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

Going back to school. - mom2huskies

Posted: Sep 07, 2012

I have decided to go back to school to get an Associates degree. At this point I just cannot take the low pay anymore. I was wondering how others are doing who have decided to go back to school. When I get my degree I will be 51.

If I wasn't currently 56, I'd be right - there with you! (s/m)

[ In Reply To ..]
It sounds like a good move for you. I'm just not optimistic, for myself, that it would be a good investment for me....would be too close to when I hope to retire by the time I got done.

What will your degree be in? Wishing you the best of luck!

Probably HIT - mom2huskies

[ In Reply To ..]
I am 48 now so since I will be starting school later this year I am thinking I will be around 50 or 51 when I complete my degree. I came to the conclusion that I can no longer afford any more pay cuts. It is time for me to get out of transcription after 27 years. Things are not getting better at Mmodal so I now need to plot my escape even though it might take me a couple of years.

Thanks for your encouragement. I hope things work out for you too.

School - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I looked into going back but it was just going to cost more money than we had and even with grants and stuff I didn't want to get that far into debt at my age (58). Good luck to you! I also was looking into HIT.

It is a gamble but I know if I stay with Mmodal I will lose. - mom2huskies

[ In Reply To ..]
I know it is going to cost a lot but I can no longer afford the low wages that Mmodal pays. The thing that is keeping me going is I have money saved from my prior job that was outsourced. However, I know it will not last forever if I do not get a better job. Also I was told that I will be able to defer payment until 6 months after graduating. In the meantime I will have to cut more things out of my budget but I believe it will be worth it in the long run. I am just plain tired of making the higher ups at Mmodal richer while I lose money each month.

Good for you! You... - go girl! :-) (s/m)

[ In Reply To ..]
Even if you're 51 when you get done, you'll still have AT LEAST eleven years to keep working (and most likely even more, especially if you want to and are able). Fifty-one doesn't even sound that old any more.

You know, I was thinking recently about what a shame it is that sooooo many people are working way past 64, 65, 66 because they can't afford to retire now. Here I am, "only" 56, but I can't find a job opening because older people aren't leaving the jobs like they used to. I know this sounds awful, but I know a couple of women whose jobs I'd be perfect for, but they're still working at 67. I don't mean to sound like a vulture, but I sure wish they could retire!!! (LOL) :-D I'm (mostly) just kidding....I don't blame them for hanging on as long as they can; but in the meantime, someone like me, who can't get SS or Medicare yet like they could, feels like I'm slipping into oblivion.

Anyway, I think you're doing the right thing....good for you.

Thanks :) - mom2huskies

[ In Reply To ..]
I know I am doing the right thing. I no longer want to give anything more to Mmodal. I am just going to work here until I find a real job like I used to have. I had a great job before it was outsourced. I figure there is no reason I could not have a real job again. Mmodal is not worth it anymore.

Go for it! - 57yo

[ In Reply To ..]
I went back a year ago to get B.S. in Health Info. Management. Louisiana Tech, state school (not private/for profit), the whole degree is online. Will pick up coding certification along the way.

I already had some college credits, so have about a year and a half to go.

Doing it with PELL grants and student loans. Yup, I'll owe a lot, but it should be manageable.

Hey, over 55yo, you get a discount ;-). GO FOR IT.

Going back to school - Nature

[ In Reply To ..]
I went back to school after I got my divorce. I was probably 46 when I got my degree in Medical Technology (learning to be a medical transcriptionist). It took 3 years. I was raising my 3 children by myself, and I was working too. It was hard, but I studied after my children went to bed (and me helping THEM with their homework), and I also had a blood clot in my leg 1 year after I started, and then a PE. I got through it with a 3.75 average (1 professor gave me a 0 for missing a test while in the hospital for the blood clot). You can do it if you really want it. The thing about people our age is that we know it is our last chance, unlike younger children whose parents are paying for it and giving them gifts for graduating. Our gift is a chance at getting a better job. Go for it, and I wish you all the luck in the world.

