Not to discourage you, but wanting to work at home

just to be with your baby is the wrong reason to get into this career field.  If you want to be a stay at home Mom, be a stay at home Mom.  If you need to work, you need to get into a field that interests and challenges you.  Otherwise, you'll find it difficult to sit down and make yourself do the work.  The ads are overwhelming about making big bucks doing MT while your children play quietly at your feet, but that is far from reality.  There are other work at home jobs you can do that don't paying for an education, like selling yard sale fodder on eBay.  I don't mean this as a slam, but I've BTDT with the babies at home while trying to work.

You should be good with grammar and English, have an interest in the medical field and a good ear, and be able to sit for long periods of time.  You might have to put your child in daycare if your first job is inhouse, because most companies don't hire newbies to work at home.  You might have to use daycare anyway if your child is demanding on your attention at every moment.

• Could I really do this??? - Kira
  • You can do this with a baby. - Home MT Mom
  • It is hard but only at first... - sm
  • Yes, if you do it right - I did it
    • Babyproof! I still have my babyproof things on our cabinets -sm - Laura E.
  • I don't know how it's possible to do this with a baby to contend with unless you put him in da - It's no different than working in an office
  • another point sm - MTMom
  • Like lots of the women here, I got into MT for that reason (Please sm) - Chickadee
  • the point in a nutshell, IMHO sm - MTMom
  • How many lines?? - Kira
  • A lot of negativity here - I did it
    • Negativity and reality...... - SM
      • Have to say I agree with you - LM
        • Sorry, I meant didn't have to do it at home full time - LM
      • I assure you, MTs NOT taking care of their own kids while working at home is NOT the rule. Its the - HappyMomMT
        • So far HappyMomMT, you are the only negative person in regards to this post. SM - nn
          • Wait a doggone minute here... I would BE MY LIFE... - SM
          • I wonder how much attention HappyMomMT pays to her kids... - SM
            • Well, collectively it probably took 20 minutes of my time to post today. - raising YOUR kids, which is, of
          • LOL, that's exactly what I was thinking - This is NOT a "parenting" debate
            • This career is so closely related to "parenting" that they are one and the same, really. - AnotherMomMT
              • Since when is this career closely related to parenting??????????? (sm) - childfree by choice
                • Heavens, now you're popping in about NOT having kids. You've sure been quiet for a while! - raising YOUR kids, which is, of
              • You're still missing the point. She needs to hear ALL sides. - sm
              • There is a big difference between being negative - BTDT
                • But you are being negative! Your experience sounds horrible, but it wasn't like that - LM
                • But you are being negative! Your experience sounds horrible, but it wasn't like that - LM
          • So, just simply summing it up. You have 2 kids, and they fight while you work, so you just - HappyMomMT
            • To HappyMomMT. Me again. LOL. I agree with you about daycare, I do. SM - nn
        • Hey, don't jump all over me.... - Me again
  • Previous posters are 100% correct. Here's what I've learned... - sm
    • Your first boss really sealed your fate! You had failure handed to you at the start! - NutherMT
      • Did you even READ my post? - No gloom and doom here.
        • Yes, I read your post, and I just re-read it, and I've copied and pasted for you in case - Me Again
    • I wish I had read this BEFORE getting in the field - fg
  • I broke into the field with a 9-mo baby.... - SM
  • You can do it but you have to be determined, have a solid office background helps, obviously an - sm - Laura E.
  • Thanks for the honesty - Kira
    • You have a good, realistic attitude about it. Good luck to you. nm - nm
    • It sounds like you've done your research, and your - BTDT
  • Not to discourage you, but wanting to work at home - BTDT
    • My kids have suffered greatly from me working at home with them home. SM - nn
      • Working full time at home with small children is hard but part time works great - Sharyn
      • Your post should be required reading for anyone wanting to do at-home MT to be with kids...SM - SM
        • How can you NOT do both? How can you NOT take care of kids and do this? Heavens! - HappyMomMT
          • You act like all women are walking wombs..SM - Good God
            • Now that certainly followed the thread! Bravo! Thanks for - LM
          • I love reading your posts..and having my own feelings - validated
          • Kids are demanding and so is MT work. My question is how CAN you do this with kids, rather than how - nn
            • Well, I'm not sure that you really want an answer of HOW to do it versus - HappyMomMT
          • I love what you just wrote - lea
        • I agree - Kira
          • Your time at home with your child is so - short...!
            • to short... I dont think you guys know what day care is. - nn
              • OF COURSE we know what daycare is! Its anyone OTHER than Mom spending the majority of the day - raising YOUR kids, which is, of
                • My kids were out of control before daycare, when they were home with me while I worked all day. - nn
          • OMG! Don't just change your mind immediately because of a few negative women! - HappyMomMT
            • I'm not giving up - Kira
              • I know of a company who is restarting up their mentoring program for newly-graduated MTs. A GREAT - LM
    • MT working at home - Gaile
    • sorry, but I have to agree w/BTDT sm - I agree
      • I second that - PJ

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First off I am a MT myself, not a company and have no idea why they are soliciting work from individuals, unless they think we will sub-contract it to them.  

Edited by Moderator

A lot of companies want people with experience and there are very few companies out there who will hire newbies, but they are out there. You have the terminology experience and you have the transcription experience, you just have to hit that right person on that right day who decides that you're worth taking a chance on . . . . . . or that they're desperate.

Right now may not be the best time to do it though, because of the economy.  I have seen lots of comments on these boards that people are sending in resumes everywhere and not getting any kind of response, so I think the recruiters are overwhelmed right now. 

