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

not passing exams - catchup

Posted: Dec 15, 2009

I just did my final exam and did not pass. I got a 98% on the written and 82% on the practical. What happens if you do not pass (after alotted tries)? Can I still work in a clinic or doctor doing transcription or is all my training a big waste??

test - dont know

[ In Reply To ..]
It does not mean you CANT work in a clinic or with a doctor, but you will HAVE to pass their test and they are probably more difficult than you school final exam. This is real competition out there, and your ability to pass the test is of utmost importance when you are applying for a job.

Keep studying, keep researching, take tests at various online transcription companies for the practice, and youu will eventually get there, but it may be tough as there are lots of MTs looking for a job and you have to be better than the others on the application testing portion.

school - where

[ In Reply To ..]
What school did you take your MT classes with? That could also have an impact on your testing results. Depends on the information from the school you studied with and how they presented themselves. Does the school not have any ideas for you on how to do better?

All the Luck - Oswald

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Yes i completely agree that you may still manage to landup a job but yes clearing those tests give you a headstart in the competition.
And competition is just too stiff,so study ,practice hard and keep the faith.

resume - catchup

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So, even if I do not graduate by passing the final MT exam I can still get a job, but it is tough you all say! Well, guess that is good news to know...am I still considered a MT to put on my resume? How would you reflect yourself to potential employers?

Can you really say that you are an MT when you failed the final?..sm - final

[ In Reply To ..]
I guess, not.
What are you going to write in your resume?
"I took an MT course, but I failed repeatedly the final?"
What if the testing employer calls for references
How many times did you fail?

If I were you I would try to pass the final. I suppose that you did not get a certificate!

MTs with a certificate, but no experience, have a very, very hard time to get hired.
How about no certificate?

thanks for the support - catchup

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Thanks. I do have a last shot. I just can not believe that on the first portion of the test I get 98% and second portion I get 85% and it is considered a FAIL. I was really sweating there, but at least if I know all my training will not go to waste!
Thanks again.

You think 85% should be a pass??? - just me

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The industry norm for acceptable work is 98%. Most companies worth their salt will frequently review or run checks on the quality of work their employees or ICs submit. Anything less than the contracted quality percentage is grounds for dismissal. The average of the 2 scores you show (98% and 85%) is 91.5--not anywhere close to the quality expected on the job. You have to provide quality work on a consistent basis, day in and day out. Your scores show you aren't at that level yet.

Would you want - Ann

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your own medical records to be only 85% accurate? MTs produce records that will be used in treating actual living human beings. If you produce a record that is 15% wrong, the well being of the actual living human beings affected by those errors will be in jeopardy.

An applicant who scores only 85% on an employment test will not be hired. An employed MT who produces work that is 15% wrong is not going to remain employed for very long. It would be in your own best interests to keep improving your skills so that you can achieve at least 98% accuracy in your work.

Response to all - catchup

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Thanks for all of your responses. Positive or not, I really do appreciate you taking the time to input your opinions. I am having a little bit of a problem passing my school final. Like I have said before, I got 98% on the written part of the exam, but scored low on the practical (transcription.) Oh well, my rewrite is no Monday and I have been doing nothing else the last few days but practicing. I have done really well through the whole course, scoring test averages of 97%+, so, really, I am shocked I did so poorly on my final exam transcription. The lost marks were really stupid too, like mispelling the words: gavida and togethr - more like typing mistakes. Thanks for all the support out there. We are all in the same industry and are should all support eachother...you never know when it will be your turn to turn for advise and support of fellow MTs!

Are you able to use spellcheck on your testing? - Knowing

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I think it is wonderful and probably would catch the mistakes you speak of. Also think about checking the meaning of words that sound alike but mean different. We no longer are allowed to point such things out on this board, but be careful and check closely.

You go girl, a lot of egos out here!!! - lighten up (nm)

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.

Proofreading is an important part of the job - deb

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And it doesn't matter how well you did on the "written" part of the exam, it's the transcription part that is most important - that's the job, it's what you'll be hired to do and what you'll be paid for. I agree that most companies require 98% accuracy to hire you AND to keep you, so you'll need to work really hard and proofread really well.

