maybe a small local company
Posted By: SA on 2007-11-09
In Reply to: I need work!!! Please help!!!! - Amber Holt
might be worth a try. My first job was with a company like that. I did not have an MT course or experience. It was relatively boring transcription (mostly insurance exams, worker's comp exams - tons of neck and back sprains) but it was a start. I trained in their office for a week or so and then they let me do it at home. After a year or so I worked for another small company and started doing clinic and hospital work. So if there are any small companies like that still around... check it out.
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Have you tried local clinics or small MTSO's in your area?
That's how I got my first break. Good luck.
Have you tried local hospitals, doctors, small MTSO's
That's how I started out working for a very small local MTSO, then I went on to become an employee of a small local nephrology group where I still am today with great pay and benefits. I had no experience when I stated but the small MTSO decided to give me a chance. Don't give up.
Work for a small local and do PT for the nationals when I find a good one to stick with...sigh...nm
s
Work for Local Company
I work as an IC for a small local company at the moment.
I only wanted to work for a local company, not a large national. So... (sm)
I went to Google Local. Clicked on "find businesses". I then put in medical transcription in the "what" box and my City, State in the "where" box. I sent a resume and cover letter to every hit that looked good to me. I also went through the yellow pages and sent a resume and cover letter to every listing. I sent out more than 50 resumes.
I had about fifteen calls back. I had five offers. I accepted one. I have been getting calls ever since. In fact, I left my first position about three months after I got it in order to go to another company that was offering me more per line plus incentive. Yes, I accepted 7.5 cents from my first employer and she worked me to death and had some serious, shall we say, boundary issues. But I got my feet wet and in the door and was on to better things within months. I have been at my current position for about seven months, and it was a position I got based on yet another one of those resumes that had been received, kept on a desk somewhere, and acted upon months after I had sent them out.
One thing that no fewer than five of the fifteen callbacks said was that they were very impressed by my resume and my cover letter. One lady said that she was amazed by the number of people applying for jobs as medical language specialists who cannot even manage to put out a resume and cover letter that is free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. So, do a professional resume and cover letter and make sure it's PERFECT.
I love my job and feel very blessed that I never experienced some of the awful newbie troubles I have read about here. If you have any questions or anything, feel free to contact me off the list or reply here and I will get back to you ASAP.
Elle
Don't forget your local papers and local Temp. Agency or Manpower office. nm
s
Why not try local MTSO's or local doctors' offices
That's how I started out when I first became an MT. I found a very small local MTSO who gave me a chance and now I work for a local company and have been there for two years. It might be worth it to take a look. I basically trained at the MTSO's office for about a month so there was no testing involved at all. Just learning along the way. Good luck whatever you decide.
If you want to work local, take local course. Otherwise, online is the way to go.
Most msjor national MT companies will not be familiar with what kind of training you get locally, but they are familiar with Andrews and M-Tec training, and will waive the 2-year experience requirement for grads of those schools. A local hospital or doctor's office would be more familiar with a local MT training program than they would with national online MT schools.
The "expensive" online options really aren't all that expensive in the long run when you realize what an excellent education you get, not to mention help finding a job afterwards.
tsk tsk- small minds
I'm not trying to promote the Big 3 or Little 3. I'm talking about an economic change we are all currently dealing with.
I'm not attacking the Big 3. In fact, Career Step probably better represents the trend in terms of price of tuition. If they add Job Placement full time, they will be tough to beat.
Obviously, all companies are going to be squeezed because the consumer is being squeezed. Thus my prediction- just a prediction- and I'm not attacking the Big 3; I think tuitions will come down. AND I'll go further, I think job guarantees will become much more prevalent because this is what the consumer wants.
I know from dealing with MTs all day that I have to be very accurate as MTs naturally search out the smallest details, have to do that to be any good at the job. I wasn't the best MT. I'm better in management. So I try to be accurate so I don't get knit picked. The important messages can be lost by trivial criticism and small minds.
My prediction is not accurate in every sense. How can a prediction be entirely accurate? It's an educated guess. If I am right, we should start to see tuition prices falling. It will be so slow that we may not notice it. I'm guessing the consumer will demand lower prices as the economy continues to suffer.
