Look in your area for medical secretary jobs
Posted By: especially at larger facilities where you may on 2007-02-22
In Reply to: How is one going to get experience, when no one will hire without experience???? - Birdie
get a chance to transcribe. You have to understand that a lot of MT's are wanting to work from home. The ones with the experience are the ones that will most likely get the positions before someone fresh out of school. Even though some students do better than others, this field still takes the experience. You can't really blame the companies, it is their loss when you can't produce because of lack of experience, and I do not mean this in an unkind way. Think about it though if you were offer a job with benefits... who would you choose? The one with the experience right? I know it is such a catch-22, but I guess the training institutes do not clue you in on this part. I agree with the other posters, try to get a small local account for yourself and do not set your expectations too high at first. You'll gain experience and self-confidence. 
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IC to medical secretary
 Thanks everyone for your input. I have a lot to consider and you all have been a great help.
Probably medical records or unit secretary
In my area the pay is about 50 cents less an hour than MT seems like a gravy job compared to this.
33, Medical Secretary Degree, graduated in 1999
nm
Any medical centers in hurricane area need help?
How can we find out and how can we help?
The changes are in the medical care area. Doctors want to make
They are cutting costs where ever they can. It makes sense to cut costs. But, human error can occur in a place where lawsuits are allowed. I think we will be a safety net for awhile, until a cap is placed on the amount of awards, anyway. I do EMR also. But, they still do dictation a little bit just so they remember who the patient is and can keep the referring physicians well informed.
I just got an account that I under bidded on. My competition one of the nationls (states with an S) but they wanted the work done close to home. Radiology.
Medical transcription jobs from home
Anyone know which companys are for real, and where can you find jobs on line to work at home? Is it best just to start your own business, does anyone have any tips on how to get started? Thanks
It's not just about mistakes and it's not just about medical transcription jobs. SM
It's about the unemployment rate rising in our country while American jobs are sent to third world countries. It's about the ability to protect our medical data and our identities. The government makes laws to protect our health information and our privacy, but then our records are sent to another country where the laws cannot be enforced. So who is accountable when the unforseen happens?
I get so tired of the MTs who have the "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" mentality or say we have crappy MTs here and so it's okay to send the work to another country. That shortsighted thinking. Sure there are crappy American MTs. Look in any profession and there will be crappy workmanship from somebody. That is no excuse to offshore. If you are an employer, you develop a hiring and testing process that weeds out the uneducated or underqualified candidates. And when you find the one that meets the qualifications and passes the test, then you pay them what they are worth! You show them they are appeciated and respected by paying them for their skills and offering them a great benefit package.
You get what you pay for. If you going to pay an American MT 8 cpl, then you are probably gonna get a fast typist who makes a ton of mistakes because in order for her to put food on her table, she has to produce, produce, produce at 8 cpl. If you are going to offshore your work to an Indian MT at 2 cpl, then you are going to have a fast foreign typist who doesn't have a solid grasp of the English language and makes tons of mistakes and all of his or her work will likely have to be proofread by an American MT who has taken 4 cpl to be an editor, but she isn't really an Editor because all she does is fast-foward to blanks and fill them in and send it on to the client because in order to put food on her table she's got to do twice a much as the MTs.
It is a viscious, never-ending circle as long as we let it be. You need to jump off the merry-go-round. It's the only way out.
PA - Pittsburgh area is one locale, Philadelphia area also.
TriState area - PA, NJ, DE.
IC MT to Unit Secretary - sm
Do you like to answer the phone? Do you like to file? Do you like to have people order you around? Are you neat and organized? Can you do three or four things at once? If yes, then go for it. The hours 7 pm to 7 am may not be as busy as when I worked during the day, but your hospital may well be busier, depending on what type of unit you're on. I learned a tremendous amount working as a unit secretary, one thing being I didn't want to be around people anymore, the pubic being the most obnoxious of them all. An doctors in person can be very arrogant too; a lot different than on the other end of the line. Don't know how you will do those hours with small children, but good luck to you.
IC to unit secretary
You brought up some excellent points! Since you have done both US and MT, you definitely would say that you prefer the MT over the unit secretary?
Thanks for your input!!