Thank you. - mom2huskies

[ In Reply To ..]
I wish you the best of luck too. Transcription is just not what it used to be.

Go for it! - I did (sm)

[ In Reply To ..]
I started college April 2011 and will complete my Associate's degree on November 9, 2012. I am counting the days at this point! (lol)

I will begin my Bachelor's degree in January 2013 and will complete that in September/October 2014. I am currently 47 and will be 49 when I complete my Bachelor's degree.

I began working as an MT with YOG January 2000, then bought by MQ in 2001 and here ever since. It is a shame what this industry has become. My only regret with going to college is that I didn't do it sooner.

Best of luck to you!

College - Alias

[ In Reply To ..]
I left MM in June. I'm now in my 2nd week of my 1st semester of college, and I'm 52. I LOVE IT!! It's the best decision I've made for myself in a long time. Depending on whether I decide to stick with an Associates or go on for a Bachelors, I'll either be 53-55 when I'm ready to start a new profession (Human Resources).

Let's face it, in this day and age, 62-65 years old is not going to be a feasible retirement age for a lot of us. For me, as well as a lot of others in this country, we're looking at something more like early to mid-70s as the retirement age. That's a lot of working years still. Because of this, I decided if I'm going to work that much longer, I'm going to be doing something I want to do, something with some meaning to it, and where I can make a decent living. Being an MT used to be all that, but with the so-called advancements and the do-it-yourself software so many hospitals and clinics are going to, that just ain't the case anymore. Even Indian MTs are suffering from the technologies out there. As much as we resent them, that's the truth.

I've found that going back to school at this age is so much different and so much more fulfilling than when I was younger. I appreciate more the knowledge I'm gaining, the instructors appreciate me as a student, and students see me as a good example. I'm actually feeling the love and respect all the way around from everyone involved. Do you remember what that feels like? All in all, I'm starting to get my self-respect and joy back. I'd almost forgotten what that felt like. It feels wonderful!! There are some out there who will try to say that it shouldn't depend on a job to give you self-respect and joy. Well, to those people I say it depends on all aspects of your life. If there are one or two thing lacking in your life, such as joy and self-respect, it throws everything out of balance and changes your mind set. I don't care what caused it.

All I can say, if you're on the fence about what to do with the rest of your working days, take the leap and go back to school. I promise it will be worth it. There's more than one way to pay for it, if you're finding that to be the concern: Grants, student work programs, and yes, if you're willing to go for it, student loans, which I think you might find won't be as much as you think. With the money you're making now in this industry, more than likely you're going to be eligible for a full grant and even get paid while you go to school. Even if you decided to pay as you go, so you don't have the loans and work at the same time, do what you can, but do it. It's all about what you make a priority in your life, but I personally think I'm the priority in my own life, though I'd almost forgotten that. I also believe the same for you. GO FOR IT!!!

You all make a great case! Lots to.. - think about. (s/m)

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm the 56-year-old who posted above. Your comments have gotten me thinking more, and I have some questions and would like to have your opinions, since I know actual answers can vary depending on one's circumstances.

Here's a little background; please bear with me--I'm just thinking someone else may be able to relate with my situation!

I'm 56, with no college credits under my belt to build on. I would have to start with pre-reqs and presumably take EVERYTHING, which would take, what?, 4 years to earn a bachelor's degree....and that's going to school full-time. I know an associate's degree would take less time, but if it's not as marketable as a bachelor's, I'm not sure if I would stop there. If I knew I could get a job with the assoc's degree, that would be a consideration. I'm wondering if, with all the younger job-hunters having bachelor's, the assoc's would be enough(?).

I'm married, and my husband (DH) earns just under $50,000 a year. We have no debt whatsoever--no car payment, no mortgage, no bank loans. DH will soon be 60 yrs old (in one month).

Having no debt, we've been able to get by on DH's income alone. We pay a fortune for health insurance and have to come up with high deductibles, so that's our biggest expense; but at least we have major medical coverage, since my DH's very small employer (5 employees) doesn't offer anything affordable. We're both extremely healthy, but I know how quickly that can change.

