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

Question for those content and making good money - please no sarcasm - MT again?

Posted: Apr 27, 2011

I ask that you not give me all the negative feedback because I have already read that, and plenty of it. I get it. People are frustrated. I get that. I am an MT of 5 years. I went into a different career area because I have a degree in psychology and continued to do MT on the side so I wouldn't lose my skills. However, personal circumstances at home make it easier for me to work from home, and telecommuting social work is not a career option. I had a great job with a great MT company, but was only able to make about $30,000 working very hard. However, some people on here are making more, I know. I do all specialties. I would love some inbox replies from people who are HAPPY and making money for sincere help on who they are working for, if they have their own business, etc. I need honesty and transparency. I have a disabled child and so to take a leap back into MT full-time would be a risk, but I have circumstances that may be forcing me to go back into that risk, and I need the very best advice for the very best chance at success. I am really fast and had an accuracy rating of 99.8% doing all work types. I am a good MT. Considering getting my own accounts vs. another national, but concerned I can't make what I need ($40,000). Thank you in advance, and you may inbox me. Please, please do not give me all the negative junk, because I said, I read that, I get it. Something constructive is what I am looking for.

Happy and doing well here - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm very happy with my job and relatively happy with what I earn. Would I like to earn more - well, sure. Would I like to see a raise once a year for a job well done - definitely. But, overall, yes, I'm happy and earning what I think is a reasonable, fair pay and have good benefits. How my situation can help you, I don't know, though, as I don't really know all your circumstances and factors you are dealing with, your expenses, your cost of living for where you live, etc. I can tell you that I work directly for a hospital, I work from home, equipment is provided and supported by the hospital, I have great benefits (as compared to when I worked for a national and had practically no benefits). I am paid 11 cpl (no spaces), and right now do straight transcribing, no VR/SR/editing. We rotate weekends, so I am required to work 1 Saturday approximately every 5-6 weeks (taking a day off during the week in exchange, unless OT is approved).

Personally, I would recommend working for someone else (a hospital or small service is best IMO) rather than finding your own accounts. Drumming up and keeping your own accounts, maintaining your own equipment, receipt & delivery of reports, etc. can take up a lot of time, effort, etc. & self-employment tax and being self-insured will eat up any $$ you make.

I know there is a LOT of negative on these boards, but I think that is just the way such boards work. There are plenty of people out here who are happy and making a decent living.

Thank you for your comment. - angel456

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for your positive comment. They are so rare on this board. I am in the Advanced MT school about one month from finishing and I am (well to be truthful) terrified that I will not get a job or be able to keep a job. I used to work in the lab and was excellent at what I did. I hope and pray that transcribing will be fulfilling in every aspect.

Why doesn't anyone suggest where to find the better paying jobs with a decent company? - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been looking high and low for a company that does little VR and who pays a decent wage. I also am wanting to find a company that treats its people with respect. That is probably foremost as most of the companies I have heard of are incredibly rude or supply very little to know communication

Because unfortunately they don't seem to be out there - mtmom

[ In Reply To ..]
Or, all the good jobs have good retention and they don't need more people. I think Transcend is probably overall the best of all I've seen on here, but that doesn't mean that they are great, just tolerable.

Why doesn't anyone......? - Maria

[ In Reply To ..]
My boss asked me not to list our company on here again, as the last time I did, tons of newbies and wannabes flooded HR with applications. We are a mid-sized company and do not have personnel to deal with things like that. In fact, my boss prefers to recruit good MTs. Just keep trying--you are bound to find the right fit. I worked for a ghastly company (MedQuist) before leaving it for this smaller, more manageable company. And yes, I am treated with respect.

I did and was deleted - mt

[ In Reply To ..]
I was told that I was "redirecting" people from this site.

Read post "happy and doing well also" - There are good jobs out there

[ In Reply To ..]
You have to get out there and pound the pavement and not just search through the internet. More times than not, these good hospital jobs are not advertised on the internet. You need to have personal contact with them so they get to know you so that when the jobs open up and before they are posted in the hospital job postings, you have a shot at them. This is how I found 2 good hospital jobs that never would have been posted anywhere except the internal hospital job postings.