I agree with Former Unit Secretary sm
Great job, learned a hell of lot, meds,diseases, etc., but I worked days and weekends, notoriously busy,busy,busy, and saw a lot that I just didn't like. Staff personalities are really much worse behind the nursing station than they are on the floor, believe me. Got tired of getting reamed by doctors who thought I was the nurse just because I answered the phone. I never had as much problem with IBS as I did then. If anything went wrong, a med order, lab order, whatnot, it fell on my shoulders. You need a tough skin to work days, nights might be easier, who knows. My skin thinned out faster with that job than 13 years of prednisone usage did. Good luck
Whether or not to leave IC MT job for unit secretary job at hospital???
HELP, PLEASE!!! I am currently an IC, which I have been for eight years, and I recently applied for a nursing unit secretary position at the local hospital. I interviewed and who would have guessed it, they offered me the job. The position is third shift, 7pm to 7am three nights a week. I do have little kids to think of when considering this. My ultimate goal is to go to nursing school and I am thinking that working in the hospital will be good experience. I don't know if it will be easier to go to nursing school while working as an MT or as a unit secretary. I am having a hard time deciding what to do. I don't know if I would be better off staying put even though I have no motivation to sit down and type or should I take this chance to do something new. Like with any new job I am afraid that I won't like it but I don't particularly care for this current job. What do you think would be the better move? I know you can't make my decision for me but some input on what you would do in my situation would be helpful. Any advice is truly appreciated.
Thanks!! 
MT goes unit secretary ... check out my story!
Ive been an MT for 13 years. I was an IC for 10 years, and a FTE for a local hospital for the last 3 years. I came back from vacation in June to discover my lovely boss was interviewing companies to outsource the MT department. He lied to us - told us not to worry - and then a month later our union received the '60 day notice' letter and we were out on our assess. I took a job as a unit secretary - and a $5 an HOUR paycut along with it, working 3-11 and alternate weekends. Am I crazy to do this. Well yes and no. I'm keeping my awesome union benefits, building toward being vested in 2 more years, and just landed an IC MT job doing guess what: MY OLD JOB. The company that outsourced us hired me. I plan to rake in the bucks in the AM and do the b.s. job at night. 3-11 is half the work as a day job - plus you get the shift differential. Wish me luck ! Joanne
In MT ads on the net, more and more I see ads for combo positions - MT/front desk, MT/secretary, etc
b
Take at home transcription job or unit secretary job at hospital?
I've been an MT for 12 years and have worked at home doing MT for 10 years. Recently got replaced by EMR so had to find work elsewhere. I took a job at a local hospital as a unit secretary working 3-11 now I have been offered a job with a national transcription company. I'm not sure if I should go back to transcribing since the line count/money making potential has me worried. I've been assured that I will never run out of work but I'm worried that I will actually be working longer than the 8 hour shift in order to make the amount of money I need. I would love to be back home with my kids typing again as I miss not seeing them as much as I used to and they want me to be home. I am just not sure if I should stay in a job at the hospital which has a guaranteed amount of money per pay period since I'm being paid by the hour and not by the line where my paycheck can vary. Any thoughts/suggestions/opinions, recommendations out there? Any and all would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!!
Another one from back when it wasn't an insult to be called Secretary
I actually went to a secretarial program at the local technical school. AND I learned Gregg shorthand, but haven't thought about that in a number of years. Boy are you all bringing back memories.
Now everyone is an administrative assistant. Secretary is much easier to say.
Unit secretary will help somewhat with terms, meds, and learning the flow of the shift, but it won&#
s
supposed to be, after people lose their jobs, they are forced to take part-time, lower-paying jobs..
with little to no benefits. service jobs. where are you going to work in a few years, when Medical Transcription is replaced by technology? McDonald's, Walmart? you really going to like that?
I would buy new a Dorland's Medical Dictionary, Stedmans Medical and Surgical Equipment...SM
and Tessier's The Surgical Word Book, 3rd edition. Books you could buy used I would say would be Stedman's Pathology and Lab Medicine and Cardiology/Pulmonary word book. These are all the books I use the most during my day. You could buy other speciality word books as you need them and could probably go used with those.
I wouldn't bother with buying a drug book, new editions come out every year and I just stick to the FDA website and RXList as my drug references.
