6 or 7 cents? :::snorting::: I made 7.5 at the job I landed even BEFORE I graduated from (lm)
Posted By: Happy MT on 2006-01-08
In Reply to: 6 or 7 cents a line for EXPERIENCED transcriptionists? SM - anon
The School That Dare Not Speak Its Name. I then left that job for another one making 8 cents. I am now making 8 cents a line from home, and my one-year anniversary of graduating from MT training is not until May.
Six or seven cents? Not in THIS life. And I have had NO trouble finding jobs. I still get people calling me based on the resumes I sent out back when I first started looking, and I have to tell them I am no longer looking for work.
Nice try, MTSO. But trying to convince people to work for 6 or 7 cents a line shouldn't play as long as some of us are here to bring a little reality into the situation.
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9 cents per 65 character line and 9 cents every 65 char are two different things.
do they take your character count and divide by 65, or do you have a line length of 65 and you are paid for however many lines are on a page.
YaY!!! I landed a job! *sm*
I am so excited and very nervous at the same time! I will probably start in a week or two after I return the contract and complete the training. 
I will be contracted to produce 800 lines per day and need to achieve this goal ASAP. I would love to hear any suggestions you all have about gaining speed to meet production quotas.
I graduated from USCI and had a job before I graduated, but....
I already had a BS and MA in education and five years of teaching experience, not to mention my own tutoring business before I went to MT. That's what got me my job, I know that for a fact. (All three of my employers have commented on my "great resume".)
If you can't afford to start over with another school like Andrews or M-Tec (I forget the other Big Three school), I suggest you go to ebay and buy some extra tapes to use for practice and include those in your resume. For example, I realized about 3/4 of the way into my studies that I had not done enough research on my school. I bought HPI/SUM tapes from Ebay, AAMT tapes from Ebay, and I forget what else. I did a TON of extra work. My resume looked great, and I did get a job with no problem.
It's not impossible. USCI or AHP does not mean a death sentence, it just means that you have to work harder to impress.
If you want a copy of my resume, just email me. I did have all three employers comment on it, and I have been in my current position for almost a year now.
Good luck!
More can be made
The problem with MT pay is that it's all over the board and dependent on so many factors. If you're really good at MT and fast, you can make pretty decent money. You also have to be fortunate enough to find a good job fit. I'm into my 3rd year as an MT and averaging $20 an hour as an employee of a large national. During my second year I made about $12 to $16 an hour. I believe that many people who go into this field are not really well-suited to do this kind of work, and it shows in the paycheck. If I were making anything less than $15 an hour, I'd sure be looking for a new place to work.
Thanks 2 cents
sounds good to me.
My 2 cents
While I do agree it is important to get a good education, I have to disagree with the people on this board that seem to think that the only way to get a job is to go to one of the top three.
This has not been the case for me, or for many people that I know. In fact, the school I went to is quite frowned upon, but I feel very good in how I am doing. Yes, if I had done my homework before starting school I probably would have taken a different course. The fact is that those of us that did not go to the top three deserve the chance to be viewed as an MT, not as a school project.
If someone were on here asking what school to go to, I would tell them that the top three are the best place to look. However, if they are here looking for guidance after the fact, I would never tell them that they are second class, and that is the viewpoint that I, and probably more people, see when we read this board.
My 2 cents...sm
I don't think it's meant to be a negative thing. I will soon hit my 3-year mark as an MT, so it makes me wonder how long one is considered a newbie. I consider myself - experienced - in that I can do a lot of work types and specialities, but I am absolutely still learning something new nearly every day, which I think is a good thing.
my two cents
I also have spent 2 years of my life and $16,000 to be trained in the Medical Office Field. With the negativity and attitude from the experienced MTs at these sites I am realizing they soon may no longer need sites like this. Overseas MT's will be the only MT's receiving any training...how sad!!! I can't figure out why someone with a talent would not want to mentor others!
My Two Cents
Almost every reputable company that hires new graduates provides full QA and training at no cost to the employee/IC. A reputable company that provides quality product to their clients will not let newbie loose on an account with it. Of course, you do have to have an education from a good school and the knowledge and skill to be able to pass their employment test. Take some time and check out some other companies using one of MT resource sites. It should be very enlightening. Remember, many companies will waive their experience requirements for graduates from schools such as Andrews and M-Tec. Very few, if any, of their graduates have ever had to pay to work.
