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

getting started , looking for school advice ? - Mandy

Posted: Jul 30, 2012

Hello, im interested in doing schooling for medical transcription, but what does that entail ? online school or campus training ? if both are offered which one will actually get me a job with the correct certifications? Are there jobs in this field or is this a fruitless effort ? i dont know much im just now investigating whether or not to go all in becaue i MUST be able to find a job afterward. . how long are the best programs ? and if you can think of anything off the top of your head , who should I NOT go through for this training ? Thanks Mandy

i'll also take the time to look around in here to learn more too . . thanks for making a great site !

Hate to bring bad news... - but probably not the

[ In Reply To ..]
best career choice at this time.

I agree - Smitty

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm sorry but I have to agree, I feel this is a dying industry, been in this field for over 10 eyars and have gone from makeing $1,200 every 2 weeks down to $576.00 on my last check. Voice recognition is taking over

Cannot recommend MT - leaving as fast as I can

[ In Reply To ..]
This used to be a good field where you could make a decent income working from home. It's turned into a rip-off, slave-labor industry. I despise the companies for what they have done and I am leaving this field as fast as I can. I would recommend you find another career path unless you want to be exploited and ripped off in almost every way imaginable.

Getting out after 15+ years - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I am actually going back to school this fall to get trained for something else. I think there will probably always be some MT jobs over here, or at least QA, but in my less than expert opinion, I think the bulk will be completely off-shore within 5-10 years, maybe less but I am hoping I have time to get re-trained before it happens.

what is QA? editing? - mandy

[ In Reply To ..]
is that still a good area then in the MT field ? do you guys know of any other good options for working from home then? any other ares of MT that are still good ? like legal or whatever ?

thanks for the honesty! - Mandy

[ In Reply To ..]
i def don't wanna waste time or money ! dont have it to burn . . so thank you for honest input . . . more the better :) !

also, to note.. - Mandy

[ In Reply To ..]
i don't necessarily want an amazing income just much better than what im getting now . . which is about 5-600 a month . . i have a little one with hopes of another on e soon. . so I def wanna be at home . . just need to make money too .. . so is it bad in terms of those who are trying to make an income that supports their families and maybe not so bad for those that just want decent supplemental income . . or just plain bad for anyone and everyone ?

some thoughts - ...sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Even though you may type fast, if you dislike spelling out words or do not know how to punctuate, this job will really be an albatross around your neck.

In answer to one of your previous questions, QA = Quality Assurance. It is my understanding that you have to have a number of years under your belt to qualify for these positions.

One of the tricky things about medical transcription is this: even completing school with flying colors does not give you a "lock" on being good at it. It requires a bunch of quirky skills that I (personally) don't believe can be taught.

You need a very good ear, a broad vocabulary, facility with medical/technical language, a penchant for accuracy, and understanding of (and ability to research) anatomy, pharmacology, etc.

So many of these schools want five figures for tuition, and it's hard for me to see the payoff unless you are really confident of your English and science skills.

I wish you great good luck with your new family and am sending you good vibes that you find exactly what you want and what you love!

Mandy I've been in MT since the 70's. The pay keeps - dropping. I now only make $800/mo. sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm getting out too. If you're planning on going to school, try to find a career that actually needs your physical presence in order to do it. Anything that can be done on a computer, especially if it can be done remotely instead of in the office, can (and likely eventually WILL) be offshored.

I also believe the healthcare industry in America is not healthy, itself. Right now it's making money hand over fist, but at great cost to its workers, and worse, its patients. Someday I think this is all going to collapse upon itself.

I think it's still important to learn as much as possible about computers and various programs. I've fallen behind in that, and only know the basics. Even the most low-level office jobs these days want proficiency, and even expertise, in Powerpoint, Excel, Photoshop, and other desktop publishing programs.

Lots of jobs use specialized computer data entry programs, and want experience with those. If you set your sights on something specific you're interested in, whether it's working in a veterinarian's office, a dentist's office, a real estate office, etc., it might be a good idea to find out what software they use for their appointment scheduling, billing, data storage, etc., and see if there's someplace where you can take some classes in that same software.

ALSO!!! More and more jobs want BILINGUAL people. Mostly Spanish, but also Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, etc. Being able to speak, read and write a 2nd language (or more) gives you a huge leg up when job-hunting.

