local hospital versus national
Posted By: MTinTexas on 2007-07-04
In Reply to: Forgive me, but WHAT do I have to do to make $40,000 - FLmt
Hi,
I was with a national company and, like you, only did about 1200 lines per day at 7.5 cpl with 18 months in. I felt like I was never going to make the big bucks!
In May, I resigned from the national co. and went to work locally. After a short 1-month in-house training, I am working from home again. This hospital has some great normals to use and yesterday, I did 2200 lines!!!!!
Finding a good fit is the hardest part. Thankfully, I think I have found mine!!!!! Just keep in mind that there are other options out there. GOOD LUCK!!!!
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I only wanted to work for a local company, not a large national. So... (sm)
I went to Google Local. Clicked on "find businesses". I then put in medical transcription in the "what" box and my City, State in the "where" box. I sent a resume and cover letter to every hit that looked good to me. I also went through the yellow pages and sent a resume and cover letter to every listing. I sent out more than 50 resumes.
I had about fifteen calls back. I had five offers. I accepted one. I have been getting calls ever since. In fact, I left my first position about three months after I got it in order to go to another company that was offering me more per line plus incentive. Yes, I accepted 7.5 cents from my first employer and she worked me to death and had some serious, shall we say, boundary issues. But I got my feet wet and in the door and was on to better things within months. I have been at my current position for about seven months, and it was a position I got based on yet another one of those resumes that had been received, kept on a desk somewhere, and acted upon months after I had sent them out.
One thing that no fewer than five of the fifteen callbacks said was that they were very impressed by my resume and my cover letter. One lady said that she was amazed by the number of people applying for jobs as medical language specialists who cannot even manage to put out a resume and cover letter that is free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. So, do a professional resume and cover letter and make sure it's PERFECT.
I love my job and feel very blessed that I never experienced some of the awful newbie troubles I have read about here. If you have any questions or anything, feel free to contact me off the list or reply here and I will get back to you ASAP.
Elle
Have you tried your local hospital or physicians?
I work for my local hospital and my supervisor hired "newbies" all the time. However, some clinics or hospitals require you to do a little onsite time before going home, at least mine did. I had to meet a certain productivity rate and QA rate before I was "turned loose".
I'm not sure if you are wanting to work for a national company or not from home. Since I have no experience with that someone else may be able to guide you in that direction. I just know around here, having tons of experience isn't really needed to be hired locally.
The "affilation" with the local hospital may or may not....sm
...hurt you for future employment with other companies. Make sure you check out whether this school is reputable with other employers. I do not think the price is too high, if you consider it as an investment toward future income. Good luck! :)
I had to start out in the office of a local hospital sm
for a year, then went home. I didn't want to go home to be honest, too many distractions and my twins were babies at the time, but they were sending everyone home. I really don't know what to tell anyone when I see these posts. There are lots of companies out there needing help and you'd think that if they are willing to send their work overseas to people that don't even speak English as a first language, then they would be willing to hire a new graduate. I would be a little more pushy, offer to do 30 days at a lower cent per line then have a review, something like that. Keep pushing, someone will see potential and take a chance on you. Honestly, these companies that don't hire new graduates I just don't get it. I work for a small local company that is always behind on their work and I always suggest they hire some new graduates from the two local schools, but they never do it, they just sit and wait for people to apply. Good luck! 
Our local hospital group has a few people in
radiology and pathology, but the rest has been outsourced for about 25 years. Hospitals are looking to cut costs where they can. There are still MTs who work for the hospital, just not in-house.
If you need a job you do what you have to do. If the US MTs don't take the jobs guess where they will go. I make more working at home per line than what any hospital pays that I have seen. I don't have insurance (because it is outragenously priced), but I do have some benefits. Also working at home you have fewer expenses, so it pretty much equals out.
Local hospital pays hourly + production incentive
I was lucky enough to find a job that gives me the best of both worlds. A decent hourly base and then incentive pay on top of that.
GOOD LUCK!!!
Don't forget your local papers and local Temp. Agency or Manpower office. nm
s
Why not try local MTSO's or local doctors' offices
That's how I started out when I first became an MT. I found a very small local MTSO who gave me a chance and now I work for a local company and have been there for two years. It might be worth it to take a look. I basically trained at the MTSO's office for about a month so there was no testing involved at all. Just learning along the way. Good luck whatever you decide.
