dream on, Ms. Professional...sm

• Poll: Is MT a profession or vocation? nm - MT student
  • Poll: - ladydi
  • doesn't matter- - sn
  • Definitely a profession. This is a - negative place to post sometimes, so
    • It's about as much of a profession as being the cashier at Walmart - wow
      • Speak for yourself..... I can transcribe anything... Can a Wal-Mart cashier? - Why put people down? nm
        • can you stand on your feet all day, be abused by better than thou customers, work for slave wages? - I choose or what
    • profession not based on $ earned, but on specific criteria...sm - MTSO
      • Uhhmm, you are wrong! Here is what - Roget's says about "profession"!
      • I thought being a hooker WAS "the oldest profession." - txmt
        • actually, motherhood is the oldest profession.. - I choose or what
        • It gets about as much respect as being an MT! - sm
      • Poor thing, your negativity is showing - MTbird
        • and your lack of expectations for yourself is showing. - nm
        • dream on, Ms. Professional...sm - MTSO
          • some people need to make themselves sound important - sm
  • a bad career choice - txmt
  • here's some dict def's, i think it IS a profession. - sm
    • and how many liberal arts and science bachelors degrees & beyond are held on this board? - OMG - you're KIDDING, right???
  • There's a difference between a profession and a job. - MT is a job.
  • definitely NOT a profession...criteria are...sm - MT2RN
    • college or not (I did) - what you do....sm - I think U R nutzo.....whether we attended
      • U R confusing official definition of professional with "popular" definition...sm - Old MT
  • It's a SICKNESS!!!! (nm) - I'm terminal!!!!
  • It's a knowledge-intensive field which doesn't pay anywhere near enough.. - L.P.H.
    • EXACTLY - great post!! not paid enough!! sm - I think U R nutzo.....whether we attended
    • It's a one-trick pony that requires us to sit on our butts on auto-pilot all day - oh please!
      • I PRAY that you NEVER transcribe my - Medical Reports
        • Oh, get over yourself. - yaaaaaaaaawn
  • Neither - it's an addiction. nm - Frankie
    • Funny answer *addiction* - LOL.....nm - It's a zoning out addiction *lol*

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My dream job would be straight transcribing half oncology and half psychiatry on a flexible schedule Monday through Friday as a statutory employee for a reputable company with decent dictators at 11 cents per line (a fair living wage for 17 years' experience), first shift.

But then you are saying you will do it on the side like a hobby for extra cash. What's the difference?  You are talking out of both sides of your mouth.

Yes I have kids and I am no less of a professional than you and I do a good job.  No I couldn't take my kids to work, so I telecommuted for the hospital 3 days a week.  My kids are school age.  I've been doing this for 19 years.  So don't tell me that it's not professional to work from your home. 

But, there was a lady with a sick bird and the boss let her bring it in and kept in her office so she could feed it!  HA!  No kids, but birds were allowed.  Well, there was one girl that was allowed to have her kid there while she worked, but she wasn't an MT, she was a secretary. 

Now you see why I left to come home to my safe haven where I am making almost twice as much as I did at the hospital.   No, this will never be my side gig.  This is my main professional career and I'm darned good at it and I'm glad to help sick people and professionals in the healthcare industry document medical records.  I'm not afraid to research anything and don't care how long it takes either.  I'll get the answer!  And no, I have no desire to be QA because I'm an MT and that's what I'll be God Willing and the creek don't rise!

C'mon, I'm the 5' poster but 5'2"?  You'd be happy just to be 5'2"?  I was 5'3/4" most of my life but not now, lost almost an inch....

striving for 5'2" - *that's very funny to me.....because people have always thought I'm taller than 5'...because of the *stomach in, chest out* way I carry myself....I feel tall inside *L*...but if I had my druthers, 5'2" isn't tall enough in my opinion, it's still very, very short, and I'd love to have been 5'6" or 5'7".....

If employee, a good line rate with paid vacation and holidays, retirement, disability insurance.  Flexible hours as much as possible.  User-friendly platform.  Open communication with management staff and other employees.  Occasional bonus/perk to show appreciation. 

If IC, a line rate high enough to provide my own beenies.  Flexible hours as long as within tournaround time.  Backup on account for occasional time off.  Enough work to provide a decent line count.  User-friendly platform.  Access to management when needed.   Occasional bonus/perk to show appreciation. 

