Or not so much stress or long hours, decent pay
Posted By: LK on 2007-01-07
In Reply to: Lots of stress and long hours doing MT especially - sm -
I totally understand what you're saying, but being an MT varies so much based on what you bring to the job, where you work, and what kind of account you have that it's pretty tough to predict how any particular person will do. I'm very happy with my job. I find it to be the least stressful job I've ever had, love the predictable hours, and made 34K this last year working strictly a 40-hour week. This is after 1-1/2 years as an MT. I found the first 6 to 9 months terribly stressful because of the high learning curve, but once I settled into my account the stress level dropped considerably. I'm still working the same hospital account I started on, but also work other accounts as necessary. I work for a company that many people on this board say they can't make any money working for; it must have a lot to do with the stability I've had on my account that I am able to make reasonably decent money.
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
Lots of stress and long hours doing MT especially - sm
when you are first starting out. If you have to live on this, then in the beginning it is not a good choice. But if you are married and have a spouse income to live on and yours is just supplemental then that will work. When I first started 5 years ago I made $5K the first year, granted that was PT but I worked FT hours basically. I still work PT but practically FT, 30+ hours a week. I made about $16k this in 2006. Now I am not a fast typist (100-160 lph depending on dictator), and I find it hard to sit here and type for a solid 6 hours so I get easily distracted and goof off instead of working or else I am sure I could do $20K+ easy as I have more good than bad dictators. But some companies have mostly ESL and it is very hard to make money that way especially starting out. So many factors factor into to your income, your ability and typing speed, the ease of dictators, and if you can be dedicated and not get distracted. Obviously the more you can dedicate yourself and work consistently the more money you can make, just depends on your personal goals. Good Luck.
Go to a decent school to begin with - sm
I graduated from MTEC more than 8 years ago and had recruiters beating my door down to test me when I graduated. I tested with several of them and had offers from every one of them to begin working immediately. I have been working at home ever since. I have also heard Andrews is good. You never see people from these schools on these boards begging for someone to give them a chance. The education alone opens doors. Best of luck to you! 
Making decent money here.
I was one of those stay-at-home moms that wanted to make my own hours and earn a good living and I am doing just that. I have been an MT for 2 years now. I work at home while caring for my 3-year-old son. Yes, it is not easy, stressful even, but I make more money at home (close to $20 an hour) than I would make at a B&M job and I don't have to pay $1000 a month for daycare anymore. I have a completely flexible schedule and I work early in the morning while my son sleeps and during his nap times. If I have to, I work again in the evening to finish up work.
This profession is difficult and takes a lot of work, but what career that pays a decent salary doesn't. It is possible to make more than $4-8 an hour. It does not take years and years. I was up to $12 an hour after 6 months, comparable to what I made in my previous position, where I had been employed for 3 years.
Just because you can't make it in this industry is no reason to discourage others from trying.
Is MT a decent job based on pay #s I see here? And how is outsourcing affecting pay?
I am brand new to the MT world. I'm considering taking training and an internship at a local company (my cost = $2,000) and then working as a contractor for them. From reading different questions and responses here, I'm concerned that the pay is pretty low and has not increased much in the past few years. My other concern is that more companies are outsourcing their work overseas because it's cheaper. How much of that is happening and how much is that hurting pay here?
I'd appreciate any information and opinions. I have to decide by Monday, January 8. Now I'm thinking that I should just find another career path and take classes at a community college. I worked in another career and made excellent money, but the stress and long hours were just too much. I was looking for something less stressful and the chance to work at home. THANKS!!!
You didn't post here to get decent answers
You posted hoping that everyone would agree with you. When they didn't, you flipped out. That is exactly why the company you are working for is not going to cater to you...because they don't like your attitude! 
I disagree. Allied has a pretty decent program.
I hope you're being paid a decent wage and not being
taken advantage of, which happens a lot.
Difficulty finding work despite decent grades from Andrews
Angela,
I am a recent grad of Andrews--one of the top two schools recommended--and I graduated with a grade average of 97.9.
Contrary to popular opinion, Andrews' grads do not have several job offerings available to them as soon as they finish up school. The graduate is basically on her/his own as far as scrounging up a job. Having Andrews on my resume only allows me to test for a few MTSOs that would not have even given me an e-mail response. It is not an automatic door-opener at all.
