A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
Probably not gonna make any friends with this one, but... - JoeUser
Posted: Aug 26, 2011
I'm seeing a lot of these, “I hate my job” threads lately. To be fair, it's mostly aimed at Medquist, and other similar entities, but still.
Gotta keep your chins up guys. As a student, I find these kinds of threads very disheartening. In the very near future I'll be joining the ranks, and I won't lie; I would be tickled pink to be making minimum wage, or any wage whatsoever. A hundred dollars a week would be great for me. Obviously that's not ideal, but times are hard all over, and really good jobs aren't comin out of the woodwork for anybody. I see a lot of veteran MTs on this board griping about how today's work environment is abominable compared to what it used to be, but I gotta tell ya. It's not just MTs.
Take truck driving for instance. Twenty years ago a gallon of diesel fuel was less than a dollar. Today it's almost four! Trust me when I say that most owner operators aren't getting a corporate compensatory surcharge at the pump. In some places buying 200 gallons of fuel can easily bulge over the $800.00 mark, which means that, even if you're getting a dollar a mile (most don't) you have to then drive 800 miles just to cover the cost of that fuel. After you tack on a $1500 (or more) a month truck payment, money for servicing and insuring said truck, road expenses, crushing solitude and isolation from everyone and everything you care about, coupled with the company of only other disgruntled persons such as yourself suffering under the pressures of an ever dwindling and demanding workload... well, when seen in contrast, the idea of working for minimum wage at home in your bathrobe doing virtually *anything* seems to me like a dream come true.
I won't pretend like I know anything about what it's like to be an established, professional MT. I'm still just a student, but if I know anything I know this: As a matter of course, medical transcriptionists don't have to get up once or twice a night to threaten the hookers off their truck, often at the point of a gun, just because you really wanted to sleep near where you need to fuel in the morning.
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing but respect and admiration for everyone who does this work and makes their living at it. I really mean that. This is a difficult job that not every mother's son can do. That's a fact. Struggling to discern the particulars of a case of testicular cancer as sibilated by a person of Korean origin is not any kind of fun whatsoever.
But still, in this day and age, and purely in my opinion, everybody who has a job oughta be glad to have it. Not everybody has one, and times are hard all over, to be sure.
100% with you on this - mttx
[ In Reply To ..]I can't think of any job i've had that was 100% perfect. I was a bartender for 4 years before I got into MT. I worked at a health food store, restaurants, fast food, convenient stores, hair salon...Every job I have had has sucked in some way or another. It's WORK. I know that I am lucky to work for a company that is a good fit for me and I think I get paid fairly. I think some people need to count their lucky stars that they even have an income right now, a lot of people don't.
Less than minimum wage - Wages
[ In Reply To ..]But an income less than minimum wage in some cases?? I wouldn't call that fair pay at all!!
True, but... - mttx
[ In Reply To ..]I get paid well, so that's why I think my pay is fair. But in the cases where it's less than minimum wage, I don't understand why they don't go to another company. I know times are tough, but there a lot of companies out there, and in the past two years i've been hired by two different companies that pay well. With only 2 years under my belt, I don't see why it would be a problem for someone with more experience to do the same.
Personal story - making a good living as MT - BeenThere
[ In Reply To ..]I normally just sick back and read the posts on this website and many others related to the MT profession -- but I had to jump in and response to the OP who is a student and has such an optimistic outlook. Bravo to ths OP on this post. Been There Done That.
My personal story (after many years working in "corporate America" and with lots of MT experience working both as an in-hospital MT as well as at-home MT) .... my personal story is that I indeed make a good living working as a Medical Editor.
I accept this new role as a Medical Editor because that is exactly what I do most of the time. Working doing straight transcription is rare these days..... And my wrists and palms thank God there is VR work (i.e., less wear and tear than with straight transcription).
Nowadays, like most of you, I receive the majority of reports with a VR draft text, requiring me to perform some of the tasks that I truly enjoy -- EDITING and more EDITING. Quite fulfilling for me. I truly enjoy doing research and discovering exactly what terms fit into the reports I am responsible for. Oftentimes there are so many errors in the draft texts produced by VR -- and it feels good to know that my knowledge and expertise plays an important role in the lives of the patients who are being served by the EMR's that I produce.
So, yes I am very thankful that I have a job (actually 2 jobs) and that I can continue to work and provide for my family. Times are tough for a lot of people. I am grateful and blessed to have a job that I enjoy.
And to the student OP I would say -- hang in there and formulate your own opinion about this ever-changing MT industry. You will find that one can make a good living working in the MT industry ... and I must say working in the comfort of my home office is an added bonus as well. Very peaceful for me and my family.
Like my dad always told me: The glass is always half full.
There are other work-at-home jobs where you can make 100 a week. - me
[ In Reply To ..]And you don't have to go to school to do them. I hope someone else is paying for your education.
Thanks for putting things in perspective, SM - IndyMT
[ In Reply To ..]I've been an MT for 20 years and I agree.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD WAIT TO FORM AN OPINION UNTIL YOU ARE DONG THE JOB - nana6
[ In Reply To ..]You will be happy to make $100 a week doing this job? Well how about you wait until you are finished with school and you get into the real world and then email us and let us know if you feel the same way. Going to school and "learning" medical transcription is just the very beginning. The real learning comes when you start a job and you are constantly looking up every word they say, medicine, lab tests, etc. And you will be doing all of that for free, if you even get a job with no experience.
I am married to a truck driver and yes he has to hustle to keep a paycheck coming in but it is not as nearly as bad as you make it sound. He is gone a lot more than he used to be but he still bringing in a good paycheck. He gets a good surcharge for his gas which covers most all of his expense and on some jobs he makes money on the surcharge, so again, I am not sure what you are talking about. If it weren't for him I would be living out of a cardboard box because I am making 60% less than I did 2 years ago.
You really have no idea what you are talking about. Just wait until you experience the disrespect, the lies, the cheating you out of your money any way they can all in the name of higher profit for the "company" and then come talk to us again. My boss has two houses, in two different states, he drives a Porch, he vacations in Italy, Spain, Alaskan cruises, etc. How do you think he does all of that? Off of our backs and he cares less if we have a roof over our head or food to eat.
So if it makes you feel better to think we are all negative people then continue tooting your own horn, but again you have no idea what you are talking about. I hope you don't fall to hard.
thank you and - amen
[ In Reply To ..]Hard to say when ya havent walked the walk yet.
I have to agree with nana on this one. - and I am not one of these
[ In Reply To ..]people who thinks I need to be making 40 or 50 $/hour, but to do this job right, it is most definitely not a minimum wage job. If you are fortunate enough to find a job, it will take about 1 working day to figure that out. Good luck to you and let us know how it goes.
Well said, nana6. Right on point. nm - JustPassingThrough
[ In Reply To ..]nm
Let's see. If you do mostly VR (likely), and if...sm - oldtimer
[ In Reply To ..]you edit 1000 lines a day for five days at 3 cents a line you can make $150 a week before taxes. If it is worth it to you to go to school to make that, good for you. If you get hired at all since you are a newbie, you will probably have to work as an IC, pay all your own taxes, be required to work a schedule, and buy all your own equipment, reference books and software. Not much left when all is said and done.
Controversy - JoeUser
[ In Reply To ..]I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. I'm not even out of school yet, if you can call this distance learning business “school”, but I can pretty handily type 1,000 lines in a morning. I don't know much about VR, yet, but I gotta believe if I can straight type 1,000 lines before noon I can surely edit a similar amount, and probably in less time.
And don't gimme any of that hooey about “real world” dictations being any harder than what I get from Andrews. Only way to be worse than some of these is to literally be in a language I don't speak. From what I've learned it seems to me that the meat of being proficient at this is understanding the underlying practices and methods that make up the medical field as a whole. In essence, knowing as much about what is being talked about as the person doing the talking. It's more than just having a good ear.
Would I like to believe that I'm training for a career where I can step from this training into a 50k a year job? Sure. Who wouldn’t? That's not the reality though. The reality is that this is an industry where an ESL transcriptionist can get the same job I can, with no training, and access to Google. The days of having to have an extensive multi-thousand dollar library to do this job are gone.
Welcome to the digital age.
To all those who posted constructively- I thank you. I read every word and I appreciate every sentiment of encouragement or relation. To all those of you who want to see me unsuccessful, thereby vindicating your own laziness, I say the following:
Be encouraged! I'm quite certain I won't hit it out of the park during my first try at the plate, but know this; there is a legion of eager young professionals, who couldn't care less what kind of car their boss drives, who are training right now to kick your lazy butt out on the street. Real Americans aren't afraid to work, and we know the only way to fight for our jobs is monster line counts with 100% accuracy, not wailing impotently to people who aren't in a position to do anything about our complaints anyway.
