What companies are good with newbies?
Posted By: sm on 2008-07-04
In Reply to: QA - Tina
nm
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I'd start looking now. Few companies hire newbies so
it make take a while to find a position, or at least a legit one. There are some companies that will offer to mentor you for no pay or almost no pay. Avoid any company that says you need equipment/software and you have to buy it from them. You may need equpiment/software for the position, but should not have to buy from them.
Start posting your resume on the various job boards to see what bites you get.
No, why do you ask? They are very good with newbies (nm)
a
They are giving good stuff to pets and newbies, and if you
gave them your blood for a year they think they can walk all over you.
INDIA, INDIA, NEWBIE LOOKING FOR INDIAN-OWNED COMPANY-FORGET AMERICA COMPANIES HIRING NEWBIES!!!!
  Our country sucks when it comes to teamwork. My experience is in hospital transcription and 95% foreign dictators. Most of my dictators are from India and surrounding countries. Give up you all,  India is already way ahead of us!
good companies
what makes Proscript so great?
Just curious.
Good companies.
Stay away from Transolutions. They still use the DOS-based program to work in. They mail you 70 POUNDS of books and equipment and just finding a doctor in the books can take a very long time. They pay based on production, which they say gives you an hourly rate. The good paying hourly rates are nearly impossible because of the time it takes using the antequated system. The spell check is horrible, try an 1980s version. They give you more than one account (I had 3) and the QA varies from account to account. Once the regular QA gets done with you (that part wasn't bad), it goes to the head QA lady and she deducts for absolutely everything. They take off 0.25 just for where she feels a comma should be! My QA from her rated me at 88% and I swear to you it was where she didn't want commas and where she did. Absolutely ridiculous. Of course the lower the QA score, the less you make. They spend a tremendous amount of time trying to take from you. If you get a difficult account, which I had, nearly all ESLs, you are screwed because if you take the time to look things up, you lose lines per hour and lose money. If you don't look things up and send to QA, you lose money based on the number of reports you send to them. It's a no-win situation.
Etransplus has wonderful accounts, good pay, and good benefits, but you must be a self starter. There is little to no communication from anybody. You don't get reports back that you send to QA and ask for a sample. You don't hear from your supposed team leader at all, even if you ask a question. You don't get all the account information you need, so you really need to know somebody else who works there who can send stuff to you. If you can tolerate that, the accounts are great, little to no heavy ESLs and a good variety of work and so far no accounts have run low.
Transcription Solutions seemed like a wonderful company with good benefits; however, if you work nights, you still have to train on day shift. Would have liked to have taken this job but couldn't for that reason.
OSI or whatever they go by now, their QA is like Transolutions. Every QA person had their own way and it was not consistent at all.
Precyse has decent benefits and average pay WHEN you can get work. The few accounts they have run awfully low and it's hard to make a living.
CBAY has what sounds like a good salary, but they are based on 65 cpl without spaces.
I'd like to know myself who is out there who has decent pay, good and consistent QA, and a steady workload.
As far as flexible scheduling, Transolutions gives you the option of starting one hour early or one hour late, but that's the extent of that. The others let you set your hours but you have to stick to them ridigly.
PLEASE, somebody, who ARE the good MT companies?
I have 20+ years' experience, and I am looking for a good MT company who will employ me full-time. We are losing our current job because we just moved and our current hospitals can't work with our satellite connection (which is high-speed, business-grade Direcway). We are suddenly without jobs and need help fast!
Who are The Good Guys?
Good companies
I think what it amounts to, is there people who like and dislike every company. In reality they all have good things and bad things and good people and bad people. I think lots of your success is based on your attitude. If you are a good MT you will have success wherever you go.
Are there any good companies?
That will hire new grads? I've been an RN for 6 years and type over 100 wpm, but can't seem to get my foot in the door anywhere. :(
Good companies for IC
I can recommend two companies - one is Keystrokes - check their feedback on this board, and the other is Global Transcription Network out of Arlington, Texas. I do not know if GTN has a website. I worked for them for about 10 years as an IC and enjoyed the flexibility, the pay, as well as the work. I was given the opportunity to work on many different accounts and learned a great deal while working with them. Most of the ICs worked on only one or two accounts, but I was pretty new out of school when I went to work with them and was eager to learn all that I could. Neither of these companies off-shore their work. Hope this helps.