I am having a difficult time finding employment because there are only so many entry-level positions available for new grads. There appears to be a glut of newbies. The economic decline is not helping either.
I have passed every single acute care transcription test where I was allowed to test, and I am on many "waiting" lists for future openings. I am really lucky that I am disabled and at least have some money coming in that pays the mortgage. I can wait for an opening, and I don't have to sign on with those MTSO that preys on newbies who can't find jobs.
If folks from the top schools are having difficulty finding employment, just imagine how much more difficult it is for someone that has only completed a low-quality matchbook-type MT education.
I wouldn't waste any money on the Penn folks.
Kathleen
I never hear of those who attended decent schools unable to find work
You can pay now or later. I had job offers with every company I tested with when I graduated from M-TEC, which was more than 8 years ago. I have worked from home since day 1 doing both clinics and mostly acute care. I do not know of anyone who graduated with me who has ever had problems finding a job. Employers are catching on as to which schools offer enough training so that the grads actually have some experience under their belt or are worth bringing up to speed. I also did not have to start out at 6 cents a line. That is absolutely insane.
How long did it take you?
How long did it take you to "develop an ear for it"?? i have a test to write in 2 weeks and with this one doc that is on the test, i really don't think that i will be ready!!!
Any suggestions???
how long...
I guess that depends on the individual. I was going to school, working a full-time job, and working with DKM at night and on weekends. I was pretty slow to start, but had decent typing (WPM). Some of the docs are tougher than others (including their fields and associated terminology, etc.) and still are. Sometimes, the audio slows me down. But, I started in October 2004 and quit my other job in May 2005. I have been working full-time at home since then. Each of our docs is different and depending on which one I am working on, my production goes up or down.
How long have you been an MT?
I work the *** account and very few of the doctors have bad accents. In fact, I think only one is hard to understand and since his stuff is all edit work it isn't that bad. I actually thought the majority of the work is easy to understand and can get line counts quickly. If you haven't been an MT for long let me tell you... CHA is an easy account and most others I have worked are much more difficult to understand!
Pay is a bit lower than I'd like, but I'm going to ask about that being changed.
I have always had work and always been paid on time. They do IM the whole team about the Q being full and needing people to log in and work, if you are already working then just ignore the IMs, I'm sure they aren't intended for those of us working already.
My understanding from emails lately is that they are having issues with MTs who aren't doing work properly or working their comitted hours/times. The clients are getting a bit upset about these things.
I may be leaving, but that is only because I need to find an employee position for the health insurance for my family since my husband is changing jobs in May and will no longer get ins through work.
I've had no issues with either Rajesh or Laila and both have been helpful and kind to me. I guess each person is going to have a different experience with each company...
But how long does it take U to do 45 min. job?
x
How Long Did It Take
Shawna , how long did it take you to complete the CS program?
how long
does it typically take to transcribe 500 lines?
How long does it take you to
type one hours' worth of a doctor's dictation?
How long would it take to transcribe
30 minutes of dictation? I'm taking on a new IC job, and the supervisor asked how many minutes of dictation I would like. I'm guessing I should start at 30, but I'm not sure about how long that would take. I've had about 8 months' acute care experience. I don't want to take on more than I can handle. Any ideas? Thanks.
60 days is too long even for me
/
I've done both and all I can say is to think long and
hard before you choose either one. Neither job is all it's cracked up to be once you get to the "real world" of work.
How long to stay with first MT job?
I have a question that I have not really been able to get some sound advice on and was hoping the posters of this board could give me their opions. I would appreciate any views.
The question is how long would you stay with your first (low paying) MT job? I am starting to make some fair money now, but am spending 12+ hours per day to do it, which actually comes out pretty low per hour. While I do appreciate the opportunity to be working right after training, I also feel limited by not having two year's worth of experience yet to try to move on. Most places seem to prefer MTs with at least the two years experience. On the other hand, I am getting very good work experience where I am and do not run out of work. I can't keep up this particular pace forever for what I am earning overall. Would you wait out two years for the experience?
How long is it taking all new MTs
I have been at this job for almost three months and I have yet to rest the goal everyday in one week. I can't wait until my little ones are in daycare/school again!
