What future demand is there for higher-skilled MTs? Inquiring mind wants to know. SM
Posted By: MissIndigo on 2008-03-30
In Reply to: Compensation for Medical Transcriptionists - Barry Wattss
Seriously--with computers taking over the keyboarding and the electronic medical record replacing much (just HOW much?) of the currently dictated verbage, what need will healthcare providers have that we can train to fill at least the same remuneration if not better? What potential is there for remote work? I confess I'm very fond of my current commute down the hall to my office, and googling MT in England, which has had the EMR for some time now, suggests it's high time I figure out how I'm going to keep it. Any thoughtful or knowledgeable answers would be greatly appreciated.
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Inquiring mind
More than I care to admit really. Transcribed for insurance companies for years and then switched to medical. Did neurology for 14 years, switched to acute care for some years, and now back to neurology and a little rheumatology. It was very hard for me to make good money on acute care, but sufficient for a while. It is also extremely extremely extremely hard to get a job doing 1-2 specialties, which I have been lucky enough to do. When you specialize on 1-2 accounts, straight typing with lots of templates, the income shoots up dramatically. Work is steady, management and QA are good. Very small U.S. company who does not offshore, but they do not hire much either because no one leaves. I am not the type to do 1200 lines and then quit. That income would never be enough no matter what the pay. I don't expect this to last too very long with the way things are going, but I am making hay while the sun shines.
FDA warns that it delivers higher doses than expected, and has a higher rate of stroke. (sm)
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/115/111590.htm
Inquiring minds want to know!
I work at home for a national in Philly and make $18.50 and I thought that was good!
Not complaining, inquiring. sm
Not complaining, but inquiring. The OM said they are new to dictation, so it may take a while for them to get used to it. No dictation in a month is not good, though, and they will be backlogged.
One time I had a doctor who didn't dictate for a month. She was trying VR, which did not work. Then she did it again for a month, and was trying another service that was cheaper. Want to check to see if they're not fishing around, but never can be sure.
I gave them handheld units with the intent on their dictating, which they dont. Can't stop them from using my equipment with another service, but want some consistency. If I don't type, I don't make money. Thank goodness he's not my only client.
Next time will make them pay for them or find a way to prorate them. In that sense, I feel I've lost money.
Not inquiring about a specific company. sm
Just trying to find out how many reports on average are to done during the course of a day.
I have to share this. Got a call from a doctor today inquiring about my service. See message.
He apparently has been working with a service that outsources to India and he is so fed up at the bad quality of the transcription in addition to the fact that he wants to work with someone who actually speaks English! How about that!! They will all learn the hard way, but they will learn. There may be hope for American MTs yet.
I don't know about demand sm
I think is far more important to be good at whatever it is you do and enjoy it. The cream always rises to the top.
HBO on Demand works for me....
Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, Sopranos episodes over and over and over....I never get sick of them!
DEMAND FOR FAIR PAY
I think we all need to stage a walk out! It adds insult to injury to know these companies will still charge the same amount to these hospitals and they will pocket the money, while we see a decrease! RISE UP EVERYONE!
you go ahead and demand that $75K
That will leave your position open for another person who doesn't think they are the MT queen. That "level of expertise" has been achieved by many hard-working individuals. They are out there with excellent skills and might be happy to take your place. Then you can spend your time pursuing something that will make you happy and allow you to feel fulfilled. I feel sorry for you that you are so bitter about your choice of employment. You still do not need to go out insulting other people and calling someone stupid. You do owe her an apology.
MT is just like any other business, - supply and demand -
if India is doing it at 8 cpl do you really think America is going to hold at 16? Yes, eight years ago, 16 cpl was not unheard of. Today, many MTSO's do not dare even raise rates. We have not raised rates for 3 years and don't intend to. Which means MT's don't get raises either. But you either deal with it or you get out and get into another field. "if wishes were horses, even poor men could ride"
naw - it's only the control freaks who demand....
and I cannot tolerate control freaks on any level anywhere in the life
been there, done that (control freaks in the life)....
