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

advice how to get into an office - MW

Posted: Oct 23, 2012

Any advice on how one would go about getting into a doctor's office/clinic office. The classifieds locally do not seem to post jobs for offices and the websites for the hospitals are for jobs within the hospital. There must be a way I can use my transcription experience to get a desk job doing the phones and appointments and maybe a little transcription at a pediatric/orthopedic/whatever office. I have been without a contract for 4 weeks and I have a few little pick up jobs, but they are not paying the bills and it just seems like the days of being able to work from home and make enough to provide for my family are gone. I know these jobs exist and somehow people get them, I just don't even know where to begin to look or if i should just start mailing my resume and a letter stating that I am interested in office work and as a bonus can do your transcription. Any advice would be appreciated. Would love to stay in transcription, but I can't seem to find anything that is consistent, its all feast or famine and don't even get me started about the 8 cpl that seems to be the standard rate which is what i started at as a newbie 10+ years ago. Also, if there is advice on how to contract on my own for transcription that would be appreciated and what kind of software is most useful when doing so. I have worked either from microcassette or through an MTSO. I like the infraware platform, but they tell me they do not contract with single entity MTs. So I need to know if there is someone that does and how would that go? My MTSO offered commision if I found a lead and of course work to boot, where I could still work thru the infraware platform, but I don't even know how that phrasing would go.... I can work on your microcassettes, but if you have electronic data, please contract me thru my MTSO??? anyways... Clearly I am a sheltered lol transcriptionist having always worked on contracts thru an MTSO and I need to either learn to get a couple steady contracts directly or find a nice office to work in and make a livable wage. Again, any advice is appreciated on any part of this that you can advise me on. My kids are finally old enough I could get them arranged for school pick ups and what not until my daughter turns 16 next year and could pick up her baby sister for me. Just hate watching my dream of flexible scheduling and being able to take my work anywhere i am circle the drain.

I think every MT has this same question, and has - this same problem...

[ In Reply To ..]
None of us can get out of MT, but none of us want to work for 8 cpl, or really 4 cpl because it is all speech recognition now.

Personally, I have been applying for desk type jobs for the past 3 years and have not gotten 1 interview. Have been offered MT jobs, but the pay is so low, I just cant stomach it.

This is our reality.

Office jobs - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
Keep checking the hospital web sites. If there are no clerical jobs posted now, it does not mean there will not be in the future, don't expect to find many on site MT jobs, though. If you want to work in a clinic, even some of them have web sites with job boards, you will just have to keep looking. You could hand deliver your resume to a few places. I tried for 2 years before my MT job ended and finally got a non-MT job where I had been working. I hate to say it; I thought I'd miss MT but I don't. It is really difficult but don't give up. They'll want you do do more than answer phones, though, so make sure you have good computer skills (Excel, Power Point) and if you have insurance or billing knowledge that will help. Good luck. I don't know if this would work for you, but you could try applying at a temp agency, that might be one way to get your foot in the door somewhere. Why do you say that none of us can get out of MT, quite a few people have.

Getting out of MT - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
It's good to know that quite a few people have gotten out of MT. I want out. I don't see a future in it anymore.

Craigslist jobs and Indeed.Com - CTMT

[ In Reply To ..]
check Craigslist go to your state and your region, there is a jobs section, administrative and there is a medical section. Lots of jobs posted there. Also, Indeed.Com.

I check Indeed every day - downtime

[ In Reply To ..]
just enter your city and set it for a 15 or 25 mile radius and start looking. If you want you can modify it with the word receptionist but I like to look at all the jobs. Each day it will show you what is newly posted since the last time you looked. Sometimes there are over 400 jobs (some duplicates). I look at every one of them, every day.

How can you not see a future? - typing4$

[ In Reply To ..]
This is the perfect time for transcription raises again and a special niche. The physicians are now realizing the downfalls of EMR, especially time spent thereby costing them money. This is the perfect opportunity for MT skills, albeit you have to branch out on your own and NOT work for nationals.

EMR - Pipe dream

[ In Reply To ..]
The problem with this is that the EMR is supposed to be fully functonal by 2014. Physicians don't like it but they won't receive incentives or Medicare payments unless they have it in place. A lot of the smaller practices use VR and there are very few MT opportunities any more, unless a person lives in a large metropolitan area. It might be a perfect time for a raise for us, but most employers don't see it that way, they are all trying to save money where they can.

