When I started at the hospital
Posted By: after gaining knowledge of MT on 2007-06-11
In Reply to: I've been doing this a long, long time... - susancarol
in high school, I was offered $3.00 more per hour to be a transcriptionist. I learned so much. The ones who have been in this field a long time has seen it decline. I do have my own accounts now after 19 years and have had them for a while, but it is hard for someone new to network unless they work on-site and are "noticed" so to speak.
These nationals and small MTSOs (paying cheap labor), which most I have tried just for extra cash do, have put a damper on this profession. What was once a high-paying job is not any longer due to these types of businesses. The docs don't seem to mind paying a low rate to an offshore company because they see it as good business sense. They don't really look at it like they are putting American MTs out of work. JMO.
I try not to complain because I love what I do. I'd switch in a minute and I'm young enough, but right now my CHILDREN come first. I also can't see where I'd make as much hourly on-site that I make now working as an IC.
I will pursue something else sooner or later, but probably at that point won't be looking for more per hour, but maybe just a nice retirement plan where I can put in 20 years. I think I'll be ready for some people contact by then, as I love people. I will give this another 5 years tops, and then I'll be back on-site! 
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Our hospital has started dabbling with VR...
... and at present it is only marginally useful. Most of the docs using it prefer live MTs. Others think they're doing such a bang-up job of using VR that they sign off their work without ever reading it or sending it to be edited. Now THAT is ANOTHER train-wreck going somewhere to happen. I've read what the VR comes up with, and although the company that built it says it's "100% trainable", it turns out not to be. It just doesn't learn some things, and makes the same mistakes over and over again. Some people in our office believe our MT Dept. will only be there for 3, maybe 5 more years. That may be the case, but not because VR is going to take over the whole hospital. More than likely they will simply send all their more difficult dictation out to an MT company, in order to save themselves the money involved with hiring, training, housing and insuring live MTs. I have no problem with leaving the hospital to be an at-home MT for a national, but will not work for any that doesn't provide the basic benefits: healthcare, PTO, vacation, etc. I've looked into other related fields, one being court reporting, another being closed captioning for TV. Unfortunately, TV is already using MOSTLY VR. (And the results are pretty funny.... I always get a good laugh at reading the captions on our TV sets at the gym!) Live court-reporting still exists for some legal reasons. You can make a good living at it, but it takes YEARS to build speed and learn an entirely different "language" on the stenotype machine. I figure I'm a little too close to retirement to be having to go back to school FULL TIME for 5 or 6 years! (Part-time would take 'WAY too long.) And what would I do -- go back and live with my parents? I don't THINK so!
I think things could get worse before they get better. Offshoring and the so-called promise of VR has lowered the respectibility of the MT profession considerably. (That ol' "out of sight, out of mind" adage!) Others think that if a machine (VR) can transcribe, then those of us who still do it live are nothing less than machines, outselves.
Once again, I think it's impoirtant for PATIENTS to tell they docs they not only don't want their info. going offshore, they ALSO don't want a VR program transcribing their medical notes unless it is fully edited by a professional MT before the doc can sign it. If the doc can't promise that won't happen, then maybe it's a good time to go doc-shopping.
Paralegal and legal secty. are good professions, but a little too formal and rigid for me, and again, there is the amount of time, school, and money involved before embarking on a new career. In MT, I'm at the top of my field & payscale.... with anything else, I'd be starting about again as a newbie, with the added problem of being late middle-aged and having to compete with a bunch of 20 or 30-somethings.
As for people dissing the MT profession: When I was in college, and flunking out of my classes from boredom even tho' I had a high IQ, my friends & relatives thought I was slacking off when I went to a trade school to learn MT. I have friends whose parents didn't allow them to take typing in high school back in the 70's, because they didn't want them to end up in a "dead-end secretarial profession." Well, most of those non-typists today are struggling to learn to use computers, and even when they do learn, they sure do type slowly, some hunt-and-peck. Yikes! AND.... when I see all the friends with MBAs, PhDs, etc. who had the fancy, big-bux jobs in the 80s, who are now either unemployed or doing menial jobs just to survive, it makes me feel a little better that I stuck with the healthcare industry and MT work. Things were looking bad in the late 1990s, the cost of everything was rising so fast that the "little people" like us could hardly afford an apartment in the silicon valley, and many of us were officially members of the "Working Poor" class. Then came the dot-com bust, and all of a sudden, things got better for us. Many of the fancy-job people moved out of state, and rents started to go down. Meanwhile, those of us in MT were still plugging away at it, and getting the occasional raise. Most of my fancy-job siblings don't even have health insurance, and are working lower paying jobs now. So I've been able to catch up to them a little bit. I can also leave the work behind me at the end of the day when I walk out the door - I'm not shackled to a cellphone, a pager, or a blackberry. I'm not on 24-hour call.
