My advice: Hang on at MQ as long as you
Posted By: sm on 2009-04-22
In Reply to: Interviews... - CS
can until you're set up & ready to go at another job. That way, you'll at least have *some* money coming in. Even though they're low on work, a little money is better than no money. Now that these companies have complicated the process with human resources, proprietary programs, etc., it takes a little longer to get started than it used to. Good luck to you!
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how long can they hang in there?...nm
nm
Good advice, and advice that I'm giving real thought to ...
If I had known that they offshored before I accepted employment with them I never would have gone there to work. I've been here long enough now though to not want to lose my benefits.
Still ... making a DECENT PAYCHECK and making a living without being stressed out over the type of work that I'm doing is just as important as good benefits.
Hang in there!!! After about 3 or 4
Tookie Williams
Just hang in there with DSG
I have been with DSG for about 4 years and it has changed quite a bit. However, in spite of my dial-up issues, DSG has been a good company to work for. Yes it has its ups and downs, but every company does. Communication is the key for any transcriptin company and a successful MT. Hang in there....this is a slow time since we are getting out of the flu/cold season. The work will pick up. Just be patient. Maybe you could work for a second company part-time to cover for any slow DSG work. Just a thought.
hang it up
they are NOT flexible.
It has nothing to do with being able to hang...sm
or not. If you are the main breadwinner in the family and now you have to look at training on a new account with smaller checks, as you have a learning curve especially when you are going from typing to VR,the pay is going to be less and the amount of lines you have to get is quite a bit different. So, those of us that have only ourselves to depend on as far as income are scrambling to figure out how we are going to keep the lights on and the house payment made. I really love people who think they can just make snap judgments about people without knowing where they are coming from. Let's see how well you chill when you know that for at least a month or so your check is going to be terrible until you can get up to speed on a new account and if you are even going to like the account they put you on. Good luck to you and I hope you are never put in a position where you are told to either hang or go on. Geez.
Hang in there
Well some of us can't 'hang in there' waiting for people to quit, I had that same idea and it worked for 2 or 3 weeks until the new hires came on, and then no work again. and besides, all these companies do when people quit is hire more people, so that is not a good idea either, they just put more 'warm bodies' in the chairs, one quits, oh opening, one more warm body, needed. That's all we are to these companies is 'warm bodies' in chairs. That's how they refer to us in meetings!
Hang on it will change
I am surprised to hear that FOCUS ICs are without jobs!!! I work for another company that provides services for them and we have so many jobs from FOCUS that we are asked to work extended shifts. I know that they have some accounts that are supposed to be VR editing but everyone working on them is mostly doing MT work until the VRE kicks in. We hear it is about 30-60 days from 90% VRE.
Hang in there, I had the same situation
It is hard to adjust to new rules, but you will catch on. Reading over material/samples provided by the part-time employer is a great way to familiarize yourself with their ways of the trade. Also, do not argue with QA. Let it go. If they let you go because of your QA score, then it was not meant to be. There are plenty of others who would appreciate your intensity to learn. Do not beat yourself up about it. If you have a full-time job, then you know that you are worthy. Keep trying, you are definitely playing it smart. Never give up what you have until you find what you want. 
Hang on a minute...
I'd like to address something that's really bothering me as I see it expressed so frequently -- It's what I call THE GRATITUDE TRICK.
First, I am not trying to find fault with what you wrote. You sound like a fabulous mom and a very dedicated MT. I really admire you for the sacrifices you've made to accomplish what you have -- and that goes for everyone out there in the MT world who has done the same. I mean this sincerely. I am amazed at what some of you have managed to do and how you continue the struggle now. Hats off to you all!!!
But I have to question why do MTs have to make such sacrifices in the first place??? It sounds to me like this has been the case for many years now. If we are the professionals we claim to be, we deserve the same standard of living that any other professional gets to have who works out of their home. The perks go across the board for everyone who works from home, no matter what profession--gas savings, wardrobe, etc. We are no different. This aspect of what our job is worth income-wise is only a small part of the equation. The difference for us is that we are not fairly compensated for our work as other professionals are for theirs. THAT is what sets us apart, not the perks.