Either you are good at what you do, and you earn a living at it, or you're not, and you don't. This is true of any industry.
I guess we will see - but
[ In Reply To ..]Try not to put that foot in your mouth just yet, as you may need something to eat after you graduate.
Mostly agree with you Joe, but - Ayn
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with what you are saying about people's attitude and work ethic.
However, problem is that even if you can transcribe 1000 lines a day and even if you can edit VR at double that rate -- the pay for editing is usually half the transcribing rate. THAT is what sticks in a lot of MT's throats and gets us upset. (not to mention, realistically, most do not double their line counts at all - that is why their pay is falling and they are dropping below minimum wage).
Now, could some of those people accept and learn the new technology better than they have and thereby increase their salary - absolutely. BUT, why should we be paid so drastically less when we are actually supposed to be improving/increasing/growing our skills to use this new technology? I was not asked to take a cut in pay when I went from working on a Selectric to working on a computer. Doctors are not asked to take a pay cut when some new robotic surgical tool is introduced into the OR. Etc.
I do not expect to be paid more than what is fair market wage, but I also do not expect to be forced to take a cut in pay just for learning a new skill and new technology so that the client can see a bigger profit margin.
For the record, I make a very good living as an MT and I love the job. I just hope to see the profession as a whole take an upturn rather than continuing this downhill slide of cuts in pay rates and losses to offshoring.
Personally, I feel we should move towards hourly rates instead of production -- again, because I don't feel I should be paid less to edit. However, I also think that if some MTs didn't have that "quota" hanging over their head they would not produce nearly what they do now. Catch-22 for the employer. Maybe hourly pay with incentives for high producers and for consistly high QA scores... ?
real world dictations - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]JoeUser, I normally don't get involved in spats and I really try to stay positive, but dude, seriously, you're a little off the mark talking about anyone's lazy butt.
Have you done any VR editing at Andrews? They have a rep as a good school, so I'm hoping that is part of it. Unless and until you work on a draft where the accuracy percentage is set so low that you are quite literally changing every other word, don't talk about being able to edit 1000 lines handily in a morning. There are some DAYS when it's all you can manage to get that much done. 1000 lines x 4 cpl is not a living wage. You want to talk decent wage? You need to get up to 3k lines PER DAY at 4 cpl.
Again, I don't know about Andrews practice dictations, but come back and talk to us when the ESL dictator is dictating a psych eval report in something just above a whisper right next to the nurses station where they're having a conversation about yesterday's birthday party and on the other side of him is the constant beeping of the monitors. All on VR, where maybe if you're lucky 50% of it is correct.
Try correcting the dictation for the dictator who has her toddler in the roomo with her and whose toddler is playing with a very loud electronic toy that is talking to him in, yes, two languages. When that same toddler got cranky and started screaming because he wanted to go home, she just talked louder and faster.
I want everyone to succeed at this job. I've been doing it for 4 years and enjoy it and am grateful every day I don't have to put up with the office politics. I also make much more than I did working hourly for a doctor, so I love production-based pay.
You, however, need to check yourself before you start throwing out words like laziness, etc., when you're still a student and you've never had to actually pay your mortgage with the money you earn on this. You need to check yourself because until you try to make it work with a company for 2 months and yet still barely make minimum wage and almost lose your house in the process, you don't know what you're saying.
Come back next year and tell us if you're still thinking the same way.
Happy MT Robin - Old Pro
[ In Reply To ..]Very well said. I was amazed at the hubris of the OP. Too bad a course in humility is not in the curriculum of Andrews. Maybe it should be.
JoeUser: You, sir, are a liar. - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]I suspected that JoeUser does not have any real experience doing medical transcription. The assertion that he can "easily" do more than 1000 lines by breakfast will "easily" give him away as a liar to any experienced MT. Nice try, JoeLoser. Your assertion that you can "easily" do more than 1000 lines by noon with the same difficulty of work we get in the 'real world' is a bit like someone who has never played in the NFL, just summer camp, claiming they can "easily" rush for 1000 yards by half-time. It is, well, preposterous and obviously a lie. I always have been the fastest MT wherever I have worked, and about 200 lines per hour is as fast as anyone can go, unless the work is so amazingly easy one never has to stop to check out words. To think that one can rely on the Internet rather than specialized medical word books and medical dictionaries also is a dead give-away that you are a liar. I suspect you are someone trying to start an MTSO trying to push the notion that we should be grateful for jobs. No, sir, YOU should be grateful for finding highly qualified professionals.
I had to laugh at reading, "Real Americans aren't afraid to work, and we know the only way to fight for our jobs is monster line counts with 100% accuracy. . . ." ROTFLMAO. As if we do not already work extremely hard with nearly 100% accuracy. As if it is that easy to produce with 100% accuracy! As if anyone who knows the basics of medicine can do the job and not need an 'ear.' I shall say it again. You, sir, are a liar. You can 'easily' transcribe 1000 lines by noon. ROTFLMAO. Uh, huh. Seriously, I think you should think about how a team of veteran NFL running backs would respond at hearing you call them lazy or "there is a legion of eager young professionals . . . who are training right now to kick your lazy butt out on the street," along with the assertion that you can "easily" rush 1000 yards by half-time. ROTFLMAO. Well, in truth, we sometimes hear a ROOKIE (or better put, a WANNABE) bragging about just how hot they are and how everyone else in the pros is just lazy. You just keep thinking that way. Let's see how many lines you produce "easily" by noon after a veteran editor with 3 decades of experience has reviewed your work. It's easy to brag until you get clocked by an NFL All-Pro veteran linebacker. Trust me, you'll be seeing more than a few stars for a while when you start carrying the ball in a real game pro game. If you are a "Real American" who is not afraid to work, after every game (i.e., day of work) you will have some sores, bruises, pain--and the thrill of winning. But don't come into a locker room full of experienced NFL pros who actually have played the game for awhile bragging that you can "easily" rush 1000 yards by half-time. As with the NFL, we all know a real pro from a wannabe. It's the same attitude that gets a lot of Army lieutenants killed, fragged by their own men, trying to tell seasoned combat veterans how they ought to be fighting when you have no combat experience, trying to convince us that you can 'easily' vanquish half of a mighty Army of enemies by noon. ROTFLMAO. Yep, they are the first to get sent home in a body bag. Thing is, their mamas and girlfriends cry. Their "men," not so much. A "legion of eager young professionals. . . . training right now to kick your lazy butt out on the street." ROTFLMAO. How truly sad that you know so little about what this business is really like. Real Americans aren't afraid to tell someone to their face: You're a liar! You, sir, are a liar. Either the work you are training on isn't even close to the difficulty of the work in the "real world" or you are claiming to produce at a higher, faster rate than the most seasoned and experienced professionals in the business. That is (ROTFLMAO again), well, just one of the funniest things I have read in a while. Thanks for that. I needed a little laughter to lighten my day. 'monster line counts with 100% accuracy' ROTFLMAO.... Ohhh, just TOO funny.
I love you Robin - facts are facts
[ In Reply To ..]I hope JoeLoser gets a job at the Q where he/she is bounced around to 15+ accounts a day and the bulk of his/her "1000 line morning" is really spent looking up client profiles, and then having to search through 1000s of e-mails looking for that one that said "Dr. Kickback wants his reports to have the title Neuro Evaluation at the top," cause if you dont do it, you will fall below the 99% accuracy rate and will be dropped by 3 cpl and will be working for 1 cpl!
Then... those 1000 lines by morning will equal $10.00, but still an American happy to have a job! Ha.
Guess I am a liar too - MT not NFL
[ In Reply To ..]Wow Robin. I think Joe is a little excited about the job, and I think that is commendable. You, however, seem to be taking his post a little too seriously. I also went to Andrews, and I can tell you that the dictations there were harder than anything I am doing now after 5 years of working. I can also tell you that I easily can do 1000 or more lines by lunch time. Granted, I have some pretty sweet accounts, but it is normal for me to hit 1100 or 1200 lines between 7 and noon with a fair number of breaks. I average about 300-350 LPH straight typing.
My point is, maybe you shouldn't throw out the liar word quite so easily when it really it possible to do so. Is Joe doing it? I have no idea, but I certainly am.
I think Joe makes a lot of good points, and I truly wish him luck in this line of work. Maybe if more people were as excited about transcribing, they would be making more money. Just my two cents.
