What response do you get when you tell people you're an MT?

  I've been doing MT for a long time - 31 years this summer.  "Back in the day",  when somewhat you met asked you what you did for a living, the reaction was usually:

a)  "What's a medical transcriber?"

b)  "Wow - it must've taken you a long time to learn all that!"

c)  or "Gee, that must be a really interesting job!

At least they PRETENDED to be impressed, anyway. 

But have you told anyone lately what you do for a living?  The reactions I get nowadays usually run the gamut from contempt to pity. 

You're at a party, you've just met 3 new people, and each one tells what they do for a living: 

"I'm a stockbroker."   (People are impressed.)

"I'm an English Lit. professor."  (Ditto)

"I'm currently between jobs."  (People assume they're just waiting for the right offer.)

Then it's YOUR turn:  "I'm  medical transcriptionist."    (First, dead silence.)  Then someone nods their head knowingly and gives a rather condescending, "Oohhhhh...."    You might just as well have told them you were dying of cancer or something.   

• What response do you get when you tell people you're an MT? - Are the reactions you get like the ones I get?
  • when they get that glazed over look - msbeanctr
  • They give me a puzzled look, ask what it is exactly what I do and when I tell them - they look at me like I'm retarded
  • I just got through telling someone yesterday - sm
    • I asked people if they can tell me the difference between facial and fascial. - nm
  • They are underwhelmed. Think work at home is cool, but - that's about it.
  • There are people who..... - Yes, I get the same thing.
  • I'm an MT - sm - Susan
  • Most see it as... - sm
  • I have gotten... - mac
  • Great post! LOL - sm
    • MT - Pat
  • I get - Me
  • Cool..you get to work at home is the response I get and ...sm - AJ
  • "How do you remember all that stuff?" Cuz I's smart. I has a brane. nm - R
  • I've gotten - me
  • "Oh...you type. " Ya, I sure do! LOL...nm - wanderer
  • I haven't noticed a change in reactions - Itsy-Bitsy
    • i am an MT - Janet Doughman
  • The responses I get and usually positive. - just me
    • Oops! the are positive, not and positive. - sleepy MT

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu

"Yes, I work at home but I never go home from work." They usually stop and think and realize that there's nothing lucky about that!

Someone where I live busted some people for working at home just recently, as place went condo, and the zoning people got me in February.  (Years ago, as long as you had no traffic, you never had to get an occupational license working on a computer and I have zero traffic.) They came here twice, I showed them only the national's room (and for years on my taxes, CPA said only like $2600 out of a $15,000 annual rental fee WAS deductible along with a portion of the electric bill and ALL of my phones).  Tomorrow, along with going to the CPA for tax prep, I also am picking up my occupational license ($200!!!!!) and you have to renew that yearly ($135!!!!!). 

Sorry to yell but IS ANY OF THAT DEDUCTIBLE?  The licensuring fees?  I also have to take the OL and bring it to the County and get a County license (not nearly as expensive but also renewable yearly).  I sure hope these fees are deductible for 2006 taxes in 2007.

Ok, they got me - and payback is a real *itch...*lol*

in your spa goodies. Congrats!

>>>it states that the one space rule applies following a period, in numeric lists, and following a colon. I received these guidelines in March from MQ. This is what I would go by. I was told that if I spaced twice I would receive a penalty on my QA reviews.

That's all you had to say.

>>>Obviously, you are the uninformed one, so see ya later wench. 

This was uncalled for.    

Yes, the big four are ops, ds, H&P, and consults. I can't help you with where to look for strictly ER reports, but I'll recommend you try to expand you skills into the ops. It'll help if you stay competitive.

In terms of going from 10 cpl to 9 cpl and taking a 40% reduction in pay ... how do you figure that? If you transcribe 10,000 at 10 cpl that $1,000 and at 9 cpl that's $900. That's a 10% reduction ... unless ... you went from 10 cpl for gross lines over to 9 cpl for a 65-char line. Now, that would be the pitz.  

I think 7 cpl is too much for a newbie. Don't matter what it comes out to in an hourly rate.

I don't believe in freebies. That's why I don't believe in doing "secretarial work" (i.e. looking up addresses).

If a new person wants to be hired by a company, they should not receive the same line rate as someone with more experience. They should "PAY" for their continued training. So, if I'm right out of school and want to get a job with a transcription company, I would have no hesitation telling the company to pay me 2 cpl less than more experienced people, as far compensation for my training. Every three months, I make an additional 1/2 cent per line. After two years, when I should not require any further training, I'm at the highest level.

This isn't greed. It's business.

>>>stand by that.  Sure, an MT under the influence may get it right, but I certainly would never want to take a chance on that. 

You're judging without the fact. The best MT my business ever had was an alcoholic. She was responsible. She never had excuses for not working. Her reports were always flawless (yes, I did QA for all reports from everybody). So WHAT if she threw a few back. It had no impact on the quality of her work. Her body was used to the liquor.

>>>It's all about resposibility and realizing the critical nature of medical transcription.  As an MTSO, I would not want an MT drinking while working.  Period. 

And how are you going to know who does and who doesn't drink while working? Are you going to install a little camcorder on their computer and watch them? 

>>>If I hired someone and found out they drank while working, they would be out the door. 

Even if their reports were perfect? Wow, you must be the reincarnation of somebody from the Tempest League (is that what they called it?) during the turn of the century.

>>>After living with an alcoholic ex-husband for 20 years, I don't think this is labeling.  I think it is a reality.  He was a functional drunk.  In other words, he managed to fool the people around him at work that didn't know him well enough or didn't work with him closely.  Those that were close enough to him to see him on a daily basis could see that he only fooled himself into thinking that it didn't impair him.  He would use the same reasoning you just did and say that it affects every person differently and some have a higher tolerance. 

First sentence:  “after living with an alcoholic ex-husband for 20 years.” The origin of this conversation was somebody who liked to sip a glass of wine while working (I don't remember if it was on occasion or every day). By your statement, they’re a full-blown alcoholic who is impaired on the job.

>>>My point to him is the same as yours:  if it starts affecting your everyday life then it IS impairing your judgment.  If you can't even wait a few hours until the workday is over to have your drink and feel you have to make excuses for why you're drinking on the job, then you're judgment is already impaired before you even take the drink.  I don't think it matters if you're a doctor, bus driver, MT, or zookeeper, you are being PAID for your skills and time while on the job.  Save your drinks for recreation.  If you can't, then either you have a problem with it or you don't respect those who will receive your finished product or those who employ you.  

Again, this had nothing whatsoever to do with the original statement:  Sipping a glass of wine while working. I mentioned that I knew some who WAS an alcoholic and their work was flawless. I could have cared less if they had a drinking problem or not. In fact, I don't think I found out until a couple of years AFTER I hired her that she had a drinking problem. So what?! It did not affect the quality of her work. Why should I fire her simply because she was an alcoholic?

>>>Think about it....if you were on a job interview and the interviewer asked if you had a problem with drinking on the job, would you honestly tell that person, "no, I think it's okay to drink in moderation" and then expect to be hired? 

If I was asked that question, I would flat out say I rarely drink, which is the total truth. I rarely do. If they said to me, “Do you think it is wrong to hire someone who drinks on the job, I would tell them ... as much as I do with somebody who eats on the job.” As long as they can do their job properly, it  doesn’t bother me.

I will try eliminating the products and see what happens.  I am glad to hear that it is possible that you can be allergic to the products.  I did not think it was possible since they are hypoallergenic but  I guess it can happen.  I love their products though.