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

Recently finished - am

Posted: Apr 29, 2011

I just recently finished my MT course through At-Home Professions and Im just waiting to hear back on my final. I feel that I have done well as far as the terminology and looking things up but Im still not comfortable with my punctuation. Does anyone have any advice?

AM - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
AM, I have worked (and am still working--was an MTSO holding major contracts for a teaching hospital/medical school and am now working for another MTSO as an MT)--for 41 years. I like to try to help folks who are starting out. I think you will likely need to augment your AHP training. The SUM program, which has been discussed extensively here, would be quite helpful. It might not hurt you, since you say you are having challenges with punctuation, to take a remedial English refresher. Refresher courses are offered at many colleges and universities and are quite helpful. Generally they are inexpensive, too. Good luck and let us know how you are doing!

Recently finished - Kaitemae

[ In Reply To ..]
Hi, I just received my diploma in the mail this week from AHP. I'm still not comfortable with my punctuation either. I have gone on line and used the AHDI 3rd Ed. However, the biggest issue that I have found in going through the BOS3 is that I am having to "unlearn" the way that AHP taught on some things to learn the BOS3 way. I would love to do the Sum program that I am hearing about in this forum, but I still owe over 2g's to AHP. I can tell you for sure that if you want to get your RMT, you'll definately need more training. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss anything further.

Kaitemae - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Just a thought--have you ever considered asking AHP for your money back? If they are not teaching you properly, they you should not have to pay. I know many, many MTSOs who automatically exclude candidates from certain schools (AHP being among them). They see certain schools listed in the resume and no further consideration is given to the candidate. I think it is terrible that these schools charge for something they do not provide. This is just a thought--the choice, of course, is all yours, but it seems to me that far too many people are being ripped off by certain schools that, in reality, are little more than a glorified matchbook. If AHP were up to speed, would they not be using SUM--and coordinating their teaching to the BOS? Don't let them steamroll you. Maybe if a few more people called them out they would not get away with so much. I truly do not think you should have to pay. Good luck to you! I hope you find what you are looking for.

Kaitemae, Old Pro - am

[ In Reply To ..]
AHP doesn't offer a refund especially if you have fully completed the course of study. They do teach well but it gets hard to build up confidence in yourself especially when companies aren't willing to work with us newbies. I got so discouraged yesterday just looking at the job postings because no one wants us without experience but how can we gain that experience unless someone is willing to work with us and it shouldn't be the school that helps decide that cause it's not always because of the school that people don't succeed or perform to expectations.If you're a hard worker and you're willing to put in the time and energy to do your job then what's wrong with taking a chance?

The way it works - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Speaking of schools in general, not of yours or any other one specifically, here's why the school matters to a graduate. Employers have years of experience trying graduates of different schools. Some come out of school with excellent skills that make it easier for them to hit the ground running. There are other schools that at least don't teach things wrong necessarily, but don't have enough quality transcription experience, so their graduates struggle. Some employers will consider those graduates and will work with them. Then you have the schools that don't cover the skills that MTs are required to have and on top of that, have gross errors in what they do teach. The employers have hired enough graduates of each of the schools to know that some of them couldn't possibly handle the job, because the school didn't teach what needed to be taught.

It doesn't matter how smart the student is, how hard they work, how motivated they are, and it sure doesn't matter one bit just how desperate they are for a job. They just aren't prepared.

There used to be an old fallacy that people spouted occasionally on this topic, that it doesn't matter what school you go to if you just put enough into it. That's totally false. It doesn't matter how much you 'put into' a course if the course doesn't teach what needs to be taught or if it doesn't teach it well.

For that reason, employers don't usually advertise that they actually do hire new graduates, because they don't even consider all graduates, just those from programs that have consistently produced graduates with the skills the employers need to do what they need done.

There is another big problem. Students have no possible way to evaluate a course before enrolling in it or even while they are in it. When they graduate, they still don't have the experience and expertise to know if that course is good or not. The only thing they can go by is the track record of the school for producing graduates who can do quality work. The time to find out about that is before enrolling, not afterwards when it's too late. Very few people are going to take a second course after finding out the first one was inadequate.

Then after the quality of education the school provides you also have to look at the individual student. Not all students are suited for this kind of work, due to foundational skills, work ethics, study environment, or attitude.

Finally, you have to look at the personal situation at the time the new graduate is ready to go to work. Life sometimes throws an unexpected crisis in there that makes success difficult.

As you can see, it is not as simple as you described it as hard work and the fact that you are willing to put in the time and energy to do your job. This is not unique to the medical transcription industry.

sm - am

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you sm. I guess I didn't think about it like that and I apologize. It just gets a little frustrating cause I want to learn and I am willing to learn but not seeing the chance to.

I understand. No apology needed! - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
It's tough. I know that. You certainly don't need to apologize. Many of us have just seen it happen way too often over the years. We try to help during the decision-making process, but sometimes people don't get here to read the advice and warnings before they enroll.

I wish you the very best, as all of us do.

AM - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
I understand how you feel, and you have my empathy. You ask "What's wrong with taking a chance?" There is nothing wrong, per se, but businesses just are not going to do it because they want and need the very best staff they can get. They need people who can hit the ground running. It has been my experience that people from Andrews and M-TEC can slip into the chair, put on the headphones, learn the platform, and start producing on day one. I know of no other schools that offer that kind of an education. Some schools (and I will not name them in public) are so bad that MTSOs won't hire their grads because they require too much handholding. Not the fault of the grads--they think they are prepared--until they hit the real world of MTing. That has been my experience on many occasions. We live in a very competitive economy coupled with a financial downturn, which means businesses must maximize their profits. A business owner might well ask why he should hire the average worker when he or she can get a top of the line, superior worker for the same price? I could get someone with 15 years of experience for the same cpl as a newbie would be paid. That is our economy. Again, not the fault of the grads; the fault of the schools for doing an inadequate job of preparing the grads. I love the enthusiasm of newbies, I really do, but in today's MTSO's world, there is simply not time to do on the job training. Again, nothing against any grads, it is just, as they used to say on Dragnet, "just the facts, ma'am." I believe that there are at least 300 apps for every job--and perhaps that is a conservative estimate. So you see what the market is like out there. So it is that I advise people to get the very best preparation that they can in order to be competitive. I hope this explanation, while maybe not encouraging, at least explains some market factors at play here. Perhaps you can augment your AHP studies in a way that works for you and your particular circumstances. I hope so!
Please don't give up.

See Message - Moderator

[ In Reply To ..]
I have pruned this thread as it is getting personal.

Everyone needs to stop taking this stuff so personal, stop trying to correct attitudes, stop trying to enforce what you think others should say or do, etc.

Get a little thicker skin everyone. Take a breather and stick to the topic.

Locking this thread down. Let's move on to other more helpful topics, shall we?

Thank you!

Moderator

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