But at least you're speaking from experience - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]and not still in training and saying people are lazy. I can do over 300 lph, so I don't agree with Robin's statement about not being able to do more than 200, but this Joe person is walking a thin line.
IMO, it's one thing to say, hey I can do 300 lph and do 1200 lines before noon when you've been doing this for 5 years and have admittedly sweet accounts. It's another thing entirely when you're still in school and calling other people lazy and you've never worked for a company where you have 20 hospitals feeding into your queue at night, you never get the same dictator twice, and maybe 1 person a night is actually a native english speaker and/or intelligible.
Once someone has done THAT and still logged in 1000 lines by noon, THEN you can come back and crow about it.
Production Speeds - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]Exactly. Hats off to you if you can do 300 LPH. I have never seen it. That does not mean it is not possible. However, it is an enormous difference for someone who has been doing it to make the claim, and we both know there is nothing "easy" about producing 200+ LPH. The only times I have been able to do over 300+ LPH are working at places where I know the dictators so well that I had templates of their reports and could use those extensively. That isn't exactly the same thing as straight transcription to me (but that's just me). Like you, I take offense with someone who is not even doing the work yet claiming it can be done "easily" and calling us lazy. The national median for transcription is about $36,000 per year. According to the US Department of Labor, the top 10% earn over $45,000. I have (or, rather, have had) the good fortune to be in the top 10% and had found it both challenging and rewarding--until MTSOs started playing games to cheat us out of a fair wage for excellent work. Just the loss of paid holidays is worth over $1000 a year in benefits. The cuts in PTO are easily another $1000 a year. The real loss in wages due to undercutting wages by feigning SR to be twice as productive as straight transcription also has had its toll.
I just accepted a position with another company doing straight transcription (mostly ER work). They will pay 8 cpl with spaces, including headers and footers, they have a very good reputation, and there will be no SR. So, on the surface I am taking a cut in pay from where I am. Even if SR does not require corrections and one turns up the speed, I cannot earn as much with it as I do with straight transcription using word expanders and self-created templates.
The thing in JoeLoser's post that really irked me is the "lazy" comment. I work a FT job (Nuance, which I love), a PT job (MedQuist, which is just all right at best), and go to school FT. I am lucky if I get 5 hours of sleep a day. Lazy? I do not think so.
Again, hats off to your great production speed! (Wanna share your secret?)
No secret - 120 wpm typing speed and lots of expanders - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]I work on a clinic account that I've been on for several years and they do use templates which account for some of it, but not all. Quite frankly, if I'm really concentrating and not messing around on MTStars, etc., I can comfortably do about 350 lph. I have spent a lot of time building up my expander with both canned text and typos which saves an enormous amount of time. I'm also a wicked fast typist which makes a huge difference, imo.
I don't take exception to anyone's claim to being able to do 1000 lines before lunch. I did 1275 lines in about 5 hours last night on VR. I do/did take exception to JoeBlow's use of the word lazy when he's never worked in the real world. The examples I used in my previous post are real examples that I have dealt with. I almost lost my house last year because of a nightmarish 2 months working for Focus and their so very poorly managed VR system.
If anyone wants to call me lazy, that's all well and good because everyone's got an opinion and they are entitled to it, but you better have the stones and the experience to back it up.
Another liar - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]Yes, you are a liar. I have done accounts that were very sweet (e.g., ER notes). Again, I have 3 decades of experience and always am the most productive person wherever I work. No one who actually does medical transcription would make such preposterous claims. Only someone who does NOT know this business would claim to produce 350 LPH with straight transcription. Yep, you are a liar.
I have to wonder then. s/m - destinyisntfree
[ In Reply To ..]I have to wonder then, Robin, what you would think of me. I have been an MT for over 10 years, and can comfortably produce about 300 lph on a straight transcription account, and over 600 lph on a VR account. I do have a relatively easy account with a low ESL percentage, but I also have some more difficult accounts were I average 250 lph straight, and 550 or so lph on VR. What are your thoughts on that?
I think Joe's enthusiasm is refreshing. While I do not buy into the "any idiot can do this, and if you aren't getting the same results, you are lazy." However, I do think that it is possible to put up high numbers without being dishonest about it. There is a woman I work with who has about a year of experience who has similar results. I think attitude plays a huge role in how productive we can be. It is a matter of seeing what you want and going for it.
Experience Matters - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]It is refreshing to know that some of us can produce that fast. All I can say is that I have never seen it--anywhere. I'm sure word expanders, templates, and typing speed make a tremendous difference. In my experience, though, it is not the typing speed or knowledge of medical terminology that slows one down, it is the need to re-listen to figure out what someone is saying, to look up words, to look up account specs, etc. Hates off to anyone who can do it! Just do not be calling me lazy if someone else is faster. I have done 250 LPH on accounts with which I am familiar, but in today's world, with shorter and shorter TAT, accounts seem to come and go on a daily basis, every account has different account specs, different providers who want it a variation from those specs, and SR that is really horrible. We spend a lot of time looking referring to specs. If you have accounts like these, I just do not think it possible to do more than 250 LPH. If you have the same accounts and same providers day in and day out, sure, then I do not think it would be that hard, especially with templates and word expanders to do cruise at 250-300 LPH. I just have not seen it--anywhere. That does not mean it is not possible. Again, though, for me it strains credulity. IF I had the same accounts and same providers, using word expanders I could get my speed up there. It would take some time. But in my experience, most of us are juggling a dozen different accounts, all with different account specs, increasing numbers of ESL providers (most with really atrocious English). Even the US Department of Labor statistics do not jive with what I am reading here. The Department of Labor claims no one classified as an MT or ASR editor makes over 60K a year. So, I guess their data are wrong.
So, no, I do not think attitude plays a that big a role. It makes a different, but not as much as the technology and accounts we deal with. But, as I said, I am getting out of the profession. Nobody I know in the real world is making a decent income at it anymore. You certainly are entitled to your opinion--I just happen to disagree, and before I believe the production levels, I would need to see some evidence--like a paycheck, with one exception. There is one person who has high production, but she obviously knows what she is talking about--a balance of difficulties and blessings. If you can "comfortabl produce" about 300 lph on a straight account, you are doing a whole different kind of medical transcription than I am. Who knows, maybe the technology is different. Both Nuance and MedQuist have horrible sound quality--and maybe that makes a difference. I have worked places where the sound quality was good, and that certainly made it much, much easier to transcribe faster! I'm skeptical of claims of "comfortably" producing 300 LPH, but not cynical. Good for you if you can do it. I just find it very hard to believe :-)
Followup - deIstinyisntfree
[ In Reply To ..]Well, here is where maybe my situation is different, though. My primary account has a VERY low ESL percentage. I work for a company that does not offshore, so I don't have to worry about the easy docs going away. I rarely run out of work. The down side to that, however, is that the VR is getting better, and the straight transcription is getting less and less. So, I think my VR line counts are probably more significant. With VR on this one account, I am consistently hitting above 600 lph.
On my other accounts with a slightly higher degree of difficulty, and where the ESL percentage jumps to maybe 30% (still low, I know), I can average around 500 lph on VR.
I have a private account where i can do 100 minutes of dictation (straight typing) in about 2.5 to 3 hours, but I don't pay much attention to lines on that until the end of the month when I invoice it, so I couldn't begin to guess at my lph there. He is English speaking, but a mumbler.
Years ago, I worked for a local MTSO where I did the same accounts day in and day out. I do remember working maybe 10 or so hours a day, and in a summer bringing in $3000.00 paychecks my first year, at 9 cpl, but I also worked 6-7 days a week. Some of those accounts, though, had very high ESL percentages. Unfortunately, that was a group of rehab hospitals, and they went to EMR, so those of us that had been doing that weork (There were 4 of us) for eight years were left having to find something else.
Robin, I totally agree. These are the same conclusions that I've come to based on experience. - JustPassingThrough
[ In Reply To ..]nm
Wow - MT not NFL
[ In Reply To ..]Robin, you really are unhappy aren't you? If you would like to come sit at my shoulder and see how it is done, you are welcome to. You really do need to be careful when calling people liars though when you really have no idea. Guess you will really blow a gasket when I tell you that one day last week I averaged 404 LPH.
I understand that there are many unhappy people doing this job, and yeah maybe Joe shouldn't call anyone lazy if they aren't making a ton of money. However, some of us actually do love our jobs and make very good money doing so. Maybe you should have a drink and count to 10. You seem to be way too upset about a post on a forum.
