Eh, I am going ahead with the BS degree.
Posted By: the OP on 2009-05-13
In Reply to: What about an x-ray tech? Seems like there - are never enough of those! - N/M
I can always take electives for x-ray tech. This program has a lot of identical courses, so it would not be hard to switch to another discipline like x-ray. X-ray pays less, but either of these careers is more than what we get as MTs these days... and in 18 months from now, hospitals and clinics will still need on site techs like this, unlike transcription which can unfortunately go poof gone any day now. It's going to be hard, but I am going for it...gotta get out of this business I am sad to say of Mting.
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If I boil mine ahead of time, I go ahead and peel off the shell after they have (sm)
been sitting in a pan of cold water for about 30 minutes.
I get this to a certain degree also (sm)
It usually happens after quite a while of typing, and usually only when it is a little cold in the house, but I think it happens in warmer weather too. Mine doesn't sound as bad as yours though. It always resolves fairly quickly, does yours? I haven't had to wear gloves (yet). Let me know what you find out, if anything. I have always attributed it to poor circulation because my hands and feet seem to get cold easily, but I suppose it could be something else as well.
Sorry I didn't have any words of wisdom, just wanted to let you know that this happens to others as well and you are not alone!
Do you have a college degree, and in what?
I know there are MTs out there who have Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degrees. According to other posters, those of us with higher education who choose to do MT are pitiful.
what online degree are you looking at
.
However, a lot of people think getting a degree
is like getting an automatic ticket to an entirely different life with better job opportunities, more money, and career satisfaction. I thought that, too. Things have drastically changed out there, though. More and more people have degrees, so the competition is fierce. They're willing to work for less money, too, just to have A job, any job.
Also, minimum wage went up but middle wages didn't, cost of living went up, and wages have actually gone down in other industries besides MT due to offshoring.
I guess I'm just in an "if I knew then what I know now" mood. LOL None of my siblings went to college, and they're better off than I am. They make way more money than I do and don't have that monthly payment to make.
I love writing, too. Have you done any freelance writing or editing? If you get some clips built up, you might be able to break in based on talent instead of having a degree. With that specific career field in mind, it might be worth it for you to get a degree. I don't know how much competition there is in that field right now.
Bachelor's Degree
I have a BS in Communications 1990 with some graduate work. I worked as an instructor in a college doing medical assiting job placement and then I just kind of fell into transcription when my daughter was born in 1998.
PAs have at the very least a Bachelor's Degree ..
correct??
I think it's a 2 year degree (sm)
I looked into this also, but I think the pay is really low, like $7.50 an hour.
With your degree, there are a lot of things you could do.
This is only my opinion, so follow your yeart. As all the other posters have said, this is not an easy business to get into. Although many have done PT with young children, I could not have done it without help. My baby had special needs, though. When you consider working at home, the key word is "working". This job takes concentration and long hours at the keyboard. With many jobs you work a shift. My hours have been flexible, but you have deadlines, and you cannot always just stop to take care of your baby. My baby needed lots of attention. I was lucky in that my mom and mother-in-law kept her when I could not. I never tried to do transcription unless she was asleep or my husband was home. With a business administration degree, however, I think you would have a lot of options in starting your own business. Many people have done well with ideas they came up with themselves. I now do MT full-time now, but have other part-time home businesses that I am involved with as well.
Agree to a degree
I do agree to a degree but I do know that I have my clients basically because I do not balk at doing tapes and am agreeable to do them and accept them. Once they used me then they saw my quality but if I were to tell them it was digital or nothing, they would go somewhere that would come and pick up the tapes, that is medium that they wish to use. And if I pressed the point, I would be without 60K a year.
Might be something like a right-angled something-degree scope..nm
s
What are you planning to do with the psych degree?
x
How many jobs are out there (without a college degree) that actually pay this well? NM
A year???? Is that possible? What sort of degree is it? - nm
x
There are plenty more jobs if you have a degree
I live in Atlanta. If you go to craigslist.org right now and look under the admin. jobs section...there are dozens of jobs that pay 50,000 or more if you have a degree...in anything.
There are many jobs in many different fields that pay well. In many many cases, they just want the person to have a degree, it doesn't matter in what. The ad just says...must have a bachelor's degree.
I'm currently an MT and will graduate in May with a degree in Psychology. I intend to apply for some of those 50,000+ administrative jobs and feel very confident that I will get one.
There's still going to be some prerequisite degree you'll need before you do this. nm
s
I didn't know there was an associate degree for
Guess we do learn something new every day. How long did it take you to get this degree in MT? Did you go to college or tech school? If you have an associates degree in MT, you should be overloaded with job offers, I'd think...
