I’m trying to look into medical transcription and a friend of mine went ahead with this by learning on her own and finding doctors who wanted her services. I’d rather have some sort of certificate or training from a recognized institution behind me before I venture out in building my own business this way. Where did you get your training and how did you then get started? I’d really like to hear from real people who are doing this and making $ - not someone in some scam school who can’t graduate and find work and not just someone sending me miscellaneous links - there are tons of transcription scams and bad companies who put links all over the internet. That’s why I’m having trouble with my research to be honest. If you are a doctor who uses a medical transcriptionist - what would you look for and what sort of training would you prefer an individual have?
5 responses so far ↓
1 W K
My wife started taking this course at home. I think At Home Professions gets like $2500 for their certificate.
2 yoga1
I have the same questions as you. I looked into Career Step and they seem to be reputable but I cannot attest to this first hand because I have not signed up for the course yet. You can contact them and they will send you a bunch of info.
Hope this helps. Good luck!!
3 Homegirl
New MTs make $8.00-$10 an hour but by the end of their first year, IF they went to a GOOD school, should be averaging $18-$20 an hour.
Good schools that established relationships w/ MT employers who hire their graduates.
What to look for in a good MT program:
-Don’t choose an educational clearinghouse for your education. These are schools that offer 100s of different programs.
-Find a school that has certified medical transcriptionist instructors.
-The SUM CDs, all THREE levels, should be the dictation practice as it is the gold standard for teaching MT.
-There should be interactive student forums and REAL job placement (not just handing you a list of MT companies).
-It should teach in-depth medical terminology, disease processes, pharmacology, lab medicine, across all medical specialties.
-They should teach AAMT Book of Style formatting and style.
-The price should be “reasonable.”
-The school should be licensed and in good standing w/ the BBB.
-Ask to speak to working graduates of the program. Ask to speak to current students as to their experience w/ getting questions answered quickly, etc.
-You should be able to reach an instructor by telephone during normal business hours. Not just have Email contact.
I hope the above helps. You can avoid scams by making sure the job placement rate is solid w/ the program you choose, making sure the instructors are CMTs, and that current students and graduates are happy.
Best wishes to you.
4 LM
Hi,
I do medical transcription from home. When I was researching companies, I found it a bit daunting as well. After a lot of research, I went with CareerStep. I called around to different Medical Transcription Companies and asked them which schools they hire from the most, and most said CareerStep. That is something you should think about doing, calling around to the actual companies who hire MTs and asking whom they prefer. Get the info straight from the horse’s mouth. I started CareerStep finished in a year, and a week after applying got my first job. I would more than recommend it. The course was interesting and teaches you everything you need to do Medical Transcription in a simple methodical way. They have relationships and internships availible with reputable companies. They are a member of the BBB with good standing (that is also something you can do when you’re checking out companies and schools. Check them out on the BBB). I’m very glad I went with my gut and chose that school. I think you’ll like it a lot. On the AHDI’s (American Association for HealthCare Documentation Integrity, used to the AAMT) website, there is also a list of their approved schools which meet the criteria for curriculum, including amount of live transcription practice. The industry “top 3″ schools are: CareerStep, Andrews, and MTec, from what I hear.
I know you didn’t want any links, but these ones aren’t scams. Check them out:
CareerStep:
CareerStep New Student Forum:
(This is a forum to learn more about CareerStep. It’s for potential students. They also have a great Forum just for students after you enroll. It’s filled with graduates and students and is so helpful. It’s rare not to find an answer to your questions on there.)
AHDI:
AHDI Approved MT schools:
I hope this helps in your research and you enjoy being an MT.
Good Luck
5 KW
I have been doing transcription for about 7 years from home. It would help to have medical terminology classes and some training behind you, but school alone (unfortunately) will not get you a job. With transcription, the hardest part about finding a job is not having experience. If you can find an employer that is willing to train you without charging you a penny (you may have to buy a foot pedal, but sometimes they even supply that for you), that would be ideal. It really is the kind of career where you have to know somebody. Maybe your friend could help you if she is working for a good, honest company. My mom trained me to work for the company she was typing for and took responsibility for my work until I was on my own. As for school, of course it is nice to learn how to do it, but my brother is a surgeon and still could not get hired as a transcriptionist without knowing somebody already working for the company. (He was wanting to teach his wife.) I would team up with your friend!! Good luck!!