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#4475 - 07/20/01 08:22 PM
No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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Is there anyone out there with a medical backround, but no formal MT schooling?
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#4476 - 07/20/01 08:31 PM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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Yes! I have a B.S. in dietetics but no formal MT training. I worked as a dietitian for less than a year after graduation, and then quit to become a full-time wife and mother for over 10 years. A little over a year ago, a neighbor got me started in MT, and now I have my own part-time job in radiology, as well as a small account working for a podiatrist. I was helped A LOT by my medical background, as well as by my desire to learn, to study, and to really excel in this field. The extra income has been a wonderful help to our family. Please e-mail me if you'd like to correspond further!
angel
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#4477 - 07/20/01 08:51 PM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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Thank you so much for your reply! I was afraid that someone would tell me that I would be stupid to try MT without formal schooling. I know two other people that did it without schooling and they had more work than they could handle. I'm just afraid that if I do not go through the motions that I will fail. Now, hearing from you, I know that there is a good chance that I won't!
Thanks again.
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#4478 - 07/20/01 08:52 PM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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Hi there! Yes, I am doing MT and am going on terminology I learned in RN school 16 years ago. I started doing MT about 14 years ago, off and on with legal transcription. I just picked it up one day on a temp. assignment and I was told I was a natural. I also had a high school spelling level/aptitude when I was in 5th grade, so being a good speller definitely helps. I have my difficulties and therefore MTDESK comes in very handy when I get stumped usually once or twice a week. Feel free to e-mail me at cjmorton@bellsouth.net if you have any other questions. Connie Morton p.s. how did you get started?
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#4479 - 07/20/01 09:23 PM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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Oh, there's another one! Great news. This site is wonderful. thank you kindly for your reply.
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#4480 - 07/20/01 10:07 PM
Re: No education
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typemedik
Member
Registered: 06/19/00
Posts: 92
Loc: Louisville, KY - USA
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Purljam:
I started many years ago, before there was formal MT training. Hang in there. All you need is a medical background, an inquiring mind, and lots of intestinal fortitude. A willingness to read and visit MT Desk also helps. You'll be fine.
Bonnie
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#4481 - 07/20/01 10:12 PM
Re: No education
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typemedik
Member
Registered: 06/19/00
Posts: 92
Loc: Louisville, KY - USA
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[ 07-21-2001: Message edited by: typemedik ]
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#4482 - 07/20/01 11:02 PM
Re: No education
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Annie
Administrator
Registered: 01/08/00
Posts: 7837
Loc: Long Island, NY
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Sorry - hate to rain on your parade - but I have to disagree. What gives me the right to disagree? Because I am an MT with no formal training. 15 years ago when I started there really was no such animal - but now there is. You would be foolish (IMHO) not to take advantage of being able to learn how to do this job properly. I love MT Desk/Chat - and there's no question that there is a lot to be learned here - but it is absolutely NOT a substitute for the proper education. I'm not saying it cannot be done, but why would you want to? Why would you want to sit in your home by yourself trying to figure out what the heck Dr. X is talking about with tears streaming down your face, working for about $1.50 an hour? Years ago - this was the norm - but it isn't now - so why go through this? To save yourself some money? Believe me - you are not saving yourself money in the long run. I had a medical background and I had an incredibly patient MT who worked one-on-one with me - and it was not easy. Going through school is not easy either - but at least you will be as prepared as humanly possible to take this profession on. If you have a medical background - why not look at M-Tec's tiered program? It is specifically designed for health-care professionals to start at a different level and skip some of the basics they most likely already know. It's your decision and your life - but I urge you to reconsider going this route. For the sake of yourself and a profession that works so hard to gain respect and not be thought of as a job that "anyone" can do by grabbing a medical dictionary and being able to type, think carefully. Annie [ 07-21-2001: Message edited by: Annie ]
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#4483 - 07/21/01 01:27 AM
Re: No education
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Jackie
Member
Registered: 08/11/98
Posts: 2283
Loc: Akron, OH
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I agree with Annie. I have been transcribing for 27 years and learned MT by working in a busy ER with INCREDIBLY patient doctors and nurses at a time when a 1933 Dorlands was the only reference available to me. I am awestruck by the new kids on the block coming out of M-TEC and Andrews who are much better MTs upon graduation than I will ever be. I had a very strong medical background prior to becoming an MT and still had an extremely difficult time of it in the beginning. I expected that it would all fall into place easily for me because of my background. Boy, was I wrong! This is not a profession to undertake without some sort of schooling. Things are different now than they were back in the early '70s, especially with the need to keep references updated, knowing your formats, keeping up with the new and ever-changing terminology, and the need to be "techosavvy". Please, please, re-think getting some decent schooling or you will giving credence to those who think that anyone with spelling skills who can type 80 wpm and who can rub their belly and chew gum at the same time are capable candidates. [ 07-21-2001: Message edited by: jackie ]
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#4484 - 07/21/01 08:37 AM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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I came to this profession with an associate's degree in Office Administration and job experience in medical review (where I learned medical terminology and transcription). In other words, IMHO, the hard way. After a year of transcribing radiology, I pursued formal training from my local community college because I craved more knowledge in my field. That trained me to work so much more efficiently. It also made my job much easier. 
