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

Are posts on MT school forums all legitimate? - luvzminis

Posted: May 06, 2010

This might be a foolish question, but are all the posts on MT school forums for real? I won't mention the school, but it seems that after several complaints about MT work, there's a sudden rush of "look how much money I'm making" posts. Seems a little too good to be true. Are there really people out there pulling in some good funds, or is this more like advertising for the school/MT industry?

Probably advertising. I think most MTs make - sm -

[ In Reply To ..]
less than 30K. I have been doing it for 8 years now, make about 20K working full-time. Granted a lot depends on your job, pay, accounts, etc. If you can land some good work with lots of macros you can make good money, but everything has to fall into place. I have one account that gives me 25 lines a report w/o even trying usually....have a normal for his ROS and PE that he uses almost every time that will give me 25 lines w/o typing a letter, the rest is straight typing though. I have a friend who had a great account, her bread and butter, all macros, very little actual typing as she had put much of it in her expander, etc. She recently lost the account to EMR unfortunately. --- But those ads and newbies saying they make $40K+ are really full of it.

What MT school forums are you talking about - Linda Andrews

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Now you have me curious. Would you let me know either here or by e-mail if you don't mind? Thanks!

Before I get an answer on that, another comment - Linda Andrews

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It sounds like people on some school forum are saying that new graduates are making certain amounts, that seem a little inflated, and you are wondering if they are legitimate. I have no idea what school(s) or students, so I'll answer blindly.

I think it's the rare new graduate who makes more than $30,000 the first year. I do know some who went a little over that, but most don't.

To Luvminis - Linda Andrews has her own school so - she is only going to promote it - just so you kno

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She works overtime on this board trying to traffic everything to her and her business.

True, but . . . - LK

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She's doing people a favor in doing that, since it's widely known that her school is the best one out there these days, and that graduates of the Andrews school have the best shot at landing that first job in what has become a very difficult job market for new MT grads.

Regarding Linda Andrews - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
I have never met Linda Andrews; however, I think to make accusations about her trying to traffic everything to her school are unfounded and unfair. I know about Linda Andrews because I have seen the quality of her students. The quality of their work speaks volumes about Ms. Andrews and her school and the integrity she brings to our profession. She has every right to be on this forum. Many times I have seen her offer help and encouragement to the hapless folks who have fallen prey to the matchbooks. If only all MT trainers/schools had as much integrity as Linda Andrews, we would not have so many brokenhearted people who cannot find jobs with their credentials which have come from questionable schools. Ms. Andrews is kind to everyone. How about extending a little kindness back?

I have to agree - ORMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I have hired newbies when I had my own accounts and the ones from Andrews and M-Tec were far more prepared for the real world of MT than the ones from less known schools. It seems ones from other schools needed far more coaching than I had time for (almost like hiring "off the street")and so were let go. It is sad so many get sucked into the "matchbook" schools because of price. It is true "you get what you pay for" when it comes to MT schools.

I could not agree with you more Old MTSO ... (sm) - Just sayin ...

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I have been transcribing for over 25 years, have never met Ms. Andrews and quite honestly did not know anything about her school until I found this site last year. In the times that I have seen her post here I have never seen her try and "traffic everything to her school." Quite the opposite as a matter of fact, I have seen her provide insight and much needed advice for new MTs and some old MTs, such as myself. I completely agree with you that these critics should try "extending a little kindness back" although after watching what happens on this board, I do not expect to see it happen.

for "just saying:" EMR, the boogie man, for many, - emr

[ In Reply To ..]
except for the clients, will to a vast extent eliminate the services of MTs.
This will also make MTSOs, the middlemen between MTs and the clients, obsolete as well as the MT schools, no matter how good they are.

Just sayin' - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
I think what we are seeing is a lot of frustration and people are acting out. It is understandable that people are frustrated (I am frustrated, too!) by the state of our profession, the state of our world, the lack of civility in general. For some, bashing on an anonymous board is an outlet. People are rightly concerned; there are not enough jobs and it is frustrating to be a newbie. I advised young people in my own family NOT to even consider MTing, not even if they could afford Andrews or M-TEC. Personally, I do not think the payoffs equal what people have to put into it these days. I am only grateful that I have slightly more than a year to work and then retire. My heart goes out to young people, especially to those who get taken in by the matchbooks. I have absolutely nothing to gain or to lose whether people enroll or do not enroll in any school, be it one of the good ones or one of the bad ones. I do think that people CAN find a way to get a decent education if they really want to. Too many people "settle." And that makes me sad. Nothing I can do for them except tell it like it is from someone who has been in the trenches a very long time and knows the territory. Meanwhile, I truly do believe in extending kindness. We have nothing to gain by being catty and much to be gained by being kind.