This crud about having to pay for or not being paid during an internship/training is a direct result of AAMT/ADHI's push for apprenticeships for the profession. There were very few of these "opportunities" prior to the apprenticeship talk, and the ones that were out there were known scams. Now it just another way to maximize the bottom line while taking advantage of newbies who are lacking proper education or confidence or ability or are just desperate to get a foot in the door.
My two cents....
I graduated in August as well, and after applying to dozens of companies I finally accepted an IC position with a company. I figured at least I would be getting some experience until something better comes along. I have only been working 3 weeks and I am glad I made that decision. You have to start somewhere, and it is so hard finding that first job. I figure once I get some experience, then maybe a better offer will come along such as a position that pays hourly rather than by the line and one that will hire me as an employee and provide benefits. I am just as new to this career as you, but I think we need to gain experience before we will find something better. Good luck in your endeavors and hang in there!!
My 2 cents.
in your post. For anyone who is interested, not all documents need be prepared to perfection. Some dictators like you to transcribe what they say and have coined phrases and refuse to have it transcribed any other way. So please, do not put forth that this profession is based solely on proper ANYTHING because it isn not. I have 19 years of experience in this field and was trained in a 4-year program. No, I am not a CMT because it is not a requirement to be an accurate transcriptionist. Thanks for listening. 
P/S: Any nurses, I feel, would be fine with transcribing since they are used to the medical terminology. However, typing speed is a plus as well, but not necessary. Accuracy is the key. Speed comes with time!!!!
And yes, I now see that I have made a typo
and "it's" should be "its".
LOL.
see, I just made one with only 1 parenthesis lol
/
I have not seen this comment made yet....
I am a newbie to this board and trying to decide on a MT school. I find it very interesting that while there are many negative comments out here, there are virtually no negative comments about Andrews school or M-tec..... I understand that they are considered the "best" but "best" is not "perfect". Does anyone out there have any thoughts on this or have any not-so-perfect experiences with these schools? Just something to think about.....
I only made $13.00 after 20 years
If you want to just get the experience, then go for it. Once you've gained talent and speed and enough experience, you can take that and make more than that much per hour by working production, but at least hourly, you can slack a little at times and not worry. 
I too made a mistake
I received my certificate from them in May, The guy that I talked to at the school said this field paid 10cents per character at 65 in a line making it $6.50 a line. haha and we paid the extra $1000 for job placement for life. with the promise that as soon as I got certified they would send me a doctor to work for and if I didn't like that one they would send me a different one. Only to find out that they do not send you doctors, they send you assessment tests and you have to do the background check on the company yourself. I was sent to a company that has been scamming people for over eight years by not paying them, so I got my first and only job in June and worked for no pay until September and it is now November and I have no job and no money and very little help from the school on finding one, and I am seriously considering going back to unloading semi trucks for a living. Oh yeah and most of the places they have send me suggest I go to a Career Step training course. So I am very sorry about the decision I had made to go through that school. I hope you have better luck than I did. I would not recommend anyone to go to that school. I feel like I have been lied to from the very start.
Good luck.
Almost made a mistake
I too have been considering this and went to a seminar - was led to believe they have a very high reputation. I would have made a big mistake if it wasn't for this board! Thanks so must for the inputs!
I got 6 cents right out school.
Even as a newbie, I think 3 cents would be an insult.
7 cents a line
I graduated in Aug - my first job finally came in Sept/Oct they started me out at 7 cents doing orthro clinics.
Here is my 2 cents worth
Sometimes clinic work won't really be for a few doctors, it'll be for a system of clinics often with very, very short reports with just as much fact checking and account specs as any other place. You might be surprised and find your speed much slower for a while, I know I was.
Teaching hospitals often have the best and the worst of dictators. Residents are honing their craft and learning to dictate well is a part of that. I think we all have to bear with them. Eventually, they will improve.
