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

Does anyone know if U.S. Career Institute is an actual acredited MT school? - Ree

Posted: Jan 04, 2012

I have completed a course in medical transcriptioning in a school thats called U.S. Career Institute and was woundering if I just got hoaxed or if it was a real school. If anybody knows I would appraciate it having difficulties finding a job.

You got hoaxed - Former MTSO

[ In Reply To ..]
For any MT training program to be good it must use the SUM program and have access to live instructors. Many MTSOs I know of have a very poor impression of U.S. Career Institute. (I personally would not hire from them if I were asked.) IMHO, the best thing you can do it contact Andrews and see if there is some way to beef you the education. At our company we get about 500 applications for every opening. Your competition is people with a lot of experience who have trained at good schools. Did you investigate these people before enrolling? The best thing you can do now is to shore up what they did give you. Good luck to you.

Ree - anon

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It is a very poor school. I have never met anyone from there who was in any way, shape, or form ready to work as an MT. Sad. They have had several names over the years. One has to wonder why?

Completed the course a year ago - mtlt

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I would definitely NOT take the course through them if I had it to do over again. I actually learned more about report format and terminology by working as a CNA in a nursing home for two years. I am having to relearn all formats that they taught. I could never get a reply from any of the so-called instructors.

US Career - I wonder

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After reading this post and looking at the name of the school attended, it makes me wonder. How many of us refer to it as medical "transcriptionING". School is named "U.S." Career Institute. I am only asking so don't get irate, but are you from United States? Just "woundering." I would "appraciate" a reply. Thank you.

Yes - Ree

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Yes I am from the United States

Ree - NJ Gal

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Again, I am just wondering--how did you come to choose this school? Did you research other possibilities out there? This school has a reputation that leaves much to be desired. If you want to become an MT, I hope you can choose another, more comprehensive school, to augment what you already have. The MTSOs I know will not hire from this school because the training is way too thin.

A few people may say "medical transcriptioning" before they take a course - but not after

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You would learn the first day that the correct term is medical transcription. There isn't such a thing as medical transcriptioning. There are people who don't know that until they enroll. If they still don't know it after they graduate, that demonstrates a real problem. Why didn't someone teach you better?

A polite suggestion - Nick

[ In Reply To ..]
You need to study the basic syntax and structure of the English language. "Transcriptioning?" "Woundering?" "appraciate?" Say what? Why don't you KNOW if it is a real school? If I were going to give money to a school, I would check them out thoroughly BEFORE enrolling. Something sounds off-kilter here.

USCI is accredited - LB

[ In Reply To ..]
U.S. Career Institute is accredited through the Distance Education and Training Council (www.detc.org). You can browse their Web site to see what it takes to get accredited through the DETC. The school is also approved and regulated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Private Occupational Schools Board.

USCI - Marilyn

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It doesn't matter what high-sounding "board, council" or other entity "accredits" them. They obviously do not educate MTs to a level at which they will be productive in the marketplace. If the OP refers to what she does as "transcriptioning," think what she will do with the actual transcription on the job (shuddering). No, thanks, I will stick with the tried and true schools for my crew.

Accredited, schemedited - Anon

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If they will allow someone who cannot type a basic e-mail in basic English without so many errors, what does it say about their internal process? Not everyone is cut out for transcription, and this person obviously is not. A school like Andrews or M-TEC never would have admitted someone with such poor skills. Undoubtedly the OP has wonderful skills in other areas, but her skills do not like in the area of being an expert with words. This is not "bad" or "wrong," it just is. And yet this "institute" took her her money, somehow led her to think she was "certified" and ready to go into the MT world and actually be employable. I doubt that will happen. You bet she got taken.

