Finding Entry Level Medical Transcription Jobs

Carolyn in Providence, Rhode Island said: Personally, I am currently a student at Career Step. I cannot tell you much about any of the other schools, but if you want information about Career Step I would be more than happy to help out with my experiences thus far.

Hi Annie -

I am so close to signing up for the Career Step program because 1) it's curriculum is approved by AHDI; and 2) because it is the least expensive. Why did you choose CS over the other two?

How is the support there? (Both technical & educational) ... I have heard that the students' forum is where questions are answered by other students, not by the instructors.

Is it more difficult than expected?

What level of confidence do you have on being gainfully employed after you graduate? I know they have arrangements or are somehow affiliated with a number of companies. I would love to just work maybe 10 hours a week or so until I get the hang of it, as I currently still have a good job with excellent benefits. But in the future, maybe a couple of years, it might be nice to work from home for a company that offers benefits.

I have been thinking about this switch for years, and someone where I work said "just do it" (like the NIKE commercial!)

When you have a moment, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on the CS program.

Thanks!

I am currently a student at Careerstep and I love it. If you take advantage of everything they have to offer you will succeed.

I will be completing my CS course soon. I have purchased Instant Text. Do you have any advice that will make installation easier?

Has anyone taken the RMT exam? What advice can you offer? Is there any particular area that you would recommend extra study time?
I am getting close and getting nervous.

Thank you tornado woman! That has been my fear all along. Wasting time and money is not in my financial need to do list. I will check out that website. Thank you. BTW, has anyone had any problems completing a school on the web and finding a job? I was wondering how employers felt about those classes when hiring. Thank you!

Sorry, I should have been a little more specific in answering your original inquiry. If you attend a school listed on AHDI, especially the schools considered the top 3, Careerstep, Andrews, sorry I forget the third but anyway the employers that hire know these schools are excellent and the employers who are AHDI members hire you to mostly work from home so learning from home from a AHDI approved school will only help not hurt you. You will be glad that you checked out AHDI.

I am soooooooooo thankful that you have posted this information. I attended Tech Skills here in Dallas and had no idea. I will definitely take the advice. Be blessed and let's all stay encourage. After all we have each other.

When did you attend Techskills? What was your experience with them? Did you take the CMT exam through The NHA? I have lots more to tell you. catglad@att.net

Thank you tornado woman, but which Andrew school? The A&H or AndrewsSchool? And I can not thank you enough for your help. You have been more informative then anything I have received as of yet.

I did not attend TechSkills. I am trying to find valuable information on starting this new endeavor. That is why I was asking about the schools and how other employers seem to take them so I do not waste my time or money. I work hard but I do not want to work hard for no gain.

I believe it is Andrews. My reccomendation is Careerstep for many reasons. They have the best value for your money and it is worth going with the platinum program because of the lifetime employment resourse.

Sorry, I meant to send that last question about Techskills to Alyssa in Arlington TX.

That's ok.... but which school were you referring to though? Andrewsschool or A&H?

Does CareerStep offer finanical aid? Or take Pell grants?

Andrews is out of Oklahoma and is online learning-this is the one I was referring to. A&H is out of New York and is campus based and online.

I am not sure about Pell grants but they do have other options for payment. If you go on their website they cover all of those questions. You are better off calling them and asking your questions because if something has changed since I signed up I dont want to give you wrong info. They are very helpful and they dont pressure you into signing up.

Has anyone gone through MTec? And if so, how do you feel about that experience?

Sue L in Grand Island, Nebraska said: I graduated from MT school a little less than 2 years ago. The first few months out of school I actively looked for a MT job. I was told that I needed 2 years experience to get hired. I've yet to find a job that will give us newbys a chance. I would really like to work from home. Does anyone have an suggestions? I'm completely discouraged.

How long did it take you to find a job in this field?

If you dont mind me asking, what school did you attend?