>^..^<
Meerkat

I almost thought about coming back to MT, but... - NOT

[ In Reply To ..]
I see that things are worse than ever. I was out of the loop for about 3 years. I was thinking about coming back to the MT field. I was hoping after a few years off that the industry would've gotten better, but from the posts I have seen it seems to have gotten worse. I have experience as QA, editor, and MT. I am noticing that the pay is the same, if not less, than it was 20 years ago! I was making 7.5-8 cpl 20-some-odd years ago. I am noticing that the pay is now 7 cpl for transcription. And VR pay is a joke! Most of the time you end up typing the report instead of a few minor corrections. This is ridiculous! This is the only industry that I know of that has not had a pay raise in over 20 years, but a pay decrease. I think I'll take the job as a substitute teacher and move up to PARA in a few months when the test is available. We fielded questions about forming a union years ago, but only a handful wanted to join.

QA - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
is "quality assurance." They "check" MT work. You need a few years under your belt as an MT and a lot of acute care and multi-specialty experience to do it (in my opinion anyway), not to mention have very strong English and grammar skills.

Editing is 99.9% of the MT job right now. Speech Recognition software spits out a report and the MT edits it, or rather deciphers the garbage the SR spits out and "re-types" it in most cases for 4 cpl.

As to good schools, I would check in the archives in the New MT section. I didn't get formal training, so I haven't a clue other than what I have seen on this board.

Mandy - some answers

[ In Reply To ..]
I think most have the greatest success with the Andrews School or M-Tech. I took an online course (did not finish) from a matchbook school thinking I would get a good education. I did not. I got on the job training from a clinic that were so far behind in transcription they were willing to train me as I did good on transcribing a test sample and she was willing to take me under her wing. I also read the Book of Style and knew it from cover to cover and any hard areas I would ask my co-worker to listen. I gained my experience that way. I really struggle sometimes with acute care and the ESL but now I have 3 jobs and over 12 years experience in the field. I have a 14-year-old and a 1-year-old so I know what you mean by wanting to stay at home, but I do find it is very hard to work with a new born. My 14-year-old helps watch her a lot for me.

I would say if this is what you desire, some are very successful. You can be too. Some make a lot of money, some are struggling. It really is up to you and who you work for. If you really want to do this check out Andrews or M-Tech and they will help you with a job placement in lieu of experience when you graduate. Take a job and gain experience and then look for something better. Editing is speech recognition and you get paid less than straight transcription and to me speech recognition is a little faster but not as fast as if you were just straight transcribing as you make half. The norm for speech is 4 to 4.5 cents and straight 7 to 8 cents with most nationals. Some start their own business and make much more.

Please research and hopefully you will find your answers and enjoy transcription.

My post is negative, but this is my experience. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You should note that MT is paid by the line, not hourly, so income is not guaranteed. If you're on a tough report/account and you have to stop to look up city names, nursing home names, doctor names, medications and dosages, medical terms/phrases, client specifications, employer specifications, whatever, that's UNPAID WORK. However, if you don't research and verify, and what you transcribe is incorrect, you get penalized and your pay could get docked. We used to be paid for this work with a decent line rate, but not anymore.

Also, be prepared to run out of work. This, too, is unpaid. You're only paid if you're typing, and you can't type if there's no work. So, if you're hired part-time for 25 hours per week, expect to be sitting at your computer about 40 hours a week just to get that 25 hours of pay.

You should also be prepared to buy your own supplies and equipment. Some larger MTSOs might provide you with a computer/monitor, keyboard/mouse, headphones, and pedal, but I've seen on this board that that's being phased out. If the MTSO supplies you with a computer, etc., what are you going to do if, say, the monitor goes out, or your pedal goes out? The MTSO will probably send you a replacement, but how long with that take, a day or two? In the meantime, you're not working and you're not getting paid, unless, of course, you chose to buy your own backups: pedals, headphones, keyboards, mice, monitors, computer, which can get expensive.

Skilled, experienced, educated MTs make this job look easy. We can decipher the garbage dictation because we've been doing it for so long that we can get inside dictators' heads and actually understand the context of what they're dictating. We can make sense of the ADD dictators, dyslexic dictators, lazy dictators, misspeaking dictators, yawning dictators, slurring dictators, low-talker dictators, speed-talker dictators, the dictators who think it's okay to bring a beeping beeper right up to the microphone while they're still dictating, and the social butterfly dictators who can't stop flirting with the nurses long enough to finish a sentence, and I haven't even gotten to the ESL dictators who have thick accents and mispronounce words and also form awkward sentences that have to be interpreted by the MT and recast.