I'm very hesitant to take on a lot of school debt since we love having no debt at this point in our lives, thinking (before the MT world came crashing down) we were going to TRY to retire in roughly another 6-1/2 years, when DH will be full retirement age. I would only be 62, but we had thought I'd either keep working a few more years 'til I can get on Medicare, too; or, if we could swing it at that point, we'd retire pretty close to the same time--I could start to draw my lesser SS check or wait a little longer to start drawing it, depending on our needs at the time.

We LOVE to travel, and our kids live in other states; so we'd love to spend our later years seeing family, grandchildren, and more of the world rather than working 'til we're too old to do those things. We rarely get to see our children now, but we're a close family, and spending time together means more to me than lots of money. We've saved and socked money away to where we should've been able to do all of this if my job had held up until I was ready to retire. Sigh--you all know that story!

First question: If I were to apply for grants, student loans, work programs--whatever is available (and clearly I don't even know what it's all called, LOL)--would I even qualify for grants, since my application wouldn't be based on my income alone....would a family of two earning close to $50K mean I'm not in enough need? The reason I ask is that when our kids went to college, we made too much (even with our kids still at home) to qualify for any assistance. Of course, I was working and making good money at a hospital at the time. But nowadays, has your experience shown you that I MIGHT qualify for some kind of help at this income level? I know they take into account what's in your savings/IRAs, too, and we have quite a bit there, so I always figured I wouldn't qualify for any help; but paying the full cost of a regular college degree at this point would make too much of our safety net disappear.

I realize I could use some of that safety-net money to pay for school, but it's the only thing we have to fall back on if we need a new roof on the house, car breaks down, etc. I'm just very hesitant to spend all of that down now, for a degree that might not even help me find a good job if I've reached 60+ by the time I earn that degree. :-( This is part of what's held me back.

Second question: Do schools still give you any credit for "life experience"? I remember hearing that some did years ago, but I wonder if that's still a common practice now that sooooo many people are having to return to school. I have no previous degree--just a "vocational college" certificate for the medical transcription program.

I know a lot of people say that some employers actually view older applicants as stable, mature, with life wisdom and no childcare issues; but, in reality, I can't help but wonder how I could ever compete with others who are in their 30s or 40s if I'm applying for the same job at, say, 60 or 61. Yes, I have "life" experience; but I would be coming in with no job experience for that particular job--and a 35- or 42-year-old might already have 10 years or more in that particular field. I guess this is what makes me most hesitant to invest several years and a LOT of money in school at this point. I also worry that I really WOULDN'T be as sharp and quick to pick things up if I'm just getting started in my 60s. For instance, not having grown up with them, I'm not as whippy on computer programs as my former younger coworkers. I'm pretty good and do well enough but not super-well, and I don't LOVE techie things. :-)

I've considered going to school to work toward a less-extensive program, such as a COTA or pharmacy technician. I looked into COTA last year, and the cost for that program was what scared me off....I think it was something like $17K or $19K. I felt like that was a lot of debt to get into, with no guarantee that I could get a job when I'm done; however, I was working on the assumption that I would have to pay for the whole cost out of my own pocket--no grants, scholarships, etc.

I'm at a stage in my life where I'm not keen on getting into a career where you traditionally have to start on second/third shifts and/or work weekends, the way a lot of hospital jobs are. I know that sounds like I'm being awfully picky, and I am; but I happen to still really like my DH (LOL) and don't want to spend all these "golden" years, when we're finally empty-nesters and actually get to DO things together, with me working nights and weekends.

Sigh....I'm so very sorry that I've rambled on so long!! I guess I'm hoping that others here may be in a similar circumstance as me, and that any input might be helpful to them, too.

