A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Another step closer to Andrews today! - Hopeful CMT

Posted: Apr 28, 2012

I've been socking away a little bit here and there for a while now and I am getting so close to having the tuition. It's amazing how the little changes can add up to so much savings. The first thing I gave up about a year ago was buying an iced coffee every day, which I figured out at about $15/week x 52 weeks was equal to $780! I had a yard sale and got rid of things I obviously didn't want or need. I just finished rolling some more coins and I can't believe how much that has added up to over time.

I have been researching my options for a over a year now and I had already definitely decided on Andrews a while back. Although I know it's not going to be easy going back to school and I will probably miss being an MT after all these years, I truly believe it's time for a change and I am definitely ready for the challenge. Anyway, I hope to start at Andrews within the next month or two and I can hardly wait!

Good for you! :) sm - Andrews Student

[ In Reply To ..]
So excited for you. I did much of the same thing, and got lucky over Christmastime with some monetary gifts. Bet you'll make your goal soon and will be sitting in the sun soon studying all of these great books! I bet you'll make a wonderful coder. Cheers and see you on the boards!

Thank you Andrews Student - Hopeful CMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I hope to be studying with my laptop out on my deck this summer. Yes, see you on the boards! :)

Ahhh, the joy of studying on the deck! - DJ

[ In Reply To ..]
HA! Good for you! I started Andrews last week and spent an afternoon on my deck looking over the books and completing some of module 1. Looks challenging, but I am pumped! I am delighted with myself for finally getting off the fence and making my decision. Can I ask what part of the country you live in? I am in the midwest.

DJ - Hopeful CMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I bet that was exciting to get the books and get started! I live in the northeast. It's still a bit chilly here but some days have been nice enough for me to sit out on the deck. Happy studying!

Good for you! - Coding is worth it!

[ In Reply To ..]
Good for you! I hope coding is as good for you as it has been for me.

Saving bit by bit as you have been is a challenge, but it shows reliability, focus, and determination. Keep that in mind if you start to worry about whether you will do well in the course. You have already shown that you can.

Fortunately, with Andrews there are no extra costs, no extra books, and no aggravating computer compatibility issues to resolve, and you do not need to start dreading the day you have to begin paying back your loans because you won't have any!

Don't worry too much about missing MT. I do not think you will. Coding deals with much the same material and the same institutions and healthcare providers. You still get to do something good for people and you still get to learn every day. You won't miss garbled voices, inaudible recordings, and the other aggravations. I doubt sincerely if the day will come that you suddenly say "You know, I really miss sitting frozen in my chair trying to hear Dr. Mushmouth through traffic noise and just hate it that I no longer have to pound a keyboard 12 hours a day to make minimum line count. And, gosh, I wish my carpal tunnel and aching joints would come back! I miss that so much!"

I have never missed it. Not one second. My improved paycheck has a lot to do with that, but the respect given coders helps.

Thank you for your encouraging words! - Hopeful CMT

[ In Reply To ..]
You're absolutely right - saving has been a challenge but I have actually enjoyed seeing how much I could save. It's been like a game but one you can't lose!

Regarding missing MT, you made some great points and also made me think of yet another savings - less visits to the chiropractor for the neck/back pain 26 years as an MT has given me. Maybe I won't miss it as much as I thought I would! :)

Congratulations! - Sue

[ In Reply To ..]
Happy for you that you will soon have the money saved up and can start. I will possibly start in the next few weeks/month too. Making some last minute decisions here and ready to move on after 15+ years of MT...so ready for a change even though I love to type. ~ Good Luck with your coding, and check in to let us know how you are doing.

Thank you Sue - Hopeful CMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Maybe we'll start around the same time. I'm quite sure this change will be great for both of us! Good luck to you and I'm hoping you'll be checking in, too. :)

Deciding on coding - jan2

[ In Reply To ..]
Any one here in their 60s or know of someone older who is studying coding? Really want to sign up with Andrews!

