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

Internship programs - angel456

Posted: Apr 27, 2011

I am almost finished with my MT course but feel I need more training. I have heard about internship programs, specifically AIM mentoring program (Houck Transcription) and Online Transcription Essentials Internship program, both had enrollment fees that aren't too bad. What their advertising and what I am questiioning is it true that they do hire their interns after the program ends?

Internships cannot fix poor or inadequate MT training - experience has shown time and again

[ In Reply To ..]
If you have completed a good MT training program that teaches what needs to be taught, you don't need an internship.

If you have completed an inadequate one, an internship isn't going to be able to fix it. You are still going to have giant holes in your education. That might include learning to do things incorrectly, spending time writing papers on various topics as fillers because there is inadequate instruction, which means you don't get enough quality experience actually transcribing. It often means poor training materials, instructors having students grade each other's work, limited or low-quality practice on transcription itself but plenty of assignments to keep you busy because the instructor isn't qualified, etc. The worst is probably when the instructor could actually teach, but administration doesn't know or care anything about medical transcription and controls the course curriculum in ways that keep the instructor from being able to teach. That is one I know from personal experience. Then there are the courses that graduate a class and hire one of the new graduates to teach the next class, teachers with no practical experience. Some of them have nurses with no transcription experience teaching medical transcription. All of those are things that absolutely cannot be fixed by an internship.

I know you'll hear a person here or there claim they had wonderful results, a possible, but not very likely, exception to the rule, but experience over the years tells us otherwise.

Thank you for your comment. - angel456

[ In Reply To ..]
Why don't you go and rain on someone else's parade. I am trying to do the best with what I have, that's all. You offer no encouragement through your words. You fail as a human being.

angel456 - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Perhaps you might want to view this in another way. No one is trying to "rain on your parade"; rather, people who have years of experience in this field are trying to help newbies. Please don't kill the messenger(s). None of the MTs/MTSOs on this board are responsible for the sort of education these schools give. We do know, however, about the employability and potential challenges of their grads. What we are trying to do is help you to see a path to a successful job, that's all. Again, please don't kill the messenger. You can likely succeed--with the right education. Where you are now is kind of like me saying that I want to be an engineer but I can only do algebra. That won's work. I need calculus and trig and geometry and all of those other things. It's just a requirement of the job. I can only speak for myself, but I could not in good conscience hire a PF graduate. Perhaps you will be able to find someone to give you a shot--I truly hope you do--and I hope you succeed.

Thank you for your comment. - angel456

[ In Reply To ..]
I know what you are saying. I say it to myself all the time. I know that I did all the wrong things from the start but now that I am in the situation I am trying to turn to different avenues to get to real MT job. I am well aware about eduation meeting the job requirements. I worked as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist for 15 years (had to leave due to medical reasons). I was hired straight out of the university. I loved my job and I had excellent evaluations every year and made good money for myself. Due to my health condition I don't think that I can enter into that kind of environment. That is why I chose the MT field. I take my work very seriously. I take my education very seriously. I want to be the best MT that I can be, and I know that it is possible with much determination and perserverance that this goal is totally attainable. I don't do anything halfway. I am not a quitter. Just wanted some positive or negative feedback specifically about those two internship programs. That's all. No one has answered me, including you.

angel456 - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
I empathize with you, I truly do. You sound like a highly intelligent person. I am sure that once you get the right pathway figured out, you will succeed. I did not and will not recommend an internship program because I do not believe that if a school has trained someone properly, it should be needed. I really think people who (through no fault of their own) fall prey to inadequate schools would be better served by going through a new training program, I really do. Perhaps your school did not teach things as they should have been taught; a truly comprehensive MT program could augment that. I appreciate people who are not quitters, and I fully believe you will succeed. Good luck to you. (P.S. All of the "Thank you for your comments' is beginning to sound a little like the Watergate Hearings.....smile.) Not to worry, just trying to have a little levity WITH you, not at you. Sometimes you just gotta step back and take a deep breath and allow yourself space to laugh.

