What are my employment prospects?
The students who are serious about their education and study hard are the students who get jobs before other students. The students who are not serious about their education and try to graduate quickly are the students who are struggling to get a job. The reason for this is that almost all potential employers will screen students before hiring them. If you can’t pass your entry-level tests with proficiency and accuracy, you simply won’t be hired.
How are MTs paid and how much?
Income for a medical transcriptionist can vary by geographic area, skill level, place of employment, and method of compensation. Transcriptionists working in large metropolitan areas generally earn more than those in smaller cities. Transcriptionists who are paid by production often earn more than those who are paid by the hour. Some facilities have incentive pay plans in which transcriptionists are paid a bonus on top of the minimum production level and base salary for that facility. Generally speaking, entry-level transcriptionists can expect to earn at least double the hourly minimum wage in the largest cities, perhaps less in other areas. Experienced transcriptionists and those who pay for production often earn much more.
Medical transcriptionists can be paid in any of a variety of ways, but they are predominantly hourly, production typed, or by a combination of hourly pay and production incentives.
What percentages of jobs are home based?
Statistics show a 60% ratio at home to a 40% ratio at the office. For exact numbers, visit your local library and look in the most up-to-date Occupational Handbook guides. By looking at this ratio, you could say that if you are only willing to accept positions at home, your chances of employment will drop by 40%. It is recommended to accept any job where you can gain valuable knowledge and experience necessary to be successful in this industry. Once you have the experience, you can be more selective in what type of company or work environment you will feel most comfortable and successful with.
How do I get CMT certification and status?
Some MT courses claim to prepare you for the CMT exam, but now that the AAMT has made the exam much more difficult, there are currently no courses that will adequately prepare you to take the CMT exam upon course completion. Once you finish even some of the best courses available, the CMT exam is designed for about 2 years of experience as an active medical transcriptionist in order to pass.
The AAMT is now administering a new test that combines Part I and Part II. Part I was originally designed to test a recent graduate, but Part II was designed to test after an MT had about 1-2 years of experience. Since the exam will no longer be separate, any credible courses available would be enough to pass Part I, but Part II will require a couple of years of experience to pass. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to getting a CMT certification.
Can I work outside of the US?
What do I do if I live outside of the US and want to work for a US company? Most employers require you to only have an internet connection to function as a transcriptionist for them. VISA regulations and international labor regulations are the responsibility of the employer and the employee. Some courses offer a post-graduation job placement service to give you the best chance of getting a job as a medical transcriptionist.
How do I get started as a medical transcriptionist?
Choose a credible and proven medical transcription school/course
What to look for in a school/course:
*Company incorporation and good standing with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
*Select a self-paced course or school, unless you personally perform better in a regimented classroom setting.
*Make sure the course covers a wide range of medical specialties.
*Structured (university-based) courses take time and will not take into account your sense of job urgency. Self-paced online courses usually do.
*Free customer service and email correspondence support.
*Courses that may qualify for continuing education reimbursement
*Graduate employment services and resume blasting services.
*In other words… SUPPORT, SUPPORT, SUPPORT!
You owe it to yourself to check out Future MT’s complete TM course curriculum, services and support. They have more than competitive prices and offer postgraduate services that others do not. If you really want to become a successful medical transcriptionist, we encourage you to visit Future MT for more information.
You can download a full version of this guide at: http://www.futuremt.com/FAQ/FreeHowtoBecomeanMTGuide/tabid/90/Default.aspx
(copy and paste the above URL into a browser to download the guide now)
Future Medical Transcriptist Inc. – http://www.futuremt.com