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

Really Getting Frustrated and Depressed - cjrenfer

Posted: Oct 08, 2010

I have been a stay at home mom since my son was born. During that time I also became a cancer survivor(ovarian). When my son started kindergarten, I decided to go back to school. Since medical transcription is really the only legitimate work you can do from home, I decided to go that route. I was amazed at the schooling and surprised at how well I did. I thought for sure, being an older student and out of the education loop for a while that I wouldn't do well. But I surprised myself. I really like the listening and typing. I read all the literature from the dept of bureau statistics saying the job field of transcription is expected to grow. I was psyched. Now, I keep wondering if my recruiter just needed me to top his recruitings for the month. Yes, I did get a great education. Yes, I believe this is the field for me. But this job hunt is becoming such, that I am pulling my hair out. Who needs 1 yr experience, 2 yrs. etc. and the endless rejections. Or better yet, the ones who don't get back to you at all. I hope it gets better. SOMEONE tell me it will get better

Your post reminded me of a school locally who passes everyone - because otherwise they might stop paying

[ In Reply To ..]
It isn't your situation at all, but it just reminded me. In fact, the instructors had a huge yelling and screaming incident out in the hallway where the students could hear them. The administrator or owner or whatever had just told them not to fail anyone, because they might quit and the school would lose the money. Several teachers started saying they wouldn't teach that way, but they either did or they had to quit. So the school lost the good teachers and kept the bad students. Something was really wrong there and I wonder if that may be happening in many other schools.

I had a friend who is a great MT and applied to work at a community college - See below

[ In Reply To ..]
They told her they were so impressed with her skills and knowledge, etc., and wanted her to run that program. After she accepted, they told her what books and materials she would be using and exactly how much time she would spend on each. She got to make no decisions at all. The people who made the decisions barely knew what medical transcription is. They made some horrible decisions for her, so she quit. They had to hire someone with less experience and fewer skills who would be willing to make those shortcuts in the students' training. I think this is another trend across the country. The administrators, who have no idea what MT is all about, make all the decisions, and they are very bad decisions.

Not just in MT - Sandi

[ In Reply To ..]
I used to work as a clinical instructor for a CNA program in SC and was told to pass students regardless of their skills and just let the facilities train them the way they want and to pass students who did not attend long enough to get their required hours of training in, that only I and those students would know. Not true, all the other students in that student's class and everyone they told would know. This was a technical school teaching a government funded program. I had to quit because I could not teach that way. It is not fair to the students, the facilities they may go to work for, the clients they may care for. It is certainly a bad reflection, in my opinion, on the school. Not only that, these students were doing clinical while working under my nursing license. I had a responsibility to make sure they could perform required skills. Then a new program manager comes along and simply says pass everyone. The school was more interested in the money than the quality of education as had previously been provided by myself and another instructor. And, yes, this same school also has an MT program. It seems the quality of education is not as important these days as it was back in may day and I don't think today's studens, whatever their age, deserve that in whatever program of study they choose. So, I certainly agree with you ladies. Just my opinion.

The best and most qualified teachers won't teach in those colleges due to - what you described

[ In Reply To ..]
That's why graduates of those schools have so much trouble getting jobs. The employers know these things. They've already been burned.

I saw that happened in our town. The school went out of business finally, but it took years of watching them turn out poorly-trained graduates and want people to hire them. We didn't really know why they were so bad until they closed and the word got out that they had no standards!

I feel the same way - jj

[ In Reply To ..]
I understand what you are saying, I feel the same way. I choose to take classes in this field in order to supplement my husbands income and be able to stay home with my boys. Now I am thinking that all the information I was told about how this field is growing was false. I have only been on the job hunt for a few weeks now but I am feeling very discouraged. I am throwing around the idea of trying to find work through a local office but I don't know if I can work from home if I do that. Anyway, good luck, I hope you find something soon!

This field seems like it is disappearing - jd

[ In Reply To ..]
I have found that after that last 10 years, there is absolutely no work out there. If there is, it is the bottom of the barrel and it is not a quality employer. I just lost my job after 7 years with the same company. It was sold and taken apart into pieces. All gone. Very discouraging. I have been looking for over 4 months now to find something else and there just is nothing out there.

Frustrated and Depressed - MTC

[ In Reply To ..]
I certainly understand where you are coming from and have been there myself. My advice to you is if this is something you really want to do, don't give up. My adviser/instructer said the same thing. The jobs are there, just hard to find. Almost like looking for a needle in a haystack. I was in your shoes less than a year ago. You might want to get into a local hospital, the ole foot in the door. Take anything that comes along to get the experience. I started as a transcription clerk transcribing EKGs for a year. I got frustrated because they would not let me move to a transcriptionist. I could edit the work, correct the work, give the work, handle the doc complaints, just not be a MT. That said, I left and took the first MT job for a neuro doc. He was hard to work with and the hours were not enough. I gave that up and am working at home for a local small company. Mail out those resumes almost daily to every office in town, call daily, and most of all tell everyone you are looking. Most physicans office are word of mouth. They do talk to each other. Once you get that first job, you have something to work with and move on. I do see in house postings where I live. You may consider that to get started.

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