Speech (VR/SR) is only an excuse to pay us less. It doesn't do half the work, but still we're getting half the pay. VR/SR types what it hears, but we're still responsible for knowing what's right and what's wrong, and sometimes that's not so easy.

I'd recommend finding something else, but if you're seriously interested in being an MT, when you're checking out schools, see if they offer a internship-like program, in which you can hear real dictations by real dictators like the ones I mentioned above. In fact, I'd suggest doing this before you spend any money, just to see if it's something you're going to like doing for 8 to 10 solid hours a day.

You'll also need a quiet, distraction-free work area. You won't be able to do this work while the TV is on, while family and friends are over, kids, etc. It takes a lot of concentration and studying, especially in the beginning.

Your post was not negative, just brutally honest - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I think you very concisely covered the MT life.

MT schools, etc. - just me #1

[ In Reply To ..]
I highly recommend your nearest community college, where besides the obvious medical transcription course, a great anatomy and physiology class, business English, etc. I went to a vocational school for an extensive 1-year program, which was a waste of my time and money (was trying to avoid the AP class, and after completing this, I ended up going for the 2-year program at my community college, which was the best education received as well as opportunities it presented. I also attended as many AAMT workshops (now AHDI) as I could to both further my education and network. I went to school with the idea of owning my own service from the beginning and luckily got a job working for the program adviser doing surgery center work, and then acute care. Although the first year cost me to work (besides learning, I was building my reference libraries and purchasing equipment/software for all medical specialties), what I learned was invaluable. The most important thing is to get a great education. Medical transcription involves a lot more than just transcribing what they are dictating, such as critical thinking skills. If you can obtain clients of your own after working for a service for a bit for experience, I would go for it.

wow . .thanks guys ! - mandy

[ In Reply To ..]
that's all really helpful! bummer tho, i was hoping this would be a great opportunity . . but really don't wanna get into something that has such poor rating amongst its own community . . . :( being that you guys are in the working at home business.. . being in this arena , have you heard of any other work from home opportunities? I dont mind going to school what so ever just don't want it to be all for nothing as it looks like here :/ Flexjobs.com is a good place to find some but it's hard to tell what the insiders know. . .

I do not recommend college programs - Very few left, in any event

[ In Reply To ..]
College programs, for the most part, were always on the poor side. That is why so few are left. Their graduates fared poorly in the job market. Colleges eliminated those programs and the field of MT is discussed hardly at all by the professional organization in health information management, which is the one that accredits college HIT and HIM programs. MT education is not a concern to them. I know a few schools that began an MT program using canned software from a commercial school, but they dropped it quickly after grads could not make it in the workplace.

The poster above had good luck, I think because she got a break from an instructor who hired her or something, and because she is obviously very enterprising, but you are not likely to have the same experience. She did this years ago, I think. Her support for her teachers is admirable, but you are unlikely to find any colleges like that. If you do find one teaching it, it will likely be a ripoff career college which will leave you with high debt and no job.

Electronic medical records and voice recognition are eliminating many MT jobs, including private client work. Owning a service was never easy, but is worse now.

If you truly want to do MT, take the admission test at Andrews School. If you pass it, that is the program you should take. Their students DO get jobs with national services, even without experience.

OMG 100% true, not negative but honest. - Smitty

[ In Reply To ..]
OMG 100% true, not negative but honest.

Amazing Post! Well-Written and Honest! - --

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you "sm" for such a thorough and insightful post. It captures the reality of a glorious job as an MLS. You can never reiterate too much the high demands of our time and work experience for increasingly low pay while remaining virtually invisible as an employee.

There has to be a recompense forthcoming for this brutal treatment.

If you ant to be chained to your PC making - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
slave wages for very rude people, go for it.

You might find something here - - ChiMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I retired from MT in 2/12, after 'way too many years of working ridiculous hours for less and less money. I retired sooner than planned, but was just fed up and do not regret the decision. It's sad to see what MT has become. Sending best wishes to everyone trying to earn a decent living and live a reasonable life while working in MT. You might find something worthwhile on this website: http://www.ratracerebellion.com/ (These jobs are legitimate and reportedly have been verified, but do take the time to thoroughly investigate... but you know that!)

All the best -

Thanks for this - TiredMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for that link. I will check it out later. I've been an MT for 17 years and just over the past few months I've given up medical and started doing all various other types of transcription for a few different companies. Maybe I can find something on that Rat Race site as well.

