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

Career Step Medical Transcription - Confessa

Posted: Jun 09, 2012

Where to start? I was the top MT at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs Regional in Waco, TX. I have also been a proofreader for a top notch advertising agency in California and my first job was as an MT. I type 90 wpm.

That said, I have not been able to find a position as an MT because I didn't have 'credentials'. So I researched the web and decided to spend my hard-earned money on Career Step.

I passed the 1st portion of the test with 97% which actually more of a grammatical testing portion of the exam. I do not have to retake this test.

For the transcription portion of the test, you have 48 hours to complete it. This is where I reallllllly need to vent my frustration. They claim they will send you a copy of your completed exam. To my surprise, I had a failing grade and was waiting for the copy results so I could study and improve my score the next time I took the exam. To my shock, I was told that they no longer give your test back to you due to 'cheating' by others!!! Guess who was cheated??? ME!!! How am I supposed to improve something they say I failed when I can't even receive a copy of where I went wrong??? Again, I have been a top-notch MT with the federal government!!! I really dislike the results in society as a result of cheaters! But still, Career Step has cheated me by not providing a copy of the test as they agreed when I signed up for the course! Not fair....

I have taken the transcription portion of the test again and this time, the dictation was so horrible and garbled that it appeared to me that it is setting a person up for failure so they have to shovel out more money just so they can pass and get a certificate!! In the real world, you can flag a report and send it to the dictator who will respond to you. In the Career Step world, you can only flag it (and I might add you are allowed so many flags and then they start counting off!) I figured it out and consulted with the people at Career Step and was told in order to pass the transcription portion of the exam, you can only miss 18 items!! I figured it out at 8 reports to be transcribed and that is only 3 errors per exam which is totally fine with me except for one thing - the reports are garbled and you cannot make out what they are saying even if you read the preceding and following paragraphs and sentences! The only way you can pass this is A: If you are a telepath B: If you have some professional in that field who is standing by to help you figure out a bunch of garbled words (which by the way I doubt they could) and it is also cheating C: If you have done medical transcription in that particular field for years and years and years!

I totally don't get it. I see rave reviews and where people are getting jobs because they happened to graduate. I think it is a roll of the dice on what dictation reports you get online from them and both of mine have been cra*. I have top of the line ear buds and my computer works just fine. I can fast forward, slow down and speed up the dictation, turn up the volume, etc. While taking the exam, I utilized all resources available on the web and from AHDI. Nothing.... NOTHING could help me transcribe something from tapes that are obviously failures!

I wish I could hear from someone who has experienced this! I have seen only 1 person who has. I am a perfectionist and dislike failure especially when it is obviously set up to where it is impossible to pass - like the games at a carnival. I don't have a lot of money to spend on schools when a person doesn't even stand a chance! I also don't like to insult companies who work hard but this just has hit a very sore point with me. I am not some dummy they think I am because I live in the sticks!

GRRRRRRrrrrrrrr.......

Sorry to hear about that.... - SH

[ In Reply To ..]
I am sorry to hear about your bad experience.

I have always been wary about Career Step. All that pushy advertising...

If it helps, I can tell you that M-TEC is different. I was an M-TEC student, and you ALWAYS get feedback on EVERYTHING, from your own personal instructor. I was able to get a great job after graduation; actually I had more than one offer.

Also, people, please stop giving thumbs down to people's personal posts for no reason at all. That's rude. Especially when you can't even bothered with a reply to explain why. (;

If you have already been an MT - SM

[ In Reply To ..]
why not just test for the companies you would like to work for and show them what you can do. I would just make a resume and send that in to whatever companies you would like to apply to and then test for them directly.

Agree with above, just start applying for jobs - sm - IMOMT

[ In Reply To ..]
despite not passing the CS test. Just put on your resume you attended there under "education". I know someone who also failed the CS test but is now working as a MT...the MTSO never asked if she completed the course. She was started off slow as a newbie but now does quite well. I think a MTSO would check previous employers before actually checking to see if you passed your course and got a certificate from them. When I did my schooling about 12 years ago I passed my test with not the best score (86), not from a top school (not AHP or PF or any of those rip offs) but still a good one IMO. Not one MTSO asked what I got on my final exam, if I had actually finished, etc. I was lucky though and got 2 IC jobs within 2 months of finishing my course.