Need the name of a FEW good companies
I have been reading this message board for a couple of weeks now, in preparation for going back to work as an MT. I have gotten some offers, but I'm scared to death to accept them for fear they are one of the bad companies, and if I do accept one, which one? I'd just like some names of some really upstanding companies for employees. Please help me, if you can.
any good companies????
I am looking for a good company I can stay with and grow. I have 10+ years experience.
good companies to work for
Hi,
I am a recent M-TEC grad who is beginning the job search. Does anyone have any companies that they really like working for or have heard good things about? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Jen
Good companies to work for.
I have found Spheris to be an excellent company to work for. They provide you with the equipment and with on-line paid classes to teach you their system. The supervisors and help personnel are terrific. You set your hours and can have as much work as you want without ever running out. They have terrific benefits and fun things to do and an on line info system that teaches you whatever you need to know about medical transcription. I have been self-employed, and have worked in a clinic for 15+ years and find Spheris to be the best of all. Good luck in your search!
Dee
Good companies to work for
I disagree with Spheris being a good place to work. As a newbie, you should stick with a smaller company. Somewhere where you will get individual attention and not be lost in the shuffle of a huge company. If you are placed on the right team, you might be okay. If you are placed on one of the teams with incompetent managers or supervisors, you are destined for doom. Just my personal opinion.
Replies to who ARE the good MT companies
Hi, everyone, and thanks for the good feedback! I thought I should be as generous as everybody has been to me by sharing the feedback in a summary:
According to the consensus of most replies here is what I am getting:
GOOD - Amphion, MDI-MD (*not MDI-FL), Keystrokes, Silent Type, Phoenix Medcom, QT Medical, Digital Records, SPI, and eTransPlus.
Acusis was mentioned as a good one, BUT when I input "Acusis" into Google to find its site and also saw this one
http://www.acusisindia.com/AIP0302/Home.asp
I had second thoughts about applying. I have already lost one good account to India, so I don't wish to go through that again.
BAD- Medquist, Ascend, Transolutions, Transcend, Healthscribe, Spheris, KJM Trans., SoftScript, Superior Global, OSI, Zylomed, Medvoice, A to Z, D&L Typing, MedWord, Precyse, MDI-FL (although MDI-MD has had glowing reports).
I can add my own horror story to the Bad List: Voice Systems in Georgia. Don't work this account if you ever want to get paid! I worked for 3 months before I finally saw a penny, and that was only with multiple threats and refusing to type another word until they were caught up. And they were SO DISORGANIZED that it was a NIGHTMARE!!! It took weeks of small, incomplete checks for them finally to catch up with me, and the verbal abuse and language I got over the phone, fax, and e-mail were unbelievable! Very unprofessional!
Thank you to everyone who answered me and gave me encouragement. I have applied to everybody on the Good List but found out that I still have unsolvable connectivity problems with some of them, like Amphion. We have high-speed business-grade satellite, but that is not enough in some cases. And we don't have land lines, either. We live way out in the boonies.
Still that leaves a few good choices, so I thank all of you!!! 
There are good companies that do not offshore -hopefully will never have to.
nm
BTW, what R some good companies 4 radiology pay-wise? nm
MS Word platform--who are the good companies?
I have been applying for and training for jobs for weeks now. I have been accepted by a number of top companies, but I have found their word Expanders to be a big problem. I have trained on a couple of sites already and ended up turning them down because of this.
By now I have thousands of entries into MS Word/Smartype, and if I have to start with a new Expander without the ability to import my words, phrases, templates, etc., from Smartype, I just cannot afford the time for the learning curve.
The technical aspect of transcription has always been my weak point, so this is perhaps a bigger issue with me than it would be with others.
Right now I am willing to take even a mediocre line rate, providing it is an employee position with benefits and it is in MS Word so I would have some hope of making a living.
Is there any hope for me? Does anybody have any good companies to recommend who work in MS Word?
We are at the point of losing our house and land. This is serious!
Any good companies that will provide a free computer??
Are there any good MT companies out there that will provide a free computer and the software, supplies I will need?? I am a canadian MT living in canada. They also must hire outside the USA. IF anyone knows of such a company (that pays at least 12 cents per line too!!)- please email. Thanks!!!!!
Jan Marquis
A good MT is hard to find. Check back with those 2 companies
io
newbies
I applaud your attitude towards mentoring (especially since I'm a student and crave that!). To hold employees that are worth having the employer would only benefit by training the way he/she wants the employee to work.