As for the group of seven hospitals all with different specs, sure it will take you a while to get up to speed. It would take anyone a while to get up to speed. Granted it would be very nice if the company you work for would just give you one hospital per month to get a good grip on the specs before adding another. But, unfortunately, MTSOs are not so considerate anymore. You do sound to be learning them and basically doing okay.
My first MT job was for a teaching hospital too, only there I could do operative notes, but no ER. I had to look up a lot of words/phrases here and there. I looked up things just to make sure I knew what they were. I probably wasted a lot of time. For my efforts, I started off making less than minimum wage and was stuck at about $4.00 per hour for close to a year as far as speed goes, so I would work 12 hour days or as long as I could in a day. But after a while, I broke that and started to make a bit more per hour and in my day. I discovered I was flying through some dictators, while others still held me back. Eventually, it does get better if you hang in there. We who work at home are production employees or ICs and not hourly employees. I started feeling better about my speed, production and myself once I put that into perspective. I also increased my speed and production once I got it off my mind and concentrated on each job at hand. I also set myself line goals for the day, say 800, 1000 or 1200, whatever you feel comfortable with and worked steadily until I met that daily line count, which increased my pay also.
I did not start using ShortHand until I was working for about a year. It certainly does help. Anymore I do so much editing that it is not as much help as I had hoped it would be. I think that really depends on the account(s) you have. Shorthand is nice, but is limited with editing. And as far as editing goes, it is crap everywhere. I just decided to bite the bullet and accept it. I actually don't mind it so much now. But, again, that really depends on the account as some are better than others.
I sincerely do not think you should beat yourself up over your concerns. Despite what schools and MT advertisements tell us, it really does take a while to learn to be a really good MT. We all have been where you are (and some of us never thought we'd get through it to make decent money), but with continued practice, patience and confidence in yourself, it will all get better. I myself would think twice about leaving any job right now in this economy. I've had enough jobs so far to know the grass isn't always greener in another pasture.
I hope my perspective was helpful to you. It is, after all, only my opinion.
God bless you.
Cents per line...
Yes, at 6 or 7 cents a line, that is strictly training wages. Don't settle for anything like that, especially if you have experience and you know you are good at what you do. These companies make anywhere from 14.5 cents on up for the work they receive throughout outsourcing so, in essence, whatever you make, they make, except you are the one doing all of the work, paying for your phone line/internet, etc.
If they only want to pay 6 or 7 cents a line, let them get new grads or someone with no experience, that way they will get what they pay for.
Cents per line
This is a post of new graduates or soon-to-be graduates, who need to gain experience. !!!
I really think I made the wrong choice
All I keep hearing about is how hard it is to land a job in this profession. No one wants to go to school and then find out there are no jobs available. I have almost given up on finishing my school for fear of there being nothing at the end of the rainbow for me. I was naive in thinking that I could just work from home immediately and have no cares in the world. Oh well, live and learn - right? I guess I better just go back to college and get a degree in something else.
I made 7.75 with MedQuist my first year.
I started out with Medquist making 7.75 based on my all-around experience and test scores I was told. That was PTE.
I went on to make 8 as an employee, and I work a second IC job making 16, 13 to start, 16 after 90 days.
home-made wine
First time in a while I have sit down at a computer and enjoyed it with a glass of wine.
I made the Wal-Mart post below, and
I've only been working for a little over a year, so I am still a newbie. I do not think this is something anyone should go into if they need money quickly, but I do think it might be the right choice for some. I make a very small income, but it works right now for me and my family.
I charged 14 cents per line.
I drove every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to pick up and deliver work. I had six accounts in one building and had them for seven years. I recently let them go because I moved and no longer wanted to drive. You definitely charge more. Think of how much time you spend printing, delivering and picking up. It is much more cost on your part than working for a service and doing everything on line.
If I get paid 7 cents per 65-Character.....
by electonic character count, do you think that would be with spaces or without?
Anyone? Not sure!
Thanks!!
Oooh... 3 cents per line.
.
Yes, 9 cents per 65-character line.
nm
6 cents a line and happy
Hmmmmm....you must not have any real bills, just blow by money eh?