If you want to work local, take local course. Otherwise, online is the way to go.
Most msjor national MT companies will not be familiar with what kind of training you get locally, but they are familiar with Andrews and M-Tec training, and will waive the 2-year experience requirement for grads of those schools. A local hospital or doctor's office would be more familiar with a local MT training program than they would with national online MT schools.
The "expensive" online options really aren't all that expensive in the long run when you realize what an excellent education you get, not to mention help finding a job afterwards.
National?
I am very new to all this- what is a national?
MT versus nursing
Pamela, this board may seem negative, but overall MT is not a negative profession. With the money you can make, and the ability to be at home with your kids, it is definitely worthwhile as a "transitional" job. You may find yourself 20 years down the road still doing it, as it works well with a family. Be patient, find the right company. It can be done. I see a lot of positives along with the negatives on this board; if a company is good, then the employees will let you know, if a company is bad, listen to the people telling you not to go there. When it's 10:1 against a company, something HAS to be wrong . . . Good luck
IC versus employee has nothing to do with either
IC is just a tax status.
There are plenty of MTs who get paid hourly.
It won't make any difference if you are an IC or an employee...you can get paid whatever method you are successful at negotiating with your client or employer.
Vista versus XP
I recently started working for another company and the computer tech is EXTREMELY knowledgeable when it comes to platforms and such. I was informed that Vista is basically another version of Windows ME which, most people know, was a HORRID version of Windows and Microsoft is planning on coming out with yet another operating system early next year.
I have also done internet research and there are posts regarding the fact that you can partition your hard drive to where you can have both XP and Vista running on the computer, however, in my opinion, that is best handled by an expert and not something that anyone should attempt on their own without extensive computer knowledge.
Right now, I would say your best bet would be to try to find a computer with XP on it as far as a laptop, or if you can hold out, stick with the dinosaur for a bit longer. Also, it may help to get registry fix programs etc, many of which are free and extremely good programs and might help to optimize the older computer in terms of speed, etc.
What are the top national companies
that have good reputations as employers? I'd like to contact them to see what schools they see as "top notch". TIA! -Anne :)
When I got my first IC job with a lesser known national - sm
I took and passed the test in Feb. 02, told I had a job....got the contracts a week or so later, but did not hear from them or actually start until 04/29/02. So don't give up just yet, sometimes it takes a while for them to do whatever it is they got to do. I never followed up with them since I found another job while I was waiting for them to get off their butts. So in the end I worked for both jobs. But you really should follow-up. Send an email to your contact and if you don't hear from then in a few days then call and inquire. It cannot hurt. Good Luck!
would not say success = job with national
xxx
National MTSO
I really have no experience with a national MTSO, but I think it depends on where the MTSO is based. So, if the MTSO is based in the US, you would be paid dollars, and if it is based in the UK, you might be paid in EURO, and so forth and so on. However, while checking around on the net, I found a company based in the Philippines. You might want to check them out, the web address is, www.peoplesupport.com. I don't know what their money would translte to US currency, but it may be easier for you.
ACUTE Care versus other.
What defines someone to be an acute care MT as to a multi-specialty MT. What is the difference? Sorry if this is a dumb question..
Thanks!
clinic versus acute
acute care consists of patient care in the hospital from the time they are admitted until they are discharged (emergency room, history/physical, consultations, progress notes, lab/imaging data, transfers, and discharges are the most common). clinic notes are office visits (sometimes include consultations and maybe lab/imaging data). these are usually shorter dictations than the acute care.
To AJ - editing versus transcription
Hi AJ - Have they requested that you switch to VR editing yet? Do you know anything more about how they are handling transcription versus editing? Thanks!!!!
Teens versus adults
All of this thread reminds me very much of the conversations that happened between my teenagers and my husband and I.
They insisted they were adults, they had the maturity, they knew what they were getting into, they were right, etc. My husband and I knew better; we were adults who had already been teenagers and been there, done that.
Were we hateful and rude by not giving them full rein and encouraging them to act like adults when they weren't? NO!
We did the responsible thing: We told them as fairly and truthfully as possible that while it might seem they know what they are talking about, their insistence about it showed their immaturity. It would not be fair of us, as parents, to not be up front with them, etc.