As a baby boomer, I think the majority of us will work well past the retirement age set forth by the powers that be. I don't see that my retirement funds will pay for me to live another third of my life unemployed. Not to mention, the need to feel productive that many of us have. MT is the answer, allowing many to work at home (or in our RV's - not that I'll get one, not my thing).
As far as education goes, some schools are most likely sub-par, in it for the money only. Some are developing, some are downright outstanding. However, even a student attending one of the 'lesser' schools might be worth mentoring. Perhaps they attend that school because of fund shortages (I know that's why I am), that does not mean the student is sub-par. Yes, I agree some are looking for an easy buck, but some are looking for a CAREER, not a dollar. I know that's my goal.
ok - I'm getting off my soapbox, and hoping someone someday will give me the chance to work and help others too, when I get enough experience!
Newbies
Good luck in a field where our pay goes down each year, and our business costs soar. I received an e-mail that offered to transcribe my overflow for 3 cents a line. How can we compete with that? It seems the doctors just care about cheap labor instead of quality work....
It isn't that most of us have anything against newbies. sm
Just as in any field, when people have trained and worked hard to get where they are, they expect to be rewarded. Forlorn hope. As newer people come in, they are eager to learn, willing to take less money while they train. That means those of us that have been at it so long (18 years here) have to sometimes cut our prices to compete for the jobs. I won't even mention the off-shoring. Eighteen years experience means little to a company that only asks for two years. We do get bitter, not necessarily at the new people, but at the situation we're in.
People in all professions find this. New people come into teaching making as much as people that have been there 15 years. In other professions, a long-timer is replaced by someone new who works for much less. Do you think there isn't bitterness over this? The list goes on.
We all feel cheated, even those of us making a decent living, like me. Yes, I can make $16 an hour, but have to buy my own equipment, software, insurance, pay employment taxes, income taxes, Medicare tax, internet, long distance, etc. I'm lucky if I really make $8 an hour. Not much above working at WalMart, when you look at it like that.
Don't take it personally, most of us understand being new. But the money was easier to make then, and the competition wasn't so stiff. We're sympathetic with you, but we're also worried about our families. Ten years from now, when you're fighting to make what you make today, and utilities have tripled in that time, maybe you'll understand better. Good luck.
newbies
It's because so many newbies want to work M-F, at their own chosen hours and want to make $50K a year to begin with. They think because they took a course, they know everything and have nothing to learn. They resent established MTs who learned on the job.
I'm from the days when MTs were hired because of their good spelling and typing skills. They trained us on the job. We had very few resources, about 5 good reference books to use, but we were able to get feedback from the doctors, who actually respected us and what we did for them.
Now, too many newbies think that an online course or a couple semesters at the local community college put them on the same level as an MT with 10+ years of experience. Not true. There is no substitute for experience.
To the newbies who think they are too good to work holidays and weekends, I just say, why on earth did you take a job in healthcare, which is 24/7 365 days a year, if you want a 9-5, M-F job? Go to work for an insurance company or an accounting firm.
If you can't raise your family and hold down a job at the same time, then quit and let someone else have the opportunity.
There are so many newbies who cannot get a job and would
probably take that and not think twice. Twenty years ago I was making 6 cpl/gross line.
The newbies always do.....
d
Newbies.......
I have been in this field for 17 years and on 'another board' I was ridiculed beyond reason for posting a problem I had with a vendor who advertised on that site. Little did I know I was a site where there were cliques present, you know like high school. HEY we were all new at one time or another and how do you lean if you don't ask questions? Compassion, patience and understanding goes a long way.
we were all newbies once...
so what's with the vets vs. newbies attitude that has taken over this thread?
Sheesh people - it doesn't matter how many years we've been doing this - we're all in the same boat here. Just because some of us have more experience than others, that doesn't mean we're any better or that our opinions are more important.
I have to take back what I said earlier about having not seen any nastiness here because now I have - and it's right here in this thread.
Newbies
Like you, I had a mentor in a former R.N. who started a small transcription company. I knew some medical terms but not much. I did have the advantage, however, of being a very fast typist at that point. But I had never worked with any type of dictation equipment. I started when I was 26 and more or less retired at the age of 67. To say that this profession is on life support is probably the most accurate and honest statement I've heard in a long time. I was able to work at home with young children and it was a God-send at that time. For years I worked full-time for a large group as a salaried employee plus worked several nights a week at a local hospital because they had new computerized equipment and I wanted to learn that. I still love the medical profession and all that it entails and am truly sorry that now all the bits and pieces stored in my brain won't be used any longer for transcription. I still try to read about medicine and get on this site frequently just to "keep up" but, again, the profession as we oldies knew it is dead in the water. My own family physician has already switched to EMR. In fact, he types his own notes as he sees the patient. He said the group could not afford to hire a transcriptionist. To put it mildly, transcription "ain't" what it used to be, that's for sure. So sad, really.
