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

General observations - ExpMT

Posted: Jan 18, 2010

I have been reading the messages in this forum regularly for the past few days and weeks. I am shocked at the number of unhappy people in our profession. If you hate your jobs so much, apply for a student loan and go back to school, it will create jobs for the ones who want to transcribe and can't find them now. I've been at my current MT job for 16 years and have worked on-site and at home, I am paid very well for what I do. If I bitched to my boss every time he made changes or asked me to do something I didn't like, I would have found myself on the street years ago. The people I work with love working at home and I think consider it a privilege, not something that is "owed" them. The EMR and VR are coming to our cliinic in about a year and they may have to cut staff, or if I am able to stay I may have to take a pay cut and do editing but at least I will be employed. I may have to work for an outsource company but I have already started looking and getting my name out there, we all should have seen this coming. I'm in my 50s and have been transcribing for about 30 years. It is probably going to be difficult at my age if I need to change jobs, but I will do what I have to do; as a single person I have no other choice.

There must be an extremely high amount of down time at your jobs, it takes a lot of time to write these messages! Certainly there are some positive things going on in your world. Try to focus on those and I bet you'll be a lot happier.

Suppose everybody goes to school again. Will there be enough jobs later for all the "new" - jobs

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nm

Yes, they are called teachers! - anon

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That is a crazy question...."If we all go back to school will there be enough jobs then!!!!!!" You pick a profession where there are job available and that are on the rise....You are obviously just looking for some wine with your cheese.

Like the MT schools promising abundance of jobs and salaries in the 6 digits? Lol!..nm - schools?

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nm

So, should we all go back to school to provide "teachers" a job?..nm - ?????

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nm

what are the professions that are on the "rise" acc. to stats? MTing???.Lol! - mting?

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nm

What a bunch of wynners....Enjoy failure. NM - Anon

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x

I agree with ExpMT - smallone

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I agree with you, ExpMT. I am so thankful to be able to work from home and have a job in this economy. Do I wish I made more for what I do? Of course. However, people say they should get more for their experience, etc., which is TRUE. However, look at all these factory workers and other workers who have worked their butt off for years and years only to make $10 an hour after 30 years. Walk in their shoes for a while.

To ExpMT - Fingers

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FYI - There are many MTs on here just as experienced as you. Come join us in the at-home adventure for a couple of years and you may sing a different tune. We do not HATE our jobs as you say. Most MTs love their work. The problems have come about with greedy MTSOs, ridiculous requirements from QA, BOS, and offshoring - not to mention how many clients a company may lose. This all has a negative impact on our jobs and the money we make. Yes, some of us do see it coming but, like you, are in a golden handcuff situation as far as returning to school to learn a new occupation.

You have really opened yourself up for some flaming on here, but I for one can understand why you would not understand how ridiculous your post is - and you will not know until you have joined us for a while and someone says to you, if you don't like it, "go back to school, you should have seen it coming." So I will not go any further in explaining all of this to you.

I will say one thing and you will find this out as well, regarding one of your ridiculous statements, "downtime" to us is not a positive thing my dear!!!!

I 100% agree! Returning to schools is often NOT the solution...sm - school?

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My inbox is "bombarded" with grant proposals, as, I am sure, is everybody else's. I am very skeptical of this!
Look what happened to the MT industry due to an abundance of newly educated MTs and offshoring.

Always nice to receive advice from someone - Tired&CrankyMT

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who has not walked in the same shoes as many MTs whose posts you have been reading on this forum over the past few days and weeks.

While I am not one to complain about bad work situation or hating my job, I would never think I am immune to experiencing the downward spiral affecting many MTs in this profession as you have done with your post and offer unsolicted advice/comments to something you have no idea about.

You suggest anyone unhappy with their job should apply for a student loan and go back to school, as this would create jobs for those who want to transcribe.

In short, you are telling them to quit, possibly their only source of income, to go to school for training in another field. Where is your suggestion on how they are to support themself in the meantime? While you didn't outright say for them to quit, you implied it with the mention of more job openings for those who want to transcribe. Or do you suggest they continue to work a full time job or two to make ends meet while they attend school full time also? Sleep is overrated I hear, so is eating, living in a house/apartment/shoebox, etc.

You also state you would be willing to accept a pay cut, at least you will have a job.

You are only fooling yourself with that statement. If/when you are faced with the reality of earning a fraction of the salary you once used to make and find yourself working twice as hard or even phased out due to VR and left jobless, you will no doubt feel differently, but until that day arrives for you (which no one wishes happens to any MT), it's better for you to not try to solve the problems of others unless you can relate to at least 1 aspect of the scenario your fellow MT is facing.

Count your blessings that you have been as fortunate as you have been with your MT career and may it continue to be rosy for you.

I agree, quitting one's job and going back to school? Who can afford this, today?..nm - quit?

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nm

General observations - ExpMT

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I am not telling anyone to quit their job and go back to school, I suggest taking courses on-line, as I am doing, while working full-time, or attending school in the evening, it has been done.

Stop looking at everything in a negative light and try looking at ways to make things better.

