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

Ok....give it to me STRAIGHT! - Hopeful MT

Posted: Dec 07, 2011

I have been considering going to Andrews to become an MT for and I have never done it because I get on these boards and get scared to death! I have worked in the Medical field for 13 years (as a clinical tech and surgery....included in that is some limited transcription and scribing). I now stay home with my kids. I have one in school and the other in pre-school. I would love to be an MT because I love the medical field and I would love something I can do from home. I do not expect to get rich. I dont expect benefits. I don't expect the job to be easy. All I am looking for is something I can do to better the household income. Am I being unreasonable? If I do this will I be able to find a job? I want to do this....but I freak out every time I get on here.

So please....give it to me straight!!!!

It's like this...would you pay to go to school to - pearl

[ In Reply To ..]
become a telephone operator? (a defunct position). We don't know WHERE MT will be in a few years. Most MTs are trying to hang on to their jobs, but one by one, India is getting them. I was unemployed 8 months because my account went overseas. Found another job...in less than 6 months again lost the account I was on. I'd invest my money into a more secure career.

Nobody knows how you will do - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
There are as many success stories as failure stories. People are different. Employers are also different. When you put all that together, nobody has a clue whether you will do well or not. It would be great if there were a way to know how you are going to do in any course or on any specific job. Sometimes you just have to make a decision and give it the best you can. You'll definitely learn things. You may find that you don't enjoy it. Nobody knows..

Find something else; MT is doing the death rattle. - CareerMT

[ In Reply To ..]
And to think I always wanted to become a surgical tech! :)

Seriously, thanks to offshoring, VR, and EMR/EHR, MT will be defunct in 5 to 10 years. If you're looking for something longterm, MT is not the deal. No doubt some MTSOs here will go on the attack and INSIST that you will just "evolve" into something else: an editor (3 CPL) or a scribe ($9 per hour, and that is of course on site).

Even NOW, as MT is a dying industry, the jobs are fewer and further between, conditions just get worse and worse, and the pay gets lower and lower.

If I were you I would find something that is GROWING, not in decline. Perhaps there is a niche out there that only you can uniquely fill. Find out what the NEW trends are.

Wishing you the best. :)

HopefulMT - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Okay, here it is straight: I have never, ever seen an Andrews grad have any difficulty getting a job. As a former MTSO, I would never hesitate to hire an Andrews grad. Most Andrews grads I know had 2-3 job offers BEFORE graduating, even in this economy. You have to remember that there are a lot of "institutes" and "schools" that are little more than matchbooks that promise the world to would-be MTs, who foolishly believe them and enroll. MTSOs have gotten their number over the years and we will no longer hire from these schools, as the students are so ill-prepared. Then these poor souls come on here, realizing that they don't have a job and they aren't likely to get one. Not so with Andrews. Trust me, MTSOs (and I know many) clamor for Andrews grads. Congratulations--you choose well. (And no, I do not now nor have I ever had any sort of relationship with the school other than to admire its grads. Quality does count and whoever runs Andrews knows this well, and teaches it, too.)

GO INTO MEDICAL BILLING! - oaf

[ In Reply To ..]
Being an MT is a real crap shoot. But Medical Billing seems to be always needed or coding... My pay has decreased and decreased. I really don't see a big future here - even if you are going to a great school!

Billing is going to go the way of the dodo also - nm

[ In Reply To ..]

what I mean is this... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Computer systems are so well integrated at this point that ICD9 codes are married to the diagnoses that the MD selects at the point of patient encounter.

Billing will become a function performed via the electronic medical record.

Billing is not the same thing as Coding - Please see message

[ In Reply To ..]
I won't go into a long explanation here, but there has been a lot of discussion among the coding pros on the coding board here. It's easy for people to get confused about the differences between coding and billing. There's a big difference.

There are expert coders that can explain a lot better than I can. Just ask over on the coding board. They are very helpful.