Rephrase - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]Yep, tell you what. Tell me who your employer is and I will call them and check the stats. Anyone can claim to produce 404 LPH. Anyone can claim anything. If you can do it, provide us with the evidence. Put up or shut up. I do not blow a gasket over anything. I am an activist, and I work for change when there is social injustice and exploitation. All you have to do is read MTStars a bit to see how much exploitation there is in this industry. Do not mistake my activism for personal unhappiness. I just call it as I see it. To date, I have seen no evidence that anyone is producing over 300 LPH--and the figures do not jive with data available from the U.S. Department of Labor. So, either you are lying or the U.S. Department of Labor is mistaken. I choose to await further evidence before making a decision. If you have evidence, just email it to me. If you actually produce what you say you do, I will be the first to acknowledge it. As for coming and sitting by your shoulder---yeah, no, thanks.
Totally agree Robin. Also show me the quality not just speed. sm - CrispyCritterMT
[ In Reply To ..]Quality has become almost an afterthought in this industry.
Why is there so much skepticism that those of us who are fast are also accurate? - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]At my last job with ExecuScribe (before the account went to EPIC-based EMR) we had no templates, so it was all "straight" typing outside of whatever blocks anyone took the initiative to put into their expander.
I consistently did 300 lph and if I was doing a power hour with a co worker in Texas it was significantly more than that.
My last two audits with them? 99.3% and 100%
Some of you are so cynical and I'm really starting to get irked by the constant statements of well, you suppose it's possible, but YOU'VE never seen it, so we must be lying.
No, I'm not lying. I'm very fast and very good and I haven't been doing this that long.
How many of the reports you do are audited? sm - CrispyCritterMT
[ In Reply To ..]2, 5, 10? Once a day, a week, a month?
accuracy - Another MT
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with you Happy MT Robin. I type 120+ wpm with 100% accuracy on a typing test, as well as being so dead-on with my accounts that I don't get QA'd and my reports go straight to the doctors. I constantly get praise e-mails from the doctors at all four companies I work for with their happiness and thrill at my accuracy and speed of getting the reports back, as well as my ability to catch inconsistencies on a regular basis. It's not our fault that some MTs just "don't have it" and don't want to believe that some of us were just born to do this job.
I'm really tired of this snarkiness. sm - CrispyCritterMT
[ In Reply To ..]Just because someone doesn't do 300 or 400 or 500 lph does not mean they "don't have it." I get tired of hearing this as much as you get tired of hearing that people don't believe you. FYI I've been doing MT for 35 years. I don't get QA'd, my reports go straight to the doctors and I've had my share of high praise from docs and supervisors alike. I've had docs only wanting me to do their work. I also don't have any trouble finding jobs. Right now I do about 200 lph on a heavy ESL account with highly technical operative reports. But because I don't do 300 or 400 lph "I don't have it?" What a ridiculous statement. If you say you can do that much hour after hour, day after day, okay good for you, fine, have at it. It sounds exhausting. But just because others don't doesn't make them a bad MT or not belong in this profession.
Exactly, - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]But the other side of that coin is several comments from another poster - not you - to those people who said they can do that where they were basically called liars because she had "never seen that" in her 35 years of being an MT.
Catching Discrepancies - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]I routinely catch discrepancies, too. I flag it. After all, it is part of the job description. I, too, get glowing commendation letters--usually for OPS, not providers. However, most often the work I send to QA with discrepancies, QA writes back and says there is nothing they can do about it. It's what the provider said, so they are just leaving it that way. I do believe the relationship has changed from the days when we interacted directly with providers, or at least our supervisors did. Now, most of us work for MTSOs (because we cannot find the kinds of accounts you work on anymore) where the owners and managers seem afraid of addressing discrepancies or issues with providers. I have made a good living doing MT, often over $50K a year less than FT, as a second job. That does not change the fact that I am seeing the work get harder and pay cuts across the board, especially with the VR myth that it is twice as fast as straight transcription. I am delighted some people were just 'born to do this job.' I was one of them until VR. That is when I started looking at the peer-reviewed scientific data about the reality of VR, which made it clear that, on average, the claims that production is twice as high are false. Is it possible for some people to do it? Sure. But your being an All-American Champion does not make others who are competing losers. Everyone who puts in a solid, conscientious day of hard work and does their best is a winner. The tragedy here is that a lot of winners are being treated like--and paid as--losers. That is a shame, and I feel it is a mean thing to do to others who are struggling to do well what you seem to be doing so effortlessly.
response - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]They were quarterly random audits and I believe 5 to 7 reports were included in each audit.
Why does that matter?
This, quite frankly, is why I got out of the doctor's office. I was making significantly less hourly than the women I was working with because they had been doing it so much longer and I was producing much more than they were ... and yes I was and am accurate.
Sometimes experience means someone is good and can back up their statements, but other times, it just means they are narrow minded and set in their ways.
Some more snarkiness. sm - CrispyCritterMT
[ In Reply To ..]You and I have had this discussion before. It's called, "let bash those with more experience because they're no good, are narrow minded and set in their ways." I just can't get it through you head can I? I AM better than you because I KNOW MORE. Just because someone can type fast does not make them good. I also can back up my statements. Can you back up yours? 5 to 7 reports audited every 3 months? That's how much of a percentage of what you do since you do so much? How many heart transplant or lung transplant dictations have you done? How many cardiac catheterizations? How many electrophysiology reports? How many autopsy reports? I could go on and on. If you are good and fast great, but don't downgrade people just because you can type faster. That's being narrow minded.
Oh boy - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]I don't believe I "downgrade" people just because I can type faster, and if that's how that came across, it's certainly not what I intended.
I know you know more than I do. I would be appalled if someone who has been doing this for 30 years didn't. That's never been in question. And no, I haven't done any of those work types, so yes, you SHOULD be paid more for doing them because they are much more highly technical and require a much higher level of skill than I can claim right now.
HOWEVER... if you and I were both on the same account, doing the same work, with the same accuracy and I or anyone was able to produce more in an hourly wage setting, I personally think that needs to be taken into account and adjusted accordingly.
In my world it is/was adjusted and it's called production-based pay. I make much more than I did at the doctor's office and am much happier for it.
As to being narrow minded and set in their ways - whether it applies to you or not, only you can say. The comments in this thread from some people about either laziness (from the idiot that's never worked as an MT) or from long term MTs who just flat out call some others liars because they've never seen the numbers that some of us are claiming, or from you who agreed with the insinuation that because someone is fast, they cannot possibly be accurate, are really tiresome.
Oh girl sm - CrispyCritterMT
[ In Reply To ..]As far as hourly rate pay and production there should be some kind of incentive pay for higher lines while still maintaining quality. If I choose not to do more lines I don't get the incentive, but should I flat out be paid less than someone with less experience because they produce more? Sorry no. In my personal experience the people I saw that were super fast had horrible quality. To reiterate this was my personal experience on many, many occasions especially as this job moved into production-based pay. I can only go by that. Back in the day (1990s) I would do 20,000+ words a day which I think works out to about 1600 or so lines. The equipment wasn't as sophisticated as it is today. There were people doing a lot more than that (we all still worked in an office) and were making a lot more than me, but their quality was horrendous and they left a lot of blanks because they didn't want to research. (No google back then). That is why I look at these claims with a jaundiced eye. But if you can state so with a clear conscience, which I have no doubt you have HappyRobin, good for you and more power to you. Now I'm off to watch the big horse show on my computer.
I really do want to see the evidence :-) - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]Please note that I took the point to reframe my objection as skepticism versus lying. That said, I stand by my assertion that the information does not jive. I have a friend who works for the payroll company that most major MTSOs use to process many of their paychecks. She looked at the database and said not one person in their database is producing more than 250 LPH unless they are working "ridiculously" (her words) short hours. The mean for straight transcription is about 160 LPH, with a standard deviation of 15 lines. The mean for VR is, disturbingly, LOWER, about 150 LPH, with a standard deviation of 32 lines (so, much more variation). I am sure there may be "outliers" who do much more than this, but I have never found credible objective evidence of it, and I am simply asking for corroboration, as anyone has a right to do. Just give me your superivor's name and the company you work for. I will call, verify your claims, and report back here that, indeed, we should all be magnificently inspired that it is indeed possible. Then that person can write a book--a how-to manual--that I will publish, to teach other MTs how to become faster without sacrificing quality. I think that is a very reasonable offer. But until I see the evidence: Nope, I am not buying it. It just does not jive with any human being I have met in the 'real world.' I erred in calling anyone a liar. It would have been far better for me to say, "I just don't believe it!" Mea culpa for that.