I'm not criticizing Andrews or M-Tec. No need to beat on me again. I'm talking about something bigger than the Big 3. Banks failing, dollar dropping, oil going up, food going up, CC debt on the rise, savings down, real estate falling, record foreclosures, etc. This will all snowball over the next 2-3 years. Issues like these are interlinked with one affecting the other. The consumer will seek solutions. Schools will have to adapt to changing economic forces. We all will.
Peggy take a chance and say what you see happening! Offer something that will give us your insight. Students are a part of the cash strapped population and can use any insight they can get. Put a bunch of opinions together and we can better form our own bigger view.
SMALL MT COMPANIES
Hi,
Does anyone know of any small MT companies?
Thanks,
Newbie MT
Small claims court (sm)
You should be able to take her to small claims court. If you have proof that she owes you, it's a fairly straightforward process.
You shouldn't need a lawyer.
MT Moms w/small kids
Hi!
Yes, I just read through a lengthy thread that touched on MY question in a round about way, but... I was just curious what hours MT moms with small children work and (just as importantly) when do you sleep!?!?
I have no problem with daycare and I have family that would glady watch my 5 y/o but I choose to keep him home to save everyone trouble and myself money! He actually entertains himself quite well, better in fact than my husband when he's home during my work hours! 
I had considered working during the hours that my son is sleeping, but I don't see how that would work well, at least not for me. Even if I were to begin work at 8 PM and work until 3 or 4 AM, I would barely get to sleep before he wakes up, which is normally around 7:30. Three or four hours of sleep each night would get old QUICK, not to mention that by the time I begin work I would be tired and ready for bed and unable to think clearly, be productive, and would likely have trouble staying awake.
Right now, I'm working 32 hours per week with 2 half days and 3 split shifts and it seems to be working somewhat well... but can be rather hard to concentrate and be productive with the bustle of spring and summer daytime activities around the house with a 5 y/o.
Although a lengthy post, my question was simple: what work hours and sleep hours have you MT moms of small children come up with that works for you? And sure, any advice or tips would be appreciated as well. 
The fee (very small) is for their watching all of your work and
Honestly, the MT education programs are horrible. They should be providing this but they don't.
No one is going to spend their time/effort looking over a newbie's work, giving them constant feedback, etc., without charging some type of fee.
I wouldn't do it.
Small Service transcriptionists in Birmingham, Al
Does anyone knows of a small service transcription service in Birmingham, Al? I'm about to graduate and will hopefully be able to get on with a transcription service?
Yeah, I know what you mean. I tried to do it all for years with small kids,
schooling, learning a new job, handling the household and finances. Something's going to suffer, and most likely, EVERYTHING will suffer. We can't do it all by ourselves and we shouldn't be expected to. Unfortunately, smacking someone upside the head with a 2x4 is considered assault, but smacking them upside the head with a legal document outlining child support amounts and visitation requirements is quite effective.
I work for a small MTSO. They aren't hiring - sm
I've been with them for years, and they still have the same group of 10-12 MTs. Very steady, but they rarely hire new people.
There are small-sized medical dictionaries, too, instead of the huge
s
Just highlight and hit that combo of keys again to make it all small letters. nm
m
Didn't she sell it, or just your company to an offshore company. The woman
has a screw loose.
No, the woman who owns this company can't transcribe herself, much less run a company.
kk
Any company that charges anything to work is not a reputable company. However,
if a company offers a job and requires that you have a certain pedal and offers to provide it and then take it out of say your first paycheck or couple of paychecks, then that is acceptable.
My belief is that companies that charge you for software or anything else is trying to make money off of you.
While $11.95 isn't much, figure that amount times 10 or 20 or 100 and what do you come up with? Smells like a scam to me.
company was sold so they have no company to hire you after graduation!
They are not a reputable school and I went there so I should know. Even when they did have Trans. Relief Services they never answered my email about employment upon graduation.
Just do it. I work for a small MTSO and recently asked for myself - and got what I asked for. nm
 xx
Local hospitals
Have you checked with your local hospitals? There is one near me that will hire you with or without a formal training program behind you. They work one on one with you to train you. The pay is good too. It might be something for you to check out. You also might want to send resumes to local doctor offices.
online vs local job
Where I live the local votech school has a very high placement rate and if I wanted to work in house, I would start by taking their MT course. My local school's course is far from complete though, and there is no way a national company would hire me with just that course and no experience.
I have no idea what the local employers would think about an online program. We're kind of in the sticks and they really rely on the local tech school to pump out grads that can do the work the local companies need them to do. Its practically tailored to the needs of the local economy.