You're very welcome - - ChiMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Good luck!

Not worth it. - sick-n-tired

[ In Reply To ..]
Medical transcription used to be a good field. Spend your time and money elsewhere. I have been doing this 25 years. I used to make a good income but now, I am making what I made 25 years ago starting out. Definitely not worth your time.

Similar Messages:

Apr 05, 2013

I just started going to school (Kaplan University Online) for my Associates in Medical Transcription. From what I am hearing I should change my degree immediately. I have been thinking about changing my degree to Medical Office Management instead. Any thoughts? ...

Dec 21, 2011

:) ...

Jun 24, 2014

I was wondering if anyone has ever gone through Allied School in California for billing & coding. If so, how was your experience? Were you able to find work in coding after finishing the course and getting your certification? I have been a medical transcriptionist for the past 10-11 years and am now looking at getting into coding. My best friend and I are going to take a course together. If you wouldn't recommend Allied as a school, who would you reco ...

Sep 22, 2011

I am an MT who is considering going to school for coding. I am thinking about taking the course through Andrews and will probably start next year because I will have to save up some of the money. I am wondering if you think coding may eventually go the way of medical transcription and be outsourced to India. I do not think it will so I just wanted to get the opinions of other coders. I realize it will be a hard course but I think it will be worth the effort. Any thoughts would be appre ...

Oct 27, 2009

I have been looking for a MT job since April when I finished my course training with MTatHome out of Texas. I apply for spots that areposted as open but then get email back saying that they have no openings. I have been in the Medical profession for 6 years as a CNA and I am getting ready for nursing school in the Fall of 2010. I am just wanting to know what it will take to get my foot in the door in the MT field and get a job. If anyone has any suggestion or can help me ...

Nov 07, 2009

I just finished my FIRST shift and when I checked my line count I was shocked. Twice as much as I can do with MQ. There is something seriously wrong at MQ. At my new job, my CPL is a little less than MQ but not much. ...

Aug 24, 2010

hello-i am considering a change in jobs due to being terminated in may. i am interested in becomng an MT, but now you guys got me thinking twice about my decision. I know there are two sides to everyones story. I'm not looking into making big bucks, at least what i was making at my last job, $25K. Any suggestions on the best school? I understand schools are going to say that the MT field is growing, but those of you that have been out there awhile, is it realll ...

Mar 30, 2011

Hello everyone! I just found this forum. I currently work part-time as a legal virtual assistant. My background is in personal injury law and would like to get my feet wet and start medical and legal transcribing. Would anyone be so kind as to advise how I start. I already hold a B.A. in political science and do not think I need to go through a AA program. Bottom line, I am confused and don't know where to begin. Please help! Thank you! ...

Jun 06, 2012

I am looking to get started as a transcriptionist. What do I need to know? I have an associates degree (Liberal Arts). I can type pretty fast, and am pretty good at spelling. I am looking for advice on where I should start, or how to start being a transcriptionst. Thank you in advance for your information and advice. Dawn ...

Dec 22, 2014

I am a stay at home mom and I would like to get into MT. I am having a hard time sorting through the abundance of information out there. I have found programs that range from$400 to $5000. Can anyone give me advise about how to properly get schooling and procure a career? Thanks! ...

Mar 14, 2010

Hello all! It has been some time since I have posted here but used to visit quite often. My daughter-in-law is just about to finish my transcription course materials (she has finished the book work and is working on transcribing the voice files). She has already started applying to companies, however she is running up against the same issue we have all run up against as newbies "experience required." I am willing to sign a confidentiality agreement, have her work beside ...

May 12, 2010

doc states "A saline s/l well was started. The pt was given 1 liter of bolus I.V. normal saline... Saline well?? ...

Jun 08, 2010

Hey everybody, I just needed to vent a little bit. I started my first day on my first job, and it went absolutely horrible. I was using the Emdat InScribe platform, which seems easy enough, but they have sooo many templates that the doctor should be using and isn't. My first few reports were okay, but then everything went downhill. I'm supposed to use the templates, but half the time, I had to erase 3/4 of them because it wasn't what he was saying. The wrong templates would load, ...

Jun 17, 2011

Hello All! I have recently decided to begin a career in MT, and am trying to weigh my education options. I have a bachelor's degree in Hearing, Speech & Language Sciences, so I'm great with interpreting speech/language and am also pretty good at deciphering English as a second language. I've also worked for a hospital scheduling outpatient testing for the past three years, so I have a bit of a background in medical terminology (still so much to learn!) and the inner workings ...

