Hello to Everyone
I bookmarked this page 2 years ago when I began my MT course and I am glad I did. It provides valuable information to MTs and future MTs.
I recently completed course at Education Direct. It provided a good beginning course. I have found that being a MT is a continuous learning experience. Worked for a gynecologist for 15 years so have a medical background. Have taken A&P and Medical Terminology 3x. Veterinary Asst course, Vet Tech course, and MT course. Dog and cat A&P is basically the same as human.
Did well on MT. Don't have a big problem with spelling. "Punctuation" "Comma or a semicolon?" Hated English. May have to take a Business Communication course to brush up on that.
There are not a lot of in-house opportunities for MTs in my area. Two hospitals. Have heard they are next to impossible to get into. Am working on resume and cover letter to fax to transcription companies on the internet. Are there any companies that are more likely to hire "Newbies?" I would appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you
Noreen

Can't help you with the job search, but I am switching from my current program at California College for Health Sciences to Education Direct and feel better knowing that you felt it was a decent course. Best of luck!

Thank you for your reply. I think you will enjoy the Education Direct course. They provide you with a great deal of the tools you need. Reference books, software, standard cassette transcriber, micro cassette transcriber, dictation tapes, and AAMT Book of Style.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. That is what we are all here for.

Good Luck on your studies!!!
Noreen

Noreen,

I hope this is not too late for you for me to answer with one part of your question, that is the part about companies hiring newbies.

I am starting with MedQuist. They are hiring newbies nationwide.

I suggest working for a Medical Transcription Service or a hospital locally first or in conjunction with working from your home via internet.

I started through a local Drug & Alcohol Clinic, and now I am working at a local Med. Transcription company and going to be doing at-home through MedQuist starting in mid-October.

Need more information, just let me know!

Paula, Med. Transcriptionist

Thank you for your help. I am going to start checking with local personnel offices to see what is available here. About a year ago, I did contact a MedQuist recruiter in Dallas, and she told me to fax resume and course curriculum when I finished school. Am also going to check with local chapter of AAMT to see if I can attend a meeting.

Bet the leaves are turning in PA. All of my husbands family live in Coudersport, PA, and we did live there several years before coming to Texas.

Thanks again and good luck at MedQuist.

Noreen,

I know where Coudersport is. I live in the small town of South Fork..........bet you do not know where that is.

I am glad to hear that they want you to fax them all your info and resume etc. Do it soon! They are hiring nationwide!

Although I live in PA, I will be working for the Las Vegas area office from my house part-time for now to see if I like it or not.

They also have an office in the Johnstown, PA area which is 20 minutes from where I live, but that office does not hire for at-home so I was told.

Nice to hear from you.......Hope things go good for you.......keep in touch with MedQuist, they are nice to talk to even on the phone.

Paula
Med. Transcriptionist

I am also talking to a recruiter at the MedQuist office near Richland College in Dallas. I just faxed them a copy of my certificate last night and she told me she would be talking with me soon to arrange my testing. I'm pretty much in the same boat as you are. I've taken Medical Terminology twice and Physiology and Anatomy three times, I've completed my MT course and I type over 70 words a minute and sometimes I feel like I'll never get a job. They are the only company I've heard of that hires "newbies", or that I've had any success with so far. Granted, I've only been looking for about three weeks, but I was very frustrated after a couple of weeks of rejections. Good luck on your job search!

Dena

Hello Paula,

Thank you for all of your help. Starting out on something new is not always easy. Sometimes it takes a lot of determination. Thanks for giving me a push in the right direction.

You're right! I did not know where South Fork was, but I looked it up on the map.

Let me know once in a while how you are doing at MedQuist.

All the best!

Hi Dena,

I can relate to your frustration on finding a job. There are very few companies who will hire MTs right out of school. They don't want to spend the time, or may not even have the time, to train them. I have learned not to let the word "Experience" stop you. I have heard of "Newbies" beating out experienced MTs on testing.

If you can, drop a line after you take MedQuist testing. Would like to get some idea of what their test involves.

Best of Luck!

Noreen,

I started taking the MedQuist test this morning. There are 4 parts to it and it's all done online. The first is just your personal information (basically job application style questions). The second part is what they called a screening test. You have to make an 80 on it to proceed to portions 3 and 4, but I found it really easy. It mainly pertained to medical terminology, grammar and punctuation. I also finished the third portion this morning, which was very similar to the screening test, but longer and a little more difficult. But if you take your time and use your reference materials, it's not too bad. The fourth portion is a transcription test, and it's supposed to take 2 to 3 hours to complete. Since you can leave and come back to the test, I arranged for a sitter tonight for my kids and I'm going to take that portion in peace and quiet. I'm a little nervous about it, but all I can do is try and hope everything works out!

Hi Dena,

I hope everything went well on your testing. Now you have an idea of what type of questions transcription services ask on their tests. I have taken an online test at MedScribe. It included grammar, punctuation, terminology, spelling, and abbreviations. There was no dictation on it.
How did MedQuist send the online dictation to you? Was it sent over your phoneline?
Thanks :rolleyes:

They had me download a program called ExpressScribe and then I had to download sound files and then transcribed the dictation through that program. It was really interesting! I've never done transcription that way before. Since I'm just out of school, I'm used to the old-fashioned cassette tape way!

