He's stating statistics and facts. You're LOL-ing

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Medical Transcriptionists

Well above 90% female with an average age of 49

Most were on-the-job trained for years prior to the development of formal transcription curricula

Majority of new entrants receiving too little education and/or training

Retiring faster than qualified transcriptionists are entering the market

The vast majority resides in the US; however, increasing quantities of entrants are from offshore including

India , Pakistan , Philippines , the Caribbean , etc.

 

they will be written in disappearing ink. 

Make up a theory and build on it.  That's the best fact you will have

from this joke of a corporation.  It is a non-business.  The more deep they get

into the world of transcription the more complicated and nonsensical it becomes.

We are so FAR removed at this point from what the job was originally designed to

do it's impossible to recognize the goal.

p.s. the original GOAL was:  Transcribe what an English speaking physician dictated in place of him having to write it out.  They were clear, distinct, and appreciative of the chance to get home to dinner on time instead of sitting writing notes for 2 hours after making rounds. 

A lot of legal-ese, mumbo, jumbo, useless lab values garbled in a nurse cackling station in the hallway was not where they dictated - nor were they doing it in a car, on a boat, in the men's bathroom, or in the doctor's lounge with one eye on the football game.  They were in the MR room in a soundproof cubby with their charts.

All a transcripionist did was put a tape in the machine, type the name of the patient as good as she could make out from the doctor's dictation - type the report - take the paper out of the typewriter, put a sticker on the bottom of the page HISTORY AND PHYSICAL and the like and put it in a stack for the MR clerk to put the Pat ID number and other info in the little box at bottom of the report.

If we couldn't make out what the doctor was saying, we could get up from our chair, go to the files 2 feet away, pull the chart, and look at the word, number, name of whatever we had question about.

We were not "bean counters", doing transcription as an after-thought.  Ever since the time they put MTs in front of a computer we have become DATA ENTRY first and foremost, collecting information, and along with that trying to still PRODUCE the same amount of reports as we used to squeezed into the same 8 hours - while trying to now understand illiterate people calling themselves doctors and who have lost every bit of respect for the person at the other end of the dictation line and who have become for the most part rude buffoons hardly due the title of human being much less physician.

And to top it all off, now with all the added functions companies want from an MT they want to pay less. 

If the company is advertising for "shifts" meaning 7 a to 3 p, then that is an employee that they need, not an IC. 

ICs choose their own hours; yes they do.  Anything dictated by an MTSO for shifts meaning the MT must be accountable for those hours equals EMPLOYEE, not IC.

The OP is absolutely correct.  These MTSOs take advantage by instituting a shift or schedule.  As an employee, that's great.  The reason behind the MTSO doing this is that they feel they can just not hire the employees which cost more money and get away with not paying the taxes.  So many MTs fall for this scheme. 

This is the whole reason you see posts about companies that hire ICs and then ICs are on here complaining of no/low work and there is nothing they can do about it. 

Such a shame not all of us are smart enough to see this racket, which is what it is a "racket."

Kudos to MTSOs who hire employees.  Bah Humbug to MTSOs who hire ICs and then dictate the hours or shifts to that IC.  When in fact an IC equals self-employed which means I make my own hours. 

They may or may not decide to keep you.  You don't really "ask" as an IC.  You "state" as an IC.  You will risk them finding cheaper services.  So, you need to ask yourself if it is worth losing the account for a few more cents per line.  The only other thing you could do is attach an "administrative fee" to each bill and let them know it is for tasks not related to the actual production; this would be a little raise.

The bottom line is that raises are nonexistent as an IC.  Normally what quote you've given them in the start of the work is what they expect to pay or they'll find someone cheaper like an offshore company.  I wouldn't stir the waters if I was you, but that's just me. 

I tried to barter with one account over a raise and the doctor met me halfway.  I was being paid per page.  I had to drop him though because once I raised the rate, he quit paying me on time.  I guess I was last on the list.  He switched to me doing handwritten note dictation (no dictation).  It was hard on the neck and eyes, so I quit.

During the "season," the weather's great - the lines are long, and the prices are shooting through the roof.

During the summer, it's just the opposite, but the weather's so hot and humid you'd swear you've got steam coming out your ears. 

recognize the BOS as an authoritative guide for medical writing.  Fact.  No "personal feelings" are involved. 

Now, my PERSONAL FEELINGS are that I hate to see people waste their money.  Way too many MTSOs and MTs have been duped into believing the BOS is an authority. 

wide open and landing accounts with no contacts was an easy thing to do, I'd tell the OP to go for it and good luck.  But I know from experience what is true.  I have plenty of accounts and ALL of them came my way via connections.  First I worked as an MT in a hospital for many years and I left there to start my own business and from my hospital connections accounts came my way.  Then my clients referred accounts to me.  Not one of my clients has come from advertising or cold calling or sending letters of introduction or flyers.  Not one.

This is in response to a post made earlier to the MT who wanted to know if EMR is doing away with MTs. 

To answer your question, I would only direct you to the "job's wanted" board here, as well as to various other MT boards around.  Seeing the vast number of companies who are screaming for qualified MTs should answer your question and put your fears to rest.

EMR is too expensive and cumbersome for the vast majority of docs to use.  They will either have to pay big bucks for it and spend their time playing secretary or hire someone to do the input, which equals employee - benefits - paid vacation time - paid personal time, yada, yada, yada.  WHERE'S THE SAVINGS?  There is none. 

If the doc wants to play secretary and input the info himself, he's cutting his own throat doing it as he's earning secretarial wages instead of M.D. wages. 

EMR will not and never will wipe out our industry.