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

Calling all Andrews grads - some questions for you

Posted: Jan 20, 2015

What prior profession did you come from? Were you able to pass the CCS after graduation? How long did it take you to find a job? Did your CCS help even though you had no coding experience? What kind of entity are you working for? Are you glad you chose Andrews? Any other comments for me? (I am about to apply there)

Andrews - Grad

[ In Reply To ..]
What prior profession did you come from? MT

Were you able to pass the CCS after graduation? Yes, and the CPC-H

How long did it take you to find a job? I was already transitioning into coding from MT where I worked.

Did your CCS help even though you had no coding experience? Well I had coding experience when I moved on, but I can tell you all employers love the CCS and every one I applied for offered me a job.

What kind of entity are you working for? Hospital

Are you glad you chose Andrews? Yes, I am. There is so much to learn and I feel they covered everything. I just don't see another program out there that covers Inpatient, Outpatient, incorporates anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and all aspects of coding. I considered it a fast track into coding for a reasonable price.

Any other comments for me? Yes, get ready to work very hard. It took me a year and 4 months while working full time and it is very intense. If you know that going in, you will be okay. It is worth it.

(I am about to apply there). Good luck!

THANK YOU - See Message

[ In Reply To ..]
This helps me so much more with my decision to switch from MT to coding and to train and earn my certification from Andrews. It's time for a change. Coding jobs seem to be on the rise and MT is being phased out bit by bit. Also, many places now offer the work-at-home option for coders. Can't wait to get into it! Thank you!

You - are

[ In Reply To ..]
welcome! Yes, I mourned the death of MT. It was wonderful at one point, but no longer. What a great feeling to plop in a whole block of expansions. I missed them the most. I never worked for a national so never got that taken away, but I saw what was happening to MT and knew I better move on. I used to transcribe a very detailed ENT who used the same report for a lot of his surgeries but would dictate the whole thing. Loved that I could just hit my key and plop in whole sections. (oh the good old days). Now I code this same doctor and his reports and still enjoy his reports but in a different way!

Response - Another Andrews grad

[ In Reply To ..]
What prior profession did you come from? MT.

Were you able to pass the CCS after graduation? Yes, as well as the CPC.

How long did it take you to find a job? Less than a month.

Did your CCS help even though you had no coding experience? It wasn't required at the time, but I definitely believe it did.

What kind of entity are you working for? Hospital.

Are you glad you chose Andrews? I sure am!

Any other comments for me? Being an MT certainly helps when transitioning to coding. That being said, I will tell you that it is by no means easy. I gave up a lot while I was in school, but it was worth it and I wouldn't change a thing.

Best of luck to you!

these are great responses! Thanks! - OP-sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I also am coming from MT/QC, for over 10 years. I am wishing I had thought of doing this sooner, but I am excited to get going on the next part of my life! No more struggling and frustration!

I am very prepared to work hard and know it won't be easy and I am ready!

Thank you for the great answers! :)

Response - Auditor

[ In Reply To ..]
What prior profession did you come from? MT

Were you able to pass the CCS after graduation. I didn't take it right away, but when I did, what I learned at Andrews all came back. I was well-prepared.

How long did it take you to find a job? Hired before graduating, before certifying.

Did your CCS help even though you had no coding experience? I can tell you that where I work, we look very closely at any CCS applicant. It carries a lot of weight and it is respected.

What kind of entity are you working for? Integrated healthcare system.

Are you glad you chose Andrews? My employer offered the CPC course on site, so I got to take it. It wasn't bad, but I was really surprised at how sketchy it was compared to Andrews.

Any other comments for me? Every day, I use the same books and the same skills from Andrews. The books just get updated every year. I work in auditing now, and still do things the Andrews way. I feel like you don't just get the first job from Andrews -- you get a long-term career.

Andrews - Qurky

[ In Reply To ..]
And your kickback checks from Andrews for the free advertising are all in the mail.

Qurky - Kickback checks, really?

[ In Reply To ..]
As you may or may not have noticed from reading this board, most, if not all, of us Andrews grads are doing just fine after graduating and passing the certification exams. All we are doing is trying to answer questions for potential coding students.

Kickbacks - Quirky

[ In Reply To ..]
Well, it does make me wonder. I never see this kind of name dropping or cheerleading in regard to any other school or coding program. Anytime the name Andrews gets mentioned you all start singing their praises, not to mention the banner ads running across the top of the screen, someone pays for those. I would like to hear from at least one person who didn't have a stellar experience or had difficulty finding employment, that might make it a little more credible.