I'm going with an online program because I want to be sure I can gain employment, and I want thorough training.
Not sure how much this helps.
I went to a local college here.. and now...
I started off with $19/h plus incentive. Now, I make $22/h plus incentive at a local hospital. Yes it can be done.
Local Clinics
Have you tried applying at local clinics or is there a small MTSO in your area? I got my first job as an IC by applying to all the Transcription companies in my area. Now I work as an employee for a Nephrology Clinic also local. Good luck.
How about seeing what's available thru your local college? Might be able to take
s
You may have to work in a local sm
service, maybe even at their office in order to get work with 6 months of experience. If you do manage to find an online company to offer you work (that is not a scam), consider yourself extremely lucky.
check with local hospitals
I contacted a local hospital (SW Michigan) and was told that they hire MT students and graduates. But they also said that all you really need is physiology, medical terminology, anatomy and typing skills. Seeing how you have a strong medical background, you might want to check into something like that.
Was your local course a single class or
a curriculum? How long did the training take?
I'm deciding on whether or not to train locally here or online with Career Step.
The advice you've been given sounds really good. I hope it helps you! Hang in there! :)
Check with your local hospitals
Sometimes they offer training if you have the basics. There is a hospital in my area that will work with you for up to a year until they feel you are ready to be on your own. Definitely worth checking out.
Did you find the job in a local ad or on a web site? Thanks! nm
x
I replied to an ad in my local newspaper.
Have you tried your local hospital or physicians?
I work for my local hospital and my supervisor hired "newbies" all the time. However, some clinics or hospitals require you to do a little onsite time before going home, at least mine did. I had to meet a certain productivity rate and QA rate before I was "turned loose".
I'm not sure if you are wanting to work for a national company or not from home. Since I have no experience with that someone else may be able to guide you in that direction. I just know around here, having tons of experience isn't really needed to be hired locally.
I went to my local Commuinty College
took all my courses online. Much less expensive than those "other schools" and the program I was in was more intensive than the others. I was hired by a national before I even graduated.
You can always try on-line local paper ads...sm
I see them all the time and not really looking for experience, but for schooling and skill in Word. Call hospitals and listen to their employment listings or even look them up on-line. There are tons of ways to find work, not just with the big companies. I once looked in my yellow pages and found a neighborhood MT needing help. I just called her and asked, and she said yes! Good luck!
Best bet is local college for MT training
Please do not waste your money on those "fast track" schools that promise you training in 6 months to a year. I did one, and then had to go to the local college to get my real training along with a 2-year mentoring program typing OPs. Money used to be good (I was making $90,000 to $100,000) but now I cannot even make enough money to cover expenses (call-in system, phone lines, office rent, reference books, AAMT membership, DSL, voice file equipment, C-phone equipment, transcribers for local clients, stationary, constant software upgrades and reference book upgrades, business license, etc. Get the picture? Oh yeah, the most expensive of all--the medical expenses from 16 surgeries from all my work injuries as a Transcriptionist with 4 more surgeries to go and all the doctors, prescriptions at $1400 a month with insurance, insurance premiums, electric, etc. The list goes on. I truly wish I could get out.
The "affilation" with the local hospital may or may not....sm
...hurt you for future employment with other companies. Make sure you check out whether this school is reputable with other employers. I do not think the price is too high, if you consider it as an investment toward future income. Good luck! :)
local or online school?
I live in Spokane, WA, and I'm considering studying MT
to become a transcriptionist. I am very much attracted to the idea of studying at home at my own pace. I am deciding
between 3 distance learning schools:
1. Andrews 2. M-Tec 3. Career Step
I have read that Andrews and M-Tec are very good (both
cost under $4,000) and that Career Step doesn't prepare one well for the MT profession (costs under $2,000).
After I spoke to a former student at the Spokane
Community College MT program she advised that she wouldn't spend more than $1,500 on the MT training and strongly recommended Spokane Community College.
Here's my dilemma:
The SCC program takes 4 quarters. If I signed up on January 3, 2008, I would be done at the end of 2008 - the program takes the whole calendar year.
The online options are self-paced, and because I only work part-time, I imagine I would be done a lot sooner, maybe in 6 months.
The former student at the SCC also explained that if I attend a local program = Spokane CC, I will have a much better chance of getting a job locally.
