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

I see little has changed - Badcat

Posted: Apr 15, 2010

Well, I see not much has changed. I've been out for nearly three weeks, just flat out stopped working, I think they probably know by now I'm not coming back. Have not heard a thing from the Q about it.

But I think I've found another way to go. We have a bartending school near where I live. My sister used to bartend, I never have, but I know what she used to do. The school will teach everything about mixology and offers job placement when you graduate.

I haven't had much luck finding anything since leaving the field of medical transcription. Being an MT has "overqualified" me for simple minimum wage jobs, and it didn't really give me the training for another field.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I want to do. After 7 years of working from home, I really want to find something where I'm out of the house and meeting people again, and a bar would be a much more relaxed and friendly atmosphere than sitting in a home office worrying about my next audit or next dictator. The cost of this school will cut a bit into my savings, but if I can be working as soon as I graduate I can make the loss up pretty quickly.

My heart goes out to those of you still trapped at the Q. I hope you can find a way out soon. I'm still so relieved that I don't work there anymore.

Most of the other MT jobs I am seeing - want you to work nights

[ In Reply To ..]
and weekends anyways, so bartending wouldn't be much different, just more fun and probably pay way better.

Good For You - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
It sounds like you have a plan now. I read your post a few weeks back when you said you had reached the end. That's what happened to me. Just one thought about the bartending . . Be careful to choose a position in a nonsmoking atmosphere. You don't want to trade peace of mind only to compromise your health. That was my fist thought when you mentioned tending bar. Good luck to you. Sometimes we have to cut our losses and move on. Some things are just not worth the price we pay to hang on.

Nonsmoking - Badcat

[ In Reply To ..]
Nonsmoking??? When I started with the Q in January of this year I had been a nonsmoker since Labor Day of last year. Now I'm up to over a pack a day! I was so stressed out with the Q that the gum wasn't enough.
I am hoping now that I'm out of the transcription business that I can quit again, and fortunately, Ohio (where I live) has the smoking ban so no bars allow smoking here.

I can make good money tending bar, much better than I made in transcription, even before the profession went to pot.
Everyone thinks working at home is great. And it was at first. But as the years went on, I found suddenly that I hadn't done my hair or gotten dressed up or worn makeup in years. I didn't have a reason to do so. Why bother when I never left the house and worked from home?

I am really excited about doing this. And the best thing? My history being an MT isn't going to hold me back!

Smoking? - radityper

[ In Reply To ..]
Are you seriously blaming MQ for starting up smoking again?

why... why even do that to her - unbelievable

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Who cares what the reasoning is! Yes, some people are so stressed and a stress reliever is smoking. Does that mean it is the fault of the Q? No, it probably means she has not learned how to handle stress differently yet.

What is the matter with you?

You bet I am - Badcat

[ In Reply To ..]
You're darn right I am. I was just fine until they started this FTR crap. Not only did I start smoking again, my blood pressure went up, I was having chest pains, and my doctor was furious with me when he found out how my health had declined, all due to the stress I was under working at MQ.

I had been a smoker for a good many years, I quit last Labor Day, was using the nicotine gum. But worrying about finding work after surgery, then finding work with a company like the Q, worrying about my paycheck and dealing with the dictators and the unfair audits, I nearly went out of my mind.

Then when I stopped working it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders, my blood pressure is back to normal, and I am going to quit smoking again.

I could have put up with what the Q did if I got paid a decent wage. I started at this company 7 years ago at 00.07 cents per line. Then it was down to 0.04 for ASR, and now with FTR, could go down to 2 or 1 cpl.

What a wonderful recipe for falling off any wagon.

Badcat - radityper

[ In Reply To ..]
That's a shame. I know first hand how hard it is to quit. Under no circumstances would I want to do it a second time. Good luck.

Badcat - CM

[ In Reply To ..]
I also quit 2-1/2 years ago. I cannot even believe it has been that long.

Not a day goes by that I do not think about smoking and especially when the stressbuilds. I decided that anytime the stress got to much, I would run up and down the basement stairs until I could not breath (like 2 whole times at first--he-he) and that rapidly cured my stress as I was not willing to keep doing that.

Now, I just go for a long walk once a day (about 5 miles) and think about all the stress and leave it out there on the walk. I don't bring it back with me.

GOOD LUCK!

I blame it for weight gain also! - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Understand completely - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I know from others how hard it is to quit. Even if you smoke, being in a work environment where several other people are smoking is harmful. I am glad that is not an issue for you in Ohio. Here in PA when they finally got around to passing the nonsmoking bill they still allow it in places that get less than 20% of their money from food; at least that is what was reported on our local news station. I think you can make a good living a tending bar. I wish you the best. We all need a stress reliever; unfortunately mine has been food, especially with my mother's illness and death in November.

Bad health and bad habits - Haggard

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't smoke, but I have become a chocoholic instead. I hardly ever ate chocolate before, but now the sweets are my stress reliever of choice. In turn, I have gained weight, and fell poorly about myself. I also have trouble sleeping at night ever since the pay has gone down, down, down. I feel inadequate, depressed and tired all of the time. I used to workout everday and have a good outlook on things. I used love my job, it felt like an important job,and I was able to be there for my kids. I would like to find another job, but I feel it is best for my kids if I am athome, like right now my daughter is ill and home from school.

My world just got better - Badcat

[ In Reply To ..]
Why oh why did I never check out bartending before? This school is wonderful! It's hands on training IN A BAR and you complete it in two weeks, and they don't even take your tuition until they find you a job within a week of graduating. And depending on how many days I want to work, I can make up to 1000 dollars a week with tips, if I work in a decent place.

Most of the major restaurants in the area hire their bartenders directly through this school.

I feel like a bird out of a cage. I'll be making decent money, I don't have to stay at home all the time anymore, I'll be meeting people and be in a friendly atmosphere with people having a good time.

I think I can toss the smokes!

Snuuus is affordable - Best to you

[ In Reply To ..]
Congrats on your attempting to quit. I had to stop and send e-mail about Snuuus - 4 dollars for those little packets - cheaper than nicorette and saves your lungs, plus you get nicotine so weight gain may be minimal until you wean yourself off - during which time, you can possibly get a diet in place and exercise program. I have quit numerous times and the last time was brutal - I think cigs are different now, stronger and harder to quit. Also, congrats on new job in horizon - My mom was bartender. There are many fringe benefits - namely you meet tons of people whom you can network with. This isolating job has turned me into a spinster at 52. I am single and very lonely, becoming actually cranky and depressed from lack of social life - am just too tired when off work to do much at all. Making 55 grand a year used to make this worth it but not, at under 30 grand a year, not so as a single person.

I am so sorry we all are having to go through this. I have worked beside you all for 30 years and though I knew changes were to come, never thought we'd be scammed (working for minimum wage with a wealth of information in our heads). Seize the Day!

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