I joined in the 70's because their goal then was professional wages.
Posted By: mimi on 2008-03-31
In Reply to: Compensation for Medical Transcriptionists - Barry Wattss
it's 2008. they must not be very good at what they do. However, they do self promote extremely well.
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and joined?
Do they keep your info confidential - don't want to be fired, but I do want to join.
I saw this too, I joined.
Certainly can't hurt.
I joined when they first started. sm
I disagree totally with old MT, so sorry. I trust we are allowed our opinions. Other than being a really expensive publishing house (Stedmans is way better AND cheaper) they haven't fulfilled any promises, espeically the most important ones. Now reading this, they are actually in India meeting with the Indians and forming a "network." Whose interest do they have at heart? Sorry, I quit them and I am glad I quit them. Let them make their money stabbing us in the back. I think clubs like AAMT are oftentimes just a social event with an empty payback. And that's how I see AAMT. There are too many bad CMTs out there to make the CMT worth anything. I guess this is the way the steel industry and automotive industry went, head in the sand and daily platitudes from the higher ups tht all was well. I guess it is in AAMT-land, where THEIR pockets are lined, just like corporate America. It never hurts to live in the real world. Phooey on AAMT.
re-joined AAMT
I re-joined AAMT. Especially appreciate the journal articles and quizzes about diseases, procedures and medications I would not otherwise know. I feel more competent because of this and probably save time looking things up.
I joined for free as they do not take
any payment info, so therefore they cannot automatically bill you. Just wanted to check it out.
Don't do it! I wasted my money when I joined, and
I will NOT be renewing. They support offshoring. They're trying to get an RMT exam up and running now, hoping that it will become essential to employment (right now it's elective). They support an apprenticeship program on which they helped get the ball rolling with AHIMA. This program hasn't come out yet but will if they can iron out the wrinkles. This program calls for TWO YEARS of apprenticeship making practically minimum wage to start and not ending much higher than that. It will only accept graduates from AAMT-approved schools, and it's going to drive the MT pay rate down even further! As if we need that!
And I could tell you more stories!
Joined up with the old folks group and
starting doing ceramics and now they have a travel group, wanting to plan a trip to Italy. That is right down my alley! Another trip before too long is Macinaw (spelling?) Island in Michigan. Now with my other 2 vacations this year, this senior citizen group should just be the therapy I need.
Your child JOINED military. Did she do so with
Sounds like apple doesnt fall far from tree if she made life changing move with no forethought. You say this is 2nd tour. To me that that means she and her hubby signed up for second time so its not like this was sprung on all of you. You need to learn to look ahead and plan better. And I dont mean plan on better ways to rob your fellow citizens.
not a shock - they were bought or joined up with Healthscribe
who has a huge office in India and does not make it a secret that they outsource. Healthscribe also got into a bit of trouble a couple of years ago for "altering" lines on US transcriptionists;
When I joined a couple of years ago it was something like $30 a month and you could either pay
monthly or have it deducted automatically from your account. If you elected to pay monthly, I think the membership went up about $5 to $10.
There wasn't any high pressure sales. I basically called them and asked could I come in a check it out and they give you like a week trial or two weeks (my memory is sooo bad!). Then if you decide to become a member, you fill out the paperwork and they weigh and measure you (fun, fun) and file it all away. And then periodically they will ask if you want to be weighed and measured to see how much you've lost.
They are really encouraging there (at mine anyway). They gave way prizes for different things like if you came a certain amount of times in like three months, you got a T-shirt. And then there are prizes for when you lose 10, 20, etc pounds. And at mine everyone had a little paper doll that started out at 0 and when you lost weight you moved your little paper doll around on the wall. It was kind of fun.
Well, I've just convinced myself! 
I wish I had read this board before I joined Softscript
Not only were they liars and cheats but they are incredibly Dumb. The VP of Human Resources has to be one of the most incompetent people on the face of the earth. No, don't quit your good job for THIS MESS. Run away! Run away!
I'd be interested in joining that lawsuit...
Her child was not drafted, JOINED military. Do
x
this is my goal too...
haven't reached it just yet, though.
what is the LPH goal they have for you?
x
Definitely have a goal! sm
I certainly want to be involved in high-level administration. I have arranged some interviews with several professionals to get more of a realistic scope of their positions so I can tailor my educational pathway accordingly.
Thank you so much for responding!