Well, maybe people are just satisfied with - them.

[ In Reply To ..]
My guess is that Andrews has a better success rate than some other programs. They have been known for that for decades.

The banner ads have nothing to do with our comments in posts. Banner ads are paid for by the school. I think they have always supported this site that way. They don't advertise anywhere else, to my knowledge.

I'm sure that someone has had a less than stellar experience. In fact, I'm pretty sure they've thrown some students out. There was a person here, who hated Andrews so much that it seemed almost certain that they'd been expelled. Nothing else could have produced such a rabidly negative attitude. They clearly hadn't finished the program and weren't happy about it. They wouldn't say what the problem was, though. I guess if you get thrown out, you don't want to admit it.

Similar Messages:

May 15, 2013

How long did it take you to go through their coding course? Thanks! ...

May 08, 2010

I wondered if there are any current coding students or graduates from Andrews around? I'm close to enrolling in their coding program, and I would really love to hear from others who have taken the course. ...

Jul 11, 2013

I was wondering how many hours it equates to on the transcript? Thank you ...

Apr 08, 2014

I just wondered if there were any Andrews grads who have taken their transition course yet? ...

Nov 20, 2013

Okay -- I think I've made my decision to not go back to my local community college after I finish ICD-9 fall semester. I just don't feel it is giving me what I need, and it is not preparing me to pass anything. Most of the students in my class are taking coding as just another class they have to pass so they can move on to something else. I am paying a lot of money because I'm out of state, and I don't feel like I'm getting value. I've n ...

Apr 22, 2015

I'm getting ready to enroll in the Andrews program. I was just curious how long it took previous grads with families and working? I currently work 30 hours weekly & have 2 children. I realize it could be 12-18 mos. before I finish and everybody's different, so looking for a rough idea of how it went for others. Thanks! ...

Feb 03, 2015

Okay, I wrote the previous post, but I have a few more questions. Any help is appreciated. How much does the coding program cost? How long did it take you to complete, full-time or part-time? Did you feel job-ready when you finished the course? Are there any hidden fees for exams, etc.? If you went the Andrews for MT as well, how would you compare the intensity of the two courses? I did attend Andrews for medical transcription 8 years ago, and I loved the program then. That is why ...

Mar 28, 2012

I had been wondering how I was going to come up with a down payment to register for the Andrews coding course and it looks like I will be able to do it in a week. I am so happy I could cry buckets. I have not been an MT as long as some, but I entered the field because I love research and anything medical related. When I started as an MT, MTSOs still wanted blanks and everything else researched for as perfect a document as possible. I still have issues with spending ...

Oct 04, 2010

I have been researching an MT career and schools for about 3 months now. I would love to be a WAHM so I do not have to pay daycare like a LOT of mothers out there. My SIL has been a medical transcriptionist for many years and is a walking advertisement for me. I am still not totally convinced to put thousands of dollars into M-TEC and get training just to end up that money in the hole and jobless. I know there are no guarantees in life. I just want this to be a stepping ...

Nov 01, 2010

The first must have e-book you can get from AHDI getting your foot in the door 2 years experience not required. I wished I knew about this book right out of school. I spent months researching and did exactly what the book says. It gives tips on reference materials, test, companies and looking for a job, resume tips. EXCELLENT BOOK! If you can join AHDI they offer webinars on things that might be helpful to you. I have also talked to countless MT's who say ...

Feb 11, 2012

Has anyone else seen the ad? They want at least 3 years of experience (no new grads), with VR experience (so presumably this is doing VR), and one of the positions is doing op notes (op notes being the most difficult of the Basic 4 of acute care). They will start her out at the whopping rate of $10.50 per hour!! Below someone advised another MT to mow lawns or take in laundry; there's more money in those. They were right. ...

Jul 16, 2012

How many of you WGU graduates have passed the CCS? Thanks! ...

Sep 16, 2013

First, let me say, I do like my TSM, she is great and I know she is only doing as she is instructed, but where do these people get the nerve to call me on my day off and think I will stop what I'm doing and help them? The audacity is mind boggling. Cut our pay, put most of us in financial ruin, expect more and more for less and less pay and then you want ME to help YOU? If it wasn't so pathetic, it would almost be funny. How stupid or maybe greedy do y ...

Jun 17, 2015

I'm trying to give you all a wake up! I've worked my whole life (50 years) and have never been paid for only half my work. What I'm doing doesn't matter. You have to decide what you're going to do. Voice recognition will get better and medical providers will buy their own. Why pay companies like Nuance to edit when they can do it themselves? Why do you think Nuance is selling Dragon? They know exactly what's coming and want to milk the industry for all they can. In ...

