Working: The Dream/The Grind W - Career Step · STEPPING UP NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 3 Ergonomic Topic The Last One F or over a year Stepping Up has featured information and useful

Volume 13 | Issue 6 | November/December 2010

In This Issue

Way back when you were looking for a job you could

do from home (something more flex-ible than Wal-mart that didn’t in-volve hawking deep-fried potato strips from a drive-up window), the idea of medical transcription was verrrry appealing. With the enthu-siasm fueled by these desires, you enrolled, attacked the program and worked through it. You had some bumps and bruises along the way but you made it through! Next you faced the job search, tested for some com-panies, followed up, and landed your first job. Yay! The adjustment was intense, but you learned the ropes of your company well, and after the first few weeks you began to settle into the rhythm of the workplace. You loved the job! Each report was new and exciting and really, really inter-esting. You challenged yourself to increase your line count each week, like a game, and you saw yourself getting better and more adept. You were collecting that experience and it was great. You loved the fact that you didn’t have to pull on professional garb (nylons—ick!) for the office dress code or brave op-pressive summer heat and horizontal sleet to get to work. You loved that you could be there when the kids hit the house after school and that you could manage your time more personally than your old boss at the mall would

Working: The Dream/The Grinddown in your chair for one last go at it—and that darn elusive word fi-nally falls into your ear? Maybe you know what I’m talking about. This happens often enough that we rec-ommend this technique to nervous final exam takers. What’s happen-ing here illustrates how fatigue can slow you down and actually keep you from doing a good job. The urge to always produce, produce, produce, work, work, work can be compel-ling, but when you feel yourself lag-ging, remember the concept of the break—long or short. After

Credentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Ergonomic Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Getting The Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Stepping Up Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Student Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Forum Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Stepping Up Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Notable Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Graduate Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Work Smarter Not Harder . . . . . . . . 10

Dear Susan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Speech Wreck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

allow. It was all working out pretty nicely. You were living the dream, right?

Now, however, the novelty has worn off. You feel secure and satisfied with your position and your skill on your ac-counts—and that’s nice—and your line count is beautiful. You’re happy with your paycheck—and that’s really nice—but you sometimes feel a little bored, a little like you’d rather be doing something else instead…just sometimes. It feels like a grind. Ugh.

It’s a fact of human nature that no matter how much you love an activity, at some point you won’t feel like doing it; it will become tedious. Someone once said, “Anything fun you must do turns into a job in 6 months,” clearly juxtaposing the idea of fun with work. Well, dang it! It’s too bad life seems to come down to that so often, but okay, fine. Now that it’s out in the open, what can we do about it?

Remember to take a break. Everyone gets some vacation days; it’s important to actually take them. A break can rejuve-

nate you, recharge your batteries, sharpen the saw. A long weekend away from work can be so refreshing you actual-ly find yourself looking forward to your chair and computer terminal. Even the short breaks

can be life savers. How many times have you found yourself struggling with a word or term, you throw up your hands in frustration and go grab a Coke, sulk for a few minutes, sigh heavily, then plop back

"It’s a fact of human nature that no matter how much you love an activity, at some point you won’t feel like doing it; it will become te-dious.”

Continued on pg. 6

2 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 STEPPING UP

How Would You Like Your Pi?Remember pi from math class?

It was that funny looking symbol; my teacher called it a “top hat.” In order to complete the math mate-rial, you just had to know the first few digits: 3.14. There were always those “overachievers,” though; you know who I’m talking about—the small group of kids who spent the next month memorizing the end-less digits after 3.14. You might have snickered at them, or you might have been one of them.

The field of medical transcrip-tion can be likened to pi. Many MTs only ever learn the first few digits—they successfully graduate

from a reputable MT course, they secure a job, and they start bringing home a paycheck, but that’s where it ends for them. Then there are those who apply themselves further, continually learning those endless digits—increasing productivity, in-corporating technological advances, exploring different specialties and work types, pursuing further edu-cation and credentials, striving for a position in quality assurance, and so on.

This issue of Stepping Up takes a look at the first few digits you need to know in order to enter the field of medical transcription, namely,

getting and keeping a job, as well as some of the digits that follow, such as challenging yourself once you’re comfortable in your new MT position and exploring cre-dentialing options that can help take you further in this evolving field.

As the year comes to a close, sit back and enjoy the last issue of our pi(e)-themed series and decide: How would you like your pi—plain: 3.14, or à la mode: 3.141592653589793…?