I think this is a way the services have used to keep us in submission for years, and it's dirty playing. I do not feel grateful to my employer to be able to work from home. My gratitude goes to God for the technology that allows me to do this. Heck, I'm saving them money in overhead from working from home, buying and maintaining my own equipment and reference materials, paying my own Internet service fee, etc. No, THEY are making money OFF OF US. Yes, businesses do that. They have to earn a profit. But it is wrong for them to tell us pretty much to go away and be quiet and count our blessings because they are so kind as to let us work from home, thus making us feel that we should be ashamed for wanting to be paid more. This is nothing but a mind game. They are using this way of responding to us to shut us up and we're falling for it. Next, it will be but at least we hired you and didn't send the work to India! Little by little we are being demeaned by them as they reduce benefits, demand more in production, etc. all the while telling us how lucky we are to be able to work from home and we're falling for it.
If our profession (and I keep using the word profession because that is what it is) goes down the drain because of technology, etc. then we can't control that. But let's not help it along by buying into a mindset that says we're not valuable. Anyone who has the knowledge and skills to do this job well should see their worth reflected in their paychecks, bottom line. All the other stuff is just icing on the the cake.
I think we as a body of professionals and as individuals need to have a much greater sense of self-respect, self-worth to begin with. We are not the cast-offs of the working world! If you can do this job well, you are no idiot. And all of us know, this is anything but an easy job. Many of you have invested most if not all of your working lives doing transcription. Companies should be grateful to YOU for working for them. A qualified MT only increases the company's image.
Now how to become fairly compensated is a whole 'nother can of worms given what we are up against today. But I think we need to start valuing ourselves more before we expect to be valued by those for whom we work. This gratitude to our employer trick they use on us has got to be exposed for the dirty trick that it is and it needs to go!!
I think a lot of our frustration with this profession comes from such mind games. If you can keep your employees confused, if you can keep them from feeling they have no right to complain, you've got it made as an employer. They're under your control. But in the end it weakens employee morale which results in frequent employee turnover which results in loss of production while new people learn the accounts, etc. so it really backfires on them and is a stupid (to put it nicely) way to run a business. You can run it right into the ground this way.
Even the benefits packages are somewhat of a joke if you can't afford the insurance. I'm sure the companies have ways to write off those expenses to their own benefit. That's another trick they use on us. My dental insurance won't pay the rent. Pay me a decent enough salary and I'll get my own dental insurance!
If we have any hope of turning our situation around, we need to be able to see the tactics that are being used against us. Just trying to point out some red flags here as I see them.
I do too...took me a bit to get the hang of my ESLs...
but doing fine now, just took perseverance, dedication, and patience. My docs are all pretty good. Sometimes the volume is low, but that is to be expected, and I plan accordingly.
Tell them okay, hang up and forget it. Let them
x
That's a shame but hang in there
I'm do a different platform/client, but I also hired in this summer, and went through a rough time at first. I talked to my supe, and after changing my schedule a bit and taking on two secondaries, things have become much better, and there's actually been OT on my accounts for the last few weeks.
Check the backlogs on the community page. Some accounts regularly have OT approved (its in the little box at the top left, who's approved for OT and for how long). Maybe you can get trained on some of those. Are you willing to change your schedule at all? My accounts consistently have certain heavier days than others, and before I was off during the heavy days. My supe asked me to shift my schedule and it has made a very positive difference.
Hang in there - maybe they just haven't gotten through
all the resumes they received yet.
I actually was lucky to hang on to SM
an at-home hospital job with benefits for 11 cpl until 2001, but they cut us loose and I haven't seen that kind of pay since.
That sucks...all I can say is hang in there...
Things should pick back up this week, especially with Spring Break being over with..
