A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

25+ years medical transcriptionist considering - Faith

Posted: Apr 29, 2013

Hello: I am 58 years old and have been doing medical transcription for 25+ years. The group I transcribe for online is transitioning over to total EMR, thus will be leaving me without a job in the not too distant future. I don't do Acute care, so there are next to no opportunities for other transcription jobs. There are no jobs to be had in my very, very small town (including the 25-bed hospital) so I'm considering going with online classes for training and certification as a coder. My question is, at my age is it worth the time and money to go this route? I would really appreciate feedback from those of you who are coders on whether making this move is a wise decsion. If it isn't, do you any other suggestions. I'm just about starting to panic.

Answer - Last time for this

[ In Reply To ..]
Coding is a great field . . . it has been really good to me. Salaries are excellent and there is room for both advancement and lateral moves.

However, the "at home" market for coders is limited. Reputable contract coding companies are focused on the health information management side of things, offer overflow coding and audit services. They are highly selective, requiring coding credentials (CCS, CPC) and often prefer those with the RHIA and RHIT because their clients require it. If there are any companies offering quick and dirty coding like they currently offer transcription, you don't want to work for them because you will be treated just as MTs are treated now. In other words, do not go into coding expecting a work-at-your-whim jammies job.

That aside, facility employers are allowing coders to work from home, but require experience and reliability. With the recent move of some tech firms bringing remote employees back in house, I have seen a pullback from employers, who are waiting to see.

To succeed in coding, you are going to need good preparation and credentials. There is a 25% unemployment rate among those holding "apprentice" AAPC credentials, reflecting their limited preparation. Their course is very short. The market for them is best in physician services coding, like offices and clinics. How many doctors work in your community?

Coders with credentials from both AHIMA (CCS, CCS-P) and AAPC do better. However, there are now eligibility restrictions on AHIMA credentials. See their website.

Your main problem is going to be availability of jobs. ARE there coding jobs in your town? If not, and if you won't move, would it make sense to go into coding?

You also need to consider that you will start over in coding. While your MT background will help you in coding, both learning it and doing it, outpatien
There are already at least 2 new coders here who live in the boonies and can't find jobs.

You will need to start at the bottom in coding, same as if you went into accounting or nursing. Your MT background will help you in coding, but do not expect employers to fall all over themselves because of it. It will help YOU, not them. We hear "Does my 30 years of experience in MT count for nothing" about once a week here.

I would suggest that you determine what jobs are available in your area and work from there.

If you enjoy medical care, you might want to take any job at that hospital. See if you can work into medical records. Any job will usually enable you to move into others.

Please remember, too, that jobs in small towns pay less than urban areas. Coders in Podunk are not paid like coders in Boston.

Another thought relates to what you said about having no acute care experience. Why can't you learn that? If you truly must stay where you are and work from home, perhaps that would be an option.

You are also going to find that employers are wary of at-home workers, not being sure of what you are or if you can work with anyone. You will need to deal with that, so start thinking about how. Unemployed people have more trouble than employed in finding jobs, too. Get your new job . . . ANY new job before you get laid off. Do not wait. Do the new job part time or something, but get one.

Networking helps. The nearest local chapter of the AAPC can be a good resource. Find them on the AAPC website. Their members know about jobs in coding and elsewhere.

Read the posts below and the archives. Your question has been asked here quite often. You should find something useful there.

Coding tthoughts - Me too

[ In Reply To ..]
I didn't read anything about you wanting to work from home, I'm not sure where the person who responded picked that up. I am your age and took a coding course at 56. I was forced out of my MT job a few months ago when my facility outsourced all the transcription. We have a full EMR in place and still had work, but it was a financial decision. I have my certification and have not yet been able to find a coding job but I keep looking. I'm also in a rural location, although our facilities (2 of them) are larger than yours. It's difficult to break into coding without experience regardless of where a person lives. I do have a job in medical records (health information), though. My thought on the 32-bed facility is that perhaps being a coder in a small place, that they may have more time to work with you and easier for you to move up if you keep your foot in the door. Ask about clerical jobs at your facility, maybe in billing or scheduling or medical records, something that would keep you employed while you study coding, should you choose to do that. Our EMR system opened up some new positions for us, so there is a chance that you could be involved. You could learn acute care transcription, but really it's just a matter of doing it and learning the vocabulary if you are already an MT. Again, getting hired without experience might be a problem. In my opinion, your best chance would be to try and stay at your present facility. Don't just take ANY job. As someone who was laid off, I can say that it takes time to figure things out and you don't want to jump into the first thing only to regret it later. Another suggestion would be to meet with a guidance counselor at Work Source or Skill Source if your community has that. They offer classes that permit people to upgrade their office skills and also have programs available for displaced workers such as MTs. Good luck in your decision and best wishes.