Credentials, Credentials, CredentialsAttaining and Maintaining Your Medical Transcription Credentials

I would like to take this opportu-nity to address a common ques-

tion among our student body: Does my Career Step certificate make me a CMT? No. While your Certificate of Graduation from Career Step is an outstanding achievement, it does not provide you with certification as rec-ognized in the professional medical transcription field. As you enter the field, you will likely see the abbrevi-ated credentials RMT (Registered Medical Transcriptionist) and CMT (Certified Medical Transcriptionist) frequently. These two credentials refer to individuals who have volun-tarily and successfully taken the cor-responding AHDI (Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity) certification exam. The purpose of these exams is “to ensure that medi-cal transcriptionists meet professional standards of excellence.” The follow-ing information will hopefully pique your interest in pursuing the appro-priate credential. However, this infor-mation is only designed to give you a

cialties, along with experience tran-scribing for a variety of dictator types (ESL, mumblers, speed talkers, etc). Even though Career Step’s medical transcription and editor programs ex-pose students to an impressive array of transcription reports, you should not consider either of these courses as part of your 2 years’ experience.

Career Step offers both an RMT and a CMT prep course. In the past, students of the RMT prep course have come together to participate in the Credentialing Cup and were able to encourage and support each other along the way. Additionally, some transcription companies organize study groups for their employees and contractors, and also encourage par-ticipation in the Credentialing Cup. Other helpful study resources include the corresponding review guide,3 The Language of Medicine, The Book of

3 The RMT Review Guide or The CMT Review Guide

brief overview; for an in-depth look at requirements and expectations, please visit www.ahdionline.org .1

Attaining Your CredentialThe Registered Medical Transcrip-

tionist exam is based on Professional Level 1 MT.2 In short, this means that if you are a recent graduate, an MT with less than 2 years of acute care experience, or an MT whose experi-ence is in the clinic or single-specialty setting then this is the credential you should consider.

The Certified Medical Transcrip-tionist exam is based on Professional Level 2 MT. In contrast to RMT exam candidates, this means that you should have at least 2 years of experience in the acute care setting or equivalent, such as experience with multiple spe-1 AHDI policies and procedures are subject to change.2 One of three distinct professional levels for MTs outlined by Hay Management Consultants. For a complete description of all three levels, please read Medical Transcriptionist Job Descrip-tions at www.ahdionline.org. Continued on pg. 5

STEPPING UP NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 3

Ergonomic TopicThe Last One

For over a year Stepping Up has featured information and useful

tips about ergonomics; however, as we bring 2010 to a close, we’ve decided to retire this feature to make room for new ideas. As I was mulling over the options for this last Ergonomic Topic, I reviewed past columns to see what we haven’t discussed yet. It was a good review, and it occurred to me that we’ve covered a lot of ground, and nothing stood out as a glaring ergonomic omission, but perhaps it would be nice to have the main points all in one place. This last hurrah of the Ergonomic Topic, then, is just that.

One last time: Ergonomics is the science of designing the job, equip-ment, and workplace to fit the worker in an effort to boost productivity and efficiency while reducing fatigue, in-jury, and pain.

Eyestrain *Position your computer moni-

tor at least 20 inches away from your eyes—24-28 inches is even better—with the center about 4-6 inches be-low eye level.

*Adjust the backlight so it is com-fortable to you. Get rid of screen glare by closing window blinds, repo-sitioning light fixtures, or using anti-glare screen covers.

*Give your eyes periodic breaks by observing the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes spend 20 seconds looking at something at least 20 feet away.

*Make sure your light sources don’t fight with the angle of your monitor light. Indirect lighting is best.

*Of course, if you suspect vision problems, it’s always a good idea to go to a professional to have your vision checked.

Your Chair *Make sure your chair allows your

feet to sit flat on the floor, with your

thighs at about 90 degrees. This helps maintain adequate blood flow and ve-nous return to your feet and ankles.

*Don’t perch and don’t slouch. A properly adjusted chair allows you to sit comfortably with your fanny in the chair seat, with your lower back in contact with the chair back to main-tain the natural lordotic curve of your back.

*Armrests should allow your el-bows to bend at about 90 degrees, so your lower arms are parallel to the floor, allowing your forearms and hands to naturally sit on the desk in front of you.

Your Keyboard and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

*Every movement causes stress; too much stress results in injury. Al-ternate activities and rest are needed so stressed muscles, ligaments, and tendons can heal.

*The cause of CTS, and any other repetitive stress injury, is perform-ing the same motions too many times without enough rest and variation.

*Typing position involves twist-ing, ulnar deviation and wrist exten-sion, all of which narrow and compress the carpal tunnel. When the fingers perform typing motions, compressed tendons irritate adjacent structures, causing inflammation, which further reduces the available space. This re-sults in numbness, cold hands, and pain—all symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

*The best thing to do for CTS is rest to allow healing. This is not al-ways feasible.

*Ergonomic keyboards are de-signed to reduce twisting, ulnar devia-tion and wrist extension, so the action of typing is less damaging and CTS can be alleviated or avoided. There are many ergonomic keyboards avail-able. It is a good idea to explore this option to ensure your career in a key-boarding-intensive career.

Give Yourself a Break! *Although production is neces-

sary, it’s important to allow yourself the needed rest breaks to maintain top working form. Regular breaks are mandated in the workplace. When you’re working at home you need to allow yourself the same consider-ation.

