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

I just started working for a company with VR - lm

Posted: Oct 17, 2011

I started working for a company 2 weeks ago and it's about 99% VR, so I just edit all day. Sometimes I would rather type it because it would be faster than editing. Other times it is faster to just edit it. The problem is, it is going to take at least the length of the recording to get the job done either way, but with VR I'm being paid only 4 cents a line. It's the same work for less than half the pay I had before with straight typing. I just calculated up what I made in the last 2 weeks and it is pathetic. How can I increase my productivity and pay with this arrangement?

Wish I could help, but . . . - LK

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm facing the same problem as you very shortly. I've been working for the same company for 3 years, straight transcription only, earning a reasonable paycheck. They are now converting all their accounts to VR, and the writing is on the wall, so I plan to get out. Not sure what I'm going to do, but I'm looking. I don't want to do VR for peanuts, and won't. It's either straight transcription or a new field altogether. It's been a good few years, but my company is now going down the VR toilet too.

Why do people put up with this VR crap? - NUTS

[ In Reply To ..]
I will never, under any circumstances, give in to VR and $.04 a line for my skills. I can't imagine why qualified, intelligent MTs are wasting their time making below minimum wage to do this crap work.

The two companies I work for at the moment have ditched VR in the past couple of years. Everyone quit! I put up with it for about 4 months when I realized the VR technology was not there, all of the reports required retyping, and the ONLY entity who derived any benefit from this oversold piece of crap technology was the MTSO - they got to pay everyone below minimum wage and sold us a big story that we'd make much more money, at least the same money, but they forgot to tell us we'd have to work 16-hour days to make the same money.

Anyway, both companies decided the technology wasn't there and ditched it. If they EVER go back I'll quit immediately. Editing is tedious, boring, physically challenging on the hands, and completely thankless work.

Don't put up with this crap and BS about VR!

Totally agree - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I won't do VR either. My company is mostly VR but I refuse to do it. I have a nice typing account and if it goes to VR, I will look elsewhere for work, probably not in this field. It is funny you said your company ditched it. Most companies are thrilled to make a fortune off it while their employees suffer. It never was and never will be a good thing, no matter who says it is. Unfortunately, the hospitals seem to only care about making huge profits too and don't care about us. The VR scam has taken hold of the industry and I hope I am around when it falls in on them. Of course, I won't be doing it, but just want to be alive when it blows up in their faces. People are too scared to refuse to do it. I can understand we all need jobs but that is not a job, it is a scam. If the day comes that I have to do it or keep my job, well I guess I will hit the pavement. Unfortunately, there are not enough people to put their feet down and refuse to do it.

Just say no - I agree - LK

[ In Reply To ..]
You are so right about putting your foot down, and that's what I'm doing at my company. I'll continue straight typing as I am. Supposedly all our accounts our going to VR, so I guess I'll be hitting the road soon. I've already told them I won't tolerate a cut in my paycheck of any kind and will be out the door if that happens. I hope others will do the same.

too bad - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
everybody doesn't refuse to do it. That is the reason why the companies are getting away with it. People are scared to stand up for themselves and be fired. In my opinion, I would rather be fired than to do work that will cause me to lose my house or whatever. Besides that, they won't have to fire me if I am forced to do VR, I will quit. People are on here complaining about their paychecks and having to give up so much, yet they still worry about keeping a job like that. Makes no sense to me.

Makes no sense to whine and cry and lose - NUTS

[ In Reply To ..]
your house, car and livelihood to make $5 an hour just because you're scared to make a move. To me, $5 an hour, even $10 an hour, is not worth my time and efforts, especially if you're working for a company that consistently runs out of work! I guess if you're only working to make McDonald's money it's acceptable, but if you're the head of household, like myself, this is absolutely not acceptable and will not bend to this. My family deserves much more than this.

While doing VR for a few months, I worked on ONE account that was VR acceptable. The other 5 or 6 accounts were absolutely NOT VR acceptable and never changed a bit over that 5-month period of time as far as easier editing is concerned. They all still needed to be retyped at half my pay.

It's terribly disturbing that people just give in and settle for a less than minimum wage job, or take a 50% pay cut! Are you kidding me?

Oh, and my supervisor finally admitted that editing never did provide faster results, the editors never did increase production over time (any faster than straight typing), and they did not have faster turnaround times because the technology was so poor. These are the reasons they went back to straight typing. If you're a good, fast transcriptionist, not the 45-word-a-minute transcriptionist, don't put up with this crap!

To IM - you have not received any answers, but I will try - VR MT

[ In Reply To ..]
There are so many variables that what works for one MT on VR will not necessarily work for another. Having said that, I have the same doctors many times throughout they day, so I know pretty much what they are going to say at many points in the dictation. Those spots are easy because if they are not correct, I have them in my expanded type and simply delete what is there and insert the correct text. I don't know if that is possible for you.

Also, at some lull in the dictation, use that opportunity to read ahead and look for changes that you know are going to have to be made.

Lastly, you say the report will take as long as the audio anyway. If you have a pretty good dictator, one that you are used to, you might try kicking up the speed of the voice a little. You can't do this on all reports, but there are some you can get through much quicker by doing that. If you find yourself waiting for the voice to catch up to where you are, that would definitely be a plus.

Hope this helps some. Like I said, it is different for different MTs so you have to use every tool at your disposal, even your expanded type, to make it quicker for you. Good luck!

Hmm - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
maybe our answers only show up on our screens.

The solution to my VR dilemma - LK

[ In Reply To ..]
I posted above that my company is in the process right now of converting all its accounts to VR - well, I just solved my problem. I was just offered a job with a company offering an HOURLY rate (and a pretty decent one). It's not transcription, but it utilizes all my MT skills plus my past management background. I am so excited! Just saying NO to VR can work -there are other opportunities out there if you pursue them.

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