Dena

Dena,

I see you have done your homework on MedQuist - I don't need to steer you anymore I see!! That's great! I found the testing for them very interesting....I got a 90% on the preliminary test, a 95% on the objective part, and a 93% on the actual transcription part. Average of 93% on the whole thing. I got hired and start work end of this month! Hope you get hired!! That certainly would be nice!
Paula

Noreen,

Hi again! You won't ever find South Fork on a map; I suggest you look for Johnstown, PA, I am 15 minutes away from there. S.Fork is sooooo small.

Did I tell you I got hired by MedQuist starting at end of the month..........Can't wait, but I have no intention of quitting my other full-time Med. Trans. job for now, just trying to get my feelers out with MQ for now part-time.

How's things going now for you.......How's all of your testing going??????????

Paula, MT

Hi Paula,

Saw South Fork on the map. Just a fly speck next to Johnstown. Small towns are nice. Have lived in several of them. If there is a sizeable town nearby to shop, it is convenient.

Working on getting my courage up to take test at MedQuist. Took online test at MedScribe. Know I passed it. Faxed them a resume, and when they saw I had no transcription experience, I never heard anything from them. They want you to have 5 years experience. Working for a doctor for 15 years, does not count for anything.

When you tested at MedQuist, how many reports did you have to transcribe???? Do you remember if they were H&Ps, discharge summaries, radiology, pathology, consults, or operative reports????

I read on the Gab board, that you have to download a program called ExpressScribe and sound files to do the dictation. I read that some who have taken it, found it to be relatively easy. My medical background is gynecology. Perhaps if they hire you, they let you transcribe what you are the most familiar with.

Glad to hear it is going well for you. Good Luck

I wish we weren't moving to Europe now! I can't wait to finish my program and start working. I sure hope I can find a job in 3 years when we get back. Don't get me wrong, Europe is great, but I just want to settle down somewhere and get a real job. We are military so everytime I've wanted to work, it's had to be part-time and temporary. I know that we'll be settled when we get back.

channan --

Check in with some of the nationals (MedQuist and Healthscribe in particular, there may be others)-- I think it may be possible for you to work from Europe via the Internet, and to continue working when you return. Three years is a long time to put your skills on ice!

Hi Paula,

I'm a new graduate starting a new job next week where 75% of the job will be doing dictation. The job is at an addiction treatment centre that treats clients with various types of addictions, such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, etc. Do you have any advice/tips for me? What are good reference materials to use?

Thanks for any input you can give me.

MES

Thanks CMT. I'll check but I don't think I have a good chance at getting employment in Europe with a National. Especially if they have to send me equipment etc......I've read posts of people living in Germany that want jobs with American companies, but can't get hired b/c they are overseas. That's understandable. I just plan on practicing and reviewing until I feel confident enough to ace an entrance exam. Hopefully the companies will be understanding when I tell them we had to move right after I finished my studies b/c Uncle Sam said we had to. Not much I can do about it.

channan,

Ain't it great when your husband works for Uncle Sam? Been there, done that! Mine was in the USAF, retired after 20.

Anyway, have you thought about trying to get a job at a base hospital? That's actually where I started out as an MT. I had no experience in medical transcription at all, no school. It was 30 years ago, mind you, so it was strictly on the job training. But here I am 30 years later still doing it, having worked for hospitals, MT services, in-patient psych unit and now an IC at home! I would think you just might get yourself hired.

If you'd like more info, I'm willing to e-mail you. Just let me know.

Hope you have a good trip over and a great tour!

Windy

Never thought of a base hospital. I've checked the openings online for Civilian Employment and never saw anything. Maybe when we get to Belgium I can check in with the clinic there. I don't think there's an actual hospital for us. Thanks.

I did the MedQuist testing process! I made it to the last test... and did not pass. I would really like to hear how things went for you! I know that it has been a few years, but hopefully you check back in from time to time and can let us know how it went!

AHP-Grad, I'm pretty new to this site and am just finishing with AHP course myself. Just wondering how you are doing and if you feel you were trained well enough. I'm just starting to get nervous thinking about getting out on my own and looking for a job. My test scores have been pretty good but I'm not sure if it's good enough.
I would love to hear from you and/or anyone else who graduated from AHP and find out how you are making out.
Thanks for your time.

Hi!
I am also new to this (just graduated at the end of May). I saw this thread and I am wondering...what is 'AHP'...? Is that the school you guys trained at? I will soon be taking my MedQuist testing as well. Getting nervous!!

Shelly

I am new to this web site, someone please tell me where and or how do you hook up with other people studying from the same school, I've read posts and have taking all the quiz's form US Career Institute up to num.34(which I am currently working on) and the quiz's on the forum that people need help with do not match with my quiz's...any info would be appreciated...
thank you....