*Stretch periodically to remind tight muscles of their proper length and to revitalize blood flow.

*Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy fitness level. Healthy, strong muscles and organs perform their work better, serve their purposes bet-ter, and keep you happier.

Laptop Ergonomics *Laptops, while convenient and

cute, are not ergonomically friendly. If you use a laptop seriously, for work purposes, it’s important to pay atten-tion to any warning signs of repeti-tive stress syndrome, and if you no-tice these signs, take steps to alter the way you work with your laptop.

*Use plug-in peripherals, like a mouse and a full sized keyboard.

*As you use the peripherals, place the laptop on a desk or table so the screen is sitting at an appropriate dis-tance and height.

Medical Editing Pros and Cons *Expansion tools have been used in

medical transcription for many years. Medical editors also use specialized software to increase production while eliminating keystrokes.

*In the Career Step program, the MModal software is used to practice medical editing techniques used in the workplace. This software utilizes many shortcuts designed to accom-plish anything an editor wants to do when navigating a document, making corrections, and creating formatting—all of them much less labor-intensive than traditional word processing.

Continued on pg. 5

4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 STEPPING UP

Better Than Landing that First MT Job Cake

Ingredients1 (18 1/4 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix1 1/3 cups water (or as directed in cake directions) 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or as directed in cake directions) 3 eggs (or as directed in cake directions) 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (8 -12 ounce) jar caramel topping 8 ounces whipped topping 2 Heath candy bars, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Greaseandlightlyflour13”x9”cakepan.3. Mix cake as directed on package. 4. Bake the cake about 35 minutes or until it tests done. 5. As soon as it comes out of the oven, poke holes all over it with a fork and pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the cake, followed by caramel sauce 6. Refrigerate overnight. 7. Shortly before serving, spread whipped topping over cake and sprinkle with crushed Heath bars (or bits). 8. Enjoy.

Getting the Job...and keeping it!

Once upon a time there was a motivated woman looking for

a new career path. After doing some research she decided to enroll in an online medical transcription train-ing program from Career Step. It was difficult--much more than she expect-ed. There were nights she wanted to bang her head against something hard in frustration, but friends on the stu-dent forums empathized, explaining these feelings were normal. After a 10-month roller coaster ride, she took the final exam. Two weeks later she received an email letting her know she passed the exam with high honors. Hooray! The woman rejoiced at know-ing her diligence and hard work paid off. The end.

Wait a second...the end? That’s it? What happened after she graduated?

Did she have a hard time finding a po-sition? How did she conduct her job search? Does Career Step help provide graduate support? Did she like work-ing as an MT? Well, I’m here to tell you, if she purchased graduate ser-vices with her enrollment package, she’s in store for a plethora of tools and services to help her find a position and keep it—just as you are!

The day after you are notified that you passed the exam, Graduate Ser-vices will contact you to let you know all of the resources available to you so that you can get started right away.

Graduation ConsultationsGraduation Consultations are con-

ducted twice a week and cover invalu-able information regarding resumes, interviewing, employment testing,

and other helpful resources. These consultations also give you a chance to meet your employment coordina-tors, to hear their voices, and to get to know them a little bit better. Gradu-ates have access to the employment coordinators for up to one year from their graduation date.

Resume ReviewMany graduates have never worked

in the health care industry before and don’t know what’s expected on their resume. Through graduate services, you have a chance to have your resume individually reviewed. Career Step’s employment coordinators will read through your resume and provide feedback on what you should revise to bring it up to industry standards. You can send your resume in as many

Continued on pg. 8

STEPPING UP NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 5

Style for Medical Transcription, and The Book of Style Workbook. There is an extensive list of suggested material in Appendix C of the RMT and CMT candidate guides available from AHDI’s website.

To apply to sit for either exam, you need to submit an RMT/CMT Exam Application to AHDI. Testing is hosted at Prometric testing centers around the world. Please visit www.prometric.com/ahdi to find the testing center nearest to you. You will need to pay a registration fee. Be prepared to spend approximately 4-1/2 hours at the testing center. When sitting for the exam, you will be provided with the necessary computer equipment, including a headset and WAV player. It is important to note that both the RMT exam and the CMT exam are closed book. Absolutely no resources or electronic devices will be allowed in the testing area, including but not limited to a spell checker, word ex-pander, medical dictionary, and foot pedal. Therefore, thorough prepara-tion is the key!

Both exams consist of two parts. The first part is multiple-choice and covers medical language, anatomy and physiology, disease processes, English language, and the healthcare record. The second part is comprised of tran-scription, editing, and proofreading. One of the main differences between the two exams is that the RMT exam focuses on just a few specialties and basic general surgery while the CMT exam runs the gamut.

Maintaining Your CredentialOnce you have your well-earned

credential, you’ll need to invest ad-ditional effort to maintain it. If the

above information made the two dif-ferent exams sound alike in some ways then this is where the similarities end, with the exception of two things: Your certification will be valid for 3 years. You will need to pay a renewal fee.

