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You CAN get a job at home, right out of school, but it has to be a GOOD school.

Posted By: deb on 2007-09-11
In Reply to: at-home professions - Lisa

You should enroll in Andrews School or M-TEC. I know you don't want to spend more money, but at least you WILL be able to get a job. If you thought At Home Professions was a good course, you will be totally amazed at what you DIDN'T learn in that course that you WILL learn at the two good schools. There is no "required" curriculum for MT, anybody can open up a school, charge what they want, and teach what they want. Companies will waive the 2-years' experience requirement for graduates of Andrews School and M-TEC, but NOT for the other schools.


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Allied is no better than At Home Professions or Penn Foster. Not a good school. NM
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Good school
A really good course that is taught online is Janet Stiles electronically taught transcription. You can get more info at www.settinc.com
Yes, you need a GOOD school ...
the one you went to is considered a "matchbook" school. Many companies will not even let you take their test if they know you went to that school, because you were not taught the stuff you need in order to pass tests.

I recommend Andrews or M-TEC.

Good luck.
Any good school?
I was wondering whether you could recommend any good schools for coding. At this point I am looking into changing careers after being an MT for 22 years.

The handwriting is on the wall and it is time to get out of this business.

I appreciate any info.
Looking for a good school?
I just send info to your email.
Good school
I studied with the US Career
Istitute. It is a good program, kind of expensive, but they let you sign up for just $5 and pay some each month instead of all up front. The staff is teriffic about helping students.
How to identify a good MT school?

I am considering taking a course through a 4 year college near me.  It is done online using Gatlin Education Services.   Does anyone have experience with this?  Is there a way to determine if a school is a good one or not?


TIA!


Is future MT a good school?
I have put out my resume out to a couple of places but because I don't have any training I have been recommended to this school.

Thanks for your input. I love my job but would like to spend time with my baby at home and my husband works shiftwork so I would also like to spend time with him.
Your school can really help you if they have a good reputation.
If they don't have a good reputation, you've got a problem. Graduates of some of the schools are just not having the problems that some of the others are. Where you get your training matters because some schools don't know anything about medical transcription.
Not a good school. They don't teach
you enough, and most companies know it and will not let you take their employment test, because they know you probably can't pass it. Definitely a waste of money.

Check out Andrews School or M-Tec. You will definitely be glad you did.
If you school was any good, they should help you find a job. nm
x
Canscribe is a good school - associated with
x
Try a good online school -
I graduated from M-Tec in 2001, had numerous offers to test before my actual graduation, passed all the tests I took (I believe it was 4),and had a job before I even had my diploma in my hand. I have been happily employed at home doing acute care ever since! Check them out! :-)
Choose a good school!
M-TEC or Andrews. Then follow their program to the letter!!! Best of luck!
Unfortunately, it's not just a matter of whether a school is good or not.
If you want to work online, from home, most places will only waive the 2-year experience requirement for grads of Andrews, M-Tec, and Career Step. Even a wonderful, fantastic community college course, if not recognized by national employers, won't get you a job. All you will keep hearing is that they "don't hire newbies" and "require 2 years' experience" which is actually not true because they DO test AND hire grads straight from the above three schools without experience.
They are not a good school; try Andrews or M-TEC
x
I Agree About a GOOD Online School
Unfortunately, a lot of companies look at where you went to school and not what you know.  Andrews and M-Tec are great schools and are popular, and a lot of companies want graduates from those 2 schools.  I went with EvCC and received a great education but no one wanted to give me a chance because the school's not well known.  Finally, 2 places did and they realized that I know my stuff and am a hard worker.  If you're going to spend the extra money, Andrews and M-Tec are both promising. 
Is Penn Foster a good school?
I completed MT course at Penn Foster Career School and I'm having trouble finding my first job. Has anyone had experience with this school?
Career Step is also a very good school. I took their course years ago
and have been an MT for 6 years now.
A really good school won't need to have "specials" to reel in students.
Sometimes they even have a waiting list, despite being more expensive. It's because they are so much better. You get what you pay for. Check out all the desperate posts on this and other MT boards of people who saved money by choosing cheaper courses and now can't get a job.
Penn Foster isn't a good school/program. I would
suggest finding a mentoring program of find an in-house position. 
Agree with an outside school, but I went to a business & tech school. Great experience, better
s
If you have a good MT education, work from home. Besides
There's not much help going on at hospitals and clinics these days. At least the national services have someone assigned to help you if you need help from home. I wish they had done that when I was just starting out years ago.

