Thanks so much, both very good advice, words of wisdom:)

• Need opinions - ed
  • Would jump on more pay - Dino
  • I could have written your post. A few months - me
    • Wow, very well written. - marilyn
    • I also just went through the same thing. - Try it, but learn the lesson
      • Thanks so much, both very good advice, words of wisdom:) - ed

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To all you hard working MTs out there.

I've been in the business too long not to have learned something. I still have not found a decent, honest and fair MT company and this is after 20 years. They require tons of qualifications out of you but in return what do you get? I don't trust ANY of them! They're  in it for the quick buck and don't give a rat's ass about you. I long for the those old days when hospitals had their own transcription departments and MTs had benefits and some security. The MT companies now want you to have all this bunch of equipment, each has their own software (this drives me crazy), they expect at the very least 98% accuracy, fast transcription, and want you to stay put at your chair all day IN CASE work comes pouring in. They want you to have your own books, your own C-Phone, unlimited long distance, high speed internet, etc. Why don't YOU demand the same things they expect of you? We all know doctors hate to dictate because there's no money to be made there. The archive departments have to get on their backs every month, so, they come in and dictate a ton of charts and you can't understand a frickin word they're saying and God forbid the ESLs...but you see, the company you're working for doesn't care and the doctors don't care. You need to hold these companies at much greater standards than you do now. Affirm yourselves, question them, get it in writing, and don't take less than what you believe you're worth! Stand up to them for once, and you'll stop this abuse. After all, it is your life and your revenues are as important as theirs. Report them to everyone you can. They are not honest and have no integrity although they will try to convince you that working for them will be the greatest thing that happened to you. C'mon....wake up girls! Stand up and tell them that we are not going to take this anymore. If docs can't talk or write, and the companies know this, they'll shove it on to you...yes, you at home, working soooooo hard to do a good job.....I'm out of this now and will never go back because to home working because THEY can't pass MY test!

Love you all but please wake up!

Monique 

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. 

How many words are on a 65 character line - in general?

That is good advice, so thank you. 

One more question -- have you ever been sorry about leaving?  I have always had the stick it out and it may get better attitude, but things just keep getting worse, my pay keeps going down, even though I am working much harder.  I have a fear of getting a new job that turns out even worse.

But my doggie is my baby .. to give her up for a job .. never ... to give her up if I somehow became unable to care for, I'd do because it was good for her .... but NEVER let go of things in your personal life that you love.  One time I had a great job -- 11.5 cpl -- but my boss told me my job should be more important than family.  So, right or wrong, I said goodbye.   Unfortunately, my mom passed, so I don't have the family either, but looking back, I wouldn't change a thing.  You can always find another job .. you can never get another mom (or other thing you care for .. fill in the blank ).

Good luck to you ..  :-)

In any event, it is over and now I am wiser and never going to spend more than 8 hours on an acct for anyone ever. MTSOs simply do not appreciate it or remember it.

Now THAT is good advice.  It's a shame to say it, but skill, loyalty, seniority, etc. - none of these things matter in this business anymore.  And I can tell you from direct experience, when your company gets swallowed up, NO ONE at the new company gives a rat's a$$ how many years or how much seniority you might have had at your prior position.  It's not even a consideration.  The 1-year girl, the 5-year girl, and the 20-year girl - To them, we're all the same.

During the interview they will tell you all kinds of wonderful stuff.  Are you saying it is better to look a company offering a lower line rate as an indication of a better place to work?  You could be right.

It seems kind of sad though in our industry that in order to get decent management the personal price is to take a cut in pay.  Why can't it be good management and good pay at the same time? 

These MT schools are still cranking out the MTs as fast as they can (and taking their money).  I am sure they know that there already isn't enough work to go around and no work = no money.  Plus the fact that the MT trainee who could ever hit the ground running and make money right out of the gate is far and few between.

As for the coding, it is pretty obvious that is a huge candidate to be done by EMR and I'm sure it will happen in the not so distant future.  There will probably be someone an R.N.? LPN? EMT? who will do chart reviews to ensure that every possible diagnosis that could get another dime in reimbursement is put in the record.  That would be a few jobs depending on the size of the hospital.  I seriously doubt that these jobs will be offered to former MTs.

Another job opportunity might be that of what used to be called ART (acredited record technician), those people might be allowed to do chart reviews as they have always done it anyway, I even did it myself way back there.  The JCAH (forget what they're called  now) used to offer a study at home course but you had to be affiliated with or work for a hospital in order to have access to the records that were necessary to complete the course.  In some smaller hospitals ARTs (or whatever they are called now) were even heads of the medical record department.  I believe it is also offered as a 2 year course at some community colleges.

Sadly I think that those who have put themselves out for the expense and bother of getting and maintaining CMT credentials are just going to be SOL because I think those credentials and a buck might buy them a cup of coffee.

This is the way I feel and I could be wrong but I don't think so.

If any or all of you are really thinking about doing anything, I would get some kind of network going outside of all MT posts such as this.......since now that we all know that the suits are watching and listening.

Hello-- I do know for a fact that the company is legit, as I live in the same city as the company. Dont know much about pay, although I do remember that they pay by the dictated minute. Hope this helps!

That would be Belleville, IL.

is not the best. Any poor MTs coming from MQ have been beaten to death by now - they don't need another company that is not THE BEST. Let's see - what was I being tactful and leaving out? It takes 4-ever and a day to actually start - criminal background checks - yeah, I know, no big deal, but still creepy - physical exams, and plenty of other hoops - probably a month to get started. Computers were garbage and platform was down often, though none in my account received 1 cent of downtime pay. Platform antiquated and also allowed for prime cherry picking. As a newby, I used to watch the good work get sucked right out of my pool from my coworkers. Backstabbing galore, office politics, no supervision whatsoever. Pay was on the low side, but was told it was due to how great hospital accounts were - not really. MTs expected to adhere to a strict schedule - quality of work was poor as we got hospital leftovers from inhouse staff. DR also has had run-ins with the labor board and were found guilty of whatever it was they were caught doing. So, yes, let these comments scare you - check the company board archives - always lots of negative about DR. In fact, this is the first time I have ever read positives, so I honestly suspect its their recruiter trying to snag some newbies. DR was even posted about just last week - go thru pages and search for them. Good luck to you! Definitely not a good replacement for MQ. If you're close to the breakdown point, as I was when I left MQ, DR is likely to push you right over the edge.