In order to maintain your RMT credential, you will need to success-fully complete the RMT Recreden-tialing Course developed by AHDI. However, you may want to consider sitting for the CMT exam instead of renewing your RMT credential if you have acquired the suggested experi-ence.

Maintaining your CMT credential involves a bit more planning. Cur-rently, CMTs are required to obtain 30 CECs (continuing education cred-its) prior to their credential lapsing. CECs are categorized under Core Areas and Optional Areas. At least 24 CECs must be accrued from Core Areas as follows: Clinical Medicine (8), Medical Transcription Tools (4), Technology and the Workplace (6), Medicolegal Issues (6). The remain-ing 6 CECs may be gained from the already-mentioned Core Areas and/or from Complementary Medicine and/or Professional Development, which are Optional Areas.

CECs may be earned by participat-ing in continuing education activities that are relevant to the medical tran-scription industry. Examples include presentations, lectures, workshops, seminars, symposiums, and courses. Even some article quizzes and sum-maries have AHDI’s stamp of ap-proval for receiving CECs. Many activities are pre-approved for CECs while others may be considered for

approval by submitting a CE Ap-proval Request Form. Any activities submitted for approval must serve the purpose of building on—not reiter-ating—the level 2 knowledge a CMT must already possess. This represents a recent change in the recredentialing requirements.

There has been expressed concern from CMTs and those considering pur-suing their CMT that this change—level 1 content activities no longer qualifying for CECs—greatly limits the options for creditworthy activities. Rest assured this is not the case. The AHDI Credentialing Resource Guide, available in pdf format from AHDI’s website, has a very extensive list of pre-approved resources and sources that far outweighs their very short list of activities that no longer qualify.

Some MTs argue that attaining and maintaining the RMT or CMT cre-dential is of little or no benefit. How-ever, many transcription companies provide registered and certified medi-cal transcriptionists with recognition of their achievements by providing full reimbursement of all related fees, a monetary bonus, and/or even a pay increase. It is noteworthy that a select few transcription companies will only hire RMTs and CMTs for their tran-scription needs. Beyond the individual company perks that RMTs and CMTs enjoy, being able to add one of these credentials to your resume may make a significant difference when seeking employment testing opportunities. Surely these benefits make attaining and maintaining your RMT or CMT credential worthwhile!

- Heather GarrettCS Skills Assessment Team

Continued from pg. 2 - Credentials

*Using the editing tools is a great way to put the finest aspects of tech-nology to work for us while keeping the human element alive and well.

Please keep this information in mind as you design your workspace

and spend much of your time there. Pay attention to any discomfort or pain. Don’t ignore it or try to pow-er through it or cover it up. Change something about your working envi-ronment instead. Sometimes it’s just a matter of a half-inch adjustment that makes the difference between a long,

happy career and, well…an unfortu-nate alternative.

Here’s to happy, healthy working!

- Jill McNittCS Student Support Team

Continued from pg. 3 - Ergo Topic

6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 STEPPING UP

Student SpotlightNatalie Holden

My name is Natalie Holden. You may know me on the

forums as Oz_Adian, a name I chose to reflect my resident status-- Canadian by birth, Australian by choice. My parents are both teachers, and we first moved Down Under in 2003 on a teacher exchange and subsequently immigrated in 2006. I moved back to Canada after a year, though, because of my boyfriend, to whom I am now married.

We don’t have any children yet, but our desire for a large family has led to making a couple of big decisions, the first of which was our decision to move back to Australia so our kids can grow up with their grandparents, as it’s clear my parents are here for good. Unfortunately, though, we didn’t ap-ply for my husband, Jeff ’s, visa in time for him to join me. (I needed to return to Australia by a certain time). We were hoping that he’d be able to join me within three months at the most, but it’s been four so far, with no end in sight.

In the meantime, I’m living with my wonderful parents and younger brother again, working 15-20 hours a week and devoting the rest of my time

to Career Step. I guess one good thing that’s come from being away from my husband for so long is that it’s leaving me with a lot of free time to devote to school! If no major incidents inter-fere with my plans, I should be ready to take the final in mid-December of this year.

The second big decision we made in preparation of becoming parents was enrolling me in Career Step, and I’m so glad I did! I’ve wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and home school my kids for as long as I can remember, but with the state of the economy and the lack of job security, we aren’t so sure we can rely on just one income. In November I began to look for a job I could do from home and that’s when I came across Career Step.

Before November I had never even heard of medical transcription, and I wasn’t in a position to enroll at the time anyway, so I spent the next sev-eral months researching the industry and different schools and was very ex-cited with what I found. I have always been interested in the medical profes-sion. I love to keep my mind occupied by constantly learning and I love words, so this really is the ideal field

for me! I just hope my listening ear develops by the time I graduate!

