview with a national, but the message boards are making me a little paranoid about even thinking about it.  I'm in the same boat as you, Sasha!!
Thank you! I am so glad to hear
that using the pinkie to shift will not interfere with the program.
You're new and you're already frustrated?
You better find a new profession because doctors have always been lousy dictators and they always will be. It comes with the job. Nobody will ever say anything to the doctors about lousy dictating. They bring in the money to the hospitals. They can do anything they want. Get used to it.
Hear ya loud and clear!!
I am also having trouble getting my foot in the door anywhere. Frankly, my toes are a little sore!
Sorry to hear that. I hope you can find one
x
I'll believe it when I hear from others getting their money.
nm
When you hear "big 3" in that post sm
it has to be Career Step - Andrews and M-Tec students identify their schools.  As I have said forever, CS students have a harder time.
Gotta know your stuff or you'll have to look up everything you hear. Must
s
Sorry to hear about your lost business. We aren't seeing that.
I'm seeing more business than ever before. I hope yours will pick up. Don't get discouraged.
But didn't you hear? Goji got her refund!
Yeah, I ALMOST believe it!


Anyone hear of TTS? (Transcription, Technology, and Support
I have been offered a job with TTS and can't find any info on them. They are located in New Hampshire. They had  a job posting on the job seekers board here so I was hoping somebody had some information. Thank you!
Glad to hear such good news!
I am happy for you and your family, and I hope he continues to improve.
As you'll hear 1000 times, there IS no school that SM

can offer an MT certificate. You have to take the test through AAMT.


Also, what offices and hospitals want? A person who can sit down and do their work without a lot of discussion or BS. Just get the work out, make it correct. I was in a hiring position for several years at the largest hospital in my state. I didn't care about certification. I cared about test performance.


Of course a CMT behind your name means A LOT. That test is very difficult and, for the most part, if you have passed that test, no more discussion is necessary.



You will hear responses from both ends of the spectrum and everything in between on these boards. (s
Personally, I LOVE MT. I went to The School That Dare Not Speak Its Name (not one of the "big three") and I had a job before I finished my course. I have had plenty of work since then working for a local service.

I only work about six hours a day. I could work more if I wanted, but I have children and would like to spend my time with them. I make about $1500 a month, which was what I needed to make to supplement our income.

You will read here about people who say they make $60K a year, and you will read here about people who swear they have no work and that the end of the world is nigh. Take it all with a grain of salt.

For what it's worth, I love what I do. I spent six years in college getting a BS and an MA, and I will never use them again... I love MT! Good luck, and feel free to email me if you like. I think you'll be just fine.
It makes me livid to hear the line of BS these schools are handing out-
such a disservice. Why are they misrepresenting what remains of the MT field? Cha-ching!
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.
Just type what you hear. Lots of things are repeated in differnent notes.
s
I never hear of those who attended decent schools unable to find work
You can pay now or later.  I had job offers with every company I tested with when I graduated from M-TEC, which was more than 8 years ago.  I have worked from home since day 1 doing both clinics and mostly acute care.  I do not know of anyone who graduated with me who has ever had problems finding a job.  Employers are catching on as to which schools offer enough training so that the grads actually have some experience under their belt or are worth bringing up to speed.  I also did not have to start out at 6 cents a line.  That is absolutely insane.
You're not alone!
I'm so with you!  After my recent work shifts I am more convinced than ever of the need to find something less stressful than nursing. I love the medical field but I really can't continue to endure the nursing world. It's going to hell-in-a-handbasket and I'm sure you know what I mean. I hurt my back last nite responding to a seizure! The guy was in a pool of blood and cyanotic. Found out later he's Hep C+. Great...and now my back is tweaked. Keep me posted on your plans!
You're welcome, Dee
I'm glad I was of help to you.  :-)  Good luck with your endeavour! 
but you're not getting it!...sm

Oh, just relax...Of course I want MT's with experience - and as long as there continues to be MT's with experience that want work at a certain rate, they will be hired in front of a newbie. In the work place it is all about what the market will bear. Nursing shortage? Nurse pay goes up. Until Filipino nurses flood the market. Then nurse pay goes down (just as an example). All I'm saying is as long as there are experienced MT's who are willing to work for 6-7 cpl (and I get plenty of them asking for work all the time at that rate), then a newbie can't be worth the same. It's all about what the market will bear. Therefore, you have to give the employer something to make hiring you more attractive than the next person....which is what? I'm always surprised that a newbie doesn't take an internship or something- whatever it takes- to get that experience. Without the experience, your chances of being hired go waaaaaay down.


