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

Anybody Happy? - Meh

Posted: Oct 20, 2013

I am wondering if there is a single person on this forum who is an MT who is happy with their job (including the miniscule pay that would be appropriate compensation if it were around 1975 rather than 2013 or lived in another country in which one can buy a lot more with 50 cents). I think the job in terms of its duties is fine. It's just the pay that I begrudge. You can "earn" just as much being on disability SSI, which I was on before getting in this. But I'd still rather be financially independent. I never intended for this as a "career", but as a way to get off the dole for good. Hopefully, with this new more structured life, I now have more self-discipline to fulfill other things such as being a writer. But I don't think it's possible for anyone to be happy making minimum wage at a job which required going to school and if you're over the age of 18 and no longer living with your parents to have a roof over your head.

I'm not happy with my job. I don't blame my employer, sm - Rockabilly

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who is just trying to stay competitive. I'm slowly transitioning to another line of work. I'm close to 60, so I have a few years left to work.

Good to Get Out - Meh

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I think anyone with an ounce of self-respect would leave this line of work sooner or later. I suffer from social anxiety, which is why I chose this. Being an MT is not my reason for being for obvious reasons, however. I would rather have someone transcribe my DEATH SUMMARY than to have just this as a "career." MT "profession" is a joke, at least nowadays. Maybe I should move to India so I can do more with the pennies per line I'm being paid. I'm guessing 5 cents would be about equivalent 50 cents over there? So if companies outsource and pay workers there $2.00/hour, it would be the equivalent of $20.00/hour, which I think would be the actual fair pay for this kind of work, considering that it requires training and needs to be taken seriously, for patient's lives are on the line based on what is written down. Certainly, if fast-food workers are now demanding $15.00/hour, MTs should get $5.00 more, since the latter requires we pay to get trained and are expected to continually study outside of job time.

When the pay was - better,

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and you had the perks of being somewhat flexible and able to work at home, I was definitely happier. Now that it has been turned into a mind numbing, clock-in, clock-out factory type of job, not so much.

A long time ago, I worked as a delivery driver at Pizza Hut. I gotta say, not only was the $$$$ better than what I make now, but I had more responsibility, more varied and interesting job duties, had a lot of fun with my coworkers and got wayyyy more respect too.

Happy - MT

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I think there's probably a few, but you're unlikely to hear from them. I don't know if you're new here or not, but if an MT comes on and says she's happy and that she's making 1/2 way decent income, other posters will subsequently accuse that poster of 1)lying 2)being a suit and/or 3)rubbing their situation in like salt in a wound.

Personally, I hate my job and can't wait to move on. At this point, someone could pay me $100/hr and I'd still be miserable, I'm so jaded with this "career."

Wouldn't Shove It If More Money - Meh

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I wouldn't take this job and shove it if the pay was $20/hour let alone $100/hr. So it's not the job itself that bothers me but what they consider "compensation." Especially on a hot day when the sun is shining directly through the window in my office and I sweat bullets, and try to pick up speed, I feel like my home office is a SWEATSHOP. It's almost degrading to be working pennies per line. I could make it a "career" if the pay was $20/hour or more, and I'd feel more motivated to learn more medical terminology,etc. on off-work time then.

Just to say me too, miserable this summer - in my home office.

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After 4pm, any day that is 80+ F and the sun is out, it shines into the windows of my tiny home office, creating horrific working conditions. AC is no help at all, because who can afford to run it enough to make a difference?

This summertime made work very, very difficult for me. Each new job was like torture to get through. Each hour was like torture to get through.

I like MT work per se. But I do hate working at home under these conditions, clocking in and out like an automaton, no schedule flexibility anymore, monitored for LPH, monitored for quality, monitored for percentage of hands-on-keyboard time, etc. I don't mind being monitored for quality but the rest, come on, lighten up, MTSO!

However, that said, on the days when I am more physically comfortable, I can really enjoy my work, even though the pay is rotten!

Before anyone says, quit complaining, get an outside job, etc., yes, yes, I going back to school for Health Informatics, and am indeed looking for a better paying and outside-the-home job!

Why the dislikes? - reader

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Just curious.

I suppose - Maybe

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that I am not unhappy...I'm still making a good living,even tho it's less than it was 5 years ago. I like my work. I'm still undecided about my job, and I know there's a lot of uncertainty. At 58 years old, I haven't that much longer until I can make retirement decisions. I'm of the opinion that ICD10 implementation may change the MT landscape so I'll hold on until that, and that will be okay given my age. I can collect 401K benefits at 59-1/2. I think that the only thing that I can count on is that things will change.

I don't dread going to work yet. When I do, I'll stop.

