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

Allied - MeMeMT

Posted: Apr 23, 2010

I have been doing due diligence & am disappointed to find so many negatives about Allied. I don't understand why this program, that appears to be considered substandard in the industry, was approved.

I have completed a local program that was fine for what it provided, but I feel & know that I need more. I want the next step to be the final step. Nobody wants to do 3 programs! I hear those who talk about cost. However, there are many considerations when choosing. Not everyone can afford one of the high cost programs. Some need a part time, or perhaps self-paced program. I definitely want a program with solid networking to hiring companies & job placement assistance (& I don't mean resume writing)!

I know it is somewhat subjective, but I'd like to hear opinions about the top 6 approved MT training programs from "seasoned" MTs who are in a position to know. Thanks!

MeMeMT - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
You are my kind of person. Your attitude is professional and will likely get you far in our field. I have been in MT for 41 years, have owned smaller companies, and have mentored and trained many MTs in my lifetime. Why some schools get approved is anybody's guess. A lot of it has to do with corporate politics rather than quality of education offered, I am sorry to say. Some of it has to do with what I call the "scam factor"--the ability of some schools to pull the wool over people's eyes. These schools will typically have an evening get together (complete with a Sally Fields lookalike) who will make promises such as "You can make 70K a year effortlessly sitting at home in your jammies." Unfortunately, aspiring MTs also bear some of the blame, in that they are gullible and do not do their due diligence. I have interacted with MTs from many schools and the schools that seem to produce consistently well-prepared grads are Andrews and M-TEC. Both are excellent schools. I have never seen an MT from either school get fired.

There is a trap that I really hate to see people (especially poor women and young people) fall into. That is thinking along the lines of "I cannot afford much, so I will take the cheapest thing out there." That is the worst kind of logic on the planet. So they cheap out, go to one of these schools, and subsequently find they cannot get a job. (Many of them then proceed to dis the messenger who tells them that their school ain't so hot. That's okay--people have to vent.) People say "I cannot afford to go to a good school." My answer to that is "If you want to become an MT, you can't NOT afford to go to a good school." Many people are, in effect, pouring what little money they do have down the drain. I have known many people (some of them single mothers) who, upon discovering that their school has not adequately prepared them, are able to budget/get loans, take a second job or do whatever they have to do and are able to augment their education at a more comprehensive school. I know many highly successful MTs who came into the MT world just that way. I have always believed that if people want a decent education deeply enough, they will find a way. As to the inadequate schools themselves, I am quite honestly surprised that people have not sued the pants off of some of them for misreprentation. It is only a matter of time before that happens, and I would be happy to see some of them put out of business. I hope this answers some of your questions. You are proceeding in the right way, doing your homework, gathering information. (Those are all excellent qualities that will serve you well once you get your first MT job, by the way.) You are mature. I would encourage anyone doing research into companies to not take it personally when someone does not have a favorable opinion of any school. I personally do not believe I am doing anyone any favors to call a less than adequate school wonderful. You need to know what you are dealing with, now more than ever, in order to make decisions that will support you in the marketplace. The competition in this field is fierce. There is a glut of MTs on the market (experienced, seasoned ones) and we are in the midst of a horrific recession. All of these factors need to be weighed into your decisions. I can tell you that there are several schools whose grads just do not get hired based on the reputation of the school. MT companies put much money and time into recruiting, training, and retaining new people. Of course, the MTSO is going to select the candidates from schools with a proven track record. That is just the way it is. My heart really goes out to people beginning in this field today, and I do not think I would have the courage to do it. My hat is off to those of you who are doing it, and I wish the very best to all of you. May you find the school that is right for you, and when you graduate, may you find the right job. Good luck!

Correction - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
Whoops, the old MTSO has not had her afternoon coffee--the word should be MISREPRESENTATION. Please forgive me.

Allied - MeMeMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you! I do appreciate your sharing, & I value your opinions & experience.

