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

Thoughts on taking CMT right after finishing RMT? - Serious

Posted: Apr 16, 2010

Just wanted to hear from some of you more seasoned MTs out there...I am scheduled to sit for the RMT exam on Monday, 4/19 and have been preparing for this since mid-January by taking a review course via M-TEC. Several folks have advised me that rather than waiting the typical 2 years, I should consider studying to take the CMT exam immediately after passing the RMT. My book skills are good, and I graduated from M-TEC with a fairly high GPA. I have only been working for 2 months for a general medical clinic, but I am a student at heart and a lifelong writer/grammar type of person.

Any thoughts from people who have gone this route?

Why not go for it?! I think it's a good idea - CMT

[ In Reply To ..]
If your skills are good and they are fresh, right out of school, this may be a good time to do it. Once you're on the job, you may get stuck with a few specialties or report types and get rusty, so do it while your studies are fresh on your mind.

Reqirement is 2 years of acute care. You can't sm - I am a CMT

[ In Reply To ..]
If you do decide to lie and take it, any employer will know you are willing to lie because they will put together the graduation date and the 2 months of clinic work.

I believe you are mistaken - See enclosed - from the AHDI website

[ In Reply To ..]
Eligibility Requirements

The CMT exam targets an experienced medical transcriptionist with Professional Level 2 skills and knowledge as defined in the "Medical Transcriptionist Job Descriptions". Although any candidate is â��eligibleâ�� and granted permission to take the CMT certification examination, two years of transcription experience in the acute care (or equivalent) setting is strongly suggested for success on the exam. Acute care is defined as incorporating medical center dictation to include many dictators including multiple ESL dictators, many formats and report types, and all the major specialties, including and especially surgery dictation of all types, and some minor specialties.

Not mistaken, read FAQ for CMT. SM - I am a CMT

[ In Reply To ..]
What are the requirements to take the exam?

Two years of transcription experience in the acute care (or equivalent) setting is required to take the CMT certification examination. Acute care is defined as hospital-based dictation comprised of a variety of dictators (including ESL), and multiple report types and specialties, primarily operative reports, consultations, discharge summaries, and history and physicals.

Well, apparently they aren't enforcing that. - CrankyOldBroadOnTheBeach

[ In Reply To ..]
Because, as I said, I took (and passed) the CMT with 36 years in clinical and about 6 months in acute care. As I recall, at the time I applied to take the test, nobody even ASKED what my experience level was. I expect they really don't care all that much, when it comes down to it. My money was as good as anybody else's. (Or, my employer's money, since they reimbursed me for the cost of the exam.)

And again, I only went for it because it meant a raise for me. Other than that, I know what I know, and I know what I can do, and I don't need a piece of paper to prove it to myself.

But then again, I can't help but think, if I'm ever in the position of applying for another job (or soliciting extra work locally, as I did yesterday at the chiropractor's office), having that CMT might get my foot in the door faster than somebody without it. So it does have its uses, although I am no bigger a fan of the ADHD (or whatever they're calling themselves these days) than anybody else posting on this board..... :)

They just forgot to update that because the last I read directly from them was what was posted earli - No Time Requirements for the CMT

[ In Reply To ..]
You can sit for the CMT any time you wish.

They do need to update that old FAQ though if it's still there. Go to the area where it talks about certification for the current prerequisites. Anyone can take it when they are ready, and many do right out of school when their studies are fresh in their minds. I didn't do it that way, but if I had it to do over again, I would have.

AHDI crooks - Non-AHDI fan

[ In Reply To ..]
The bigger question is why in God's name you would want to give one cent to an organization that actively promotes sending our work to India, an organization who has been the biggest factor in driving our wages down for years. It is mind boggling to me that people fall for this propaganda that your worth as an MT is defined by whether you have some initials after your name. They could care less about the MT. Now they are in bed with several large MTSO's, whose only goal is to continue to find ways to reduce our wages.

Because they are all we have - and see message - Just My Opinion

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm not excited about many of the things they do either. They don't make money on this test and this is the only method medical transcriptionists have to demonstrate their skills in a way that transfers from employer to employer. You don't have to be a member to get your CMT, if you decide to do that. Some people do and some don't. Please allow others to have an opinion, even if it differs from yours.

