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

Finding MT remote job - Jomula

Posted: Dec 01, 2012

I recently obtained my Certificate from a community college for Medical Transcription/Coding. I also work full time at our county mental health clinic, scheduling appointments for patients, answering telephones and transcribing reports for 3 psychiatrists (2 speaking in broken Indian dialect). I have submitted many resumes online to all types of transcription agencies and physician's offices. Can anyone tell me how long it takes to get a job as a remote transcriptionist and if you have any pointers, I appreciate hearing any advice you can give. I wanted to pick up part time work to earn some extra money for the holidays. I haven't heard a thing from any of the agencies that I applied to. I am getting very down and wondering if I made the right choice in my career.

Coding would be the way to go. MT is experiencing constant pay cuts. - Sorry to say

[ In Reply To ..]
But I am sure either Nuance or M*Modal would hire you. Did you try them? If I were you, I'd look more seriously into getting the coding certifications you need to start working. MT is a nightmare these days. Used to be a good job, but now all the MTSOs are basically price fixing and constantly lowering our earnings. And I do mean CONSTANTLY.

I am a current coding student - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I've been an MT, actually a CMT, for over 25 years and finally decided the time was right for me to make a career change. I kept holding out for whatever reason(s) and could no longer justify staying in the MT field. Don't get me wrong, if I thought there was any hope for me as an MT, I would try to stick it out longer. Unfortunately, my pay stubs over the past 5+ years or so are the proof that I think it's over.

On a positive note, I am about halfway through my coding program and, while it is extremely intense and by no means easy, it actually feels great to be learning something new. Most days I stress about whether I am capable of making it through coding school, but then I remind myself of the decline in the MT "career" over the years.

Sorry, this got a little long. I wish you the best of luck!

No one seems to know - what goes on with

[ In Reply To ..]
MT companies. It could be days, months or never before you hear from them, but best way is to go to their website, take their test and fill out an on-line application, not just send a resume.

In the meantime, don't give up your day job in the hopes that you will hear anything from any of them, and even if you got hired by one of them tomorrow, you likely would not be working before the holidays anyway.

Sorry, but these are among the worst organized places you will ever have the misfortune to deal with. And I repeat even if you do get hired, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB TO WORK FOR AN MTSO!!! Best of luck.

If you are truly able to transcribe - from

[ In Reply To ..]
a "broken Indian dialect," then you might have a future as an interpreter, depending on the number of people in your area who speak that particular "Indian dialect." If, however, you mean (and you probably do) that you are transcribing "broken, Indian-accented English," then you need to say that because the people who will be reviewing your applications and resume will know the difference and realize you don't know what you're talking about.

I've always said - and still maintain

[ In Reply To ..]
that one cannot just start out at home. Now we have had 3 new people in 2 days asking how to get a job and I guess there may be companies out there that hire newbies, although no one seems able to find them, but I would never recommend someone starting out at home. You need that one on one support that you get in an office or hospital, i.e., "Will you listen to this?"

Now, having said that, of course, there are fewer and fewer inhouse opportunities. So it's sort of a catch-22.

I started out at home for a local company. nm - Sorry to say

[ In Reply To ..]
x

and how did that work out for you? - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Fine in the 1990s. Then went to YOG; MQ Borged them in. You know the rest of the story. - Sorry to say

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

The type of on-site job you currently have is what - I would kill to get! My advice would be - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
to stay put. It might take a while to break into coding, but hopefully you can eventually find something doing that part-time nearby. I would absolutely NOT give up that full-time, on-site job until you're:
a) SURE you're interested enough in coding to want to do it full-time, and
b) A full-time, good-paying coding job actually materializes, and they make you a definite offer.

she's right - we are all trying to get YOUR job

[ In Reply To ..]
IN fact, let's just swap.

I'm shocked - Cat lady

[ In Reply To ..]
that a community college would even still have a medical transcription program. Ours stopped offering it. The field is in a steep decline, wages going lower, less work available, jobs going to voice wreck, offshore, etc. Sorry to be so negative, but that seems to be the reality of it. Hopefully, you'll have more luck with coding.