Sounds like they made a poor choice of EMR...sm
the whole point of EMR is not to type the notes into the system - it's to choose from a menu and point and click to get the information in. Think
chief complaint: sore throat. choose: erythematous edematous purulent drainage and so on
if it's a speciality with a lot of redundancy, i.e. podiatry, they fly through their notes. If it's more unique situations a little tougher. But don't worry... the EMR companies will soon figure out the missing link...
You've made some good points.
Thanks for posting.
It sounds like your mind is made up that you don't need an adequate course,
and that hard-working MTs in your area are just waiting to complete your education so you can be of help to them. But you did say you wanted advice, so mine would be that your future co-workers, supervisors and customers will all wish you were ready to transcribe when you got out of school, which can only be guaranteed by two schools: Andrews & M-Tec. So instead of wasting a few hundred dollars on an education that won't land you a job, spend what it takes for a real education. At these schools you can learn at your own speed with lots of support from the teachers, and when you graduate you will be an asset to the profession.
Everywhere I have worked, coders made more money than MTs.
nm
I make 2-3 times what I made as a nurse. nm
Not much money to be made for new grads at MedQuist.
Guess it is pretty profitable to get rid of experienced MTs and then fill their spots with new grads at half the rate.
I was lucky if I made $1 an hour my first week! sm
It was horrible! After a month, I am now up to $8 an hour.(I know that is still not much!) I would look up every single drug and doublecheck the dosages. Now, I am familar with many of them and it feels good not to have to look them all up. It is great that your company thinks you are doing good work!
Not true, I made a 95 once. But grammar and spelling
are key issues as stated below.
No instructors, and home-made materials = CS.
I'm also a CS grad, and if I had it to do over again, I would definitely choose Andrews or M-TEC. No more "training track" for Spheris from CS. Focus no longer hires newbies from CS. People are finally waking up.
6 or 7 cents a line for EXPERIENCED transcriptionists? SM
I don't think any self-respecting experienced MT will work for you for that kind of money. I know for sure I wouldn't. Do you think we're all that hard up for work? It's an insult to our intelligence, knowledge, job skills, etc. You are a joke.
They're templates or shortcuts that you've made yourself as you go along...sm
All the physical exams you've saved for each doctor, all the op reports that you've saved as templates, shortcuts, or macros. Your opening and closing sentences in your letters saved by doctor...your lab tests that get repeated over and over...your doc versions of any tests that you get over and over - their EKGs, cardiac caths, PFTs, etc. Your normals are what make you even more successful at this job in addition to just having words and phrases in an expander. nm
Just graduated.........
I am now looking for work. Most employers want
you to have actual experience, which I do, but
the training does not count. So now I have to find
someone who will hire me. Are there any companies
that recent grads?
I just graduated
J--I just graduated, so now I am on the hunt!
I had a job 3 mos before I graduated from AHP, but...
I would still recommend one of the Big Three if I had it to do over again. I had no problems getting a job as an AHP grad, however.
I graduated from CS...sm
and I had 3 job offers within one week, all for work-at-home positions. I had the same concerns at first, since CS was so much cheaper, but I read about how many of their grads were getting work-at-home jobs right away, so I went with it. I felt totally prepared to work, and my employer has been very happy with my work.
Soon to be Graduated !!!
Well I am waiting for my final exam to come back and I will be graduated and looking for a job !!!! Woohoo....
I went through a long grooling course with M-Tech but I loved it !!!
Wish me luck
I graduated AHP and...
I have 2 jobs I love, one for a local doctor and a long-distance account for a hospital. I have received no complaints so far about my work.
when every newbie gets a job right out of school at 6 cents per line, I will say they are worth 6 nm
nm
Are there companies offering 7 cents a line to new graduates? sm
This person has been offered 6 cents a line but I know the company and getting a raise will be like pulling teeth even if you do excellent work. This graduate will be doing acute care and feel like 6 cents is okay for clinic but 7 cents is more in line for acute care. This student graduated with honors from MT course.
CS website says there is money to be made for those who promote the training program!
No wonder people are so quick to promote CS. I don't think M-Tec or Andrews pay people to promote their school! If they do, they owe me some money, LOL!
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