Yes, I know of several of us - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Don't let that age hold you back. In fact, I've heard that 60 is the old 40. It probably depends on the person, of course.

several of us - jan2

[ In Reply To ..]
Oh, thank you so much for responding - I've been waiting! (silly me) And thank you for the positive feedback. I've just about decided to go ahead with Andrews. Need, I believe, a new computer (mine is overheating) and need to sell my mother's wedding ring, which is sad, but up there above she is looking down and telling me, Of course, Jan, sell it, I want you to." Thanks again; you helped me a great deal.

Overheating - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
You do not need much in the way of a computer for Andrews. They do not use those online teaching modules, thank heaven.

You might not need a whole new computer. What have you done to troubleshoot and fix the overheating? Inquring minds want to know!

Overheating is a ventilation problem. It isn't getting enough.

Do you have this computer in a well-ventilated area? Not in a desk or cupboard? No bools blocking the air vents? No walls near it?
Take it out into the room. See if that helps. Clean any air vents.

Did you take the case off and look inside? (I assume this is a box or tower kind, not a laptop.)

Unplug it and take the case off. It will have screws or latches or something. It will not be difficult to remove. Before touching anything inside, touch something metal to ground off the static you are carrying.

Look for dust clogging the vents and insides. Got dust bunnies in there? Cat hair? Feathers? Remove it where ever you find it.

Look for the little fan. Is that clogged with stuff? Is something keeping it from turning freely? Clean that.

Now plug it in and turn it on. Does the fan work ok? Spins freely and fast enough? Does it squeak or grind? If it binds up, see if you can free it. If it does not work at all or seems to have gone bad, you might be able to get just the fan. They are usually easy to replace. You ... yes, you ... just get a replacement from the manufacturer, remove the old one, noting where the screws go, and put the new one in the same way.

If the fan seems ok, see if things improve after cleaning the dust out. Leave the computer OUT so it is not claustrophobic and leave the case OFF to give it air. Yes, it will work fine without the case.

If your home is too warm, get a good fan ( not a dinky one ... a whole-room air mover) and aim it into the computer.

If any of those things work, you are all set.

Please come back and let us know how you fare.

overheating - coder - jan2

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for all that info. My son-in-law works in IT and checked it for me. The worst culprit in my case is when I'm watching a video the computer overheats to the point that it shuts off, and then I have to let it cool for awhile before it will turn on again. Glad to hear that I will "not need much in the way of a computer for Andrews."

So is studying with Andrews mostly book work and e-mails?

My conversation with my son-in-law is still ongoing. Now I can let him know there are no videos with the course. Maybe I'll take the cover off, as you suggest.

Thanks again.

60 is the old 40? - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
That was spoken like someone much younger, lo1! 60 is 60, especially to employers who are not interested in hiring someone who may be retiring in a few years, I think it's difficult being hired as a "newbie" at that age. I'm almost 58 and would be considered "young" for my age, but I am aware that I am competing with much younger candidates. If you want to study coding, by all means do so, hopefully there will be able to find a job. I'm not trying to be negative, just realistic.

coding at 57 - Jan also!

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm not 60, but getting close, so thought I'd bite! I am in good physical health and if that continues I would like to work until 70 or so! (at least part time)

I am working full time AND studying and doing very well so far, just about done with module 1, but I hear it gets more difficult on the next module and I will probably try to cut back on hours a bit so I can devote more time to studying. Good luck!

Jan also - jan2

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you so much! Congratulations on finishing Module 1.

Another thought - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
Please reconsider selling your mother's wedding ring to finance your coding education. Certainly there are other options available to you; a bank loan, student loans, a short term loan on your 401K or some other alternative. I can only speak for myself, but I know I would regret doing something like that.