Because it is unrealistic! - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]If I have never seen valid, reliable evidence of it, I have every reason to be skeptical, particularly when it flies in the face of what every experienced MT (with decades of experience on REAL accounts) cannot do. You could claim to be a Martian or a toad. I suppose it is possible, but before I believe it, I want to see evidence--not you telling me what you make but a reference to an actual employer where I can verify your line counts and accuracy, just as I would if I were hiring an MT. So, again, put up or shut up. Where do you work and who is your direct supervisor? Just tell us! Stop reiterating what a majestic gift to the industry you are, and how easy and comfortable it is, and send me your company, supervisor's name, and a release to speak with them. When I have verified the information, I will return here and state CLEARLY that I have documented, verified evidence it is being done. But when oodles of MTs with DECADES of experience are reporting experiences that run 180 degrees counter to a newbie with little experience--particularly the "easily" and "comfortably" parts, we have every right to be skeptical! The solution is simple: Show us the proof.
I don't think so - Happy MT Robin
[ In Reply To ..]Wow. You've never seen valid, reliable evidence, so therefore it's not possible, huh?
You keep on keeping on old girl.
Maybe you should talk to some more of those "oodles of MTs with DECADES of experience" before you start whitewashing people with the liar brush. I've talked to more than one person who has been doing this as long as you have and have heard from more than one person that 400 lph was not out of the ordinary for them. I've seen it mentioned more than once on this board. I haven't done 400, but just because I have never seen it doesn't mean that I am going to call someone a liar because they say they have. Quite the contrary, it's something I strive for and work every day on building up my expander library to make me that much faster.
I don't need to document anything to anyone and certainly feel no compulsion to pander to your skepticism and narrow view of the world.
Maybe you should spend more time actually listening to people instead of just dismissing them and calling them liars. You might open up your world and learn something, even from a newbie like me.
Healthy Skepticism - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]Oh, so if we do not subscribe to your view that anything is possible merely because people claim it is, then we must be 'narrow-minded.' Hmmm. Yeah, no. The phrase caveat emptor applies, as does the scientific method. It is both reasonable and prudent to be skeptical of claims, here or anywhere else. You can chose to believe whatever you wish, and I can maintain my disbelief. Again, I erred in calling anyone a liar, and it would have been far better had I said, "I do not believe it." I do not believe it, and that is a fact. I respect your right not to have to provide evidence to anyone. I also respect my right not to believe someone that seems incredulous to me until I have seen some evidence of it. My position is just sensible: If I have never seen a ghost/alien/flying saucer/big foot/chupacrabra, I am skeptical they exist. It is possible? Agreed, calling someone a liar is too strong--and I erred in doing so--nonetheless, I do not believe it. And I would like to see evidence from someone! I type wickedly fast, work extremely hard, have decades of experience, and great technology, and I have never maintained (or seen anyone else maintain) a consistent speed above 250 LPH... anywhere. Until I do, I will not believe it. And if they can prove it, I really do want to publish a book for them (one of my businesses) and sell it so others can make more money in the business. What chafes me is people who claim that it just takes desire or hard work. That flies in the face of everyone who has the same desire and works just as hard who is struggling. So, it is something of a scientific interest. If some CAN and ARE doing 400 LPH, then why are so many others who are just as hard working, especially with more experience, struggling? What explains that variation? I really do want to know. First, however, I need to see some credible evidence that some of us really are producing 300+ LPH "easily" and "comfortably." In my experience, the only kind of work that is "easy" and "comfortable" is straight transcription of ER reports without any ESL providers dictating. Ironically, an article appeared recently in a peer-reviewed medical journal reporting that the turnaround time was ten times faster with SR and only slightly less quality than humans, at a tremendous cost savings. In sum, I am trying to learn something from you, but to learn something from you requires more than your telling me how wonderfully productive you are. Good for you that you are! That just doesn't tell me how, really. I use word expanders (ShortHand) and add to it frequently. So maybe there is something you can teach me about how you are adding words to your word expander. Maybe it is the type of word expander. This is a great forum for sharing that kind of information, and I DO want to learn from you... if it really is possible. However, I am a well-published researcher writing a book on this subject and have been checking with all the major MTSOs, all of whom claim that their "minimum" for FT employees range from 110 LPH (Nuance) to 150 LPH (MedQuist) and no one is producing more than 12,000 lines a week "with considerable overtime" (and without OT that would be 300 lines per hour). Interestingly, none of the MTSOs wants to tell me what MTs are making with VR.
Some thoughts - destinyisntfree
[ In Reply To ..]I was InstanText, which to me seems to increase productivity much more than Shorthand, because of the ability for it to continue sentences, learn as it goes, and not require memorization of short forms. My productivity gain was consistently over 50% while using IT. I am now using Shorthand due to cost of upgrading to the newest version of IT, and find that Shorthand is just not as good a program for what my needs are. I have memorization issues, and Shorthand requiring me to remember every short code I use is a problem for me.
I tend to be competitive, and I think that has made a big difference in my production, as well. I set goals for myself and constantly try to beat them while not sacrificing the quality. Maybe that makes the difference for me. I avidly read forums in my off time, and take the information I find there to improve myself. I see where people post their lph averages, et cetera, and if it is higher than mine, I take steps to try to meet or exceed it. I have consistently maintained a 99.8% accuracy rating in every job I have ever had, and my current employer does monthly QA reviews.
The other thing that I think makes a difference for me is working for a company that genuinely cares about their MTs and provides all the tools they can to make for more productive working situations.
The company I work for has a very good mentor program for their new hires, new MTs, or just anyone who wants to improve. I take advantage of this tool, even though I have 10+ years of experience, because I feel that there will always be room for me to learn more. I belong to a facebook group that is a bunch of people who exist as a group to help each other with tips for Shorthand, et cetera.
When I was switched to an account that I was not as productive on, I made every effort to learn the account instructions, learn the nuances of the dictators, et cetera. I recently had a conversation with my supervisor because I felt that I had been more productive on a prior account, and she had no problem allowing me to change back to that account as my primary, because I am still willing to help with the other account if there is a backlog situation, and she knows she can count on me to do my best and to do what needs to be done.
I do realize how lucky I am to work for a company like this and to have the accounts I have. I will make no error in taking that for granted.
Robin and - Nana
[ In Reply To ..]Thanks for extremely accurate posts! Excellent points!
Some things for you to think about Joe - Professional young MT
[ In Reply To ..]When I was in MT school I thought basically what you do, that if I worked hard and learned everything about MT then I could make a really good career for myself. I started my first MT job and began to realize that there are a lot of things about MT that are completely out of your control.
There I was at my first job, eager to get started, all of my learning down pat, and there I sat for hours on end with no jobs available to type. My company had hired way too many MTs while they waited for a new account to go live, which took a couple of months. As an MT, you don't get paid if there is no work to do. You are expected to sit at your computer for however long it takes as you wait for enough work to dwindle in to get your 8 hours for that day, because if you don't, your insurance and other benefits will be cancelled. This is completely beyond your control. I called my manager several times and expressed how eager I was to begin working and that I would work on any account there was just to get working, but I sat and waited for work to dwindle in until the account I had been hired for went live. Things improved after that point, but there are still periods where I sit and wait for work and am not able to get my 40 hours a week in for sometimes weeks at a time. It can be very stressful when your benefits hinge on your ability to work 40 hours but it is completely out of your control whether or not there is any work for you to do that or not.
You also do not have to deal with demographics or account specific issues during your studies at Andrews. When you are working as a live MT, you are expected to verify or completely add in the demographics for each report. This can take quite a bit of your time throughout the day (depending on how good your account is set up). Some doctors are very good about entering the correct patient number and clearly pronouncing their name at the beginning of the dictation, others not so much. You also have to look up addresses of where copies need to be sent, etc. Remember that demographics are unpaid and you are doing all of this for FREE. This is true for VR work as well.
At Andrews or any other school, you probably have a universal set of account specifics that you use for all of your dictations. As a working MT, you will have different account specifics for each account that you have. If you are lucky, you will have 1 or 2 accounts. If you are like most of us, you will have 4-6 accounts or more just to have enough work and switch back and forth between those accounts quite often. You will have to spend quite a bit of time becoming familiar with the specifics for each account and checking them frequently as they are changed often. Again, this is unpaid.
It can seem quite easy to be able to do 1000 VR lines in the morning, but it really does depend on the above factors and also how good your speech recognition engine is and how well it is trained by your employer (again something that is out of your control). There are some VR reports that I get where I literally have to type the entire report over again. Sometimes entire sentences or paragraphs will be missing from the report. Sometimes you have to edit every other word that is said. Most of the time it is faster for me (and therefore more money) to just type the entire report from scratch. Before my account was switched to VR and only the worst of the worst ESL doctors were left on straight typing, I could do 250 lph or more straight typing. With our horrible VR program, I am lucky if I can do 250-300 lph with it, and I am paid at half my line rate for doing it. Consider that for a minute and you will realize why so many MTs are upset about this profession and VR in general.
