MT Chat: Answer this one for me......

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#99485 - 06/04/08 06:58 PM Answer this one for me......
Kenzleacah Kenzleacah New Member Registered: 06/03/08 Posts: 14 Loc: Fayetteville, Georgia	Hi Everyone! I feel like I know you all so well after reading ALL of those posts. And yes, I have read them ALL. I came here in search of answers and boy did I find them. I wasn't at all sure that MT was the right career for me. After reading everything here, I am pretty close to a decision. There is only one thing holding me back and I hope that I will find some clarification. Forgive me if this has been asked before. I have read about the many, many, many people who made the wrong school choice and I don't plan on being one of them. I have chosen Andrews (yay Me!). My concern is that I will start the course and not be able to finish it. I did take the pre-enrollment test and scored a 95% but I am still feeling a little scared. I have heard that the course is challenging and I hope it doesn't turn out to be too overwhelming for me. Basically, my question is this: How many people actually start the Andrews program and for whatever reason are not able to make it to the end? I am just afraid that I have the one set of ears that can't be "trained" to hear and once I get into the transcription part of the course I will realize that I am doomed and must forfeit the $3800 and hide my "face" (and ears!) in shame. Am I alone in my feelings? _________________________ Information is pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience.
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#99487 - 06/04/08 08:20 PM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: Kenzleacah]
tropsicleAfter tropsicleAfter Member Registered: 10/30/06 Posts: 2431 Loc: Vicksburg, MS	I don't know if this is a question Linda will answer in public, but I'm betting she would if you called her. I have alwasy thought that a little bit of self-doubt when entering an new endeavor is a LOT better than too much self-confidence. Ultimately, there is only one way to find the answer to your question - you have to go for it. $\:\)$ _________________________ *tropsicle*
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#99488 - 06/04/08 09:25 PM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: Kenzleacah]
AmyBeth AmyBeth New Member Registered: 08/14/07 Posts: 16 Loc: Lancaster, PA	Ask yourself this. How badly do you want to become an MT? Are you the kind of person that tends to get discouraged and gives up easily? I think determination, persistence, and a commitment to learning have as much to do with finishing the course as anything else. Attitude and desire go a long way. Yes, the course is very challenging. It is dense, and it is intense. A lot will be expected of you as an Andrews student, but that is why Andrews consistently turns out first rate MTs.
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#99489 - 06/04/08 09:25 PM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: tropsicleAfter]
ArmyWifeMT ArmyWifeMT Junior Member Registered: 01/21/08 Posts: 29 Loc: Wherever The Army Sends Us	As a current Andrews student I can tell you we all doubt ourselves at one point or another. We all have our meltdowns where we think we are never going to be a real MT. We all get that assessment back that we put our all into and didn't get the grade we thought we would. There is no sure thing in life. I can tell you that I have 4 children and my husband is in the army. I got off to a very rocky start at Andrew's (my own fault!I took procrastination to a whole new level!) but now I am moving right along and producing work I am proud of. With my husband in Iraq until recently and 4 very young children at home I am doing the work that needs to be done. I am not moving at lightning pace but I am getting it done. What I am saying is that if I can do it I know you can too. Of course I haven't graduated yet but I am 100% confident I will. The transcription part of the course is almost immediate. I can tell you that the school is full of VERY supportive people. I had a MAJOR meltdown today because I let someone else's negativity get to me. A graduate of the school took a lot of time with me today and talked me through this. That is how many of the graduates and other students are. I would also like to add that I know my instructor cares about me and wants me to succeed. I strongly believe that if I were not to graduate it would not be due to a lack of the instructors trying everything to help me. Good luck to you! Now I best get back to the questions that brought me here and then on to my home work! Edited by ArmyWifeMT (06/04/08 09:32 PM) _________________________ ~Sarah~ Army wife, mom to four kids and a snake, MT student.