Are you at the current doc's office all day long? sm
I was thinking that if he wants you to transcribe from his office, could you get that done in a couple of hours, and then go home to work from there? I started my "home work" with one doc. She raved about me so much that all her doc friends called me to get me to work for them. Sit down with your doc and feel him out. He could be a real help to you! Good luck!
How long did it take you to finish MTEC?nm
nm
Some advice on becoming an MT. See long message.
First, you MUST have excellent grammer, spelling and listening skills. Without these, don't bother. You won't be a success.
Transcription is not something you can do in your spare time. It is a very demanding profession. If you work as an independent contractor (IC), you set the amount of time you want to work, but your paycheck is dependent upon how much work you do. If you are not a fast typist, your hourly pay will be low. I think the average MT does around 150 lines per hour. At 8 cents per line, that's $12 an hour. This is just AVERAGE pay.
If you are an IC, you will usually have no benefits. No insurance, no paid time off, all taxes come out of your check. If you work as an employee, you will have to keep a schedule, and usually a minimum line per hour to stay employed.
Becoming an MT requires a lot of training. You are going in the right direction with a nationally approved school. One of the three will give you a better chance at a job if you graduate with high marks. But even after school, it can take up to 3 years to become fully trained and making "good" money, which runs between the $12-$18 per hour range. It is a big time investment.
My advice is call Career Step. I believe Andrews and MTEC will counsel you extensively before they will accept you, to make sure you really understand what you are getting into. I hope Career Step does the same, but I haven't heard as much about them.
It is a tough field, and not going to get any easier, although I still think it is a great profession. You have to look at all the aspects before you decide if it's for you. Call the school. In fact, I would make a list of questions and call all three schools. They can probably help you better than any of us can.
Best of luck on whatever you decide to do.
Distance learners--how long did it take to graduate?
I am enrolled in a program right now that is supposed to take 9 months, but I am now on my 14th month (I think I am close to graduation now). I was just curious as to how long it has taken others to graduate who took MT distance learning courses. Thank you.
I also agree that there will be jobs for a long time. sm
Been doing this for 18+ years. You won't get rich, but you can make a decent living, at least as much as you would make on most secretarial or retail jobs, once you get the training. I make around $24,000 a year, but I don't push like I used to. I could make more teaching, have the qualifications, but nothing in the world would make me face that. It's a nightmare.
There will be decent jobs in transcription or editing for years, but not the gravy some of us are used to. Just a decent wage, probably average $12-18 an hour from now on, hope it doesn't drop lower. I don't think things are going to be too rosy in many other fields either, so I'll stay where I am until I'm ready to retire. JMO.
As long as you're posting links, how about this one from Berkley
especially where it shows US MT hourly wage at $13.17 and Indian MT hourly wage at $1.50-$2.00. With $11 an hour savings you can hire a lot of QA'ers and still make a killing!
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.
How long have you been away? Might need a refresher course from a local college or business school.
s
Hours for MTs
Working from home is really no different than working in an office or hospital as far as the hours are concerned. The only difference is that you are on your own and must be able to perform the same duties. Would you apply to a company or hospital and ask them if you can pick you own hours? Probably not. As a home MT, you can choose what shift you prefer, if available, but it is still a work environment, and you are expected to be there, in the chair, doing the work the same as if you were in a hospital or office setting. That is why you see shifts/hours advertised. Companies need to know that the work will be completed and returned to the client in a timely fashion to the client's satisfaction. It's still a JOB, even if you are at home.
Hours
Michelle, if you are an independent contractor, you can generally set your own hours/days/shift; however, if you are an employee, you must work the hours/days/shifts your employer wants you to work. Of course, as an employee you get benefits, too.
Also, IMHO, VLC is a better program than AHP.
Hours
I work at home and I decide what hours I work as long as my work is back within 24 hours. That doesn't mean I can goof off all day and not do my work, I have to discipline myself and have scheduled times to work. You do have freedom, and thats why I love it, but you do have to work also.
I don't look at the hours
I look at the line count because productivity in this kind of job is based on the line count. Also, as you gain experience your hours spent on an account will decrease, that is if you retain the same volume over time.
