I know I'd like to do medical transcription, and I know that school for it, especially the good schools, is expensive. Do y'all know of any ways besides a large downpayment and large monthly payments to finance school?

Hope y'all have some suggestions.

Some schools have payment plans that are very reasonable. I use Andrews as an example (because it is a really good school and an easy example). If you put $1000 down and pay your monthly payments (of about $116--haven't checked the website lately), you will be making payments for two years, but you should be done with your schooling in about a year (if you really get at it). That means you will be ready for employment a year before your schooling is paid off.

Again, using Andrews as an example, $3800 is really not expensive when you consider that you are getting fully trained for a new career. My schooling costs about $3000 many years ago, and it was not nearly as good as Andrews (limited options--no Internet).

Now, having said that, while I was in school I was making about $350 a month as a nanny and just barely scraping by. I don't want to make it sound like $1000 is pocket change, because it is not to any of us. It took me two years to get through my schooling, and I was going second shift and was a nanny for first and third shift for the majority of that time. It was not pleasant to say the least, but it was a means to an end.

Just remember that the final goal is to be employable as an MT. It can be difficult to get your first job, but the better your education is the more doors are going to open. Keep reading the threads, check the archives and check out "New To MT Chat/Desk?" (up above) for more good information.

Welcome!

Check out websites of all the schools you may have heard of on various message boards - Virtual Learning Center, PCDI, AHP, M-Tec, Andrews, etc., and make comparisons. Go to the AAMT web site (www.aamt.org)and see what information is available there. Compare each and decide which one is going to give you the most for your money.

Above all, don't cheat yourself.

Good Luck

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that stick out as being "reputable" schools

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Why the quotation marks? Facts are facts - and fact is - M-Tec and Andrews ARE reputable schools. No need for the quotes, IMO.

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just wondering what is so great about only these two schools?

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The majority of those students get hired either just before finishing their studies or right after.

[ 12-16-2002: Message edited by: Deborah ]

[ 12-16-2002: Message edited by: princessann ]

M-TEC has the Sallie Mae loans. A lot of their students have applied for those, and you can get them for more than just the school, in case you need money to set up with a computer, office supplies, etc.

Judy Ann

[ 12-17-2002: Message edited by: oldwoman ]

Chalk my comments up to many years in this profession and my many years as an active member of the online (and offline) MT community.

M-Tec and Andrews are highly regarded for good reason. Anyone interested in understanding why I'm able to say that with absolute conviction need only browse through the New MT forums and the numerous discussions on this issue.

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M-Tec and Andrews are highly regarded for good reason. Anyone interested in understanding why I'm able to say that with absolute conviction need only browse through the New MT forums and the numerous discussions on this issue.

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Annie, can you teach me the secret handshake? I feel like such an outsider.

See, that's my problem. I'm already paying on a student loan from when I got my Bachelors degree, and I can't afford another payment like that making what I'm making now working full time.

Anybody else out there have any other suggestions?

PS - Okay, we aren't "secretaries" but our work does fall under some kind of category as far as clerical/secretarial to some extent.

Good Luck and lets us know if you've come up with something,
Chris

I don't know if this will apply to MT school or not, but I know that when I went back to Grad School, I was able to defer my undergrad student loan payments while I was in school... Then when I finished school, the loans were able to be consolidated into just one loan payment that was actually less expensive than the previous payment because it was spread out over a longer period of time. Just a thought...good luck!
Anne