Also FYI, not a book, but I use my Stedman's Electronic Medical Dictationary a lot. It's easier to open the program than it is to pick up a huge 30-pound dictionary.
Several jobs on Monster & CareerBuilder for inhouse office jobs down there through an
s
I did 3 jobs for a while about 3 years ago, you burn out quick, I was doing 3 MT jobs though...after
10 months I cut down to 2 as I don't like to have all my eggs in one basket. But I am considering going down to 1 in September for my sanity, its a good steady job so financally it should not be an issue. I have 2 right but have not worked the 1 in about 3 weeks due to some problems at their end, supposed to learn a VA account but not sure if I want to pursue it right now or not, they are waiting to hear from me at this point. I still have a lot going on with chemo, etc. so am mulling things over. But if you have a full-time day job, then I would just go with 1 part-time MT job at night, unless 1 is during the week, and the other weekends only, then of course you will be working 7 days a week, very tiring I know. I have been working 7 days a week for 3 years now but I do slack off now and then of course to recharge and get sleep etc. But burnout happens fast and I doubt you want to lose your day job so be careful. Good luck. 
Medical Transcription In The Era Of Electronic Medical Records
EMR has revolutionized the healthcare industry in recent times. Many experts felt that EMR & Voice Recognition would totally replace Medical Transcription - however; the industry soon realized that transcription has certain advantages over point & click charting and many physicians preferred to dictate notes rather than document the data at the point of care themselves.
Two jobs very common, 3 jobs not unheard of.
x
At ease, soldier! This isn't a medical document. I repeat, this isn't a medical document. nm
x
I've thought about coding. My DH does medical coding and I think with an MT's medical termino
background and anatomy and physiology knowledge, a transition into coding wouldn't be hard at all. From what I can tell by looking through my husband's books, an MT would have to learn insurance regulations and legalities. We've basically got all the medical background down or we should be if we're worth our salt as an MT.
I even contacted AHIMA and found that the qualifications for taking the CCS or CCP coding exams are completion of the a coding program, RHIT program, or RHIA or related work experience. Transcription is part of HIM, albeit the red-headed stepchild of the HIM department, but a part nonetheless and so satisfies the qualification of having work experience.
The test is tough though. My husband didn't pass it his first time out and I think I read something like only 20% or so pass it the first time. So it would probably be best to take some sort of formal coding class, in my opinion.
Yup! Not only short jobs, but also jobs from
extremely difficult dictators, bad sound files, jobs that need lots of ADT info added, and anything else that is not "easy" to do. I also questioned them about this and was told the same - they do not allow cherrypicking. Definitely not true!
medical abbreviation list and medical drug list
Hi,
Anyone there who could help me out finding the latest abbreviations list.
I even want the latest drug list because my current program does not have many drugs.
So if anyone could suggest anything which is available online for informationd quick look purposes.
any help for medical abbreviation list and medical drug list would be very helpful.
Your English teacher does not do medical reports. This is for medical reports.
.
Is DSL not available in your area?
It's worth it to have it. It's tax deductible as a business/work expense. It's only about $35 a month here total, compared to $20 a month for dial-up. It's so much faster, more reliable and easier to use than dial-up. It also doesn't tie up your phone line like dial-up does, so no need for a second phone line and no getting bounced off the Internet when someone calls while you're trying to work. I'd still have it even if I couldn't write it off on my taxes.
I'm in the D/FW area and we have taken in several ...
and Dallas is making sure the children are in school, there are special job fairs to make sure the adults get jobs, even though our economy was terrible to start with, companies are making jobs for them, and every one that is interviewed says they are never going home and making their home here in Dallas/Fort Worth. I know they need places to say, what happened to them is terrible, but this area really did not need the strain of all the added people. Several of the people have been offered new housing back in their state or such, but they say they do not want to move again. I just think everyone needs to be looking at the big picture as to what is going to happen in the long run, as New Orleans is going to need some of their residents to come back and help rebuild. I have a son that has been looking for a job for over a year in the field he went to school for and has had no luck and now he has to compete against 1000s more people. I just don't get it.
