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

I just don't know anymore - notsopeachey

Posted: Feb 27, 2012

My bubble has been burst. I was with eTransPlus when the Q swallowed them up and then I left. Now, I'm with another MTSO and it's awful. I've only been MTing for 5 years. I was an office nurse (LPN) for 13 years before that and I wanted a change. My first job was with a great company and then the huge acct I was on was bought out by an MTSO, so I had the choice of being laid off or going to IC status. I chose to be laid off thinking I could draw unemployment. That was a joke. Unemployment wouldn't pay the bills.

I was so fortunate to find eTransPlus and had a wonderful year with them. Now, it seems all the MTSOs are buying out all the good small companies and VR has taken over which means to me more work with less pay. Some may argue about that, but I just can't edit some horrible document for pennies. I can only imagine how some of you feel who have been doing this for 20 years ! Wow!

Idk what to do. I enjoy working at home cause I can pick my daughter up from school and be here when she is out of school. I just don't know if I can hang with the way things are going. I still have my nursing license, but I just don't think I can go back into that. You can't hardly be a nurse without all the red tape involved anymore. The whole medical field has changed.

Maybe I can tough this out until my daughter is out of high school and then I can get out of the medical field completely.

I've thought about coding, but idk about that either. I just feel myself being pushed into a slump and don't know of a way out of it right now. sorry for the vent. I just had to.

No answers - displaced human

[ In Reply To ..]
What's really tough is being a few years away from retirement, too young to retire, too old to enter a new field. I thought about coding, but by the time I finish the schooling, that will also be obsolete. I've heard that one of the big companies is close to perfecting a computer program that will go into all the computerized data and pluck what it needs for coding, thus eliminating that whole field. So depressing. I remember when I was a child, it was predicted that machines would take over all work from humans, but I scoffed at that because hey, what would happen to all the humans? Well, now I'm one of those displaced humans.

you're right - notsopeachey

[ In Reply To ..]
Machines are taking over. Along with that, the quality of work is going down. Greed is the driving force though and will always win in the end :(

Don't get into a slump it is hard to get out! - Slump MT

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I got into the slump and then got divorced. Tragedy! Almost went homeless. Lived in bad conditions. Lost everything but kept typing. Went back to school. Still had to have a job, so kept with MTing. Thought negative about the VR, my pay got lower and lower because I was in such a slump!
Soon, I was too scared to get a job outside the house. Lost my car. Barely made the rent. Still did ok in school on line. Finally decided the last 2 years was not worth it. VR is here to stay! I did not want to be homeless. So now I am trying really hard to get out of this slump... please don't be me... it is almost impossible to get out!

I'm glad things turned around for you! - notsopeachey

[ In Reply To ..]
I've been through worse with a divorce and being a single mom along with a chronic illness that I battle daily, so I'm not going to give up. Thanks for your kind words and words of encouragement! :)

I just hate VR and where our careers are going. The clinic I worked for went to EMR. Many of the doctors had a template and all they had to do was add their own info to it and that was their dictation. No MT was needed.

When I left there, there were about 20 doctors doing this with them training the rest to eventually go to it. I'm wondering if this will be how it is done in the hospitals before long. Scary thought.

BTW, most of the doctors hated it..

Getting out - CalGal

[ In Reply To ..]
I just don't know what to do either. I certainly don't have it as bad as some. My job is all typing with assigned dictators so I am able to make a decent rate, but I can see the writing on the wall. Just recently my work has started "disappearing" and the amount of work available for pick up outside my usual dictators (for when they have a short day or are on vacation) has shrunk to almost nothing, unless I want to spend major time at little pay with unfamiliar dictators. I was looking into becoming a pharmacist or pharmacy tech, but the education time is long and the cost is high. Has anyone else looked into this?

Pharmacy tech at CC is 2 years. - Looking

[ In Reply To ..]
The pharmacy tech curriculum at our local community college is 2 years (FT).

The ONLY problem I can see with that is that they have been pushing, pushing, pushing folks to become a pharmacy tech so the market may be oversaturated with them by the time you get out....

Good luck to you!!

Displaced - you're SO right!! - - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I've always wondered about them eventually being able to just pull what they need (as far as codes) from a properly formatted and correct document with another program made specifically to do so.

Might sound like sci-fi, but that's probably the way it will go. VR sounded like sci-fi not too long ago. Eventually, docs will have to use only specific phrases, taught to them right from med school so they'll be well versed in it. Once they input their data (can hardly call it 'make a report' since it's one-size-fits-all medicine), another program will 'look it over' for the info it needs and a claim will be processed.

Might actually be amazing if it wasn't money out of our pockets, huh?

here's what I would do - while you can

[ In Reply To ..]
Get back into nursing part-time, try a nursing home or something passing meds. I started out going to school for nursing, 1 semester shy of graduating I had some personal issues and could not focus on clinicals.

The plan was to go back the following semester, but I had to wait a whole year to because I only needed the second semester to finish.

In the meantime, I took classes at a community college to get a "certificate in transcription". It was short & breif because I had all the pre-reqs and knew the terminology.

Long story short, I got hired on at a hospital making $15 an hour with incentive, they eventually sent us all home to work, I got comfortable & loved it until two months ago when they outsourced our dept.

Now here I sit 9yrs later, loving what I do, but wishing I had of finished my nursing so I could at least have it to fall back on part-time and still transcribe.

You have the option to do both, don't let your nursing license go to waste, renew them and use them. You can do transcription & just do nursing part-time to make ends meet.