Hang in there. There will be other opportunities after
Don't burn your bridge with this particular hospital, but giving up your passion and relocating might be worse on your mind and your pocket book than you originally thought. If your gut says no, go with no. Trust that there will be a better position out there soon. But be kind and keep the door open with this hospital in case they have something else. I cannot say what is good for you, but for me, I would not absolutely go against my gut and I have a feeling from your post your gut has doubts. Hang in there, keep up the faith, keep looking for jobs. The right one will come along where you can have both your happiness and the money too. Good luck to you whatever you choose. Let us know how it goes. Happy New Year!
Same experience but hang in there...
I also have 30 plus years' experience and in particular wanted to work second-shift hours. Back in February, I sent probably 30 resumes out and got maybe 5 phone calls, all told. I almost hired on at Transcend, then saw a brand new ad here on MT Stars at Diskriter. (I'd talked to them previously a few months back but was told because I didn't want VR, they didn't have anything for me right then). On a whim, I immediately applied again to the new ad at Diskriter and got a call within a day and accepted there; it just felt better and I was apparently just what they needed right then. I'm thinking that's part of the game now.
Yes they should hang their heads sm
and thank you for saying so. I have a phone interview at 2 p.m. today EST. I will never trust 100% anything a company says again and just as I did with this company, I will have my rear end covered in case this happens again. I don't have to work anymore and choose to work. I am not into retiring at 54. I can work part-time which is what I was classified at Milner. If it gets slow then I take it in stride. I just don't like the lying and I am especially ticked (as I have said) that I plain out asked them because I had another job offer and they told me things were ok. Matter of fact the job offer I had was from a lady with a company who found me, I didn't find her. She saw posts on MT stars and sent me an e-mail. That is so frustrating!
Hang on to your hat because you are in for a big change coming up.
:
She'll hang herself soon enough. It's MT Darwinism. nm
x
You have expressed how many of us feel. Hang
xx
I was just wondering last night if I should hang in there...
I have been really worried about the no work on training. Today there is absolutely zero. I am ready to go back to be an employee, after being so happy as an IC/SE... my DH says to hang in there because if this company is all they say, it will be worth it... but I have had a hard time with one highly-rated company here since I was hired in December (with everyone else too), and then went on LOA. Now I have been without a full paycheck for a very long time and I am lucky to have a second income around here. I long for the days of even bringing home 500 bucks a week (which I used to complain about). I will hang in there but not for long, because the harsh reality of the bills kicks in... I have 2 companies I could go to be an employee, one which runs out of work and I worry about that, and the other which does not but I have to have a schedule and worry about taking care of my kids. I know above someone said we should get over this complaining and be glad to have a job, but honestly I have skills of over 2 decades, and am flexible and mature and willing to put up with etc. But here with the other nat'l company not coming through since last year, and now being broke for so long, how much longer can I afford to be without a paycheck which can help out with bills? The bill collectors don't say hang in there. They send collection and later attorney notices. And that is the reality of the situation.
Hang in there. There are 2 more accounts going up on there in the next 3 weeks. sm
I also know that the account that started on DocuScribe only started with the H&Ps. The other work types are following starting this coming week and will give a better mix.
There are also other accounts. Talk to the recruiter (can't say names on here) and let her know.
I am a lead and know that sometimes one person loves an account that another person hates and vice versa.
There are a lot of new accounts that have started, a few that were partial outsource that went to total and a few that are going to go to total. Pretty much anything you would want.
The HR person in the office told me that they will need to hire at least 400 more transcriptionists over the next 6 to 12 months, if not more.
Wait it out, is my philosophy. They usually hang themselves. (nm)
dd
Hang in there...you must just have to wait until after the holidays...
good luck!!
thanks MEMT, hang in there honey...sm
I won't say it gets better, you just learn to trudge through it. Some days are worse than others. My husband and I were very close, and he was such a hands on Dad. He cooked, cleaned, took the kids out so I could have a break, pick spats with me just to keep it a little crazy, etc., etc. Because of the situation of his death, which was caused by someone who was supposed to be his friend, I do feel robbed and so do our kids, especially because everybody knows what the guy did, we just can't prove it. So I am also telling you too, hang in there, it will all work out the way it is supposed too. Just don't forget to be a mom to your kids, they still have a lot of learning to do. When you feel like you cannot type another letter, think about those kids, they will get you through anything.