Not necessarily. Supply & demand...
If prices are stable, quality will begin to count again. It's simply a cost vs benefit analysis. Just like some US MTs stink on the quality scale, I hear some Indian MTs are quite good. When the cost is stable enough that docs can't "settle" for poor quality (which many of them really don't care - it's just another requirement they must fulfill), then they'll look for quality again. Those of them who are quality MTs, will be able to compete, and with the increased competition based primarily on quality, the substandard MTs will go away, both Indian and US, but with cost being the sole driving factor, it's my belief that the quality of the average US MT is no longer much better that the average Indian MT.
I understand what you are saying, but this is a highly skilled sm
field, not "washing dishes" or even "working at Wallyworld." Yes, there is VR and other things out there making this our jobs easier and in very rare cases, null and void, but this industry STILL requires skilled MTs who will pick up what VR and computers just cannot do.
I do VR on a regular basis and there are so many gross errors it isn't even funny. I would say 50% of any given document contains error that would be a detriment to direct patient care.
I received a newsletter recently from my company that stated this industry is growing and that the industry is having a very difficult time finding experienced, good MTs to do all of the work given to any given company. That, to me, was very, very positive in the way of where our jobs will be in 10 years.
I don't see in 10 years VR or foreigners taking our jobs. In 30 to 50, maybe, but not anytime soon.
So, a company offering 7 cpl to an experienced MT is a disgrace (especially if they take it). On new grads, I think 4 cpl is just fine because I also taught MT at a local college and there was no way that any of my students (graduates) could do this from home without a mentor/QA, etc., full-time for at least a year until they could be on their own. They would make way too many mistakes.
Katie, some people are much more skilled than SM
others, some work harder than others, some work faster than others, some work longer than others.
First off, I do not because, I choose not to work a full 40-hour work week, week after week.
But by multiplying my own hourly earnings: It is very possible to make comfortably more than $50, even more than $60K/year as an employee of a national putting out good-quality work (even transcribing lots of ESLs!) IF:
You are fully skilled.
You are working on accounts you are nicely familiar with and have all your templates et cetera set up for.
The accounts do not run out of work (a biggie) so that you can get 8 hours of production within a reasonable workday (should not have to spend 12 hours a day married to the offce to get it).
You are paid somewhere in the upper 20ish percent of the rate range (note I didn't say have to have top pay).
You are either an exceptionally fast typist or use an Expander a great deal and take advantage of computer features.
You work hard.
You work smart and don't waste time where it doesn't count.
You have some talent for the work.
You WORK A FULL 40-HOUR WORK WEEK.
Reasons why some don't even approach that include:
Not fully skilled. Just think, for instance, of those who don't use an expander. And a skilled worker will produce many lines in the time it takes another to look up one term.
Not familiar with accounts.
Account frequently runs out of work--and MT accepts less income instead of walking.
Is a whizbang registered nurse/racecar driverccur et cetera, but lack talent for THIS work.
Doesn't work HARD and push for high productivity. Just working is not the same as working HARD (it is tiring).
Has enough work but doesn't put in a solid 8 hours of production per day (although might think so, maybe forgets to subtract time spent complaining here from the work day).
Katie, although average incomes have gone down significantly, a lot more people are making decent money than posts on this forum give any idea of. Those people don't spend a whole lot of time here, though. Guess why! Best wishes for your own good income.
It is a shame that it takes such a skilled..sm
person to be a MT yet the jobs are just pitiful. The companies can't provide enough work. The pay is pitiful. Why isn't this profession looked at with more prestige? I mean it is sad when you have been an MT for years and can't make a living doing this even with 2 jobs.
Dud you send a demand payment letter? sm
You can find a sample one by Googling.
If you do win in small claims court, the judgement will give you legal ways to collect. For example, having the sheriff put liens on bank accounts, using a collection agency, etc.
Good luck to you. I have been in your shoes and, fortunately, the demand payment letter worked for me.