If you have one in your area, may I
They are a corporation who apparently does give a rat's a** about its employees. They don't give their top people big bonuses, etc. and instead pay their employees a living wage...a REAL living wage and have one of the best reputations for treating their employees like real human beings from all I've read about them.
See if this is in your area
http://www.wildblue.com/
bay area MT
Since you mentioned you were also from CA, I was wondering if you have seen much about relocalization and eating local? I have read a lot about this and try to only purchase goods that are produced within 100 miles of my home in the South Bay or if not available within that radius, only from our state. I have also started my own vegetable garden growing different types of squash, lettuce, spinach as well as others in addition to fruit. Everything I am growing is either from seed that is not genetically modified and is organic or I purchased from the nursery from organic growers. My housemate is suprised at how much variety we have with our container gardening. She was just saying this morning that she never realized how easy it was to grow things yourself.
Another thing to support your local farmer is to sign up for a CSA. They had an article not too long ago about how organic goods really wanted by consumers, but even though these goods are organic, they are being brought from different parts of the world, which kind of kills the organic goodness considering you are expending oil to deliver it.
As for offshoring of our work, I have found since I moved to CA getting close to a year ago that there seem to be a lot of companies who do not offshore and will not consider it a consideration. I think there is hope:)
bay area MT . . . sm
You see, I am right!!! They also had an article not too long ago about what the true savings from offshoring work has come out to. Instead of getting the 50% to 60% or more most places advertise to cut costs, the only real savings has been around 20%. They had an article about that in our local paper as well as I think I saw it on Yahoo News if anyone wants to search for it.
What area are you in because....
I had to fight to get $1.35 per minute IC directly from a hospital and was told that was the average. I recently did some math and figured I was being paid between 8-9 cents per line. I get 10 for a PT IC position. Trying to figure if I should ask for more again, especially since I get several different doctors now that they use hospitalists.
Is this in the KC area?
I'm from a town just north of KCMO and plan on moving back in a few months and was just wondering if you worked for one of the hospitals there? I currently work for a national, but am hoping to get a local job when I move back.
None in my area.
Many are mad at this organization because of their stand on things. I am not happy with them at all.
if it's available in your area
This may be getting off topic here but there are some states which have monetary assistance (moolah to you and me) for small small businesses (SSBs). It is the same as first-time homebuyer money, which is aimed to get people into homes who otherwise wouldn't have the downpayment money. But you take classes, come up with a business plan, and I don't know what all else. I was in the homebuyers program for 1-1/2 years, taking classes, working on perfecting credit, etc, and eventually got 10K. In some of my monthly classes there were small small business people participating for state money for starting a business. You will, of course, have to check in your area. Just a thought!
In our area .. Cingular has that
Check cingular.com
Are their any IC in the Tampa, FL area?
Just wondering if there were any other IC in the Tampa/Brandon area, and do you think line rates are cheap around here?? 
not sure of the prices in your area
..but gas here is $2.73 (cheap stuff)
Home prices have gone through the roof here. We sold our home last year for 250, and we bought it 2 yrs prior for 170. In our area, homes sell before they even make it to the MLS listings.
I am an IC and have no problem finding work. I have actually turned away 2 offices last week.
Oh, health insurance, may not want to hear this one--we pay 200. per week for a family of four.
I live in the Tampa area.
Best of luck,
Sunny!
I can REALLY relate to you in one area...
My DH is a high school principal, however, we purposely and specifically moved to a different town so that our children would not have to go to school where their Dad works. Our oldest (a senior this year) did her freshman year at the same high school, and then we moved. Some kids were very rude, saying mean things about her dad within ear shot so that she would hear, and kids telling her that some senior was "looking for her" because he was mad at her dad. As far as lying... I think you might try teaching her a lesson about lying. Tell her you're going to get her a car and then when the day comes to go get it, you can say "oops, I was lying, we're not getting a car." In other words, show her what being lied to make a person feel like. She can know that you're doing it in order to teach her a lesson, and that she just might never know when you're lying or telling the truth. She will soon realize what she is doing to you and what it's like to live with a liar. My DD is very honest and we havn't had any troubles with her, but I've got 2 more coming up so who knows what's in store for me there. There but for the Grace of God go I, so I will not boast about the one well-behaved teenager that I have raised. Sometimes in spite of everything we do, and the best upbringing, some kids just make poor choices. Hang in there. I now know why God invented menopause. Can you imagine what these people having babies at 45 have in store for them in their 60s? They're NUTS!
