My DH paid every dime of his bachelor's degree working....
Posted By: SM on 2005-12-29
In Reply to: I would say your obligation - Better off with tough love.
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).
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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??
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)
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.
We paid for 2 bachelor's degrees and
that was it. If they want to further their education their employers each pay to do that (government jobs).
I say send your son to a school where he lives in a dorm and then in an apartment. It's time.
You're both adults getting on each other's noives at this point.
You'll be surprised how much they grow up after they move out and live away at school.
Currently working on bachelors degree in Psychology
:)
Working for 9 cpl, not paid for spaces
Does anybody else think this is not good? Working same account I used to do paid for spaces and working harder for same pay. Thinking of moving on.
Working at Home/Getting Paid Hourly
I sent in this info to an MT head hunter:
I am looking for a work-at-home MT position that is employee-based, not independent contractor, paying hourly instead of per line or per page, where I could work Tuesday through Friday, 32 hours a week, no weekends, no nights or holidays.
I was told this was a "TALL ORDER," and that I would never be able to find it. I don't think that I am asking for too much, and that there has to be an MT company out there that is willing to pay highly skilled and experienced MTs what they are worth. I know there are plenty of MTs out there who say, "Oh, if you work hard enough, you can make just as much per line as by hour,"  but it's been my experience, having worked three MT jobs from home, that that would entail cranking out btetween 1,500-2,000 lines per day...provided there is work available and provided you are getting paid more than 0.12 per line I've been working 12 YEARS as an MT, but most companies still want to pay me between 0.05-0.12 cents per line. FIVE CENTS A LINE FOR AN MT WITH 12 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS. What is wrong with this picture???????? 
If there is a company willing to pay an experienced MT at least $16+ per hour to work at home, please e-mail me!
Re: Working At Home/Getting Paid Hourly
Perhaps. Don't get me wrong, I like where I work and how much I'm making, and this company acdtually has two MTs working at home; however, they are not offering this option to any other MTs at this time, if ever. The at-home MTs from this company are getting paid per hour and have full benefits, but that's only because they've been working in-house at the company for many years. *Sigh*....
Working at Home/Getting Paid Hourly
Sounds like nice work if ya can get it. :) I wouldn't mind picking up tapes, provided that the pick up/drop-off site wasn't too far.
Working at Home/Getting Paid Hourly
THAT SUCKS. You should be making FAR more than 9 cents a line. UGH. And there are still companies offering experienced MTs 5 cents a line.
Rates for working, paid more for stat?
Maybe others but I think mine are probably the average, 8 cents per line for straight and 4 cents per line for VR. My standard 4 are considered history and physicals, operative notes, discharge summaries and consults. A transfer, I think, would be a discharge summary. No extra pay for experience or lack thereof.
Not a good deal! I get paid 20/hr employee for working with new MTs
x
Yes. Three months paid training? That's just ridiculous unless you're working
in the office. What service can afford to pay an MT for three months of training?
Made 60K last year working 50 hours a week being paid on gross line
nm
I most certainly never docked an MT a single dime SM
for errors or blanks. That is completely insane (I know companies do it, and my hospital used to do it till I took the helm).
Anybody can anonymously 'drop a dime'
on anyone in this type of situation - relatives, nosy (possibly vindictive) neighbors, a nurse in the ER who doesn't think the doc is doing his duty, store security, people in a public parking lot who only get a license plate number. Obviously the more detailed and specific the information, the more seriously the report will be taken.
Doctors are obligated to report if they suspect abuse and if what the doc dictated led you to suspect abuse, the doc probably did as well. There's just no telling if he actually did follow through on this. Generally, when I have transcribed such a report the doc has actually said that a report would be made to the proper agency. It's right in the report.
The doctor's account of the situation would carry far more weight than yours, especially as you would be unable to give many details. If you decide to make the call, don't forget to block caller ID on it. If you don't subscribe to that feature for all your calls, dial *67 before dialing the number. That way nothing should come back to bite you. It's only self-protection.
The reason I don't tip is because I NEVER have a dime on me. I don't carry cash, ever! I don&#
debit card and it's been like that for 4 years. I use a check or credit card for EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!
MTSOs are a dime a dozen, but your kids are not. - sm
I'd have no problem at all postponing the training time with THEM, since they had already done it to ME! The kids are only kids for so long, and I think it would be more important to honor a promise made to them for swimming night, than to be further strung along by the company. The people at your new job are perfect examples of what happens if people grow up not learning to honor their promises & commitments. So in your same shoes, I'd keep my promise to the kids, which will help them to learn to keep theirs, as well. And I'd tell the MTSO what time is convenient for ME to have them train me. They deserve nothing more until they've earned it.
For QA consulting I'm paid per hour; QA instructing (college) paid salary, QA editing paid per li
I am an IC and work for two different MTSOs as well as instruct at a business college.
Glad it works for you... but I think you need to raise your rate and at least do a dime! nm
nm
Nickel and dime accounts/misc charges
I do not nickel and dime my accounts to death. What I charge per line covers my time of delivery, printing, cutting apart chart notes, reruns when needed, etc. If you hit them with this charge and that charge they very well could look elsewhere that just gives one price for everything, all included. Simplicity. Sure just like now I scanned a tape to do a STAT H&P for surgery but the doctor did it on the hospital line and did not write it down as he usually does, yes it took me 10 to 15 minutes but will I charge them NO. WHY because yesterday I made $130 in less than two hours on their account and I received my checks one day after invoicing. I invoice on the 25th, receive check today and it was due until the 1st. And also they treat me like one of the team and appreciate what I do. But you do what you need to do but if you keep it simple without all the extra charges, they will like you better. You have to figure your nonbillable time into your rate. Good luck. Patti
Given their track record, I woudn't give them a dime
They had their chance, and all they did was take advantage of the people they claim to 'represent'.
How many MTs have a completed Bachelor's or higher currently?
nm
Bachelor of Fine Arts - sm
Used to do craft shows (high dollar ones not flea markets) for jewelry, sterling silver and niobium. Once kids are out of school will probably get back into it again, have a full studio collecting dust - never made tons of $, but $400-$800 gross a weekend at a good show.
Less than 1 yr, spoiled selfish baby vs confirmed bachelor
?
Associate in Applied Medical Science, Bachelor's in Liberal arts with emphasis on Psychology
and looking for a way to get out of MT before voice rec takes over!
Kids are grown and gone and I no longer need to be home all day. The cats don't need as much supervision as the kids did.
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.
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.
Eh, I am going ahead with the BS degree.
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.
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.
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.
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