Some MT companies also switch you around from account to account, making it almost impossible for you to learn your account well and be able to make decent money at this job. As soon as you become proficient at one account and start raking in the lines, they decide that they need your help on another account or the work completely dries up on that account. There have also been instances when all of the good work on your account suddenly is no longer there (sent to MTs in India instead of you) and you are left with only the very hardest worktypes and dictators to transcribe.
You also have to deal with bad dictator habits, which can really wreak havoc on your production. You will get a job that is 30 minutes long, but it turns out that the dictator only speaks for 4 minutes of that job and shuffles through papers or talks to a friend on his cell phone for the rest of the time. You have to listen to that entire dictation but only get paid for the lines that you actually type. You will also get reports with no dictation that you have to sit and listen to and get paid almost nothing (1 or 2 lines) for. Yesterday I had 5 jobs in a row that were 2 minutes long each and nothing but dead air. It is a waste of your time and you get paid nothing for it, but it negatively impacts your lph and whether or not you qualify for benefits. Add to that dictators talking on their cell phone as they drive through tunnels, doctors dictating while they are eating, kids screaming in the background, dictators who pronounce almost every drug name incorrectly, etc., and it can be very difficult.
You will deal with a lot of corporate dishonesty and politics. You will be going along making a decent living and then told that you line rate will be cut yet again.
I'm trying to give you a dose of reality here about what MT is really like. I'm not trying to complain or come up with excuses for my "laziness." It's not as easy as it seems in school. I was in your position before, and I know I thought it seemed like a good deal too, but you have to work as an MT before you can decide whether other MT's complaints are valid or not.
Well stated, Professional Young MT. nm - JustPassingThrough
[ In Reply To ..]nm
Half a Glass - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]I have been in the business for over three decades and have seen a lot of changes over the years. I make now what I made three decades ago and the job has gotten harder. When we worked in hospitals, supervisors and medical records directors could exert some influence to improve a provider's dictation (usually, for a while). Providers made an effort to use their rewind to correct speaking errors. Now, we work for MTSOs who have a customer service attitude toward providers, as if they can do no wrong. They are reluctant to confront a dictator for fear of losing the account. In addition to dictating worse, on average, there now are more ESL providers, many of whom can barely speak English. When we worked in hospitals, we had a guaranteed wage and it was worthwhile to spend time to try to understand a difficult dictator. Now, we are paid by the line and might earn far less than minimum wage on a particular day. Then we also have to consider the fact that SR is not even close to fair compensation for the work performed. At many MTSOs, SR editing is compensated at less than half of straight transcription. The problem is that SR often produces such awful work, we spend more time editing a report than had we transcribed it ourselves. The net result is that we work just as hard and do about the same amount of work for less than half what we did when we did straight transcription.
I used to do transcription as a primary income--and made a decent living, parallel with what nurses earn. Now, I am getting out of the business. The MTSOs and SR have turned a once noble professional into a huge sweat shop where we are paid by the line and cheated (cf. MedQuist). MedQuist is still cheating its employees, hiring them with the assertion that if more than 5% of lines are sent to QA, they will be paid 3 cpl less. What MQ is not telling MTs is that they pay every line in the entire report 3 cpl, not just the line being sent to QA. Ironically, MedQuist pays better than most companies.
Most MTSOs of which I am aware also cheat MTs out of overtime and they cut costs by eliminating holiday pay and limiting PTO. I keep hearing some people say we should be grateful just to have a job, which--frankly--I think is what the MTSOs want us to believe. I do not subscribe to that attitude and fight back. I F11 work at MedQuist if is going to take more than 40% the time to edit than transcribe, because they pay 40% less for SR editing than transcription. I do not fill out their silly forms because their obvious intent is to make completion of the forms a disincentive to using F11. If I cannot make money on an account because the providers' dictating habits are awful or there are too many ESL providers who can barely speak English, I tell them to move me to another account or I'm leaving. If they do not pay OT or cheat me, I report them to the State Labor Board. If they are classifying me as IC but treat me as an employee, I file a complaint with IRS.
The MTSOs want you to believe you should be grateful just to have a job. Sorry, no. My position is they should be grateful to have an extremely experienced, very well educated professional--and pay me accordingly. I edited work being done by MTs offshore in India, many of whom were physicians trying to make ends meet with a second job. The work was beyond bad. Most SR jobs do better.
Ultimately, I do not trust the cut-throat MTSOs who have cut TATs because of their competition with each other. They hire more MTs to ensure the work meets TAT and then do not pay us for time waiting for work. There always have been ebbs and flows in this business, but when we worked in hospitals and were paid by the hour, we just used slow times to study or cross-train in other areas.
There is a solution and that is to require MTs to be certified, registered, or licensed to be able to work from home. The newbies would need to have supervision and experience to get a license to transcribe independently. We all know that no one is inspecting home offices to ensure compliance with HIPAA. Yes, working from home is peaceful and nice. It is also true that collectively we could be making the money we used to, what nurses are earning, by making sure MTs are certified, registered, and/or licensed, and make it much harder for MTSOs to hire qualified MTs. It's supply and demand. As long as the MTSOs can hire unqualified people and pay them by the line, we all suffer. Well, not all of us. I am getting out of the business, I am happy to say. I love medical transcription, but I am not going to tolerate Indian-based companies trying to force a sweatshop approach to business on me. Getting paid piecemeal, by the line, and working without paid holidays or decent PTO is turning medical transcription into exactly that: A huge sweatshop. Worse, the MTSOs are getting away with it because they actively try to prevent us from communicating with each other. They want us to believe it is a personal issue, not a profession-wide issue. Hospitals use MTSOs because it is less expensive than having MTs as employees. MTSOs are making it less expensive by cutting OT, benefits, and paying by the line. I have created a company that is actively working with state legislators to require state certification, including specific courses (anatomy and physiology, for example) taken at a regionally accredited college OR at least 2+ years of experience with direct supervision by a CMT. Time to stop complaining and start getting involved in the grass roots movement to take back our profession from the MTSOs.
I recently went to my doctor and he said flat out, "We are trying to put you out of business." I have also overheard providers saying things like, "I swear, you could teach a chimpanzee to transcribe." We need to educate providers and the public about how demanding our job is. Seriously, they think we are less qualified than nursing assistants with 2 weeks of training.
VERY well said Robin - - NM
[ In Reply To ..]nm
Another very well stated post, Robin. You clearly have an experienced perspective of this industry. - JustPassingThrough
[ In Reply To ..]nm
Re: Half a glass. - Accurate...
[ In Reply To ..]Have never read a more accurate overview/description of the state of today's medical transcription/editing industry. Truly excellent post.
Very true. BUT... - radMT
[ In Reply To ..]It's really not just the lower wages. I think most of us would be able to tolerate that aspect of MTing today if it weren't for the rather underhanded tactics used by the companies many of us have worked for. In some cases there is a complete lack of respect, out and out open hostility from supervisors and thoughtless actions by the higher ups that very negatively affect our ability to make our living. It's the combination of much lower wages than we are used to AND the lack of respect and downright nastiness of some of these companies that is so demoralizing.
You probably wont make much friends??? - Shannon
[ In Reply To ..]Nicely said!!!!
Laziness - Another MT
[ In Reply To ..]I don't think Joe meant exactly that you are all lazy and don't work, I think he meant more that you are lazy in not doing anything about your miserable situations. I have been at this for 10 years and I REFUSE to work for a national. I have found all smaller accounts and have never worked for less than four companies at any given time, no schedule, no quotas, just awesome dictators, 24-hour TATs, and small companies. You all choose your own destiny and if you choose to stick with a job that barely makes minimum wage instead of actively looking for a new job, then yes, Joe is correct in his term of laziness. I make a very good living at this and there are still companies that appreciate their workers, but so many of you are picky and think you are the next best thing to sliced bread. There was a post the other day, "I refuse to work for .07 per line." Well, I for one, can make $20+ an hour on .07 per line. The greedy are the ones who don't succeed and end up "barely making minimum wage." It's your own fault for staying and putting up with it.
Agreed, BUT - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]A lot of people posting here are using this space to look for the kind of job you have now. Those jobs are becoming fewer by the day, and harder to find. The point some of you seem to be missing is that this board is NOT just about complaining. It is about networking and relying upon each other's experience, strength, and hope to find better places to work.