If you need a goal, then set your
own goal based upon what you are doing now. Stop comparing yourself to others. What if you found out the other gals are doing twice as much as you? Will you magically find a way to do twice as much as you are now, or will you feel worthless because you are only half as good an employee?
You SHOULD BE DOING your own personal best, always, no matter what everyone else is doing.
The ultimate goal
is accurate, timely reports to facilitate patient care, and whatever comes along to accomplish this will be used. We know it won't happen overnight, but , as we all know, new methods are being tried as we speak. Nothin' stays the same.
I sit a goal for myself, on 8 hours
I usually am hitting 3000 but that is both VR and straight. I do not want to work full time anymore so figured it would take about that a day in order to work just part like I want but still to get a decent salary.
My goal is $150/day, only type
I am a slow typer so I need all of the info that I can get about expanders/short cuts. I am only getting 7cpl and can type about 135 lph (slow I know). Anyway, I need to be making $150 a day at least. What do I need to do specifically to accomplish this in a 6 to 8 hour day? I have Instant Text.... Thanks
I joined forces with the 3 original MTs in their pursuit to bring MQ to court.
Get over yourself.
FOLLOWUP: We are now only $75.00 away from reaching our goal.
You generous donations are amazing and truly appreciated. Once the goal is reached, I will be walking into Walmart to speak to the store manager about getting a gift card to this family back east and know that the MTs children WILL have Christmas this year!
THANK YOU!
FOLLOWUP: We now only need $15.00 and we will have reached our goal
and I will be on my way to Walmart. You are all fantastic people to be so giving. I know that it's hard to scrape bucks together working in this industry and at this time of the year, so again THANK YOU for your emergency donations!
goal is 10,000 lines a week!... :) nm
x
Do you have a goal job you're shooting for? sm
I did not, so I figured the BS in HIM with the RHIA was my best bet, thinking I would be readily qualified for any job in HIM. Not quite true, but I never regretting spending the time, effort, and money on it to earn it. Had I KNOWN that I wanted to be coder, or a tumor registrar specifically, I probably would have opted for just their respective certifications, but I was young and not really sure where I wanted to end up. Interestingly, I found myself with a much harder job search than I'd been led to believe would be true. I couldn't get entry-level HIM jobs because I was perceived as 'overqualified' and offices felt I would quit and move on as soon as a better opportunity came along; but I couldn't get management-type jobs because my only experience was the clinicals I did during school--understandably so, I didn't want to manage when I didn't really know what i was doing! Your certification says "administrator" but your resume doesn't.
Best of luck to you, the education is never wasted. You'll get different opinions on certification, but your classroom learning and clinicals are well worth it.
This info would probably have helped reach your goal this morning! LOL Thanks! nm
n
Dishes once a week? My goal is to live life better than the day before.
Try to enrich my life, even if it's just a little extra prayer or a little thoughtful thing for someone who doesn't expect it. Everyday.
My goal is to eventually add commentary and humor/satire/etc...sm
I'm not talented in all those areas and hope to attract other MTs who are. There's no money in it at this point, unfortunately.
Jay
My goal every year is $52k, which I have done for the past 2 years working sm
for Keystrokes. I do radiology only, I should mention. I took the amount I wanted (actually needed) to make in a year, divided it by 52 weeks, divided it by 5 days, came up with $1000 per week or $200 per day. I divided that by 8 hours and by my report rate ($1.25). I know that I need to transcribe 20 reports per hour on average. I keep a tally. Some days, it takes me longer to do than others, but I sit down and do my 8 hours every single day. I use my Expander a LOT (literally for all but a few words). I am on one account, so I know those doctors inside and out. If I am short at the end of the week, I ask if there is work available on the weekend for me to do. The most I end up with 2 hours to make up what might have been short during the week.
At $40k, you would need to make $153.85 per day, or $19.23 per hour. At $0.07, you need to type 275 lines per hour, or 2200 for the day. This should be very easy to get with using an expander and sitting down with a set schedule.
It takes a while to get used to making sure you hit your internal quota every day. I have to think of it daily and make it up on Saturday or Sunday so that I never start a week behind my personal goal.
I also take an incentives that are handed out (for instance if they are asking for help in a backlog situation at increased rate) and work at least a partial shift on holidays. If I am ahead at the end of the week, I carry it to the next week and know that I have some lines in my internal quota bank.