I have a friend who did that, and the 2-year degree I don't think
has the salary range I am looking into. A master's degree may be a bit much, but I really have not seriously considered it. Maybe that is another thing I can speak with the counselor about. Thanks. :)
The cat story...that would be a good thing to not have to deal with, lol.
It will definitely be a challenge doing all this with the kids, but on the plus side, I am still young. I do have that advantage. So, are you doing the 2-year program or going to be a PT? Good luck on your application. :)
So true! Nowadays a B.S. Degree is just that --
hee
I believe you are my QA headache -- English degree -- uh la la nm
n
I'm aware of where this degree could lead - sm
I worked in the HIM dept of a hospital at the beginning of my 10 years in this field, so I know what position this degree could put me in. I also know that just the fact of having a degree is more than just being an MT and it will give me advantages than I currently have.
I do feel like this is almost a lost cause and that the MT industry is reaching the point of no return (or has already). I currently work for a fairly small transcription company and I am very thankful for the work that I have, even though I don't get paid what I would like, but I do have plenty of work and it is getting me by. I chose to go back to school because I don't want everything to turn upside down and I have nothing to fall back on. I wish all the best for the MT industry and if things do turn around I would never leave it, but I don't think that will be the case.
how often do you see ANY degree designations on credits? nm
x
Associates degree is not in different field.
Sorry if I wasn't clear in last post. There is only 1 hospital in my area, so there are not many jobs in the medical field where I live period. I went to school for 2 years and got an associates in Medical Administrative Specialist, which included 4 semesters of transcription courses (2 years worth). So, I have 5 years experience and an associates degree, but have been offered the same pay (7.5 cpl or lower usually) as those with 2 years experience and no degree. How does that seem well compensated?
2-year degree not valued . . .
That was what I was getting at. In a lot of other fields, a bachelor's degree will get you paid more than someone with an associates in the same. My thoughts (when entering school - and what the school told me) was that I would get paid more by having an associates instead of just a certificate. That is where my frustrating comes in. I wish I would have paid for a 4 month course instead of wasting money on a degree that hasn't gotten me anything more than a certificate would have. That was where I was going. I do not think I am well compensated only in that I wish I were getting paid more for having more education.
Do you have a bachelor's degree? I've thought about
but the lack of a bachelor's degree is really the main weeding-out tool/stumbling block for me, darn it. I didn't realize it was such a major requirement for this type of job too ... as far as http://www.fdch.com goes, anyway. I thought maybe not having experience in court reporting/CAT machine transcription would be the breaker, actually.
Interesting, but.... (sigh)
Currently working on bachelors degree in Psychology
:)
BA in psychology. Interesting how many of us have a psych degree.
nm
In the US, a business degree generally means an MBA...
That's a pretty good education, unless, of course, "business degree" means something different in India.
My own cousin, an op room RN with a Masters degree tried
and failed at MT. She asked me for advice before starting, but didn't take me seriously when I told her that there was more to it than she thought. But she tried and tested, and just couldn't get hired. Her mother, who is my mother's sister-in-law, was talking to my mom one day, and she said, "Geez, if your daughter can do it, surely mine can! She's a nurse!"
Well, hers couldn't.
Nice, Aunt, huh?
What do you need a Master's Degree in to be a science writer?
?
Don't do anything, just tell him to go ahead and do what he
has to do. If he's not for real, the threat has been not worked. If he is for real, he MUST have documentation to prove his case, or even then it's no use taking it to court. He will file in small claims probably, if less than $5000. He must prove his case, and you don't have to do anything, bottom line.
Don't get too ahead of yourself..
You may certainly have a valid argument, but don't base it on the "fact" that rad reports are all paid by report. I have been doing rad for over 12 years now, and have yet to be paid by report. Most are by the line, and any MTSO I have worked for, rad is one of the lowest line rates compared to other work type accounts. Yes, there are companies that pay by the report, but, I surely wouldn't go so far as saying that is the "norm".
Then go ahead. Not me.
nm
Go ahead
post it! You will feel so much better and be able to continue knowing you got your two cents in. Sometimes it makes you wonder about American standards for the practice of medicine, does it not? Doesn't it make sense that in America doctors should be able to communicate properly and have a handle on the language? Accents are not what I am talking about either. I am talking about vocabulary and grammar that can possibly cause a change outcome. This is a very serious business, medicine. Those who dictate should be qualified to dictate. Amen.
Associate's Degree in Medical Secretarial Science - sm
2-year program with emphasis on transcription. Terrific - wouldn't have learned it any other way. Taught me to be a good MT - not these quick-fix on-line programs where everyone things they can early a huge salary as soon as they are done.
