Posted: April 21st, 2005

The VLC talks with working grads

VLC: Where do you work as a medical transcriptionist and how long have you been there?
Cindy: I work in Solon, Iowa.

VLC: Do you work at home or in an office?
Cindy: I work out of my home 5 to 7 days a week. Files I receive on Friday are due on Monday so, depending on what I have going on, I can spread them out over Friday and the weekend.

VLC: What did you do before becoming an MT?
Cindy: Before becoming an MT, I had been a stay-at-home mom raising my daughter. Before that, I worked in an office as a sales coordinator in a manufacturing plant.

VLC: Why did you decide to become an MT?
Cindy: I had been looking for employment I could do from my home for quite some time and stumbled on this through an Internet search, and decided it was something that I would enjoy doing.

VLC: Which of VLC medical transcription courses did you take?
Cindy: I enrolled in the complete course, Professional Edition. {Now called Advanced.)

VLC: How long did it take you to complete it?
Cindy: It took me approximately 9 months to complete the course.

VLC: Who was your instructor?
Cindy: My instructor was Carol Nusca.

VLC: What did you enjoy most about the course?
Cindy: I really enjoyed being able to work on the course at any time of the day when I felt like it, and to be able to go at my own pace.

VLC: Do you find the practice tapes are helping you in a real-work situation?
Cindy: All the practice tapes were invaluable to me in my real work situation and have saved hours of looking up words, making my production faster.

VLC: How did you go about applying for jobs?
Cindy: I sent out resumes over the Internet to places listed through VCL, and from leads from other students. I also was looking for jobs locally in my area at numerous hospitals and clinics.

VLC: How long did it take you to find a job?
Cindy: It was about 6 months before I actually found a job, but I was not quite ready to go back to work so I really did not pursue employment as hard as I could have, and was a little more particular about where I worked.

VLC: Are you paid by the line or by the hour?
Cindy: I am paid by the line.

VLC: Do you have any advice for anyone thinking of training to be an MT?
Cindy: If you are serious about your job and are willing to take the time at it, this can be a very rewarding career. I am so glad I chose the Professional version of the course because the materials and tools I acquired through the class have been invaluable. I love my job now and even though I work a lot of hours, they are my hours to choose - and the money I save in gas and clothes is great.