Only by a few institutions - mtlt

[ In Reply To ..]
Accredited by only a few institutions that are not nationally recognized. I have received back no fewer than 10 applications with my resume letting me know that USCI is not accredited by the main national institutions and that they could not hire me. Thankfully, I did find a small company that would hire me. She did not hire me based on the USCI certificate, which is pretty much worthless, but because I have two years previous experience with medical terminology from a nursing home. She assigned me two providers that do nursing home visits. I have yet to find a company that would hire me because of USCI. Most of them told me that I would have to attend Career Step before they could hire me as a new MT.

MTLT - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Ask them why they are recommending Career Step? Andrews is a much better choice. Could be they have some financial relationship with Career Step. Check it out before stepping blindly in. IMHO, people need the SUM program with access to an actual instructor as opposed to an answer key. Just my opinion.

Must be - mtlt

[ In Reply To ..]
I asked some of the companies, but have yet to receive a response as to why they use Career Step. The answer keys we got weren't much for answer keys and the materials didn't explain much either. I was just going based on what I received as responses from the email addresses USCI had given me as references. I had to go with what I could do financially. I was about to lose my house and I had already lost my vehicle. USCI let me start extremely cheap and said I could start paying once I had income.

mtlt - Old Pro

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Alas, nothing is "cheap," if it will not make you employable--and takes your money to boot. There is reason that old saying persists: "You get what you pay for." I hope things work out well for you.

Only $10 - mtlt

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They only got the $10. I have still been unable to start paying them and likely will not as they did not provide the training and instruction promised in the material sent before enrollment and over the phone. If it wasn't so hard on my back I would go back to the nursing home as a CNA. As I said before, I learned more from working there than from USCI.

It isn't about the $10 - Old Pro

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No, I am sorry, but they got way more than 10 bucks. They wasted your time, raised your hopes, and did not fulfill their contract. If I were you, I would sue their socks off. Google their name and "lawsuits" and see if you can link up with other people with the same experience. I am really sorry this happened to you.

An idea for you based on what you said - sm

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Aren't there people in hospitals and nursing homes who are patient advocates? It seems like you might be very good at that. You sound like a very pleasant person. Since you already understand the nursing home system, here's what I would do. Dress up for the job you want, not the job you had when you worked there. Try a simple skirt and blouse, maybe black skirt, white blouse, black semi-low-heeled shoes, little or no jewelery, a neat hairstyle and a big smile. You would be selling your ability to get patients and their relatives to like you and trust you. I don't know much about that job or the requirements, but it would be worth checking into. Maybe you already have those prerequisites.

Not a people person - mtlt

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That would be great if I could afford decent clothing for a job like that. Mine are falling apart. I really am not a people person. There are times that I freeze up and can't think of anything to say to someone face to face. I can think of tons of things when writing though.

Okay, I respect the fact that you know your skills and vice versa - nm

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nm

MTLT - Old Pro

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That is why it is imperative that people do their homework BEFORE signing up with these schools. I advise people to call HR at a couple of nationals or whomever else they want to work for and ask them what they think of the school and if they accept their grads. Homework is key when choosing a school. These "institutes" will pretty much tell you whatever you want to hear. I will bet if I called one of them and asked them if I enrolled if I could have as a signup bonus a date with George Clooney for Saturday night they would say yes, they would arrange it. They make outlandish promises with a straight face and no conscience. Many of these schools (and I am not naming names) are very, very skilled at the art of the deal (Donald Trump would love them) and raising people's hopes. As to skills in actually preparing people for the MT world...not so much.

Enrolled with them because - mtlt

[ In Reply To ..]
I had enrolled with them because I had been unemployed for two years and had a baby to take care of. Working at home was the only option for me because nobody in this area is hiring unless you have a degree of some kind or experience. They let me start with $10 and said that I could pay the rest out when I found a job since I had no income. I made the mistake of asking for email addresses from USCI of people who could confirm that they were accredited. The replies I got back were all saying that USCI is nationally accredited. I had talked with someone that I know personally that took a different course through USCI and now owns a business, but it was for event planning.

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