Shocked, too, but . . . - Why they are reinstituting them

[ In Reply To ..]
Most colleges dropped MT programs years ago. We are now into the era of the canned online program. Companies that used to be famous for their matchbook MT schools now produce an assortment of matchbook online courses which they market to colleges. The college signs up students, pays the company, and the student takes the class from the company thinking they take it from the college. It is a kind of course-hosting arrangement. This enables colleges to make money without any expenses. No instructors, no buildings, no hassle. All the college has to do is register students and provide a certificate at the end. There are even "colleges" popping up that probably operate out of someone's backyard shed.

The potential students for courses like these are not always very sophisticated in their understanding of higher education. They do not understand what is required for MT, coding, and even nursing and accounting. They fall for the slick spiels and advertising that they hear in seminars and from "counselors" at diploma mills.

Schools offering MT programs - Wondering

[ In Reply To ..]
Sorry to sound catty or negative here, but the Andrews School still teaches medical transcription and everyone seems to think that is wonderful, yet when a CC offers it, it's the worst thing in the world. Please explain.

Because MTSOs will still hire Andrews - graduates

[ In Reply To ..]
because their program is the gold standard for MT training. CC programs are frequently substandard and not worth the money students pay for them and companies often are not interested in hiring their graduates.

That is probably true - Wondering

[ In Reply To ..]
Their graduates are employable but from what all of you are saying the job is a nightmare (I'm a former MT but never worked for an MTSO) and no one would want to do it. I know for a fact that the job availability is limited. As employees, Andrews grads will be treated no differently than any other new MT.

The MTs who work for the good MTSOs - generally

[ In Reply To ..]
do not participate in the industry bashing that takes place here. I work for one of the good MTSOs. I am paid fairly, I have plenty of work, and I am treated very well. I have no reason to complain.

Unfortunately for the newbies, employers like mine have very low turnover and seldom have openings. When they do, they only hire experienced MTs. My employer requires 5 years of experience in the specialty.

Not everyone is treated badly. There are still good employers for experienced MTs.

Questions for Jomula - MT2Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
Jomula, could you tell us what college this was, so we can see exactly what you studied? That would help us understand what the problem is.

There are a lot of community college programs, so it is difficult to advise when we do not know what your training covered. Yes, you said it was MT/coding, but that raises more questions than it answers.

To begin with, I do not know of any "legitimate" colleges teaching programs in "MT/coding." That combination is not anything the AHIMA or AAPC promotes.

The job functions and pay for MT and coding are so different that there are no jobs in "MT/coding." Coders are valued so highly that employers cannot afford to pay coding rates to have them transcribing, nor do coders have time to do anything else.

The pay, status, working conditions, and job responsibilities for coding are so much better that MTs who become coders never go back to MT. They would have little interest in a job that combined both.

In fact, I can say with some confidence that YOU would NOT be looking for an MT job if you could, in fact, code. You would have taken at least the CPC exam, too.

So, that brings us to the question of exactly what you took in that college. My guess it was something along the lines of a medical front office course that included some transcribing and some coding. Enough to get a job in an office or clinic doing exactly what you are doing now.

If that is the case, you should be grateful to have that job. Others here have spoken about the MT job market. Coding would be a far better alternative, but you would need at least a CPC before anyone would hire you. Codng employers are likely to look at your "MT/coding" program and come to the same conclusions I did, making it unlikely they would hire you instead of what they felt was an actual coder.

If you tell us what college this was, we can look at the program and explain what you took and how that fits into the job market. We can advise on the next steps and how to word your job applications so that you can get hired.

At a minimum, I can tell you this: you should focus on coding and get certified by at least the AAPC. That is your best chance at making a better salary.

