Finding Entry Level Medical Transcription Jobs

Has anyone got a job after taking the At home professions MT class?

I just graduated as a MT. I am looking for a place like that to work for, do you have contact info so I can contact them about a job?

Hi, How do I find out about meetings like this in my area? Do I go to a hospital? Who do I talk to? Is online a place to look cause I live in a small town I'm not if we have this. I was going to try and find a transcriptionist job online.

I am trying to get into the field as a MT as a doctor from my hospital suggested to me while I was trying to find a job in Clinical Research.
I am volunteering as a Clinical Research Assistant for 5 months now at University of Chicago and have an extensive medical background.
Before that I volunteered for a few months at Northwestern University as Public Health Educator.
Do I still need certification as a MT?
My medical background from Europe is not accepted?

Any advice is appreciated.

YES, you do need to go through a Medical Transcription program, get trained and a certificate.

"why does the Bureau of Labor Statistics say this job is going to grow more than average"

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is right. There is always a need for good MTs. Check out the jobs available at MT Daily; there are tons of them every day.

I actually sent my resume to transam associates and they got back to me right away by email. They allowed me to take their practice dictation to determine whether I would be hired or not. However, I later googled them and found out that they were a SCAM. Do not send any money to them in hopes of purchasing a foot pedal or their "special software." Don't get sucked in. Beware of Transam Associates!!!!

I have to comment on behalf of TransAm. I purchased their software fresh after I completed my schooling with At-Home Professions. After working diligently, I was able to pass all three placement tests...it was not easy, but dedication paid off. I just recieved all my contracts from them and as soon as I am ready, I am to e mail them and they are going to start sending me work. They have already given me access to their data base and so I know this company is NOT a scam. The only people on the internet that say it is a scam are people who did not take the time to pass thier test. The continued my training so now I am a seasoned MT who can type a report with one error per page or less..I paid for their software..but that training was free. The trainers were always avaialable to help me and never once did they get tired of my questions or appear impatient. This company is NOT a scam, contrary to what the internet says...none of those people were experienced enough to pass thier tests and that is why they posted those things. I am starting the new year with a new job with Trans Am, I am very happy with the company.

I am very surprised at your comments about TransAm. Let's not jump to conclusions missy. I have a diploma in transcription, as well as a degree in health information. One of my instructors at college recommended not buying software from a company just to get a job with that company. I DID test with TransAm, and passed the tests with no problem. The problem was I refused to pay $450 for the software. So good luck in your job with them. If you don't mind paying for software, that is your perogative. Oh, by the way, you may want to learn how to spell. I don't see how you are getting one error or less per page when you have so many mispelled words in your email. And, don't assume people who took the tests did not pass, or were inexperienced. Email again in a month or so, and let everyone know how great a company TransAm is and the money you are making.

Connie, if you did not purchase their software then the only test you took was a test that is one that everyone passes no matter what. If you have nothing better to do than insult someone, then you should not say anything at all. When I am working I am working, when I am rushing to leave a post that I feel is significant in between taking care of my two year old, I do not worry about how the spelling is. TransAm is a great company.

Just a thought... but this is a comment board, not a 'bash' board. So maybe we could move on to another subject? After all, it's two days past Christmas, we're still in the throngs of Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa was yesterday. Lets be merry. Please.

I came across a company that seems willing to hire newly-graduated transcriptionists with no prior work experience. The company is called "Transcription Relief," and the link is: transcriptionrelief.com/MTCareer.htm

Brooke in Battle Creek, Michigan said: I might be willing to hire a newby at home......E-mail me. figelo@yahoo.com I am a legitimate recruiter inside the US. I need Radiology and Neurology transcriptionist, home-based on an independent contract status.

I have worked hard to become a medical transcriptionist. My name is Rosa Whitt and I have just finished my course online through Ashworth University but now I wait for my diploma. I want to work at home with taxes taken out can you help me, I will work hard for You! Please give me a chance?

I have just finished my MT courses in December. I am also a CMA and have a little experience in MT through my last job. I have applied everywhere I can find and still have no hits. Anyone with any advice would be great. Thanks.

Brooke in Battle Creek, Michigan said: I might be willing to hire a newby at home......E-mail me. figelo@yahoo.com I am a legitimate recruiter inside the US. I need Radiology and Neurology transcriptionist, home-based on an independent contract status.

hi brooke i am looking for a medical transcription position at home it has been several years since i have done this but would like to start doing it again please send me any information on this type of position my email address is medicalmom1979@yahoo.com

I think it has been a YEAR that Brooke posted this on this forum.