While it does have its challenges, I absolutely love the course. I like to be able to learn at my own pace and not have to move on when I’m told I ought to be ready. Yes, sometimes it’s hard to sit down and do schoolwork when I’m not accountable to anyone but myself, but I feel that’s where the forums come in (and I confess I might be hooked on the forums a little more than is good for my studies). The fo-rums can offer accountability via other students, friendship, encouragement, and lots of answers. I see the forums as the social aspect you’d normally get in school.

I talk about Career Step and what I’m learning so often at home that my mom is even considering enrolling when I graduate! Who knows, down the road my husband might even be interested in taking the course, and then we can both work from home to-gether. With his family still in Cana-da and mine in Australia, it would be pretty cool to be able to spend large amounts of time in both countries and keep working.

- Natalie Holden

Continued from pg. 1 - The Dream...

you return, all fluffy and refreshed (and the Coke helps, too), it’s nice to find you still enjoy your job!

Sometimes, however, a real break isn’t really feasible due to schedul-ing or financial reasons. What can you do then? They say variety is the spice of life; they say a change is as good as a break. These are clichés, but they’re based on golden nuggets of truth (as are most clichés). If you find yourself getting sick of listening to a never-ending litany of ear infec-tions, ingrown toenails, and swollen tonsils, perhaps you should contact your account manager and explore

the possibility of having some vari-ety thrown your way. Maybe switch-ing from general clinic note fare to a rockin’ cool specialty could add the el-ement of challenge and pizzazz you’ve been missing. Who knows? Maybe you’ll just LOVE the intricacies of eyeball surgery on an ophthalmology account! Learning is exhilarating, and knowing more is only a big plus sign for you, the medical transcription-ist. There’s always something new to learn. That’s one of the coolest things about this job.

Perhaps you’re not this far along, as you read this. Perhaps you still have that wonderful zealous gleam in

your eye. Awesome! Keep it up and just tuck this away for later. Pull it out one day when you’re questioning your choice to listen to Dr. Drone McBor-ing for a living. Maybe it will help or maybe it will just elicit a tiny little laugh. Whatever happens, though, remember you’re still there when the kids hit the door after school, all sog-gy and cold because of the downpour outside, while you’re warm and toasty and dry—and home. And that’s still living the dream.

- Jill McNittCS Student Support Team

STEPPING UP NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 7

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum

Job Search Concerns and SuccessesPerhaps for this issue’s trip to the forum we should have left out “funny” because, really, the concerns students and graduates

have about finding employment don’t make for a very good punch line. Just the same, these posts are valuable and encouraging and certainly worth sharing! If you’re feeling alone in the job hunt, feeling the economic crunch, or feeling as though your

efforts are going by the wayside, read on!

Hello, I have not graduated yet and I am thinking about taking the editor course… I am very worried again that I won’t find a job when I get through . Any insight?

Every person that I have known (several) that has finished thecourse through Career Step has gone on to have a successful career. I do not know of one single person who did not get a job.

Interestingly, about the only

people that I know who have gotten jobs over the past 2 years ARE medical transcriptionists. The job situation out there is terrible . I feel lucky to have this skill, and you will too . This forum is proof enough to me that this is a very legit profession and that there are jobs out there. They’re not always easy to find, but can you name a job that is easy to find these days? Try and stay positive . Keep your eye on the prize . I will never regret taking this course, and I love my job.

I just wanted to mention that a lot of people think it is easy to do this course and get a job. There are jobs out there, but it is hard work. You have to make it your“job”tofindajobandworkon it as such. A job just doesn’t fall into people’s laps, for the most part.

It’s hard to get a job right now in pretty much any field, especially for people without experience . So don’t get overly frustrated with the MT profession as a whole . It’s not

like nobody is hiring, it’s just slow. I got very lucky getting hired a couple weeks after graduation… With a little luck and a lot of hard work, you can find something! Just keep following up with companies you have applied with periodically, keep searching for new ones, and keep your chin up!

Meanwhile, on another forum thread...

I am SO thrilled to announce that I have been hired! This is proof positive that hard work, attention to detail, and being thorough WILL net a Career Step graduate with an awesome 1st job!!! Ya gotta work at every angle and check every detail of your training, but I firmlybelieve that any investment you make in your new career will be rewarded. Whatever you want in this industry can be yours. Onward and Upward! And don’t forget you are NOT alone!

Hey, congratulations! All those little steps paid off, didn’t they? I’m almost to my 1-year mark working now . Hard to believe it’s been so long!

Just keep at the hunt, stay proactive, and I know my forum buddies must have gotten sick of meendlessly“fixing”myresumeand cover letter, but I never sent more than 4 letters/resumes out without finding a company thatinspired me to tweak my marketing tools in order to express what they were saying... After a few

weeks of applying and rewriting, I finallyhadallthebasescoveredfrom my point of view. That gave me the confidence to testwelland to be comfortable during the interviews. In a way, I think the resume and letter are at least as important for the applicant as the employer, because if you cannot convince yourself of your own qualifications,then you’ll probably under-represent yourself to prospective employers. Also, by clearly and objectively expressing yourself, you end up defining exactly thejob you are looking for and you will then be able to recognize those companies that might be arightfitforyouandhelpyounavigatejustasconfidentlyawayfrom those that wouldn’t be a goodfit.Goodluck!

