It takes a while to break into the field
Posted By: ebbie on 2007-01-06
In Reply to: You'll need to work 2 jobs at home to be able to live on MT. Or have a spouse + your income. Best - MT pay is still in-house. nm
and start making a decent living. There are huge differences in companies. You might get paid the same cpl but make much better money with one company over the other. If you keep your eyes open, sometimes you find a really good one. Also be sure you have a good Expander program and keep finding ways to speed up your own typing.
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Or if you're interested in investing 2 years to break into a field that won't be around...
but if you are wanting to get into a field where you can invest some time and money and actually have a job, you better look elsewhere. Seriously. I don't like it either but that's the way it is.
Who said I HATE this field? I LOVE this field but
also see the changes coming down the pike. Also feel it is not fair to withhold or misrepresent that part of the equation to someone who is considering entering MT or just starting out. Knowledge is power. It would take years for a new MT to have the kind of insight into this field that a 20+ year experience lends. Believe me, I would be only too happy to keep running my MTSO, making $75,000+ year while working 20 hours a week, paying my MT's well, but it's not going to happen. Try reading "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman if you want a perspective of what's going to happen to not only MT work but a lot of great white collar jobs. India and the rest of the world are breathing down our necks and in the next decade will be serious competitors for American jobs. There will be no "american" jobs - we will be competing against the rest of the world for jobs.
Friedman states: "The convergence of 'flatteners' has created a whole new platform. It is a global, Web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaboration. This platform enables individuals, groups, companies and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate...this platform operates without regard to geography, distance, time, and, in the near future, even language. Going forward, this platform is going to be at the center of everything...wealth and power will flow to those who get these basic things right...the infrastructure to connect with the platform and the education to get more of their people working on the platform.
Please wake up and look beyond our box.
give yourself a break and...
hang in there. You just started last week? Oh... then plan to give it at least a month or so before you start being too hard on yourself. I remember having total meltdowns in the beginning and wondering why I was even trying. I spent all day and night trying to get the work done. I got a new account recently and had to learn my first ESL Dr... At first, I felt like giving up, but after a few weeks, it got so much better. I think anyone can relate to how you feel. Dont give up, at least not yet!
You need to break more often than every 2 hours
straight. That won't be good for your body and you'll burn out easy.
Again, most places will allow you the time to get comfortable with your dictators. Don't try to be too fast and make mistakes because that won't be worth it at all to either you or your new employer. That shows sloppiness. JMO.
Give Her A Break
All she asked for was a good school that is affordable. For you to imply that she cannot go to school and raise a family is uncalled for.
The negativity on this board is so disappointing. I thought this was a board to help out prospective/new students, not a board to that discourages someone from a new career.
Lisa - I currently attend Career Step and I am fully enjoying it. Good luck.
This is why Forums break down......
Hah, I love it. Slam bam!! Whew, I knew an attack would come from some unhappy soul. Around the Back, I got into this thread because I read the silliness about the "Big 3" which I know is not true from our own hiring practices.
Here we have a poster who offers nothing but negatives. Nothing helpful, only destruction. Why are there people like this?
Unfortunately, I have too many MTs with similar negative attitudes. The world is too short to dwell in such a bleak world. Next you'll look for typos. :)
Come out and share. Offer insights. Take some risks by trying to look into the future and offer some of your long term wisdom. You probably have a lot. Share. Almost all of us want to learn. Brighten our lives a little.
And I'm not here to promote any school or MT Company. I could care less as long as students and graduates don't have their dreams crushed by scammers.
Your comments on this school's curriculum points to the fact that you really don't know what you are talking about. I could go into why, but that is tedious for me and the readers. The school can defend itself if it wants.
No that's not fair to the school, the curriculum is mostly HPI, one class at Career Step private publications, followed by their internship. I know because we hired from them. The key was their mentors.
A positive attitude is both free and priceless at the same time.