Now if I were discussing some of the things the organization has done that has hurt us, that would be a different thread, and I also know some good things over the years.

Nobody has said that having an initial after your name defines you, but it does mean that you have the ability to pass a difficult exam, and that is enough for some people and not for others. It's a personal choice.

My personal choice is to keep what little money I have - in my own pocket, where it belongs. -nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

That's a legitimate point of view. Can't disagree with you on that. - Just My Opinion

[ In Reply To ..]
I think that's fine too.

Your personal choice - Nick

[ In Reply To ..]
is RIGHT ON! I hold AHDI responsible for supporting offshoring and for not doing a darned thing for MTs except take their money. Don't waste your time or money. AHDI is a joke.

Opinions - Non-AHDI fan

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't recall stating anything in my post that mine was the only valid opinion. You are certainly entitled to your opinion and also entitled to give your money to AHDI and contribute further to the demise of this profession. I also don't get your logic about "that's all we have." Alrighty then. So if my husband is a sadistic wife-beater, I should put up with it because "that's all I have?" Why do we have to have them at all? They are doing NOTHING for us, but robbing us. Well, not me, won't allow it, but that's just MY opinion.

So true! MTs did JUST FINE before all the greedy - middlemen barged in & ruined the business! nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I so agree with you Non-AHDI fan - Greenjeans

[ In Reply To ..]
New folks have no idea how we have been robbed with the assistance of this association. I certainly share in your opinion and I believe there are many more MT's out there who agree with you too. I will NOT give them one red cent of my very hard earned money.

Non-AHDI fan - Nick

[ In Reply To ..]
AHDI has been in bed with MedQuist for years. My daddy used to say that birds of a feather flock together......

In bed - Greenjeans

[ In Reply To ..]
Our first clue was some years ago when MQ had the guts to send AHDI a donation in MQ MTs' names for National MT Week. That really P'd me off. Imagine we didnt even get a Chapstick.

Also in bed - non-AHDI fan

[ In Reply To ..]
with Webmedx big-time.

Totally agree - TEX MT

[ In Reply To ..]
My wages in 1971 on an IBM selectric for local doctors 12 cents for a gross line and they paid for the stationary, paper, ribbons, and corrective tape. Now, I am lucky to get 9 cents for a 65 character with spaces line (if indeed the line is that generous). AHDI and all the advertisting in the 80s in the women's magazines, especially, about what a high-paying terrific job medical transcription was, much of it promoted by then-AAMT. I have been a CMT twice in my life and will not line their pockets again. What crap!

I did. - CrankyOldBroadOnTheBeach

[ In Reply To ..]
I worked 36 years in local doctors' offices before being hired by TRS to learn acute care.

TRS actually offered a higher pay rate for both credentials, and they also reimbursed the cost of the exam once you'd been on the job for 90 days; so at the first available (reimbursable) opportunity, I took the RMT. The whole test took me less than 2 hours (or was it 1 hour? I was done WAAAAAY earlier than the allotted time) and I came out shaking my head at how incredibly EASY it was.

One of my supervisors at the time suggested I skip the RMT and go straight to the CMT. That was after I'd been doing acute care for only a month or so. I decided to wait a little longer.

Then, TRS was bought out by Transcend, and amongst the many negotiations that went on, they agreed to "grandfather" in the promise of the higher pay rate for the CMT, and to pay for the exam, but only up through a certain date. So I grabbed the last possible testing slot before the deadline, studied like a crazy woman (using the Stedman's book)--and also passed that test with flying colors, in less than half the allotted time.

So I took the two tests actually about 5 months apart, I think. The RMT was a good preparatory test; you get to know what the testing environment is like. But be prepared to laugh out loud; it's pretty obvious they use actors for the dictation samples you have to transcribe, because no real doctor speaks that slowly or clearly! The CMT dictation samples are definitely real-world, however, and in fact I would have bet money that one of them was one of the doctors on my primary account. Either that or she's got a vocal identical twin out there....