THANK YOU for this thread . It’s nice to know that all my hard work and dedication will one day pay off . I’ve been so frustrated lately and have been getting very few replies to my MANY applications . I know I’ll get something one of these days, but darn it’s frustrating in the meantime . It’s nice to know it’s not near impossible .

I’d say the best way to get into a company is any way you know how. My advice: Stay positive, focus on the task at hand, and be true to yourself. Do whatever you have to do in order to achieve those 3 things.

-Heather GarrettCS Student Support Team

8 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 STEPPING UP

times as you wish until you and your reviewer feel it’s ready to send to employers.

Placement DirectThis resource was built by em-

ployment coordinators at Career Step and includes valuable tools to help you, as a recent graduate. There are several tutorials offering tips on pre-paring a quality application, interview techniques, and effective employment exam strategies. Additionally, there are forms to help track your applica-tion history, to report employment, and to suggest possible companies for hiring opportunities. One of the best features of this tool is a comprehen-sive employer directory showcasing companies that have hired Career Step graduates in the past. There are over 200 companies included in this direc-tory with extensive company informa-tion detailing how to apply, what kind of training they offer, if they’re hir-ing new graduates, scheduling flex-ibility, computer requirements, pay-ment method and more. With this directory, graduates can search by certain preferences—such as wanting to work only part-time as an indepen-dent contractor—thus allowing for a more effective job search.

ForumsThe Medical Transcription Grad-

uates forum buzzes daily with new opportunities, comments from work-ing graduates about their positions, tips for how to apply, and helpful re-sources. Industry guests, including

recruiters, are also invited to network on this forum, as well as participate in moderated chats. You can also check the Logged Chat forum to read past discussions with industry guests.

It feels great to obtain a new posi-tion, but how do you keep that posi-tion and strive to remain valuable to your employer? Here are a few tips for keeping your new job.

Staying Power It takes a lot of resources—time,

money, and manpower—to train a new employee. When a company in-vests these resources, they want to know you are willing to stick with them. Don’t hop from job to job. Of course, every situation is different, and if you have a bad experience with one company you may seek to change. It’s simply unprofessional, however, to constantly switch between companies in an effort to get the best pay rate, the best benefits, the best treatment, etc. A lot of “the best” is based on person-al perception, and if you’re constantly looking for the best without looking for the positive in what you have, you may never be satisfied.

Get InvolvedShow interest in the industry. At-

tend conferences and symposiums. Join your local AHDI chapter. Pur-chase a subscription to a health in-dustry magazine like For the Record or Plexus. Don’t hesitate to volunteer and be involved. The more you learn, the more you will enjoy being in the industry.

Continuing EducationConsider taking the RMT or CMT

exam. See if your company compen-sates for obtaining either of these credentials. Also inquire if they of-fer raises or promotions for obtaining these credentials. Career Step offers preparatory courses for both of these exams. Constantly try to improve your skills and never forget there’s al-ways more to learn. Jim Collins wrote an article published in the Harvard Business Review in 2001 discussing leadership. In this article, Collins mentioned that a quality shared by top leaders was their determination to “never rest on their laurels”; they were constantly seeking to improve them-selves and their company. One leader quoted in the article stated, “I never stopped trying to become qualified for the job.”

Preparing to get a job can be te-dious, especially when you’re anxious to begin seeing your hard work pay off. Don’t start your job hunt unpre-pared. Career Step is here to guide you through this process, just like we guided you through the course cur-riculum. There are three qualities that help graduates find success. Those qualities are persistence, patience and positivity. Carrying these qualities with you to your new job will also help you become valuable to your new em-ployer. Receiving the results of your final exam is not the end. It is only the beginning.

- Chelsea PyleCS Graduate Support Team

Continued from pg. 4 - Getting the job

Stepping Up Challenge2010 Pie Recipe Word Scramble

Ct eeno keo kppc cpannhi iht dun ______________________________netrah ftba ocitsin ldrt hekag an tet jmtb __________________________hgettleapr eio ___________________hclrrcga arpeate eromiacck oah _________________________________eupo etld nani snm otrht asb __________________________________peabywsrra ryrrrbatt tsre ______________________________

STEPPING UP NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 9

Graduate In The SpotlightRichard Letaw

I was born in the Deep South, moved to Silicon Valley when I

was 7 and lived there until I entered the military. I briefly returned to Cali-fornia and then moved to New Or-leans. I have been in the Atlanta area for over 30 years. I am divorced, after having been married for 25 years, and have 3 children.

