A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
What have we allowed to happen to our profession? - Cynthia
Posted: May 22, 2014
Ladies and Gentleman MTs --
Twenty years ago I earned 7 cpl at my job as an IC MT, was treated fairly by my employer, paid weekend and holiday bonuses, as well as quan/qual bonuses. Although hours were long, worked most holidays and weekends, I earned around $45,000/yr, about $35.00 an hour and was free to choose the hours that I worked.
Could we all just take some control over our professions, please? Yes, being an MT is a profession. How much specialized education, training and experience is necessary to perform our job? A LOT! I am astounded at the job listings for 7 cpl still and the highly qualified MTs who are grappling at the chance for this. Twenty years ago, 7 cpl, okay, not now.
I urge anyone to find a transcription service today that does not manipulate the workload so it's impossible to make more than $20,000/yr, equivalent to that of a data entry operator at 7 cpl.
Yes, we are in an economic recession/depression. Everything costs more. That means that every other company/service there is has raised their prices. Why should MTs be any different?
And this Medical Editing BS. Fine, I'll do your screwy, backward, upside-down medical editing as long as you're willing to pay me equally for what I earn in transcription. Actually, I think all the correction that you do in editing is worth more.
Hospitals are paying an exorbitant fee to varrious services for the transcription product that we provide. The services are making more and more and more and more. I'd say this is evicenced by the increasing amount of transcriptions services available today. Why are transcritpionists are making less and less? Can you spell VICTIMIZE?
I began over 20 years ago very proudly working as an MT. What have we allowed to happen to our profession?
What do you suggest we do? - I will line right up.
[ In Reply To ..]Please tell us you have a solution.
We Allowed??? - nn
[ In Reply To ..]Precisely what could we have done to prevent it?
Sticking together and not biting each others' - heads off would be good as a start.
[ In Reply To ..]
My suggestions :-) - clb
[ In Reply To ..]1. All MTs band together and form a union.
2. All MTs immediately quit if said unions demands are not met!
3. All newbies/grads do not work for any MTSO.
Would that make a difference?
That's the only thing I can come up with. Is it worth a shot? I don't know.
But yes, I agree something needs to be done. Even if MTs are quitting in droves, there are always going to be newbies taking our spot so the MTSO doesn't even care. It's just a revolving door policy. So sad.
What do you suggest we do? - Cynthia
[ In Reply To ..]Would you be interested in forming a transcriptionists union?
7 cpl wasn't okay 20 years ago, either. I was - earning 7 cpl in 1977.
[ In Reply To ..]And now, 7 cpl is considered "good" in comparison to the 3 and 4 cpl many companies are paying for VR editing, which is every bit as demanding of skill and knowledge as straight transcription.
7 cpl wasn't okay 20 years ago, either - Cynthia
[ In Reply To ..]Would you be interested in forming a transcriptionists union?
We ? - Anon
[ In Reply To ..]We allowed this to happen in the same way "we" allowed China to make the steel parts for the Bay Bridge. Technology threw us under the global bus. Just consider 20 years from now when VR will actually get it down correctly. I'm sorry to say this, but this profession is dying before our eyes. Be glad you can still work in this field at all.
We have not allowed - anything
[ In Reply To ..]it has been forced down our throats. It is sickening that GREED is what happened, not just to MT but many jobs. Outsourcing to other countries was encouraged by our government years ago for corporations to pay those workers much less and they were so poverty-stricken they were thrilled with any pay.
Good luck trying to fight for equal/more pay for VR. No one wants to listen and hear the truth. Believe me, I have tried for 10 years.
Is it demoralizing, absolutely. Has this greed destroyed people...yes it has. I wish there was an answer or a solution, I would be right there fighting for these wrongs to be made right.
Have you a solution? If so please post it, I would stand up and fight for any type of improvement for MTs, to get the jobs back that we once had and not having that middle-man reaping the benefits of all the hard work the MTs do.
We have not allowed - anything - Cynthia
[ In Reply To ..]I always thought that a union would be a good idea; however, you know what happened. We were so overworked trying to keep a decent salary while looking for MTSOs left with some integrity. There was just not enough time in the day. What do you think? Would you be interested in forming an MT union?
Not a good choice of words - see msg pls
[ In Reply To ..]We did not "allow" anything. We have fought and fought and nothing worked. I stopped fighting in 2007. In 2012, I got out of MT.
I take responsibility for allowing myself to stay in the profession to the point where I was sick to my stomach, but we couldn't stop corporate nonsense. It's not electronics or SR or anything that caused this. It's the MTSOs taking advantage of us.
I would still be doing MT and editing the big messes if I was paid a decent hourly rate or at the very least, a good line rate. When I left the MTSO I worked for, I was making 10.6 cpl for straight typing and 6 cpl for editing. I got mostly SR, and they were always harping me about production, so I quit.
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