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

Sour Grapes Can Hurt - dreammove

Posted: Aug 05, 2010

This website has so much negativity. Looks like I don't need you in my life. Who wants that? There are other ways, places to build one up for encouragement and help.
MTStars? Some of you: STARS NOT. But some of you were helpful, supportive and nice. I got so discouraged on Wednesday after posting my FIRST posting I posted EVER on an MT site. My first time posting on any MT site looking for advice and help with an honest question about MT training. Discouraged from my goal of becoming an MT. Maybe I should do something else. This is not good if I should pursue this career. The discouraging sour negativity I felt Wednesday brought to me hurt like I was punched hard in my spirit. It hurt.

Sorry you had to feel this way - LK

[ In Reply To ..]
I read some of the posts responding to your original post, and I understand why you feel hurt. There are some people on this site who come across as very nasty and mean-spirited. I think you got a dose of that. But this is the spot where MTs come, and if you really want to see what is happening in the world of MT, you will find it here. You just have to realize that there are some very bitter MTs here that don't seem to know how to respond kindly to an innocent question. I would highly advise you to try to develop a thicker skin, as you're going to need it if you want to be an MT. Ignore the "meanies" if you can, but try to absorb the information that is here. You may hear some things you don't want to hear. It's your choice, but I would rather approach becoming an MT with eyes open rather than head in the sand. Just don't take anything here too personally.

I've had a similar experience-dreammove - today was my first day

[ In Reply To ..]
Today was my first day on this website. I thought it would be good for me to connect with other MT's. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Truthful is one thing, sarcasm, immaturity, and plain out hatred is another. Pretty sad. However, I will continue my job search and I have faith! I know I'll get a job and so will you if you work hard!

it's not just this website - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I can't think of a single web forum I've been on since I found the 'net in 1993 that HASN'T had rude, sarcastic people on it.

Further, there is another MT site that is at least an order of magnitude worse than anything on MT Stars. Just asking for help with a word over there will cause a dozen people to start cussing you out for no reason.

The people who get upset that we're all "so negative" are those who aren't even MTs yet. It's extremely rude for non-MTs to tell the MTs here -- those of us who are fighting every day in this field -- that we are "supposed" to be positive just so you can feel better. It really does not work that way.

I'm an old MT and am not - negative...

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Whenever you see an MT saying they love their job, you spit on it and say "no you don't, because I don't."

Hate to tell ya, but some MTs do love their jobs. I've been working at home as an MT for many years, I'm not a "non-MT" and I love the job, always have. I have plenty of work and you won't see me biting the hand that feeds me.

And yes, I work in an EMR system and yes I do VR, and yes, I still make a good living at it doing ops and DS.

To: 'Old MT not negative' - good for you!

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Good to know not all MT's HATE their job and turn into negative nancy's. I have a friend who has been an MT for many years now and she seems just fine, happy, optimistic. Seems to be the case with you, too! Good for you! We don't live forever, might as well love what you're doing, and if you don't, start.. or get a different job! haha. Best of wishes to you all.

I, too, am an old MT but I'm a realist. - sm

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I'm making okay money, but I can't say it's good money because I was an MT during the glory years back in the 80s and 90s when we made bank. While it may seem negative to you, the fact that my income has eroded by 20% while consumer prices have tripled is reality, not negativity.

The continued pressure on wages by the glut of thousands of newly churned MTs from subpar schools and the rising use of offshore is economics, not negativity.

Even though MTSOs demand a schedule, there is no way to stick to one because most MTs are forced to flex their schedule almost encompassing a 24-hour clock chasing the work. That's not negativity, that's the reality of this job now for a large number of the MTSOs.

I, too, have a job that I really like right now, but I went through six different places in two years to find it. And that's not negativity, either, that's just luck.

My schedule never varies... - old but not negative

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I work the same hours M-F and I never have to change my hours to suit the company.