25+ years medical transcriptionist considering - Faith

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for the answers so far. I'm sorry, I couldn't find previous posts like mine or I wouldn't have asked my question. I am only considering working in an office/hospital as I need the insurance. I don't think I mentioned wanting to work at home. I've worked in offices even before my MT career so I have people skills. I have tried my small local hospital and there are no openings - none. They only have 3 people in medical records and one of those is a temporary position. None of clinics have openings either. The women who work there will retire there. As far as moving my husband is retired and is totally open to moving. I absolutely want to move to a larger town - much larger for many reasons including so my options for employment after getting the education and certification would be greatly enhanced. However, if we do move, I need the job to pay better than minimum wage. I have researched careers in the "behind the scenes" in medicine that would pay well and be relatively short and easy to transition to. The main one I could find is coding. My question is if I got the training and certification as a coder, would it be possible to be successful in starting this new career this late in life. Is there anyone else who has done this and been successful? Was it worth the time, effort, and investment? Honestly, I'm burned out on transcription, sitting sometimes for 15 hours a day just to get what little work I have to compete with others for. Thanks!

Please be aware that it's very hard getting that first - coding job

[ In Reply To ..]
I've been looking for almost a year and have yet to land a coding job. I live near Boston, tons of health care facilities here, and I am certified. Everyone wants the 2 years of experience. I've even applied to entry level HIM jobs with no luck.

It is hard to get any job -- even nurses and lawyers - cannot get jobs

[ In Reply To ..]
Everyone paints this to be a coding problem, but it isn't. It is an any-job problem. The job market now is awful. Before, there was never a time when all applicants got jobs. Not in any field.

75 % of newly certified CPCs get jobs. That is remarkably better than other fields.

Wondering why 3 people would "dislike" this post. - It is a statement of fact.

[ In Reply To ..]
What do you dislike about that post?

It states facts. Nobody made that up.

The job market IS terrible in all fields right now, not only for coders. Coding, in fact is doing better than many other fields.

The unemployment rate for newly, certified coders holding the CPC-A, CPC-H-A, or CPC-P-A is 25%. That means 75% of them are employed.

How can you "dislike" a statement of fact? Seems to me it provides some objectivity. Or are you just unhappy that someone dared to contradict your own gloomy take on things?

Faith - Me too

[ In Reply To ..]
I got a little confused on the size of your hospital, I don't know how I came up with an additional 7 beds, lol! One thing to consider: You will probably spend a year or more completing a coding program, then will need to sit for one of the certification exams, so consider the age you will be when you reenter the job market and ask yourself how many more years you want to work, that may help you decide if coding is worth it to you. Even new coders are paid more than minimum wage, but as another person said you will be working your way back up the career ladder, just as you would with any new occupation. No one can predict whether you find a coding job, but most employers do have an experience requirement. Then again, you might be luckier than some. If you found a job, you would be successful. In retirement, once you got some experience, you might also be able to consult part-time. Working as a temp is also an option in the larger cities. I am probably adding to the confusion, but really it is your decision; only you know what is right for you.

Experience - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You make some good points. I just want to point out that there is no field in which employers prefer inexperienced applicants. None. Not even the burger industry.

Yet, every coder working today got that first job without experience.

I became suspicious of coding's future viability - once M*Modal got involved in it.

[ In Reply To ..]
So for now, I'm still waiting and watching on that field, and concurrently looking into others that take less time and money to get into, and which might last longer.

If that is all you could grasp of this field, you made a - wise decision. nm

[ In Reply To ..]
Nm

And if you don't grasp the gravity of your field - being involved with M*M, well, good luck.

[ In Reply To ..]
.

I'm actually grasping my third Diet Pepsi. - Tired student

[ In Reply To ..]
"Grasping the gravity of my field" is a bit much. Great use of alliteration, though. I can always tell when you post because of your particular way of turning a phrase. :)

My decision to learn how to code does not doom me to death. Now that the MM hysterical doomsday turd has been thrown in the pool we now get back to the usual:

"Am I too old to code?" No. You are an awesome silver (?) fox MT. Go kill it.

"I can't find a coding position, I don't want advice, and leave me alone you haters! I hate coders and coding!" (flounces off) OK. Bye!

"Is it true that coding is going to be outsourced?" Partially, but you can still find a great job with the right resume. Look in the archives.

Am I missing any of the regular questions? Hopefully someone else is smiling, because I'm trying to be funny.

What a wonderful post! - Baby Ruth

[ In Reply To ..]
I am so glad I checked this thread this morning! Now I have a vision of the Baby Ruth scene in Caddyshack. Very apt, yes.

That was so good I sent myself a copy of it by email. If your post disappears for any reason, I'll have it.

The dootu! Perfect!