Andrews & M-Tech seem to be the 2 programs that are always mentioned. If you had to name 2 others what might they be?

MeMeMT - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
I would not name any others, as the others do not impress me enough to give my imprimatur. I always feel responsible when I recommend a course (or an MT), so I am very cautious in doing so. What I would say is that there is a very good reason that Andrews and M-TEC are always mentioned. I would not hesitate for one moment to hire a grad from either place because I know that they give a quality product, know their stuff, and can hit the ground running. Some of the other schools are sometimes good, sometimes not so much, and some of them are downright abysmal--but, as we used to say in algebra, there are too many unknowns.

This cannot be right. What you are saying is that - schools

[ In Reply To ..]
only MTs that graduated from Andrews and M-TEC got and get hired?

How many percent of MTs graduated from these 2 schools?
I would guess maximum 20%, and 80% graduated from other schools, although I do not know how many of those got hired, but a lot were.

That is not what I am saying at all - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
You are making a jump in logic from A to B to X. I did not say that only MTs from Andrews and M-TEC get hired. I said that I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ANDREWS OR M-TEC GRAD GET FIRED. Big difference. These grads are extremely well-prepared, can hit the ground running and start making money almost from the first day, and need minimal hand-holding. I have, on the other hand, seen many folks get hired who got their educations at the one of the matchbook schools. They subsequently could not cut it and had to be let go. And please be very clear that I am not saying that people from other schools cannot do well--some of them can do it. There are always exceptions, as we say in Latin, "that make the rule." All I am saying is why not give yourself the very best education you can get in order to complete in this fierce economy? Every day I see tons of experienced MTs out there looking. If you are going to compete with them and do it with success, it is to your advantage to be prepared. Probably the single most damaging error people wanting to get into MT make is to choose a school based on its price. That old cliche "You get what you pay for" stays in existence for a reason. Over and over again I hear new MTs say "I took a course from XYZ school and now I feel unprepared......" I have NEVER heard that from an Andrews or an M-TEC grad.

true, I agree - schools

[ In Reply To ..]
but the point to ponder is if it is economically justifiable to start in these times an MT education and enroll into an expensive (Andrews, M-TEC and also others) schools, since US MTing jobs in general are so much endangered by offshoring, front-end VR and EMR?

Isn't straight transcription over or soon will be, leaving us with VR and EMR?

To True, I Agree - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
Well, this is just my own opinion and others may well feel differently, but I would NEVER encourage anyone in my own family to get into MT at this stage of the game. Like you say, US MTing jobs are being offshored (thank you, AHDI), and front-end VR and EMR are coming more into the foreground. I have only 17 months until retirement, at which time I plan to travel for six months and hopefully never touch a keyboard again--or at least, not to do MT. :) I have loved the field, but it has changed so drastically. In my view, MQ became the neighborhood bully and got away with their outrageously shoddy treatment of MTs. Other companies aspired/are aspiring to be just as ruthless as MQ, and that has changed the whole vibe, if you will allow me to use a slangy word. Add to that mix the matchbook schools (and I think we all pretty much know who they are), plus the glut of truly seasoned MTs who are smart, who graduated from good schools, and who are willing to work for less just because there are so few jobs out there. My own niece wanted me to help her get into MT so she could work at home. (She has two small children.) I told her no, I could not in good conscience send her down that path. I was willing to help her in some other educational endeavors, but not MT. All of that said, if someone really and truly wants to seek a career as an MT, they should do it. America is all about people seeking their dreams and they are not always practical. It is not economically justifiable to own a Ferrari, but there are people in the world do buy them. (Likely not MTs, she said, with a touch of irony.) So there are other factors to consider in addition to economics. However, for so many women I meet (and sometimes men) who have this idealized view of being able to make a good living working at home, my honest opinion is that that train has come and gone. My own view (and what I told my niece) is that it is too late in the game. That is just my own feeling and others undoubtedly will disagree with me and that is fine. It would be a boring old world if we all saw things the same way. But to newbies and wannabes, I wish I could put my arm around their shoulder, buy them a cup of coffee and offer them the suggestion that the cheapest and fastest way likely will not prepare them to work in MT at all. Not only do you have to GET the job, you have to KEEP the job. We require 98% accuracy at all times, and I think most firms do that. So adequate preparation is the key. Ask yourself if the school(s) you are considering will prepare you for today's MT world and its high standards. I do not know the answers for people looking at MT. The one thing I DO know is that I wish beyond wishing that someone would come along and put several of the more egregious matchbook schools out of business so they would not swindle so many well-meaning young people. So, folks, do your homework, really give the school you choose some consideration, and best of luck in this brave new world......