Not as easy as you think - notsopeachey

[ In Reply To ..]
You can't work PT in a nursing home starting out as a nurse on the day shift. I can't work nights because I'm a single mom. Nursing seems like a great thing until you have done it. It's a highly stressful job and there aren't many good jobs at all for LPNs.

I will always keep my license though. I have it on inactive status so I don't have to pay the fees or deal with the CEUs, but it's there for if ever I need it.

I don't want to return to nursing if I can help it. I actually make more doing VR at home than I did working as an LPN. If I was an RN that would be different. Returning to school for RN is not an option either. It would take years and there are hundreds and hundreds who apply for the program every year and many do not get in.

Also, my heart isn't in nursing anymore and if you don't have the heart for it, you shouldn't do it. Same as for teachers. The passion for it needs to be there.

I'm keeping my eyes open for something, but I'm going to hang in here with VR for now. grrrr

LPN to RN - Cathy

[ In Reply To ..]
Did you know that there are online programs for an LPN to RN degree? I'm not saying it would be easy as a single mom, but maybe something to look into. Are you sure you want to give up on nursing as an option? There are so many different things that a nurse can do besides hospital or nursing home work-- like an occupational nurse, school nurse, research, work for insurance companies, telenursing, etc. Just something to think about. I know that it is easy to box myself into thinking that I have to do MT and there are no other options out there, but when you really think about it you DO have options. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide to do!

I understand - now that you explain

[ In Reply To ..]
I love transcription myself; however at one time nursing was my passion. Like I said, I accidently stumbled into this job. I was working for a hospital with great pay, making more than what any LPN would make. So I got comfortable, it was easy, our dept eventually sent us all home to work remotely and everything was gravy.

Now that we have been outsourced, I am adjusting and still love what I do. I am blessed in the sense that I came over with the outsource and so the company tried to make our pay comparable (not so much), but I realize that I am making more cpl than most because of that.

I am getting faster with VR and now starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, so I think I'm gonna be alright. As for returning to finish my nursing...not so sure yet. But I do get where you're coming from.

I finally took the big step and did it... - 4vrtpng

[ In Reply To ..]
After 15 years of typing all hours and at several different companies, my kids are both out of the home and either out of college or still in college. Now, my husband and I are faced with the college bills that came with them going to college and us wanting a better life for them. My little MT salary just does not cut it anymore. Our local community college has a program for radiology technicians that covers everything from x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, nuclear medicine and more. I will be able to then take special training in the different individual areas and expand my certifications. I applied in December 2011 for the fall of 2012 and got accepted. It's going to be a long and hard 2-1/2 years to complete with having to work full time as well, but in the end I will be able to get out of this business and hopefully triple my income or more. MTing is just not worth it anymore and any chance you have to improve your options, take it. It was great when my kids were in school, but not anymore, not when you feel like you are tied to your chair 24/7 and not getting anywhere. Just an encouragement to all out there wanting out. Find something that interests you and go for it. If there's a will there's a way.

You are fortunate. - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
What a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing it.

I just have to mention that are you fortunate indeed to have a spouse who is supportive of what you're doing (and that 2nd income for your household).

Thanks... - 4vrtpng

[ In Reply To ..]
The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful husband. We have been through a lot and after 25 years of marriage we are finding that we can survive the empty nest syndrome and are both moving towards new careers. He is willing to help with all the household stuff that I will not be able to take care of while going to school full time and working full time. Hey, he might even cook for us, and yes he can cook.

Transcription has been an integral part of our lives for so long, but the reality is that it is a job now and not a profession. So, now is the time to get moving while there is still life and time to do it and not be stuck to my desk watching life go by outside my window.

Here's to opening that window and joining life.

It feels great to be taking steps... - McFeist

[ In Reply To ..]
I am also going back to technical college but for surgical technology. The technical college a few miles from my home actually has a great program, and I am working on my prerequisites now. It has really lifted my spirits. It is hard, but having been an MT puts me at a huge advantage, at least with the prerequisites. I am so excited to hopefully be going into the OR to actually be a part of all these surgeries I transcribe. I didn't realize how much I missed being around people. I am just loving this! It feels great to be taking these steps. I wish you the best of luck. Keep your eyes on the prize.

Best of luck to you as well. Nm - 4vrtpng

[ In Reply To ..]
:)

Thank you! NM - McFeist

[ In Reply To ..]
:)

trying to leave MT - kv

[ In Reply To ..]
Been trying several years to get out of MT. Did one semester of nursing school and realized it was not for me. Did not want to do a 12-hour night shift at 52 years of age. Tried a semster of coding and realized I did not want another job staring at a computer. I also thought I would have a hard time breaking in where I live because I am not related to anyone and there are so many colleges graduating medical coders.

Now I am in a dental assistant program (12 Saturdays-I already have a BA), and I am not bothering to do any research about over saturation in this market. I am willing to move anywhere if I have to, but I think all the clinical supervisors have leads, etc., and more importantly I am really enjoying it.

I also started my own business over the past two years but shut it down temporarily. I think once I am meeting more people as a dental assistant I will start it up again, along with another idea I have for a business.

I know this is turning around for me, but it's been a long haul.

I've been interviewing at MT companies and am so disheartened. I had to stop myself from blurting something out the other day during an interview. It dawned on me that trying to get a decent salary from an MTSO as an MT is like trying to beat the house in Vegas or any casino. They don't want any MT to win; it's all about them and their salaries.

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