25+ years medical transcriptionist considering - Cindy

[ In Reply To ..]
First, I think you very well may be able to get a transcription job working from home. I know you don't have hospital experience, but you might want to brush up on your medical terminology and do some self-study about the basic 4. You may have more skills than you thought you had. Then, apply for every MT job you see. Be prepared to take a test. There are many resources on the Internet. If you have a good ear, you may be able to pull it off. Typing op reports is difficulty without experience, but a discharge summary, consult, and H&P are pretty standard. Second, if you have been in the work world for a long time, you probably have skills you didn't even know you had. Read a book like *What Color Is Your Parachute* that will help you figure out what you're good at. Also, your present employer may have a job for you. Every office I have know that has transitioned to EMR ends up needing more in-office help. Who better than you? Thirdly, if you have a hobby or avocation that interests you, consider leveraging that into a profit-making small business. Midlife career changes are scary, but more often than not they lead to wonderful adventures. Fourthly, if you have a technical college nearby, they can generally train you for a new career in short order. They also will be able to tell you which careers need workers. One such job is optical technician (makes eyeglasses, etc.). Many times tech jobs are really neat jobs that we may not have ever thought of. I think if you're passionate about coding, go for it. My take is it's hard to break into. Also, it's a lot of study unless, as I said, you're really passionate about it. Hope this helps. Please know you're far from alone. This has been a hard few years for many hard working Americans.

Just my 2 cents - WWW

[ In Reply To ..]
Have you been told that your job is being eliminated? When you say the company is transitioning to total EMR, does that mean that the doctors are entering and editing their own dictation? I suppose with a hospital as small as yours they could do that, but we have transitioned to EMR and we still very much need editors. Mind you, less, but we still have transcriptionists.

I agree with the poster who says that you might be able to do acute care better than you think -- surgeries would be difficult. There still seem to be some outside companies who are hiring transcriptionists -- you could try that route.

To determine if it is worth your time and money, you need to find out the salary of a coder in your area, the cost of your schooling and if you can earn that in a reasonable amount of time. The salary for coders in my area is just okay. I have heard a lot of coders having trouble finding jobs -- I know I had trouble finding a job as a transcriptionist, so I suppose it is difficult everywhere, for every job, except maybe nursing.

My opinion would be -- if you don't really have a desire to learn coding and are just looking for something to do until you retire -- I wouldn't do it. It is going to be difficult, time consuming and costly. Instead, I would perhaps talk to a counselor and see if there is something you REALLY want to do and go for that. You may or may not get hired anyway -- there is always that element of risk. You may as well do something that makes you happy.

As far as the poster below me talking about "down and dirty transcription" and transcription being a work whenever you want "jammies job" -- please. I've done transcription for 20 years and that has never been my reality. We are all highly trained professionals. Our job is never the same twice. Our work requires a specialized skill that some people can only dream of.

What that post said - MT2Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
You seem to have a remarkable ability to half-read things and leap to conclusions. That post did not say "down and dirty transcription." It said "quick and dirty coding" in reference to companies, i.e., the same companies vilified in reams of posts on this board. I don't see that it slandered MTs, either, but you sure managed to get in an insult about the person who wrote it. I am not sure how you can be so certain he or she had not been an MT.

I read what it said - WWW

[ In Reply To ..]
It said there is no "quick and dirty coding" like there is with transcription. It doesn't take a huge leap to infer what that says about transcription and the quality of their work.

I am not sure at all that they were not once a transcriptionist. I am sure that they seem to try to insult everyone who asks a question.

Where did my post insult anyone? - WWW

[ In Reply To ..]
If it did, I'm sincerely sorry. Transcription DOES take a specialized skill -- as does coding. They are both valuable.

The "leap to infer" is the problem. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You see drama, insult, and turmoil where none was intended. You usually do so by twisting things around until youcan justify being outraged.

That post was talking about some companies, not about MTs.

Wow -- you give me credit for a lot more emotion than I feel. - WWW

[ In Reply To ..]
I do not see drama and turmoil. I feel no outrage. I did, however, think that telling someone that coding is not a "jammies-type job" and talking about dirty transcription, is condescending to all professional transcriptionists, and I called the poster out on it. In reflection, it still seems condescending to me, and largely untrue. I would think you would appreciate some constructive criticism instead of saying that I am twisting things around. Judging by the people who liked my posts, I would say that I'm not the only one who felt it was condescending.

I agree with you - Me too

[ In Reply To ..]
As an MT of many years, trained coder and now a transcription QA coordinator, I also had issues with that post and am glad you said something. As an MT, I never worked at home and I never "worked in my jammies." I was, and still am, treated as a professional by my employer and compensated well for my skills and knowledge. The assumption was made that the OP was only seeking a job that she could do "at home in her jammies" which was not the case. I would bet money that coders who work at home wear causal attire; I can't see them dressing to the nines to work at home, perhaps they even wear their "jammies" when they work. I think quite a few MTs who take their work seriously did not appreciate the tone of that post. I also found it condescending.

I disagree with you - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
If you never worked for an MTSO, you really are stretching the assumption too far. You seem to be taking what www said was meant rather than what that post said.

It looks to me like that post was making an underhanded dig at the MTSOs who think they can crank out coding like their SR junk and at matchbox schools that advertise mommies-in-jammies employment. If you are in neither category, then it did not apply to you and you got sucked into the drama game unnecessarily.

The OP does not appear to be looking for that, either. I think the post was just pointing out that coding was not like that in order to head off the kind of posts that say don't bother going into coding because the MTSOs are ruining it just like they did MT.

It doesn't really matter what the coders say, you know. There are some MTs here who find fault with it no matter what. The basis for that is often their belief that the coders don't know what MT really is -- and can't do it -- when most of them had been MTs.

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