And so the story goes here. We have young ones in this profession and those who have matured in it. We simply know because we have worked for years in this industry, seeing the ups and downs of it, worked inhouse and worked at home, and already raised our children. We already know what you're facing and what you WILL face.
Lisa, however, is that teen and so are you, Dreamer, who is insistent that she knows everything already. She makes demands and thinks her way is the only way. Not so. Not so at all.
Per Line versus Per Report
In a 7-hour day I can type 2000 lines or 200 reports. Most companies expect 1200 lines during a full-time shift, so that probably would equate to 120 reports if you are going by the 1200 lpd standard. Another way to look at it...the average "decent" (not exceptional) MT should be able to type 20 minutes of diction in 60 minutes. I don't proof after typing, I proof while I am typing. Hope this helps.
contracting versus employee
Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of contracting versus employee? I have plenty of time throughout the day, but my husband works from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. This is a large chunk in the middle of shifts. Is contracting setting the amount you will do for the day? Like I would be able to work 6 hours but at split times throughout the day? Any help on this would be appreciated.
Template versus document
The poster above is right, but there are definite advantages to using a template. The biggest one is that you don't run the risk of saving over your basic document when you've made changes/additions to it in creating a new document. You have to remember to change the name of the file when you save it or it overwrites your prior document. With a template, this isn't an issue. If you want to save out a basic document as a template, just remember when you save it to change the file type ("save as type") with the drop-down menu to "Document template (*.dot)." You'll be able to pull it back up when you create a new file by chosing the "on my computer" option under "Templates" in the task pane. Hope this helps!
MT versus working at Wal-Mart
I have been an MT for 16 years. Twice I've taken time off (over a year at a time), because of being burned out.
Working as an MT at home is much better than working at Wal-Mart, or any other retail-type job. I have much more flexibility in the hours I work. I can be at home with my children, so that I can take care of their needs. I've never had to have babysitters for my kids. Now that they're all in school, it is easier, and I can still schedule my work time around their hours. How in the world would working at Wal-Mart be better than that?? And even though the amount of pay I've been offered recently is less than my best job 5 years ago, I am still making 3 times as much as a Wal-Mart employee!
I never went to school for training. I am just an excellent speller with good typing and grammar skills, and I learn quickly. I worked at my college health center for one year because of the above skills. I didn't work after that for a time. Three years later, I started sending out resumes to a bunch of local MTSOs and, after several months, one asked me to come test. My persistence paid off. I did very well on the testing and was hired. I struggled those first couple of years. Because I worked hard to learn new specialties, the MTSO was always asking me to take on a new one. I probably worked a lot of hours for low pay as I learned each new specialty (I guess you COULD say I paid for my training! Lol!), and I shed a LOT of tears as I worked in the wee hours of the morning (because I didn't work until after my kids were in bed). However, I am grateful to her for that experience. I did eventually move on into acute care and did fine because of the opportunities she gave me.
I still think MT is a good opportunity for people who just want to be able to be home with their kids and/or have a flexible schedule that allows them to run a forgotten lunch to school, go to a child's afterschool game, etc. How many workplace jobs offer that?? It's still worth it to me!
Does everyone here work for national companies?
I work for my local hospital at home and find this website very useful when I need help with a word that I cannot find in my books.
It just seems like most people work from their homes for national companies. Is that the case?
RE: Does everyone here work for national companies?
I see you did not get an answer to your very innocent question, so here is only one response, I work full-time for a local hospital (40 hours weekly), and work part-time in my home for a national company (20 hours/week).
I work for a national but I have worked...sm
for MTSOs. I am actually waiting to start work with a national for the first time. I am not sure how different this is going to be compared to working for a MTSO.
PHNS - a lessor known national - sm
They were a good first company then. Things changed a lot with them though, its been over a year and a half since I last worked for them.
I work for a national. Never took any classes. Got
on-the-job training at local hospital. It can be done. It may not be the norm, but it CAN BE DONE. 
NOW versus KNOW - Learn the difference as you will need to KNOW it at some point.
Trust me, you don't scare us. As experienced professionals, we know what happens to MTs with delusions of grandeur; they are in for a very rude awakening, to say the very least.
Shorthand versus Instant text
Looking for a great word Expander to work with. I am clueless at this point as to what is out there and how they even work. I have had ShortHand and Instant Text suggested to me, but not sure which one will be better.
Thanks for your help.