They have no bread? Let them eat cake! - Heard that one before

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Better keep a close eye on your head, there, princess.

How simplisticly you solve all our problems! I will give you some advice in return: you should run for office, I've noticed people this far out of touch with reality usually do really well in Washington!

chuckle...nm - job/school?

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nm

You got that one right, remember when - Answers

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GBW II said the mission was accomplished?

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, said this at the begin of the French revolution...nm - cake

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nm

NS Sherlock - how kind of you to enlighten the ignorant! - I think we all knew it

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Have some cake.

I am not so sure about that since Answers mentioned "GBW II"..n/m - have some bread?

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nm

Obviously this entire discussion is over your head - eat some cake

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I suggested she become a politician, someone else mentioned a former president....not much of a stretch if you think real hard!!! There are many people that fit the category of rich, spoiled rulers far removed from the lives of common people. If you can't understand the associations being made here, stick to eating cake.

hahaha, excuses!....nm - I eat kaviar!

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nm

sorry, typo, should be "caviar"...nm - .

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nm

Do you think another MT would not have the exact same problems? - Think Again.

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These companies love the frequent MT turn-around. It saves them money and keeps their QA busy. The requirements become greater and greater while the pay becomes less and the work availability is lower. Oh, and they get to cut your benefits and PTO too when you do not complete WORK THAT IS NOT THERE!! (that downtime you were talking about as a positive), and not to mention you are constantly requested to work OT without OT pay. But aren't we lucky? We have a job. We simply want to be treated as any other worker in any other profession and not so taken advantage of in every way possible. It has nothing to do with whether or not we like the work.

Do you really think that newer MTs are not going to have the same problems? Think again, as they are very vulnerable to these tactics.

As previously posted, until you have walked in OUR SHOES for 15-30 years, perhaps you should not dish out the unsolicited advice and stop basking in the rays of knowledge that you do not possess.

General observations - ExpMT

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I've been transcribing full-time since I was 19. I'm 55 now so I'd say I've walked in your shoes and then some; believe me I've done what I had to do to keep food on the table. I never wanted to work at home and was fortunate to find a job on-site which I've had for 16 years, I'm certainly hoping I can still be there in some capacity with all the changes that will be taking place in the near future; I am willing to become an editor if that's what it takes. I've never had to work for an outsourcing company and I'm sorry that you are getting the shaft. All I'm saying is explore your options, there must be something else out there besides transcription if it is making you that unhappy and you can no longer make money. I have a right to my opinion too!

For some of us, our only option - Fingers

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is to continue being switched from account to account and company to company as we are forced. Oh, but many MTs here have certainly been around as long as you. I am one of them, all the way back to the days of dictation belts and typewriters. You were very lucky to remain in your position for 16 years. I am afraid that by working from home that would be nearly impossible due to changes in technology that have come about and the way the industry is evolving. We come here to figure out how to evolve with it.

I, myself, do make fairly good money even considering all of the changes that have been forced on me, but I certainly do understand all of the frustrations expressed here on these boards because I have been through them as well. Any future MT who comes along working for the MTSOs will experience them as well. It is kinda funny to hear someone come on here and say to explore other options. OMG, we never thought of that!!!

Again, as previous OP stated, that is what these board are for. We vent, we complain, we compare notes regarding line rates, platforms, dictators, company requirements, technology, good/bad companies to work for, and basically everything that each of us is exposed to because we do like the actual job of transcribing medical records. Any MT who is unhappy comes here seeking other options, and believe me they are out there while remaining an MT.

Good luck to you in your endeavors.

For some of us,our only option - ExpMT

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Do you think that by working on-site I have not had to adapt to changes in the industry? Our department has gone through several conversions to different systems, not to mention 2 attempts at VR in radiology that did not work. We've gone from hourly pay to incentive pay to straight production pay and everyone did well. We have the same issues with outsourcing that you do; some of our work gets sent out and we think it is the good dictators. Some days it is hard to get all our minutes in (we are on PBM) so stop feeling sorry for yourself.

To Exp MT - You ASSUME - Fingers

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Are you just trolling these boards to stir up trouble and insult people? What is your problem? Why in the world would you tell me, "stop feeling sorry for myself" when I just told you that I am doing fine, happy, and making good money? My comment was that I understand the frustrations of other MTs. Get over yourself already. Personally, I did not ask for your advice or work history.

to ExpMT: We are allowed to VENT our frustrations on this MT forum...nm - no shushing

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nm

Venting, maybe, insisting failure is the only option, no. - Go down alone, do not drag others. NM

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x

Who is being dragged? - nobody forced to be here

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And some of us don't enjoy sunshine being blow you-know-where, we prefer reality.

Reality is many can and will take care of themselves, - others will believe this loser dribble.

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Reality is, we, and nobody else, are responsible for taking care of ourselves.

Reality also is we cannot control other people - everyone has an opinion and the right to have it

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Point is, you don't have the authority to shut down discussions you don't like. Just walk away, how difficult is that? Maybe the problem lies with you instead of everybody you criticize, Or maybe eveyone has problems but you can only relate to your own.

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