I just read that the jobless rate is now 9.9% - That may be why some are angry and rude

[ In Reply To ..]
There are always rude people, but the fact that approximately 1 out of every 10 people you see is out of a job apparently makes some people more disagreeable. Were people a little more civilized a few years ago when the economy was better? I'm trying to think back. I believe they were kinder to each other.

Jobless rate - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
That exactly proves what I was saying--people have A LOT to be stressed out about, even if they do have jobs. They have others in their families to worry about. I have a niece with two babies under two years whose husband was just laid off after ten years with his company. Another friend of mine is in foreclosure proceedings right now. Another friend (also an MT) recently went bankrupt through no fault of her own--the California housing market went south and as a single person, she could not keep up with the mortgage. When you take these examples and multiply them by many thousands upon thousands of other people, I can understand exactly why people are sometimes not at their best. I tend to cut people a lot slack these days, even when they are rude, because I do not know what their circumstances are. It really breaks my heart to see MTs out of work, especially the newbies who were misled by less than respectable companies ("You can make 40K a year effortlessly at home!") to think that MT was some kind of a golden goose and a panacea to all their needs (needs for childcare, need for money, etc.). These disreputable schools know very well what they are doing, but they do not care. They are like--who was it (I forget--I am getting old!) Cuba Gooding, I think it was, who say "SHOW ME THE MONEY!" That they would carry on this kind of expoitation in these economic times is reprehensible. I wish I could put my arms around every unemployed person and try to help them. I am an impossible idealist. I do what I can at a very, very micro level. Each week when I go to the grocery store, I get enough extra groceries to fill one bag for the food bank. Tomorrow the Postal Service is going to pick up food that people leave by their mailboxes and I have spent part of the afternoon making bags of groceries. The problem is so huge that sometimes it seems like individual efforts are the same as throwing another grain of hand into the Sahara desert. But if each of us gives/does what we can, I do believe it helps. Very few people can be like Bill Gates in his philanthropy, but people can always give--if not money or groceries, then time or just a smile. I cannot always give money, but from time to time I have tutored people who cannot speak English so that they can get a better job. This is one thing that costs me nothing and that I can offer. The one thing I do not understand is that I remember my mother (God rest her soul) telling me about the Great Depression of 1929 and how people all came together and helped each other. People would give food to those who knocked on their doors. I realize that we live in a different day and time, and--living in such a huge city--I do not open my door to unannounced unexpected visitors. But each person does what he or she can in whatever way they can. Sometimes a kind word or a smile can make all the difference in someone's day. I think this works whether we are vying for the same parking spot or whether we are having conversations on this board. Just my thoughts.....

what are YOU doing? You tell everybody to attend only - huh?

[ In Reply To ..]
the 2 most expensive schools, NOW, that almost NOBODY has money, or are you only talking to the affluent ones?

You forget to mention what the cpl will be for these A & M graduates, after spending at least $ 5,000--, I think now it is even more, tuition.

What is your answer now?

I say: MTing for US MTs is dead.

It sailed down to 3rd world countries and will be eaten up by EMR.

Aren't you thinking out of a box? Get out of the Andrews box. Open your windows and your mind.

What course costs $5,000? - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Well said, thank you - Another wise old MT

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I also have discouraged friends and family from entering this profession. For those who persist, I tell them they really need to invest in the best education because it is very difficult to find a job fresh out of school, so why not invest in the schools companies are most likely to hire a newbie from.

I have a cousin who took a "matchbook" course and never did find a job (could not pass company tests) and a niece who went to a school with the SUM program and landed her first job just before graduating. They both found that a lot of companies only hire from certain schools because of the education that provides MTs ready for the real world of transcription.