Newbies
Hi! Where does a newbie get started? I am working at a large local hospital in the Transcription Dept. and have been here a year. I transcribe 2 days and I do tech work. I just finished my internship and I have my MT certificate. :) I do not know where to start to find MT work as a newbie. Anyone have any advice? I am able to get 2 days transcribing at my current job but I want a second job transcribing. Any adivce is greatly appreciated! :)
I think 100 may be a lot for brand new newbies. nm
nm
Message for newbies
Please go to www.careerbuilder.com. On the left hand side, enter into 'keyword' box, 'transcription work from home'. Do not enter a city or state or category. Now click on 'search'. There are several jobs her for transcriptionists with little experience. Some of them require that you live in a certain area. Many of them do not. When you call to inquire about these positions, make sure that it's not some sort of school thing that requires you to pay a fee. I hope this is helpful.
I think the newbies who are just getting into the business sm
need to hear the truth about this organization before they get taken in by them.
Taking on newbies.
The company I worked for took on newbies who had completed an MT course or had experience in an associated field. They were hired on at a slightly lower rate. Some were raised up in about a month when they proved to be good transcriptionists, and went on to become excellent employees. Some realized very soon that they could not cut it, and usually quit on their own. They were given only as much work as they could complete, and only were let go if their quality was awful and they did not improve over a few weeks time. It can be done and is often very much worth the money and time spent.
I know of svl newbies who get offered what I get now with 13+ yrs in!! Sad..and
s
Well, I will tell you newbies make
the same as you! That's pretty sad considering how long you have been doing it, but I made that right out of school
Why do you accept low pay for newbies?
I said it below but trascribing is a higher skill than alphabetizing.
The low pay for new MTs is unacceptable. Even after the huge discussion I do not understand the idea that putting in your time = working for low wages. I don't expect a new MT to make as much as an experienced one but they still should earn more than a file clerk or housekeeper.
Hospitals pay for *months* of training when a floor nurse goes to the OR. The floor nurse requires one on one training in the OR. They also pay for months of training for OR/"scrub" and anesthesia techs before they are considered productive. I don't understand why a new MT should work for $9/hour when a file clerk earns more than that. I understand the file clerk is productive after a few hours but the hosptial pays training time for other positions.
I am honestly asking this. I do not want a MT strike, MTs to type their initials on screwed up reports or a MT sit in at the medical director's office. Why is it accepted in the transcription community for a new MT to earn less than anyone else in the doctor's office?
Most newbies ARE screwed.
I personally know two people, one of whom I mentored through her training program, who could get jobs in the field. No one would let them get a foot in the door. So I understand that frustration from that point of view, because these people have had to count their training money as a loss and go on to other things. I was so sad for them, and angry at the penny-pinching MT profession as it is today, which has few opportunities for in-house training for new people to learn what they need to know to succeed.
I think a lot of the bitterness you sense is really toward the big companies and the direction that the profession has taken. There is no place anymore for newbies to learn and "pay their dues" the way many of us had to do it.
I also agree with the poster below who said this is something that is in EVERY profession nowadays. My own father was pretty well forced into retirement, and yet they had the nerve to call him afterwards trying to pick his brain because his successor, half his age, couldn't figure something out. (He informed them of his consultant rate, take it or leave it.) As the other poster said, you find it in teaching and other professions, as well.
What concerns me about newbies is
that often they write these excited posts and reveal how tiny their working English vocabulary is. That's a terrible place to start out from. I try to be polite, but I do remember being a newbie for hospital work and how appalled the trainer was with the other MTs who had tiny English vocabularies. She about dropped her teeth because the first time I had to spell shotty adenopathy I spelled it right. I couldn't believe anybody would think "shoddy adenopathy" would make any sense. It's not logical.