Some MTs seem to think that "their" situation is the same situation as all other MT's situations. It's not always so.

While my hours are stable, I realize that other MTs' hours are not, but I don't understand why everyone seems to think that, if their job is unsatisfactory, all MT jobs must be unsatisfactory.

That just isn't realistic.

If you aren't happy where you are, keep moving until you find your spot, but please don't tell the world that all MT jobs suck. They don't.

No they don't all suck, but it's a game of musical chairs - played with our livelihoods.

[ In Reply To ..]
It may be viewed by you as negativity, but it is the reality of it. You have your good job now; by your own acknowledgment you had to 'kiss a lot of toads' to get it. So if/when that dries up and you incur the same fate that has befallen many of the other MTs, you have to start the search again. But there's less of those nice chairs to land on this time because of the continued offshoring/VR (because if we can do 2x the work they only half as many to do it). Add to that declining number of chairs the continued influx of newbies.

Now I'm assuming if you've been at this a while and are good at what you do, you know how to play the game and will end up doing okay even if you do have to blow through a couple companies to find one that works for you. But the average newb or the merely adequate/mediocre MT is not going to fare so well, and to pretend otherwise is doing them no favors.

False positives can be even more dispiriting as negatives with just a difference in timing. If someone goes on to take an MT course because they were assured that it's a dynamic growing well-paying field and then find out otherwise, they're going to figure the fault lays in themselves because they were assured that it's a wide-open job choice for anyone who wants to work.

I'm old enough to remember having to struggle to get/keep any kind of job - Not better or worse now but just different

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I was never involved in those "glory" years some of you talk about when you cleaned up. That didn't happen for me or for any of my friends. It was hard work, just as it is now. Some jobs were better than others, just as they are now.

Years ago when I worked inhouse, I perceived it - as unjusified negativity. UNTIL I started

[ In Reply To ..]
working at home for a national. Wow - what an education. Come to find out, 99.9999% of what I was reading about the industry here on MTStars was true. Sad, but true.

It's bad enough when you've been in the biz for the last 35 years like I have. But if I were new to MT, and found out by reading on this forum that very likely that *new career* I'd just sunk a bunch of cash and time into learning was going the way of the dodo, then I'd be upset and hurt, too.

But it's not the fault of those of us who are already in it and already bitter. What we write here is merely reactionary. No, the cause of all this misery lies mostly in GREED:

GREED of the hospital for slashing staff in order to keep lining the pockets of their hospital CEOs.

GREED of the MTSOs for turning what used to be a standard, necessary, and well-respected function of every hospital, clinic, and doctor's office into just another business venture.

GREED of a couple of ol' gals who started AAMT (American Assn. of Medical Transcriptionists) years ago. I began under the guise of an association to help & unite MTs, improve working conditions (HAH!), and standardize transcription. What we all thought was a real accreditation process, one that would earn us an even better income as the professionals that we are, (the "CMT"), turned out to be nothing more than a thinly-veiled get-rich scheme for the ol' gals. Come up with an "exam", charge too much to take it, make it difficult to pass by changing the *rules* continuously, and make continuous renewal part of the deal. (Also at a price). Then convince the schools and all the clients that CMT is *real*, and how all MTs should have it. Further pad the old Gucci wallet with money from the "AAMT Book of Style" (BOS), that again costs too much and changes too often. Ensure that MTs will have to continue to purchase new ones by adding the most inane, picky punctuation minutia anyone can dream of, and convince everyone, MTs, clients, and MTSOs alike, that every single bit of the minutia AFFECTS PATIENT CARE"."

What a load of baloney, right? But wait! There's MORE:

GREED of the MTSOs who want to monopolize the industry, unfortunately at the cost of quality of product, client satisfaction, and ethical treatment of employees.

Then FURTHER greed of some MTSOs by selling stock in their companies on Wall Street. And of course, the GREED OF WALL STREET goes without say. The whole country is feeling THAT particular greed, every single day, and likewise will for years to come.

