system.AndrewsSchool.com

I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I've been a Certified Athletic Trainer since 1995. I work in an outpatient Physical Therapy clinic and outreach to a local school for event coverage. I also teach Pilates. I lift weights 6 days a week at 5am. Love exercising and spending time with my family. We just got an RV recently and I am learning how to camp. :)

Been with The Andrews School since the beginning of June.

I have 3 children. Victor (6), Evelyn (4), and Charlie (Charlotte 22 mos). I am excited to begin my new career so I can be at home with my kids!

Hi! My husband and I just moved to Hanford, CA. My husband just started a new position at the local hospital here. He mentioned to me that the hospital is short on good coders and decided to go for it...I've thought about coding in the past, but never pursued it seriously. I have no real experience, but I do have an idea what coding is about. My goal is to let Andrews take me as far as I can with them and take the certifications that I qualify for when I finish. Ultimate goal is to be employable!

I enjoy being with my family...especially my 2 wonderful grandchildren. I love to read and crochet. I have a menagerie of pets that I adore...furballs and all!

My books arrived this afternoon and I will begin Module 1 starting Monday! I can't wait to begin!

Debbie S

I live in Liberty Township, Ohio, near Cincinnati, where I was born and raised.  Our kids, Eric (20) and Nicole (18) are in college, and I am still adjusting to a quiet house. 

I have been an MT for 22 years.  I enrolled in the coding program in August.  I'm in section 6 (circulatory).  I found V codes rather frustrating and am happy to have that exam behind me.

Nice to meet everyone!

I am so glad to see some of you posting!  Hopefully, others will join us soon. 

My husband and I live in Georgia. I am from here and he is orginally from New York. Next month will be our 10 year wedding anniversary!!

I joined the Andrews School because my husband's friend's wife has been a Medical Transcriptionist for 10 years.  She recommended the school because two of her close friends graduated from the Andrews School and enjoyed the course very much. Now they are both professional Medical Transcriptionists and love the work they do.

My husband and I enjoy hockey. We were both huge fans of the Atlanta Thrashers. Now we are huge fans of the Winnipeg Jets since that is where the Thrashers moved. GO JETS!! 

My husband fences and I try to do as many benefit 5K walks as I can. I really enjoy them! You are able to see different city's scenic views and the money raised is for amazing causes!

I live in San Diego, about halfway between Downtown and the Border.  I have been an MT for 12 years and started Andrews for coding in January, in module IV right now.  I have been loving it so far, really enjoyed the CV section, all the procedures were so fascinating.  I do pediatric MT, so I don't see adult CV at all.  This did surprise me, but I am going with it.  My favorite specialty is probably Ortho.

I now have 6 indoor cats and some strays I look after, so I guess I'm a crazy cat lady.  I had to have one put to sleep last week, 17 years old and her heart gave out.  I miss her so much. 

I am looking forward to my new career and all the challenges that come with it.  Never too old for new experiences.

Hello, I live in Tennessee. I am in Module 1 in Coding.  I work in an office in the A/P department. I was looking for a change in careers. I find the medical field interesting. I am married and have four cats. I enjoy reading and sports, especially football.

What a great idea. :)

Hello. I live in Wichita, Kansas by way of Great Falls, Montana, by way of Izmir, Turkey, and before that San Antonio, Texas. I'm an Air Force brat married to a former Air Force career man and I have been an MT since 2001. 

My hobbies are reading, and tennis, but don't do much pleasure reading right now because I'm taking the coding course, which I started April 30, and I'm now in Module 2, and enjoying it immensely.  I also wish I had done this years ago. 

I am 56 years old. I lift weight lift at the base gym 4 days a week. We live an eat clean lifestlye (no processed food, white flour, sugar, etc - if it doesn't rot we don't eat it) and I stay extemely focused on sticking to my exercise and eating clean regimen which has helped immensely with staying focused while studying.  

