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

How much would MT school cost? - GrateMT

Posted: Apr 18, 2013

Please, no lectures! Not for me, but for my niece, who is just looking for a little extra cash, as her hubby is bringing in good income and she was thinking about doing what I do. I was so lucky to learn on the job, on-site, almost 20 years ago. How long would training be for the minimum tier, or whatever they call it now, and approximately what would the cost be? Thank you.

Andrews charges around 3800 I believe - sm

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I wouldn't pay more than that. The cost also includes ALL books, training materials, and a foot pedal.

...and REAL instructors - nm

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xxx

Not to lecture - Anonymous

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However, MT is not a "hobby job." I'm not sure it is possible to train for the "minimum tier," a person either learns it or they do not. Most employers want a commitment of at least part-time (24-32 hours a week), many want more than that. She may find work for a doctor's office or small group practice that could only require the "minimum." It's difficult for people without experience to find jobs. Last but not least: Because you were an MT does not mean that your niece is suited for it.

Not to mention - anon

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The "minimum tier" work is almost all being off-shored. MModal just hacked off a bunch of Tier 1 and Tier 2 MTs.

She would probably be better off working for a call center that lets you work from home, which doesn't require any formal training.

The problem is the niece thinks this is okay - for a little extra cash

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That right there is what is wrong. No, I'm not lecturing. Okay, well maybe I am. Venting more like it.

It's attitudes like that that have helped relegate MT to India or to a position of a glorified clerk rather than the highly educated people that we are.

I was getting my oil changed one time and the guy was asking me what I did and when I told him, he said his wife was looking for a job that she could do since she was disabled and this might work for her. I told him that she needed to be able to do just more than type - she had to know medical terminology and the difference in things like aphasia and aphagia and ileum and ilium. He said "she goes to doctors all the time, so she knows a lot of words."

If you didn't sit your niece down and explain to her exactly what is entailed in this industry and how much you need to know to even be "minimum tier", then shame on you for letting her think this is something she can do as a hobby since hubby brings in good money.

/rant

The problem is---you have identified it - Old Pro

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One of my neighbors (an R.N. himself) told me he knew he could do MT because his mom had been a nurse and he had her old dictionary. Geez Louise.

My niece - GrateMT

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Well, she didn't have much time to talk because she had her extremely active 3-year-old with her and had to watch him like a hawk. She was thinking that when she put him in pre-K, she could try to work from home doing something. If there had been time, I would have explained all of the above to her. The only reason I said "minimum tier" was because I am a tier 3 because way back when I was with Edix, then Total E-Med, or something like that, then Spheris, I was started out at a low level, then every 6 months put in for a higher level, so that when MedQuest bought us out I was automatically a tier 3. I was just so fortunate that I had some nice coworkers at one of my on-site hospitals, who provided me with samples and helped me learn to do Op notes one category at a time. This was a major blessing. I do not honestly know how much the ones at the bottom of the heap are bringing in; I merely told her that she would have to start out at the bottom rung and she said that was okay; her husband was providing the income they needed for her to be a stay-at-home mom. Not that they are rich or anything...

Being as though she does not have any previous - experience, she might be

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better of doing childcare. Put an add in the paper offering to babysit or something. She would probably make more and save money because you dont have to go to school for that as long as you keep it at a minimum (1-2 kids).

A little extra cash - from riches (sort of) to rags

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This is part of the reason we are in the mess we are in. All the married women with a good family income who just want to make a little extra cash. I don't have a problem with women working to supplement the family income, for extras, for savings, for something to do -- for whatever reason they want to do it, frivolous as it my be, that's okay with me. What I do have is a problem with, is the amount of money these women are willing to work for. What they don't seem to realize is how much they are hurting those of us, other women who don't have husbands to provide for them, and of course men too, who are supporting themselves and their families on their earnings.

India is only part of the problem, the other half of the problem is all of the women who don't really need the income, they just want to earn a little something for various reasons; what they are actually doing is lowering our earnings by being willing to take on this tough hard job for just a little extra.

My point is this, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ACCEPT A PAYMENT FOR LESS THAN WHAT YOU WOULD NEED IF YOU HAD TO SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY!!!!

Otherwise, you condemn those of us to try to live on what little you are willing to do this work for your "mad money." Not to mention that you are also shooting yourself in the foot should that good provider of yours becoming disabled, die, or run off with his cute young receptionist and suddenly you need that job to take care of yourself and your children.

All I can do is ask you to consider the morality of what you are doing. Please.

I get what you are saying but - "a little extra cash" is what this

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job is turning into anymore. It really does not take much to get educated in the MT school wise, it can be done fairly quickly, BUT you learn more once you get on the job unless of course you have already been working in the medical field for many years prior.

I started out full-time on-site at a hospital and even with all my medical background, it took me a few months to become fluent and be able to type more than just ER notes. Luckily I had support from other transcriptionists who had been there for years mentoring me and helping me out. That was over 13 years ago, so I had no problem transitioning to company work from home when we became outsourced; however, it would have been extremely difficult coming out of school and going straight to an at home position without having other MTs around to ask questions to or have a second ear to listen when I could not understand something.

