Do it! Make the change! I've mentored a few AHP newbies &
Posted By: their program lacks content big time! NM on 2007-10-21
In Reply to: opinion on schools - Debbie
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- opinion on schools - Debbie
- Do it! Make the change! I've mentored a few AHP newbies & - their program lacks content big time! NM
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Well, I will tell you newbies make
the same as you! That's pretty sad considering how long you have been doing it, but I made that right out of school
You've gotta understand that most newbies have
trouble getting a job with companies without felonies in their past. Hospitals are probably out, too. At the hospitals I worked at, they did extensive background checks on everybody, one even going so far as to fingerprint all new hires.
Newbies have an extremely hard time breaking into the field with national companies. I'm not sure if it's a national you tried or not, but just wanted to let you know you're in good company there.
Consider this: Though I'd not normally recommend a newbie seek out her own accounts, if all else fails, you can perhaps try to find a specialty clinic to transcribe for. Some smaller MTSOs might also be the way to go. Even if you have to check that you have had a felony, they may miss it. It's also unlikely they'll have the funds to do background checks on all of their potential employees.
I've never made a negative comment about newbies.
I always try to help out whenever I can. It's not easy to work from home. The matchbook schools and scam ads have people believing they can do something that is a bit more complicated than just taking a correspondence course and immediately knowing everything you need to be successful in this career field.
Believe me, I was desperate to work from home, too, because daycare costs were phenomenal. I started out transcribing TV shows for a media company at first. Then I did worker's comp and insurance letters for a small MTSO on the east coast at $.05 per line. They liked my work and transitioned me to clinic SOAP notes. As for working in-house doing transcription, I worked in an office for ONE WEEK before they allowed me to go home. If I can do it, so can you. It may take some searching, but persistence pays off. That's being proactive. Venting here on the boards and accusing people of things they didn't do are being reactive.
I did QA for a company that mentored
newbies and I got a few emails myself that I found highly questionable and demeaning. I finally told her I did not need a mom and moved on. No one needs to be treated like that.
make a change
Girl, something is telling you its time for a change. I wish you all the luck in the world. CHEER UP, you have sisters out here, you are going to be okay and you ARE going to make it just fine.
You're going to have to make a change.
If you can try to work an hour or so earlier or later to get in some lines when her son is sleeping. I find that if my children/DH are awake I want to be with them, even if just watching TV, so I'm more productive when they are sleeping. If you think this new account situation is just a temporary thing and in a month or so you won't have to work so much then just have a talk with son and explain the situation and make an effort to spend some quality time with him. Starting with any new account is takes a while to get productive, but if this new account is too difficult, ask to try another account or change companies.
I gave way too much to my job and not enough to my family, even though I had to work, I wished I could do it all differently. My son has seen pictures and home videos of me hold him in my lap and reading to him and he can't believe I used to do that. I allowed my work to take priority. I can't go back and undue the past, but I've learned from my mistakes and working hard to correct things now.
Thinking of trying to make a change...
I've been working now for nearly a year. Mostly I have done podiatry and clinic notes. I'm thinking of making a change to radiology or neuro/phsyc. Any tips on how to do this? I know podiatry terms and rarely have to look anything up anymore, but there doesn't seem to be much work out there for the subspecialty. Any advice would be great. I've been applying to every ad I see, but no replies yet.
I know a lot of new MTs go into acute care, but I'm finding I am far more productive working with one specialty rather than acute care or clinic notes.
Any advice? Thanks.
Oh, working in-office isn't an option because of where I live.
No one is going to make the dr change style of
x
I've been thinking about a job change recently
I've only been in this biz for about 13 years, but now that my last one is off to school, I'm also thinking about a career change. I live in a very rural area as well, so I understand completely what you mean about people thinking $8 an hour is a good wage.