I do believe you are right. I emailed Brooke on this position some time ago, and I never have had a reply back. I beginning to wonder if this Brooke is for real.

Laura Bedard in Charlotte, North Carolina said: I have just finished my MT courses in December. I am also a CMA and have a little experience in MT through my last job. I have applied everywhere I can find and still have no hits. Anyone with any advice would be great. Thanks.

May I ask what you school you graduated from?

I graduated from Tech Skills in Charlotte,NC, and I am also a CMA that graduated from King's College in Charlotte. I have been working in the medical field since May of 2005.

thanks for replying

Dianna Lazan in Los Angeles, California said: TransAm is a reported rip off that makes you spend money on their equipment. They have been reported on in several scam articles as well as MTStars.com. Best bet is to join the local AAMT and network. There has been a drastic change in the MT world. Where once you could actually make money (I was making over $90,000 a year), now it is all on software platforms working for large services with no scrupples, and you spend a great deal of time dinking around on the platforms. I have $2200 a month in business costs plus over $4000 a month in medical expenses from work injuries, and my salary is nowhere close to the first or the latter anymore.

Four or five years ago I was at the beginning of study and I thought these people [TransAm] seem to be nice people what has been said about them can't be accurate. We didn't have the money- We had just had our first baby and trying to make ends meet. Needless to say I found out the hard way this company was a scam. Run away from anything that you find with regard to TransAm

Hello everything,

Not sure if there has been any other Canadian's that have posted. I graduated from the Canadian equivalent (CanScribe) to Career Step's MT program in March of 2008. I've sent resumes and done testing for countless companies. Most I don't even receive a response and the few I have are usually just saying I don't have enough experience. The only company I did receive a phone call from was MedQuist, way back in July, I was told they would keep my name on file as they have no opening's at the moment. I've frequently gone on the CanScribe forum's reading that other people have been hired with MedQuist, after I had been told they had no positions. I just emailed them again receiving a reply of "Currently we are still on hold for new graduate hires. Should our needs change, we will be in touch."

I am becoming increasingly more discouraged in frustrated in this whole ordeal with trying to find a MT job. I was led to believe that Medical Transcription was very high in demand and that people were desperate for MT's.

Where are all these supposed jobs then?

Sorry haha its suppose to be everyone, not everything. :P

To: Lady Ashley:

I do not want to be rude, but it seems that you have an issue with the use of the 'apostrophe.' And 'commas'.

evelyn in Brooklyn, New York said: To: Lady Ashley:

I do not want to be rude, but it seems that you have an issue with the use of the 'apostrophe.' And 'commas'.

That's: A) Not helpful
B) Did come off rude
C) I just wrote this fast and didn't proof read.

You, and we, should always 'proofread' everything that is sent from the computer.

evelyn in Brooklyn, New York said: You, and we, should always 'proofread' everything that is sent from the computer.

And this is why I don't use forums.

There is no need to pick apart every little thing someone says.

Get a life!

LadyAshley in Whitehorse, Yukon said: I was led to believe that Medical Transcription was very high in demand and that people were desperate for MT's.

Where are all these supposed jobs then?

There are lots of MT jobs, but it can be difficult to find your first one. You might try applying with small local MT services rather than with the big nationals...sometimes a small service will take on a newbie if you test well. A smaller company's hiring practices may be more lenient.

I have a life and a job.

Has anyone heard of a company called Transam Associates? If so, what can you tell me about that company.

sarah p in chappell, Nebraska said: Hi Cassandra-I'm a recent Medical Transcription Graduate and am having no luck in obtaining a job, also. I've been on the search for about 3 months now, and have only had a few replies to all of the many applications I've filled out. I'm getting very impatient and discouraged. It seems everyone wants someone with 2 or more years experience to do the job, well if we don't have experience are we ever going to get a job?

I'm seeing a lot of helpful advice in this forum that can apply to many of the ancillary medical fields. I can tell you that this is one of those fields that's been flooded (community colleges to on line to correspondence courses). On other job sites, I see many many many posts from people who can't find jobs & are considering returning to some other medical study. One even mentioned the veterinary assistant field (I hope that I set her straight!). I would consider the volunter aspect if you can afford it . . .