Tell him for demand jobs you charge .02 more a line - sm
maybe that will cool him off, or if he wants 12 hour TAT .01 more a line.
Long-term skilled unit?
ss
You're a big girl and a skilled worker. SM
If you haven't resolved this problem already, go ahead and do it this morning. You know, as a high-skilled MT you should be making at least 3 times whatever your local minimum wage is. Best wishes.
You certainly demand a lot and are so aggressive. Hope you cool down when you are with your family.
x
It goes both ways. Not all those with positive experiences are skilled or professional.
Some are in it for the referral bonus, some are company recruiters posting anonymously. It's really hard for anyone to tell the motives, but you can usually tell from the way a person posts who is on the up and up from those who are just spewing sour grapes and those bucking for the referral bonus. I tend to believe negative posts that don't personally insult other posters over positive posters that completely rule out any type of problem. If a person is saying that their company is perfect and there are NO problems, that should send up red flags.
FutureNet --- treating me like the highly skilled professional I am.
you can apply on their web site. they sought me out... grape vine told them i was hating MQ --
only downside... no benefits, gotta be SE... it's what MQ was going to do to me anyway, so no big loss..
Good answers and becoming a skilled MT takes surprisingly long, but SM
although 5 years may be about average, there's an old saying about how some people have 20 years' experience and some have one year repeated 20 times. If you want to cut that 5 years down VERY substantially, work full time (a conscientious full time, not just slopping thru the day) and push for new work types and accounts as woon as you've milked the old ones for all you can learn from them. Plus, a reality is that availability of the Web as a resource now helps people function at a much higher level earlier than previously.
Send a letter of demand payment (check Nolo Law websites) - sm
to find any legalese you may want to include on it), and send it via Registered Mail, so that she must sign for it and you will get a receipt proving she received it. If she doesn't pay by your demand date, file a claim at Small Claims Court. Very inexpensive, and if she doesn't pay, and doesn't show up at court (in your state), you win by default. If still no payment, you can return to Small Claims and put a lien on her car, her house, anything you want, which can be forcibly confiscated by the Sheriff and then you can sell it to recoup the money owed to you.
Your mind was in the gutter up there with sauteed stool, too. Would you please take your mind out of
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As Economy Slumps, Firms Line Up to Hire Skilled Foreign Workers
 What the heck is going on around here? It just gets better by the day!
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/19/economy-slumps-firms-line-hire-skilled-foreign-workers/
could be a little higher, but
I make up for it by having great account with good dictators, so no struggling with ESLs for the most part. I'll take a small line count cut in exchange for less stress. For me, it's worth it.
I would say #3 and higher.
nm
8-10 cpl usually comes out about the same. The higher
the pay, the worse the accounts and the worse the platforms you have to work on. If it takes you 3-5 minutes to get into a job before you type your first word and are paid 10 cpl, you are better off at 8 cpl on a quick and easy platform. Same with good VS evil dictators.
I just left Transcend where I made 9.5 cpl and make more at a company who pays 8 cpl because the system Transcend used is just not user friendly.
future of VR
My personal opinion is that for now only some companies will use it but eventually it will become more predominant like all technology, i.e., cassettes to mini-cassettes to C-phones, etc.; as well as manual typewriters to electric to memory typewriters to computers. It seems to be something people either love or hate, but I do believe it is here to stay, though not take over.
Future-Net - NM
X
In the future you should try
doing a catchy flyer with pertinent info and faxing it. This works much better. Most of your mailers probably went in the trash without being opened. If you do a flyer, try using phrases like -will beat your current Transcriptionist rate- you WILL get calls. You can bargain from there.
I have a friend who works in a doctor's office and a drug rep gave them a list of phone numbers and fax numbers for all physicians in the area. If you can get one of these, just go down the list and fax 10 or 15 back to back at a time. I got several calls.