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#4485 - 07/21/01 10:54 PM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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When I started transcribing 11 years ago, I had only a very minimal amount of terminology under my belt. My entire education was business/economics based. I wouldn't go back to those days for anything....making about $00.12 per hour, throwing things at my monitor and feeling like a total idiot! Eventually things did work out, but I discourage anyone from attempting to jump into this without any type of training. An abundance of work and ownership of a PC do not make one capable of being a medical transcriptionist...I learn more every day and still wish I'd had the education (and may do it yet...at 40). Best of luck to you in whatever you do!
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#4486 - 07/21/01 12:17 PM
Re: No education
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SamanthaT
Member
Registered: 12/09/98
Posts: 1837
Loc: NC
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Purl: I would have to agree with Annie on this one as well. I graduated in 1999 from Andrews School and went to work barely out of school. I have been working since. My MIL has 30+ years of experience as a nurse and with all her experience, she still tells me that I know much more about medicine than she does because my knowledge base is wider. She worked 30+ years on the second floor of a hospital that was understaffed as well as in a nursing home on a different shift, also understaffed. MT work requires a very well rounded education. Do yourself a big favor and take Annie's advice about M-Tec since they have a tiered program. It would be in your best interest. Even with a great education, you will still be struggling the first couple of months after working but at least the only struggling you will have is learning dictation styles and dictator voices, not terminology, procedures, or the Book of Style. Sam
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#4487 - 07/21/01 03:44 PM
Re: No education
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EnsleysGirl
Member
Registered: 12/31/69
Posts: 1189
Loc: Hancock, Maine
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It is interesting to read varying opinions on this subject. I have no formal MT training either. I worked in a hospital environment for 10 years doing ward clerk and lab secretary jobs, during which time I took a medical terminology course through the hospital. After a 10 year hiatus, I was very fortunate to be offered a med. trans. job in a small hospital where they were willing to be patient while I learned. I get paid very well on production, making more than I could in any other job in this area, and I have only succeeded because of my fast typing ability, my spelling/grammar/proofing skills, my ability to learn things quickly, my desire to be an excellent medical transcriptionist and an asset to the hospital, and my willingness to work hard. During the first few weeks, I worked extra hours to re-listen to tapes that I had transcribed earlier, examining the corrections and trying to learn to interpret what I was hearing. The docs I had the hardest time with were the ones I forced myself to listen to over and over. In the end, the hard work paid off, and I have a job I truly enjoy and feel competent doing.
I guess if one has the chance to train officially, it would be a good opportunity, but it is possible to do it another way. However, I would NEVER advise a beginner to do this at home! It's wonderful (though probably rare) to find an office or clinic that is willing to patiently train, where you have someone to ask, "Is this right? Is this what I'm hearing?" I feel very lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.One last thought - of the applicants we have screened for positions in our office, the ones with the most potential have been ones with a good spelling/English background and some medical terminology who learn quickly and type fast and accurately. The graduates of transcription schools have been the ones who were not up to par. Go figure!