So if I were you I would not sweat it and just apply, apply, apply, I also would not have gone back to school if I was already a proficient MT, your experience should speak for itself.

Good luck.

Agree & wonder why . . . - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree and wonder why you thought you needed t take a course if you were already an MT. I also wonder why you left the VA and why you don't just apply for something else there. Even if your job was eliminated, they would have had to place you in something else.

Once you work in a field like MT it can become very difficult to go to school for it. Learning it on your own or on the job can result in skill levels that do not meet accepted standards. You can learn to do things to meet your employer's expectations, no realizing that you will not meet all employers' expectations.

From what the OP said, she was always able to ask the doctor to fill in anything she did not understand. Her learned expectation is that this is normal. She will feel that it is understood that if she cannot understand it, it is not understandable and it is acceptable to just ask the doctor. As the "top" MT, definitely her abilities were tops, so she will have added reason to believe that her skill level is the norm or better.

Someone in that situation can have a horrible time in a formal course bacause they do not really understand their shortcomings that led to having to take the course in the first place. If you think that something is garbled and have the expectation that you can just ask the doctor, and you think that your ears are tops, you never see where you fall short. You never learn what the course is teaching. You just continue cruising through the material the same way you did before. If you fail the test, you cannot see why.

Failing that dictation test says the OP did not learn what she should have learned. She did not develop the listening skills required to pass. It isn't that the test is too hard.

In order to get a job and work in MT, you have to be able to transcribe to high standards. You do not have the option of leavng blanks every time something is more difficult than you prefer to transcribe.

Actually MT work for the VA is not the same. - Maggie May

[ In Reply To ..]
I have seen companies that ask for experience who specifically state that VA work (and some insurance work) will not count as MT experience. I believe on the first part of the test you are allowed to look up all the answers, so 97% isn't very good considering that companies require at least 98% or better. A lot of people have graduated from CS (myself included, although I don't like to admit it), and I'm sure many of them took the same test you did (they only have a few different tests). I have had dictators that were much worse than anything I had at CS. If you can't pass the CS test, you probably can't pass very many employment tests either. Like the others said, see if you can take some of the employment tests based on the fact that you got your education from CS. Nobody ever asked to see my certificate from CS.

What about VA transcription is the problem? - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Why would they think VA transcription shouldn't count? That seems a bit strange, considering that the content is the same as anywhere else and the dictators are notoriously difficult.

My observation - Inquiring minds

[ In Reply To ..]
Why would someone who was considered a top notch MT need to be bothering with the Career Step course in the first place? I agree that many students with no work experience at all pass that transcription test and move onto employment. I'm sorry that you were mislead about having your test returned to you, but it isn't the fault of the school that people cheat. Also, it'ts probably copyrighted material and they don't want people duplicating the test. In regard to the blanks, that's probably pretty close to a real world situation. Most of us deal with garbled dictation and foreign accents all day long, and researching and reading other portions of the report/patient record to figure it out is pretty common. I actually think the amount of blanks Career Step permits on the exam is pretty generous. On the job, leaving that many would definitely count against your QA score and a talk with the supervisor.

PLEASE.......... - High Honors Grad

[ In Reply To ..]
COME ON!!!!!!!!! There is no way the exam is set up for you to fail, you just didn't try!!!!!!! Career Step gives you every opportunity to seek out assistance and gives you 3 opportunities to take the exam and there is no way you can blame the quality of the dictations on your failure. In transcription you are going to come across a lot harder voice files than anything you will ever hear on Career Step's files. If you can't hack it there you won't ever succeed in this business. I understand that you have done transcription before for the gov, but dealing with doctors is a whole different ball game! I can speak very confidnetly about Career Step, I looked at many schools before going through with their program and I am thankful every day that I did! I was not out of school 15 days before I was employed and with one of the top companies in the industry. You don't see many other people commenting on your complaining because there are so many of us that are more than satisfied with the education and training we got! Career Step is the preferred school of the majority of the big companies out there and there is a lot to be said for that. The program works!!!!!!!!