thank you for this post, I could not agree more, thanks - mting / sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, the train has come and gone and does not stop here anymore.

I took the pre-employment test, passed it, got hired - school and test

[ In Reply To ..]
and nobody asked me from what school I graduated. They only asked me if I am an MT graduate.

Why do MTs always blame the school if they do not pass a test? Not always the case.

Took the pre-employment test - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
You make an excellent point. Sometimes people blame the school and it is not the school's fault. Your observation is wise. I see communications all the time which contain errors in the most basic grammar and spelling and I wonder how on earth any school ever accepted these people? Actually I know how they got accepted; the schools do not really care--all they want is the money. And I do agree with you that many people should look inward at their own basic skills before blaming a school. Still and all, there are a lot of half-baked schools out there, which are all too eager to separate people from their hard-earned dollars. I wish that such schools (many of which charge large sums of money!) could be put out of business. They are, in essence, robbing people--many times single women who are poor and think they are doing the right thing, only to lose their money. I feel sorry for such women (and men) and angry at the unethical companies who likely have as much business teaching medical transcription as I do teaching quantum physics--NOT! One thing I have learned in my nearly 70 years is that it's a greedy, greedy world out there, my friends, and you have to really be careful at all times. Don't believe all these schools tell you, especially if they come to your city with an "informational seminar." Never make a decision on the spot. Take their material home and do some serious research. If what they offer is such a good deal, you should not be pressured to sign up right now. Best of luck to everyone. I really wish our profession were not in such a mess.

I second this totally, see inside - schools ande tests

[ In Reply To ..]
There are a lot of online MT schools that do not even require a pre-enrollment test, they only check if one has a high school diploma, and even this is asked only since a couple of years. Before that anyone could enroll.

Since online schools do not teach grammar and spelling, this explains what you encountered in your communications with certain MT students or even MTs.

Online schools teach medical terminology, all the other pre-requirements have to be brought already along, acquired in high school.

If you were a good student in high school, THEN even a not so magnificent online MT education is enough, it should make you a good MT.

If you were a bad high school student, you better enroll into Andrews or M-TEC to make it in the MT world.

Testing in - MeMeMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Who the heck would hire someone without asking where they went to school as well as who they've worked for?

I've been a hiring manager before &, in my experience, that's just asking for trouble. I can't imagine a large company doing that.

MeMeMT - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm with you. We not only ask about education, we actually check educational background. And references. I agree with you that it is just asking for trouble to hire without having this information. I cannot imagine any reputable company--large or small--that would do such a thing. If so, I would wonder if they are as haphazard with their transcription work product as they are with their hiring protocol. :)

No, this is no true and not right, s/m - schools and tests

[ In Reply To ..]
assume an MT graduates from
a mediocre school and passes the pre-employment test with a 99% accuracy.

Would you reject such an applicant?

If you say yes, you would reject such an applicant, that means that you hire only applicants who graduated from Andrews or M-TEC, and do not give other MTs any chance.