If you have already done the right thing and you have a good MT education, go for the work-at-home job. Good luck with your new career!

If you didn't get a good education, neither on site nor at-home jobs are going to make a difference. Just go get a good education and make things easier on yourself and your potenetial employers.
Unless you can work in-house somewhere, I feel the at-home MT who can make good money is a
s
School?

Has anyone graduated from Thomson Education Direct and got hired anywhere?


Just wondering about choosing the right school for medical transcription course.


MT school
I attend the Andrews School. It has a very good reputation among national services--some will even waive the minimum 2-year experience requirement and allow you to test for them if you are an Andrews graduate. I have heard good things about M-Tec as well. I would suggest that you contact hospitals, nationals, etc. that you might want to work for and ask them which schools they suggest as far as turning out job-ready graduates. Good luck!
$ for MT school
No, I don't. We have debt out of our ears but you can make payments or charge it or whatever it takes. I've always had to spend money to make money. I just want to make sure I can make it back fairly soon. When I do the math it seems like you have to be pretty darn fast at transcription to earn a living. I admire the people out there doing it!
School and $$$
Hey, sorry about your ankle. Sounds like this could be a perfect time to study for MT. I'm sure I saw scholarship information that was based on financial need on one of the "3" schools...Andrews, MTEC or Career Step. Go to their websites and see! All the best to you! 
What to look for in a school
There are three things to look at in choosing a school and neither of them is money.

The first is whether national services already hire their grads and keep them longer than 6 months.

The second is what percentage of the grads score adequately on the employer's test.

The third is how many students complete the course with a grade of 95% or better on the first try.

Even if an employer is willing to hire from a school, if few grads pass his test and qualify to be hired, then the school isn't so hot. If the employer hires, but the grads can't keep the job for even 6 months, then the school isn't so hot. If the school has a high drop-out rate and many students (sometimes "most") don't make it to graduation, then the school isn't so hot. If it takes students several tries to pass, then the school isn't so hot.

You can see that just examining whether an employer will hire a grad isn't such a good measure. You also have to look at how many students get to graduation, how they got there, how many of them passed the test, and how many of those didn't get fired or quit in frustration.

You want a school whose grads are almost uniformly hired by nationals and which graduates nearly all students (all have drops, but you want a low level of those) on the first try.

Considering all that, you have two options: M-Tec and Andrews. And Andrews has a pre-admission test you'll need to pass to get in.

In your case, you should not go for a school which will allow you to skip any courses. You don't know anatomy and terminology like you'll need it for MT--what you know is what you need for billing, and that is different. Unless you hold a PhD in anatomy, you need to refresh your memory. Any school that lets you get away with not doing that does not have your best interests in mind.


School
I recently graduated from Thomson Education Direct. Recently changed to Penn Foster.... I made 49.00 month payments with no interest. Is a good school!
yes, I'm still in school ..... nm
zz
Still in school????
I assumed from your post you were a recent graduate.
school
I agree.....Accept a challenge to succeed.
School
Education Direct,,,now called Penn Foster.
Great School!
School
HHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMM! I just graduated and landed a job within one week.!!!!
School
Are you stocking me? Your a stress ball!
Is school a must?
I have been an administrative assistant for 8 + years and I will be graduating from my Medical Office Specialist/Billing and Coding class in May. Do I absolutely have to go to school to become an MT or can I just test to get a job? Any responses will be greatly appreciated.

