You're already ahead of the pack by knowing that you will not be prepared.
Posted By: sm on 2006-03-09
In Reply to: thanks - porr
Unfortunately, far too many students coming out of some programs think that they will be prepared and that the experienced transcriptionists here are just trying to rain on their parade, which isn't true. We speak from experience, something those new students don't have, and some of us are in the position to see what kind of students programs turn out.
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I know many who are doing very well, but they were well prepared
They didn't get into it until they had a good education and they were ready. That often, but not always, makes the difference. Too many people got into the field years ago when you sort of "fell" into it by accident. No training. No education. No idea of how to do a good job. If the boss accepted what we did, it was good enough. That's not good enough these days, so quite a few of the people who worked that way got left behind. That's my opinion from what I've seen over the years. Also, you can't necessarily believe people when they say how good they are at transcription. People I know and like very much have a greatly overrated idea of how good their work is. Just because some employer has accepted it for years doesn't mean any other employer would. That's a big problem when people with poor work skills, doing a poor job for 15 or 20 years have to get a new job when the old boss retires or the hospital outsources. I'll stop here.
But someone who is prepared to (sm)
to transcribe medical transcription has taken a lot more than 2 courses - do you mean courses or in-depth programs that includes biology, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology I and II, and multiple English classes (writing composition, grammar and punctuation, and spelling).
On top of that, a good school will actually put it all together and give you experience with actual transcription, but not until all the above building blocks have been conquered.
If you haven't had all this from a reputable school, you have not yet begun to fight.
Be prepared for QA.
It sounds like you are touchy about advice, even when you ask for it.
You will be prepared if you go to M-TEC! sm
I had no problem passing tests when I graduated. I have been working from home doing acute care work for 9 years now. Best of luck to you. 
No, I did not feel as prepared as I could have been. See message.
I have been working as an MT for a little over 4 years. I am a CS graduate, and if I had it to do over, I'd choose Andrews School or M-TEC.
Almost all of the books you receive from CS are written by the lady who started the school. The other 2 schools use real reference books that contain a LOT more. That's one reason the other 2 cost more. Since graduating, I have purchased quite a few of the textbooks used by Andrews and M-TEC, and have improved my education significantly.
Also, the other 2 schools have real instructors who go over your work and point out errors, and help you along. At CS, your work is "automatically compared" against the same report done at some unknown time and place by some unknown MT, who may or may not have done it correctly. All you get is a comparison between the two, it only shows the differences, like holding two pieces of paper up to the light to see if everything matches. Whenever there are differences, it's up to YOU to figure out which one is correct. The only time a real person actually looks over your work is when you take your final exam (which over 50% of students fail the first time they take it, and that statement comes directly from CS itself, not from me).
Yes, I did get a work-at-home job after graduating from CS. But I feel my first year of work was a lot harder, I spent a lot more time looking things up, there were a lot of things I would have learned at Andrews or M-Tec that I didn't learn at CS.
If you are inadequately prepared, you will be toast. My business is growing.
Please don't put us all in the same box with you. Some of us have nothing to complain about. We're doing well.
You may not like that. It may not make you happy. That doesn't make it any less true. Go ahead and wish the worst for others if it makes you feel better about losing your accounts, but you may have lost them because you aren't very good at what you do.
Let me just go ahead and ask you straight out then...
What are the start up fees for Proficient Transcription and what do they cover? Be honest now!
Looks like I have some practice ahead of me...
Ok... it's 'get,' not 'bet,' that's supposed to be in my last post. Practice makes perfect. :) And yes, sometimes I do get a little particular!!!
You need to plan ahead and
devise a pattern for creating shortcuts so that they are easy to remember. If you just create random shortcuts with no pattern whenever you encounter a phrase you want to shorten, you will find that you forget the shortcuts for words and phrases that you do not hear or type frequently. It will need to be something meaningful and easy to remember. For example, I try to use the first two letters of each word in a phrase for short phrases, just the first letter of each word for longer phrases, and the first two letters of individual words that occur frequently. You will also need to make sure that the shortcut you create doesn't accidentally spell a real word, which could create complications. It takes some time to create the shortcuts and some more time to get into the habit of remembering and using them, but before long they become second nature.
You have a great future ahead of you!
.
HARD GETTING FIRST JOB, NO WONDER INDIA IS AHEAD OF US!!!!!