Jan 25, 2011

I am looking for a job as a medical transcriptionist. I like to work through my home. I am attended college at Kaplan University, so I have not got my degree yet, but I believe I could do the work. I am wanting to know how would I get started. ...

Jun 29, 2011

I never have work! Second shift is not that busy like I was told it would be. I am so bummed because I really like(d) the people there. Now I have to look for work as an IC to make up for having small paychecks at TT. Please tell me it gets better and this is just the summer slowness as we were told? ...

Sep 08, 2011

I am retired from the accouting/budget field and am interested in obtaining a job working from home in the medical transcription/coding/billing field. How do I get started with training, etc.? Thanks for your assistance! ...

Mar 14, 2012

The account specs say cc should be mL...However, it says to use the docs template which has cc in there...Go by his template or make it right? ...

Jun 20, 2012

:( ...

Sep 29, 2012

I just wanted to post that I completed my first week of college. The first day was scary, but by the second day I felt much more at ease. My first class happened to algebra, so wish me luck. I know that I am making the right decision, so I am hoping that I can start counting the days to when I can just give my notice. It is going to be tough, but it definitely is going to be worth it. ...

Jan 21, 2013

STILL out there. And I only sent out about 4 resumes. I am averaging 25.00 an hour TRAINING. I am NOT kidding. Don't give up just yet. Keep looking. There are jobs out there. You just need to find them. I would give you the name of this awesome place, but unfortunately, I'm not going to do that just yet. I know I took the last spot they were hiring for. BUT, I'm also having A LOT of family issues going on right now, so if I decide not to go past my training period wit ...

Jan 21, 2014

I am totally worn out. I have never in my life worked so hard for so little money. They nit-pick everything to death and there are so many pages of instructions that you just can't remember everything. I don't know how these companies expect us to manage a gazillion accounts, each with different directions, etc., but they do. McDonald's is looking better all the time. ...

Apr 10, 2014

Gathering information, for the life of me my mind has blocked out that trainwreck.. ...

Nov 10, 2009

Well folks, email today regarding yet another MQ program- Account Trustee- those of us with good quality scores have the HONOR of sending reports directly through to the client with 2 blanks or less, thus bypassing QA. Instead of addressing the issue WHY QA is so backlogged (could it be because so many QA were underpaid and have left) this is the new decision. ...

Feb 13, 2010

If we do not check our screen where patient name, info, attending, date of birth, blah blah blah is not correct or we did not check to make sure the dictator name is correct or attending name in the screen, of did not fill in attending or dictator for, this will have to be notified to HIPAA. If company does not notify HIPAA that an MT made a mistake and did not correct patient name, dictator name, attending, etc., my company will be fined big time and possibly the MT too. Honestly, ...

Feb 22, 2010

I finally graduated from MT training and wonder if anyone is willing to give a new graduate a beginning chance. I have filled out many applications but the bottom line is that they want 3-5 years of experience. How does one get a foot in the door. Thanks celloman ...

May 17, 2010

You know who you are. You even asked questions on this board about setting up an MT company. You have even stopped answering/reading e-mails, even though I have not harrassed you or have even been nasty. I would, however, like to get paid. Your excuses that you are waiting for lines counts from the client and that you will keep me updated is wearing thin. Surely you must have line counts by now since the work was done in February. Or is it because you have spe ...

Jun 27, 2010

She was sending out lots of emails full of useful information, but has now pretty much turned into the old CCM with no communication and NEVER answers her emails. Anybody else with this problem? ...

Jun 22, 2010

Its so easy. I don't see alot of posts about the company i work for, so i won't post that, but their back end is fabulous! And it was so easy today to do 190 lph, and I'm still training! To those who have just decided they are "just not gonna do ASR", you better reconsider. It is the wave of the future. It works. I am so glad I finally learned how to do it. I really don't think we should shun it, we should embrace it. Get your ...

Sep 26, 2010

I have recently started on ChartNet. I read reviews, which are mostly positive, and my question is why? I find it cumbersome with all the headings you have to make with the control/shift keys and entering, starting new headers, etc. Not very fluid at all (for me anyway). Does anyone have advice/tips on how to make this more user-friendly? Plus I lose reports and have no idea where they go or how to get them back, so I am losing line count as well. I was happy to read all those positive ...