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

Finding Experience - SB

Posted: Sep 20, 2010

Why is it so difficult to find a job in the MT field? There are many more quality jobs for MT's that have 2+ years of experience. Can I use my schooling as experience? How do I find a job as a graduate with an Associate Degree?

It isn't hard. Don't depend on the Associates degree because employers don't care abo - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
What really counts is what was covered in your course. If you just went through a couple of years taking courses that kept you doing things other than transcribing, the employers will know it. They will have hired graduates of that program before and know that they didn't learn to transcribe, although they can create a mean spreadsheet, something not that helpful to the employer.

If, on the other hand, the courses you took were really heavy on the right kind of transcription, you will test well and get job offers.

The reason MTSOs want 2+ years experience is because (sm) - Yochana

[ In Reply To ..]

it is costly for them to train a newbie, especially if their schooling wasn't up to par. In this depressed economy everyone is watching every penny and using every strategy to remain in business. It is hard for an experienced MT to find a job these days. Just keep looking and testing and maybe you will get lucky.

Finding Experience - Retired MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
I hope I can answer some of your questions. If I were going to hire you (and I was in a management position for many years as well as being an MT), here is what I would say:
1. It is not terribly difficult for people with the right credentials and qualifications. The problem is that many of the so-called "schools" promise there will be a job waiting for they do not adequately prepare aspiring MTs.
2. No, you cannot use schooling as experience. It is SCHOOLING and NOT experience. I know of no MTSO who would accept schooling in lieu of experience.
3. I do not care if you have an Associate Degree when it comes to hiring. I am happy for your accomplishment, but it would not make any difference in hiring. That is nice, and I commend you for the effort it took to get it, but it makes no difference one way or the other in hiring MTs. What I need is someone who is adequately trained in medical transcription. The thing that I valued most was someone who had trained on the SUM program. Young people come to me and ask what advice I would give and I always tell them to seek out a program that trains with the SUM program. I would recommend they start with a call to either Andrews or M-TEC. I do not think people can go wrong with either one of those. Or, if your program did not use SUM, you could augment it by doing SUM yourself. I wish you well and hope you find what you are looking for.

finding exp - emily84

[ In Reply To ..]
I do not think that you can use your schooling as experience. If at all possible, you should find a place to intern and get experience through that. Good luck!!

I disagree about one part of your message - the internship part - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
If I saw "internship" on a resume, I would know that the education that applicant got was not good. How do I know that? From experience. I would allow that person to test, of course, but the chance that they would pass is very slim. There may be a few exceptions, but not many.

Disagree - Old Pro

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I agree with your disagreement! I, too, think that if a school provides adequate education, "internships" are not necessary. Can you imagine an Andrews grad or an M-TEC grad needing an "internship?" Nope, didn't think so. Neither can I.

old pro - emily84

[ In Reply To ..]
Actually, an internship means that an individual got the best practice ever, on the job practice. That is more than most schools can say. Sure you can listen to hours of doctors talking, but the experience is what companies are looking for in the end. Also, internship helps students configure computers so they can work at home. I went through an MT course, accredited, and could not find work b/c everyone wants experience. An internship provides that.

That's the story "they" tell to sell internships, but I don't buy into that one. - Been around the MT block

[ In Reply To ..]
I've been around long enough to see through what I believe MT internships to be, a gimmick to make money for everyone but the MT. I'm not in favor of them.

Around the block - Old Pro

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I'm with you. If the students have been properly trained, they will be ready to go and will be hired. I know of both Andrews and M-TEC students being offered jobs BEFORE they graduated.

Who pays? - for internship

[ In Reply To ..]
Do you pay them to provide you with an internship or do they pay you to work the internship?

I've seen others discuss the outfit you "found" your internship with and the companies they were putting them with were disreputable to say the least.

In most professions, and I'm not sure that MT would be any different, internships are NOT considered experience but rather an extension of the educational process. So I'm failing to see how this helps you "gain" experience?? In the end, SOMEONE is in it solely for profit.

Who pays? - emily84

[ In Reply To ..]
In my situation, I payed for the internship along with the program. I was willing to pay for it because I had looked for a job for almost a year and that was very frustrating. I paid more for my schooling from AHP and that did not inlcude job placement, just "helps" which did not work and from Med Workshops, I got an internship, and a job instantly and paid no more than I paid at AHP. I have been working ever since.

One of many problems I have with internships - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
One of a long list of problems I have with internships is the quality of jobs. I've seen cases where people were hired into jobs, but not kept, because they had committed to 'hiring' the graduates of the internship. Others were hired, but the jobs had no potential. In other words, they were terrible jobs and the people who took them were stuck, because nobody would hire anyone with the experience of working for those particular companies. I guess that's the reasons the internships have arrangements with those companies.

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