Thank you for your comment. - angel456

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for your comment, but I am totally stressed out about this. I am trying to provide a future on my own for nyself and my daughter. There is too much negativity on this forum. Give good solid advice, and offer a positive pathway but you should not discourage or disparage anyone who is in a tough predicament, such as myself.
Please stop with your negative attitude, you have been singing the same old tune for quite awhile. I heard the message, so lets move on.
Thank you

Negativity vs. reality - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
One of the ways wannabes and newbies shoot themselves in the foot is to label anything that is not what they want to hear as negativity. The ability to think critically and analyze is just as important to an MT as it is to a legal professional. It is important not to let stress (which is understandable) cloud your vision. I have mentored many, many people, have never "disparaged" anyone, have only called the facts as I see them. I think you are taking my comments and the comments of others far too personally. Stop slinging accusations as me "singing the same old tune," etc. My time is valuable and choose to use some of it to help people who are getting started. If you do not want to read my posts, there is a simple solution--do not open them. This forum is for all and all opinions, if respectfully shared, are allowed. I have helped many people pick themselves up after a bad educational experience and move on with their lives, get a real education and a job. I am gratified to have been able to do that. Several people on this board have given you opinions and offered options. It's time to get off it and get on with it.

old pro - angel456

[ In Reply To ..]
Do you even work as an MT?
Why do you keep answering my posts with your incessant negativity. If you see my posts do not answer them. It is a free country. I had a reply to my post this morning from another poster and she guided me to another avenue that is very viable and doable for my future as an MT. I feel renewed in my efforts to go on. Her reply meant alot to me. I printed it and will use it.

angel - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
If you are nearly finished with an MT course and still feel that you need more training, that should be a red flag warning that your school is inadequate. One route you might consider is to (A) Ask (no, don't ask, DEMAND) your money back from the old school and then (B) Enroll in a good, solid MT school. As someone else said, all of the internships and mentoring in the world will not fix an inadequate education. If it were me, I would start over with a good school.

Thank you for your comment. - angel456

[ In Reply To ..]
I am a single mother receiving no child support. Chose this school based on my research at that time and my financial situation. I know there ARE holes in my education that is why I am thinking about the internship. I cannot afford to go to one of those schools. If you can't think of any encouraging words then say nothing. It does not help my situation at all.

angel456 - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
I am empathetic to your situation (and angry at the so-called "schools" who prey upon women like you). I know that it is tough for you, and I am truly sorry you are having to go through this. That said, it does not affect the basic reality of the situation. Telling me to "say nothing" does nothing to help your situation. You need all the information (even that that is not easy to hear) in order to strategically manage your MT career. I wish you all the best.

Thank you for your comment. - angel456

[ In Reply To ..]
I know the situation looks bad. But like it or not I do need to try to get help through any way possible to get my foot in the door. I think it is possible if I don't quit. I have no other recourse. I must see this to the end. I know myself and how I approach life, all the way and never quitting and most of all not losing faith in yourself. Can't change the past but I can certainly change my future.

Your best bet may be working on-site as a medical administrative assistant - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You may run into exactly what you want. On the other hand, you may do better getting a job on-site using some skills that you've learned. You could apply for a job as a Medical Administrative Assistant or some other title that requires knowledge of medical terminology and typing skills, but isn't totally medical transcription. That's just one idea. It wouldn't hurt to check out the nearest hospital and see what is available.

I think the possibility of medical admn. assistant - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
is an excellent one. Angel is obviously a very intelligent woman. She would be able to network and learn in such an environment. (And be paid for doing it!) That sounds like a much better plan than an internship, IMHO.

I will seriously consider this option - angel456

[ In Reply To ..]
I am glad that there is another viable option for me to pursue. Another door to open. Would have never considered this, but will.

I appreciate your reply - angel456

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for your positive guidance. I will consider that possibility.