One thing I'd like to suggest is looking into a state job. We have 2 state prisons in my area (about a 20-minute commute) and both hire medical transcriptionists as well as medical records personnel. These jobs generally start out at about $12 to $15 an hour plus state benefits, which in my state are the best bennies anywhere. The jobs that require coding certification pay even more. I would highly recommend that you look on the internet for state civil service jobs in your state. You'd be surprised at the opportunities in the medical field.
I'm considering this option myself but want to wait until next fall, after I have the summer to spend with my kids (and so I don't start out "in the hole" because of babysitting expenses) and to have time to look into getting my coding cert. I graduated from a business school with an Associate's in medical secretarial and did a lot of coding prior to working from home. I used to do billing for a very large rehab facility, so I don't think it will be too hard to brush up on my skills.
Anyway, good luck and let me know if this (a state job) pans out for you. Most people have no idea these kinds of jobs are even out there (I didn't). 
As an SE, all taxes are taken out, but I am wondering if that is reason enough to make a change? sm
Company "A" is my first job being an IC and I am not sure I can wrap my head around why any employer cannot take out taxes which is not the case with many companies which offer you IC status. They tell us how and when to work. This IC job I have right now is no different than any job I have ever had with a hospital, but I think it is a rip off having to pay self-employment taxes. BTW, Company A is in the same state in which I live, so wouldn't be difficult to take taxes out of my check.
Do you LPN's on-call make around $50-60 an hour?!! Nice chunk of change! nm
x
QA didn't make the rules or change the rule. We have to learn 'em - SM
and re-learn 'em same as you. We just have to take the heat from MTs when we do our jobs and enforce the rules.
I've worked for svl places that said to change it back to 100% before sending, so it must affect
s
I've been at this for 2 years and make between
I think that $12/hr is low.
Even 4.5 is too low. doctors do not change - they still hem and haw, change, change stuff along wit
It is just not enough for the work. Speech is great on the wrists but you are not just reading what is typed, you are making a lot of changes. I have a hard time doubling a lot of days with all the changes I have to make. Just my opinion.
I've been doing it for years now....with own accounts, can make more $$ than that. nm
x
When all else fails, and you've gotta make those lines,
Let's face it. We ALL do it.
I've worked for other nationals. I make more money at Amphion.
The difference in dictation quality, work availability, system stability, and easy platform more than makes up for the lower line rate. They don't micromanage or bully either.
I've beat my head against the wall trying to make a decent
the ESLs, I can't get much past 1200 lines daily anymore. Anyone else in the same boat?
I don't know about you, but I've got kids to feed, clothe, and house. I need to make a decent
living. I'm not going to be cheated. It sounds as though you've decided to let yourself be used and abused aby the MTSOs all with a big smile on your face. Whatever! It's MTs like you, not I, that have caused the pay rates to decline. MTs like you who will accept whatever abuse they companies hand out, accept being cheated, and accept losing jobs to India.
You'll be back on here next week or next month posting under a different name, crying about your paycheck and looking for sympathy.
Two of the best companies I've worked for didn't make me test. Makes you wonder if...sm
these MTSOs that mandate so many "tests" aren't just trying to see how many actual reports they can get transcribed for free. I could understand maybe a written test and one very in-depth transcription test, but 6 is utterly ridiculous. I would have definitely passed on that too and then told the MTSO exactly why.
I've been told, "Work harder and faster, and you'll make more." Not kidding. nm
x
Don't change. I had to change back to cable. SuddenLink DSL stinks! nm
nm
Change provider vs change to business plan
In your place, I would seriously consider changing providers if there were others available in your area, but I'd ask around about their service quality first. It may not be any better. If there are no other providers, then consider changing your service package to a business account rather than residential. They're usually more expensive, but they also tend to get faster service if there's a problem.
Last summer, I had no electricity for 3 days due to severe storms, but there were some 600,000 in the same boat with me. We just had to wait it out. It's a downside of working at home.
change attitude, change life
The first thing you need to change is that defeatist attitude! I know that's hard at times like this, but that's when you need to most.