Debbie in Greeley, Colorado said: How long did it take you to find a job in this field?

Sorry, its me again Tornado woman. I am still getting the hang of this forum.

I meant to ask Debbie from Greeley if she does not mind, what school did she attend?

Copen in Morganton, Georgia said: Does CareerStep offer finanical aid? Or take Pell grants?

If you want to use financial aid or a Pell grant, you can take the Career Step course through a community college. Everett Community College is one that I know accepts financial aid and I have heard great things about this school.

Good luck.

Hi, I am just about to finish schooling for Medical Transcription at Penn Foster. I just wanted to see if anyone can tell me how to go about finding a jon from home? I want to start part-time and keep my current job until I know I can make some money to support myself, then eventually quit my current job and do transcription as my full time job. Can anyone give me some advice on this?

Thanks
Christy

Copen in Morganton, Georgia said: Thank you tornado woman! That has been my fear all along. Wasting time and money is not in my financial need to do list. I will check out that website. Thank you. BTW, has anyone had any problems completing a school on the web and finding a job? I was wondering how employers felt about those classes when hiring. Thank you!

If you are trying to get employment on-line to work from home, your best bet is to go with an on-line course, preferably M-Tec, Andrews, or Career Step. These are the schools most national companies are familiar with and are most likely to hire grads from. Some of the larger companies won't even test grads from other schools such as Penn Foster or Allied as they find their programs to be inadequate. If you need financial aid or Pell grant, as said above, you can take the Career Step program through a partnering community college such as Everett. I know several who graduated from Everett and all raved about the course and the instructors and none had a hard time finding a job.

Melissa in Lincoln, Nebraska said: I too am a new grad in the MT field and am having difficulty finding a job. I to was wanting to print off business cards and flyers for local Dr offices, hospitals, rehab clinics. Any suggestions on what the business cards should have on them and the flyer? Thanks and good luck Melissa

Hi Melissa. I went to Vistaprint.com. They have great deals on business cards. I just put my name, my business name, phone, address, and email on them. As for a flyer, I also got free ones through Vistaprint.com. The way I came up with my information for the flyer is I wrote out what I would want to tell my potential client. I did a lot of searching on google to see how other people phrased things and what type of info they used.

I am also a newly graduated MT and I was fortunate to have a neighbor who works for a locak ENT clinic here. They just happended to be hiring. But before that, I was ramping up for a mass marketing session inlcuding flyers, business cards, cover letters, etc. I hope this helps. Good luck!

I attended Butler Community College

I have a question for

Jeanna27 in Palm Coast, Florida

I do not want to appear imposing, intruding, nosy or rude, but I would really like to know how it worked out for you with this company TransAm? Two months ago we had a rather heated discussion about this company. You promised to keep us updated. Well???
Thanks!

Check out the book at store.payloadz.com/go?id=245386 <--it's the Ultimate Transcription Job book and it has over 450 companies, all checked with BBB and lists all their requirements--quite a few of them take newbies.

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.

Dear Brooke;

Are you still willing and/or looking for a newby transcriptionist? Please email me at shelly_maguire@yahoo.com

Ebony in Cedar Hill, Texas said: My greatest challenge is to trying to pass the employment test for these MT companies.

I totally agree! I have taken 5 employment test for large companies and failed every one! They are really hard, and most are timed... My final average for my MT course was 98.6. I am starting to really doubt that I am going to find entry-level work in this field.

Erica in Douglasville, Georgia said: I totally agree! I have taken 5 employment test for large companies and failed every one! They are really hard, and most are timed... My final average for my MT course was 98.6. I am starting to really doubt that I am going to find entry-level work in this field.