My hubby is from New Haven, CT and I'm from Dayton, Ohio.  We have 4 wonderful children and 6 grandchildren.  Two boys (38 and 31) and 2 girls (27 and 25). My boys are both married with kids. Our eldest daughter is a neuroscience grad student at Wesleyan College doing stem cell research on mice. My "baby" is finishing up her dual art history and Spanish major degree here in Wichita. 

We have 2 dogs from the same litter (half Austrailian shepherd and half border collie).  They require a lot of exercise and we walk them 3 to 4 days a week, 3 miles each day, as long as it's not too hot for them.  We also have 2 cats, a Maine Coon male, and an orange tabby male who acts like a Maine Coon. :D And 2 fish, a plecostomus that's about 7 inches long now and an African Ciclid who has killed all our other fish (pet store error - was told NOT an African ciclid), so they're in a split tank.

And one other thing we're doing is remodeling our house to sell it, so we can move somewhere in the northeast, preferrably somewhere where federal pensions aren't taxed. We're currently putting flooring down in our living room and dining room. Sigh. 

Carmen

I am so enjoying reading all of your stories!  Great to see so many coding students participating, but where are all the transcription students hiding?  

Hi! Debbie from eastern TN, by way of southeastern TN, originally from the great state of MO!!!

I am an MT student near the end of Module III.

I live with my patient and multi-talented husband, Larry, our sons Jacob (33) & Jeff (23), as well as 3 dogs (Rex, Zeus, & Macy) & 3 cats (Kiddo, Yella Fella, & Baby).

We enjoy fishing, playing cards, and visiting with our friends, but for now we are spending most of our time (me) on MT studies & (us) remodeling, also getting ready to sell. Maybe we need a "the woes joys of remodeling" thread. lol

It's great to learn about everyone and see how much we have in common.

We need an Andrews School mascot so that I can end this with "Goooooooooooooo ..."!

Maybe the Andrews Owls (they are supposed to be brainy), the Andrews Elephants (for their legendary memories), or the Andrews Camels (because we "soak" up so much knowledge). Just a thought and some ideas. ;-p

Hi all!  I love this new system :)  I'm 25 miles south of Ft. Worth, TX. Born and raised in New Orleans, came to Texas right after high school (Dad was transferred), and I've been here, in several different places, ever since.

I'm an MT student, close to the end of Module 4.  Ortho is my favorite because I'm an x-ray tech.  I worked as a tech for 16 years, and then worked another 14 for the Texas Health Department. as a radiation inspector. 

I live with my 5 cats and until recently 3, now 2, dogs.  I lost my beloved red bloodhound, Sally this summer to chronic kidney failure after managing it for 3-1/2 years.  I'm on 15 acres and the neighbors have 80 so there's a lot of room for everyone.

I enjoy running and working out at my gym, spending time with friends, and reading, although about the only reading I've done lately is coursework and research for school!

It looks like the coding part of the system's in place.  I'm looking forward to the completion of the MT side!

I am an old MT learning coding and loving it.  It is a very soothing act for me to look up in the Alpha and take my code to the Tabular.  And it works!  Amazing.  Well so far anyway.  I work a 40-hour week as an MT at home for a hospital.  I am one of the lucky ones paid by the hour.  I also am the QA,specialist so I get a break from the typing. Free time:   I am an artist. I draw, design cards, and write poety and write and illustrate children's books.  I also write stories and build sets for puppet shows.  I actually do all the recording and blend in some music make a CD of the script so that we dont have to do the voice each time.  It takes about 3 of us to put on a show.  I also love to read.  My favorite specialty is oncology.  I am on the committee that plans our Relay for Life each year and so I am involved with that almost year-round.  I recently went on the Paleo diet - 2  and a half months now.  I have lost weight and have the clear mind and energy to study after a 10-hour work day. I would recommend the Paleo solution to anybody.  My family can talk your ear off about it.  

I wish all of you good luck in your courses.  I am so glad I picked this school.  Man, they are tough, eh?  But dontcha love it?   