I won't go into detail, but my financial situation is also at an all-time low, we couldn't even exchange gifts., daughter in hospital twice, & no med insurance)..but then I heard about how much worse things were for others around me this season. Now I'm thankful instead!
I use EXText with my current job and I've used at a couple of other jobs I've had. I've ne
used DocQscribe, but I have used Meditech, Cerner, Vianeta, the Precyse platform (I can't remember the name), Dolbey, and Lanier platform I think was called Cequence (?).
Out of all the different platforms I have typed on, I have liked EXText the best. In my opinion, it's very user friendly, easy to learn, and I really like ESP which is the built in abbreviation expander. Plus it is very easy to create your own normals which I love. My fingers literally never leave the keyboard because there are macro keys for everything. You can use your mouse if you prefer or learn the function macros. I love it. I think I'm more productive on EXText than with any other platform.
Get out while you can. Things will *never* change unless you change them. (nt)
newbies
I applaud your attitude towards mentoring (especially since I'm a student and crave that!). To hold employees that are worth having the employer would only benefit by training the way he/she wants the employee to work.
As a baby boomer, I think the majority of us will work well past the retirement age set forth by the powers that be. I don't see that my retirement funds will pay for me to live another third of my life unemployed. Not to mention, the need to feel productive that many of us have. MT is the answer, allowing many to work at home (or in our RV's - not that I'll get one, not my thing).
As far as education goes, some schools are most likely sub-par, in it for the money only. Some are developing, some are downright outstanding. However, even a student attending one of the 'lesser' schools might be worth mentoring. Perhaps they attend that school because of fund shortages (I know that's why I am), that does not mean the student is sub-par. Yes, I agree some are looking for an easy buck, but some are looking for a CAREER, not a dollar. I know that's my goal.
ok - I'm getting off my soapbox, and hoping someone someday will give me the chance to work and help others too, when I get enough experience!
Newbies
Good luck in a field where our pay goes down each year, and our business costs soar. I received an e-mail that offered to transcribe my overflow for 3 cents a line. How can we compete with that? It seems the doctors just care about cheap labor instead of quality work....
It isn't that most of us have anything against newbies. sm
Just as in any field, when people have trained and worked hard to get where they are, they expect to be rewarded. Forlorn hope. As newer people come in, they are eager to learn, willing to take less money while they train. That means those of us that have been at it so long (18 years here) have to sometimes cut our prices to compete for the jobs. I won't even mention the off-shoring. Eighteen years experience means little to a company that only asks for two years. We do get bitter, not necessarily at the new people, but at the situation we're in.
People in all professions find this. New people come into teaching making as much as people that have been there 15 years. In other professions, a long-timer is replaced by someone new who works for much less. Do you think there isn't bitterness over this? The list goes on.
We all feel cheated, even those of us making a decent living, like me. Yes, I can make $16 an hour, but have to buy my own equipment, software, insurance, pay employment taxes, income taxes, Medicare tax, internet, long distance, etc. I'm lucky if I really make $8 an hour. Not much above working at WalMart, when you look at it like that.
Don't take it personally, most of us understand being new. But the money was easier to make then, and the competition wasn't so stiff. We're sympathetic with you, but we're also worried about our families. Ten years from now, when you're fighting to make what you make today, and utilities have tripled in that time, maybe you'll understand better. Good luck.
newbies
It's because so many newbies want to work M-F, at their own chosen hours and want to make $50K a year to begin with. They think because they took a course, they know everything and have nothing to learn. They resent established MTs who learned on the job.
I'm from the days when MTs were hired because of their good spelling and typing skills. They trained us on the job. We had very few resources, about 5 good reference books to use, but we were able to get feedback from the doctors, who actually respected us and what we did for them.
Now, too many newbies think that an online course or a couple semesters at the local community college put them on the same level as an MT with 10+ years of experience. Not true. There is no substitute for experience.
To the newbies who think they are too good to work holidays and weekends, I just say, why on earth did you take a job in healthcare, which is 24/7 365 days a year, if you want a 9-5, M-F job? Go to work for an insurance company or an accounting firm.