The GREED of investors, who want nothing but profits, even at the expense of the economy, and their fellow man's right to earn a living.

The INEXCUSABLE greed of AAMT, who changed its name to "Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity" (AHDI), (notice what's missing in the new name? The word "AMERICAN"), and instead of protecting American MTs (the ones it was conning into getting their expensive BOS and CMT), they began selling our jobs to the lowest-bidding offshore MT companies. They set up shop in India, and began marketing their BOS and CMT to Indian MTs.

Now, they're doing the same thing in China. How much do you want to bet that soon Indian workers will be going through the same chicanery, job and wage loss that we MTs in America are experiencing right now.

This week there's a big ADHI pow-wow going on that no doubt most of our CEOs and other MTSO higher-ups are attending. God only knows what deceiptful strategies that congregation of shysters will come up with next, but no doubt it will benefit THEM, and put more money in THEIR pockets. And take more money out of OURS.

So yes, MTs are bitter and negative. They have every right to be. An entire American industry is being decimated, just so an elite few can buy that 6-bedroom home with the 5-car garage and tennis court. While many of us are LOSING OURS.

How very THOUGHTful of them.

I disagree with everything that you said and I was working hard to find something I agreed with - Different Experiences = Different Opinions

[ In Reply To ..]
I came close to agreeing you on one point, but your twist on it lost me. The bottom line is, not everyone succeeds in any business, but some do. That's the way it works. We may not like it when we're in the lower end of that, but we have always had the option of doing something else. That's also the way it works.

Agree 100% - Crystal

[ In Reply To ..]
Agree with you totally. Greed is definitely the name of the game. I see no separation between AHDI and the MTSOs. They are one in the same.

Do not judge a book by its cover - RLee

[ In Reply To ..]
Not everyone on this site is nasty and mean. I find for the majority it very informative and helpful. Sorry for experience, as I know first hand how others on this board can personally attack - but I am not thin skinned and take it. Do not take it personally.

One of the first things I learned in MT - was how to have thick skin...

[ In Reply To ..]
Don't let the bullies drive you off and don't let them hurt your feelings. There is a group of them here that are extremely negative and will shoot down anything positive that is posted.

I love MT and have for the last 14-15 years. It changes all the time. I do VR now along with regular transcription and I love it, it's much easier on my body and sometimes it's just funny.

My pay is good and I'm happy (happy working for a company that everyone here loudly complains about, I might add).

Just wanted to let you know there are happy MTs out there in the world who won't bite your head off. ;)

thick - skin

[ In Reply To ..]
...and there are even *unhappy* MTs who won't bite your head off! ;)

encouragment - today was my first day

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Good to know there are happy MTs out there! Also, it's good to know you love your job. It's nice to hear someone being so positive. Thanks!

YW. Take it all with grain of salt - and you will be fine

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When an MT says something positive, you'll see her get shot down immediately. That's the way it is...but don't let them get you down.

what are your - goals here

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When I decided to become a medical transcriptionist, it was because I loved medicine, loved medical terminology, loved words in general, wanted to be in a medical environment. I had not the foggiest clue about what wages it offered, or what working conditions. My former boss tried to discourage me from going into the field, warning me about low pay. I had no reason not to believe him and thought, okay, low-paying job, but his words didn't discourage me one bit. I wanted to do medical transcription. They say, Do what you love, and the money will follow. My first job paid way, way better than what I expected (this was in 1990). That was a pleasant surprise, but not the reason I went into this field. If you go into a field that you are sincerely interested in, you will not be so affected by the opinions of others. My guess is that you were not that sure about the goal of becoming a transcriptionist in the first place, and the discouragement that you are blaming us for, reflects your own lack of commitment. No (like you said), you really don't need us in your life! Just figure out what YOU want to do, and do it. My 2 cents' worth. (PS I've been talked out of becoming a radiology tech on this forum-- LOL-- not that I wanted to do that anyway! You throw out a half-baked idea around here, you find out immediately!)