If I'm wrong, and live MTs DO become obsolute in the future, I'm hoping that since right now I'm socking away every dime I can into my 401K, that if MT disappears 5 years before I'd be officially eligible for retirement (although I don't believe any of us under 60 will ever be able to FULLY retire...), that it will take up the slack from whatever low-paying part-time job I may have to take in my old age in order to afford both an apartment AND food to eat!
That's about the time my hospital started treating its -nm
..
I've been in MT for 20 years. Started out in the office at a hospital.
Switched to working for services from home for a while and now I work for the same hospital I started out at, but I work from home now. So I guess you can say I've come full circle and now I'm back where I started. I much prefer being an employee of a hospital versus an IC or employee of an MTSO.
It may be that your user profile in EXText is not set up to allow you to add normals. I've found with services they don't give their MTs a whole lot of freedom with their software. 
Before I started my own business, worked in a hospital in-house with taxes taken out & then went hom
was getting with shift differential 23.80 when I left. Your pay seems extremely low, you could make more as an IC seriously.
Started in-house at a hospital, medical records department, on a typewriter in
1983, earning $6.00/hour, eventually moving up after 7 years to $10.00/hour. All hospital work was then outsourced to a national service in 1986 (beginning of our downfall), went to work for the service and made $2.10/page. Service was bought out by another service, rate changed to $1.90/page. Rates changed again to $0.08/cpl. After many years of experience in all services, found my first account in 1992, charged $.09/cpl/gross lines but blank lines not counted. Business has grown steadily through the years through word of mouth. Now charging $.16/cpl or $25.00/hour or $6.00/page, and having to turn down work at this point. If you have the experience and are detail-oriented, you can find your own accounts eventually like I did. But you have to pay your dues first and be able to transcribe all ESLs accurately. If you learn how to transcribe ESLs well, those doctors are the ones to target for work. I do work an ungodly number of hours, only because I am trying to save at a faster pace for retirement because of all the uncertainty in this line of work.
I have 13 years experience and just started a hospital job working from home making $16 an hour
and with a really good incentive plan. I live in the Kansas City area. $10 seems like a low starting point even with only two years experience which is the usual benchmark for hospital MT jobs.
It's been my experience that the low end of the pay scale for hospital employed MTs was around $12 an hour. Also, it's been my experience that the pay offered is usually based on years of experience and how well you perform on the transcription test.
I would say if their pay is that low, they should at least be making it up with incentive and it doesn't sound like they are.
JMO
When the kids started school I wanted a job in my home town. A hospital clerk position (sm)
came open. You started compiling charts, making copies, etc. Then I was promoted after a few months and began learning transcription and did that part of the day. Then a few months later they taught me coding and abstracting and I did that part of the day. It was a great learning experience to learn things from the bottom up. Needless to say, I am an old dog here who has been doing this more than 25 years now.
When the kids started school I wanted a job in my home town. A hospital clerk position (sm)
came open. You started compiling charts, making copies, etc. Then I was promoted after a few months and began learning transcription and did that part of the day. Then a few months later they taught me coding and abstracting and I did that part of the day. It was a great learning experience to learn things from the bottom up. Needless to say, I am an old dog here who has been doing this more than 25 years now.
the hospital I work for already has started to implement this and lessen our work
I see it every single day... they are going to EMR... meaning the doctors simply use a template already in the computer and check boxes or something... The doctor's office i GO TO actually does this too. This is why it creates tech jobs to create those templates and takes AWAY MT jobs because the doctor is no longer dictating, they are just pushing little buttons or checking boxes straight into the computer.
Personally I still think that is more time than the doc wants to take but whatever, i dont see how generic charts are good, what happened to detailed information...
But this is definitely how i see it going along. Maybe not everywhere, but plenty of places are going to go to this, it's all about saving money now isn't it???