What school did you attend?

tiffany57 in Valley City, Ohio said: Oh, really frustrated right now. I just did my first transcription quiz,ever. The max you can get wrong is 70%, I got a 54%. Is there some kind of secret to punctuation?? I can't figure it out, when to do new paragraph's, put a period, put a comma, when to number, when not to number. Just venting alittle. If there is some big secret I would like in on it?? (LOL)

Oh my gosh, I know... I used to think I was fairly intelligent. I read on a daily basis but I have discovered that that my grammer is terrible! Commas and semi-colons are my biggest pit fall. I am thinking about taking a grammer class on-line...

Carla in Madison, Wisconsin said: They might also be the reason I can not get a job anywhere. I am smart, and I type pretty fast as you probably can see from my posts. I also tutor in medical terminology.

Hi Carla,

Did you attend Techskills? If so, can you contact me? catglad@att.net

tornado woman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin said: What school did you attend?

Kennesaw State University (Gatlin Education Services) It just seems like the tests I am taking are so much more difficult than any practice reports I completed. Some of the dictations are so hard to understand, I just give up. It's really a blow to my self esteem...

tornado woman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin said: Hi Carla,

Did you attend Techskills? If so, can you contact me? catglad@att.net

I am searching for students who attended Techskills in the state of Wisconsin and also the other campuses throughout the US.

I am also searching for anyone who has taken the CMT exam through The National Healthcareer Association.

If you fit either or both of the above, please contact me at catglad@att.net

evelyn in New York, New York said: To Karen in Bend....

I do not know if this is what you want to hear, but, sorry, it is like that:

Every time you apply for a job, you will be tested.
The test, it is usually a multiple choice test, includes questions about grammar, spelling, medical terminology and some include also easy technical questions.

They are 'open book' tests, so you can use all your references, but you are NOT allowed to ask other persons.

The 2nd part is transcribing of 3-4 digital files.

You have to score 98%, at least.

Sorry to be so 'negative', but this is the real, professional world.
Now, who of you would regard this post as 'positive' and who as 'negative'?

If you think that it is negative, because you might think, 'Wow! That's tough,' then, please, do not tell me that I am rude and God knows what!

I personally think that my post was very informative to newbies and also positive.

I wish everyone would stop calling us newbies... I am an adult, who took an on-line course to help supplement my husband's income.
What is this? A sorority? How about calling us what we are? Entry-level candidates to the MT field.

Erica in Douglasville, Georgia said: I wish everyone would stop calling us newbies... I am an adult, who took an on-line course to help supplement my husband's income.
What is this? A sorority? How about calling us what we are? Entry-level candidates to the MT field.

You might regard 'newbie' as kind of shortcut for 'Entry-level candidates to the MT field'. I think you are the first person who feels degraded being called a 'newbie'. Newbie (MTing jargon)means that you are new to this profession. Anything wrong with that? MTs who work for 20, 30 or even more years in this profession are not 'sorority', they are referred to as 'experienced.'

I don't think it can be said enough to us "newbies" that you need to go door to door and network to gain experience. You are much more likely to get someone to hire you when they personally see you. I do need to follow my own advice, but if you choose not to hit the pavement you need to realize you may never get into this profession. I know that it is stressful taking all those test but accuracy is much more important than speed. If you fail a test a company has no reason to hire you. Whereas, if you are accurate and slow, you will improve over time.
One more thing, Evelyn, I hate being called a newbie too. But I am one, and I feel we have no right to complain. Until we have worked our butt off and earned the respect of others in this field we might as well be called what we are. I do appreciate your perspective negative or not, it is what it is.

JaimeJoe in Pennsylvania said: I don't think it can be said enough to us "newbies" that you need to go door to door and network to gain experience. You are much more likely to get someone to hire you when they personally see you. I do need to follow my own advice, but if you choose not to hit the pavement you need to realize you may never get into this profession. I know that it is stressful taking all those test but accuracy is much more important than speed. If you fail a test a company has no reason to hire you. Whereas, if you are accurate and slow, you will improve over time.
One more thing, Evelyn, I hate being called a newbie too. But I am one, and I feel we have no right to complain. Until we have worked our butt off and earned the respect of others in this field we might as well be called what we are. I do appreciate your perspective negative or not, it is what it is.