If you can't raise your family and hold down a job at the same time, then quit and let someone else have the opportunity.
There are so many newbies who cannot get a job and would
probably take that and not think twice. Twenty years ago I was making 6 cpl/gross line.
The newbies always do.....
d
Newbies.......
I have been in this field for 17 years and on 'another board' I was ridiculed beyond reason for posting a problem I had with a vendor who advertised on that site. Little did I know I was a site where there were cliques present, you know like high school. HEY we were all new at one time or another and how do you lean if you don't ask questions? Compassion, patience and understanding goes a long way.
we were all newbies once...
so what's with the vets vs. newbies attitude that has taken over this thread?
Sheesh people - it doesn't matter how many years we've been doing this - we're all in the same boat here. Just because some of us have more experience than others, that doesn't mean we're any better or that our opinions are more important.
I have to take back what I said earlier about having not seen any nastiness here because now I have - and it's right here in this thread.
Newbies
Like you, I had a mentor in a former R.N. who started a small transcription company. I knew some medical terms but not much. I did have the advantage, however, of being a very fast typist at that point. But I had never worked with any type of dictation equipment. I started when I was 26 and more or less retired at the age of 67. To say that this profession is on life support is probably the most accurate and honest statement I've heard in a long time. I was able to work at home with young children and it was a God-send at that time. For years I worked full-time for a large group as a salaried employee plus worked several nights a week at a local hospital because they had new computerized equipment and I wanted to learn that. I still love the medical profession and all that it entails and am truly sorry that now all the bits and pieces stored in my brain won't be used any longer for transcription. I still try to read about medicine and get on this site frequently just to "keep up" but, again, the profession as we oldies knew it is dead in the water. My own family physician has already switched to EMR. In fact, he types his own notes as he sees the patient. He said the group could not afford to hire a transcriptionist. To put it mildly, transcription "ain't" what it used to be, that's for sure. So sad, really.
Newbies
Hi! Where does a newbie get started? I am working at a large local hospital in the Transcription Dept. and have been here a year. I transcribe 2 days and I do tech work. I just finished my internship and I have my MT certificate. :) I do not know where to start to find MT work as a newbie. Anyone have any advice? I am able to get 2 days transcribing at my current job but I want a second job transcribing. Any adivce is greatly appreciated! :) 
I think 100 may be a lot for brand new newbies. nm
nm
Message for newbies
Please go to www.careerbuilder.com. On the left hand side, enter into 'keyword' box, 'transcription work from home'. Do not enter a city or state or category. Now click on 'search'. There are several jobs her for transcriptionists with little experience. Some of them require that you live in a certain area. Many of them do not. When you call to inquire about these positions, make sure that it's not some sort of school thing that requires you to pay a fee. I hope this is helpful.
I think the newbies who are just getting into the business sm
need to hear the truth about this organization before they get taken in by them.
No, why do you ask? They are very good with newbies (nm)
a
Taking on newbies.
The company I worked for took on newbies who had completed an MT course or had experience in an associated field. They were hired on at a slightly lower rate. Some were raised up in about a month when they proved to be good transcriptionists, and went on to become excellent employees. Some realized very soon that they could not cut it, and usually quit on their own. They were given only as much work as they could complete, and only were let go if their quality was awful and they did not improve over a few weeks time. It can be done and is often very much worth the money and time spent.
I know of svl newbies who get offered what I get now with 13+ yrs in!! Sad..and
s
Why do you accept low pay for newbies?
I said it below but trascribing is a higher skill than alphabetizing.
The low pay for new MTs is unacceptable. Even after the huge discussion I do not understand the idea that putting in your time = working for low wages. I don't expect a new MT to make as much as an experienced one but they still should earn more than a file clerk or housekeeper.