Nov 16, 2010

I am still deciding which coding school will be the best for me. I was wondering what the grad:certification ratios are for these coding schools. Does anyone know if this information is available to the general public? ...

Jul 10, 2013

x ...

Feb 03, 2011

Have phone interview next week. Looking for info on pay scale, weekend/holiday/schedule expectations, and vacation time info. Don't want to waste my time or theirs. Please only reply if you are a current employee with knowledge of current policies. I looked on their website but can't find this info.... thanks a bunch! ...

Apr 21, 2015

Any Career Step grads on here who were able to get a good paying REMOTE job right after finishing the course? How long did it take you? I know they only get you ready for the CPC and CCA (versus CCS).....and how soon after finishing were you able to sit for and pass the CCS? ...

Dec 16, 2009

Just came from Acute Care. I have strep throat and I will be heading off to bed. I've worked at MQ for 3 years and never ever called in sick. My super is on PT. Even so, I will call and leave her a message. I have no PTO time. Will I be required to make this up? ...

Feb 25, 2010

I am not wanting to know opinions on traditional versus speech anymore...been doing that way too long...absolutely moving on at this point. What I would like to know is...what did those of you choose to do when you gave up MT? Very, very important to me. Thanks. ...

Apr 09, 2013

Its one thing when private business with private equity sends jobs overseas. It is entirely another when Medicare and Medicaid is supporting job growth in India. Why are we not emassing in the halls of Congress???? This affects every American, not just MTs. ...

Sep 29, 2013

Just wondering if it's okay/possible to put my "Call" macros back towards the end of General_Macro? And if so, where? I tried moving them to just before End Sub and also before Page 1:Selection..., but those locations didn't work. I'm getting an occasional errant "g" or "L" (apparently related to the GramLiter macro) at the very beginning of my VR text when I run it now, which I didn't have at all before when the "called' macros were at the end. Was part of the fix ...

Dec 12, 2013

Did the doctor change his mind on the patient's position, or is it just a gap because he got distracted and repeated himself. Gee, should I put modified or not put in that word? I would say the doctor was distracted and repeated himself, but who knows (except QA). I have been smacked too many times to make any decision. This is what happens when you treat a dog like we have been treated - too leary to take any action! Should have included that in the company survey! ...

May 15, 2014

I don't know where to begin with trying to record a macro for this need myself. On my main account, we're required to list meds without any following punctuation, but due to other MTSOs also subbing on it (who apparently don't have any specs or just don't have to follow the same specs we do), the lists invariably come through on VR with totally inconsistent punctuation. Such as this: MEDICATIONS:Ativan,ZofranDexamethasone.DiltiazemLanoxin. But should be this: M ...

Apr 02, 2015

x ...

Jul 11, 2011

If anything..they are simply a Sales Convention for MTSOs and only have their interest at heart. There are never topics that relate to working as an MT or being properly represented. Instead we get the never ending changing BOS, or the CMT certification which AGAIN has changed...and btw..took a look a "sample" test and it has NOTHING to do with being an MT! It was more for a clinician. We are language specialists..not clinicians. I have been an MT for over 20 ...

Dec 13, 2013

I finally have the opportunity to get out of this work-at-home situation and go to a hourly paying job doing radiology transcription. The only radiology I have done is the usual radiology dictated on reports in the acute care setting. In your honest opinions, do you think that someone who has been doing acute care for 15 years could transition over to radiology? Thanks ...

Nov 19, 2009

I am beginning to hate the fact that I took this job. They keep calling us off or switching us to clinic work or something else. This is one of the worst places I have ever worked. I am going to have to find something else. ...

Aug 04, 2011

For the first time in 6 years, I am job hunting. Sadly, things seem to be going downhill fast with the employer I have been with for just over 6 years now and I have a strong feeling that it's time for me to start exploring other options. I just dusted off and updated my resume and sent it to a couple of companies who have ads posted. It has been so long since I have had to apply for jobs. My question is how long to you wait after sending your resume before follo ...

Apr 18, 2013

and educating them about what truly constitutes a STAT. Just because something is dictated by a resident does not mean it is a stat, especially if the discharge was 4 months ago. Of course, I also have fantasies of conducting a class for residents, helping them to utilize their critical thinking skills and critically evaluate the pertinent information for the report instead of talking for 30-45 minutes about stuff that does not need to be on the chart for the umpteenth time. If ...