The VLC talks with working grads
VLC graduate Cherish German
VLC: Where do you work as a medical transcriptionist and how long have you been there?
Cherish: Medigrafix in Omaha, Nebraska. I have been with them for a month now. I also type for a local doctor. I have been working for her for 2-1/2 years.
VLC: Do you work at home or in an office?
Cherish: I work from home. I usually work about five hours a day, Mon-Fri.
VLC: What did you do before becoming an MT?
Cherish: was a receptionist at a local doctor's office.
VLC: Why did you decide to become an MT?
Cherish: I wanted to be able to work from home so that I could be here with my children.
VLC: How long did it take you to complete your course?
Cherish: I believe it took me about a year to complete.
VLC: What did you enjoy most about it?
Cherish: I enjoyed the actual transcription.
VLC: Do you find the practice dictation is helping you in a real-work situation?
Cherish: The practice dictation helps out a lot.
VLC: How did you go about applying for jobs?
Cherish: I just did a search on the Internet for companies and e-mailed my resume and cover letter. I sent out a lot of resumes.
VLC: How long did it take you to find a job?
Cherish: I really started seriously looking in June and I had two job offers by the end of July.
VLC: Are you paid by the line or by the hour?
Cherish: I am paid by the line.
VLC: Do you have any advice for anyone thinking of training to be an MT?
Cherish: This is a great job if you are looking to be able to stay at home and still make money. I would advise anyone who does take the course to do as much of the practice dictation as possible, and save those reports. They will come in handy.
VLC: Do you have any advice on beneficial resources for new MTs?
Cherish: The resources that I use the most are my books. I use the AAMT book of style quite a bit along with my drug book, medical dictionary, and an abbreviations book. The Internet is also very helpful. I look a lot of things up on Google if I can't find them in any of my books.
