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

Are there any MTs that are happy with this profession? - AKP

Posted: Apr 24, 2012

I was researching this profession, thinking maybe it was something I wanted to do. But it seems like everyone already in this field dislikes their job.

Yes, there are - All Ears

[ In Reply To ..]
They just don't have time to read this forum very often.

I've been working about 18 months since graduating and I really enjoy what I do.

Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? - AKP

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So far everyone I've "chatted" with had such a negative outlook. I'd really like to know what you did differently.

Ask away! - All Ears

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But I think I can forestall a few:

1) Choose the right school. For me it was Andrews. MTec or CareerStep are also good choices.
2) Be persistent. I applied at over 300 places online and just kept going.
3) Be aware. It's easier to get hired at some times of the year than others. January is usually a good time. Middle of the summer, not so much.
4) Be positive. When I was a student, this board scared the crap out of me. What was I paying good money for? But as others have said, this is a very small microcosm of the total MT picture. People who are working steady usually don't stop here often or for long. I haven't checked here in a few months. I'm too busy working!

Anything else? ;)

Yes, - AKP

[ In Reply To ..]
well, just two more, since you answered all the others. Do you work for MTSO or are you IC?
Are you working all day just to make decent $$ or is your schedule pretty flexible?

Thanks for taking the time.

To Each Their Own...... - smeeps

[ In Reply To ..]
IMHO, I think a lot of the MT here, went to school, and thought they'd be able to work from home right away (I know, I thought that myself). That isn't the case, as most of us know. However, I find it a very rewarding position in that, from the reports I type, I learn something new every day. It may not make me millions, but I'd rather be paid less and be happy in a career I like, that make a lot of $$$ and be miserable. Again, just my honest opinion.

Still love my job and my MTSO :-) - Hayseed

[ In Reply To ..]
I think I'm one of the few lucky ones though, still able to do just straight typing and I have a great employer who just leaves me alone to do what I'm paid to do.
:)

You got it, Hayseed... - MT2er

[ In Reply To ..]
Best MTSO I've ever worked for. Even better than a lot of the in-house jobs I've had. I actually look forward to signing in every day, and it had been a long time since I'd felt that way before I found this MTSO, that's for sure!

Good health benes too?? nm - curious Georgia

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x

Like Hayseed - Love my job and my MTSO - still happy after all these years

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Many years down the road as an MT and still love it.

love my job - lewis

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the magic word, please who do you work. for.

Not everyone dislikes MT, but it is definitely a - changing field

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I think a lot of the issues come about with pay and there are several significant issues with very valid concerns. MTs who have been doing this for a number of years remember the halcyon days when they were making 12 or 13 cpl and now we're lucky to get 8 or 9 for straight typing.

Voice recognition has made huge inroads into the industry and people are STILL buying the pablum that it can be done at twice the speed and so therefore we should be paid half of the rate than typing. That's a load of crap, but it's what is going on right now.

The MT schools are still graduating new MTs in a hard market and that helps to drive rates down even further - that's basic economics. If you have a glut of a product (with the MT being the product) you don't need to pay as much for it.

You've got MTSOs such as M*Modal and Nuance who concentrate on off shore staffing as opposed to USA staffing and that adds even more to the equation.

Point and click based EMRs are further eroding away at the need for transcriptionists.

Okay, having said that, there is still a viable career in being a transcriptionist. You may not make a lot of money your first year because no matter how good your school is, the real world is very different and it takes a little bit to get your sea legs under you. You can make decent money, though...depending, of course, on what your definition of decent is. I average $23 per hour. I have been doing this for 4.5 years now and make a little bit more than 8 cpl on a straight typing account.

It depends on what you want out of life. I have been in a field where I was making a lot more money than I am now, but I was MISERABLE and, quite frankly, suicidal at one point. No amount of money is worth that. I like being able to do my own thing and at my own pace. I work for an MTSO that does not require a schedule or time sheets yet I am an employee, so I have the best of both worlds.

One thing to keep in mind is that the people who post on this board are a very small microcosm of the MT world in general. Companies like M*Modal and Nuance didn't get to be as big as they are without thousands of MTs working for them, so at least some of them have to be happy and making a good living.

My own personal philosphy is that if you hate something so badly, you need to figure out something else to do with your life. Nothing is worth that kind of misery.

To be a good MT, you have to be willing and wanting to learn all the time. I learn something new every day. You have to be a good researcher and not just look at the first link that Google pops up. You have to be a self starter and pretty disciplined. It is very easy to get distracted when you're working from home or have that really boring dictator who is putting you to sleep (my post right now being the PERFECT example of that...) There are many posts where people talk about family members, neighbors, etc., who constantly interrupt their day or want them to do something while they should be working. Somehow, sitting at home at your computer is not perceived as work to some people. You have to be pretty firm in those areas.

It's all too easy to just go throw a load of laundry in, clean that dish in the sink, take a nap, even. Before you know it, it's 8 pm and you still have 1300 lines to get done for the day.

On the plus side, there's very little office politics and the commute is a breeze.

I firmly believe that 5 years from now there will still be a need for medical record editors. I'm not sure how much actual transcription will stil be done. There will always be a need for some human intervention at some point, but exactly how that will take place is in constant flux right now. There certainly won't be a need for as many people as are in the industry right now, and hopefully the MT schools and programs out there will realize that and adjust accordingly.

Will you make as much money as some people did 10 years ago? Nope. Those days are gone. Can you still make a decent living at it? Yes, I think you can.