Depends on what kind of hospital? Large urban hospital or small community hospital? SM
Also, is it a large teaching hospital? If so you have to consider there will be A LOT of different residents dictating, usually a lot of ESLs at teaching hospitals, and the residents rotate out and new ones rotate in every summer. So you can't expect to get the same dictators and build up your macros because the dictators change all the time.
I would say 9 cpl would be a pretty good offer for a small to medium community hospital where you will be doing the same dictators on a daily basis. But for bigger, urban or teaching hospitals I would want at least 12 to 15 cpl.
Hospital. I wish I'd never left my hospital job.
They'll only take me back if I start off working nights and weekends again at the bottom of the totem pole.
If you work for a hospital - how come no one from the hospital
called you?? Were they in the dark, as well?? How sad, that no one in your hospital communicates with the at home staff.
getting started
If you live in southern CA, on the job seeker board Chronicle Transcripts is hiring newbies. I used to be a lead transcriptionist for them when they were located in my town. Nice people and you will get very good training from them. What I have found is the smaller trans companies usually are willing to take in trainees or medical trans school graduates. Also, the federal govt and state govt have medical transcriptionists..You can check about testing with the govt. Good luck!
I have a BSN and started doing
MT due to the world's most complicated pregnancies - just couldn't be on my feet. At first, the $$ wasn't so great - impossible to transcribe much with a baby in the house. Every year tho I have made more than the year before. My boys are now 8 and 12 - summers are difficult but not impossible. I periodically look into going back into nursing, but the hassles it would entail just aren't worth the $$. I work about 5 hours a day and will end up making around $28 K this year.
I am 33 now and started at age
/
It's already started here.
Gas prices are up, groceries are up, other supplies are up. My brother is in construction and said that materials and wood prices have doubled in the past week. Our income is maybe half what it was just over a year ago because we've both changed jobs or had contracts end on us. We've had a lot of unexpected expenses recently that cleaned out all of our savings. Christmas is coming. School just started so we had to buy clothes and supplies there. I'm half-panicked here trying to find a better paying job than what I have now. I just really can't take a lot of time off for testing or post my resume because my current employer will know I'm looking for another job. Then again, I don't even know if it's possible for me to make more money at MT than I am now. I still don't see how people can do 250+ lph or make $30+ per hour. What do they have that I don't? Length at employment? More word Expander entries? A better account and platform?
when i started doing ASR
mgmt told me that 'down the road' there would be 'adjustments' in the pay for ASR, after people were well-trained and productive on it. I later opted out -- didn't like it at all. HOWEVER, if it is in fact so much quicker (as it was said to be) for the MT to do those reports, then it stands to reason that you would not be paid the same at the same rate as someone transcribing a report from scratch. I don't see what the problem is about the purported pay reduction. Just consider what you've been getting as 'gravy' and what you will be getting as fair. Then again, if you don't want to do ASR, then opt out.
Also just started with them...
:)
You started it now !!
nm
I just started a new job.
I was hoping this would be THE job. I told myself that this is the very last MT company I will try to work for. Unfortunately, I'm experiencing the same things at this company that I quit other nationals for. I don't know what to do. I'm tired of job hunting, learning new platforms, and trying to adjust to multiple account specs. I'm tired of being told that "we're different" or "we are the best" only to find that it's no different or better. I don't know if I should stick this one out in the hopes that it will get better or go get a job as a waitress. This really stinks with Christmas coming and bills to pay. I really wanted this to work. What else is there for me, though? I don't want to go back to the fulltime, nose to the grindstone, kids in daycare garbage. I really enjoy MT, too.
Started at 4:00 a.m.
Delivered newspapers, did MT for 4 hours, went out for a few last minute things, went grocery shopping, finished wrapping presents, finished crocheting my new grandson's baby blanket, cleaned the kitchen did the dishes and looked after my 2-year-old terror twin granddaughters for 2 hours before I finally called my daughter at 6:00 p.m. and said, "COME AND GET THEM."
I love them dearly, but they are 175% wired with the whole Christmas thing and I am just getting over the flu.
I know, I know. . . .I'm TYPE A all the way.
I can't believe I've made it this late. I'm going night night. 
Started out....
I started out with MT on a selectric II. We used carbon paper for copies and no more than 2 corrections were allowed per page (original was corrected with white out, the rest had to be erased with that special little typewriter eraser). I learned very quickly to be accurate and proofread as I transcribed.