Rejecting applicants - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
If they could pass the pre-employment test at 99% accuracy, and if their grammar and spelling were up to par, I would give them a chance, of course. (One caveat: Nothing turns me off more than to get letters and e-mails written as if they were texting, i.e., "i wnd if u r hiring?") Yes, some aspiring new MTs actually do write like like this! Nobody is a greater BlackBerry fan than yours truly--I think the person who invented it should probably get the Nobel Prize--but I still believe in business formality for business dealings. So yes, I would conditionally hire the applicant, just as I would conditionally hire a grad from M-TEC and Andrews. They would have 90 days of probation, no matter what their alma mater. I don't care if they came from Harvard. They would have 90 days of probation. The real question is not can they pass the pre-employment test at 99%, it is whether their fund of knowledge and MT abilities are consistent enough to allow them to move up from a new hire to full employee status. I have never seen an M-TEC or Andrews grad fail to make the grade, but I have seen plenty of matchbook grads (and some community college grads, too, sadly), have to be let go because they had not been adequately prepared and that just makes me sad.

nice to hear that you give all applicants who pass with 98% - 98%

[ In Reply To ..]
accuracy a chance, this is really encouraging to hear.

Because there are many MTSO and clients who post bluntly on their website

"Newbies do not need to apply." :-(

No, we do not give ALL applicants jobs! - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
Once again, people are making the leap from from A to B to X. We do not hire all applicants who apply for jobs, and in fact hire only about 3 people per every 200 applications. Yes, there really are that many people looking right now and many, many of them are seasoned MTs with impressive resumes and years of experience. (That is why it is so important to come to the job market well-prepared.) What I did say is that I would give equal consideration to someone from a school or community college other than Andrews or M-TEC if they could pass at over 98%. One of the ways people misunderstand things is to make leaps of logic and, as they say in the legal profession "assume facts not in evidence". :)- Giving an equal chance WHEN JOBS ARE AVAILABLE is NOT the same thing as hiring every applicant who applies. (I really wish we could do so, but we are simply not that large. Nobody is.) Not all MTSOs (even ones as large at the mightly MQ) hire everyone who applies. However, if there is an opening, and someone passes the test (whether they are from Andrews or M-TEC or some other school or community college), why not give them an equal chance? I believe in fair play, and I also believe in reality. The reality is that people from the schools who use the SUM program and who have many hours of transcription with a real live person to help them (and my personal bias is that I become quite vexed at schools that have students correct themselves with an answer key), have a much higher chance of passing, that's all. (Sorry for the run-on sentence above, but you know what I mean.....)

Excuse me, isn't that what I was saying in my post - 98%

[ In Reply To ..]
that it is nice that you give applicants who score 98% or higher on the pre-employment test EQUAL CHANCES to get hired? Yes, I did.

I did not say that you hire all applicants who score 98%.

Excuse me - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
Excuse me, forgive me, that was not clear to me. Thank you for clearing that up.

at my 1st job they only asked if I am a graduate MT - school and test

[ In Reply To ..]
It is not asking for trouble, since they hire according to the accuracy on the pre-employment test THIS is the most important criteria to hire somebody.

41 Years as an MT? There is no job in the world I would want for 41 years! - Job burnout anyone

[ In Reply To ..]
I can't imagine having the same job for 41 years. That would be job burnout of monumental proportions for me. Good for you though! You have earned a rest.

being a parent is a LIFELONG job - parent

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Being a parent - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
I absolutely agree with you--being a parent IS a full-time job! One never "graduates" from parenthood.

I think the MAIN reason why many MTs flunk - bad audios

[ In Reply To ..]
the pre-employment tests are the BAD AUDIOS.

Bad audios - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
But having to deal with bad audios is also part of an MTs work, sometimes--unfortunately--on a daily basis. In ideal world, all audios would be clear and pristine. Sadly enough, that is not the case. Some hospitals even have re-recorded accounts, which are a nightmare for everyone right from the MT up to the owner of the service, but they are a fact of life.

yes, true, so bad, so sad......... - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

That doesn't really make sense - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
Everybody takes the same pre-employment tests. Regardless of the quality of the dictation, some pass it and some don't. Sometimes the employer uses poor dictation on purpose, to see if you know what to do when you can't transcribe certain areas of a report. In other words, they want to know if you know what you don't know.

