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

Frusturated New Grad - Jessica

Posted: Jun 11, 2012

I am a recent graduate with my medical transcription certificate and most of the job openings I have been looking at require at least a years experience and ask for "newbies" to not apply. Does anyone have any advice as to how to get my foot in the door to a medical transcription job?

Jessica - Old Pro

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Which school did you attend?

School - Jessica

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US Career Institute

Jessica - Old Pro

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I personally would not hire from US Career Institute. You need something like Andrews and M-TEC. You need a school that is much more comprehensive in its methods and approach. You need a school that uses the SUM program and has an extensive amount of real dictation by real physicians. You also need to be mentored by real, live instructors. If I may speak quite honestly (and I have over 40 years in the biz), I would never have hired from US Career Institute. Its grads just do not have the knowledge base needed for today's MT world. I think that the school is your problem. You might want to think about contacting Andrews and/or M-TEC. Just a thought.

Extremely discouraging - Jessica

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To be quite honest your advice is very discouraging. I worked my butt off taking the course and how can you say how good my transcribing skills are based on where I went to school? My original question was not about education but where I might be able to look for a entry level position because many places want several years experience.

Jessica - Old Pro

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It is not said to try to discourage you, but rather to give you an accurate picture of where you stand in the marketplace. I have been an MTSO as well as an MT (retired 12/2011) and have had a substantial client list in several states. I know whereof I speak. I know many, many other MTSOs and former MTSOs. They would hire in a minute from Andrews or from M-TEC. (Witness the fact that I have never in my whole career seen an unemployable Andrews grad.) There are certain schools that just have no appeal for MTSOs and hospitals. There is a reason for that. That is a hard truth, I know. You probably went to a seminar or had some other marketing event that represented that when you graduated, you would be able to find a job. I urge you to keep trying. Don't be discouraged, but use this as an opportunity to look at what you can do to augment your MT education. I know that my former group would not even interview anyone with less than five years experience--however, exceptions were made for Andrews grads. There is a reason for that, too. Today's economy and marketplace are more challenging than ever. That is why companies need MTs who know their stuff and who can hit the ground running without handholding. Andrews and M-TEC have both proven themselves time and time again. Perhaps there are MTs on here who have gone to schools whose educations were inadequate and who have gone on to augment their education to make themselves attractive to potential employers. Perhaps some of them will be kind enough to come on and give you some ideas and assistance. Meanwhile, I truly do wish you the very best of luck.

To Jessica - See Msg

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Jessica-

I don't see where you got that Old Pro was trying to discourage you or was cutting down your transcription skills. I think she was trying to help, head you in the right direction. And YES, the school most certainly does matter. This happens to be a field where any Joe Schmoe can call themselves a transcription school, when in reality, it barely scrapes the surface.

Look at it this way: Sometimes you don't know what you don't know, so you have to trust us oldies who have been in the business for years on end.

SO, while you worked very hard and likely have high potential, you still need GOOD training. If that school had good training, you would have at least been invited to take an employment test.

The transcription companies KNOW the level of training all the schools have and which ones truly train for the real deal, and which ones just scrape the surface. They know, they know, they know. It has NOTHING to do with your intelligence, your potentials, etc. It has to do with getting the proper training. A rocket scientist is brilliant, right? But guess what? Even a rocket scientist would need some serious training to do transcription.

I'm an old Andrews grad, and I can tell you that even with that, it was a bumpy ride on the job, but I had that solid foundation to really build up upon. Otherwise, it would have all come crumbling down.

Extremely discouraging - Jessica - Nick

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Old Pro and others can absolutely say how good your skills are by where you went to school. Some schools just do not make it. They short-change their students in oh, so many ways. MTSOs and experienced MTs know which schools these are. (Most companies even have a list about which schools' grads they will not even interview.) While I realize you were not asking about education per se, but where you might be able to look for an entry level position, I think you are missing one crucial piece of the pie: WHERE YOU WENT TO SCHOOL DOES MATTER. If you have no experience but are an Andrews or M-TEC grad, my company would be interested in you and likely give you a shot at it. From one of these "career institutes" that proliferate and do not give adequate education? Not a chance. We would not waste our time or yours. Sorry, but that is the state of our profession. And yes, it is a profession. BTW, how carefully did you check out schools before enrolling? Just asking.

School matters sadly - Ayashi

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Yes Jessica I can tell you that I am witness to the school crime that the MT world contains. I went to Kaplan University, and graduated Cum Laude. You would think that would be good enough. WRONG! I have been told by four agencies that they ONLY accept new grad hires from: Andrews, M-Tec, and Career Step.

Sadly this is fact and no matter how good your grades are, you have to realize you have a fight on your hands for a job. I Graduated 10 months ago and still no luck.....

Don't get discouraged, just go hard at every job attempt you apply for.
GoodLuck

Ayashi - Old Pro

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What on earth do you mean by "school crime?" May I ask if you are a native speaker of English? Good luck.

