Re: was this a good idea

• WAS THIS A GOOD IDEA? - kimmy
  • Re: was this a good idea - IMHO
  • Industry certainly isn't the same anymore - sm - Old MT
  • transcription - stephanie

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I hadn't thought of working on preparing and learning an expander.  I don't actually use one right now.  Is there one Expander program that will work in all programs/platforms?   Just wondering.

Thanks for the suggestion.  I think that is a pretty good.

Thank you for the suggestion. I'll go ahead  and ask the school and see what help they can provide.

I know this is far fetched, but this is the first thing that came to my mind.  What if you are transcribing a report about a friend's or relative's significant other, and you see that they have an STD such as HIV that your friend/relative is not aware of.   

Several years ago,I did what you are thinking of doing.  I have a good job with a high salary and good benefits, but my home needed quite a bit of work, I didn't want to take on debt to get the work done, and I also wanted to beef up my retirement savings as I am single and have only myself for support.  I heard about MT from someone whose relative was an MT and decided it sounded like just what I needed to make some extra money. 

I didn't have a clue about what constitutes good MT training, so I took the MT training courses offered by my local community college.  The medical terminology training was the only part of that program that was worth anything.  None of he practice transcription was real doctor dictation.  It was actors reading scripts.  Apparently, their MT program is similar to programs at other CCs and technical colleges, which may be why so many people who get training that way complain of having difficulty finding a job. 

I was very, very lucky.  My friend's MT relative turned out to be responsible for hiring MTs for the clinic she worked for.  My friend put me in touch with her MT relative, and I was hired with no experience.  I had to work very, very hard to make up for the deficiencies in my training, though I was fortunate to have a background in general transcription and a very good ear for transcription.  If I had not had the good fortune of an introduction, I think it would have been very, very difficult for me to find the first job with the poor training that I received.  I would certainly not have been able to find a job with one of the nationals. 

If I were looking for training today, and knowing what I know now about how hard medical transcription can be with inadequate training, from my personal perspective (you will want to do your own research to determine what is best for you), I would choose Andrews or M-Tec (often mentioned as the two best schools).  There are other good programs, and some community colleges and technical colleges do provide good training, but without knowing what good training is beforehand, it would be very difficult to judge a program's quality. 

With the experience I gained working for the local clinic, I was able to get a job with a small national that does clinic work when the first clinic I worked for transitioned to an electronic medical records system that does not require human transcriptionists.  I submitted at least fifty applications, from which I was offered six opportunities to test, and from those I received four job offers, three of which were untenable (one company turned out to have a bad reputation because of treating MTs badly, one company appeared to be hopelessly disorganized and was therefore not very appealing, and the third appeared to be managed by crazy people).  The offer I accepted has worked out well so far because I am working on the only specialty I have ever done.  I was not even invited to test with companies that do hospital transcription because I do not have either the necessary experience or suitable, recognized training. 

If you want to have the widest range of employment options, you will need good, comprehensive traning that is recognized as good training by employers.  If you think can get your foot in the door with a local clinic, it probably won't matter where you get your training.  If you want to have a chance at the widest range of available jobs, you will need training that employers recognize as good.  Otherwise, it might be difficult even to get an opportunity to test for a job and you might find your options very limited.

Good luck with your plan.  MT has worked out very well for me as a second job.  I hope your experience is good, too.

you can work at home right away; maybe 10 years ago, maybe even 5 years ago you could, but not now.   Did you check out MT before you took the class?  So many come here only after completing their schooling and most complain they can't get a job, but they didn't investigate it before starting and they are expecting to be working at home right out of school.  Some have taken programs through correspondance schools that were pretty worthless, again because they didn't investigate the schools or because one has a more affordable program. 

It doesn't matter what your grade is, whether your grade is 97% (which is not the same as GPA) or not.  If you went to one of the better recognized/accepted schools and then have that grade you might have better luck.

You need an eye for detail in this job and that will be helpful, but that is only a tiny portion of what an MT does.   I have been in this business 20 years and I learn new things all the time and I think most MTs with several years of experience will tell you the same thing.   I still have days where I spend up to 30 minutes researching something.  I still have days where I have to leave a blank because I can't document a piece of equipment or I just can't understand what the dictator is saying.   You have to be able to understand accents/dialects, be able to make out what the doctor is saying while they are dictating and eating an apple.   You need to be able to tell the difference between abduction and adduction because they pretty much sound the same most of the time.  You need to know that when a doctor spells a piece of equipment or a drug that you shouldn't take his word for it, investigate it yourself.  Doctors spell things wrong all the time.  You need to know when a doctor mispronounces a word - doctors all the time say "Perm a Cath" but it is PermCath.  All this comes with practice/experience, which you just don't have fresh out of school. 

I know I sound like it is hopeless and it isn't, but your expectations are probably unrealistic too.   Post your resume.  It doesn't cost anything and you never know what will come of it, but I would recommend you come to this board or the company board and ask about any company just to be sure they are legitimate.  

You could also contact local doctors.  Find a doctor in practice alone or maybe just 2 doctors.  Since you are only wanting to work PT and take care of your daughter you probably shouldn't take on anything more than that.  You will also have to look up lots of things to start with, which will slow you down.   

The internship I speak of is not the Jumpstart program but is a similar program.  I took part in a medical transcription course of study at a community college.  In order to obtain my diploma I must complete the internship.  I think it is a wonderful idea and provides experience, not to mention real world learning.  I didn't determine before I started how the clock hours necessary would be calculated.  I thought clock hours meant 8 hours per workday 5 days a week.  Wrong!  Lines typed are divided by 200 lph.  Yea, way longer than 120 actual clock hours!  That's okay but I wasn't given that information at the beginning which I think I should have been.

You learn things the hard way when you new and naive!!

My late Mother did the same thing.  We didn't do homeschooling, but she did it all and did it exceptionally well.  She was brilliant but never acted like it.  She was a taxi to more than the 6 kids in our family.  She taught piano, voice, directed the church choir, wrote plays (we were in them), was busy in RNC fund-raising, and on and on. 

We just called her "Mother."

So good luck to you.  It really warms my heart to hear stories like yours.  As for the MT thing, it sounds like you could teach yourself.  That's what I did.

Appy anywhere and everywhere.  There are a lot of companies who say they require at least 2 years experience, but you would be surprised at how many will give someone who has just graduated a chance.  If you pass their test they will hire you, 2 years or not.  I know from experience.  I graduated last year and I applied to every ad that had a 2 year minimum, before I graduated. I got hired 1 week before I graduated, and I have been working ever since.  Good Luck!     

I'm thinking of work from my house instead of the office, changing careers.

Knowing that pay=production can be a great motivator, especially if you are working for a company that provides consistent work flow and good HR relations.

Thanks for your input.

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! 

You can't give up hope if this is the field you want to work in.  I had been doing my job for 17 years and needed something new.  I did a lot of research and liked the opportunites that being an MT provided.  I'm sure it would not be for everybody, but I love what I do and have great docs to transcribe for.  Plus, perhaps more important, it is an ongoing learning process.  I like to stay challenged and this job certainly does that.  Good luck to you!! 

How do you determine what is a good reputable school and which one is a waste of money & time?

Thank you!

Does this line of work have a future?  Is it a good field to go into?  I welcome your opinions.