Just remember... - not all MTs are bitter and

[ In Reply To ..]
The rants that you see here don't represent ALL MTs, as some would have you believe. Take the rants with a grain of salt. I personally think the ranters are very likely negative in other aspects of their lives besides MT.

To Dreammove - Aspiring coder

[ In Reply To ..]
I am so sorry that you encountered hostility on your first attempt to post on the message board. It happened to me too and it has happened to others. Unfortunately, the negative comments are the ones we remember because those people seem to be more vocal. And, I do agree that unhappiness at work spills over into other areas of a person's life. You sound intelligent and motivated to be successful. Keep trying and I know you'll find something right for you. Please don't be scared away. You are welcome here and definitely have as much right to be here as anyone else. Good luck with your job search.

Why do you keep coming back here? - honest question - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Yesterday you said you were leaving MT Stars because you didn't like the negativity. Now you're back to tell us you're leaving again. Frankly, what do you expect to achieve from all this?

Not all 'honest' questions need to be asked. - Lighten up.

[ In Reply To ..]
C'mon, it's obvious why. She obviously wanted to vent her hurt and dissatisfaction, and she has every right to do so.

No, its a good question - what does she want?

[ In Reply To ..]
First she emailed me privately, having seen my post on another thread, I suppose, wanting to know the same things she started a thread about. She didn't like my emailed reply, which was simply honest in that I know nothing about MT schools (was trained in-house) and I see very little future in this industry and told her not to waste her money. I assume I am not the only person who she emailed who told her this. Not hearing what she wanted to hear, she started the thread. She got more of the same. Now she's complaining because we aren't blowing sunshine and rainbows at her. Well, she can keep posting all she pleases, eventually if ONE person gives her the answer she wants to hear, she can go throw her money away attempting to break into a dying industry. In good conscience, we told her the truth. She doesn't like the truth. She doesn't like us. Why is she still here? Why isn't she talking to some MT school who will cheerfully blow rainbows at her and take her money? Then she can come back to hear we told her so.

Give her a break already... - come on...

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Not everything is doom and gloom. Not everyone has such a bad attitude.

This is in response to honest question... - no1joe

[ In Reply To ..]
You are 100% right! And the funny thing is, I read the entire original post (and actually took the time to leave a response trying not to be nasty but truthful), and there was nothing in it that I would consider over the top rudeness! I appreciate your honesty, and I do NOT consider you rude : )

no1joe - -

[ In Reply To ..]
That was a good post (the one you wrote in response to dreammove on the newbie board), pretty much sums up the career of a transcriptionist in the last few decades! Thanks for taking the time to write it. I'm another one who started in the 1990s and enjoy reading about other MTs' experiences during/since that time. Not always on the up and up, but interesting nonetheless...

New MT post - no1joe

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks, but I think I wasted it on the wrong person. After reading all this, I think the other poster nailed it when they said that she's just looking for opinions that she wants to hear, and all others are considered nasty. She actually started this thread after I put up my post, so maybe she feels I contributed to her "punched spirit" or however she worded it. Regardless, if one person reads it and decides to stay away from this field, I've done my good deed for the day.

You know what? You're right - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Dreammove, don't listen to these naysayers. Taking out $5,000 student loans or dipping into savings to go to MT school would be great investment. It's wonderful!!! You'll be able to make $50-60,000 your first year as long as you just apply yourself. There are lots of great jobs out there Monday thru Friday 9-5. Its way kewl to keep bankers's hours. I have a oodles of free time now to spend time with my family and friends. And with VR I really didnt knead to no much cuz it is sew gourd at you sing the write medical frays sew I can just blow thru the reports.

Girl! That was my job - last year!! LOL. n/m

[ In Reply To ..]
.

If you want to be truly discouraged, dispirited SM - sigh

[ In Reply To ..]
then come right on in to an MT career.

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