If however, you are an experienced MT than yes, extra cash is about what it amounts too these days working for companies, but if you are a newbie...good luck.

a little extra cash - riches to rags

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13 years experience? I have been at this for so long, to me you are the newbie! I realize you are not of course, I'm just old and cranky, these days. I had about 15-20 years under my belt before I went home to work circa 1985 -- only because I could make much much more money at home, certainly not for a little extra cash. The point is, if those who are doing this for just "a little extra cash, perhaps should reconsider. This is a very complex skill, patients' health and financial security do depend on it. If everyone refused to do this for "just a little cash," and instead refused to do it at all unless they were paid enough to live on, and not just treat this as a hobby (although why anyone would want this as a hobby is being me, this is work) that might make it possible for those of us who need to support ourselves and our families to have enough work at a living wage. The reason that salaries are so low is because the glut of MTs who are willing to work for just a little cash. And, no disrespect meant, but I really disagree with you that a few months experience makes you a good MT. It takes years to become a good MT, indeed the only kind of MT who should be allowed to go home and work without the supervision/assistance of the senior hospital MT staff, in my old cranky opinion.

RAGS TO RICHES - Please see msg

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Where in my post did you see me say:
"a few months experience makes you a good MT."

I never said that. I said that going to school for MT is not hard to do and it is not; the classes are fairly easy *if* you have an extensive medical background - Keyboarding speed and accuracy, Microsoft Word I, II and III, Medical Terminology I, II and III, Medical Transcription, Advanced Medical Transcription etc. - Not hard. And no, that is not all of the classes but a big part of them.

Yes, I have been at this close to 14 years. Worked in a hospital 11-1/2 years before being outsourced, but after 5 years of working in-house, was sent home to work remotely - So my last 6-1/2 years of employment at the hospital were worked from home and I did just fine. Great quality reviews, etc.

I agree with you that it takes years to become a good MT and if you notice, at the end of my post I said "good luck to newbies" because as a newbie, you are not likely to make even "a little extra cash" because you are still too busy learning to have the necessary speed it takes to make good production - The kind of production it takes to make money; and what I mean by that is they are having to spend a lot of time on research.

With regards to the "little extra cash." I call it like I see it. I use to make close to $24 an hour doing this work and since being outsourced, I average around $12 to $15 ($15 on a GOOD day) also, I am fortunate to have good cpl rates for ASR and straight typing; if I only made 4 cpl and 8 cpl I would SELDOM see $15 an hour. So in my opinoin, yes it is "a little extra cash" as opposed to what I use to make.

I am now in the process of moving on, I have a different full-time job and only doing MT part-time; as I just did'nt feel the sense of security that I needed in this line of work anymore and I still have quite a few years till retirment age.

Correction - At 4/8 I would probably NEVER see $15 - an hour unless I got all straight typing...sm

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Also, dont get me started on the 3 cpl and 7 for straight typing. If you dont call that "a little cash" then I dont know what is. Now a days, newbies are being taken advantage of and more and more thats what these companies are offering them.

GrateMT - Old Pro

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The cost would be wasted time and frustration, no matter how much the school cost. As to the "minimum tier," most MTSOs have their pick of the litter, as they say, and they will hire some hungry MT with 20 years of experience in all specialties, leaving the newbies behind. A sad, sad situation, but it is reality.

My RN nursing instructor wants to transcribe, ha-ha - betsy

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She actually pulled me aside after class the other day, even after I'd told her when we all introduced ourselves that I'd been doing this 36 years, the last 15 from home and how I still enjoyed it but am being let go soon, have made less and less with each job company I've signed up with, have been depressed for the past 5 years at least at what's become of transcription and am sick of hoping I can ride it into retirement. Here she is with years of experience as an RN, can teach it, can make Lord knows how much more money even doing her RN thing part time and can call the shots however she wants. I believe ALL she can think about, apparently, is how much she would like to work from home. Or sick of her profession maybe? And there's my cousin with her master's degree in teaching who wanted to just hop on in and make some easy money from home as a retiree. Or my insurance lady a few years back who was ready to sell her business (she listened to me and changed her mind). I told them all whatever they do, don't spend a lot of money trying to get into transcription and read the MT forums. I don't think the nurse believes me and was asking me about Nuance. Oh well.

betsy - old pro

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I once knew an attorney who was just starting out (in criminal law) and she thought she "might just transcribe at night at home for a little extra money" while she got her legal practice started. Never mind that she has virtually no science courses, no knowledge of medicine and no training. She thought she just needed to be a "typist." Could that be the reason I have high blood pressure? :)

It all has to do with the work at home title - PR

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I think everyone who does this job has been approached by others who want to do this because of the fact of working from home. As soon as you say that, then here they go. A lady who started cleaning for me went home and Googled after I told her what type work I did and the next time over stated she was very interested in that because she has a mother at home she has to look after. First of all, even with the training it does not make much difference now because the companies want several years of experience. I know without my inhospital training for this I had years ago do not think would ever be able to have done this on my own. I always had a second set of ears around to listen and that is, at least for me, what it took.

Some think MT illustrious - AnnieGetYourGun

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From my experience, most former RNs/LPNs, hair stylists and real estate agents do not make good MTs. They get burned out being out in the public and want to work at home where it is quiet and away from people. Little do they know that you actually have to know something to do this job. Being a nurse versus a MT are light years apart IMHO.
If you have some semblence of people skills, an MT could do a nurse's job but not the other way around. MT school is a mere drop in the bucket compared to what you really have to know and now days, there is not much mentoring going on that is worth anything. Also, try working at home with a bunch of kids in the background or even a high-maintenance husband. Even animals can be demanding. In this economy, stay with what you know and be happy you have a job at all.

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