I feel that much of my life and experience has directly prepared me for being an MT. I am curious, detail-oriented, and competitive. My eclectic career in sales, food service, entertain-ment, and as a business owner, among others, has served to develop my ear and has exposed me to a wide variety of ethnicities and accents.

I am a musician and audio engineer. I earned the equivalent of a BA in Slavic Languages and served as an in-telligence editor in Munich, Germany. Along the way I acquired a smattering of Latin and Greek and the ability to survive in several European and Slavic languages. I drove a taxi and operated a limousine service for several years, honing my ability to communicate un-

der less-than-optimum conditions.In addition, my ex-wife was a med-

ical technologist. Through our rela-tionship and friendships with other professionals, I was exposed to medi-cal terminology.

In 1996 I was hired by Transquick, a transcription company serving hos-pital emergency rooms, who trained me in the basics of transcription. I worked in-house for nearly 3 years and became highly productive. I left the field for personal reasons in 1999.

I decided to return to MT in late 2008, only to discover that my expe-rience was considered too dated. My research led me to Career Step for re-training. I enrolled in June of 2009 and studied 7 to 8 hours a day until finishing with high honors in Febru-ary of 2010. I tested with and was ac-cepted by my first and second choic-es of employers within two weeks of graduating. My first choice was Webmedx, where I am today.

The value of my Career Step train-ing took a bit to be made apparent. I

was initially hired to do emergency department transcription based on my experience and did quite well. Within six months I was producing 200 lines per hour in straight transcription and 300 in speech recognition. Then we lost an account with three busy ERs.

My new primary account is a clinic group. Much of the subject matter is new to me, and my line rate dropped considerably at first. However, be-cause of the wide range of special-ties to which we are exposed during the Career Step practicum, I am able to approach it with confidence. After a little over two months on the new account, my editing rate has risen to about 90% of what it was previously. Although my work is about 80% SR, I continue to add to my expander and my knowledge of medical language in general.

I am grateful to Career Step for the comprehensive background they pro-vide and for the community of which I continue to be a part.

- Richard Letaw

Notable NotesNew Student Support Team Member

Adrian Williams, Coding and Billing Student Support

My name is Adrian Williams, and I am the newest member of the Career Step Coding and Billing student support team. I bring 12 years of coding experience to Career Step. Most recently I was responsible for ICD-10 preparation and had the opportunity to speak at coding conferences nationwide.

I am originally from Idaho, and I honestly grew up amongst the potato fields. I graduated from Boise State University and passed the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification exam. From there I worked several years as an outpatient and inpatient coder at a 300-bed hospital. I gained some very valuable experience, which included coding oncology, cardiology, maternity, emergency, and outpatient surgery records. I then jumped at an opportunity to serve as the HIM Director at a small rural hospital in Utah and did this for a couple of years. Subsequent to that position I moved to Salt Lake City to work for a software company where I provided medical coding advice and software support.

My wife and I will celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary in November, and we have 3 children. I am a sports

enthusiast and love to run, cycle, and play basketball. I am about to run the Ragnar Relay in Las Vegas, so wish me luck!

10 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 STEPPING UP

Work Smarter not HarderTransition Smoothly

I started out at Career Step as an enrollment advisor and made

the switch to Student Support a few months ago. As part of my new duties, I have the privilege of communicating with many of our fine graduates on a daily basis. I love to get phone calls and emails from them sharing with us the happy news that they have secured employment. At these moments, I feel like I have come full circle from speak-ing with potential students that have a dream of being able to work from home to hearing from the graduates who have fulfilled that dream.

Sometimes the period of time between new graduate to employed medical transcriptionist can be frus-trating and discouraging. I would like to offer 3 suggestions to help make this transition go more smoothly.

Number 1: Use your RESOURC-ES. We have so many students try to find a job on their own and then

end up coming back to us weeks or months later asking where to start in their employment search. If you are a platinum graduate, take advantage of the graduate consultation, resume review, and personal contact with our graduate specialists. It can help you save a lot of time and, consequently, frustration! Both gold and platinum graduates have great resources in Placement Direct and the Career Step forum for job leads and other helpful advice and information.

Number 2: Practice, practice, practice! Continually refining your SKILLS, whether before or after grad-uation, is mandatory. Spend time ev-ery day transcribing. Achieving hon-ors or high honors on the final exam will help significantly in securing em-ployment. Even if you have already graduated, we encourage students to retake the final exam for practice and in preparation for pre-employment tests.

Number 3: If you are discouraged and frustrated, don’t dwell on it. AT-TITUDE is everything! Just keep go-ing with your job search and do what needs to be done. This is especially true when you are participating in job interviews. Be confident and ready to talk about your productivity, computer requirements, and why you love being an MT. Get to the point but DO NOT get pushy. The last thing you want is for a potential employer to get the impression that you would be a high-maintenance employee.