Hang in there, it took me about 2 weeks to get 1st response, then...sm
a couple of days later a couple of more responses, and even over a month later I got another response, and I have a lot of years experience like you (15+). It just takes time, especially the time of year it is. Another thing you can do if you haven't yet is go on the websites and test. I seemed to get faster responses from those companies. I was able to finally change jobs and I am very happy with my choice, but it did take some time and weighing options to pick what was best for me. If you are patient, you can really make the best choice for you from a variety. I know patience doesn't pay the bills and I am not saying to not take whatever is offered for now, but it takes time to find a good match. Hope you find a company you like.
you need to hang it up, she asked a simple
question and you get all bent out of shape and defensive and stressed.
Perhaps this is not the business for your.
Hang in there. Two hours is not enough time
to make a decision yet. You must train yourself just as you did when you first started out in transcription. Read the Editor manual. Use all the functions that are listed. It will get better, and yes you will make money. It does NOT take twice as long to do a report once you get the hang of it. It definitely takes less time to make a few corrections on a report than to type the whole thing. You cannot determine in two hours that you don't like doing it. Work on it for a month or two and get your speed up. Practice makes perfect and the speed will come, just like with anything else. Best luck to you, and don't give up!
This is good to hear. I am hoping that I can hang in
until the work picks up... I really don't want to find another situation, although have to admit I have my resume out already just in case... I wish today there were so much work I would work my fingers to the bone, and put some in savings. Been at this a long time and know that I should be doing that. Unfortunately, it has been a rocky 6 months working for another MTSO and promises not kept. So this is a long string of bad events for this MT. Perhaps will take on another IC and wait it out, just want to work, you know, an honest day's work for an honest day's pay sort of thing. :)
Thanks for your kind words. I will hang in there, and hope
I find a similar pot of gold. If not the fact that the odds become in our favor when we go through this enough, but for the fact you speak from experience. Your kindness is truly appreciated!
Oh, yeah, they hang out around here and respond to some posts even n/m
x
Well put; I'm hoping to hang onto this for a couple more years (sm)
when I could retire - although I'd really like to keep working for a while longer. However, I think if I was a decade or 2 or 3 younger I would be looking into the field of medical information technology.
I refuse to talk to offshore tech.I say bye, hang up
x
Horray for you -- It is getting more and more difficult to hang on with Transtech for the past
number of months . . . very stressful job now. Part of the stress is due to not being able to pay my bills, and the other stressful part is HORRIBLE dictators left over from all the newbies recently hired (picking good dictators for newbies at first) and the HORRIBLE dictators left over from the speech machine kicking them aside to us.
Regrets . . .
So proud for you for taking a stand for yourself.
Seems like the same docs on my accounts, but sound quality is turning into an issue. Hang in there!
nm
No problem :) No matter how long, it is too long for me - I am broke the day after payday. Kids wi
do that to you!
I know that they have worked very hard to make sure that checks are never late and I can say that in the past two years, I have had one problem (2 days late) and in the past 18 months, they have all been on payday and perfect.
I know that there are a lot of hard feelings in MT in general. I also know firsthand (and I am not mgmt) how hard KS has worked to get things going good.
I would not want to walk in an MTSO's shoes for any amount of money, but that's just me. I like to finish my work for the day, forget about work when not working and get paid on payday. I never want the other things that go with mgmt or owning a company of any kind :)
They definitely rip you off with your line count. Figured this out long ago and quit long ago
x
What really sucks is that I looked for a LONG, long time -sm
before joining DRC - wanted a highly reputable, not-too-big co. that was LOCAL, and that treated its MTs humanely. I'm very happy with DRC & had planned to stay with them permanently.