It's really tough to get a break
which one of the reasons why I quit teaching MT after 10- years. It was impossible for me to find an on-site internship program (no one wanted students on-site asking questions and slowing the productivity of regular MT's). I found a couple of IC's that would let my students transcribe the reports after they had already been transcribed and would verify work experience for them for doing that. I just hated seeing so many students putting all the effort into a class and then being unable to find a job with no experience. My advice was always to go to work on-site vs. trying to go it alone at home with no support. Keep applying until you have no other option. Good Luck
Keep an open mind when looking for your first break.
For a first break into the business, you really need to welcome an in-office position. Not only is it a job doing what you say you want to do, but you may actually get guidance from an experienced MT and learn more than you could ever learn alone.
oh lordy......give it a break already...nobody...sm
believes you.....ROFL...
What about giving professional MTs a break? (sm)
I'm simply trying to save her money and anxiety by suggesting that perhaps in her life situation, MT is not a career she should be pursuing. I'm not negative in the least, I just think that anyone who thinks this is a easy money-making career is deluding themselves.
This is not tupperware ... this is a professional, mentally challenging career with severe implications to both patients and health providers if the job is not done with the utmost accuracy and attention to detail.
This is not a career that someone should get into just because they want to stay home with their children. I've seen too many errors because of distracted transcriptionists who were ill equipped for their jobs and trust me, if you were given the wrong medication and/or wrong dosage because the Transcriptionist transcribed mg instead of mcg or couldn't distinguish between Seldane and Feldene due to distractions, you'd probably be screaming bloody murder.
When people stop thinking of MT as a "stay at home, play with my kids and do it on the side" kind of career, them maybe the rest of us professionals who dedicate our time becoming the best MTs we can in spite of lousy pay, foreign outsourcing and the rest of the world thinking we're a bunch of slackers who make easy money for nothing, can finally gain the respect we should have had all along.
Then you don't have what it takes to make it
as an MT. If you can't digest truthful information being given and have the courage to digest it, apply it to any areas of yourself that might need tweeking, then you will not last as an MT. This industry can be pretty rough at times. If you have thin skin, you won't make it. I can only imagine how you will take QA feedback.
Good luck to you.
Takes time
My friend made $50,000 last year and has only been doing MT work for 4 years now. It can be done. You just have to find the right companies and work hard to get what you want. She has never worked for any nationals. She does do IC work for 3 companies right now. I just graduated and am looking forward to getting my first job.
Good luck!
It takes time
I think most do, but I have heard some do not. You just get to where you can proof as you go. I know it seems like you are not very fast right now and that 1200 to 1600 lines a day is completely unreachable, but it is possible. There is an MT with the company I work for who commits to 2300 lines a day. I could not do that. It just takes time to build up your speed and make as many shortcut keys as you can.
You will get better, it takes time
We have all struggled in the beginning. Pretty soon, you will find you look up less and less each day and many days you won't have to look up anything at all! Hang in there and persevere. You will be okay.
Don't worry sometimes it takes
awhile to get the hang of it. I haven't been doing this very long either and it took me looking things up alot of the time to get it right. Left alot of blanks at first. But sooner or later you'll get to know the drugs that are used frequently and then you'll turn into a pro! Don't let it get you down, take it moment by moment if necessary! God bless and email me if you want to chat some more!
You'll do fine!!
You have to retrain your ears for ESLs and it takes
some time. If you tend to have the same ones regularly it really helps. What I do is, if I have blanks I just mark a blank and continue the report. When I finish the report I go back and relisten and I am usually able to get the blanks because I have figured out the accent. If you get QA back make copies of the reports for future reference. If you have a couple of reports by the same doctor and don't have to send them in immediately, sometimes you can pick up something in one report you didn't in another and you can go back and fill in. Getting up for a short break does help, also taking a deep breath and closing your eyes while you replay the dictation helps. I have dictators that I just cringe when I see them come up, but I just take a deep breath and just jump in. If I have the right frame of mind I find that even the difficult ones tend to go better. If I'm tired and frustrated I chose another dictator that isn't so bad and come back to the bad ones. I download via internet so I know who I have and I can do them in any order - I'm not cherrypicking.