Similar Messages:

Nov 05, 2010

I am very interested in a coding career. I have been doing medical transcription for the past 10 years and am tired of chasing after the money. I need stability. Coding has always seemed like a very interesting job. I want to choose a course that is the most detailed so that I have the best chance of passing the certification test(s) and be able to land a job. Can anyone advise on a great online medical coding course? Thanks guys!!!! ...

Jan 26, 2011

Hi everyone, I have been looking at both Andrews and Career Steps programs for coding. I am leaning more towards Andrews, but I am worried about the amount of writing assignments you have to do. Are these long assignments? What type of stuff do you have to write about for a coding course (without giving away too much info)? Career Step is completely online, and for some reason that just does not seem like the best way to go. I feel that you really do need hands on kind of work, and I don' ...

Jan 16, 2012

Okay, I know Andrews is the best, but has anyone taken Career Step and had any sucess? It is an approved school on the AHIMA web site, but I don't ever hear anyone say anything about going through them for coding. If anyone has, I would like to know if you were able to pass the CCS after completing the course? My parents want to help me pay for school, and I hate for them to think I went and found the most expensive one out there; although, I know it is the best. I just wondered abo ...

Apr 20, 2013

I am trying to decide between Andrews and Career Step for billing and coding. The only question I have left is how the learning is done. It looks like Career Step is study on your own. at your own pace. I can't find anything one way or the other on the Andrews site - are there interactive online classes or is it study on your own and then test? Also, Career Step says the tuition includes Complete set of industry codebooks (ICD-9-CM, CPT, HCPCS). Andrews ju ...

Apr 17, 2015

Can anyone tell me the difference in the 2 programs? Will someone come out of CS ready to sit for the CCS/CPC? I know/hear on here that Andrews has the best, most comprehensive program but Career Step has a job placement program after graduation ...granted it is low-paying, but it is more like an internship for 13 weeks. After that you can get hired for $15-$17/hour or more.... However their program is almost half what Andrews is.... I just am trying to make the best decision for myself. I am re ...

Jan 27, 2010

Anyone know if Career Step or Andrews is a good school? I'm trying to decide on which one to go to. ...

May 01, 2012

My company has always invited us to create and store template dictations for common use by everyone. I've made many and been happy to share, and since they're good quality they're used by many, even some dictators to set up their own formal templates. It's always pleased me to be a team player, but, let's face it, this is only one more thing that allows my company to hire less skilled people and lower the line rates it pays me. Just BTW, I figure it costs me proba ...

Aug 01, 2012

I am so excited, although I must admit that I'm just a little nervous about going back to school after 26 years in this field. I know it won't be easy but I am confident I can do it. I can hardly wait to get my books and get to studying! ...

Mar 09, 2015

To sending in that 2 week notice. I have only had 3 short reports audited lastweek at less than 100 lines total (last week I had over 300 lines audited). Two reports were 100%. The third, I missed a hyphen on the name of a scope and did not correct a was and were so am noat 99.05%. I keep telling myself I just want to make it to May 21st but I am not sure if I am just lying to myself about that any more. Do I really want to make it until May 21st? I am not so ...

Nov 13, 2010

I have posted this a week or two ago...... No matter how many courses I review online... I keep coming back to these two. For me, financially, I would have same deposit and same monthly payments... however with Career Step my monthly payments would be for 12 months, whereas Andrews it would be for 2 years. I keep hearing that Andrews is the best and I know it is personal opinion, but what am I to go by. They seem to offer the same course syllabus. How can I really ...

Nov 01, 2012

Hello. I was just wondering if anyone has experience with the above mentioned book? I was planning on getting the work book as well. I also wanted to know what other books I would need. I was going to get the 2013 addition for all books needed. I don't have the money to take a full course right now, but I would like to "get my feet wet" and see if this is the right field for me. Thanks. ...

Mar 05, 2012

Anyone have problems passing Career Step MT testing. ...

Jan 01, 2014

xx ...

Feb 25, 2015

By this time in the day, usually, there has been at least 7 emails - several from QA, at least 2-3 backlog updates, and 1 reminder to work our shift and work our entire shift. ...

