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#78937 - 08/17/07 10:16 AM
Question
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JTallant67
Member
Registered: 09/22/04
Posts: 261
Loc: Oklahoma
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Hello all!
I have a quick question about the Tier I Basic Program at M-TEC. It says that it is 'strongly suggested' to supplement the dictation. I have a friend that is looking into this program (at my suggestion, so I feel a bit responsible here!) and I was wondering if I loaned her my Stedman's books that I've bought in order to start studying for my CMT, if that would be good enough as a "supplement." They include dictation and samples, also some editing exercises, stuff of that nature. It's part of the Skillbuilding series.
I just want to help her make the decision that fits her budget, without compromising any education or chance at a job! Thanks so much, JT
_________________________
Pinky: Um... I think so, Brain, but what if the chicken won't wear the nylons?
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#78969 - 08/17/07 10:11 PM
Re: Question
[Re: JTallant67]
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LTR
Junior Member
Registered: 10/19/06
Posts: 93
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In my opinion it would not be nearly enough. The basic program is for people who already have a job lined up with someone who is willing to mentor them through everything they don't learn in school. It is not meant for someone who wants to be able to work on their own, either at home or on site. She would be qualified for very little, in my opinion, at the end of the basic session, unless she has someone to do all of the one-on-one training that would be required. The Stedman books wouldn't come close to covering all that she would miss. Maybe others think it could be possible, but take it with a grain of salt. Just my opinion.
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#78974 - 08/18/07 04:17 AM
Re: Question
[Re: LTR]
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HoosierFemme
Member
Registered: 09/28/05
Posts: 1132
Loc: Parisian suburbs, France
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I'm a current M-TEC student (Premier), and I wanted to add to what LTR said. Yes, the Basic program is an introduction to MT. The biggest differences are that there is nearly twice the amount of dictation in Premier (555 hours versus 1155 hours) and 23 specialties versus 18. Premier teaches hospital and advanced transcription, including surgery (ortho, GI, GU, cardiology, ENT/plastic, OB/GYN), radiology, and pathology. Several Stedman's word books come with the Premier progam, and you get job assistance too. As LTR said, with Basic, you need to have a mentor and would not be qualified to work immediately from home (particularly since you would not have that hospital and surgery education).
There is financial assistance available, and your friend could always start out with Basic and later upgrade to Premier. I got started in MT in the late 1990s with mentoring from my mother in family practice and ortho MT. I later got an in-house cardiology position and there received further mentoring. I moved to France and did not work for 3 years until late 2005. Since then I've been subcontracting for a small MTSO and transcribe mainly ortho and cardiology. I realized that if I ever moved back to the States, my marketability would be very limited, plus I wanted to get a complete education, so in January I enrolled in the Premier program. It's expensive, but it is worth every penny and I have no doubt whatsoever that it will prepare me for any working situation and will open many doors for me that I would not even be able to approach had I not taken a course or had I even taken just the Basic course.
A lot depends on what your friend's goals are. If she is content to work onsite, or maybe even for a small MTSO that may hire her, and do pretty much clinic notes, the Basic program could suffice. She would need to build up her own medical library from scratch.
Hope that helps. Best wishes to your friend. Maybe I'll "see her in the halls," as we like to say on the M-TEC forum. 
_________________________
The French motto is "Liberté, Egalité, and Get Out of My Way." English author Stephen Clarke
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#78976 - 08/18/07 09:50 AM
Re: Question
[Re: HoosierFemme]
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JTallant67
Member
Registered: 09/22/04
Posts: 261
Loc: Oklahoma
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Thank you both for your insight! It is much appreciated. She does work on-site at a hospital already (MR department) and has been a medical biller for a couple of years at that same hospital. So some stuff is not new, but as you all know some is going to be very, very new. Thankfully she is doing a lot research on her own and asking a ton of questions about everything, which I think is a good sign!
I will let her know what you said, but I think she may read it anyway since I sent her links to all the 'newbie' stickies.
_________________________
Pinky: Um... I think so, Brain, but what if the chicken won't wear the nylons?
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