You're kidding, right? No physician sees EMR - going away. Not one of them.

[ In Reply To ..]
First there was VR. Then there was India. Now, there are Scribes. These are credentialed people who do multiple things, are either medical assistants or nurses and they are taking over the EMR responsibilities for the docs, and in the case of the nurses, even dictating for docs now. There is NO MORE MARKET for people who just sit at home and type. It is gone. Of course there will be the stragglers who are left behind and do find a niche for an individual or situation but as far as the industry, it is completely over. Gone.

amen - this person has it right nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

You're kidding right? - not a chance

[ In Reply To ..]
Scribes are not nurses (at that pay - you have got to be kidding) or medical assistants. They are trained clinical documentation specialists. They are usually found in ER and while they assist the physician, they are not physician assistants. They are usually trained by companies that contract with ERs, clinics, etc. Scribes are typically pre-med, pre-nursing students looking get medicalexperience as well as some income - 9-12 per hour.

I definitely want out of it. - MT SLAVE

[ In Reply To ..]
I hate this field anymore.

I got out - What I suggest

[ In Reply To ..]
I got out, so it is not true that "none of us can get out."

I studied coding and worked at a hospital in an entry capacity until a coding job opened up. Now I am an auditor.

If you are not getting interviews, your applications are not appealing to employers. I recommend job counseling, improving your skills to meet the needs of today's jobs, and temping so that you have current experience.

I loved working as an office temp. - incognito

[ In Reply To ..]
Excellent suggestion!

I got so many skills that way, and you were an untouchable and free from the office politics. Every place I worked wanted to hire me full time, but I wanted the variety.

I will have to hit the second-hand stores first for clothes, but I might temp again myself. I'm ready for a change and to get out into the world again.

Thank you for the reminder.

We CAN get out of MT but here is the rub - you have to go back and update

[ In Reply To ..]
skills. MT is so specific and everyone knows home MTs have lost or never had a LOT of skills necessary in an office. Also, MT is a great foundation to build a a 2-year health degree. I have been a department secretary in a radiology dept and pathology dept and STILL, its hard for me to transition out of MT. I've gone back to school and intend to see this HORRIBLE job in the rear view mirror in 1 year. Any school that accepts someone's earnest money to learn medical transcription is almost criminal. Everyone KNOWS this industry is history.

Right on - Leaving MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I couldn't agree with you more about any school still teaching MT. It would be interesting to hear Linda Andrews' perspective on the MT industry and what she tells prospective MT students these days.

The industry is evolving, but it is not over. - Gray

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There is no way scribes and voice rec can ever completely replace transcription. It will never pay like it used to, but it will still be there in some form or another.

that assumes that Joint Commission - will always require a transcribed document

[ In Reply To ..]
and are you so sure that will always be the case? They change their standards all the time. Don't count on them always requiring a transcribed document.

There has to be some kind of document and it has to be accurate. - Gray

[ In Reply To ..]
Not quite sure what it could be replaced by anytime soon, but would be interested to hear thoughts on that. There's undoubtedly something I haven't thought of and I am curious to know what it is.

Linda Andrews - Pipe dream

[ In Reply To ..]
Her school still has an MT program.

If you are talking about me, I am not in school. - Gray

[ In Reply To ..]
I am just curious what people think the alternative form medical records will take will be that will make any form of MT obsolete. I am not trying to talk anybody out of their MT doomsday mentality. You are probably all right, I just want to know how you think it is going down because I don't see anything that could imminently bring the medical transcription field to a complete halt.

no they are responding to the post above yours - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

School - Pipe dream

[ In Reply To ..]
I was responding to the comments made in regard to why any school would still have an MT program and what Linda Andrews has to say to new people wanting to enter the field. Her school still has an MT program and I'm sure it's good and the students are well trained, but MT is what it is and anyone considering it as a career needs to be well informed in regard to job opportunities and pay.

I respect Linda Andrews and her MT program - Leaving MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I have had the opportunity to correspond with her on a couple of different occasions. It would be interesting to get her perspective on the industry, but I wouldn't personally bother her with it at this point in time since I'm leaving the industry anyway. It is quite possible that her connections and reputation in the industry help the MTs in the Andrews' program land better jobs than the general MT population. I still would caution anyone considering MT, though, and still think it is almost criminal for any school to be pushing MT as a viable career choice for people.

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