However, at this point in time I don't know if I will be staying in Spokane for the foreseeable future (it depends on my husband's job situation) and might be moving out of Spokane sometime at the second half of 2008.
I have a Master's degree in English. I'm mentioning this because I know a good portion of a MT program is language study.
Would you please give me advice on what to do? Take the Spokane Community College course or one of the expensive online options?
Thank you very much.
check with local offices
I agree with the above poster. It may sound mean, and I don't mean it to sound that way, but a course through Penn Foster doesn't mean much to employers and doesn't even come close to the education offered by the top schools. I would try to start local if you can, get some experience in, then check out some of the bigger companies if that is what you want.
Why don't you search out something local on-site
Most companies will not let you use your "school" time as experience.
I am no expert on the hiring processes, but new MTs need more attention which costs the company more money to pay QA. It is sad, but all new MTs get lumped together it seems.
What suggestions does the school have for you at ths point? Unfortunately, if you did not attend Career Step, M-Tec, or Andrews, you may have to work harder to find that first break in this field.
MT is not what it used to be. You'd have been better off to become a biller/coder and find a job at home.
I had to start out in the office of a local hospital sm
for a year, then went home. I didn't want to go home to be honest, too many distractions and my twins were babies at the time, but they were sending everyone home. I really don't know what to tell anyone when I see these posts. There are lots of companies out there needing help and you'd think that if they are willing to send their work overseas to people that don't even speak English as a first language, then they would be willing to hire a new graduate. I would be a little more pushy, offer to do 30 days at a lower cent per line then have a review, something like that. Keep pushing, someone will see potential and take a chance on you. Honestly, these companies that don't hire new graduates I just don't get it. I work for a small local company that is always behind on their work and I always suggest they hire some new graduates from the two local schools, but they never do it, they just sit and wait for people to apply. Good luck!
Check into your local community college.
You will get an excellent MT education and it won't cost you an arm and a leg. What people say about the "Big 3" schools is a lot of hype. JMO
Our local hospital group has a few people in
radiology and pathology, but the rest has been outsourced for about 25 years. Hospitals are looking to cut costs where they can. There are still MTs who work for the hospital, just not in-house.
If you need a job you do what you have to do. If the US MTs don't take the jobs guess where they will go. I make more working at home per line than what any hospital pays that I have seen. I don't have insurance (because it is outragenously priced), but I do have some benefits. Also working at home you have fewer expenses, so it pretty much equals out.
local hospital versus national
Hi,
I was with a national company and, like you, only did about 1200 lines per day at 7.5 cpl with 18 months in. I felt like I was never going to make the big bucks!
In May, I resigned from the national co. and went to work locally. After a short 1-month in-house training, I am working from home again. This hospital has some great normals to use and yesterday, I did 2200 lines!!!!!
Finding a good fit is the hardest part. Thankfully, I think I have found mine!!!!! Just keep in mind that there are other options out there. GOOD LUCK!!!!
Local college is best way to go plus a great mentor!
Wow, $6,000? I spent a fortune on a lousy school too before I went to the local college. I worked for the lady on the advisory board who trained me with a fine-tooth comb. It was the hard but best way to go. Besides, I got to dissect cadavers! Good luck!
Have you tried local clinics or doctors' offices?
I went to a local community college and decided I didn't want to work for a large national so I sent out resumes to local offices and I got a job working for a Nephrology office with great benefits. I can be done, just send resumes everywhere and test when you can.
training.....go to your local community college sm
and check out their training program.
check your local hospitals' job boards
You might find MT jobs posted there that aren't ever advertised anywhere.
My coworker had no experience, but took a job in the secretarial float pool at the hospital while she was finishing her online MT schooling. When a swing-and-evenings part-time slot became available (posted on the jobs board, but never advertised elsewhere), the MT manager was willing to give her a shot and roll her out on easy stuff first. Two years and a bazillion questions later, she's turned into quite a good MT, I must say, and just last month she began working from home. :)
I also had to take the bad (weekends and swing and all holidays) shift to get my foot in the door when I first started. It's the nature of the biz.
Also, I would highly, highly, highly recommend you work in-house, sitting pretty much knee-to-knee with a seasoned pro who can mentor you... as you both are paid hourly. A newbie working on production all alone at home will be making less than minimum wage. I hope I'm not crushing your dreams; just giving you a dose of realism. You need a mentor.
Best wishes to you all.
Definitely more jobs available to those that want to work in-house somewhere. Any services local
s
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