If/when you do find a job, be prepared to not make much your first year.  The companies that hire newbies tend to do so at a very low line rate.  I sort of viewed it as what I needed to do to get that first year on the resume.

If you're serious about wanting to do this, send your resume to every recruiter out there.  When I was first looking if they said they wanted two years of experience or less I sent them a resume.  Most of them said no, but there was that one that said yes.

Good luck.

due to financial constraints.  I am also doing research for other work at home programs that are legit.  If anyone has info they would like to share with me either MT related or not that I can use that would be awesome!  This is about 1 year out as I have a lot to get together with that and some things I am doing with  my house to get it "organized."

Sorry to be a little confusing, but I am actually looking for work at home.  I know most home-based transcription companies (ie. cymed, spheris, medquist, accentus etc) are looking more of Radiology, OR, oncology, acute care experience but all I have right now is Pathology experience.  I've been transcribing surgical reports for 6 years now and would like to do this at home as well, just to pick up some extra $$$.   

Thx to Carrie for your suggestion.  I appreciate it!  M.

Do you ever feel like you get away from transcription when working from home full-time?  I work part-time at home, and it seems (especially on my Sunday shift) that I'm typing all day and half the night! Do you just completely shut down after a strict schedule and walk away from it?  Even when I quit, I'm there in my bedroom which is where I also have my computer armoire and I feel as if it is staring at me!  LOL...calling my name...pleading with me to come work. The co. I work for part time is always needing extra help and I feel so guilty just to lie around when I could be typing.  It may sound silly, but it is really getting to me!

Dear interviewee MOM,

I am looking for work at home and have greater than 3 years experience of working in different files of medical transcription.  I am outside of US.

Can you give me some advise or help. 

Thanks

How do you connect to the internet? Thanks in advance for the  help.

I have ADD.  Actually a college friend of mine diagnosed me when I graduated HS.  I went to college and I was explaining to a friend of mine why I had so many problems in school is because my mind won’t shut off from something that happened earlier, or something that I know is going to happen later and I just cannot keep focused on the task at hand at the moment.  I do have good days and bad days, lately more bad than good.  She said that she thought I had ADD because she had it and she had done the same thing.  She said she went to her PCP and she got on Ritalin and her grades went from Ds and Cs to As and Bs.  I did not go back then because I did not have insurance of money.  I tried everything else I know of.  I tried counseling, I tried the tips I have found on the internet, nothing seems to work.  I went to my PCP, told her what I have been doing and she dx me with depression and ADD and put me on Ritalin and Celexa.  I have been taking this for a little over a week now.

Well, my OM called me and told me that I needed to work in-house because my line count was so bad.  I did and H threw such a fit and cussed me out royally.  We cannot afford the drive and why the heck isn’t my line count like it should be, he shouted.    I told him that she will probably just keep me up there a few weeks.  Well, I talked to her today and she said that I was going to have to stay permanently.  No going home again for me.  I told her that I have been taking meds now to help my mind from wondering and could I have another chance.   She mentioned that someone else in the office (no names) is doing that too and it helped her tremendously but she thinks I do a better job in-house than I do at home.  I told H and he is so mad.  I can understand why but I don’t know what else to do.  OM won’t give me another chance to go home.  I could try an MTSO but H doesn’t think there is no use.  He mentioned to me moving in with my brother because he lives closer to the hospital then we do, then he said that I should quit my job and he will find a new one that pays more and looks at me like I am a complete useless failure.  I know he is just mad but him doing this doesn’t help me with my depression. 

would you mind saying (anonymously of course) what your base pay is, how your incentive pay works, and how much you are realistically able to make?

I worked for a hospital for years, but before they had MTs working at home, and left to start my own service and get my own clients.

I am trying to decide if I want to keep my own accounts or possibly work from home for a hospital, but would like to know how much I could realistically make working for a hospital.  Of course, I know it can vary a lot but would just like to see what some of you are able to make.

I'm getting closer to retirement age and the benefits that I didnt't really need/want/care about when I was younger are looking better all the time...

Is medical transcription one of the only legitimate careers available for people who want/need to be able to work from their home?  In searching for work-at-home opportunities it seems that so many things are scams.  I realize one can open any number of businesses that are based in their homes, but I'm talking about working FOR someone...for a company, and doing it from home.  I bought a book that supposedly gave lists of companies willing to hire people for work from home, but almost all of them either A.  Required a person to reside in a state I don't or B.  Had experience requirements that I didn't meet.  I'm just wondering if there is some big area of the marketplace that I'm missing that routinely hires people to work from their home, like medical transcription.  Can anyone help with this?  Thanks.

The reasons you have cited in your message are the exact reasons I chose to stay home and transcribe 30 years ago.  I did not want to leave my babies in someone else's hands, so decided to stay at home to transcribe.  I do not regret my decision one bit!  Yes, in the beginning, it was tough to get used to being paid by productivity, but you learn short cuts, you learn the discipline to stay seated at the computer when you should be.  If you take away the costs of traveling to work, plus whatever you have to pay a sitter, you may even end up making more money staying at home. 

A lot of people have negative things to say about a lot of the national transcription services (I can agree with most things that are said) but in your situation, it is an ideal solution.  You just have to find a good company to work for.  They are all looking for good, experienced MTs, so you should not have any problems finding another position.  The larger ones will also supply you with the computer and all the other hardware you need to do the job.

It is not worth getting yourself all worked up with a baby on board (congratulations, by the way!).  Try to find a good national to work for and then tell your hospital job good-bye. 

30 years or so down the road, you will be glad you "took the plunge."  I wish you the best of luck, I know what a difficult decision it is to make.  Please let us know what you decide.