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#4488 - 07/21/01 04:54 PM
Re: No education
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RedSonya
Member
Registered: 03/27/99
Posts: 5592
Loc: Standish, CA, USA
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I have to agree with Annie as well. If you've lurked around here and read previous posts, Purljam, you'll see that I have an extensive medical education and background. (An MS in medical technology, 20 years of hospital experience in the lab, and almost 10 years of managing clinical labs.) I went into MT because of a disability, and I spent 2 years at our local community college taking all the computer and keyboarding courses (I could type about 40 wpm when I started), and their transcription courses. But, like everyone else one this board, I learn something new every day! I certainly couldn't have done this job without the background I had, but that background didn't give me near the edge the I thought it would! As someone else posted, being a good speller, and having a strong English language and grammar background can also make all the difference. No matter what kind of medical background you have, in my opinion it won't be enough without more training. Being an MT IS being a specialist in medicalese, but no matter what background, you can't know everything! Perhaps you could find a willing mentor, and be willing to work for a couple of years for next to nothing while you learned on the job. You'd be in much better shape if you worked in a setting where there were other people around to lend an ear at times. I was so thrilled to find the Desk a few years back because I DO work from home, and I didn't have any extra ears around to help me out! In fact, I used to call my pharmacist twice a day and play dictation for him to help me identify drugs! Just think, though, your background will give you a jump on things in training! You won't be starting from scratch like so many others do. (I am assuming from your question that you are considering whether to take training or not!) I wish you luck whatever you decide! Red 
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#4489 - 07/21/01 06:51 PM
Re: No education
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Marie in Florida
Member
Registered: 12/13/99
Posts: 357
Loc: Florida
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I am a self-taught MT. I went to the Community College and bought a medical terminology textbook, studied up and went for it. Would I recommend this? Absolutely not!! I know a lot of people that have tried to get into MT but just don't have it. I agree that good basic English skills/spelling are important. But even more, you need determination to make it through a tape, knowing that you will only make about $20 on the last ten hours of work! It is not for everyone. Most people believe they will make a lot of money, but when you first start off, you really don't. I honestly believe it was only the Lord who helped me get started. He literally dropped it in my lap when I needed it. However, I know at least four other people who have taken the course at the local community college and CAN'T find work. The docs here just don't take chances on newbies. Fortunately, I have been blessed and enjoy my work, although I do go through phases where I feel totally burned out! I vote for taking the course, but before that, really look into this work and whether it will fit your personality! Marie
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#4490 - 07/22/01 03:59 PM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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I have to comment on this. I have no formal training. However, I worked for doctors for 14+ years and had some nursing school, worked as a nurses aid in the 70's. I was always an excellent speller and was very interested in medicine in general. This was a God thing for me and I have been very blessed. On the other hand, over the years I have hired people to work with me and these include:
1) A MT graduate - TOP OF HER CLASS - the best person I ever hired. She was conscientious, fast, "a natural". She could have easily gone out on her own (however I don't see her personality as one that would work well with a doctor's office calling her for "page 3 of a 5 page dictation" where the patient is already in the room with his clothes off! She would probably lose her temper with them!)
2) Another TOP OF THE CLASS student. In Italy she would have been great, but she was a natural born Italian who has only lived in the US a few years and her accent was her drawback. Her typing was great, her medical terminology was great, she was eager, but she just didn't clearly understand what they were saying not even so much in a medical sense but in a general sense.
3) A multitude of graduates from MT schools in the area with their only medical background being from the schooling they had. I HAVE YET TO FIND ONE THAT WAS EVEN CLOSE to working on her own. The basic medical background is a HUGE help. Based on my experience with these girls, it appears to me that the MT schooling that they had was more focused on MT punctuation as opposed to English punctuation. Unfortunately, most of the doctors in the real world do not KNOW that there is a difference in the two schools of punctuation, as they only took English. Maybe the younger doctors are more aware of this. Either way, these particular girls did not know what hepatosplenomegaly was, knew very little about medication names, etc.
4) I have also hired a registered nurse. I only gave one tape to and was so frustrated with the result I never gave her another one.
I guess what I am trying to say is that IN MY OPINION there are natural born medical transcriptionists and there are people who are disciplined enough, type well enough, and want it bad enough to make it work for them. However, there are many, many MORE people who are looking to stay home and make "easy money" and "work at my own pace" who are disillusioned about what is involved in being a good transcriptionist. You need to remember:
1) A spell checker will not help you if you don't have a pretty good idea of the word.
2) Very few doctors are willing to let you "learn" at their expense - especially now. They don't care if your baby is sick and kept you up all night or what. They want their stuff!