I finally got my first job for 6 cents a line. I found the job myself. Keep looking around and do not give up. I encountered a lot of road blocks. Everyone basically cares out themselves. Sad to say, but the majority of Americans do not care about teamwork, and helping others. That is why India and other countries are ahead of us MTs and many other professions. TEAMWORK 
you are ahead of the game by inquiring in advance
a lot of posts on these boards indicate people might be given false promises about jobs when the graduate. Just scroll down and read some of the posts. It is very sad. There are a few companies that are supposed to be good. I graduated 15 years ago from a business college that is no longer in business. Be careful with the short six week courses. Do not be mistaken, this is a very hard field to get into, but if you can it is very worthwhile. Be persistent but do not get taken by some of these on-line courses. Good Luck!!!
India is hardly ahead of us. I have posted this several times now.
MTs required to do the same amount of work. Do you call that being ahead of us? I don't think so. The only reason there are a lot more Indian MTs, or from other countries for that matter is because it's about a 3 to 1 ratio. Yes, there is a lot of dictation going overseas, but keep in mind that the quality coming back is very poor and requires American editors to clean up the mess, which equals jobs to Americans.
Trans Am isn't a BAD company, it's a RIP OFF. Don't believe folks? Go ahead and find out.
x
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
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.
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.
Can I ask what state you're in? nm
nm
They're Junk
Look here in the Classifieds or somewhere like Transcription Gear.
Oops. How about you're or you are NOT your
Bad!!!!
If you're already in an MT program, then do get it and
s
I'm sorry you're having so much trouble
I know it is hard. It took me a while to find work after I graduated. The only thing that saved me is I had a great paying job as a legal secretary so I could afford to wait. Have you tried applying to Spheris. I know I've said this in numerous posts, but have you tried local MTSO or local doctors' offices. I started out with small local MTSO as an IC and now work for a local doctor's office regularly transcribing for 4 doctors and 1 NP. If you want to work for the big Nationals, this may help get experience.
If I understand what you're asking...
It is mostly editing VR, but there is some straight transcription as well.
You're too funny....
I do not work for any school, nor did I ever claim to. I am an MT and have been for a long time. You can say what you like about this school or that school, but the truth is there are many routes to success in this industry. Why don't you put up a survey on the Main Board and ask what school, if any, the MTs here graduated from. I think majority will tell you they did not complete a program through one of the "top 3."
And here is a little splash to cool you down since you become so hot over outside opinion: .
Obviously you're not going to believe anybody unless they say what you want to hear.
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.
Yes, and they're great.
Pay always on time. Great counts. Always good communication.
Training can be tough because QA's pretty tight, but if you make it through it...wonderful place to work for.
You're wrong
This is VOICE RECOGNITION work so you really should learn to read. (let me know if you don't know what voice recognition means.) I have been in the transcription business for a very long time and absolutely know your type which is why I declined to put our company's name. We are actually offering a fantastic internship which many people are required to do. Personally I absolutely love to help people get into the transcription business and love to train as I know how hard it can be to get your foot in the door. However, I absolutely detest people who have no idea what they are talking about make it seem like everyone is out to do something that is shady or unethical.
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.
You're asking the right questions.
You're asking the right questions.
Some schools start a lot of students, but have a high drop-out rate or they have a lot of students who can't pass the final. The observation about job-hopping in the first 2 years is on-target, too. Some schools graduates get jobs, but can't make it 90 days. One estimate was that 90% of one schools enrollees never graduate and of those who do, only one in ten will keep a job more than 90 days.
You might ask your question over on www.mtchat.com. A lot of Andrews grads hang out there.
The reason you don't hear much about their grads may be that there isn't a lot of job-finding upset among them. In other words, they don't post about how much trouble they have finding jobs because they aren't having trouble. You can only post "I got a job!" once, after all. Any more than that and it sounds like gloating.
They typically get acute-care jobs, often with several offers, at good rates of pay and get up to speed quickly, staying in the same job long-term. The M-Tec experience seems similar.
Maybe they're getting desperate because MTs
are realizing having your CMT is worthless & a waste of money. Not to mention, MTs are purposely not getting their CMT because they feel AHDI/AAMT has sold us out by pushing for the offshoring of our jobs.
PMS-ing --- you're one lucky newbie!!!
May I know what company are you working with? Thanks.
You're blessed! Take it and be thankful. nm
b
You're wrong, there was nuttin' in there about only new MT's...sm
this is a discussion board. The first post, if you remember, was something like an "open letter to newbies." That means it went to all newbies not just one. And I think the questions were **hypothetical**? I mean, come on, do you think someone is going to sit there and really think about "why would I apply for a job when I don't have the equipment?...hmmmm." I think the MTSO was just frustrated at having to weed through some poor applicants. Too bad. If people really want to be MT's as badly as they post on this forum, you would think they would put a little more effort into the application?
That's part of what you're being tested for
Your tests are not just about getting the right words in the right places. You're also being tested on how to use your reference materials, not on how other people do it. Tests are to find out what you know, not what other people know. The goal is an education for you, not to test people who are already employed.
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