Were your 97% test averages on actual transcription, or were they terminology or something?

Most MTSOs require accuracy of 98.5% or above. 85% would - not cut it in the real world. NM

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x

All replies are true - But.

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I wonder how many seasoned MT's on here landed a job in the early days because they were good at typing and could understand medical language, but did not have a certificate or degree. I am sure some, but like the other poster said, even with a certificate it is cut throat, dog eat dog competition vying for a job. Suggestion: Pass the final and get the certificate, it is your best foot forward. Who cares ho many times you have taken it, just get it over with and go from there. Good luck

catchup - Cynda

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HI CATCHUP!

Don't you worry, keep plugging away at your test and you'll get it passed.

You CAN still get a job and on your resume you can put "MT, PENDING CERTIFICATION"

You are an MT, you took the course and you're just at the last stages of getting your certif. I am personally a huge believer in that tests are really not a big reflection on a person's abilities or knowledge. Test anxiety is very real and it happens a lot.
(used to be the test giver...)

Don't you let the NAY SAYERS get you down. (sm for example!)

Welcome to the world of MT! It is a great field and YES you can make a decent (to excellent) pay, providing you understand that you have to WORK HARD! You'll be fine.

LUCK TO YOU! Keep you head up.

She HAS to pass the final, there is no other way. In older times...sm - final

[ In Reply To ..]
there were a lot of MTs who did not go through a training program, did not get a certificate, got in-house training and became very successful MTs.
Nowadays a certificate is necessary, especially if one takes an online course and then work from home.

One has to pass the final with a total score of 98.

Well, hold on... - kimba2

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm confused. So because you failed your SCHOOLS final, can you sit for the RMT exam??? Isn't that pretty important? Is your school AHDI approved? Just curious. Best of luck!

She cannot sit for the RMT exam if she has no MT certificate...nm - important

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Okay, thanks for clearing it up NM - :)

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;

re: sm - Cynda

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Yes, for her CERTIFICATION she has to pass her test, not to get a job. It is NOT necessary to have a certification to get a job. Like I mentioned, she is an MT, pending certification.

Most companies WILL allow you to work, probationary of course, contingent on getting that test and certification within a certain amount of days, 60 to 90 in most cases.

Catchup will pass!

you mean registration, right? - kimba2

[ In Reply To ..]
The certification is the test you can take [only]after 2 years of work history. Yep, catchup will do fine. Just gotta keep at it :)

wording - bips

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If she writes "MT pending certification," most people in the business understand this to mean she is almost a CMT. Certification is CMT. It does not mean she almost has a certificate.

Employers seeing this and then finding out she didn't even graduate school will probably get pretty peeved and think she is misrepreseting herself.

OP is saying that she cannot pass her finals in an MT trainings...sm - vrvr

[ In Reply To ..]
program to get her "certificate" to become an MT. As long as she does not pass the finals, she is NOT an MT.

After passing the finals she gets a certificate, this will make her an MT graduate with a certificate. She is not yet a "certified MT = CMT."

After being an MT with a certificate, she can sit for the RMT. = Registered MT.

After getting hired and getting 2 years' experience, she can then apply to take the CMT course and test, and if she passes, this will make her a "certified MT = CMT."

Depends on the "school" you attend - sm -

[ In Reply To ..]
Where I went as long as you got an 85 on the actual dictation portion you passed, I squeaked in with an 86. On the question portion I passed with a high 90 score, (96 or 98, forget which). This test was tough, all ESL, very hard to understand so getting an 86 totally green was not horrible. Now I could have done better on the test had I applied myself better to my practice dictation, I was in a hurry though and took the test sooner than I should have, so grateful I passed. This was back in 2001. I landed a job six weeks later doing acute care. I hit the ground running and learned how to hear ESLs better and of course do better work in the 98% range. I am fortunate not to have to do much ESL now though. While I can do most, there are some that are just plain impossible. I have never had one employer (have had about 7 so far) ask me for my test scores or actually pointblank as if I passed my final. I try to stick to small MTSOs though, have only worked for one big MTSO and that was my first job which I held for over three years before moving onto better things.

