Future

• the future of medical transcription - k8990
  • Thanks everyone for answering! - k8990
  • K8990 - rochelle
    • Or if you're interested in investing 2 years to break into a field that won't be around... - by all means go for it
  • All I can tell you is I have been watching this issue very closely for the past 5 years... - US MT
    • Future - Jan
    • As a new MT, - I appreciate your candor. - nm
    • seen and felt the changes as well - You are right on the money!
      • I enjoy MT, but I see the writing on the wall. I have started another at-home business....(sm) - Phasing Out MT....
  • Well, it really IS kind of up in the air, but even if MTs - get phased out, that'll take many years. - nm

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I worked in the medical field 20 years ago and often had to hire medical transcriptionists.  I remember back then that there was a lot of talk about MT being a "dying field."  There have been a lot of changes, but there is still lots of work for MTs.  I finished MT school last April and had heard  talk about MT jobs being hard to get, especially for new MTs.  I was offered a job with a large national about 2 weeks before completing my MT program.  I can honestly say it was the easiest job I've ever gotten.  Yes, there will be changes in the field but I believe that well-trained MTs will be in demand for quite a while to come.  There's a lot of negativity on this board but not everyone's experience is negative.

EMR/VR is described in previous post.  If you do VR you are an MT and an Editor with a pay of 3 to 4 cpl.  Not my cup of tea but some people may prefer it.  You will see the large outsourcing companies send work out alot more often now to increase their profit margin - ALOT.  Therefore you are going to be limited as to how much you can make with them.  If you earned $2500 a month full time, there is someone sitting in India or the Philippines just waiting to do your job for an average of $239 a month.  Bottom line is that saving $$ will almost always be the deciding factor.  To avoid that situation, I have gone to a company that hires U.S. MTs only.  That is proudly posted on their web sites and companies who post on MT Stars.  You get paid more, there is steady work, and it will not be outsourced.  That is not to say that the client will not end up outsourcing as a cost saving measure.  Try to support U.S. companies and help them to grow.  They are the ones trying their best to protect U.S. jobs, not the AHDI.  If it is up to them, in the future the MT positions will probably be cut in half or more by 2015. 

As far as satisfying work.  If you have an account that you get good on, maximize your potential, and earn up to $20 or more than hour - that is satisfying!!  And by the way, there is no way your husband could ever guess what it is like to be an MT.  Stressful, yes.  Boring, no.  The knowledge and technology training you receive are invaluable, as long as you can make money doing it.  Not so easy these days, but possible if you don't mind changing companies/clients until you find the right fit.