How do you train people to THINK and be logical in their transcription? Those are things the person should bring to the table if they want to go into a career in the written word. Then you can build on that logic as you interpret MD slurring.
newbies beware
TO ALL NEWBIES, AND STAY AT HOME MOMS:>>DO NOT CONSIDER EVEN THINKING ABOUT THIS ON-POINT MTS.....THEY PREY ON PEOPLE OF INNOCENCE AND MORAL CHARACTER. THEY WILL NEVER PAY YOU. THERE ARE 34+ PEOPLE VICTIMIZED. THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, THE POLICE, AND VARIOUS INTERSTATE ATTORNEYS ARE ALL AWARE OF BAWNIE BARTLETT THE OWNER OF ON-POINT MTS. REMEMBER THE NAME, BAWNIE BARTLETT, ON-POINT MTS. UNLESS YOU LIKE BEING VICTIMIZED, AND TRANSCRIBING FOR FREE DO NOT THINK ABOUT WORKING FOR THIS CRAZY B----.
Wow are newbies really starting at...s/m
8 cpl? I have 17+ years experience and just started a job 3 weeks ago and 8 cpl is exactly what I'm making, I must mention that it is 8 cpl, but based on a 60 (yes 60)character line and she counts spaces. Would that be enough to make either a slight to significant difference? Math is not my area. Plus it is clinic work, that never runs out, with no ESLs.
I understand why you upset over your rate. My wav player just stopped on me today so there's 2 hours wasted.
I'm just happy to be working for a super-nice lady that is extremely flexible and knows the definition of an IC and what they are and ARE NOT obligated to do by law. She doesn't live all that far away, and is always easily accessible and happy to help us out. Thank goodness she is also our sole QA person too. Very nice setup, IMO. One more bonus is that this company has less than 15 MTs.
Yup! And newbies have to pay the rent and eat, too -
.
jobs for newbies
Does any one know which companies hire new grads?
I get so frustrated with the newbies here who
took the At-Home Professions course or other equally bad and then complain they can't find a job. They didn't do any research on the front end or they would have chosen another school - you do get what you pay for and most took their courses because they were cheaper.
In every aspect of the real world there is someone trying to scam us, so you should always research.
We all started as newbies. sm.
Everyone has to start somewhere. When I started, I was scared to death, but had a really good trainer and worked for a wonderful doctor who was very patient with me. His comment on my first day has become a motto to me. "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask and just assume your answer is right." Trust me I asked some pretty dumb ones but like he said you don't learn it unless you ask. No course is going to teach you everthing. On average, I learn something new almost every day. It comes with experiences.
Lindsay good for you. Hope you do well and Good Luck.
My concern about newbies getting a job -
In response to a previous post on newbies finding a job - I've been typing for almost 15 years and was lucky enough to "learn the right way" from a great mentor, learning all specialties. Editing speech rec jobs is relatively easy when you have the background in all specialties like "us old folks".
At least for right now, I believe speech rec is only as good as the experienced Editor behind it to eyeball and correct any errors. I hate to admit it, but speech rec has made dramatic improvements in its accuracy over the last few years. It's here to stay, it's improving - and surprisingly, the people I work with really enjoy editing.
My concern though is when the old folks like me in the field retire, and many of us are getting close. Newbies need the opportunity to get in the door and gain their experience in all specialties to take over as the older folks leave the field. There needs to be mentors to continue to be available to these newbies to guide them along the way. There are good schools out there, but to "learn it all" you really need to be actively working in the field on a job that gives the opportunity to learn all specialties.
This is my concern as speech recognition becomes more and more successful. We will continue to need quality, seasoned transcriptionists to become quality, well rounded editors in the future.
I've taught completely green people transcription, and I've taken newbies in and guided them along the way. It is satisfying for me because someone took me green 15 years ago and gave me this opportunity, and for that I am eternally grateful. Putting 3 kids through college was a lot easier thanks to my full time job and another part time job I had.
Best of luck to all you newbies out there - if you can get your foot in the door at a local hospital, even working in house to start, its a good place to begin. Gain all the experience you can. I'm not sure working for these big shlock houses, the nationwide transcription companies, is the best place to start - it can be frustrating when you're given all the ESL docs and junk work and try to plug through it.
Good luck newbies - keep on pluggin.
TTS, NH - do they hire newbies
TTS, NH - do they hire newbies? I have a whole 6 weeks of experience and am looking for a good company. Not fond of the big nationals.
If you have any additional suggestions for good companies I am open.
Looking for employee position, but realize that initially this is almost impossible to find. Will definitely settle for IC status.
Becuase most of them are newbies and don't
nm
I have over 30 years. Not only same pay as newbies,
nm
It varies. Newbies usually
start around 6 or 7, average experience around 8ish, and very experienced in everything can make anywhere from 9-11. (This would be as an employee with benes, spaces included. As an IC or without spaces, cpl would be more to make up for that.)
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