We've all been dealt such a difficult hand with what's happened to our profession. I think I've been in a kind of "mourning," but I truly believe that it's time for us to try to figure out the rest of our lives. I just know that working for an MTSO was draining my life of all my vitality and health...mental and physical. I'd rather live super-frugally than continue with that. I'm getting discouraged with how many other brick-and-mortar jobs I've applied for have been "already filled," "filled from within the company," or "we decided not to fill that position after all."

I would appreciate ANY thoughts or input you might have...even if it's the opinion that going back to school might not be my best investment at this point. Thank you for letting me pour all this out--if you're even still reading, that is! :-D

College - Alias

[ In Reply To ..]
You and I sound a lot a like. My husband actually took a buy-out a few years back, and we were fortunate enough to pay off a brand new house and had no other debt. That was when I made really good money as an MT, too. He messed around the house for about 2 years, and decided to go back to school, because my income had changed so drastically. Even though we had been frugal all our married lives and have quite a bit in savings and 401k, the market had hit us as well. He also got bored. He just finished an IT program at our local technology center, and has landed an unbelievably high paying job. A technology school would be another cheaper option, because you wouldn't be in school as long; maybe a year or a year and a half. There's actually quite a bit to choose from there. My husband was the one who encouraged me to go back to school after he finished. Though my income was small, it was still needed, and since I knew it wouldn't take him that long, I stayed with it until he finished.

As far as your options for money for school, it depends on who much you owe with what you make. Your age and being a woman also matter. You may be eligible for more than you think. It doesn't cost a thing to check into it, and filling out the necessary paperwork is worth the effort. Go to your local college or technical school, speak with the financial advisor, and find out what you need to do. They truly are very helpful. Good luck with your choice.

Thank you, Alias. - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
It's so kind of you to reply, especially after I re-read my looooong post and realized how over-detailed I had gotten. :-D Like I said, I was thinking someone else might be able to identify and need some advice, too.

Your earlier response on this thread was part of what sparked my interest....HR is an area I'd really enjoy more so than staying in a field that uses a computer all day. My daughter-in-law is in HR, and I realize that she uses the computer A LOT, too, but I'd enjoy working with HUMANS a little more than I have as an MT all these years. (LOL)

Being very mathematical, my DH is actually more tech-minded than I am, and he would probably do well in an IT program....his age (60) doesn't do him any favors, either, when it comes to branching out into something new, of course, but it's something to look into.

I'm going to start looking into what information I can find at our local colleges about costs, time involved, future job outlook, etc. You've mentioned a starting point (a school's financial advisor), which I appreciate....I wasn't even sure where to begin or who to ask! Do you call that office and ask for an appointment to meet with them in person?

I have a local friend who is also an MT....we both attended the technical college program--nearly 20 years ago for me, more like 15 years ago for her. She went in and talked to the tech. college about putting her MT-program credits toward something else like coding or even LPN if she went back to school there, and they told her it was too long ago...she would have to retake all the med. terminology, etc., even though she'd been a working MT for 15 years. That was kind of discouraging to hear. :-(

Thanks for the inspiration. I guess I shouldn't give up yet....and I'm thinking that even though you're a little younger than me, it's only by 4 years(!); and although I'm 56, I'm told that I look and act much younger, so I don't think my demeanor is an automatic turn-off to potential employers. :-D I KNOW employers aren't "allowed" to age discriminate, but that DIL of mine (who's in HR) says it's unfortunate but true that employers have their ways to do so without incriminating themselves! :-(

Thanks again for your input....greatly appreciated!

P.S. Alias -- - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
Sorry, I happened to think of one other question: How old was your husband when he started the IT program, if you don't mind my asking?

Also, do I understand that you're going to school full-time now....not working at all? I know you said you quit MM in June, but wondered if you're doing some other work by any chance.

Thanks for the inspiration....it might be just what I need. :-)

PS - Alias

[ In Reply To ..]
My husband is now 56 years old, so he started IT school about 54 or so. I'm not working. Since it had been so long since I'd been in school, I wanted to use this semester to ease back into things. I'm taking 3 classes, so 1 class short of what is considered full-time. Since I seem to be doing so well and enjoying it so much, I plan on doing full-time by spring semester. Good luck with your decision either way.