Mar 29, 2011

I'm doing a radiology report on post total hip replacement problems and the dictator starts out the report with what sounds like "Step:" then goes into the description of what she sees on the exam...anyone? ...

Aug 14, 2014

No one is talking about the stepping down of CEO??? WOW. ...

Jan 08, 2015

I officially am registered at a college to get my RHIT. I've done enough going back and forth about it over the years, so it feels good to take that step! ...

Apr 01, 2015

So I took the first step to get out of MT and called our local community college to set up an appointment for career counseling. I am thinking of taking some computer courses along with some accounting to broaden my office skills. We have a temp agency here in town who specializes in medical office placement so who knows, maybe I can get started there with temporary jobs. I think it would be fun to be at a front desk and interact with people again. I've even considered buying a Spanish prog ...

May 12, 2010

wonder if anyone here, or if anyone knows of anyone who utilized Career Step for either their MT program or their coding program ...

Sep 13, 2010

Hi, I haven't enrolled yet, but I've pretty much decided on Career Step (mostly because of price!). I was wondering if anyone has any input as to whether it's better to take the MT course or the MTE course. Do you need the extra editing experience? I'm sure any extra is helpful, but is it necessary to have the editing training to get an MT job with an online company? Thanks in advance for any info! ...

Nov 12, 2010

Is 'step-down unit' capitalized? ...

Mar 04, 2011

Does anyone know if in-state tuition for career step is $350??? That's what they told me. ...

Oct 03, 2012

It is so sad that with the newest upgrade to the newest software we seem to have gone backwards. What was the point of us doing all the highlighting and correcting, placing all the skip and redundant markers in the past for the program to have either "lost" all of that or maybe it needs retraining. On top of that, if the "client" doesn't want grammar check enabled, then its not. EXCUSE ME? What the heck. Why can't we have gender mismatch checked and cc triggeri ...

Aug 22, 2013

Step Down Unit, Stepdown Unit, Step-Down Unit and is it even capitalized??? This is confusing. I searched this, and it is written multiple different ways at hospitals and other sites. Sometimes written in upper case, other times in lower case. I found a "step-down therapy" in Stedman's, but nothing about a unit. Is there a correct choice, or just type what appears to be the best option? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks so very much. ...

May 14, 2014

Better pay would be the obvious answer but I think Nuance would be a better place if there were not so many levels of management and maybe 1-2 go-to people who do not spew Nuance phoney-baloney corporatese talk and have a true understanding of what the MT faces in order to make a decent living. I resent all the levels of management who I figure do not work as hard as I do and take away from increased pay for the MT I also believe the MT should get a yearly increase to show appreciation fo ...

Jan 26, 2010

I am just curious if anyone knows good or bad about Career Step Medical Transcription and Medical Billing/Coding online courses. I would appreciate any opinoins about this particular online school. Thank you. ...

Feb 03, 2010

I was curious to hear if anybody failed the second part of the final? I got a 13% on the second part only because I was having serious trouble hearing the doctor clearly. I took that final last June, and I am wanting to take the final again in May. I am worried that I am going to come across the same problem even after practicing for so many months and getting helpful tips from the Career Step final. I am currently working part-time typing overflow reports and I am doing rather well with that. S ...

Apr 28, 2010

Fancy that! ...

May 11, 2010

I am going to enroll in Career step tomorow. I looked into Andrews, but if I had the 1000 to put down I would not be looking for a new career. LOL. Wish me luck! ...

May 29, 2010

I'm very disappointed regarding this medical editing course being offered by Career Step. In my opinion it's a terrible way to take advantage of newbies who are worried about the job market and willing to pay anything to upgrade their skills, when every employer I've ever heard of trains their MTs on VR. I can't imagine an employer requesting a course in medical editing in addition to the standard MT course. I myself am a Career Step grad, have been gai ...