The main theme across this board is that SR is destroying our incomes because it is very inaccurate and there is a myth that we can produce twice as much with VR as with straight transcription. No one--absolutely no one--to date has provided me with any credible evidence of this. I see people claiming how much they produce, but no one provides evidence of it. Talk is cheap.
So, here is my challenge to all of you claiming that you can "easily" transcribe 350+ LPH. I will send you a typical MedQuist dictation and we can videotape you transcribing it--see how long it takes. Then we will give you a couple of hours of dictation for the standard 4 for a dozen different facilities, and you show us that you can produce that much while the docs burp, barf, sneeze, cough, engage in side conversations, talk on their cell phones, dictate right next to beepers and buzzers, leave the dictation going while the ruffle through papers, mispronounce medications and dosages (mg instead of mcg), get to the end of the report and say, "Oh, change all of that to the left leg," dictate 2 lines in one area and then say, "Go back and put ... in the HPI." Then let's add in a few (daily) changes to certain account specs, and getting paid by the line while waiting for work that is not being dictated, but then being called on short notice because, oh, my God, now they have a "911" and need everyone to work extra.
What I do agree with you about is that MTs do need to stop putting up with the [expletive deleted] from MTSOs. If it is not a good MTSO, do not work for them. What some of us at MedQuist are doing is calling their bluff. If I cannot do VR 2.5 times as fast as I could do it with straight transcription, I use F11 and do straight transcription instead. I never fill out their silly forms. As I told my CCM, you have a choice: Pay me fairly for VR as well as straight transcription or fire me. I really don't care. I can get another job. If I'm not making $20+ at it, I will find someone else who will.
Where I disagree with you is that people are leaving the 'bad ones." They use this space to find 'good ones." Sometimes, reviews of prospective companies are mixed. Some are good. Some are not so good (MedQuist). We learn from each other who does not pay for spaces and who does. We learn from each other who proficient the VR system is. You can choose to see that networking as negative. If so, that is unfortunate and I would suggest people who see this site as being used for that, simply misunderstand what is really going on here.
From my perspective, this site is infected with some "management" perspectives that, to experienced MTs, seem to be patently obvious lies. They depict what we know to be management's/MTSO owners unrealistic expectations but miss the lived experience of what we really do on a daily basis. The naive think all we need to do is listen carefully and type like the wind, work hard, do well. But no one who has actually had to struggle with VR getting every other word wrong and getting paid 3 cpl based on the MYTH that VR is twice as fast. Managers and MTSO owns come in here and brag about how easily they can do it, feigning to be MTs. That is precisely why I have made the challenge: Show me. We will send you some dictation that reflects what we get every day, with different accounts specs, different dictators, and you show us how you can "easily" produce 350 LPH. If all I had was ER reports by one or two docs and all straight transcription, I could do 350 LPH. Those jobs have all but vanished. Good for you if you can find one! As VR expands and bigger companies buy up smaller ones, many of us are struggling to stay ahead of the proverbial tsunami--and rightly so--because VR is being overtly misrepresented as a productivity maximizer even though all reliable data shows it does not increase an MTs speed significantly.
It is nice you have found some small accounts with 24-hour TAT. Wonderful, really. But those jobs are extremely rare these days. Cheers!
Re: Agreed BUT - Robin hit the nail on the head!
[ In Reply To ..]Robin hit it out of the ballpark again with two simple words ''management perspective''. Any experienced MT (for that matter, any reasonable person with even a modicum of common sense) knows that typing speed is a small part of the total equation and that obviously the faster the fingers fly, the greater the likelihood of their touching wrong keys and that the more quickly the text is read, the greater the chance that errors will be missed---this is hardly rocket science. These wild claims of fantastic lph yet still maintaining near-perfect accuracy are likely just silly posts by management who think they are cleverly manipulating MTs into doubting themselves and producing more work.
Anyone thinking TROLL? - nm
[ In Reply To ..].
TOTALLY A TROLL - no trolls allowed
[ In Reply To ..]we all got fired up for nothing
"We all"? - Robin
[ In Reply To ..]I certainly do not agree that everyone got fired up, and I certainly see no evidence that everyone who got fired up agrees it was "for nothing." That said, I am ending my part of the conversation here. Best wishes.
If anyone's acting like a troll - to me
[ In Reply To ..]it seems like it's this "Robin" person -that's who's stirring up the trouble calling folks liars and being quite aggressive, IYAM.
Maybe I'm jaded but I was just like you 4 years ago... - SP
[ In Reply To ..]First of all, I do not work in my bathrobe (although I could).
Secondly, minimum wage is better than NJA all day long, however when you have a mortgage and work 40 hours per week at "minimum wage" that doesn't even cover your mortgage, not to mention all the other monthly bills you have, and I have a husband who also works FT, it's still a struggle with 2 FT incomes.
p.s. get back to us after you get your first paycheck after busting your A off and it's not even enough to pay your electric bill or your cable/internet bill which you need in order to work (that happened to me my very 1st paycheck).
However, I can see your side of it just for the fact of the economy and how many people are out of work and would take any job for minimum wage just to have something, but again until you are one of us, don't tell us how to feel about it. I'm only 4 years in and still "new" and even I'm aware of the BS that happens with MTSOs. I left a $14/hour job to stay home to do this and I regretted it for the 1st two years I did it. But now I work for a different MTSO and it's fine.
Just sayin', don't preach what you don't know.
Good luck in this profession if you still pursue it :-)
SP - Old Pro
[ In Reply To ..]Just one more thing--"Joe" is the only student I have ever seen from Andrews who did not impress me. Oh, he did impress me, but not in a good way. Critical thinking and analysis are very important to MTs. He seems to be lacking both. Like you, I think he should stop preaching about what he does not know. He is only doing it in a thinly-disguised attempt at salesmanship. This isn't the way the MT world works, Joe, and somewhere within you, I think you know that.
This is our water cooler - Another MT
[ In Reply To ..]Most of us work from home and this is our place to vent. We don't have coworkers sitting next to us. Just because someone is complaining about their job doesn't mean they hate it or are lazy. it just means they need to let off some steam. If I complain to my husband about my job, he always pops off with "quit." I don't want to quit I just want to vent. So as a student you come here wanting to hear the happy life of the at home MT? Then go to the grad boards at the online schools. When you are out in the real world you will want to know that others get frustrated too, and maybe a good pep talk is all they needed. I hate my job at times, but its mine. I like to hear that people can make a decent line count, but I like to know that others struggle to reach their goals. No one understands the life of an at home MT better than another at home MT. If you can't come to a place like this to let off some steam, look for support, find an answer, and speak honestly because we don't want to put off someone who is in training then there is no purpose for this board at all. I can honestly say this is the only profession I have ever worked where I make less every year without changing what I am doing (actually working harder), so if people seem unhappy, frustrated, or even ticked off I can totally understand why....and even at making less than I did 5 years ago, it is the best job I have ever hated ;)
Similar Messages:
Gonna Make A Suggestion
Apr 10, 2013
I want to extend a great big THANK YOU to everybody who has posted on this board, both good and bad. I never took the negativity personally or to heart. In fact, I considered it a lesson that I needed to learn with respect to the way this industry has deteriorated. That coupled with my sciatica (only when sitting) convinced me that it was time to move on once and for all, which I have. I would like to see others in this industry do the same. The biggest problem for me was findin ...
Why Can't We Be Friends???
Nov 24, 2009
JUST A THOUGHT OR TWO!! I have to say that I am tired of this being a battle between the seasoned versus the newbies! I love being a MT and have been successfully doing it from home (with a 2 year old and a 2 month old nonetheless) for the past 2+ years (I do not work an 8-5, but instead work around my kids and often am typing late at night, which is fine by me...and I make a pretty decent wage as a newer MT)! But I would NOT be where I am without my great friend and "mentor" who ha ...
Farewell, My Friends
Jul 23, 2012
After 17 years, I resigned this morning. I will not be working anymore, and am very nervous at the prospect of living on my pension (from my former long-term employment) and social security, but after the MM support took remote control of my computer on Friday, could not fix the problem with DQS7, and totally messed up all the settings my new personal computer to the point I had to take it to my private IT support, for which I had to pay, I'd Almost had Enough. The icing on the cake was g ...
What My Coder Friends Said
Mar 12, 2014
"Idiots!!! Take the FREE LUNCH!" "OMG! What is wrong with them?" "Who ARE these people? Are they insane? They have to be insane." "And they think coders only make that much? Hahahahaha!" "Seriously? They think a 2-year commitment is a problem? Wow. Just wow." "Sticky notes? They would pass on this because of STICKY NOTES?" "Nobody told me there were sticky notes. Are they special or something? Are we going to order some? Wi ...