Great post! - LeavingMT

[ In Reply To ..]
As my screen name indicates I am leaving, this time the industry. Been at this all of my adult life, went to school, externed, graduated with honors, and loved it. But I am resentful of the fact my income is a lot less (not 50% but nearly so) since SR took over, my national would PREFER blanks because it's easier to fire ONE MT than lose an account, and I don't need the stress. My first year I made $15K MORE than my 2011 return.

But when you love it, you love it. I still remember being excited about new reports (yes I know it sounds lame), and new platforms, new hospitals (well to be honest I still love that as I love a challenge). I think if you love it, like changing field indicates, the money will be okay. Obviously don't expect to be raking in $50K a year, although for some that is possible (I do know 2 or 3 ladies IRL that do working for services).

I am very blessed to have been able to be part of the community, was a local member and secretary for years for AAMT, was in QA, ran a queue (not a supervisor), and it was heady and fun for me. Now it's not. It's time for me to leave and let you all have at it :)

Good luck newbies! And I think I'm old old dog who doesn't want to learn a new trick, because there are dogs that do :)

Agree with a lot of what Changing Field say, - however,

[ In Reply To ..]
This skills developed for this work are FAR too narrow and limited for job security in a constantly changing world. I cannot recommend it to anyone who would be hurt by suddenly finding himself out of work and needing to extensively retrain for other work.

Agreed - LeavingMT

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I found I got MORE interviews by leaving work experience off my resume as far as retail and entry level admin jobs.

Been an MT for 20 years and still loving it - HappyMT

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You'll read assorted tales on this board from posters with varying degrees of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their jobs.

"Mileage varies" applies here. I believe some of us are quite content and have been fortunate to land very nice opportunities with good companies, whereas others have not been so fortunate.

As with most anything else in life, IMO, it is whatever you choose to make it to be. If you find yourself in a situation you aren't happy with, be proactive and find a situation you will be happy with. If you find a situation that makes you happy, hang onto tight with both hands and don't let it slip away.

It's a coin toss, really. I'm sure many of us are equally qualified; we just happened to be in the right place at the right time to find our MT "home" sooner than others.

Good luck, whichever way you decide to go.

Loving being an MT. sm - mtlt

[ In Reply To ..]
I was a CNA working in a nursing home for two years. I loved that job and I won't get into the details about why I don't still work at that home. I took an MT program and learned that I really knew as much from working in the field and actually using the medical terminology as what the course was trying to teach. I also have scoliosis, so MT is actually a much better choice for me because I don't have to go through the back pain with lifting the residents. I have a great working relationship with my boss and she works with me to take care of any issues that might come up. I had worked for a company as both a legal and medical transcriptionist before this company and they literally made you feel stupid and were constantly asking questions that would imply that you were stupid without actually coming out and saying it. (Not just me, I networked with others that worked for them as well.) A lot of how happy you are in this field depends on who you work with/for, their patience when you are learning a new platform, and feeling comfortable with where you are and the amount of work. Sometimes I am swamped with work and other times I don't have so much to do, but I just talk with my boss and she usually just tells me to take a deep breath and take it one report at a time. Sometimes I still feel a little overwhelmed, but having an understanding boss really helps out.

Content - Grateful

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I am content being an MT. As was stated above, I too, love learning. The pay rate is not so good. But, I used to travel to a very stressful job (air traffic controller) where stress and tension were ever present. I work for a company that treats me like an adult and does not nit-pick but demands solid reports. Just enough stress to give me motivation.

I'm happy! - MT of 6 years

[ In Reply To ..]
Ya know, I think it's about perspective...from where you have been to now. My personal story is that I am a former teacher. This sounds really good to nonteachers, summer's off, weekends off, holidays off...but to anyone who has ever worked in the inner city for 10 years, you know the stress is to the roof!! I love being an MT because I am able to work independently, and I don't have to manage others' behavior. That is hard to do! I take pride in what I do and try to do it well. I love learning things in the medical field too. My advice is for people to do their research on things and then trust themselves not strangers on a forum. I graduated from Career Step when everyone was saying how terrible it was...got a good education and have never had a problem getting a job in the MT field. I am on my third MTSO. I work for one now where my pay is 8.3 cpl straight and 3.8 cpl editing. I see many wouldn't take that job, but there are so many more variables you need to look at. My platform is good, so I can go fast. My QA is great, not nitpicky. My manager is great. I am able to get time off (with or without pay or just switching my days here and there) with no problems. I have good insurance. I am paying into a 401K with a partial match. I'm not exactly where I want to be in pay, but I see potential to get better and keep going up. Sometimes I miss my students and working with young people, sure, but I wouldn't go back to that stress for anything voluntarily! Only if I have to! There are happy MTs...really!

And also...I forgot... - MT of 6 years

[ In Reply To ..]
If you are somewhere running out of work constantly, your LPH doesn't matter much. I always have plenty of work, and that is over half the battle in this line of work. I would not stay where they didn't have enough work.

happy with this profession? - jane

[ In Reply To ..]
yes, for now, but i don't think it will last very long in its present condition. the demand for ehr for one thing, also voice recognition which has cut the need for it. maybe editing etc will be around a while. as i am 71 now and working for a doctor who does not want to change and can be difficult to understand due to yawning, mumbling etc, will just hang in there until it plays out or i do. if i hadn't been working for this clinic since 1994 and was used to his speech patterns i couldn't do it. have beenasked about getting into this profession, my reply was if you want to work very long, don't do it.

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