Go for it! - flower

[ In Reply To ..]
Don't let this board get you down. Most of the happy MTs never come here. I know I didn't when everything was running smooth for me. I think I have found a company I will be happy again at now. Since you aren't a single parent and you just want to help out in the household, this would be a good career for you. The one thing to remember is that you will more than likely be an editor and not a transcriptionist. It stinks, but that's how it is going, so you must know this in advance. You may have enough experience now where you don't need to go to school. You should apply and see. I still thinking transcribing/editing is a lot better than some jobs out there plus you get to stay at home. I understand that those who are most unhappy have found that their pay has been significantly cut and I understand their frustration. I'm still fairly new to it so I never experienced the mega bucks people were used to getting. I am fine with the income I have now. I make as much now as I did as an office LVN, but I get to work at home and be home when my daughter gets out of school. That is priceless.

see For the Record article in Nov 21 issue - Ayn

[ In Reply To ..]
Cover story - "An Uncertain Future"

http://www.fortherecordmag.com/archives/112111p10.shtml

Straight talk - ERMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I would discourage anyone from spending time or money to enter this field. I have what I DID consider a very secure hospital job but with Epic on the horizon, I'm very nervous for my security. Reluctantly, I'm looking into other careers myself.

I think there will be a need for some form of medical transcription for a while yet, but there are too many of us out here that will be scrambling for work once Epic is here full force.

Court reporting and related occupations - wrkn4pnuts

[ In Reply To ..]
I suggest looking into court reporting and captioning. There are self-paced programs out there if you prefer that route. I am going back to school. Fed up with MT. Used to be a decent job, but no more.

Steno medical transcription - wrkn4pnuts

[ In Reply To ..]
Sorry - messed up the link in my previous post. Here it is below.

My 2 cents - SN

[ In Reply To ..]
Go into nursing school. You will have the freedom to choose where you work and what hours/days you take. Much better field than BS transcription work.

I guess I am the minority here...sm - wasHappyMt

[ In Reply To ..]
I went into trascription for the same reasons you are considering it. I also went to Andrews. I think if you get in with the right company you can do well. I was with eTransPlus for a year before the buyout. I did very well. I had consistent work and they paid me well. I had benefits and PTO. I was able to get a flexible schedule and loved the company. Since then, I divorced and I still was able to make a living. Aft being bought out by MedQuist, things started going downhill, so I got out of there. I start with a new company in a week, and I am looking forward to it. It is all a matter of finding the right company to work for. Andrews will give you the training you need to be able to get a decent job. You will not have to settle for the 6 or 7 cpl some companies are offering. Also, MTs will always be needed. It will not matter if everything goes to voice rec. There will always be a need for a human ear to clean up computer reports. I say go for it.

A nurse friend of mine would definitely disagree with you - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
My friend who has been an RN for years is so desperate to get out of nursing because of the heavy physical demands and the horrible schedules. She is going into coding. She says her health is at risk because she works long hours and is in trouble if she sits down to take a break.

Re; Nursing - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
A friend of mine who is a registered nurse quit nursing and got her MBA. The reason? She did not even have the time on her shift to take potty breaks.

Run, don't walk, away. - CMTx2

[ In Reply To ..]
We are battling India, voice recognition, desperate noob SAHMs willing to work from home for less than minimum wage, AND now EHR. It's a *terrible* idea to begin school for MT. Fifteen years ago, yes. Today? No.

And What Career Isn't Battling Its Own Problems? But We Can't Give Up. - A Little Bit of Courage

[ In Reply To ..]
For crying out loud! One would think that we've all lost all of the American spirit of being able to do things. There are too many people just throwing up their hands and giving up when the problem isn't really that easily defined. Way too many people got into medical transcription over the years because you got to work at home with your 'jammies on while you watched your soaps and talked to your friends on the phone. Those days are fast coming to a close. Things are tightening just as they are in many other fields. Job availability is beginning to sort out those who can do the work and those who never should have been doing it in the first place. During the sorting-out process, some of the good is getting thrown out with the bad. Over time this is going to settle down and there will be some very good jobs for those who are qualified for them. Some jobs will be lost. Some people who called themselves medical transcriptionists will be permanently out of work. Others will be doing very well and possibly better than ever. Don't believe everything you hear. Not everyone is failing, although some are.

I actually do agree with you. - CMTx2

[ In Reply To ..]
There are many, many good MTs out there for too few good jobs. For those, I say stay the course and do your best to get yourself into some sort of team lead position or at the very least a QA slot so that no matter what hits this industry (India, VR, further outsourcing (what I face personally), the "I-type-fast-and-want-to-work-from-home-and-will-work-for-peanuts" MTs) you're safe and even sitting pretty.

But I still think it's a very bad idea for someone starting fresh to get into this industry.

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