Yes those things you mentioned - good line rates, health insurance, good incentive program, paid time off - those things would be a dream for an IC like me.

I also believe if you do a good job it would be nice to hear it once in awhile, perhaps in the form of a Chrismas bonus !  I feel I am a hard worker and have over 10 years experience, struggle through ESLs and poor dictators and really don't get paid enough for my time.  To NOT feel like a cog in a wheel would be wonderful. 

Good luck to you with YOUR dreams !!

Okay let me see if I get it from the answers below

.10 cpl minimum for transcriptionist, higher for specialities; 0.2 to 0.4 cpl for benefits; 0.2 to 0.4 for QA, 0.3 - 0.4 for owner; 0.2 minimum for investor and yes I know a lot of companies/hospitals that will pay 19 to 24 cpl for transcription services.  Like you said, dream not  realistic. Oh yea and then have enough work force on hand to do the work in a 24 hour TAT,  less if there are QA problems and it goes there.   Then not many ESL's  --.  Also balanced work force for enough on hand to do the job in your contracted time frame or you will be docked severely but not to many so everyone has their work they want and those on stand by that will do work when someone calls in sick or has a personal problems or do not want to work.  Then there is the time that doctors take vacations and work flow is down and everyone is yelling at you.  Like you said it is a dream job.   It could be possible but it is a very hard business to run smoothly and profitable for everyone.  I only have two I/C's and 6 accounts and I am ready to chuck it in and just do what I can do for myself as it is very hard to balance and keep everyone happy and the 20 to 25% you make off those accounts is very well earned.  I do wish you success and it all sounds good but there is lot more there that does not meet the eye when you become an MTSO.   I also had my dream of being larger and providing a very decent job to home based MT's but after a few years I saw the writing on the wall and kept it as 2 - 3 I/C's and that is very hard to balance all out.   They are I/C's and have the right to work and not work.    And if you pay any benefits, they do become employees and then you have more expenses with benefits, insurance, workman's comp, etc., etc.  But hey you might be able to do it and I wish you the best.    Give MQ a run for their money.

Patti

working on a project.  They expect it as they are paying hourly for your work, no matter what that entails "other duties as assigned." 

I thought I could say "I didn't want to train a new hire" and guess what?  My boss said it is in all other duties. 

If this was the case in terms of project manager, then I should have been called a trainer and made more money.

Come on guys, get real!

I do flyers and they are very "professional" and so what if they offer a free car wash.  I found that most office managers just want to "look" to see what it offers and I feel opening a letter is sometimes takes "too much time" while at a flyer they can just turn over and read immediately what it is about. Again, I think whether letter or flyers if you are at the right place at the right time, you can nab an account.   And yes, have gotten several accounts that way and one has been with me for 18 years.  So probably either works, I just prefer the flyer.  But remember just like selling a house, it takes time and you have to put it out there to several hundred to get a bite.   And once I get a bite I then go in and talk to them taking cookies or something.  Also when I am looking for a new account I do several mailings about 6 - 10 weeks apart so I stay fresh in everyone's mind.  I also inform my present docs and their gals and offer a small bonus to anyone that helps me land a new account   I am sure that everyone has their way of soliciting for new accounts and it has worked for them and so they feel it is "the only way to go" but whatever route you take you have to get out there, be visible and that means to a lot of people as with that also you get word of mouth between offices. 

Good luck.

I am looking to talk to somebody that has been in the MT business for years and really need to know the "real deal" of this industry.  I have been MT'ing for almost 4 years now and feel like I am not getting anywhere.  I am not someone who needs to make 100K a year, but like most looking to make enough money to be able to have the essentials in life and be able to by my kids what they need with a little left over for savings.  I have worked in both ends of the spectrum as far as being an employee versus IC, both of which have pros and cons. 

Schools say that this is still one of the "fastest" growing industries and the need for MT's is still great, well, my question is where is the work and where is the decent pay.  I am at my wits end.  I have been looking into going back to college for cardiac cath tech, but unfortunately, my husband does not understand the nature of this business and before I jump ship was wondering if I am "missing" something. 

Any advice would be helpful.