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#99504 - 06/05/08 02:41 AM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: Kenzleacah]
meri meri Member Registered: 09/08/01 Posts: 8813 Loc: Murrieta, California	Oh, heck - I can tell just by reading your post that you will be just fine and will probably even excel in the course. Your grammar is great and so are your researching skills, because look at how you went about finding Andrews and making sure it was a good choice for your course. And, you are one of the few who actually followed the instructions here before posting! You're halfway there already! Good luck to you! Meri
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#99505 - 06/05/08 06:16 AM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: meri]
HoosierFemme HoosierFemme Member Registered: 09/28/05 Posts: 1132 Loc: Parisian suburbs, France	I agree with Trops that you should contact Linda. If MT isn't for you, she doesn't want you to waste your money any more than you do. However, you should be able to determine early into the course if it's something you're cut out for or not. I mean, there is a fine line between giving up too soon because of setbacks or discouragement and realizing it's just not for you and getting out while you can still get most of your money back. I have a friend (we are both taking the M-TEC course) who started at the same time I did in December 2006. She had a lot of setbacks and is only now on session 8 of 18; I just started session 18. However, she knows she has the skills for this and is determined to finish, even though it will mean paying for extensions to do so. If you do a search on the site, you'll find lots of information about what it takes to make an excellent MT. If those criteria don't apply to you (i.e., a love of language and superior research skills are 2 musts), then that might give you an idea of whether or not to proceed with the course. Again, contact Linda; she can tell you better than any of us what your options are. She's heard it all and can guide you to what is best for you. _________________________ The French motto is "Liberté, Egalité, and Get Out of My Way." English author Stephen Clarke
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#99512 - 06/05/08 09:37 AM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: HoosierFemme]
Kenzleacah Kenzleacah New Member Registered: 06/03/08 Posts: 14 Loc: Fayetteville, Georgia	Thank you so much! You have all been very reassuring and helpful. I am so addicted to reading this whole website. I have to admit that, in the beginning (meaning 2 weeks ago), I was one of the people who thought that MTs just typed what they heard in the headphones. I had no idea what it was really all about. I am actually kind of relieved because I pictured the job as being pretty boring and I am now finding out that it will be challenging and much more engaging than I once imagined. I will call Linda and talk it over with her as soon as I get a chance. Like ArmyWife, I have 4 kids and it can get pretty busy around here. I have spent at least 4 hours or more a day (mostly consecutive) for the past week reading all of these posts, trying to give myself an idea of what studying and working will be like. I also read a great post by RedPen(?) that said to type out some of the sample reports for 4 hours, making sure they are 100% correct. That is my next step. I have read over most of them and I find them to be fascinating. It's not surprising because I once intended to be an orthopedic surgeon. I ended up having kids instead and my whole outlook on cutting people open changed! I really appreciate everyone's response and now I will let you all get back to work! _________________________ Information is pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience.
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#99514 - 06/05/08 10:05 AM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: Kenzleacah]
haggis haggis Member Registered: 04/29/04 Posts: 2638 Loc: Left Coast, FL	Originally Posted By: Kenzleacah I have spent at least 4 hours or more a day (mostly consecutive) for the past week reading all of these posts, trying to give myself an idea of what studying and working will be like. I always thought that was a crucial bit of advice for new students. If you don't approach your education in the same way you're going to have to deal with the job, you're going to crumble at the end when someone expects you to be glued to your chair for an 8-hour shift. Much easier when you've built up the stamina before you get to that point!
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#99517 - 06/05/08 11:23 AM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: haggis]
Kenzleacah Kenzleacah New Member Registered: 06/03/08 Posts: 14 Loc: Fayetteville, Georgia	Originally Posted By: haggis Originally Posted By: Kenzleacah I have spent at least 4 hours or more a day (mostly consecutive) for the past week reading all of these posts, trying to give myself an idea of what studying and working will be like. I always thought that was a crucial bit of advice for new students. If you don't approach your education in the same way you're going to have to deal with the job, you're going to crumble at the end when someone expects you to be glued to your chair for an 8-hour shift. Much easier when you've built up the stamina before you get to that point! That's what I thought too. Before I read RedPen's post about the sample reports, I had no idea that they existed. So I thought a good course of action would be to spend the amount of time researching that I would studying (or working), just to see how I felt after that much time spent on the computer. So far, so good! I am so thankful that I found this site and all of the seasoned advice that comes with it! You guys are great! _________________________ Information is pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience.