Shona`
re: Is school a must?
Yes! Have you mastered anatomy and physiology? Do you know pharmacology? Can you know medical abbreviations? Can you decipher various dialects of providers well enough to produce a medicolegal document? How about the body systems, brain functioning, neurology, endocrinology, cardiology, orthopedics, pulmonology, etc., operative techniques? Medical terminology of all the above specialities, plus more, then if your answer is yes, then test away. Transcription is a labor intensive occupation that requires medical knowledge, dedication, and accuracy.
Is school a must?
If you are really good at learning from a book and feel like you lack experience in just a few areas, then study that way. I got a little training but mostly I was self taught. I knew what I wanted and studied from books and listened to any dictations I could find. The hardest part is getting your foot in the door. I put applications in everywhere and was lucky to have a small MTSO let me show them what I was capable of though. If you have the extra money for the schooling, then go for it. I dont believe that it's a must though.

Good luck!
What school did you go to?
They should be able to help you, if the school was any good. If not, then you need more education from a better school.
school
I graduated from Career Step recently and I felt they thoroughly educated me on just about everything i needed to know. I took the online course and it took me about 9 months to finish.
School
NC Newbie -- what school did you attend? I assume you're from North Carolina, and so am I. Since I have done acute medical transcription years ago, I am in the process of trying to find a school for refresher courses. A lot of medical stays the same, but there are a lot of new procedures, drugs, etc.
Perhaps your school? (sm)
I would first check with your school for assistance. Many schools will offer some type of program to help get you pointed in the right direction.

If you went to one of the top three I know for sure that they offer assistance in this area.
Get your school to help you.
Your school knows which ones of the employers really like graduates of the school you attended. They know where they have been successful. If they have no employers clamoring to hire their graduates, you've got a problem. That means the employers have seen what their graduates can do and they don't like it.

Then you may have to work in a doctor's office. The pay isn't good, there are rarely opportunities for pay increases, but at least it's something.

I hope the first scenario describes you. Good luck with your new career!
The School you went to?
Career Step. I've heard of this school before, but like you I am still in the researching process for the best place to take the on-line course. How expensive was this course? Can you email me your answer. Thanks
My email address is: louisem@cinci.rr.com

Thanks again. Awaiting your response.
Where did you go to school?
Many comapnies will waive that 2-year requirement if you attended a school with a solid reputation of producing work-ready grads. Again, you get what you pay for.
school
I wouldn't go by one person's opinion.  I am going through that program and I think it is good.  It is very detailed and they teach about everything. They didn't even say what they sent the 14yr old there for anyway, maybe that particular course was bad.
The best school for you
In the MT world you will hear people talk about the Top Three. That would be Andrews, MTec, and Career Step. These are all good. The best school is the one that is going to be the most comfortable fit for you, and you will find that out by visiting their websites and forums. Like everything else in life, cost may be the determining factor. All three of these "top three" schools are good and their courses are very comprehensive, so you will have tons of work to do whichever one you choose. Be sure to choose a program which will help you find a job. It is surprising how many people enroll in courses which do not offer them any assistance at all. Courses also vary in length and instructional methods, so you'll have to decide how much time you can spend studying each day. Good luck!
Best school
A good school to look at is Janet Stiles electronically taught transcription. You can get more info at www.settinc.com
Best school
I took Career Step and it was great. I graduated within 7 months with high honors and I got a job in less than a week. If you go directly through careerstep.com you will only pay about $1350. Yeah, it sounds like a lot of money, but it's not when you actually see how much experience you get from just taking the course. I got a job that was looking for 2 years of experience.
Anyone know anything about CAI School?...sm

I have a friend who is finishing up the course and wondering if anyone here has graduated from this school. I don't really see anything here about them.


TIA!