Another wise old MT - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
What you say is absolutely right. And I would add that there are some so-called schools that are guaranteed death if they are on an applicant's resume. As the market constricts more and more, more and more companies are blackballing the matchbooks.

So, the advice of "old and wise MTSOs" is - aha !

[ In Reply To ..]
either you attend Andrews or M-TEC or forget about MTing, choose something else.

Soon EMR will gobble up Andrews and M-TEC.

not onlly EMR, also Medquist that is buying - future

[ In Reply To ..]
small companies that go bankrupt and is heavily into promoting offshoring.

Can Andrews and M-TEC weather (=endure)this with their high tuitions?

where am I? All what I read is: old, old, old, everywhere!? - Help ! LOL !

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Haha! there are special places for those people, called...! - huh?

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nm

sb who does not have the means has to "SETTLE." - omg

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nm

Andrews - see message - Anonymous

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Yes Linda does work overtime on these boards. She has one of her instructors planted on the coding/billing board. That person knows what she's talking about but that's kind of a sneaky way to go about it, IMO.

Andrews School - Schipperke

[ In Reply To ..]
Hey, folks! I don't understand the irritation with Linda Andrews or her staff being on these boards and offering honest information to wannabe or beginning MTs. Somebody's got to do it and I don't see the other schools out here doing it! That disappoints me. Yes, I'm a recent enrollee of Andrews but I did a ton of research before I chose to go there. Linda was upfront and honest with me about what to expect. I know it is going to be a difficult row to hoe but MT is what I want to do. I know that MT will change but there will always be a need for the education and knowledge a good MT has. That's my opinion and not from Linda. I for one really appreciate the school's presence on the board, it helped me make some difficult decisions.

Schipperke - Rocket Man

[ In Reply To ..]
I think all of the criticisms of Linda Andrews come from people who are jealous that their either:
1. Could not afford to go to Andrews.
2. Could not get admitted to Andrews.
3. Are just wannabes who would rather growl than do something with their lives.

Rocket Man correction - Rocket Man

[ In Reply To ..]
Well, I meant to say who are jealous that THEY, not THEIR. I don't want the grammar cops to get me! Honest error! :)-

nobody can pull the wool over my eyes... - plants

[ In Reply To ..]
these are definitely plants planted by the schools aimed to nip every doubt regarding the still so rosy future for MTs in the bud.

I can smell advertisements, especially misleading ones, a mile away. But you get a "nose" for those only when you are already in the business of MTing.

Schools - Eyes wide open

[ In Reply To ..]
I find this so comical about Linda Andrews and her "spies." LOL

Here is what I know from a few years' experience: Linda Andrews gave me free, thorough and honest advice when I did not even plan to attend her school and I was open about that. This was 7 years ago. I needed college credits so I attended Everett Community College and they utilize the Career Step curriculum. Otherwise, I would have attended Linda's school without a doubt. Next, not too long ago, I again solicited Linda's advice about entering the coding world (and would have attended her school), and she discouraged me b/c she didn't think I would like working outside of my home to gain enough experience (might have been other reasons, cannot recall now). Are you reading me? She DISCOURAGED me from attending her own school! Linda doesn't know me from Adam! LoL

This is another thing I know. If you do NOT attend her school, M-Tec or Career Step and spend the money on these schools, you are NOT going to get a job, not the type of job to be longlasting in this ever-changing world of transcription.

These are facts. There are LOTS of posts in this site by folks who have attended lesser schools and can now not find work. Call the companies you are interested in and find out what training they require and recognize. Then, you will know and believe for yourself! Don't invest money and time of your life to just waste it, especially if you believe you will enjoy this profession. It's not all good, but no profession is right now. Believe me. I have a bachelor's degree and cannot even teach in my area of the country b/c they have laid off so many teachers. It's crazy!!

Hope this is met with a helpful attitude b/c that is all I'm trying to be.

Schools - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, this was very helpful. I'm doing the Career Step coding program now. I know Andrews is a great school (I considered it) and I find the posts from the coding instructor helpful but it just seems to me that Andrews gets promoted a lot, particularly in the coding forum. Perhaps it is as good as all that, I don't have any experience with their programs. It's probably just me, but I have a problem with people who obviously have a vested interest in a particular program or school trolling the boards.

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