A Good MQ Gift To All Our ILP Friends Out There
Mar 11, 2010
...
Goodby My QC Friends. It Has Been A Pleasure All
May 22, 2015
last shift. I refuse to take part in the grid that starts tomorrow under the false guise of "patient safety." Nothing about this grid encourages safety, it only shouts survival. While I do care about the patients, I also care about my family and their ability to have a roof over their head. I understand the MLS have put up with this for quite a while, but in the case of QC, 2 weeks notice that we are ripping $400 or more weekly from your pay BUT we expect the same amount of work is ludicrou ...
Need An Opinion From More Computer-oriented Friends Please ... (sm)
Jul 27, 2010
I am looking to purchase a second computer to use for work. Can someone please tell me if this would be a really good and FAST computer to purchase? It is a Dell. Processor: Intel Pentium D Processor Speed (per core) 3.4 GHz, Dual Core Memory (RAM): 4GB Hard Drive Capacity: 500 GB I get so confused with the processors and the hard drive capacity but I know that I definitely want the 4GB (have 2 now and it is toooooo slow). Thanks so much in advance!!!! ...
Sleep Apnea Because Of Mexican Friends?
Apr 12, 2012
Doing a consultation in which the doctor is trying to figure out if the patient's has sleep apnea. He says a list of reasons: "...history of elevated body mass index, snoring, large Mexican friends and hypertension." I'm sure he can't actually be saying large Mexican friends, but I can't hear anything else! ...
Dear Friends: Please Give The Full Sentence
Aug 12, 2012
When asking for help, please give us a "running start" and as much info about the patient and their diagnosis as possible. Thanks. ...
Tell Ya What I'm Gonna Do! Sm
Dec 18, 2014
As SOON as I quit, which will be very soon, I will be happy to post any emails and replies that I get from Nuance. I sent my TSM an email about my pay and was basically told to take it up with payroll, so I did. I'm still waiting for an answer or non-answer from them. I won't hold my breath though, I don't really look good blue. I will also go so far as to post the pay tier that was on my last timecard. Beware the copier and paster Nuance! Bewar ...
Gonna Try Something New Here
May 17, 2015
The next time I get an error for something that VR should definitely know simply by having "learned" after 5 years of MTs "teaching it" by changing it to the correct term, I am going to request a reversal and fight it to get removed from me when VR consistently gets it wrong and DOES NOT LEARN. Why should I get the error which affects my pay when their program can't get it right after 5000 corrections? Similarly, recently I got a major error because the doctor on my 5th account (not my pri ...
So What's Gonna Happen To All The MME's?
Mar 03, 2010
Has anyone heard, been given notice, going back to MT'ing?? ...
Somebody's Gonna Need A Bail Out.
Sep 02, 2010
Is GE trying to sell this off? Not sure what this means. Got it from here: http://www.iddmagazine.com/news/ge-200m-term-loan-medquist-210101-1.html GE Shops $200M Term Loan for MedQuist By Richard Kellerhals, Leveraged Finance News August 23, 2010 GE Capital has begun shopping a $200 million term loan for MedQuist, a Mount Laurel, N.J., medical technologies company. Price talk on the term loan is at Libor plus 550 bps, with a 1.75% Libor floor. MedQuist plans to ...
OK Im Gonna Take One For The Team Here
Mar 13, 2012
I looked up Vern Davenport in our illustrious email system and it came back as Roger? I forget now,,definitely not Vern..Its time for an email,,,if I lose my job so what, I wont be near as frustrated as I am,,less stress has to be better.. ...
How're They Gonna Wiggle Out Of This One?
Jul 22, 2012
Block & Leviton LLP, a Boston-based law firm representing investors nationwide, is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duties by the Board of Directors of M*Modal Inc. ("M*Modal" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: MODL) concerning its announced merger with One Equity Partners V, L.P. JPMorgan Chase & Co. : Block & Leviton LLP Investigates M*Modal Inc. for Possible Breaches of Fiduciary Duties in Connection with Its Proposed Merger with One Equity Partners V, L.P., the ...
If You're Gonna LECTURE US....
May 05, 2015
about petty, reidiculousness such as Addendums and such, and about being "up to date" on all information, please, please, please have your own STUFF together first. Your instructions you sent to us state "Medquist" rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I call for CRITICAL ERROR, tsk tsk on you "MModal!" I think I will print that email out for my future unemployment file. Pfft.... ...
Oh Man Already Starting, Gonna Be One Of Those Days
Mar 25, 2012
Started out ready to hit the keyboard running..Trying a new positive attitude..And then you get the dictator from hell...I hate this job ...
It's Gonna Be A Long Day Folks
Nov 23, 2012
nm ...
If I See One More Quality Update Im Gonna Scream
May 18, 2014
I am so freaking sick of this crap..Suspend the coder program because there is too much work? What did you do to make everyone leave should be your first question.. I can give you the answer 99.7% accuracy and daily constant threats of audits. This gets really really old. ...
Gonna Wait 2 Wk & Figure It Backwards
Dec 05, 2014
I saw the video, read the information, went to the meeting. Decided it's not worth stressing at this point, what can I do about it? But for the next 2 weeks I'm going to do the best job I can, as usual, and be a little more careful with my webclock punches. Then I'm going to use the old plan to track my lines as usual, apply any shift differentials as usual, and calculate my total gross pay as usual. Then when the 26th paycheck comes, I'll look at the gross pay and see ...
Am I Gonna Have A Big Reduction In Pay When My 45 Days Training Is Up? Read On
Jul 13, 2010
I just can't get going fast on these terrible accounts. I was doing 200 lph ST at my old job and nearly 400 lph VR (on EditScript) and I don't think I will EVER get this fast at MedQuist. I am really worried that in 2 weeks I will drop down low enough that I either won't get benefits or they will fire me or I will be making minimum wage. Worried... Rachel ...
Regarding Transcend: Ooooh This Is Gonna Really Tick People Off!
Aug 14, 2010
Just want to let you know that Transcend has over 2000 employees and for every one of you DISGRUNTLED MTs who regularly post negative, nasty comments about Transcend on this board, there are at least 10 working here who are very happy with employment at Transcend. Get over yourselves people. You will NEVER find a company that has everything you want. You will always find a company that has an issue that you don't agree with or don't like ....get over it....There is not a single softwar ...
What Is The Average Benefit Rate/PTO Rate? Friends I Talk To
Dec 05, 2012
Their way of figuring it is so convoluted. I wonder if they keep us all low like that. ...
Worried About Being Able To Even Make What I Used To Make Doing
Apr 11, 2011
I seem to be spending an awful lot of time in VR documents, so I am confused as to why I am getting paid less for them. This stupid VR system types whatever it thinks it might be hearing and sometimes doesn't type anything at all. I hate this VR. I am up to 1800 lines but usually do 2200-2500 a day on straight transcription. I don't know how I am going to feed my children. I am a single mom and the head of household. Believe me the child support isn& ...
How Much Does A CCM Make
Jun 17, 2010
And do they get bonuses based on TAT? have always been curious about this. There was a time when I made more per year than an asst. supervisor (back at my co. before MQ bought us out). Of course that is not the case anymore. Any educated guesses? ...
Do Any Of The MTs Out There Make At Least...sm
Jan 25, 2011
$15 an hour on a daily basis. I am in a horrific job right now (outside of my home) and need to make at least what I am making now which is about $15 an hour for a total of $97 a day. I know transcription is tough nowadays, but if I go back to MT, do you think I can make at least that on a daily basis? ...
Is It Possible To Make
Aug 17, 2011
around $1,000/month part-time in this industry? ...
I Seriously Don't Know How To Make This Better
Aug 24, 2011
I've been working with this company for over 90 days. The first 90 days was a paid internship. Paid hourly, minimum wage. I am now a full time employee...paid on production. However, I can not even seem to make minimum wage while on production pay! It is driving me nuts and is very discouraging. I'm not sure where to point the finger. I worked 8 hours, only took one 20 minute break to eat. Over those 8 hours, according to the employers data base, I did around 1200 lin ...
What Do You Make?
Nov 15, 2011
I'm not sure if this has been brought up before ... or if this is one of those taboo subjects.. :) But what do you make per month as an MT and how many hours per week do you work to achieve that? I'm just feeling like I can/should up my game a bit and thought this may be an encouraging way to get that push I need. :) ...
MUP (make Up Pay)
Sep 25, 2012
Anyone every get fired from Nuance for MUP? ...