I know this sounds weird, but it works for me. I have helped a few others to get to their goals as well, and this seems to work for them too.
I would also look for something that is more in the 0.08 to 0.09 per line range. Ask your lead for production tips. Ask other transcriptionists. It is very possible for us to make good money, we just have to focus on our goals.
I have a sales background, which involved sales quotas. This is easier as I am in control of my daily production, not on someone else's decisions.
Good luck!
My personal goal is when my mortgage is paid off by half - just 125K to go!
Then I will cut back to part time and let hubby carry me. :-) He makes lots more than I do now anyway.
lie detector tests too huh busy. just to see if everyone tells the truth about credentials and goal
I think they should check your medical and psychiatriac records too and see what type of medications you may be prescribed. Maybe they could interview your neighbors and family to see if you have a history or lying or fabricating, delusions of grandeur, bipolar or just plain character flaws. I have noted that on these boards sometimes people tend to fabricate. hahaha. bwaaaaaaahaaaaaaa
Check it all out before you can get a job working at home. I mean the pay is worth it to go through all the hoops and if you are exposed as a deviant too bad. No sense it taking ridiculous risks for .8 cents per line doiing medical transcription when you can ship it to India for way cheaper to all those good souls who don't have any vices.
Professional
You sound like a "professional" with an attitude. Maybe you had better seek some therapy or meditation. What ever happened to "judge not, lest ye be judged" and treating others like you would like to be treated? Like I said before, maybe it was just an honest mistake. Apparently he has some degree of professionalism to have been approached by two different doctors. Take a look at his work before you pass judgement.
Professional
No, this isn't religion 101, it is LIFE 101. If you treat everyone you know the way you treat most of the people on this board, I would expect that you will be losing your professional position, as well, real soon. My error rate is quite fine, thank you, but I do have the heart to forgive others "their" mistakes, too. Maybe you need to find another place to work for. MQ does not seem to be agreeing with you. You also have too much time to be responding to job boards. I wonder how much work you get done in a day. HMMMM???? The truth of your anger was in your last post...."maybe you are one of those recruiters that will hire just about anyone, including illiterate people, TO TAKE MORE OR OUR JOBS AWAY." your insecurity is showing. Don't take it out on innocent people. Deal with your own issues first. Good luck to you. Life is tough. Suck it up.
HERE'S HOW A PROFESSIONAL WOULD DO IT ..
OLD TIMEY MT eh?!! Here's how a professional would have written the ad:
Seeking a well-seasoned medical transcripitonist with a vast fund of medical knowledge, and who has experience with computers, transcription software, FTP, expanders, and reference software for the transcription industry. Seeking an individual comfortable with computer technology and willing to learn our proprietary software.
...that's it, that's all she needed to post. If that person was professional, the first rule is to state what you are looking for, NOT what you don't want. Be clear and specific, not make negative statements because it only reflects on the person writing the ad and the company. Shame, shame.
professional
This is major. Seek a professiong, I live in the South and still see Blue Hairs and Pink Hairs. How it comes out depends on the texture of your hair, your base color and many other factors. That's why its costs. I would be leary of anyone who did it under $125.00
As a professional...
I expect the same courtesy I give. The doctors want clear, easy to understand reports; I want clear, easy to understand dictation. I don't care if it is ESL or English or poor communicator in general: if you want someone to type what you say, say it clearly. I think it would be unprofessional to accept substandard quality; that's part of what has gotten this profession into the jam that we're in as it is.
non-professional?
What?! We look non-professional just because we work at home? Ridiculous! Professional depends on the person, not the location. And you mentioned doctors working at home... Most docs in the past worked at home and they were very professional. And have you not seen Cosby? ha Professional is an attitude, a person's demeanor, not a location. Who wants to work in an office with all the politics and garbage when there is a perfectly good, honest, respectable, AND PROFESSIONAL option to work at home? I have been in business over 15 years AT HOME and have never had anyone tell me I was unprofessional. I think it is very honorable and a blessing from God to be able to be with my kids, and I support anyone trying to do the same.
Not very professional to
transcribe a report on somebody you know personally. Would you want one of your family members or friends to look at your medical records, especially if there were things you wanted kept private? I am shocked that any MT would do this and call themselves a professional. There may not be a law, I don't know, but it would certainly make a valid lawsuit if it ever came out and rightfully so.
You say you are being professional
But then you are saying you will do it on the side like a hobby for extra cash. What's the difference? You are talking out of both sides of your mouth.