I'm happy. MT from 1987-2003 and - alice

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then 2005 to present. I make much, much more than minimum wage, do straight typing and make my own hours on a great account. However, despite all that, I'm exploring other avenues of employment because this likely won't last.

i am happy, hope it lasts - MTMT

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I finally got my "dream job" last year. I have assigned doctors, straight typing, lots of pull-in lines doing a specialty clinic. Finally making decent money. I still have a little ways to go before I can think about retiring, so I'm hoping this will last until then.

Good luck on your writing!

MT Happy - LinK

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I'm very happy working for a local cardiologist at home straight typing. I work Mon-Friday, great benefits and 4 weeks PTO. None of the doctors want to go to VR so hopefully I'll continue to work here for a very long time.

Haven't been happy since I started editing this gibberish. - Loves2Type

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Used to truly enjoy my job.

Add me to the - Unhappy list

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I just applied for a Medical Assistant job at a local hospital for a rheumatologist, and it's one of a few that are on my list for which to apply.

I've also considered Cosmetology School and cake decorator in a local bakery! I'm ready to enjoy my job, not dread, like I used to enjoy MT!

I love my job. I even love doing SR more than regular transcription - BUT

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I hate the reduced pay of SR.

I also hate the micromanaging. I hate if one job is drawn that i happen to make a critical error on I get 3 cents per line line held until someone decides i've done well enough I can have my pay back. It's a sickening practice.

Really happy - B

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I have been an MT since 2006. I am on my 3rd company. I am extremely happy. I do straight typing with a lot of work available, good CPL, a company that does not send work overseas, great people, feel appreciated. I am making more than I ever have. I had to work my way up in this company to get the CPL I get now. I am on a special MT support team. We float and go from account to account where needed. It's a lot of specifics to learn, but once you learn them, you are okay, and I look at it like job stability to be able to work different accounts. I realize the industry has changed a lot over the years and anything can happen at any time, but I am crossing my fingers to be able to do this for a while to come and want to encourage people that good companies are out there, but you might have to work your way up...just like any field.

i am!!! happy and lucky and grateful - pbj

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nm

How Come? - Meh

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You must be kidding, right? I am referring to the MT job itself including the amount of payment. I'm not referring to anything else you might be happy with and grateful in your life. Just the MT job? How could you be happy and grateful--unless you compare it to being unemployed and without food or shelter or living in your parents' basement?

Transcription has been outsourced. Past tense. How can we - be happy when sm

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we compete with Indian labor in terms of wages? It isn't possible. They will work for $30 a day. Up until 2008, I made $20+ an hour and had for 15 years. So now I'm just suppose to live on $12 an hour because an MTSO wants the other $10 I used to make? And I'm suppose to just sit here and keep doing this thing and let them have the money I had the other day? Whut?

What I don't understand is why every single person hasn't left MT already. The culture of working in isolation for an MTSO is soul-killing. They take advantage of the isolation. It is amaaazing that people even debate whether or not to be IC's or employees. OMG. You have absolutely no rights as an IC and all kinds of rights as employees. That's why some of the jerk MTSO's steer everyone that direction. When your job gets outsourced to India or to an EHR, you can't get unemployment. You can't get retraining. You can't get shizz. And trust me, your job is going to go away. All MT jobs are either going away or evolving into less labor-intensive modalities.

I work out in the clinic setting. They are setting up an EHR system soon. And my job will be gone again. But this time, I can watch the process and I'll know ahead of time. Last time, my job was offshored after being hired from an advertisement on this very site to train software for a new account. That went to India in 6 months. Such a burn. MTSO's are a real piece of work.

Anyway, I've worked for everyone, tested every software, worked with every big company, whether being trained in-house (later we were laid off and offered jobs with the vendor for half the money). I am now in what I believe will be my last MT job of my life. I've been taking classes and will end up as something credentialed in the medical field. Now whether that's an R.N. or a respiratory therapist or maybe I'll poop out and end up as a medical secretary for a pathology department. But whatever it is, it will have more permanence and stability than anything I have seen in MT since 2008. There is no way I can be happy until I bring that fundamental and precious thing back. Stability. MT hasn't been stable or promising or fair for a few years.

Pretty Ridiculous - Meh

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Yes, the MT field is ridiculous. For the amount of pay, I should be living in India. I know why I'm in the MT field. I had a disadvantaged beginning in life, so this is the next step for me after coming off SSI. It's not like I have many options, given a history of having not worked. But I still have self-respect and expectations in spite of having no opportunities early in life. So I may be still currently working at my meaningless, underpaid, underappreciated MT job now, but I'm also aiming for other stuff than pays off more.

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