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

MT wages - Josie

Posted: Dec 07, 2012

I want to congratulate everyone who posts on this site telling it like it is about the way these MT companies are destroying what once was a profession where you could make a decent living and actually enjoyed your job. I've been doing this for 30 years and I am still hanging on because I do not know what else to do at my age. I can barely pay my bills with what they are paying me and I am working full time. I am 68 years old and I really am not too excited about going back to school or starting a new career at my age. This is the first time I posted on this site but I am not sure I will do it again. My husband passed away 3 years ago and it has been very difficult to survive on an MT salary. I am on SS and Medicare and I am in good health which I am so grateful for but the stress that I have with my job and the low pay is very disappointing. I appreciate all of your comments.

All MTSOs are SCROOGES... and not just at - Christmas time, either, but year-round. nm

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Yes - anon

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So are a lot of MTs.

Can I ask? - anon

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How old are you? Is there something you've always wanted to do that could be a possibility? Granted, something like being an astronaut is probably out, but I'm sure there are options out there for you. Are you able-bodied? Are you a feeble 90-year-old woman instead? Do you have a hobby or something you could turn into income via ebay or esty?

Start by going over what you do have instead of what you don't have and go from there...for example (and just to start you off), you have good basic language skills, a lot of work experience, medical language experience, and you can use a computer. You also have maturity and professionalism on your side. There's loads more you can add to that list, I'd bet.

Age really is just a number, unless you're a really feeble old crone, which, at that point, you have other things to worry about. I think you'll probably find you have a lot more options than you think you do.

talk about - veiled...

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insults! wow. In amongst your telling her what your skills are, you also throw in a couple good insults, as well, like "feeble 90-year old" and "feeble old crone".

Some of us have been in this field a long time, and though we may not be 90, do you think we have not possibly tried to expand on our skills, or checked out the possibility of turning a hobby into income? What a put down to us "older folk" who feel our options are somewhat limited due to age factors, having only transcribing on our resumes, which we all know is a hill of beans to "outside employment," lack of income, lack of a spouse to supplement income, etc. You young whipper snappers just seem to feel that we are not taking advantage of all the options out there, but to ridicule us on top of it is just rude.

To Veiled - anon

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You need to go back and re-read my post because you are gravely mistaken about my meaning and intention.

I was not listing MY skills, but I was listing HERS. I was trying to urge the OP to a place of confidence--to see what she has GOING FOR HER.

For someone to say that they are "too old" to do anything else with their life, then frankly they need to be a 90-year-old feeble crone to use that excuse.

Is she that? Obviously not, since the OP is 1)still working, 2)has the physical capability to at least use a computer, and 3)has full use of her mental function.

Therefore, I personally believe that at whatever age she may actually be, she is still capable of pursuing another career path, if she so chooses.

As for your "veiled insult" in calling me a young whipper snapper, do you know how long I've been in this business? Do you know how old I am? No, you don't.

You prefer to misread any attempt at a well-intentioned desire to inspire and help as insulting.

Your personal desire to see only excuses where there could be action, dead-ends where there could be new paths of travel are limiting you. Just because you "feel your options are limited" because of x, y, and z does not make it true.

in all fairness - this is absolutely correct

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She was pointing out some skills possessed by the OP, not her own skills.

Amen to that - me

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And while I am not a 90-year-old crone, I have NUMEROUS injuries, requiring at least 5 more surgeries, but I have no way of taking off work, and after 7-8 years of recovering from the last series of surgeries, have no other options. While I do make a considerable amount of money, my overhead is extremely high, so...

Can you imagine being in the most severe pain you have ever been in your life, homebound, disabled, etc., and reading that post. It is absolutely insulting. Of course, the younger whippersnappers have no idea that life is just not as black and white as they would like to believe.

Answer - anon

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Then you answered my questions and I can to either inspire you or encourage you.

One of my questions was "Are you able-bodied." Obviously, you are not. I'm sorry for you. Tell me though, how I was supposed to know that when all you originally referenced was how too old you were to get a job?

As for you calling me a whipper snapper, nice try. You may think it's insulting, but I don't. For one, it's not true. Second, I'd rather have the attitude and outlook of a younger person rather than a, yes, old crone.

I'm sorry about your pain. Good luck to you.

You are mistaken if you think age is just - what a laugh

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a number when you try to find a job in your 50s. Go any place and who is employed there? Mostly young people with maybe a token middle-aged employee thrown in so the employer can't be accused of discrimination.

You can learn another occupation but a prospective employer likes young It is a fact. Like it not.

I posted this the other day but - will say it again

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Not every employer views older workers unfavorably. I am over 60. I completed a two-year physician assistant program this past summer and found employers very welcoming. I had my choice of several jobs, and most of the interviewers I encountered said they considered my life experience to be a valuable asset.

Some employers may prefer younger workers, but there are others that recognize the values older workers bring to the workplace.

To physician assistant - cr

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I'm just curious - if you're a PA now and have found employment, why are you posting here? Do you stil work as an MT? BTW, I'm an older person and as a patient I would feel more comfortable with an older PA than a young one, so your employer is right from my viewpoint. It does seem in general, when you look around at the stores and on TV, that older employees are becoming more commonplace.

Yes, I'm still doing MT part-time - I kept my

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really good part-time MT job. I did the PA training after I retired from my dayjob of 35 years and continued to do the part-time MT while training. I've had the MT job for almost 10 years and am just used to doing it. I don't have any family, so I have plenty of free time, and the MT job only takes about 2 hours a day. My hobby is investing, so this gives me extra money for that.

