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

does MT school replace experience? - Mtquestion

Posted: Nov 19, 2009

Does having a diploma from an MT school allow you to apply at places that state "2 years experience required" etc. I have a year of experience just from the schools 800 transcription reports that I did in 2 months!

Not usually. - Happy MT Robin

[ In Reply To ..]
A lot of places very specifically say that schooling does not take the place of experience. Plus 800 reports, quite frankly, only tallies up to about a month of real world experience, depending on the type of work that you do. I do 40 to 50 reports a day in a clinic setting.

Ubiquitous Happy MT Robin strikes again. - As I was saying.

[ In Reply To ..]
If you are doing 40 to 50 clinic reports a day, straight typing, your company is wearing you out. If it's VR, 40 or 50 reports a day is not much. That explains it all then.

what? 40 to 50 a day is not wearing you out. - it is a productive day. n/m

[ In Reply To ..]
n/m

Why do you keep stalking/bashing Robin - U need better hobby

[ In Reply To ..]
Many of us respect Robin and like her posts. Get over yourself and leave her alone.

If I did not like Robin, I would not pick on her. You... - on the other hand, need to glue your fingers shut.

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

New medical procedure? - LOL

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Hmm, I can't seem to find that one in the coding book. Its probably in the section that includes removing one's head from one's posterior.

Holy crap you guys are FUNNY!! - ChickenLover

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I don't care what anyone says...you guys are a RIOT! Cattiness, snarkiness...whatever. You guys are keeping it real and I know I can certainly appreciate that.

:-D

Wow. I'm ubiquitous now? Cool. - Happy MT Robin

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;=)

Lord have mercy, gal, when do you have time to type? - Could be 75 to 100 reports

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instead of that measley 40 to 50 if you weren't here so often.

Sorry, I donâ��t even know that word, gonna have to - look it up

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At least you know what it means.

The proper word would be "loquacious". - Chelle #3 - nm

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nm

You think 800 reports equals a year's experience? - The Rolling Eyeball

[ In Reply To ..]
Is this the new math?

"I have a year of experience ... that I did in 2 months!"

Sorry, but that's not how it works.

Companies want 2 years of experience because in those 2 years you'll be exposed to a huge variety of situations they simply don't teach you in school.

Have you transcribed reports where the dictator was:

A) On a cell phone sitting in traffic?
B) Eating his lunch with 'the big game' playing on the TV three inches from the microphone?
C) In the midst of a crowded break room where 15 or so residents were chatting about their cases?
D) Using a microphone with a loose wire so that every third wo-- ----s c-- off ---nd you couldn't te-- ----mg or mcg and one dose is gr--- --- ----- is lethal?
E) Dictating the wrong patient, not realizing that Mrs. Ladyfingers has probably not come to Urology because of testicular pain?
F) About 40 years past his prime and absentmindedly switching 'left/right' and 'he/she' and 'is/is not' in each new sentence?

You see, it's not just the number of words you've pounded out on a keyboard. It's the situations that accompany those words. And that comes with time.

Yes, we've all been new. We've all been through the learning process.

Problem is, companies are so penny-conscious rigth now that the overwhelming majority of them are not willing to spend the resources helping you learn it. With so many MTs with literally decades of real-world, down in the trenches, trial by fire experiences actively looking for work, a company doesn't really have much of an incentive to take on someone straight out of school. (Even if they've done 800 canned dictations from a tape at the Zippy Finger School of Medical Transcription.) Those that are willing to take newbies will expect to pay you accordingly.

In short, the answer is no. Having a diploma does not allow you to claim you have 2 years of experience. But you can still apply. Really, what have you got to lose? You've got to start somewhere, right?

and how long are these 40-50 reports that you do a day? - meagain

[ In Reply To ..]
of course a more experienced person can type more, but i can type 83 wpm so i am not worried about that part. Most of these reports were long. im not talking about 45 second notes. i could do those all day

You Missed The Point Entirely - The Rolling Eyeball

[ In Reply To ..]
Go back and read my post.

It's not about how long the reports are.

It's not about how many reports you can cram into your two months' of schooling.

It's about being there -- fanny in the seat -- being exposed to real-life situations day after day. You know...that "experience" stuff all the employers seem to be looking for.

Nobody will care that you can "type" 83 wpm because nobody's looking for a good "typist." They're looking for a good transcriptionist. Typing speed actually counts for very little in the real world. It seems like a lot of students think it's the be all/end all, and it's really not.

FWIW, I type 128 wmp, but I've never once seen a pre-employment test that measures speed for this job. (As opposed to, say, a secretary or data entry operator, where such a thing might matter.) Have you taken any online tests yet? They test knowledge and accuracy. Not speed.

But to answer your question, the reports I type vary in length, of course. I do everything from mammograms to cardiothoracic surgery - I've done acute care, clinic, ER, rad, ops, and years and years of legal transcription. I usually do about 200 minutes of dictation a day - up or down depending on the speciality - because I want to make at least a grand a week and that's about how much dictation it takes with my current accounts. Your mileage may vary.

In-house training can replace MT schools - I got paid to learn :)

[ In Reply To ..]
IMO no school can replace actual experience. There's a reason for experience requirements - no school can prepare you for every scenario. You can learn more in a room full of transcriptionists, with doctors coming and going that you can personally ask questions, than you'll learn in any school.

Generally speaking "no" But....sm - getting hired

[ In Reply To ..]
not everything is carved in stone.
Having a diploma 'allows', or makes you qualified to apply for a job, even if you do not have 2 years experience.

Don't listen to all those discouraging posts of "old and - oh my ! - so experienced MTs" and apply, apply, apply.... Don't get discouraged if you do not get an answer, keep going!

If you test really good, somebody might give you a chance and hire you.

There are still newbies who get hired, maybe you are going to be one of those.

What else can you do than apply, apply, apply and test, test, test, until you are lucky and get hired.

Not applying will certainly not get you a job.

BTW, there are companies who prefer to hire newbies because they are cheaper and are better manageable and not so SET in THEIR ways!

I wish you good luck!

school = 800 in two months/life experience = 800 in one week. NM - mtmm

[ In Reply To ..]
.

before anyone jumps a gut - that's in radiology. NM - mtmm

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.

and how long are these? - Meagain

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?

I was just wondering if I would at least get looked at with my diploma from careerstep - Meagain

[ In Reply To ..]
This blog makes me extremely worried that I will not find a job in this field after all...

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