IC or employee? There's no way you're working for a national
and making more than 8 cpl in your second year of MT. 6 is an OK rate for a newbie who's still wet behind the ears. You've never seen her resume or school transcripts. How can you tell her she's worth as much or nearly as much as experienced MTs? I won't nitpick, but newbies need serious feedback.
7 years with national - 30 hours per week -
a little over 16 thousand - Good luck making 25 thousand plus - not easy at all to make especially if you type a lot of ESL.
Most of the larger national teaching hospitals...
with residents (on 6-week rotation), PAs and RNs and ESL docs are already using VR for at least the last 4 years. Don't delude yourself. About 80% of my work was VR for multiple national accts...The only straight transcription I got recently was the worst of the ESLs or mumble-mouth English speaking docs... I've done acute care, basic 4s (op notes, consults, H&Ps, ERs) procedure notes, multiple specialities, rare clinic notes for one company for 14 years.
It would be nice to work for one small docs ofc with a coupla docs in it and do just clinic notes again...Those were the days!  Cat
part time with a national will put you at the end of the line for work sm
and give you the crappiest accounts. Only way to work for a national is full time. Good luck!
i work for one national, one smaller, and have one private account.
i am always busy, but never without some type of work :). I make a great line count with MQ. I was statutory but effective January 1st, I am an employee. Not sure how that will work out. My secondary account is with a smaller company I have been with for over ten years, and I have a small private account that pays very well but low volume.
Hearing actual dictation files versus professionally read ones was a major plus
s
hospital pay
I inquired in my area (Southwest Michigan) and one of the hospitals told me they pay $11 - $17/hour.
I want a job in a hospital sm
Do they usually post their help wanted on their websites, or do you need to know someone to get in?? I see ads all the time for work at home positions, but what about office positions?
Starting pay in hospital
Any ideas of the pay for in the hospitals?
RE: Starting pay in hospital
Depends on what part of the United States you are inquiring?
hospital transcription
Ok I have looked at hospital MT jobs in AZ and all of them want experience and almost none of them pay well or even list pay in the ad, your best bet is to look on monster.com or try the specific hospital site. for example a big hospital group in AZ is Banner Health, they have their own website and job listings, so try that direction.
k
I don't live where the hospital is looking - sm
I actually have two hospitals to recruit for - one in NY and one in Maryland. I will have another soon in Minnesota after I fly up there on Wednesday to find out their needs and look at the surrounding area. These would be for people wanting to relocate. Relocation would be paid.
depends on the hospital
There is hospital near me who will take on beginning MT's who have typing and medical terminology skills. They work with you for up to a year before you go on your own. They pay about $11.75 an hour to start. But, then there is another hospital that requires years of experience. You need to check with you local hospitals to see what their requirements are.
No, it's not your job - when I worked in a hospital (sm)
I was paid hourly with bonus for production. Therefore, we could occasionally do other work (like the charting) if the clerk was off, answering phone, etc.; but being strictly on production, I would say, no it is not your job.
working in a hospital
I work for a hospital and have for 20 years. I am an at-home MT.. I am a full-time employee just like anyone who has to physical go there everday. The pay is much better and benefits too.. There are some still out there.
VA Hospital transcription
Does anyone know any MTSO who has VA hospital accounts? I ran across a great ad looking for MTs last year, but did not have enough MT work experience yet to be considered and was told to reapply when I had more experience. I don't recall who this company was, but was intriged by the ad for MTs and would like to follow up and at least apply. I saved the ad, but can't find it at present. One of the things that interested me most was that the company sounded like it really valued its MT workforce. I am looking for a company to move to and stay with for the long term.
I would appreciate any information anyone can give me. My experience thus far has primarily been with hospital accounts and I am currently doing ER editing and standard. Thanks.
If work @ hospital is low SM
and they have their own transcriptionists, they are probably saving the work for their own people. In the priority list is making sure the hospital transcriptionists have work first, then the service. Probably if you are fairly new and their are other MTs working on your account at the service, they may have priority over you as far as work distribution goes.
working in a hospital
If you have the opportunity to work alongside another MT in a hospital, TAKE that opportunity. It will be much easier to learn with someone available to help you right when you need it instead of waiting on e-mails with corrections or using IM.
in-hospital positions
You may have already, but also check out indeed.com. They have sometimes in-house positions also.
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