Hi Mary,
I live in the Bay Area as a result of hubby's transfer but kept house in COsta Mesa and plan to move back. I am planning to go to school for medical transcribing a/c kids who are special needs and would like to be prepared after graduating.I know you mentioned networking but are there any headhunters or agencies that help place transribers? The more I'm prepared the easier the move back will be and being able to 'jump in' Michelle

Mary in Los Angeles, California said: Here's another tip about volunteering. Again, I live in Orange County, CA. Does anyone remember when Orange County declared bankruptcy??? When this happened, I had an "AHA!" moment. I contacted the OC Sheriff-Coroner's office to see if I could work there as a volunteer. At that time, I was working in the Radiation-Oncology Department at UCI Medical Center in Orange as a medical transcriptionist. I wanted to learn Pathology terminology, so I thought what better way than to work as a volunteer at the Coroner's office. Well it turned out that all but one full-time medical transcriptionist had been laid off, and there was a nine-month backlog of autopsy reports to transcribe!!! Let me tell you, I was welcomed with open arms! The education and experience I gained from volunteering was priceless! Not only that, but that sole full-time transcriptionist was nearing retirement...hmmm...and who do you think would have been the ideal candidate to replace her?

Unfortunately, I did not get to stay there to take advantage of the situation(my mother became ill, and I became her caregiver until she died) but do you see the power of not only volunteering but positioning yourself in the right position at the right time?

I hope this inspires you to think "outside of the box." Be creative and come up with a number of ways to network!

Have a great day...this world needs more dedicated medical transcriptionists, so keep on keeping on!

Mary

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for Miroje:
What was the date Mary posted this? I think it was years ago.
In the meantime a LOT has changed regarding the Medical Transctription career.
Go to MTStars.com to read more.

evelyn in Brooklyn, New York said: for Miroje:
What was the date Mary posted this? I think it was years ago.
In the meantime a LOT has changed regarding the Medical Transctription career.
Go to MTStars.com to read more.

Hi Evelyn,
Yes, her post was probably over a year ago. The reason why I posted a reply to her post was because she was from Orange County, Ca and I figured she might have info that I could use for that area. There is so much info out there that it is overwhelming. I was trying to narrow down the field a bit for lack of a better word. I'll check out MTStars.com Thanks.

Hi, Miroje,
If you look back at the comments, I think Mary posted once her email address, I am not compeletely sure, but I think I saw it once.
You can also ask questions on the MTStars.com forum, where the 'experienced' MTs blog. It is also free, there are a lot of boards, just click on the 'Main board' to begin and ask question. Good luck.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us Jeanna27. In the long run, you may have saved yourself money. If you stop and think about it, the time it takes to apply for all those jobs when you have no experience is a time in which you are not making money. If investing an additional $500 into gaining experience gets you a solid job, then go for it! It is better than going 6 months on a job hunt with no experience building and no income coming in. I am sure it helps the resume to add your experience with Transam.

I am a recent graduate of Kaplan University. I have an Associate Degree in Medical Transcription; however, it doesn't mean anything to employers when I do not have in-house experience. I may invest in Transam to polish up my skills, add to my resume, and have some job contact at the completion.

I am glad to hear that this has been productive for you. Please come and post again after you get started with the work. I know you stated that it is ready as soon as you send off some paperwork. I am very interested in hearing how it has gone for you after about 30 days of working for them. Not that I doubt them, it is just a peace of mind to see what the work portion is like.

Thanks!
mtmom

sarah p in chappell, Nebraska said: Hi Cassandra-I'm a recent Medical Transcription Graduate and am having no luck in obtaining a job, also. I've been on the search for about 3 months now, and have only had a few replies to all of the many applications I've filled out. I'm getting very impatient and discouraged. It seems everyone wants someone with 2 or more years experience to do the job, well if we don't have experience are we ever going to get a job?

Hi Sarah,
I graduated in May 2007 from Medical Transcription. I worked for Ascott out of Cedar Rapids, Ia. from April 2007-Sept. 2007, then they terminated my contract because I couldn't understand the foreign doctors. Basically I had too many blanks. I have searched hi and low and nobody out there will take you unless you have at least 2 yrs. experience! This really bites and is a waste of money!

Medical transcribing is a profession. Since you are documenting legal documents, it is important to really know exactly what you are doing. I have just taken a 2 year course and have no experience in the field of transcribing; however, I am understanding why so many companies are needing those with experience. Again, accuracy is essential. We are trying to save the doctor time by printing up all these notes, and please remember how much schooling they had to deliver those notes. If you take their knowledge from 8 years of schooling and mix it with foreign accents, you can understand why it takes us experience to catch up.

My point is, respect the fact that it takes experience and do not think this is a job you earn because of a certificate. While it is important to have that education, it is only the first step in ensuring that job.