GOING BACK TO SCHOOL - Nature

[ In Reply To ..]
To start out, I am 64, will be 65 in March 2013. I have been divorced and single for 25 years. What I wouldn't give to be able to stay at home and "keep house," cook, do laundry, and enjoy a man I was still in love with. I learned in college that your age, looks, weight, ect., all do matter. No it is not fair, but we all know that life is not fair. When an employee has the choice to hire a young, attractive, but not as intelligent or experienced as you, guess who they will hire? Of course being a MT working from home, they don't know all that information. They go mostly by tests results, and also if you have 30 years of experience, they can pretty much guess your age (and most likely will not get hired). If I had a choice, I would enjoy life with my husband. Life really is too short. I will probably die behind my computer. If I have a MI at home, I will probably die, as I have no insurance, and when I qualify for Medicare (which I cannot afford, as it costs close to $100 a month plus more than #200 for a supplemental insurance), I will not be able to afford to go to the hospital. I still pay $500 in rent every month, over $200 for electricity, between cable for my computer, water, gas, food, I am broke at the end of the month. My future does not look too promising. Oh how I wish I was in your shoes and COULD stay at home if I wanted.

I know this is not what you wanted to hear, but you wanted all of our opinions. What ever you decide, I know you will probably be happy, because you have a DH who loves you and you him.

Good luck to you in you decision.

Hi, Nature - - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
I truly appreciate your input, too. I think looking at all sides is valid, and I do want to keep in mind the pitfall of investing too much into schooling that might not even pay off for me. Yes, I DO want to consider this side of the coin, and I thank you for that other viewpoint. You've expressed some of the concerns I've had, too--whether it could be a lot harder than I'd like to think, being up against much younger job candidates by the time I'm 60-ish. In a perfect world, all things would be equal, but I know they're not.

I'm so sorry to hear of your circumstances. I know that I'm VERY fortunate to be in my situation, and I've often said that it is pure dumb luck that my DH and I are still happily married.

We manage to get by, but we've cut every expense tremendously since I quit working, and I know it's not much fun to just "exist" from month to month....we all should have a little extra left over for the enjoyments in life. Like I said, for me, it's tough to live so far from my kids, so our "extra pennies" go to saving for our very-expensive travel costs. I would relish being able to be a full-time homemaker from here on out; but If I never get back to work, it's going to be a long, cold retirement for us if we can't ever travel, having no close family nearby.

My envy is for those friends of mine whose kids live in town or even 1/2 hour away, and they can have dinner together on, say, a Tuesday night if they want to or be able to attend a grandchild's school program. I even envy being able to help out with the grandkids once in a while, to make our kids' lives a little easier....they're great kids and work very hard themselves. I guess we all can see something better in others' situations. The trick is probably to try to make our own situation as positive as possible.

Your expenses and situation do sound very difficult, Nature. I wish I could offer a suggestion that would be helpful to you. I can't imagine how hard things must be for you right now, being in this stage of an MT career at your current age. You're clearly between a rock and a hard place, and my heart aches for you. I'm a little younger, but I've already seen that I'm ill-equipped to find a different job at this point, without at least SOME retraining; but the question remains--how much is reasonable to spend in time and money to do that? I see all kinds of jobs that I know I could do right now, but they want 3-5 years of experience at that particular job (or even 1-3 years!!), and I can't pull that out of my hat, so I'm immediately not qualified.

This isn't a job idea, but I wonder if it would lift your spirits a bit to join a book club, if you aren't in one already. So many of us MTs love to read....if you do, too--a book club is a great outlet for me, and I try to get our book choice for the month at the library so I don't have to buy it. If it's not at the library, I usually manage to borrow one of the faster readers' copies when they're done with it. It's just great to get your mind off this awful job situation and have a reason to get out and see like-minded friends.

Good luck to you, too, and thanks again for taking time to post your thoughts.