When the time comes for your employment search, remember to use your resources, refine your skills and have a good attitude. These three recommendations can help make this task much easier and more enjoyable. I look forward to the time when you too will be able to report back your successful employment!

-Christy DuffinCS Student Support Team

Dear Susan...Dear Susan,

Help! There’s no way I’m going to be able to be a successful MT! I’m still having problems hearing the dictation and my accuracy is not where it should be. What tips and suggestions can you give me? I’m still in clinic notes and have so much left to do.

Signed, Discouraged

Dear Discouraged,

Aren’t you glad no one is going to expect you to jump into the workplace today? The good news

is that you’re not expected to act like a professional MT right now—you’re a student, and you simply aren’t prepared yet!

One of the reasons you have so many reports to work through in your training is because repetition is the best teacher. Hang in there, learn as much as you can from each report, and when it comes time for you to test for employers and enter the workplace, you will be ready! You’ll feel much the same way you do today on the first week or two of your job,

but you’ll continue to make process and continue to learn every day,

every month, and every year!

You’re learning, and that’s okay. Remember to give yourself permission to learn from each report, and by the time you’ve

completed the program you’ll be prepared for the final exam and the workplace.

- Susan Tuckett, CMTCS Student Support Team

STEPPING UP NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 11

Speech WProbably one of the biggest frustrations for medical transcriptionists is medications . Dictators mumble them,

speed through them, mispronounce them, and incorrectly spell them . Consequently, MTs have to speed the dictation up, slow the dictation down, scan medication references, perform fuzzy searches, and all but stand on their heads to figure out what the patient is being prescribed. Speech recognition engines, of course, don’t get concerned with it—they just type whatever nonsense phonetically fits best. There might be some less-than-desirable medications out there, but I think when reading the speech rec blunders below, you’ll agree with me when I say, “Just don’t prescribe me that!”

Note: “SR:” refers to what the speech recognition program interpreted the dictation to be. “D:” refers to what the doctor actually dictated.

SR: One bowel per eye daily . Grossness aside, a whole bowel? Really? I don’t think it will fit…D: One vial per eye daily .

SR: Medications: Revisit to hand . I did not realize my hand was residing anywhere except at the end of my arm. I hope it’s in Florida. I would really like to visit Florida.D: Medications: Rizatriptan .

SR: Diffuse urine cream . There ain’t NO WAY I’m puttin’ THAT on my skin! Hey, I know—YOU try some!D: The use of Eucerin cream .

SR: Medications: 1 . Enteric coated baby . 2 . Aspirin 81 mg daily . Have we really had to resort to cannibalism in this economy? Has it really come down to this??D: Medications: Enteric-coated baby aspirin 81 mg daily .

SR: She is old and wide . Well I just might be, but that doesn’t mean you have to point it out!D: Acetazolamide .

SR: Cell phone suppositories . Let’s not comment on this one; I think the visual is enough.D: Salofalk suppositories .

SR: I would recommend think-hormones . My husband should be the one getting this prescription! I think just fine, thank you!D: I would recommend she stay off hormones .

SR: Progesterone for the fracture . And here I thought it was only good for hormone replacement therapy. You learn something new every day!D: Progesterone or Effexor .

SR: He presented Bactrim in order to rule out any Zofran . This is quite an intriguing process of elimination.D: Prezista, Bacrtim, Norvir, Truvada, Ambien, Zofran .

SR: Medications: Her abdomen . More of that cannibalism stuff going on!D: Medications: Yasmin . SR: Medications: Her abdomen .

reck

Continued on pg. 12

Stepping Up is published bimonthly by Career Step for its students, graduates, and client partners .

This newsletter is produced for electronic viewing and print . The electronic version is available to all current students and graduates at no cost . Print subscriptions are $25 for a one year and $40 for a two year subscription .

Career Step Quality Medical Transcription Training

4692 North 300 West, Suite 150Provo, UT 84604

Phone: 800-246-7837 or888-657-5752

Fax: 801-491-6645Email: SteppingUp@careerstep .com

Website: www .careerstep .com

Jill McNitt, Editor-in-ChiefChelsea Pyle, Associate EditorHeather Garrett, Associate EditorAlesa Little, Layout Editor

12 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 STEPPING UP

Continued from pg. 11 - Speech Wreck

SR: Discharged on Premarin, Xanax, and I think Bactrim, Tiazac . You think? You THINK!? Isn’t this something you should KNOW?? Maybe you should be taking some of that think-hormone medication!D: Discharged on Premarin, Xanax, Isentress, Bactrim, Tiazac .

SR: Medications: By fornix 720 twice a day . . Is this a new-fangled type of drug administration route? Did Dr. House come up with this one?D: Medications: Myfortic 720 twice a day .

SR: Patient’s modified on a chilly routine now. Winter’s on its way!D: Patient is on a modified Ponticelli routine now.

SR: Basically beer p .r .n . On second thought, you could prescribe me that…D: Acyclovir p .r .n .