Long, long history of not paying...and
similar posts have been made here in the past few months. Everyone thinks they will be different, and then they end up coming back here to warn others that they don't pay.
but those were long, long lines for
most of the reports. You could make more with a 65-character line count.
bit of advice - sm
I have worked in many hospitals over many years, and after a bit of trial and error, I have found that this approach has always worked in my favor -
I STOPPED sending resumes to HR departments. Why? Because I would inevitably end up with a computer generated letter "thanking me for the resume ... on file ... should a position come up ... blah blah blah." I would contact the hospital and say I am responding to the position that is open, what do you mean you don't have a position??? The response would be "Oh, well someone should get in contact with you soon then."
By the time an HR department got off their butt to start calling in people for the position, chances are the transcription department was into overtime and overtime meant loss of $$ and next thing you know, it was being outsourced.
So I cut out the HR department, and would find out the name of the head of medical records and send my resume to that person. The person would either go to HR and say "contact this person for an interview" or would contact me themselves and set up the interview.
I would even send a resume to the head of medical records even if there was no opening because you never know. Hospitals may have onsite transcriptionists as well as outsourcing. But if the hospital realizes that there is the possibility of another Transcriptionist right in the area, they may be able to utilize me. Hence, I would get a phone call.
It's just a bit of advice - don't always rely on the website for transcription positions.
my advice is ask MQ for more than that...
if you have the experience and are 'seasoned' you should start out at least at 9 or 9.5. be firm. they must need MTs. if they say they do not pay that much say you are sorry to hear it but you have other offers, and everybody is paying at least 9 now...(IF you are as good as you say and you tested and passed, etc.)
men do this- they push back a little...
even if they simply will not give you more than say 8.5, they will at least know you are not stupid. if you take it at 8.5, tell them you want a review in the near future and expect to make more than that...
geeze, I started at 9.5 there a year ago...?
if you are good, demand to get paid what you deserve.
Thanks for the advice - sm
It's not a lot of money, but since I was courteous enough to send the equipment back immediately, I just don't understand why they aren't paying me. I am not going to drop it though.
Thanks again!
K
Here's my advice sm
If you are on your own and don't have a spouse or a second source of income, this isn't the job. You've really got to have some backup with Webmedx. This is not the company where you'll be on one or two accounts and have all the work you can do. This is scraping for every bit of work you can get some days and bouncing around on lots of accounts.
However, the benefits are very good. I'm not sure if they take them away, though, if you can't make your lines. Surely not if there's no work, but if there is work and you have trouble, don't know.
IF you have benefits through a spouse, I would go elsewhere and be an IC. I would not be here if I didn't need the benefits.
Good luck making a decision!
I appreciate the advice, but would like something a
see my advice
If you have been working for someone else, take a document, do the word count and the line count and see what you would need to charge per word to equal what you want per line. I also worked for someone that did that and lost a lot in letters and consults as I charge by gross line. She paid 1 cent per word also. In medical there are more longer words than shorter one. I would not do it for less that 2.5 to 3 cents per word as I just looked at one of my documents and it would have taken probably 3.25 per word to make what I did off of that document. Good luck. With words no spaces are counted.
I need advice
Does anyone out there know about Entente Health Care. Has anyone ever worked for them? I have been offered an Editor position with them but I was wondering how they are to work for. I hope I am posting this in the right place since I am new to this. Any comments appreciated.
Thank you...I did take your advice SM
to heart. It wasn't an easy decision as I heard just as many negative comments as I did positive comments. After careful consideration, I decided to give them a chance. I think I'm better off having heard all the negatives and positives as I was able to make a more informed decision. I really hope I'll be happy there. I'm not naive enough to believe it will be perfect (what company is?), but I want to start off giving them the benefit of the doubt. Everyone's different. I worked for Spheris and hated it (others I know love it there). I worked for Medquist and liked it (lots of people hate it there). So it's my hope that I'll find my niche with TransHealth.
I really do appreciate your advice, though. I hope that you have found a job that is better suited to your needs.
Take care,
Chickadee
That would be advice. nm
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