You may be a high honors grad but . . . - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I have to wonder what they taught you -- and if you are even an MT at all -- or for that matter even a resident of the United States -- after seeing your statement that you "understand that you have done transcription before for the gov, but dealing with doctors is a completely different ballgame."

Can you explain what you mean by that? What kind of transcription do you think "the gov" she mentioned does?

And ARE you from the US???

Government transcription - Not an honors grad

[ In Reply To ..]
Government transcription could have been in a non-medical setting, they hire general transcriptionists too. People are assuming that it was the VA but it could have been anything. There's nothing in the posts to indicate that she's not a US Resident, Career Step is based in Utah.

The OP does - in fact

[ In Reply To ..]
state that she was an MT for the VA.

Career Step Finals - Mojo

[ In Reply To ..]
You are right they do set you up to fail with crappy audio files when you look at the wavelength on some in Dobly editor you can see the waveform is overdubbed. Career Step is getting a bad reputation from this and soon they are going to become obsolete. Any one taking MT take it through your local college not online!

Similar Messages:

Jan 19, 2011

can anybody tell me about good online medical transcription school. ...

Mar 05, 2012

Anyone have problems passing Career Step MT testing. ...

May 29, 2012

Is anyone familiar with the transcription program at either Career Step, MT at Home, or Medical Transcription A to Z? Opinions would be appreciated. ...

Nov 01, 2012

Hello. I was just wondering if anyone has experience with the above mentioned book? I was planning on getting the work book as well. I also wanted to know what other books I would need. I was going to get the 2013 addition for all books needed. I don't have the money to take a full course right now, but I would like to "get my feet wet" and see if this is the right field for me. Thanks. ...

Nov 14, 2009

Hello, I am looking for advice from some of the seasoned MT's and those who have been in the field for about a year now. I am looking into medical transcription; initially for part-time supplemental income and down-the-road as a full-time career. Here are the questions that I have: Which schools, particularly online courses, are well known for developing successful MT's; more specifically which programs are good at helping their graduates land jobs? For someone who ...

Dec 22, 2013

Anybody got any ideas for a career change for someone that has been doing medical transcription for 20 years? ...

May 12, 2010

wonder if anyone here, or if anyone knows of anyone who utilized Career Step for either their MT program or their coding program ...

Sep 13, 2010

Hi, I haven't enrolled yet, but I've pretty much decided on Career Step (mostly because of price!). I was wondering if anyone has any input as to whether it's better to take the MT course or the MTE course. Do you need the extra editing experience? I'm sure any extra is helpful, but is it necessary to have the editing training to get an MT job with an online company? Thanks in advance for any info! ...

Mar 04, 2011

Does anyone know if in-state tuition for career step is $350??? That's what they told me. ...

Jan 26, 2010

I am just curious if anyone knows good or bad about Career Step Medical Transcription and Medical Billing/Coding online courses. I would appreciate any opinoins about this particular online school. Thank you. ...

Feb 03, 2010

I was curious to hear if anybody failed the second part of the final? I got a 13% on the second part only because I was having serious trouble hearing the doctor clearly. I took that final last June, and I am wanting to take the final again in May. I am worried that I am going to come across the same problem even after practicing for so many months and getting helpful tips from the Career Step final. I am currently working part-time typing overflow reports and I am doing rather well with that. S ...

Apr 28, 2010

Fancy that! ...

May 11, 2010

I am going to enroll in Career step tomorow. I looked into Andrews, but if I had the 1000 to put down I would not be looking for a new career. LOL. Wish me luck! ...

May 29, 2010

I'm very disappointed regarding this medical editing course being offered by Career Step. In my opinion it's a terrible way to take advantage of newbies who are worried about the job market and willing to pay anything to upgrade their skills, when every employer I've ever heard of trains their MTs on VR. I can't imagine an employer requesting a course in medical editing in addition to the standard MT course. I myself am a Career Step grad, have been gai ...

Jun 09, 2010

Do you know if it is possible to take career step courses for coding and still collect unemployment. I do not qualify for the displaced worker program and they will not let me keep my benifits if I chose to go to a regular community college. I have no idea how the reporting is done, but I would really like to get into coding (currently an MT). I have enough in savings to pay for the course, and I am pretty sure I could get it over with fairly quicly, but I don't want to push myself to work ...