So if you're relatively fresh out of acute-care school, I really don't see why you couldn't go ahead and pass the CMT. Best of luck!

I'd be interested to see what others say. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I graduated from M-TEC a year ago and have been working multispecialty clinic at a national that offers an incentive for the CMT but not the RMT. If I weren't working another job and felt I had more time to brush up a bit on my testing skills, I would go ahead and take it. One thing I did wonder about (raised by other replies) was whether the 2 years acute care was a requirement or just a strong suggestion. If you do take them close together, let us know how it went :)

2 years of acute care is a suggestion, not a requirement. - CrankyOldBroadOnTheBeach

[ In Reply To ..]
I had about 6 months of acute care under my belt when I passed the CMT with flying colors. Of course I had 37 years of clinical to go with it, and there is a LOT of overlap, no matter what anybody tells you otherwise.... There is NO difference between a clinical consult or H and P and an acute care one. None at all. Zip. Zilch. Bupkus. Nada.

Cranky . . . - Sunshine State MT

[ In Reply To ..]
So what does the test comprise of? Is it multiple choice questions and actual transcription dictations?

Good for you! I don't see any difference between clinical and acute care. To me, a consult is a consult, you know what I mean?

Have a good one!

See my post just below about where you take the test. - CrankyOldBroadOnTheBeach

[ In Reply To ..]
It probably has more information than you ever wanted to know. :)

Thanks Cranky! - Sunshine State MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Good info, much appreciated!

Where do you take the CMT test? - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Is it at home or a specific place, specific time, etc.

You take it at a specific testing location. - CrankyOldBroadOnTheBeach

[ In Reply To ..]
When you apply to take the test, you search on the website for the testing location nearest to you (I had to drive about 75 miles) and then you are given information about the available dates and times in that location.

The test is administered by a testing company called Prometric. You show up at the door, they ask you which test you are taking, and then they give you a key to a locker, and you unload every single thing on your person except your locker key, which you take with you into the test room. (I even had to leave behind the case for my reading/computer glasses; had to carry the glasses in naked.) They supply you with a few pieces of scratch paper and a pencil, so you can make notes to yourself if you need to, but you have to leave your notes behind when you exit the testing facility. When I took the RMT I even had to turn out my pockets. You are also on camera monitoring while in the testing room, so no hanky-panky! Don't even think about it!

The test itself is pretty straightforward. You sit in a little booth like a library carrel, just you and a computer. They have headphones you can wear just to cut out noise if you want (but the only noise is other people's keyboards clicking). There are also the headphones you use when it comes time to transcribe the sound samples.

It's a combination of multiple choice and sound sample transcription. With every multiple choice question, you can mark it to come back to later if you aren't entirely sure about your answer. The sound files are pretty short, and you have to use mouse clicks to play them. Before you start the test, you are given an opportunity to experiment with how this works. It's really not difficult, and the sound files are short enough that even if you have to keep going back to the beginning and replaying them, it doesn't take a lot of time.

Some of the multiple choice questions include choosing which piece of text is all properly spelled and punctuated. The CMT test prep guide from Stedman's has sample test questions that are very similar to the actual test questions, so if you use that to study, there will be no real surprises (other than, of course, the actual content of the questions).

It is a timed test; the clock starts ticking when you click the button on the screen that says "I want to start now" or something like that. It comes in two parts; you are allowed a bathroom break between the two halves, for which you have to sign out and sign back in. Once you have clicked the button that says you're done with the first half, you are done. You can't come back and revisit it during the second half.

Once you're done, they will tell you right then and there whether you passed. Assuming you did, they give you an embossed certificate on the spot that you can use to prove you passed. The actual certificate from AHDI comes in the mail, months later as I recall.

That's about all I can remember. Do keep in mind that not everyone gets the exact same mix of questions. I took the RMT at about the same time as a co-worker. She got a question about DeQuervain's and missed it. I didn't get that question, and since I've done orthopedics since 1976, I would have gotten it right. Also, my team lead at the time said her CMT test had lots of questions about the cranial nerves, so I crammed those. Guess what. Not a single cranial nerve question on my test. Go figure. My advice? Just memorize EVERYTHING. :)

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