I have had new ESL dictators and I swear they aren't speaking English and it can take me a couple of sentences to figure anything out and then I go back to the beginning and I can do it better then.
I only work part time but it takes me...sm
all day to do the work. I have one at home and my other two are in elementary. I only do about 500 lines per day, but I it takes the whole day to do it because I stop and play, read, and BE with my little one. She just turned 5. I used to work in the evenings or at night when she was younger, but now I do it during the day. She has a desk beside mine and she does her "work". But then she wants to be held or read to or played with and that is when I stop and do those things with her. IF I needed to make more money or if I was needed to work more then I would find someone to watch her or work when she is sleeping. I would never expect a child to sit in front of a TV all day by herself (which is what it is if you are not paying attention to her) and be okay and well behaved.
Does anyone know how long it takes for tests to be graded at MediVoxx or OSI?
I recently tested at both companies and am beginning to wonder how long this process takes. While I am waiting for their replies, if anyone could tell me of other corporations that hire new MTs I would appreciate it.
SOAP Transcription takes on newbies who test well. nm
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SOAP Transcription takes on experienced newbies for ER and rehab medicine. They use
s
I'd tell you my opinion on the whole MT field, but
I'd be accused of being negative and bitter. LOL Yeah, people get buffaloed into thinking that there is good money to be made doing MT. Evidently, some people do make good money at it. I haven't met any real life person who actually does, though. I've never seen it myself either.
Yes, this is still a good field!
Hey Porr - Welcome! First of all, you have come one of the most negative MT sites on the internet. If you are easily discouraged or depressed, I would advise you NOT to come to this site. I have been an MT for over 30 years and every time I come to this board, I leave so dejected, I wonder if I have wasted my life doing MT. I have finally realized that this board drags me down, so I don't come here very often. The people who do come on here legitimately, come to relieve their frustrations, get advice, vent about work situations, etc.... we are not all this stressed out all the time  But there are a lot of really good people on here, too, and you can get a lot of valuable knowledge, you just have to learn who the "trolls" are and ignore them (easier said than done at times!) The MT world is undergoing a lot of changes these days. A lot of work is being sent offshore and now they have the voice recognition platform that they are working on. The nationals make you feel very unappreciated, but I have worked for doctors, hospitals, clinics and had my own service for a while, and there are a lot of people out there who will appreciate your skills, just not the large nationals. Stay away from them until you are more seasoned, then, if you feel like tackling one of them, I say go for it. They have their negatives, but you will gain valuable knowledge and you will be able to get a job just about anywhere with one of the nationals on your resume.
This is a great field, just keep your nose to the grindstone and stay away from negative websites (). Do not let the comments you read here sway you one way or the other. I find this to be a personally rewarding field to work in. I hope that you do, too! Hang in there and don't give up!
Is this a good field to go into?
Does this line of work have a future? Is it a good field to go into? I welcome your opinions.
PT is an easy field.
i type a PT account from home. Like any other field, you just get used to it and it's easy. I think you should do well. susan
seriously considering the MT field, but I have a few questions!
Hello Everyone! first of all, I want to say thank you for all of the great information I have found so far from these boards. I am very seriously considering being an MT. I currently work full-time as a Transcriptionist in a Psychologist's office and I really enjoy it. However, I believe I would enjoy the medical field more. I have a few questions that I would really appreciate you guys answering...
Can you make a decent living as an MT working for an online company? (i.e. Spheris, Focus or accuscribe?) Currently, I would need to make at least 25k a year to suppliment my husbands income for our family, and I do not mind working full-time.
I believe I am going to being training with CareerStep... will companies like that consider hiring me if I test and score high enough, even without prior MT experience?
Thank you so much for your help!