Oct 15, 2010

I am trying to decide which school to go with. I have read good and bad about both Career Step and TRS - does anyone have any additional considerations for me before I make my decision? Thanks! ...

Nov 05, 2010

I am very interested in a coding career. I have been doing medical transcription for the past 10 years and am tired of chasing after the money. I need stability. Coding has always seemed like a very interesting job. I want to choose a course that is the most detailed so that I have the best chance of passing the certification test(s) and be able to land a job. Can anyone advise on a great online medical coding course? Thanks guys!!!! ...

Jan 26, 2011

Hi everyone, I have been looking at both Andrews and Career Steps programs for coding. I am leaning more towards Andrews, but I am worried about the amount of writing assignments you have to do. Are these long assignments? What type of stuff do you have to write about for a coding course (without giving away too much info)? Career Step is completely online, and for some reason that just does not seem like the best way to go. I feel that you really do need hands on kind of work, and I don' ...

Jul 25, 2011

I don't know how it will work as far as "enrollment" actually goes, but I'm really looking to do more of a self-taught kind of thing anyway. I know that access to instructors is important, and I have already arranged for that through my local college. Worst case scenario, I'm out $25.. but for that price, I couldn't pass it up!! Thoughts? ...

Aug 25, 2011

I'm currently enrolled @ Career Step and stumbled across this forum tonight. This is the first time I've heard about this SUM program. Should I be nervous that Career Step doesn't use this program? I admit, I did not have the money for Andrews or M-tec and thought the AHDI certification was the important thing. Now I'm not so sure. Will I be passed over by recruiting agents without this knowledge? Thanks ...

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? ...

Jan 16, 2012

Okay, I know Andrews is the best, but has anyone taken Career Step and had any sucess? It is an approved school on the AHIMA web site, but I don't ever hear anyone say anything about going through them for coding. If anyone has, I would like to know if you were able to pass the CCS after completing the course? My parents want to help me pay for school, and I hate for them to think I went and found the most expensive one out there; although, I know it is the best. I just wondered abo ...

Apr 20, 2013

I am trying to decide between Andrews and Career Step for billing and coding. The only question I have left is how the learning is done. It looks like Career Step is study on your own. at your own pace. I can't find anything one way or the other on the Andrews site - are there interactive online classes or is it study on your own and then test? Also, Career Step says the tuition includes Complete set of industry codebooks (ICD-9-CM, CPT, HCPCS). Andrews ju ...

May 04, 2013

I have narrowed my choices down to Career Step or Andrews for coding. I know that Andrews provides all the necessary textbooks, but I cannot get a clear answer as to which textbooks actually are included with the Career Step program. Are there any current or former students of the Career Step coding program who would be willing to tell me which textbooks they received? Thanks much! ...

Jan 30, 2015

I have to be honest. I truly felt that Career Step's training was thorough and prepared me well for a career as an MT. I had an extensive background in terminology, but the transcribing was new for me. Nonetheless, I completed all transcription modules with over 98% accuracy. I can type over 100 WPM. So, when it came time to take the final, I felt confident. I mean, I passed the multiple choice questions with flying colors and only got one wrong. But, apparently, I did so poorly on the tr ...

Apr 17, 2015

Can anyone tell me the difference in the 2 programs? Will someone come out of CS ready to sit for the CCS/CPC? I know/hear on here that Andrews has the best, most comprehensive program but Career Step has a job placement program after graduation ...granted it is low-paying, but it is more like an internship for 13 weeks. After that you can get hired for $15-$17/hour or more.... However their program is almost half what Andrews is.... I just am trying to make the best decision for myself. I am re ...

Feb 26, 2010

I am looking to get some opinions on Career Step's MT program. Has anybody been able to find a job after completion? Any information would be greatly appreciated! ...

May 09, 2010

If anyone has taken Career Step, do you feel you are being challenged and that it is worth the money? Do they have payment plans? ...

May 25, 2010

Has anyone taken this course to learn speech editing? Is it worth the $? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks! ...

Mar 01, 2011

1. How long did it take you to complete the course? 2. Were you able to pass the certification exam? 3. Are you working as a coder? 4. Overall opinion on the career step coding course? Any info would be greatly appreciated. TIA ...