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

Regarding poster who said "And you contribute to the spiraling wages." - From Mercedes post below.

Posted: Nov 09, 2014

I realize you don't understand why some of us go with companies offering extremely low wages. Let me try to enlighten you (at least in my case).

1. I am 68 and physically disabled and cannot work outside my home. I am on SS, but there is no way I can live on that alone.

2. I have two specialties in MT tht I can work on comfortably and Mercedes has the both.

3. To transfer from one company to another and not have to be trained on the accounts/platform (BayScribe) was definitely a blessing.

4. There is plenty of work.

You give me a company that I can have all four, and I will gladly apply. I am too old to be trying a new specialty or platform. My DH works hard for a living and I need to have SOMETHING that makes me feel like I am contributing at least a tiny bit to the household income.

Can we get an AMEN here?!!! Good post. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
d

EXCELLENT post! - A huge AMEN

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

spiraling wages - anonie

[ In Reply To ..]
I totally agree with you. I too am on SS and need this to supplement that. I have no husband and so it helps a lot. Of course, I wish I didn't have to work so hard to get a decent wage though. I hate huge pay cuts, but at least I have a job. If it gets worse though, I may just have to give up. I do not at my age want to go to a new company to test and be told I am not qualified after being an MT for 27 years. Insulting to say the least.

I have never had any bad review in my entire career because I truly want to produce a clear and accurate transcription of a medical record.

Good luck to you the original poster and also the one who said Amen. Younger people don't understand this.

I do feel for MTs whose sole responsibility for families are having difficult times and I wish things could be better for all of us.

While I understand your plight, if you do not investigate other companies sm - Another side of the coin

[ In Reply To ..]
and simply take what is there at a ghastly low wage, you are not giving yourself enough credit or opportunity, and yes, you contribute to the wages going down. Each person that takes that kind of wage shows the other companies that they, too, can begin lowering their wages as well. I am not a "youngster." I am in my 50s and I have been an MT for a very long time. Obviously, my opinion does not matter as everyone will continue as they will, but there has to be a point that you draw a line in the sand and say "I'm worth more than that." Post your resume -- that's how I got my 2 highest paying jobs. They called me. I understand that Bayscribe is an easy platform and I love it myself, but I type in Word on my other job and that is pretty easy as well. I do wish you luck. Perhaps I am so testy about this because I had planned to work long past retirement age, but at the rate that wages are going down, by the time I'm 66 they will probably be asking MTs to pay them.

And did I say.......... - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm not young enough or able enough to "draw a line in the sand" nor do I really WANT to. Some of us are just happy to have something to do.

I don't want to "work in Word." I have the Bayscribe expander and none other. I don't want to spend money on another expander or take the time to "train" another expander.

What you don't understand is ....... I LOVE TRANSCRIPTION and want to continue doing it. No, I won't "pay them" to do it, but at my age I'd do it free.

Those of you just happy to do what you do and accepting anything sm - JMO

[ In Reply To ..]
really are part of what drives down wages, but I will post no more. I at least tried to see your side of things, but you refuse to see mine. When I started at OTI, they paid 9 cpl, then ended up at 7-1/2 cpl. They did it because they could. I personally hope that at 68 I am still ready and willing to learn -- I love learning new things -- but that is me, not you. You are content in your situation, and that is fine and obviously not my concern, but as long as people accept lower and lower wages, the wages will continue to plummet.

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