You explained your difficulties you had in Cedar Rapids, and that kind of proved the point. It is not that you yourself are not a dedicated worker. It means that you have more room to learn in order to do the job correctly. I am in the same boat.

So, what now? Well, my plan is to keep working at it. I have many books around me and I plan on studying them and exposing myself to as much ESL as I can. I have joined the AHDI and plan on utilizing as much as their services as I can. Perhaps I can go take the exam to become an RMT. Instead of all the online applications, perhaps I can drop a few examples of my work and make direct contacts with these establishments. I also am keeping a log of who I am contacting. I research the company and find out as much as I can about them. Then, in a cover letter I explain to them how I can fit into their motto and future. I, also, include a date and time I will be contacting them in reference to any open positions. You really have to market and continue studying. Show them you can do it!

To mtmom:
Don't get me wrong, but I think that sooner or later all this thorough education will be outdated by AVR and especially EMR. Even AVR will be outdated by EMR, before it gets to a point to be perfect.
Even Obama is advocating EMR, because it will be the cheapest documentation.
I noticed also that the MTSOs are reluctant to hire very experienced and highly educated MTs, because they are simply too expensive, over-confident and do not respond well to being QAed.
In my opinion there should be a lot more hands-on-mentoring programs (I hope that I put the hyphens right, because every year the BOS rules get changed byt the AHDI, what ia very annoying!) available which provide experience and facilitate the transition into the workforce.

After going through a 2-year MT course, dear mtmom, you need to get some experience, not trying to get immediately a RMT. I know that you have to have some experience to be able to become a RMT or CMT.

I thought the RMT was for MTs with less than 2 years experience or brand new to the field and in order to go for your CMT you needed 2 years experience or more. I gave up reading the ADHI website so much. Things change so often it gets confusing. Either way, neither of these exams should be taken by the under-prepared.

By the way: Hello Evelyn. Hope everything is going good for you.

Hi, L !
I really missed you on this board! Long time no hear. Happy New Year. Hope all is ok with you and your family.
'Career-wise' it is half-half, it's a sign of the times.
Glad, you are back, I made some comments in between.
I agree with your comments regarding the AHDI and the exams.

RMT exam does not mandate experience to take the exam. However, since you use NO resources during the exam, having experience is helpful. CMT exam requires 2 years experience.

It does not have a mandate on age, but it is suggested that you have at least 6 months experience.

evelyn in Brooklyn, New York said: You, and we, should always 'proofread' everything that is sent from the computer.

AND your name is not even capitalized so do not judge others if you do not want to be judged yourself

evelyn in Brooklyn, New York said: You, and we, should always 'proofread' everything that is sent from the computer.

AND your username is not even capitalized so do not judge others if you do not want to be judged yourself

LOL that kind of came out of left field. I love when people dredge up things from days, weeks, or months ago. So fun.

I,too, am a graduate of a Medical Transcription program and have been actively looking for work in the field for over 2 years. I can't tell you how many MT positions I have applied for, but it is well over 100. I think that it is terrible that we are lead to believe that the field is abundant with opportunities. This may be true for those who have years if experience, but not for new transcriptions. I did do 2 unpaid internships, for a total of one year UNPAID experience. This has not helped me in securing a paid position in the field. I finally took a job as a unit secretary in a local hospital. Good luck everyone - I hope that you all find what you are looking for. Also, steer clear of TRANSAM. They are a scam!!

Hello MTmom,

I promised an update on my experience working for Transam. It has been a week and a half so far, and I have to say I am so excited and pleased with this company. They send me one to three reports a night so far. The reports have ranged from 1:00-7:50 minutes. They are still getting a feel for me, I am sure. They have to make sure that they do not overload me, as I am a new professional. I am very confident in this company that it will only get better and better. The account I am assigned to now pays .06 a line. I may not be making a killing, but my "experience time" is on the clock now and that is what matters to me. They will promote me to higher paying accounts and more work as soon as the position comes open, but all in all, for my first two weeks obtaining live work from the company, I could not be happier. It feels so good to finally be working from home, and the possibilities seem endless now. I would recommend this company to everyone. It may have a reputation as being a scam because you have to pass the tests with one error or less per page, but once you devote yourself to it, you can do it, and it is so worth it in the end. The trainers are so supportive and are there with you every step of the way. I hope this helps some newbies realize that Transam is an option and not a scam. I am so excited to be working from home finally!

Have you had many blanks? I mean like in alot of foreign doctors?

Right now, I am only assigned to one account, which is the same Dr. He is not foreign.