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#99708 - 06/08/08 05:20 AM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: Kenzleacah]
Redpen Redpen Member Registered: 12/31/69 Posts: 932 Loc: Virtual Oklahoma!	You seem to be on the right track. Research is a good thing! MT is actually quite a bit more difficult than it seems. It can be boring if you're doing only one type of work, like a doctor's office, but we prepare students to work for national services, as well, so the work is more challenging. Adding to that is the constant challenge to be productive, because either the job or your income depends on it. There is also the need to learn continually. We give you a foundation which enables you to get a job and work successfully at it, and that includes both the recognition that you will need to learn constantly and the understanding of how to do that. It's impossible to learn all that you need to know to do this work, so you'll have something to keep you busy! Yes, do contact Linda. She's approachable and won't try to "sell" you on the course. She will be happy to talk to you about your interests and concerns. _________________________ Redpen (The Andrews School)
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#99803 - 06/09/08 11:13 AM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: Redpen]
Kenzleacah Kenzleacah New Member Registered: 06/03/08 Posts: 14 Loc: Fayetteville, Georgia	Thank you Redpen..... If I do decide to go forward (which is likely), it will definitely be with Andrews. I need a little more time to save the money and while I do that, I will continue with the research and give Linda a call. I am sold on the school, but still deciding on the career itself and whether or not I have what it takes. Within the next couple of weeks I will be meeting with an Andrews graduate who lives in my area. This will help tremendously to clear up some of my concerns. And then, hopefully, I will be enrolled at Andrews in no time! _________________________ Information is pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience.
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#99815 - 06/09/08 12:36 PM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: Kenzleacah]
MaureenH MaureenH Junior Member Registered: 01/18/05 Posts: 64 Loc: Chicago Metro Area	Originally Posted By: Kenzleacah I am sold on the school, but still deciding on the career itself and whether or not I have what it takes. Something to keep in mind as you contemplate whether MT is the right fit for you is that one of the major parts of being a good MT, meaning one that is fast, accurate, and thorough, is your critical thinking skills. The ear can be "trained." That is not the difficult part. The difficult part is knowing what to do with what your ear has heard. You have to understand context, and you have to have common sense, and you have to do a tremendous amount of critical thinking on the fly. Good research skills are huge. Knowing WHEN to research is key and then knowing WHAT to do with what you've found. These are the intangibles that are difficult to quantify. Someone who will be successful at MT is naturally inquisitive and analytical but not to the point of distraction. Knowing you need to find information is the start. Knowing what to do with the information is critical. Successful MTs understand what is going on in the report. Not just the body systems and diseases, but understanding how diseases and procedures affect the body. Just as a surgeon often visualizes an operation before he performs it, we visualize it after he is finished and describes it to us. That ability to visualize or imagine what his hands were doing as he dictates his report really is necessary. Getting all the information from your ears to your hands is a complex process. MT is sometimes like a puzzle. We have to know what pieces are needed, maybe what pieces are missing, but eventually we have to put the puzzle together with what we are given AND make sure it makes sense. If any of this sounds attractive the you, or dare I say, exciting, then MT is probably a good fit. _________________________ MaureenH, RMT It is not more vacation we need--it is more vocation. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
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#99825 - 06/09/08 01:51 PM Re: Answer this one for me...... [Re: MaureenH]
Kenzleacah Kenzleacah New Member Registered: 06/03/08 Posts: 14 Loc: Fayetteville, Georgia	Originally Posted By: MaureenH If any of this sounds attractive the you, or dare I say, exciting, then MT is probably a good fit. Absolutely exciting! Your description makes me feel a lot better about my "untrained and/or untrainable" ears. In the context that you describe, I should be fine. I don't have any problems with things like information retention, thinking "on the fly", understanding and following surgical procedures, etc. I have "book smarts" and common sense. I love puzzles, brain teasers, logic problems, etc. You may have just given me that "push" that I needed. Thank You! Marisa $\:\)$ _________________________ Information is pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience.
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