MT future
I have ben doing transcription for 7 years and ASR editing for about 6 months. From what I see, it will be a very, very long time before it is perfected. Honestly, transcription has not been lucrative for me in the past and although pay is slightly lower than transcribing, I have not seen much of a diffence to my bottom line.
MT future
sorry about typos, been a long day!
future
unfortunely, seems to work well for radiology...hospital probably a safer bet for future work.
there is editing needed, but personally would rather type thanlisten and correct. and many self edit anyway.
no future in MT
I agree. Itis the same old crap everywhere you go. Lousy pay, no raises, etc. I've worked for several agencies and it is only same old routine.
since i'm not sure about the future of MT
I've gone back to school as well. I'm completely torn as to what I want to do, i'm back and forth, and the past two years have been taking courses for nutrition and psychology, and cannot decide between the two. When I was a soph in HS I knew I wanted to do something with psychology, but here it is 15 years later, when I've decided to go for it, and its just brutal, the studying, the work on top of a full time job. I SOOO wish I would have just started 15 years ago, in that direction. I've always had a full time job and moved out at a young age, so just took the technical college route and learned MTing.
I'm looking at about 10 years of college because I can only go part-time, to be a clinical psychologist. I'm thinking of just going for the nutrition. I love working with food, time flies when i'm in the kitchen and I love watching people enjoy what i've made. I just know its a stressful job, you're on your feet a lot, and its more about speed than anything. I went to the library today and bought a book "can you stand the heat" all about the working conditions of a chef. I know I do not have it in me to be in school the next 10 years, i'm sorry, maybe if I were independently wealthy and could just focus on that. Becoming a chef will take less than three years. I will do MT'ing as long as its around though, as I enjoy working independently.
Go to the library, there are books that fit your personality type with a specific job, and then a list of the pros and cons, the money you would make. Just really research it. If its what you want to do the rest of your life, make sure its something that will make you happy.
Future-Net
I do work for Future-Net and this is what they do.
I'm sure your future will be
xx
Is there a future for me as a IC MT...
Hello! I'm new here but any advice would be welcomed. I haven't worked as a full-time MT in nine years. Mostly I've done Pathology at a hospital in Las Cruces, NM. I would like to get back into the MT field so I've purchased the SUM Advanced CD, which I am currently working on, and 19 practice dictation tapes from "Absolute Experience". I have also just started a workbook entitled, "The Language of Medicine." After I've finished all this, is there a future for me as an independent contractor MT? This is really the only job that pays well that I can do from home. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance! Shelley P.S. I took a test this week through a company called StatIQ in Albuquerque and I was surprised that I scored 94% (since it has been so long). However, you must score 98% to secure a job.
Why not? Don't you think that even future - sm
programmers, code writers and technical engineers are warned that a lot of U.S. work is being sent to other countries?
Future Net
No YOG - Your Office Genie was sold to MQ. FutureNet had most of the old YOG employees. I quit because I did not want to work for MQ.
Might try it in future...
but for 30 years have done my straight-8 on 2nd shift, 3-11 or thereabouts. I'm up at the crack of dawn and love having the daylight hours to be outside and get so much done. I will admit that some nights typing can be sOOOOOO long, though.
Future-Net
Does anyone know anything good or bad about Future-Net I have been accepted for a position with them and want to know what you think. Thanks in advance.
Kathy
Higher rates
When my hospital looking into a MTSO for quicer TAT, they were quoted .33 cpl. This company only paid their MTs. .07 cpl. Needless to say, my hospital stuck to what they were paying me.
Well, I have a 99% or higher QA score.
I make between $45K and $48K doing this.
NEver been in trouble for QA. Never lost a job for QA. Have been hired for every single job I have ever applied for.
Anyone I've ever worked for has been sad to see me go. People I work for now are very happy with me. I make good money and have a good QA score.
All with no PROPER EDUCATION but just on-the-job training.
HOORAYYYYYYYY!!!!!
Amphion higher-ups
From what I have heard, there is one by the name of karen clay who harrasses MTs about line counts constantly -- even those left in ruins by Katrina!
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