Similar Messages:

Feb 27, 2011

One more question from me! HIM programs for an associate's degree usually require an internship which, of course, gives you experience in a hospital setting that will be valuable and possibly lead to a job. Do any of the online certificate programs do this? Did you have the opportunity while in school to do an internship that your school helped you set up? I am looking at Andrews and Career Step. Initially only Andrews but in reviewing more I have realized I can probably get a lot more fi ...

Oct 28, 2009

I am wondering how many MT's currently working, did an internship. What are some favorite, basic reference materials? (on-line or hard copy) How do you use the BOS? What are the best study materials to strengthen grammar/puctuation ? Look forward to connecting to others in this community. From Vermont where the leaves are falling, Diane Mortier ...

Nov 19, 2009

I am a new grad, and was wondering how to go about finding an internship? I know AHDI has one, but you must be an RMT. I, in no way, feel comfortable sitting for that test yet! LOL... I googled and found only 1, but they want you to pay them. Anyone have any ideas? Any advice would be much appreicated! Happy holidays to all! (Wow, seems funny to be saying that already. ) =) ...

May 16, 2011

Has anyone interned with TNI through Medworkshops or another school? I am currently interning and am starting to doubt my decision to go through this school and company. Thanks so much for any input. ...

Feb 28, 2011

Just wondering thoughts on this internship program...anyone complete it and get hired on? ...

Mar 10, 2011

There is still another scam company out there offering to help "train" students and graduates. They will kindly let you do their real work, the work clients are paying them for. This is unacceptable and unethical. It will not look good on your resume because potential employers do not look kindly on this. If, for example, they find out that you did your 'internship' with XYZ Company, you will probably never know the reason why your resume was rejected or tossed. Working for free ...

Oct 24, 2009

Does anyone know what this is? Or what FTP stands for? ...

Nov 16, 2009

Okay, I want to know who programs the ASR. I'm told that we do, but anytime I make a ligit change, it doesn't stick. Yet, all of a sudden, on an account I have been typing on for 3 years, ASR starts changing the word stroke to a backslash (/) and this is for every instance. If this is something our lovely ILPs are doing, I don't think they are going to last long. If this is something our new USMTs are doing, it's no wonder our work is being shippe ...

Oct 08, 2012

I would appreciate some feedback on VR programs. Are you currently working on one you you would recommend? If so, which one and why? Also, are you working on one you would not recommend. If so, which one and why? I would greatly appreciate this information, as we are just beginning to explore the possibility of going to a VR program and this information would be of great value to us in choosing a program that is transcriptionist friendly. ...

Dec 28, 2012

Hello. A friend is a psychiatrist and just got a Mac. What voice recognition software works well with Macs? ...

Nov 25, 2009

I would like to know a little more about the shorthand programs and which one is best to use? Thank you in advance. ...

Feb 24, 2010

I just spoke with an MT at a large radiology group who says they use different softwares for different studies. So they have probably 5 different programs to try to merge into one cohesive patient record. So if they have an MRI and a mammogram (two different software programs), she spends her day putting them together. Not only that, but before they implemented these cumbersome programs, they had 2 IT people to run the IT show. Now they have 7 all of these different engines running. They got rid ...

May 08, 2010

Can anyone recommend a good online training program for Medical Transcription? ...

Apr 21, 2011

Hi. I finished MT school at Oak Horizons in November/December of 2010. I also did an intership for a company and after I finished they told me I needed to get a job in a small clinic so I would have someone working with me. In my small town there is not any small clinics or any surrounding towns that I know of. I wanted to ask all of you about any Mentoring Programs? The only one I have looked into was AIM and some of the feed back I have read was good for the mento ...

Jul 25, 2011

I've worked for 3 different MTSOs. each bought out by another. I was never aware of the type of software programs used by these companies as the work platforms were "proprietary." I'm currently looking for part-time work and notice that most all job applications are asking for the name of or type of software programs used. How do I find out this information? As an example, Webmedx used Enterprise, but I have no idea what software program was used to create this platform. How do I ...

Feb 05, 2013

Do most companies offer some type of incentive program on top of regular CPL or is that few and far between? Thanks. ...