With regard to the PA job, during my clinicals, I came to the realization that while I loved the learning and science and medicine part of the training, I really did not enjoy the caring-for-patients part, so when I completed the program I pursued a job tht did not involve patient care. I work for the VA managing research projects (I had project management experience from my previous dayjob). That means I have regular hours, no hospital rounds, no on-calls, no requirement to assist in surgery or put in additional time maintaining patient records, so I have plenty of time to have my small MT job along with my new PA job and still have a life.

If I were to choose a patient-care position at some time in the future, I think I would choose a nursing home or retirement community setting where the patients probably would feel more comfortable with someone closer to their own age.

I think you're right about older employees becoming more commonplace. One of my neighbors is a regional manager for Williams Sonoma, and he says they have found older workers to be better employees. He says the young employees don't know anything about cooking or cooking equipment, and most seem to have no interest in learning. He also said they lack social skills whereas older people know how to interact with other humans in person.

You must not get out much - anon

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I don't like it because it's not a fact. Perhaps some places like younger workers, like restaurants, and some retail establishments like Gap or Ambercrombie but there are those places that prefer older workers.

Cases in point:
1. My kids' pediatrician just hired 2 new FT front desk people. Both women are in their 50s.
2. My mother-in-law, who just turned 54, got an HR job at Allstate. She did this through a temp agency. She is not FT employee with Allstate, not the temp agency.
3. My father-in-law also just got an office job, also through a temp agency. He is 61. Again, he is now FT hired with his company, not through the temp agency.
4. My husband's company just brought on 5 new FT employees. Ages range from 40-57 for three of them. One is in their late 30s. The other just turned 26.
6. My next-door neighbor, a woman in her late 50s just got a job as an elder care assistant. She had been out of work for almost 3 years.

Incidentally, every grocery store in my area has more FT employees who are older rather than younger.

If you think only young people get hired, that's all you're going to see because that's all you're looking for.

Older employees - me

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Is that why my husband has been unable to find employment in the last 5 years. He is 53, a moving and storage warehouse mover/mover with 5 previous heart attacks and an L1 compression fracture. Sure, he can obtain day labor jobs, but nobody wants to hire him on full-time with benefits, as it is extremely costly to insure him.

Well - anon

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Is you husband is going into interviews and disclosing that kind of information?

Is there anything else he can do?
Has he gone to any temp agencies? Does he have computer skills? Can he sit or does he need to stand?

Personally, if my husband had a history of heart attacks and spine issues, the last thing I'd be encouraging him to do is get a day labor job.

I'd like to point you in a good direction, but would need a bit more information.

You do seem to like insulting people Anon. - what a laugh

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I must not get out much? That's not even veiled. What was the point in that comment if not an insult?

It doesn't matter to someone looking for a job what things are like in your world. It doesn't reflect the rest of the world who likes them young.

You're so funny - anon

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Be insulted all you want. If you can't see that you're hypersensitive because I refuse to buy into the "poor me, I'm too old, my life is miserable bit" then so be it.

If you want to stay miserable, then stay miserable. More power to you.

I cannot wait until you are laid off in your 50s - sm

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I don't even usually say nasty stuff like this, but I decided to get off my old butt and give it a whirl.

Anon up there may have posted an uncomfortable truth - grits

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but I didn't see him/her wishing ill on anyone. Way to raise the tone.

Thanks grits! no more message - anon

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nm

So you are a young whipper snapper...LOL - mbmt

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Let's see...Your mother-in-law is 54 years old, so she is 5 years younger than I am. Unless you are married to someone younger than you are, I would bet you are around 34. That, my dear, is a young whipper snapper to those of us who are older. I do not think you can deliver the wisdom of the universe to those of us who have been around a lot longer.

Nope - anon

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But I hope your joy in "catching me out" gave you a warm fuzzy feeling anyway. My husband's mother is not his biological mother, but still the only mother he has ever known.

I am 47, my husband is 42.

Thank you, though, for reinforcing the idea that a lot of people on this board have thoughts that are definitely stuck in the box.

I am 58... - Got out of MT--see smg

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...and got a clerical job in a medical office, receptionist-type.

I do think some fields prefer the young ones, but not all.

Age is not necessarily against we over 50 people. Next time you're out at a doc appt, having a mammogram, visiting someone in a hospital, just observe how old the clerical people are. You may see a pretty good mix.

I think you are mistaken - Anonymous

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Age is not what holds a person back, it is attitude. My co-workers and I were all laid off from our MT jobs. All of us are in our 50's and older, all of us found jobs within a short period of time, none of us has had to resort to Wal-Mart or fast food employment. I work with younger people and we get along well. Employers actually like older workers because they are more dependable and take their jobs seriously. Also, there is less turnaround because older workers are more settled and less likel to change jobs within a year or two.

y'all she said she is 68 - now really

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Would you really honestly attempt to learn a new occupation at that age? 50s yes, 60s maybe, but she is almost 70.

Now really - Anonymous

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I work with a lady who started a new job as a medical records tech at 70, she was one of the ladies I worked with who was hired about a week after being laid off. Personally, I'd retire at that age or even 68, but it can be done.

I am so sorry - RC

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about your husband passing away.

If I were you, I'd get an easy job working behind a counter somewhere. Actually, that's my plan now, and I'm only 33. It sounds so much more peaceful than pounding the keys, and the pay would be more steady for me.

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