This is one of those areas where each person needs to take responsibility for themselves instead of blaming the test, the employer, or the weather.

That doesn't really make sense - Old MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with you completely. People will always have some excuse from blaming it on their school to bad tapes to "the moon was in Fresno." I agree with you totally about taking personal responsibility and to you I say, "BRAVO!"

Similar Messages:

Dec 31, 2009

Just wondering if anyone went to Allied Medical Schooling for MT and how they liked it? How did you do and if you felt prepared for work after getting done with it? I just want to know how others done with it and how they liked it? ...

Jan 23, 2010

Has anyone heard anything about Allied Medical School's Medical Transcription course? They are approved by AHDI, the price is reasonable (not cheapest but not most expensive) and the course includes a laptop, CD materials and actual textbooks(unlike CareerStep that provides photo copies). I want to get started on my schooling but I want to make the best choice I can. Any info/feed back would be greatly appreciated. ...

Apr 22, 2010

Has anyone here completed the Allied program? I'd appreciate hearing about your experience, any job assistance they may provide, & whether you'd make the same choice if you could do it again. Thanks! ...

Apr 26, 2010

I am about to complete my course with ALLIED MEDICAL SCHOOLS, but I'm running into the same problems with companies not wanting to hire newbies. EVERYONE is wanting 2+ yrs experience. I didn't take this course to work at a hospital, I took it to work from home. Now I'm finding everyone telling me to find a local job to gain the experience I need to land an MT company job. I am so worried I have made the wrong decision to do this and now will have to go back ...

Jan 31, 2011

Has anyone went to Allied Schools? They are ADHI approved but do not use SUM. I have talked to many school and would like to know if anyone went here and what their impression was. Thanks. ...

Feb 28, 2011

I am going through Allied Schools Medical Transcription program and I was wondering if anyone else out there has gone through them and what they thought. I am close to graduating and also wanted to hear how difficult it was to find a job for an entry level position. Thanks! ...

Apr 26, 2011

I am in Allied MT school, and working on my finals. I am truly concerned that my lack of experience will hinder me finding a job. Any information on companies that hire new MTs would be appreciated. Thanks ...

Jan 25, 2010

I am so deeply disappointed in Allied Business School/Medical School. I am so deeply disappointed in AIM/**** who never lived up to her end of a business deal. I have wasted so much time and money in attempting to become a Medical Transcriptionist. I'd rather clean toilets. Anonymous **** Do not identify individuals. Moderator **** ...

Apr 25, 2010

I have recently completed the Allied MT course, and as I begin to test for companies, I realize that I am not prepared for the real world of the MT. As I have already spent a great deal of money, taking the Andrews course is not a viable option for me. If I could turn back time..... Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions of ways that I could obtain some "real world" practice so that I may be better prepared for my career? I have searched for mentorships, as I would love to have an MT to help ...

May 12, 2010

A representative from Allied Medical Schools told me this: Our program is designed to prepare you for not only the career, but also for the AAPC’s CPC-A exam which is the first certification you can obtain as a new medical coder. The AHIMA certification requires a degree program that usually takes about 2 years to complete and to pursue that, you must already have your CPC-A certification. Some employers may ask for a AHIMA cert but there are plenty of employers that do not and th ...

Jul 14, 2011

I planned on going this route in order to obtain a job as an MT. Do you think this is feasible? I would also be purchasing plenty of dictation practice materials. (Practice, practice, practice!!) Thanks in advance for your input! ...

Jun 24, 2014

I was wondering if anyone has ever gone through Allied School in California for billing & coding. If so, how was your experience? Were you able to find work in coding after finishing the course and getting your certification? I have been a medical transcriptionist for the past 10-11 years and am now looking at getting into coding. My best friend and I are going to take a course together. If you wouldn't recommend Allied as a school, who would you reco ...