College Certificate - Jomula

[ In Reply To ..]
I received my certificate from Our community college here in Herkimer where I live. Some of the classes I took are: A&P, Medical Coding I and II, Medical Transciption, Issues in Long Term Care, Medical Terminology....their website is:
www.herkimer.edu Let me know what you think...

Well look at that MT2Coder... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Apparently you don't know everything... http://www.herkimer.edu/academics/view_program/medical_coding_transcriptionist/

I don't know why you feel you had to be so condescending and rude to Jomula in your post, but whatever. It appears that this is primarily a coding program and they have thrown in a medical terminology course and a course on transcription - enough just help make you a bit more marketable because you have some exposure/experience with transcription. It's easier to 'pick up' how to be a transcriptionist than it is to be a coder. I've never had any formal training and I've been a successful MT for 11 years.

All this being said...Jomula, I would probably stick with the office job. It offers you a security you likely will not find with an at-home position. However, if that is truly what you want to do, I wish you all the best. You may want to try applying to the small private-owner companies. They may be more willing to help a newbie get a shot (that's how I got my start, too).

Good luck to you though!!

Interesting, hmm - MT2Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
That is an unusual course, but it is a real college affiliated with the SUNY system, not a diploma mill. Herkimer does not appear to have an AHIMA-accredited health information technology program, so this course is not affiliated with a larger degree program. However, the courses might transfer to a SUNY college that does have one. That may be important, because that is where you will need to go in order to "move further on" in this career field.

The job you now have is, in fact, the type of job that this course prepared you for. In your area, there must be jobs for in-house MTs or people who can do both MT and some coding. This is either the way it has always been or it is something new that has resulted from EHRs.

Whatever, you have a reasonable job now--I would recommend that you do NOT try to move to an MT company. If you do, you will lose the coding-experience potential of the kind of job you have now. That will limit you in a way you cannot overcome.

This is what you course compares to . . .

If it used the SUM Program transcription CDs, you have at least some of what the main MT schools teach. Your MT course was 1 semester, I think. You also had the med terms and A&P that they would teach. You work in MT now, so you are able to do outpatient work. MTSOs will require inpatient work, which is another story.

In terms of coding, you have had med terms, A&P, one semester of ICD-9, and one semester of CPT. That is the equivalent of what the AAPC courses teach. With that, you should have enough to pass the CPC exam. In fact, the course should have emphasized the need to do that.

That is part of what Andrews or coding courses in a health information technology program teach. It is about 1/3 of those. Full courses also teach pathophysiology, reimbursement (insurance, billing for medical care), pharmacology, and additional coding. Your course did not include the coursework that AHIMA will require for the CCS exam beginning in January, but you still qualify through the end of December, so if your course covered inpatient coding for the CCS you should take that exam right away.

If your courses will transfer to another SUNY college, you will have med terms, A&P, and 2 coding courses, and possibly 1 or 2 other classes to apply to an RHIT program. If they do not transfer, you could get credit for them by tsting out. That would put you about 1 semester into the program.

Your best option for a career with what you have now is your current job. You should stay in it. See if you can get some coding added to that or at least some training with the coders so that you get coding experience. With that, you can move into a better job in coding. Ther are few limitations after that--you can keep moving up and laterally.

You should prepare for the CPC and take it. If you decided you hate coding, I would not be surprised because that is often the result of online coding courses. However, what you dislike is the way it was taught, not necessarily the coding, so you might want to give it a second chance. Getting into a coding job is your ticket to a good income with satisfying work -- including remote opportunities -- and the CPC is your passport.

Health information technology is an option, too. You have already taken the 4 courses that keep people out of it, so everything else should be easy enough. You can work in HIM with that, have a shot at some management positions, and later finish the last 2 years for a bachelors degree and an RHIA.

A more interesting, faster option would be the health informatics program at Western Governors University. It leads to the RHIA, but it is focused on informatics (electronic infrmation like EHRs), so it is a good choice now.

You have a lot of options leading to excellent careers. You have a good job now, too--much better than working for an MTSO.

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