We also had no Stedman's word books in those days - just Dorlands, a little red book called Surgical Secretary or something like that, Tessier's, and a couple of others - about 5 or 6 books in total.
We used to call pharmacies to ask for spelling of new drugs, called Surgery and Central Supply for spelling of new equipment, new dressings, etc.
I worked in a large teaching hospital. We had access to the doctors and more than 1 time I had an MD standing behind me looking over my shoulder while I typed his report!
STARTED OUT THE OLD WAY
I also took typing on a manual and one of my first jobs was transcribing in pathology with 5 carbon copies - yikes. I like my computer and so does my wrists.
To get started...
$450 bucks will get you everything you need to get started. Here is the item:
Transcription Kit.
That transcription kit comes with the digital recorder you can give to your client, and for you-all the software, foot pedal and the headset. That will be enough to get you on your feet on your own.
My dog started doing this (sm)
and I took him in for a UA. Two days into the script he stopped!
Sure, it's possible. We all started somewhere. sm
Get hold of some practice dictations, and then dive in! If you have the proper references and good skills to begin with, you'll do fine. Go for it!
Re: Getting started
I am a 12-year claims examiner veteran. I am wanting to cross-over into the home Medical transcriptionists field. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get started; what test to take to be recognized; and how long will it take? please let me know. thank you in advance for your input.
RE: Getting started
Do you have the website address for MT? Thanks
I just started as an IC and get
7.5 cents a gross line for transcription and 4.5 cents a gross line on QA. Can anyone let me know how that compares? I have not done this before so I don't know.
oh please do not get me started....SM
I'm not going to get into it.......that's for sure. Suffice to say he idolizes his dad who emphatically states in his late 80s that the holocaust never happened.
Yeah, right.....don't get me started......I'll hush for now!
where it started
http://forum.mtstars.com/main/v/1/62435.html
I was 26 when I started...
started at 6 - now 10:30
1568 so far and two tapes left to do before noon.
getting started
Can any one give me advice on how to get started doing medical transcription on-line? I have been working for a group of local physicians and have decided to change the way the keep their charts. They are actually going back to hand writting some of their abnormals. They have a 2 sided form with review of systems, physical exam, assessment/plan and they just check the approrpiate boxes and write in the abnromal findings. I see a lot of companies offering transcription being done on-line, but I have no idea how to do this since I have always used a micro cassette recorder.
Thank you,
Cheryl
How much do I need to buy to get started as an MT?
I am just getting started as an MT; and have been hired by a MT agency. I have no experience as an MT but worked in surgery about 20 years ago (!) and have worked as medical secretary too. The company is telling me I have to purchase the transcription machine and about 4 reference books with software, I purchased new office furniture, and need to purchase a new computer because I don't want to use the same computer my kids use! Is this the norm to have to purchase so much out of pocket? The company provides no benefits, pays no taxes, but gives me work at 7 cents a line. Is it normal to spend so much $ to get started?
getting started
Thank you for your positive reply! Did you see the reply from Gloria? Please read it and tell me what you think of it. She has a much more dismal outlook. I appreciate all of your opinions.
getting started as an MT
When you say a background in English, are you referring to something more than high school and college english, writing classes? I always did very well in English. I also took medical terminology, of course, got an A, and am certified as a nurse's aide. I worked in surgery for four years as a medical secretary typing surgical reports and entering them into the computer, as well as scheduling and typing the surgical schedule daily. I've worked in a psychiatrist office as well. The Medical Transcription agency here tested all of the applicants, and I was the only one with no experience that they hired, because I aced the test. So I guess that I thought that starting out with an agency that is willing to train me is worth the trade off of the low pay. I will be an IC, so after a while, can branch out and make more $. Do you still think I have no business getting started in this business? I do appreciate your advice!
Don't get me started
One of the doctors - American MD - I transcribe for regularly says "tender to palpitation." I used to have an ARNP who said "libidio." And I just LOVE it when they do me the favor of spelling something -- I've already typed it, doc, thanks so much -- and then they wildly MISspell it.
Did one 13-minute (but only 40-line) dictation today from this ESL doc who had the hardest time pronounding "fluoxetine." Can't tell you how long it took me to figure out that's what he was saying... but I finally did... then on about the 5th or 6th time he's struggling thru this word, he says "just go back and change those all to Prozac, it's easier."