The way it works - sm

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MTSOs test hundreds of people. They usually say that they know they can do the work if someone would only give them a chance. The thing is, MTSOs have already given "a chance" to graduates of some schools. They've learned over time that some of the schools don't teach enough or even have serious errors in what they teach. They don't want to see any more graduates from those schools. They already know the school didn't teach what they need them to know. Any graduate of those schools is not prepared to do the work the way most MTSOs want it done.

The best schools have been around for years, owned and managed by medical transcriptionists who know what needs to be taught and how to teach it. It really does matter who is at the top of a school making the decisions.

nm - nm

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nm

The way it works - Old Pro

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Your explanation is the most cogent and on-target one I have read. Someone asked me long ago if they should go to one of the matchbox schools. I told them that if they were in the mood to give money away, they should find a good charity and give their money there.

Andrews - SM

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If US Career Institute was just a short program, you have not wasted much time (maybe a bit of money). Why don't you look into Andrews if you really want to do this? Andrews is affordable and it is a much more in-depth program, though it would take longer than 4 months to complete. You would be well prepared, however. It might be worth it if you have your heart set on this field.

With that said, I would look long and hard at this forum. MT, in my humble opinion, is not a good field to get into right now. But, if you do want to get into it, do it right and go to Andrews (or MTEC). I have been in the field for a little over 4 years, have obtained my CMT, and I am now training for another career. I think MT itself might be a sinking ship and that the better jobs are harder and harder to come by, and even those jobs do not seem very secure.

Good luck.

Job security/Andrews/SM - Respectfully disagreeing

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In today's marketplace, very few jobs are secure, what is happening in MT is not an isolated occurence. Layoffs are occurring in nursing and other health care jobs, pretty much across the board in all professions. While you may find another job (or not) after you finish training for something else, you may still need your MT skills to fall back on. Don't write it off or advise others against entering the field, particularly when you know nothing in regard to their circumstances. I have coworkers with nursing degrees who couldn't get jobs as new grads who have come back to MT. Just because it wasn't for you doesn't mean it's wrong for everyone. I'm fortunate to have one of the "better jobs," but I'm also very experienced. I have many MT acquaintances and friends who are happy doing MT and make a good living, some of them even work for MTSOs. I think back to how little I knew after working as an MT for 4 only years! In reading this forum, the naysayers always come through loud and clear, I rarely encounter a post from someone who actually enjoys what they do, but it seems to be the same people over and over (and over!) again. I will say, as someone who passed the CMT exam but dropped my certfication years ago, it basically means nothing. Employers look at knowledge and skills. You recommended Andrews heavily in your post - did you get your training there?

Wondering... - See Msg

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Wondering which school, too. If you went to one of the 2 best, the national MTSOs would surely (without a doubt) test you. SO, if you went to one of those, then you have to go ahead and apply and let it be known you graduated from either one.

After that, you can try anyway, can't hurt.

I can relate - Estoria

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I was in this same situation last year. I looked for months and months until finally in November I found MedQuist now M*Modal. I applied and did their test. After two long weeks I heard back and I have been with them since. I figure it is good experience even if I have heard its not the best company. I am in Canada so I don't know if it is different or not. I have a few complaints but again it is the experience that counts. That way I can always get a job somewhere else if I want. I love the freedom of working from home and setting my own hours as I have an almost 1 1/2 year old at home and three in school.

Estoria - BTDT

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If you are working for any incarnation of the old MedQuist, watch your back and watch your line count. Just sayin.

Jessica - important question - Rottie Mom

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Doesn't your school offer help with placement? If not, you need to ask them why not!

The OP subject line - may

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explain the problem.

My Suggestion - Just Saying

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Many of the transcription companies will have an applicant test upon applying. I would go ahead and submit my information and take their test. I would think that if you score high enough, regardless of experience, they may give you a call. Many so-called "seasoned MT's" produce poor work and their experience has been padded to the hilt. Your scores, if high, would speak volumes to a potential employer. Keep in mind, they do use tough dictators and the written portions are timed so you really have to know your terms, spellings, acronyms, etc. Best of luck to you in your endeavor.

ways to get in the "business" - just me

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Attend the AHDI workshops. This will not only further your education but give you a chance to network. A lot of members there either have their own accounts and are looking for help, retiring and looking for somebody to take on their accounts (and willing to train), or own services and are willing to mentor. Just because you finished your classes does not mean you are finished with your education. You are only just beginning.... Also, study for and/or take the RMT. I wish I had taken the CMT test when I finished school (I had been transcribing for a surgery center for several months by the time I graduated), as now I do not have the time, and the tests have changed. Good luck. (and I know people are going to slam the AHDI/AAMT idea, but I definitely would hire somebody with a RMT or CMT first). I am allowed my own opinions. Network, network, network...

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