It is nice to "meet" you all.

I am a part-time MT who just started the coding program yesterday.  I have 3 children ages 14, 12, and 7 and a 1-eyed cat.  I really enjoy MT, but now that my children are all in school, I am feeling ready to learn a new skill set. 

I am a Paleo gal too!  I discovered Mark's Daily Apple about a year ago.  That led me to read the Primal Blueprint and the Paleo solution, and I listen to all of Robb Wolf's podcasts.  Lana, I am glad to hear that you have had such success with it too.  It is funny how you just want to shout it from the rooftops isn't it?

Good Morning everyone! I am from Billings, MT, by way of Sturgis, SD. I am a mother of 3 wonderful children, Jesse (20), Jayden (14), & Kylee (7). I am also a gramma to a special little guy Ryder (1). My husband is a BNSF Railroad Electrician and my work experience comes from law enforcement and Domestic Violence Advocacy. I have a paralegal/legal assistant degree but am anxious to move on to medical transcription.

I was inspired to come to Andrew's by my cousin Wendy, who went through this program almost 10 years ago. She has been working in the field, at home, since then and absolutely loves it. I am at a point in my life where the convenience of working at home and around my children's schedules are of importance to me.

I enjoy getting involved in community organizations and charity groups. My biggest committment is the Relay for Life. I have been the Luminaria chair on the committee for 5 years now. It is a lot of work but so fun and very much worth my time. Raising awareness and funds to find a cure for cancer is something that is very near and dear to my heart.

Lana, my husband and I have been using the Paleo cookbooks as well! We have a couple that we swear by. The meals are amazing.

It is nice to meet you all and wish everyone the best of luck with your studies!   :)

Hi, I live in southwestern Oregon about 30 miles inland. I am a transplant from southern Ca., via the Sacramento valley area. I have 2 grown kids, 2 granddaughters and another grandchild on the way. Keep your fingers crossed for a boy.

We have 96 acres here and raise sheep in addition to owning a small tire business so in my free time I like to just sit outside and enjoy the sunshine when we have some (today is overcast again) and garden when I can.

Hi! We certainly do seem to have quite a few people with the name Debbie/Debby at Andrews! I am a CMT who has finally made the decision to take the coding course after more than 25 years as an MT. I live in the Boston area with my husband, two cats and a dog. I enjoying working in our vegetable and flower gardens in the summer. In the winter, I suppose I just wish for summer/fall/spring, basically any other season than winter! :)

My favorite specialty as an MT is definitely Hematology/Oncology. I am currently in Module I and I must say, although I was SO nervous about enrolling at Andrews, I'm enjoying studying even more than I thought I would. Life is good!

Hi!

My name is Terry, and I live in the northwestern corner of Louisiana, with my husband, 3 dogs, 9 cats, a small parrot and two tanks of fish. We have a son out of the Navy and working his way through college, getting ready to enter nursing school in the spring.

I'm an artist by training but was working as a designer of sprinkler/fire alarm systems for a local company.  When I was laid off a couple of years ago, I went into pet portraiture full time.  While that is growing slowly, I still need to be able to pay bills and feed the critters. My sister went throught transciptionist course a few years ago, and she suggested I try coding, so here I am.  And I LOVE it.  I love learning new things and it's been a great experience.

When I'm not studying, I'm painting.  When I'm not painting, I'm knitting (socks are addictive) or puttering in my garden.  When I'm not doing any of the above, I'm either reading or playing online games (EQ2 is my longtime game of choice) And of course all the house stuff and critter care that is a part of everyday life around here. 

I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the instructional tunnel and am really looking forward to getting out there and putting all these new skills to the test.

Hello everyone! 

I live in Chicago, Illinois, originally from Oklahoma City. I am an MT student and I just finished my final exam for Module III. My favorite specialty is orthopedics and I enjoyed the surgical dictations very much.