Any Denver-area MTs??
She needs a neuroophthalmologist and I cannot find one in Denver for her. Any insight appreciated! Thanks.
I can REALLY relate to you in one area...
Dear Lisa,
My ex's latest bimbo (who is now his wife) badmouthed me in front of my then 12 yr. old daughter. This trash even went as far as to discuss their intimate relationship in detail in front of my child.
Although my daughter lives with me, she has no respect for this trashy woman.
Your daughter will eventually see through this woman's lieing and manipulation. From 15 to 17 is a tough age for girls and your daughter is right smack in the middle.
I would be firm with my daughter and tell her that calling you names and being rude to your fiancee and his family is unacceptable and you just won't tolerate it.
Further, tell her that respect is earned and she'll have to clean up her act if she wants your respect.
Your daughter knows how to "push your buttons" but don't let her get to you. Ask her, "How would you like it if I called you names all the time?" When the shoe is on the other foot, teens have a tendency to think about things more than we realize.
A real job doesn't have to bring in a paycheck. The most important jobs that we women have is being a Mom. If we are able to juggle motherhood and still bring in a paycheck then all the better. It doesn't matter if your office is in the living room, or in an office downtown.
If that paycheck helps buy your daughter things that she wants, I would simply say next time she asks for something, "Sorry, I don't have a real job, so there's no real cash to get you what you want."
Sometimes you have to stop being the "nice parent" and put your foot on the brake. In the long run, your daughter will come around and respect you for it.
It's a tricky area (sm)
Let's get real--in the vast majority of these companies, they're using you as an employee yet calling you an IC. That's the reality.
Therefore, I think you should let them know that you want to raise your line rate. Though technically another poster here is correct in saying that you can give them a notice that "effective x date, my line rate will be x" I think that's risky. That's assuming MT companies are functioning legally and ethically and actually treating you like an IC, which again they're not.
What I did when I was an IC (very recently) was call the company and said I would like to negotiate a higher line rate. I cited that I could do all work types, accents, worked weekends, and therefore was valuable to them (it takes a little practice aloud first and some chutzpuh to make that call). I gave a rate higher than I expected, and they came back with something in the middle, which was just fine to me.
Yes, it's wrong that it works this way, but the reality is you are probably in an employee position yet called an IC. Therefore, unless you have other accounts and don't really depend on this company, better to take an approach that is somewhere in between employee and IC.
Good luck!
Walmart in our area.
I live out in the sticks, but we have Walmart in several small towns close by. My friends who work at Walmart have an income comparable to other retail jobs in our area. A close friend's son is in management at Walmart and makes a very good living for this area. I do not like some of their business practices, but a lot of the smaller businesses around here have shady business practices as well. I am willing to pay a little more and support local business owners, but I had just as soon buy a few groceries as go down the road to Ingles, Kroger or Bi-Lo and pay twice as much, as these are big chains too.
Come when the area is not so congested? What does that mean?
Not sure I'm following, but I sure don't blame you for being upset. I think I would delve into this a little further once you are less mad.
I don't know what rates are like in your area.
Only the hospital knows if it's a better deal for them. Some companies provide equipment, dictation systems, tech support, supervisors, transcriptionists, etc., so if the only thing you are doing is transcribing and you are relying on the hospital for all the rest, then the hospital has to absorb all those costs.
I'm in the Nashville area.
Tampa Bay area
I have been here for 15 years and still love to drive over the causeway into Tampa it is just so neat having the water all around! I will say that things are more affordable in Tampa but the county taxes are high because you are paying for the Bucs and for many social programs as there is a price to pay to fix a city and make it a place anyone would want to live. Pinellas County (over the Bay and more beach like) is a bit pricier, but there are still affordable places to live. SW Pasco county is also affordable and taxes are lower but so are services. It all depends on what you want/need. Jobs are available. Many hospitals still have inhouse and there are services always looking for good help. I love it here and there is a substantial community of MTs if you need a shoulder to cry/grouse on!!
in FL $400 per area one time......
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