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

Andrew's vs. Career Step - LM

Posted: Oct 10, 2011

What is the difference besides price on these two schools? Do companies hire based mostly on what school you graduate from or by how well you test? Does one school really prepare you better than the other, or are you paying for the name?

Andrews vs Career Steps - none

[ In Reply To ..]
I hear Andrews is great/top for coding. If you are thinking MT, don't go there. The MT field, seriously, has been degraded, downgraded and over-rated. Those of us in it for 20+ years have no choice really. If you do still have a choice, please do NOT waste your money on MT schools.

HIGHLY recommend Andrews for MT education - wingnut

[ In Reply To ..]
I am an Andrews grad (July 2010). I was working 2 months later (September 1, 2010). I highly recommend the program.

My employer stated in my interview, "we will only hire newbies whom have graduated from Andrews and M-Tec." I feel I got a top-notch education there and was prepared to step right into a working/paying role.

I did choose Andrews over M-Tec because the payment plan was better for me at the time.

Careful - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Careful, we're not allowed to give the truth about the MT field, because it's considered discouraging to a new person who thinks they want to do it.

Andrews has real-live instructors, a very important point. Also, places won't necessarily even let you test if you don't give the right names, because they "know."

Careful-MT - Laney

[ In Reply To ..]
Whoa there. Sounds like the bigger question isn't so much where one attends school, but whether this is a viable occupation to enter into. I think I speak for a majority when i say that people do not want to invest money into something with no return on investment. Accounting 101....

As always, some will do well with it and some won't - Some things never change

[ In Reply To ..]
There will always be some people who will do very well, some who will scrape by and not really enjoy what they are doing, and some who fall through the cracks. That's the way it's always been and probably always will be.

Careful MT - Laney

[ In Reply To ..]
Well said :). It would be great to hear more from MTs that are successful and happy. Just to balance out the mood on the message boards occasionally. LOL

Careful MT - Old Pro

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I think part of the problem is that some of the "schools" and "institutes" will take anybody who walks in the door. The legit schools recognize when someone is not suited for MT and will not enroll them. The difference is integrity. Many people want to do MT so they can work at home. That alone is not enough reason. People have to have an ability at what they are trying to do. (I used to want to be an engineer when I was younger, but I truly do lack math skills at that level. Any school of engineering that would enroll me would only be in it for the money.) Just my opinion.

Happy MT - LLM

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been an MT for 6 years and think the education Career Step gave me is better than what 5 years getting a bachelors in Business Management did for me. If you have drive, you will be a working MT in no time. Companies like Andrews OR Career Step. Every person I know that has gone to Career Step has gotten a job based on the name right after school. I thank god everyday I chose to became an MT because my kids have me here instead of in a corporate hustle.

Happy MT - Laney

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for the post LLM. Its refreshing to hear someone give props to a different school for a change. I am sure Andrews/MTEC are top notch, but they can't be the whole enchilada :)

Laney - SusanB

[ In Reply To ..]
Not the whole enchilada to be sure, just the BEST enchilada! :)

LM - Andrews

[ In Reply To ..]
No, you are not paying for the name. You are paying for the SUM program (don't go to any school that does not use it), for live instructors (don't settle for an answer key) and for an education whose quality cannot be rivaled at this point in time. I have just retired from 40 years in the biz and I can tell you that MT companies hire on BOTH factors: What school and how well you test. (And all MTSOs have a list--whether formally or in their heads--of schools with which they are unimpressed. Undoubtedly these schools vary from MTSO to MTSO, but we do have our opinions, founded on experience.) I have never hesitated to hire/recommend an Andrews grad, and I have never regretted having done so. There may be a price difference between the two schools (I don't know the price for either), but it would not be the price difference that would concern me. I would be concerned with the entire quality of the program I were selecting if I starting out. I can unequivocally recommend Andrews. I have never had a bad experience with an Andrews grad and I never fail to be impressed by them. Quite simply, Andrews is the best out there. Try to think of getting an MT education like buying a house: It is a big investment. You have to be sure you get the most for your investment because it is likely one of the biggest investments you will ever make in your life. YOU get to do the "inspection" rather than hiring a house inspector like you do with a mortage. One of the ways you do it is to review the archives, to post here to ask to e-mail with Andrews grads and grads of wherever else you might be considering. Ask their opinions pro and con of their schools. The following is an old post, but it might help you, so I hope others will bear with me if I post it again: Several people have asked me if I think MT is still a viable career. Coincidentally, today as I was cleaning out some files, I found notes from a seminar I gave and thought I would summarize a few of the thoughts, hoping they might be of value to someone out there. (Moderator, if you don't feel this is appropriate, please just delete the post.) First, there are three "myths" to consider: 1. The myth that medical transcription is easy money. Many of the not so reliable schools push this idea and use it to exploit people. It makes me really disheartened that many people who do not have much money to begin with get taken in by this. Shame on the schools who do this! 2. The second myth is that it does not matter where you go to school; you can get a good medical transcription education anywhere. Again, another myth. The old saying that "you get what you pay for" really applies. When I am counseling people face to face, I always advise that the two things they MUST have from any program are the SUM program and real, live instructors. 3. The third myth is that you can always learn "the old fashioned way--on the job." That was true up until perhaps the end of the 70s; it is surely not true now. The marketplace and its structure (and pace) have changed too radically. When interviewing schools, ask questions: 1. Where are your graduates working? Can you give me the names of 2-3 grads who would be willing to share their experience with me? 2. How long has the school been in business? Is it a private entity? A sole proprietorship? Who are the principals? How are your instructors chosen? 3. Do your financial homework. Call the BBB and the Department of Business Regulation for the locality in which the school is registered. Have there been complaints? Have the complaints been satisfactorily resolved? 4. What form of financial aid do you offer? 5. How accessible are your instructors and by what means? E-mail only? Are telephone calls permitted/encouraged? 6. Does your school use authentic physician dictation such as in The SUM program? Or does it merely use scripts read by actors? 7. What type of follow-up does your school offer? Can I "retake" any portions of the course with which I have difficulty? How many tries do I have to pass the final? 8. What kind of placement program do you have? What percentage of your grads get placed? (There should not be a fee for placement.) 9. Utilize the wisdom of the "old salts"--ancient MTs like yours truly who have been in this business for decades. Most older MTs are happy to help newbies. Many people helped me when I was starting out, and in gratitude, I try to help people just starting. Those are just some thoughts that I culled from the seminar I did. I hope something in here helps someone. Have a great week!
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I just helped a young woman look at schools and one of the things I recommended she do was to call or e-mail the HR departments of some MTSOs. It doesn't matter whether it is a huge company (such as Transcend or MedQuist) or a smaller one that strikes your fancy. Ask them what school they think is best and where they like to hire grads. Just as an aside, I have never once heard an Andrews grad say that he or she could not get a job. (In fact, most have several offers BEFORE graduating.) Other schools cannot make that claim, as far as I know. Please do your research carefully. Don't be seduced by the idea that "cheaper is better." There are lots of cheap schools out there. Cheap isn't good if it can't get you hired. And as to your question "Does one school really prepare you better than the other?" In my humble opinion, YOU BETCHA! Just read the posts on this board and come to your own conclusions. Good luck!

Whoops, signed off incorrectly - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Sorry I did not sign the long post properly. I am Old Pro. I was responding to the person who wanted info about Andrews versus other schools and did not sign my name properly. And they same some people cannot walk and chew gum at the same time!

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