Hospitals pay for *months* of training when a floor nurse goes to the OR. The floor nurse requires one on one training in the OR. They also pay for months of training for OR/"scrub" and anesthesia techs before they are considered productive. I don't understand why a new MT should work for $9/hour when a file clerk earns more than that. I understand the file clerk is productive after a few hours but the hosptial pays training time for other positions.
I am honestly asking this. I do not want a MT strike, MTs to type their initials on screwed up reports or a MT sit in at the medical director's office. Why is it accepted in the transcription community for a new MT to earn less than anyone else in the doctor's office?
Most newbies ARE screwed.
I personally know two people, one of whom I mentored through her training program, who could get jobs in the field. No one would let them get a foot in the door. So I understand that frustration from that point of view, because these people have had to count their training money as a loss and go on to other things. I was so sad for them, and angry at the penny-pinching MT profession as it is today, which has few opportunities for in-house training for new people to learn what they need to know to succeed.
I think a lot of the bitterness you sense is really toward the big companies and the direction that the profession has taken. There is no place anymore for newbies to learn and "pay their dues" the way many of us had to do it.
I also agree with the poster below who said this is something that is in EVERY profession nowadays. My own father was pretty well forced into retirement, and yet they had the nerve to call him afterwards trying to pick his brain because his successor, half his age, couldn't figure something out. (He informed them of his consultant rate, take it or leave it.) As the other poster said, you find it in teaching and other professions, as well.
What concerns me about newbies is
that often they write these excited posts and reveal how tiny their working English vocabulary is. That's a terrible place to start out from. I try to be polite, but I do remember being a newbie for hospital work and how appalled the trainer was with the other MTs who had tiny English vocabularies. She about dropped her teeth because the first time I had to spell shotty adenopathy I spelled it right. I couldn't believe anybody would think "shoddy adenopathy" would make any sense. It's not logical.
How do you train people to THINK and be logical in their transcription? Those are things the person should bring to the table if they want to go into a career in the written word. Then you can build on that logic as you interpret MD slurring.
newbies beware
TO ALL NEWBIES, AND STAY AT HOME MOMS:>>DO NOT CONSIDER EVEN THINKING ABOUT THIS ON-POINT MTS.....THEY PREY ON PEOPLE OF INNOCENCE AND MORAL CHARACTER. THEY WILL NEVER PAY YOU. THERE ARE 34+ PEOPLE VICTIMIZED. THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, THE POLICE, AND VARIOUS INTERSTATE ATTORNEYS ARE ALL AWARE OF BAWNIE BARTLETT THE OWNER OF ON-POINT MTS. REMEMBER THE NAME, BAWNIE BARTLETT, ON-POINT MTS. UNLESS YOU LIKE BEING VICTIMIZED, AND TRANSCRIBING FOR FREE DO NOT THINK ABOUT WORKING FOR THIS CRAZY B----.
Wow are newbies really starting at...s/m
8 cpl? I have 17+ years experience and just started a job 3 weeks ago and 8 cpl is exactly what I'm making, I must mention that it is 8 cpl, but based on a 60 (yes 60)character line and she counts spaces. Would that be enough to make either a slight to significant difference? Math is not my area. Plus it is clinic work, that never runs out, with no ESLs.
I understand why you upset over your rate. My wav player just stopped on me today so there's 2 hours wasted.
I'm just happy to be working for a super-nice lady that is extremely flexible and knows the definition of an IC and what they are and ARE NOT obligated to do by law. She doesn't live all that far away, and is always easily accessible and happy to help us out. Thank goodness she is also our sole QA person too. Very nice setup, IMO. One more bonus is that this company has less than 15 MTs.
Yup! And newbies have to pay the rent and eat, too -
.
jobs for newbies
Does any one know which companies hire new grads?
I get so frustrated with the newbies here who
took the At-Home Professions course or other equally bad and then complain they can't find a job. They didn't do any research on the front end or they would have chosen another school - you do get what you pay for and most took their courses because they were cheaper.
In every aspect of the real world there is someone trying to scam us, so you should always research.
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