3) Working at your own pace is a "normal" thing. Groups of physicians tend to have one doctor who dictates after EVERY patient, one who dictates all his dictation at the end of the day, one who dictates in the car/hallway/at home, and then there is one who procrastinates and waits until the staff is in a bind waiting for him to dictate. He takes it all home, dictates three double sided tapes and has somebody call you to tell you to come and get them. Then the ball is in your park, with the staff calling you to see if you have found dictation on ...
5) Last but not least - I have gained 50 pounds doing this. You CANNOT walk around and do it! The bigger my check gets, the bigger I get. Just some food for thought. I love doing what I am doing, but I spend a lot of time trying to explain to the envious wannabees that there is more to it than meets the eye.
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#4491 - 07/22/01 07:03 PM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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Almostcawtup, Good to see an almost neighbor on here. I used to work in Snellville (at the hospital there) and live just beyond Lawrenceville, now! Small world. Loved your post. Jazzy
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#4492 - 07/22/01 11:21 PM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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I just want to add my two cents worth here before I call it a day. First of all, I agree with both sides...yes, you can do it without formal training, but, it is incredibly hard. I took the AHP course, but have not finished it. I felt somewhat confident of my skills in Course 3 (of 5) and decided to send out a mass-mailing of resumes. Of the 10 or so sent, one person called me. I was so excited and decided to give it a try. It was sink or swim, basically, and I decided to swim! Unfortunately, the person who trained me turned out to be a very unethical, backstabbing person, for which I lost my job! I was so discouraged, and wanted to give MT up totally, but within a few months, I went to work at a hospital, where, I feel I gained most of my experience. Not long after I started at the hospital, my husband was transferred and we had to move. Again, very discouraged, so I thought I would take that time to finish up my course. I worked on it a little bit, but we decided to have another baby so I put my MT course on hold, again. FINALLY, after 18-months of no MT interaction, I am back to work. I absolutely LOVE my job and it is getting easier day by day. Yes, you learn something new all the time. I make it a point to open my Dorland's and learn something each day! Kind of like a 'word of the day' game. Another reason so many people want to do MT work is to be able to work from home. This is NOT as glamorous(sp) as it may seem. Phones and doorbells ring, kids knock on the door, laundry can be distracting and husbands (ok, most of them) have very little understanding of what we really do. It's not just typing, nor is it something you can get rich doing (40,000+ the first year? Yeah, right!) But it is very rewarding. Sometimes when I submit my invoice and look at the total, I am amazed that I get paid this much for something I love doing. I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying it on their own, but be very prepared to work hard, take a few knocks, and get back up when you fall. It can be done. Good luck!
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#4493 - 07/23/01 08:01 AM
Re: No education
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lib527
Member
Registered: 09/05/00
Posts: 4373
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I think one of the hardest things about this job is trying to explain it to the "envious wannabes" that someone mentioned earlier. For example, if you are getting paid by the line, speed is a must to make money. If you take 3 hours to transcribe 50 lines of dictation, you are not making good money. If you do not have any formal training and/or education, you will spend a lot of time trying to figure out what is being said or looking up terminology, drug names, etc. Therefore, you will not be making good money per hour (which is what most people understand pay wise). I have been transcribing for 3 years now for specialty doctors and just took a new account doing internal medicine and find that even with my experience, I am constantly stopping to look up things I have long since forgotten in doing specialty work. I feel frustrated, somewhat ignorant, and like I am wasting valuable time. Yesterday I spent 5 hours on a file that should have taken only 2 hours and basically made close to nothing per hour. Yes, I was close to tears and questioning my sanity in taking the account. I am one of those people who did not have formal education, partly because they did not offer it back then. I was hired into an office while in high school doing filing and they trained me for transcription paying me only minimum wage. They were Korean doctors and I had a tough way to go with it. The only thing that saved me was having the patients' files right there to look through. Also, I had above-average grammar and spelling skills, which, as mentioned above, is an absolute necessity in this job. I feel that I am extremely lucky to have the accounts that I have since I don't have a formal MT education. I would also never even attempt to take a hospital job because I know I couldn't make it with my background, and that is where most of the jobs are these days. Just a little more for you to chew on. Take Annie's advice and take advantage of any training you can afford. It will be worth the money in the long run. Good luck in whatever you decide!
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#4494 - 07/23/01 10:37 PM
Re: No education
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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Thank you all for your replies. They have helped me so much. Now I have information on both sides. This is GREAT! I appologize for not thanking everyone earlier, but "someone" reminded me.......
Thank you again.
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Moderator: Annie
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