My own suspicion is that it's the MT schools who keep telling newbies to go out and try to get jobs at 6 cpl - sometimes I even get resumes asking for 8 or 10! If the MT schools were honest about how difficult it was to break into the field - would people sign up and pay the money? No. But they take the money, train 'em and don't tell them that training isn't enough. Then the boards are full of postings from newbies complaining about how hard it is to break into the field. Well, for crying out loud - I would rather work for free for six months and then be marketable than to get 0 work at 6 cpl for years and years, holding out for that one chance in a thousand that someone would be willing to take me on


 


 


You're probably right lol...
I guess I should have said "Someone who knows what the heck they are doing." Or I could use a name of a great MT, but she'd probably hurt me for putting her in this conversation.
So you're saying..
...that I can't go and apply to a GI Clinic to perform colonoscopies since I know them in and out (pun intended)? That's not very encouraging.


Geesh Kat. You're a big meanie, but boy that was easy to have someone else prove your point for you.

The above posters who can't find a job did it for me, as well as the smart one who said if she could do it over she would go to SCHOOL.

I guess our work here is done.
You're Welcome - nm

You're certainly welcome.
I have trained a few MTs in the past myself, and made friends with all of them and still keep in touch. Which is why it makes me really angry to see scam artists try and take advantages of "newbies."
You're right

And I recognize that.  However, when my employer reviewed my first few batches of reports, he was quite impressed and surprised at the quality given that I was just getting started. 


So, I ask again- what is it that makes AHP an inferior education to other schools like Andrews and M-Tec?  Do they not provide enough anatomy/medical terminology instruction? Are they deficient in practice report experience? 


The only thing I felt under-prepared for was how quickly the doctor's dictate in real life versus what I was used to in practicing.  Other than that, doing real transcribing was actually easier than the practice tapes I was doing because AHP uses a good deal of difficult foreign accents on their practice tapes.  The account that I work on now has no foreign doctors (which is probably unusual), but some of them are ridiculously fast and incoherent. 


I'm really not trying to stir up anything here or argue that anyone is wrong.  I truly am just curious to know why AHP is not a good school.  I have many people ask me about what I do and where I got my training, and when I tell them that I've read online that the quality of an AHP education is questionable, I have no reason to give.  Thanks!


You're not alone...
I graduated from Penn Foster with a 95% and have run into the same situation. I did find out I passed the test given by one national company, and now I'm on a waiting list for additional, unpaid training.

Hopefully this is just a slow time of year and things will work out for all of us! javascript:editor_insertHTML('text','');
You're not alone...
I graduated about a month ago and haven't been able to find a job yet either. The biggest hurdle has been trying to find a company willing to hire a "newbie". I've passed tests, then been turned down because I don't have two years of experience.

Let's just hope the economy improves soon and more jobs become available for new graduates.


If you're just learning...
Why are you giving advice?

You're just beginning training. Where have you had marketing experience?

Also #1 priority in transcription and "landing" a job, be able to spell.
You're kind!
appreciate the support ... this is harder than i ever imagined it would be (as a seasoned clerical for many, many years). i don't see how any of you make a living at this.
though i was told it was hard before i started, i didn't believe it could be that hard. famous last words!

surprisingly, most of my challenges come from the simpler things like hearing "a" instead of "the" (or where there isn't either).

how on earth did you get through this? my hat's off to all of you seasoned MTs.
you're doing it correctly *the pt* until they..sm

tell you differently.  I have a surgeon who gave me lip about it, until I gave him specific copies of the HIPAA laws and showed him that not only was I protecting myself but I was also protecting him from any future lawsuit.


The thing is this....many medical records are used as examples in studies..., blind studies, and the like.  In today's world, as long as no patient name is mentioned in the medical record, well that record could be used in a study.  If the patient's name is mentioned in body of report, the people conducting the study(ies) CAN be sued down the road for exposing a patient name......being possibly sued by the patient whose name was exposed.


There usually is a method to most madness.....*lol*


You're absolutely right!
I think it really depends on the individual.
you're the one who is unrealistic...
you've got to be kidding. To see the technology changes and all the forces aligned and to think American MT field will survive? What do you do, sitting around watching American Idol all night? You are sadly out of touch with reality, though not my desire to inform you. I was simply sharing experience with newbies. You the one who judged me as negative, pessimistic and toxic. That's like telling the doctor who diagnosed you with cancer that he is negative, pessimistic and toxic. For Pete's sake, Heartland just completely 100% outsourced to India and Spheris has gone as VR as possible, except for the crappy ESL dictators...but no, outsourcing and computer technology aren't a serious threat to the field. Tell that to the folks on the company board, why doncha?
You're confused? (sm)
I didn't make sense? Someone is posting using the name I always use. But I'm not really sure how to write for the 2nd grade level, which is obviously what would make sense to you.

If I didn't make sense, perhaps you need to learn to read something other than board books.