Dec 18, 2013

I'm assuming the software vendors talk the clients into how much they'll save by paying editors to fix this crap. There is no way someone would buy into this software if they knew what it really looked like in draft form...omg. It would not surprise me if the software vendor slipped a few Benjamins under the table to a willing doc at the facility and had him "train" the software before the presentation to the client. The doc goes in, reads from a script, and near perf ...

May 29, 2014

compatible with Windows 8 or 8.1? TIA. ...

Jun 02, 2014

I have a doc I do IC for who thinks there are programs out there to do the proofreading for you. Considering what he pays for what I am expected to do I wish he was right, but I have never heard of such a thing. Anyone out there have any idea? ...

Jan 16, 2010

Helllo - I am considering a career transition to MT, and presently researching AHDI-approved MT programs. I've heard lots of great things about Andrews School; does anyone know anything about, or have taken, the program through TRSi? This is the other one that I was considering. Thanks for your help! D. ...

Jul 23, 2010

Is there a program out there that I can purchase other than Express Scribe that would make it easier for me to adjust things on so that I can hear the file a little better? Thank you ...

Sep 25, 2010

I have an opportunity to get a brand new MAC as a gift. My boyfriend has an extra one. I work on the BeyondText platform and remember seeing someone on here had a MAC but had a way to split it so her Windows programs ran on the MAC somehow. Tech support at Transcend says it won't work on a MAC. Or maybe I was wondering if an external driver could be used that was Windows and would run on the MAC. Probably a pipe dream, but a MAC! Oh I would love it! Anyb ...

Oct 18, 2010

Anyone noticing differences in the counts of these 2 programs that TT has? First the MT monitor WAS giving better counts than Ichart. Now after months it is reverse. I get the feeling that it is being reprogrammed so we get shortchanged--as usual. Years ago working for a small company we had an account that gave you 5 lines for the demographics and the hidden footer was 1 line. Then the big company came along, TS from Georgia, and THEIR program conde ...

Jul 13, 2011

I am looking into coding programs and have it narrowed down to possibly two. They are Andrews and Kaplan University. Does anybody have any experience with any of these that could help me with my decision. Also, are there any other coding programs out there that are worth looking at? Thanks. ...

Aug 11, 2011

Hope everyone is having a good Thursday. I was wondering if anyone knew any way of converting an IT glossary to make it work in shorthand. Unfortunately, I had to upgrade my computer to Windows 7, and IT V Pro will not work with Windows 7. I had received my IT as a gift MANY years ago, and so do not qualify for the upgrade price, and am not in a position to pay the nearly $200 dollars right now to buy the new version. PC Shorthand has a monthly pay deal, where it is only ...

Sep 30, 2011

Does anyone know if it is feasible to have 2 separate software platforms on the same computer without causing conflict? ...

May 12, 2012

doctor says "I could not place this in his discharge paperwork as it does not come up in the choices of medications." But if they were using good transcriptionists, and old-fashioned methods, they could put everything in their reports. ...

May 29, 2012

I am having trouble finding a food line counting program. I have downloaded 4 different "trial" versions and they all come out differently. I am currently working with a company who uses Sylcount and I find that they may be underpaying me because of the differences in software programs. Can anyone help. I really don't want to have to print and count lines manually even though this is a very small account. ...

Aug 09, 2012

I get a different answer each time I ask someone about expander programs. Does anyone use them? Does everyone use them? Are they compatible with the BIG MTSOs and their platforms? Are they worth the time, effort, and money, or are they obsolete now with most of the platforms being used by the MTSOs? Thanks for considering my question. ...

Oct 09, 2012

I have Word 2010 and that's what I use to work in but the autotext is awful. I used to be able to type my shortcut and it would automatically pop up when I pressed the spacebar but now with 2010 I have to hit enter which just slows me way down. Also they used to be able to be captilized or not depending on what I typed it in but now, whatever case I save it in is what it comes up as. It's just a pain and I am slowed way down. Does anyone know a go ...