This started out as low pay for VR, my
post was telling how much you can make. You and I both probably have more training than she does- but anyone can rake in the money- we were not talking about having your own accts- I just posted because she does and I would be willing to say in a day she probably brings in more than you and the post above you- I know she would me- I could care less about $$$$ - don’t want to kill myself- VR easy- easy money- I like it but a lot of people think because of the low line pay, you cannot make anything and I would be willing to say probably most working for nationals not averaging 20 something an hour.
This just started when you got the Wii? - sm
We have had a Wii for 4 months and I use a wireless USB modem and have not had any trouble with being on-line while they play. There is a signal that is sent from the Wii to the TV and the antenae that comes with the Wii; are you close to it or your wireless hub close to it. I just have my one thing, no wireless network in the house so that may be why I don't have an issue. You should probably call Nintendo and see what they say you can do to fix your situation.
I need some help getting started
Any advice on how to get started on this online transcription? I just finished my externship at surgeons office, mostly gastroenterology and do not have a clue as to how to get noticed for a job.
Any suggestions will help, thanks.
Anna M.
This biz started being like that when SM
they had tons (still do) of the mommy MTs who were dying to work from home for a pittance, as long as they had nicey-nice people to deal with. They are hypersensitive to any correction of their work and work mainly for pin money. They have husbands who provide benefits and REAL income. The rest of us suffer for that.
Don't get me started!
I am not surprised. What do you expect from a country who can not even control their borders? With our current administration running things I don't think things are get any better for a while. It should be against the law to outsource.
I just started that too.
I have a list of all the bills I regularly pay taped to one side of the PC and on the other side I tape up the extras as they come along. Huge help to me.
I also treat myself by going to the drug rep lunches on Fridays if I'm on track.
Getting Started
Hello everyone, I have been an MT for about 7 years now, and I just kind of fell into the job at a local hospital. Once I worked there for about 3 years, I had the experience required to work from home and had no trouble finding jobs. However, I have friends that are asking me how to do what I do, and I honestly have no idea where to tell them to start. Some of them have enrolled in college courses, some are trying to take them online, but it seems none of these companies will hire you without any experience. So, if anyone has any advice of a legitimate way to start a home MT career, I would much appreciate anything you can tell me. I know there are a lot of scams out there that promise you jobs and then take all your money, and I am not about to send anyone to them. Anyways, thanks everyone for any information you can give me. I really appreciate it.
~Meg
getting started
would someone with exp. be willing to answer alot of M.T.
questions ,what type of school is nec.? is school required?
what is an apprenticeship? can i work as an apprentice and
get paid? can i work at home straight out of
school or do i have to work at an office or hospital first?
thanks for your help
QA started since there are not enough
I've been in this business for 20 years. QA? Never heard of it! We took it straight to the dictator. These were the old days of working on-site. People didn't have computers.
Now with all the digital components and can work from anywhere on your PC, there needs to be QA before the document can go the client so the company looks good. We usually had each other when we were on-site to help with a s/l, and if we couldn't figure it out, then it went to the dictating physician. Never had a problem.
QA is highly over-rated in my opinion. You can probably thank AHDI for that fiasco. Who else should know the answer but the dictator????? JMO.
Getting started
The large metropolitan hospital I worked at for 27 years used to accept unpaid interns from Baker in the WP Dept--and the good interns always had first shot at job openings. If you have a large (maybe even a small) local hospital, if you can manage it--offer to work a month-long internship for them (yeah, HR loves freebies)to show them what you can do. Best time would be around Christmas or summer vacations when they need all the help they can get. Won't hurt anything but your budget. I know, I know. . . .
When I first started at this, my
supervisor told me if I was uncomfortable doing a certain type of work to leave it until I was more comfortable. Same with dictators. I didn't do it long, just a week and would try the odd work I never did before in between the good stuff.
Could this be the case with your company?
I started out at .065 cpl. Sometimes they...sm
they pay 6 cpl. If you get offered 7 cpl you are doing good.
getting started
I would really appreciate any advice you can offer. I took an online course for Medical Transcription and finished last November but haven't been able to find any work. All the places I can find only consider hiring people with at least a year of experience. How can I get my foot in the door? Thank you for your ideas!
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