I am married, have 1 son who will graduate from college in June 2013. I love cats and have 1, named Missy. When I am not working on my coursework I am pursuing job opportunities, since being laid off 2 years ago.

I also enjoy painting, crossword puzzles, reading and cooking. I love trying new recipes on my husband - he's the perfect guinea pig!

Hello All,

It's great to see everyone posting! I love reading about my fellow classmates.  I am in Norman, Oklahoma.  I have been an MT since 2005 and am currently in Module IV coding.  I enjoy it most of the time, but have really found it difficult to stay on top of things because of juggling family life and work life.  I have two children, boys, Logan age 10.5 and Dalton 20 months.  I have been married for almost 12 years and I love Oklahoma State Football, music and traveling and movies and karaoke, although I haven't done the latter in years! I am looking forward to graduating from the program and tackling the certification exams and embarking on a new chapter in my life.  I wish everyone well with your lessons! :)

Paulette

Hello all!

I'm 26, male, and live in Florida with my girlfriend of 5 years (as well as with our pet rabbit Lou).

I used to work as an esthetician when I was younger, and became interested in medical transcription when I started researching into other careers. My mother is a nurse so reading some of the medical books that she had got me interested in the healthcare field as well.

I just signed up for this class today and am looking forward to it alot. Am starting module 1 tomorrow (after familiarizing myself with the layout of the website here first today).

My interests/hobbies include (just to mention a few): Collecting and playing all types of board/card/video games, collecting (and trying) hot sauces (love spicy food in general!), reading books on metaphysics and also dark sci-fi, looking at art, playing drums, playing tennis, going on nature trails, meditation, watching movies (particularly horror and scifi), skincare,makeup, and writing short stories. 

  I too wish everyone well and I'm glad to be on board. 

Hello Ava!  Welcome to Andrews!  

My name is Kayla, and I am married with a daughter named Alayna who is 5 years old.  We live in Springfield, MO.  My husband is a Navy Veteran who is also currently serving in the Navy Reserves. 

I am working on what will hopefully be my last exam before I move on to the last module in medical transcription.  I am so excited to be at the point where I am now.

I find that most of my time is consumed with this school, but in my free time I enjoy playing the piano and scrapbooking.

Thanks! I'm glad to be here. I'm currently working on module 1.

Hello everyone! So glad to see this, as I really enjoyed the very active forums on the old system -- we had a lively "getting to know one another" thread there that I miss!

Am coming to the end of Module 2 (if I survive, lol, those from the old board will remember my many howls of outrage at the "joys" of CPT coding) and just want to tell everyone to hang tough and hang in there! It is SOOO worth it to put in the work, and so satisfying to feel yourself succeeding and moving forward.

Here's to our brilliant futures! (Also want to second Carmen's suggestion for an Andrews mascot...need to think about this!)

Hmmm. Andrews Astroid...Andrews Armadillo...Andrews Aardvaark (Steve's suggestion)...   keep thinking, folks!   :)

Does the mascot name have to be an animal?

Not as far as I'm concerned.  I don't think we have any rules except decency and good taste.  This wasn't my idea, but I like it!

How about Andrews All-Stars...Andrews is gaining a reputation for their students passing the CCS and CPC right out of school....So, how about a star?  I hope I get to be a bright shining coding star one day...:)

I like All-Stars.

My thought was "Andrews Aces" since "A" is the goal we need to attain.

'American' is also appropriate to be used in there if you want to use it in your
ideas.

Andrews Alien is the first thing I thought of because I'm quite sure it had to be an alien who came up with some of the codes and guidelines! :)

That is funny Debbie.... you are so right.  At times I feel like I am in alien territory.

As someone suggested earlier, Andrews Owls.  It has a nice sound to it with the Ws, and owls are intelligent. They garner respect from all!

I just noticed that I misspelled a word on the title of my last blog entry.

I'll bet I wouldn't be insulted if any of you would alert me in case you notice that I do that again.

Yall are good!   I think I like Andrews Owls best so far.  That's a good one.