33, Medical Secretary Degree, graduated in 1999
nm
too stupid to post on a board that i have a college degree and am going to be an MD?
OK you got me. I am a doctor and I come to this board to see how I can better serve the MT world. I stopped seeing so many patients and I have stopped continuing my education to post on this board. You got me guys. I'm a real life doctor and I post on the MT Stars board. You got a problem with that? Talk to my business manager after you obtain clearance with drug testing and background check. hahaha.
Now go away I'm Busy MD'ing.
My DH paid every dime of his bachelor's degree working....
36 hours a week and going to school. How did he do it? He didn't get involved in serious relationships because knee he would get sidetracked and wouldn't have the time to devote to school. It also helped that he lived in California where state college tuition is reasonable. For his master's degree, he borrowed the money from his father (only about 4,000) and paid every cent back right away (this was after we were married and had 2 kids).
Ten years here. I would get a bachelor's degree. This job is looked at like cashiers at the sto
Service owners aren't paying enough, hospitals are continually outsourcing all their work, so at one point or another, you will be working for a middle man for little wages and no benefits. This industry has gone from a respectable profession to monkeys at computers in their jammies with babies on their laps.
What's the code to insert a degree symbol in MS-Word...
I know it's alt+ a set of numbers. Thanks!
Take your medical degree into the office and voice your concerns.
How do you know the patient isn't getting the proper care? No two patients are alike, just because your child has the same condition doesn't mean anything. This parent probably has googled her child's condition and is working along with the doctor. As an MT, you should not talk about any patient even with the other people in the office. It is confidential information and very unprofessional.
So how would you know ahead of time if
problem with drinking? Don't mean to get off the subject but just wondering.
Ah, go ahead...don't be ashamed...
No one will laugh. And, most likely no one will slam you for it either. There are only a few really nasty, jealous people here. 
Go ahead and invest......SM please
Go ahead and pay for a decent program so you'll be set up. In all honesty (my opinion) you do not get the same kind of quality sound with these freebies as you do with the others. If you intend to do this job, at least get proper equipment.
IMHO
that should say *ahead of time*
x
Go ahead, tell us, what is abortion then?
x
go ahead rant!
One of my dictators smacks gum in my ear constantly and it drives me crazy because it is rude!!
thinking ahead
Yes, you are so right, be cordial and that's it. Her problems are not mine and she is very manipulative. My concern is mainly how this will affect my friendship with Patty who happens to be a very close friend of mine. Also, thinking ahead to the future, H's daughter is getting married. Wait! Before I get into this... H's daughter moved out yesterday. They had a huge fight and H kicked her out of the house. The daughter is now living with the fiance's family!!! I know they will patch it up probably in the near future... so here is my problem. About a month ago, H called me and said she is having a shower for her daughter on July 29 at 1:30 and I should mark the date. I said "I'm busy that day" and I was joking, but I wish I was busy. First of all, I hate showers and I hate Pampered Chef parties which she is also always having...and I never go !!! :)
I don't go to those. Secondly, I want to backpedal from this family as much as possible. H is the type who will never speak to me again if I don't go to the shower. All advice is appreciated. I guess if she isn't talking to me maybe she will not send the invitation... but I can't count on that.
Go ahead, argue with me on how you all think
Lets see the moral ethics flow.
Paying below poverty... minimum wage is POVERTY, yet, below that.. what a joke.
So many drs, so many specialites, can't get ahead!
Ugh, I've been working for a National for about a month now, and they keep throwing new drs and new specialities at me everyday, and it's so frustrating. My line count gets lower it seems, instead of higher. Is this normal?
I've been an MT for 10 years, but worked for a local small company until they went out of business. This national thing is completely new to me, and I'm not liking it so far. Just when I was getting comfortable about 2 weeks ago, they threw new docs and new specialities at me, and I can't seem to keep up. Very frustrating!!
go ahead girl
I know it is very fustrating when you are spending your time which you aren't paid for trying to make sure that the report is right by researching extensively. And some of the dictators are so inconsiderate like when they decide to eat while dictating and talk with the food in their mouth so it makes it hard to make out what they are saying and sometimes they arent eating anything just dont have the courtesy to make the dictation as clear as they can. I have a clinic account where some reports have to be sent back with a blank name for a cc or letter to referrring physician because there are more than one doc. with that same last name in the same city and they think you should know who they are talking about. And sometimes they may both be just general practioners so you have no idea based on their specialty either. We definitely don't get paid enough to do their research. It does make you want to just throw the reports out to get the line counts and leave blanks and let them figure it out.
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