Passing exam - Newatthis

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I would just be cautious about wording on your CV - obviously don't lie (don't indicate that you graduated with High Honors if you didn't, for example), but of course you can state that you took the course. Also practice a lot before taking the employers' tests, because employers are looking for very high marks. If you test well, there's no reason why you can't get a job. From a personal standpoint, I would have found it very difficult to pass the employers' tests, as well as keep my head above water once I'd started working, had I not done well on the final. The final exam may be tough, but the world of the working MT is a lot tougher. In any case, good luck!

re: newatthis - demo

[ In Reply To ..]
Hi there!

I just want to give you words of encouragement. Any new job takes getting used to and in this field it is going to take you a while until you hit your stride and become a productive and well-paid MT. Hang in there.

Too bad so very many of the new MTs got into this field long after the days of hourly basepays were here. Ah, good old days... In those days we (at the office where I USED to work) would start our new MTs with a basepay of $15 an hour PLUS 8 cpl! Now it seems that 8 cpl is generous by the "new world order".

Anyway, like I said, once you hit your stride and get in with a reputable company you'll be fine.

Best wishes to you and all new MT's!

How kind, thank you! nm - Newatthis

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.

it depends - Chrisi

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I have had really easy tests for companies, but did not meet the 2 year experience requirement after all, and then had really hard test. As long as you are able to prove that you know what you are doing ono the company's test and feel confident (even somewhat because it is hard without experience) with your skills you should be able to start working. If you can find a job as a new MT, hard enough as that is trust me, most places that hire new MTs understand we have a longer trainig curve so they will point out what you need to improve really quickly. You just have to do your absoulte best on tests for companies and work really hard to maintain high accuracy percentages.

Depends, obviously not passing your test will - sm -

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make things a bit harder. You could just go about like you passed of course, highly doubtful anyone will actually check to see if you "graduated". I have a friend that did not pass her final. I'd already gotten her in the door though where I worked. They never asked if she'd passed her final. She is now doing three accounts and doing well. She still has much to learn of course being a newbie but at times makes more money than I do with less accounts. A lot depends on your networking, and if you have a friend that can help you get your foot in the door somewhere on something small, and slowly build your work up.

where I applied they asked for name of school AND my certificate...nm - well

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nm

After reading this thread, I will from now on ...sm - finals

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when applying for another job, specifically mention......

"I attended an MT training course at school xxxx, passed the finals and am in the possession of an MT certificate."

I even have a great reference letter, this all helped me to get a job.

I never knew that there are people applying for jobs without having passed the finals and not having an MT certificate.

passing final exam - Mouse

[ In Reply To ..]
I have a question for you all---I have just completed another transcript submission for my school. My grade was 84% (goal 97%) I was counted off for errors: Using a "the" instead of "a" patient (the dictator did not say "a" or "the"-this was to be added) and using "the" instead of "a" buddha position (it was inaudible). Also I was counted off for 3 errors because of "postop day #3" (I typed "postoperative day 3.") Another error was "flesh out". I typed "flush out" (as in running several tests to figure out the problem). I have never heard of "flesh" out but yet there it is on the website for encyclopedia, medical dictionary, etc. that I use. I can see the flesh/flush as a mistake, but it seems that adding a not dictated "a" or "the" would be a matter of typist preference and not an error to be counted off. Incorrect spellings and wrong words I can see, but is it really 3 errors if I put a paragraph when the subject is changed in a discharge summary or 3 errors if I spell out postoperative day 3 and not use the "#" sign?

If these 3 mistakes brought your final exam down to 84%,...nm - finals

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree that it was very tough grading.

Flesh : flush o.k., is a mistake, but very tricky mistake

"a" instead of "the" is a mistake

"postoperative day 3", only 2 mistakes.

Is this your last try?
I think, if these were your only mistakes, they should let you pass and give you the MT cetificate.

Two of them are not critical errors, the "flush out" maybe is. "Flesh out" means becoming fleshlike, plump out....

Speak up, maybe they give you another try, good luck!

I think I confused Mouse with the OP catchup, but...sm - finals

[ In Reply To ..]
nonetheless very strict grading.

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