Hi, JamieJoe:
I totally agree with your opinions. Very levelheaded and right attitude.
I wish you all the best.

Hello Brooke, I am a newbie at the transcription job search. Came across your posting by searchig the net. Would like to know if you are still iterested in hiring.

Thank you

Shirley

Hello Shirley,

I see you are from Wisconsin, so am I. A good place to get your foot in the door so-to-speak is becoming a member of AHDI. After passing their RMT exam you can fill out an application to participate in the Medical Transcription Apprenticeship Program; provided you attended a school whose curriculum is appproved.

What school did you attend?

Hope to hear from you,
Tornado Woman

Easi Entry is a UK based bpo company providing medical transcription services to clients worldwide. They are always on the look out for medical transcription experts who work from home. Easi Entry are experts in the field of medical transcription. You can visit their websites on www.easientry.com or www.medicaltranscription.me.uk.

Kind regards

I just completed my MT online course and trying to get advise on job searches.

With my experience as a new MT that just received my certificate thru the community college is that Craigslist.org is a good place to look. I got my first 2 doctors (ENT specialists) via a neighbor who just happened to be hiring but then my husband took a paycut and I had to somehow find more work. So I went on Criagslist and found another MT who was subcontracting her work out and now I have more work than I can physically do. I have also sent out letters to about 50 docs in my area introducing myself. I plan on following up with a promotion of some sort in a month or two. I haven't had any bites on the mass mailing yet so we'll see. It just takes you getting your face out there. Not to mention prayer helps! Good luck to all you newbies! (And no, I don't consider newbie a bad word) :0)

Tamarametcalf19 in Chico, California said: With my experience as a new MT that just received my certificate thru the community college is that Craigslist.org is a good place to look. I got my first 2 doctors (ENT specialists) via a neighbor who just happened to be hiring but then my husband took a paycut and I had to somehow find more work. So I went on Criagslist and found another MT who was subcontracting her work out and now I have more work than I can physically do. I have also sent out letters to about 50 docs in my area introducing myself. I plan on following up with a promotion of some sort in a month or two. I haven't had any bites on the mass mailing yet so we'll see. It just takes you getting your face out there. Not to mention prayer helps! Good luck to all you newbies! (And no, I don't consider newbie a bad word) :0)

Thanks for the information.

I know what you mean! I am currently enrolled in classes for medical transcription. I should have my degree by the end of next month, first part of June, and I am the pursuit of finding a job. It seems like all of the available mt positions require 2 or more year of experience to even be considered. How are you supposed to get experience, if someone can't even give you a chance?!?

Hello Cindy from Minnesota,

I am forming a class action lawsuit against Techskills; they have clearly shown a pattern of fraud and misrepresentation. Can you please tell me what school you are attending?

I was wondering, can anyone tell me how much more productive their foot pedal makes their work? I have not purchased one yet, but my workload just tripled so I was wondering if they are really worth the extra money. Also, can any recommend a good macro software? Thanks!

I just completed Career Steps online course.

I spent hours Friday calling around and I kept getting told NO, that we like to have someone with experience. It is a little discouraging, but I keep getting told that it will take some time which I clearly understand.

kimmy in Jacksonville, Florida said: I just completed Career Steps online course.

I was referred by an acquaintance who works as an MT to Career Step. I thought that they offered job placement upon completion. Are they actively working to place you right now? My concern is that I will spend a lot of money to take the course and then not be able to find a job upon completion. Therefore, I am seeking feedback from MT's who have recently completed training.

I recently graduated from a small college in W.V. I have a certificate in Office Technology and I specialized in Transcriptionist. I really want to find a at home job and start my career. Can anyone help me?

I recently graduated from a small college in W.V. I have a certificate in Office Technology and I specialized in Transcription. I really want to find a at home job and start my career. Can anyone help me?