I would also talk to career counselor. - mom2huskies

[ In Reply To ..]
You bring up some good points too. For me though I need to get out of transcription. Right now I am 48 and I have been transcribing for 27 years. I am also a widow so I do not have a partner to help me, but I know that I definitely will not be able to survive at Mmodal. What I am going to do is try to get what grants I can plus take out a student loan. I might have to defer payment for awhile and take money out of my retirement fund but I know it will be worth it in the long run. I can no longer let Mmodal suck the life out of me.

I really pray things improve for you too.

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I have been helping my husband finish up his degree online for the last year or so and told him when he is done next month I am going back and finishing up my degree. I know everyone says have a plan, or be prepared but since my husband makes more money and actually has potential for a promotion his schooling was top priority and I have been just praying that my job lasted long enough to get him through. So yesterday I got all my transcripts together, filled out the application and set up ...

Dec 11, 2009

I need to find a real job with benefits and insurance so I am thinking about going to school to be a LPN or radiology tech. Anyone done either of these? Did you feel like your MT background helped in the courses? I am 40 so I will have to take all that math and english before I can do anything. Any advice.....? Thanks ...

Mar 02, 2010

Has anyone made the decision to go back to school for nursing? I am 45 years old and am seriously considering going to school this fall. I would be starting from scratch as I have no college education. I am debating on whether to pursue an associates (RN) or bachelors degree (BSN). I am wondering if anyone else near my age is doing this and how are they faring. Any input would be greatly appreciated. ...

Apr 15, 2013

There are a lot of posts on this board with MTs stating they are going back to school for various things. I'm headed in that direction myself and would love to know what you are going back to school for and what school (online, community college, etc.), and any other information you would like to share. Thank you in advance for the inspiration! ...

Jan 06, 2014

Back to school today, last semester before I transfer to University. I am taking Western Civ I and II American National Government Macroeconomics How about you? ...

Feb 03, 2015

I'm going back to school in May to study coding at my local junior college. Some of the classes are online and some are classroom. The last time I attended school we took notes with a pen and notebook. If I take a pen and nootbook, will I be the only one in class doing so? Do I need to get what they now refer to as a "tablet" even though I'm not sure what one is? ...

Feb 22, 2010

in this day and age? Because of a chronic illness, being a WAHM MT is perfect for me. Given the current state of things, I feel I may need to return to school and have a backup plan. Looking for suggestions, insight, thoughts on what you think might be a good avenue to pursue if you had to choose something that isn't physical (like no nursing) but something our MT background might help with. Hope this is the right place to ask this! ...

Aug 19, 2011

None of the colleges in an hour's radius of me offer this program. Can this be done online and if so, has anybody done it? ...

Sep 26, 2013

I really, really, really want to go back to school. Problem is, I'm a single parent living on my one income which is going down pretty much every month. Being an MT just isn't working anymore. I want to go back to school, but in order to do that, I would need to take out some serious student loans just to help me pay my bills, let alone pay the school debt. I have an AA degree already, so I think it would take me about 2 more years to get my bachelor's degr ...

Mar 24, 2014

I have been in the field of Education for 23 yrs and have been an Administrator for the past 13. Due to the economy, schools would rather hire those with no experience and pay them less than seasoned veterans like myself. I have 2 in college and a 10yr old I adopted at birth so I am far from retirement. I am considering going back to school and getting certified as a Medical Assistant (which would include Phlebotomy and X-ray tech) and Medical Billing/Coding or Transcription. I am currently un ...

Nov 20, 2009

Hello! I'm hoping to get some good, sound advice about whether I should persue a career in med trans, or go back to school to finish my degree. I'm almost finished with MT school (MTEC) and plan to test/look for job(s) around February/March 2010. My boyfriend's income is our primary source of income, any I would make would be supplemental. I've been reading A LOT (perhaps too much) lately about the difficulty/hardships MTs have in making a decent living just doing MT. I ...

Nov 06, 2010

Anybody have any info on court reporting and/or scoping? ...