Maybe the OP should consider another field of employment. NM
x
Getting back in the field
I have a certificate in medical transcription with four years experience working from home; however, I have not worked in five years since quitting to be a full-time mom. Can anyone recommend a great way to back into the field or a refresher course from a reputable company? I would love to do transcription again but don't want to spend a lot of money to do it since I already completed a course a few years back. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Getting back in the field
Thank you for the advice. I do need to update my reference materials. The school I attended no longer offers the program and unfortunately the company I worked for is no longer around after my supervisor retired, so I am at somewhat of a disadvantage. Has anyone ever heard of FutureMT? They have one of the least expensive programs on the internet. I'm looking at that one and MedTrans Inc. I hate to repeat a lot of what I know, but may not have a choice at this point.
Getting back in the field
I'll look into this. Thank you!
No, not really. Experience in the field - but not just more education.
x
It was a good field at one time
but I wouldn't go into transcription today.
I learned transcription the old fashioned way - my boss said "come here and let me show you how to transcribe." It turns out I had a knack for it and did very well. For several years I had no problem finding a job. I was often hired on the spot in many places. All hospitals had transcription departments in house, paid well and offered great benefits.
Gradually though more and more work was outsourced. Then one by one, hospitals closed their transcription departments. Now hospital jobs are extremely rare, yet most companies want you to have hospital experience. The jobs that exist now are mostly with agencies that pay you by the line rather than by the hour. No matter how fast you type you can't overcome the little things that interfere with your line count - foreign accents, mumblers, people talking and laughing in the background drowning out the dictation, line noise, phone lines going down, computer problems, servers going down, being switched to new accounts constantly so you can't adjust, etc. When those things happen you don't get paid.
It's very sad because I loved being a transcriptionist. Nowadays it's a completey different job than it was one a I started and one I would not recommend. You don't get compensated enough for what is expected of you.
I would recommend finding something that will pay you by the hour and guarantee you have a job. Best wishes to you and your new baby.
If you do decide to enter this field,
I would visit www.aamt.org and check out their approved schools.
This is a tough field to be in - I have been transcribing for 12 yrs (sm)
I understand your frustration - the best advice I can offer is to try to find a small MTSO to work for - an individual who has maybe 20 or less employees, so that you can develop a good relationship with that person (you have to look around, they are not all great!) That has worked the best for me. I work close to full time now, but when I was part-time (also because of my children) I once worked for a company who gave me a terrible account...no one wanted to type this guy...after a while I had learned that he repeated many phrases again and again and I worked hard to make hundreds of abbreviations for him. I got to the point that I could do his work very quickly and he was very happy with me doing his work so the MTSO kept giving his dictation to me. One day, I did a 30 minute tape from him in an hour and a half....I sent my work in...my boss called and told me that I could not have possibly done that tape that fast. I told her that I had made tons of abbreviations for the doc and that I had actually done the whole thing in an hour and a half. I told her that I liked doing his work now because I had gotten very used to him, being given him every day. Guess what? She never gave me his work again. I guess she kept it for herself? But she wouldn't let me have it back? Why? I don't know but I know that if you try to pick and choose they will almost never let you because someone else might want the same account. I guess what I am saying is you have to play it smart...don't directly ask for an account. There are a lot of small-time supervisors in this world who are power hungry and want to flex what little muscles they have over anyone they get the chance to do so with. I hate having to play the game and wish everyone could just be open and direct and honest, but they aren't. And in this field it really can be very dog eat dog.
Thank you for finally telling the truth about this field!
I have applied to two hospitals that are looking for a radiology transcriptionist. They are both paid by the hour and offer daycare which means that my son will only have to do daycare for 3 hours a day with my husbands help. I am just sad though that I won't be able to spend as much time with my son. I hope that someday I will be able to take home the work. They are interviewing in two weeks so wish me luck! Thank you so much for finally telling the truth to what this field of work is really like!!!
Newibies need to earn a place in the MT field, just like everyone else. sm
talk about disrespect - how about wasting someone's time when you can't do the job or don't want to buy the equipment.
Why do people feel they can scam their way into this field?
With inferior educations for cheap and now wanting to lie to get jobs? Whatever happened to working for what you earn and telling the truth? :-(
I have to disagree. I think it's a great field and I make
I absolutely agree. I have 4 years' experience, but wouldn't try to enter the field now. nm
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