Yes I have kids and I am no less of a professional than you and I do a good job. No I couldn't take my kids to work, so I telecommuted for the hospital 3 days a week. My kids are school age. I've been doing this for 19 years. So don't tell me that it's not professional to work from your home.
But, there was a lady with a sick bird and the boss let her bring it in and kept in her office so she could feed it! HA! No kids, but birds were allowed. Well, there was one girl that was allowed to have her kid there while she worked, but she wasn't an MT, she was a secretary.
Now you see why I left to come home to my safe haven where I am making almost twice as much as I did at the hospital. No, this will never be my side gig. This is my main professional career and I'm darned good at it and I'm glad to help sick people and professionals in the healthcare industry document medical records. I'm not afraid to research anything and don't care how long it takes either. I'll get the answer! And no, I have no desire to be QA because I'm an MT and that's what I'll be God Willing and the creek don't rise!
$25/hr. = Low Wages?
I think at $25 per hr. I'm making a bit more than the manager of the French Fry Department at Mickey D's...
QA wages
Anyone out there have an idea of what a QA person should be paid per hour if working at home?
wages
If you keep abreast with current events/news pertaining to the economy you will find that ours is not the only profession whose wages have not increased from levels in the 1990s. It is a lot of people as well who have to leave their homes to go to work for maybe the same that we make every day.
wages
I am not putting you down but if you have been in this business for 20 years and have been reading this board --give me a break you should be able to project what you will be earning especially if you have had your own accounts. Especially if you have seen your wages go up and down, cannot believe you are asking this if -- like I said -- you have been in this business 20 years.
Wages
I don't know about anyone else but I make the same amount of money if not more doing VR than I used to doing transcription, at least when there's work. Lately the middle to end of the week I have nothing to do! I personally am only doing this while I finished my bachelor's that I needed to apply to grad school which I start this fall when I'll quit. I don't think that VR will ever replace MTs entirely because it just is too important to have perfect medical records and VR just isn't perfect especially since doctors do dumb things like talk to other people, correct themselves, mumble, etc.
wages
Just know from my experiences in the last 25 years that doctors are notoriously CHEAP... Do the best you can and if you can't get as much or more money than you are making now, I'd stay where you are. Just my humble opinion. Been there, done that many times.
wages
Wages also depend on where you are located. In house jobs and small independents are going to pay less in rural and struggling areas because they can. In rural areas jobs also depend on who you know. They would rather pay a untrained local rather than a trained outsider. Speaking from the voice of experience.
the wages were no more than they sm
are now when I started, the books were just as expensive. you buy one at a time and build from there. A good reference library is a MUST in this business. If you can get by with the internet search I guess that's ok, but I see people who are not searching at all.
I think 90% of the questions would be answered if folks would invest at least in a Medical Phrase Index. Sorry but its part of the job.
wages
What no one says is that MT wages are considerably lower in rural areas and small cities. Do not be specific but it would help if geographic locations, were mentioned by posters if making more.
I think you should MYOB also. If she is a professional,
she is simply doing her job without getting personally involved in the particulars and as long as she is doing it on her own time and using her own equipment, then I do not see a problem.
dream on, Ms. Professional...sm
profession is defined as, "a
calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic
preparation." Hardly MT work. 
Professional flyers
I do flyers and they are very "professional" and so what if they offer a free car wash. I found that most office managers just want to "look" to see what it offers and I feel opening a letter is sometimes takes "too much time" while at a flyer they can just turn over and read immediately what it is about. Again, I think whether letter or flyers if you are at the right place at the right time, you can nab an account. And yes, have gotten several accounts that way and one has been with me for 18 years. So probably either works, I just prefer the flyer. But remember just like selling a house, it takes time and you have to put it out there to several hundred to get a bite. And once I get a bite I then go in and talk to them taking cookies or something. Also when I am looking for a new account I do several mailings about 6 - 10 weeks apart so I stay fresh in everyone's mind. I also inform my present docs and their gals and offer a small bonus to anyone that helps me land a new account I am sure that everyone has their way of soliciting for new accounts and it has worked for them and so they feel it is "the only way to go" but whatever route you take you have to get out there, be visible and that means to a lot of people as with that also you get word of mouth between offices.
Good luck.
You are so right! So professional its totally
unbelievable. If I weren't living it, I would never believe it.
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