Based on other experienced MTs, they usually do not keep just one account, so if you have time in your hands, try to get another account to make up for the slow periods.
Also looking for PT 20 hours. Please sm
If you take that job and they still have open positions, could you please share with me the company? I have been looking for PT IC work like you mentioned. Thank you!
hours?
So how many hours of work do approximately get in per day? And how many hours of sleep do you get at night?
Do you really set your own hours?
I have heard that MT's (working from home) set their own hours to work... and then I have also heard that you have specific set hours that you work. Which one is right? Or do you have a deadline that you must get your work in by?
Thanks for clearing up the confusion!
Trust me, I've been doing this a long time and I still make stupid little mistakes.
Nothing is worse than being started on a new account, being under QA, and have them point out all of your mistakes. You start feeling incompetent so believe me when I say your mistakes and errors do not go away completely, no matter how long you've been at this. I am beginning to believe no one is perfect all of the time and should feel better about it than I have when I screw up. Just believe in yourself..and everyone else will too.
Hours / MT training
Has anyone here done at home professions MT course? Is it legit?
Also why do the job posting have set days and hours MT's have to work. I thought if you worked at home you could pick your own hours? Can someone clarify this for me
Thanks
MT schools & job hours
Does anyone know anything about an online school called Future MTs? Also, when working at home is it possible to get jobs that allow you to work whatever hours you want or is it mainly shift work?
350 lines in 8 hours?
That really isn't much. You should be spending time when you aren't working studying *grammar* and such. I am a newbie, have been at this since January, and can get at least 150 lph. So far I am able to get about 9,000 lines per pay period...that's 10 days. Not trying to bash you or anything, but it sounds like you really need some practice. Websites like www.rxlist.com are great for drug names as well.
My work hours...
I have a 3 y/o and an 8 m/o, both girls. They go to a 5 hour, 4 day a week program. This allows me a 4 1/2 hour block to go to the clinic, pick up tapes, and go back home and type uninterrupted for awhile. I pick them up and I don't work again until they go to bed at approximately 8:00 pm, then I work until I'm done, usually around 11:00 or 11:30. I sleep until 5:00 am, when I get up and do it all again. My oldest gets up on her own about 6-6:30 am and the youngest gets up whenever her tummy wakes her.
I have only had this job for just over a month now, and I love it. My old job was a full on work in the office 8 hours a day, 5 days a week job. So I almost feel like I'm on vacation now with the flexibility that I so desired all along.
I hope you can work something out for you and your kids where you can all be rested and happy.
Take care.
What hours/days are you available. sm
Please email me with your the above info and where you received your education.
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.
Hours you worked
Starting as an IC, did that mean you were able to determine the hours you worked in a day? For example, I would like to work early morning part-time and finish in later evening and night. Is that something that was common to do as an IC, or do you have to give them a detail of the hours you are working?
anywhere from 3-4 hours for me (6 if it is horrible)- nm
xxx
Make your own hours?
absolutely not.. that's a myth..
I work off hours and have no daycare
I start my shift at 8 p.m. after I tuck my kids into bed to avoid feeling guilty having to work and watch them. I have a job where I have to have a set schedule though, but I have found that this works well for my family. We don't have any daycare and I get all day with my kids. I work 38 hours a week with my working 9 hours on Sunday to make up for shorter shifts during the week and Saturdays off. I have a friend with 2 little ones at home as well and she does great and is a high performer! I hope everything works out for you, keep the positive attitude!
Shouldn't take more than 2 hours, depending on
such factors as sound quality, if ESL, or how many words you have to look up. If it is a new account starting with 30 minutes is good until you get a hang of the account, but you'll never make a living off of that and most companies require more than that.
did it in 9 months of about 35 or so hours a week
Worked HARD those hours too! :-)
Forgot to say I work about 5 hours a day.
I have many years of experience. If you are a newbie, and it sounds like you are, then you are going to turn out fewer reports and it will take you longer to proof than it will someone else with more experience. Most companies require you to be able to produce 150 lph, though often radiology is paid per report and I don't know what requirements are for that.
Night Hours for New Grads?
Hi,
Are new graduates from MT programs like M-Tec or CS offered night hours, any evening p/t or f/t jobs?
Thanks
|
