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

AM I CRAZY? I MUST BE. - Alice

Posted: Aug 23, 2013

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Albert Einstein

Well, it suddenly hit me this morning. With all the changes in this industry over the last 10 years (that's how long I've been in it), and no improvement in working conditions in sight, WHY AM I still doing it? I must be insane!

I think I must have self-hypnotized myself into thinking that if I keep looking, I'll find some MT position that pays well and always offers a high volume of work, with people who are kind and helpful and dedicated to all of us doing an excellent job for the clients, but not so as to hurt me or anyone else in the process.

Then, I found an IC position that almost fit this description. It went well for over a year. However, one day out of the blue, the doctors suddenly stopped sending dictations, with no advanced notice or signs that this change was going to occur. It turns out they had switched to point-and-click, and it seems that they didn't even tell the MTSO that this was going to happen. So, no more work. From great to nothing in one day. Of course, there's no unemployment insurance coming my way, as it was an IC position.

I'm finally starting to understand that my perfect MT job is not going to happen! If there is a good one out there, it likely won't last very long. Of course, this has happened several time to others who have posted about their experiences on this board. For some odd reason, I thought that my current job was safe from this happening.

I don't think I'll waste any more time looking for another transcription job; however, if one should pop up, I'll definitely check it out, as I do love to work as a transcriptionist from home. Of course, I admit now to being insane.

Maybe I'll start a blog. It will be about lifetime adventures, including my MT journey. Mostly facts, with some opinion included.

Please do not trust that a good MT job will continue; it all can go away in an instant. It's probably good advice to have more than one MT job at a time, if you continue to do it at all.

God bless you all.

Right there with you. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I actually had one of the rare good MT jobs, so when everyone was on here complaining, I didn't really see the problem. That job ended up losing accounts and since then I have job jumped often just to stay afloat. The same thing happened with one of my IC jobs as well, with losing it to point and click. I initially just refused to do VR, wouldn't accept a position that had it and decided finally I better give it a shot. I actually LOVE doing the VR, but I can't make any money doing it. well FINALLY I just stopped applying to MT positions altogether and only started applying for outside jobs and I FINALLY got one! I still have a part-time IC job that I do, just because I love the company and the work I do (straight typing) but if that goes away, it will be no more MT for me.

One more thing - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
One of my hesitations with finding work outside of home, outside of MT, is that I felt my MT career had always been pretty flexible, I had been "my own boss" and I honestly was afraid I would get tired of people "telling me what to do" as horrible as that sounds. Well, now that I'm out there, I find it MUCH LESS degrading than it was working for the MTSOs. Even with direct supervisors over me, it is nothing compared to basically having your work "graded" on a daily basis, being given lessons in grammar or punctuation like you are an idiot, when you basically missed it just because you MUST rush in order to make money, not because you didn't learn that in 2nd grade!! It has been truly refreshing for me. Good luck.

This is inspiring me. I am so depressed about my future, SM - MT55

[ In Reply To ..]
and I also stopped applying for MT jobs. I'd rather do something else considering the pay. I'm "graded" on a daily basis too; jump from account to account with different formats, hard to keep it all straight.

Good luck to you.

Yes, making lateral - moves

[ In Reply To ..]
from one MT company to the next is crazy and stupid. If possible, try to stick with what you have and plan escape from MT altogether.

I think a lot of us are rural... - ETOHPRN

[ In Reply To ..]
Where I live, it is VERY rural with high unemployment. If the economy is looking up in America, it's a long way away here still.

Any jobs right now are scarce. Even low-skilled jobs, if you can find them, are only part time. Many people are working several part-time jobs just to break even. Add to that, it's so rural and spread out, that the cost of gasoline is barely getting people to work in exchange for the paycheck they bring home.

It's a sad situation all around, not just for MTs. It is still very rough out there, moreso if you happen to live in an area that went into this depression already depressed.

Some of us can't move if no one will buy our house because the area stinks...not many options out there so we plug away. You gotta do what you gotta do to keep food on the table and a roof over your family's head.

Just keep going ladies! We will survive this! We are the butt wipers of the world and if that's what it takes to get the job done, then so be it!
:)

You all inspire me. - Alice

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you!

think how that MTSO must have felt though - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I know we don't usually sympathize with them, but I was speaking to the owner of a small company last month and she told me the same thing happened to her. She had dealt personally with these doctors, spoken to them on the phone and in person many times getting them set up for dictation and helping them with any problems they had, and they went to point and click and one one of the jerks, I mean doctors, even bothered to tell her it was coming. As much as it hurts her employees, you can bet it hurt her more.

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