It takes some work on your part, but if you want the good jobs that is what it takes. I know several MTs who landed accounts of their own or hospital/clinic employee MT jobs by going door-to-door in person. It seems this is something that many young people are unwilling to do as it is too much work and takes too long, but then complain about not being able to find a decent-paying MT job. JMHO

Because unqualified people with poor or no training at all will apply - Experienced MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Most of us have seen what happens when someone talks about a company they like. Literally hundreds of unprepared and unqualified applicants bog down the system so those who do have good MT education, training, and/or experience are lost in the stacks of resumes. It costs companies time and money. The people who have the right skills for the job suffer because they have to wait while recruiters go through and sort out the good from the bad.

Then when HR starts checking references, even some of those seemingly good resumes turn out to be false. An MT here or there never really graduated from the school they claim to be a graduate of or maybe never really even attended at all, but when confronted about it say it's no big deal, "you just listen and type what you hear, so it couldn't be that hard, right?" Unqualified people still believe that.

That is why most of us say that it isn't wise to give out information about companies you like. You are doing them no favors. The qualified MTs will find them.

I'm happy foir you! bet they talk to you with resect and don't play games. - used to have that, looking for it again.

[ In Reply To ..]
ideal situation. never let it go.

Have you looked into human resources? - mter

[ In Reply To ..]
They do a lot of research online and a lot advertise home-based business. Look up telecommuting jobs. A psych degree is a good overall degree that businesses value.

MT Again - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
I sent you an e-mail. Perhaps I can help.

Happy and doing well also as above poster - There are good jobs out there

[ In Reply To ..]
working directly for a hospital after 10 years working for a service, a couple of years as IC with my own accounts, and a couple of years working for someone with their own accounts. I have good benefits and great pay compared to working for a service or as IC. I think that is the only way to make a decent wage in this profession now. These jobs are far and few between, but they are out there. You just have to find a hospital that still has in-house transcription and monitor their job postings for MT openings and jump on them quickly.

What I did was found a local rual hospital (about 30 minutes drive from me) and went there in person and talked to the medical records supervisor. I kept checking back in person and talking with her and eventually she tested me. I had to wait almost a year because they had 6 long-time MTs (4 of whom worked from home) who were not going anywhere, but then someone retired and, because I had kept in contact in person, was offered the job. I had to work in-house for about 3 months first before they allowed me to work from home, but it was well worth the commute and I absolutely love my job there.

While I was waiting for this job to open up, I also worked on the side as a backup MT (for vacations, sick leave, etc) for another local hospital while still working for a service full time. I got this the same way, by going there in person and talking to the medical records department. This was not an at-home position and work was sporatic, but it was a good reference with excellent networking opportunity, not to mention that the pay for a few days' work was more than I made in a week at my full time job with the service.

Granted, but not everyone lives close to a hospital - MT is not like other jobs

[ In Reply To ..]
In other fields of work, people who don't live near the job they want either move closer to it or they don't get that job. In MT, we assume that we can apply for jobs anywhere in the country, and we can, because we are able to work at home. That's a very good thing about MT. Not everyone lives close to a hospital and in fact, some live in areas where there are no jobs of any kind. MT is perfect for those kinds of situations, even if there isn't a hospital nearby.

I agree though that if you do have a hospital near you, it may be worth it to go in-house, if you get better benefits and higher pay. You have to ask yourself what is most important to you, the ability to work at home so you can be available to your family for emergencies, oversee family members with disabilities or special needs, or work on-site where you are likely to have better benefits. Another great thing about MT is, it isn't a one-size-fits-all occupation.

Like I said, - Happy and doing well

[ In Reply To ..]
I had to drive 30 minutes (long way for me) to the nearest hospital for a few months, but working from home now for them and the pay was worth it. A lot of hospitals are sending their MTs home to work, saves them money. I would have been willing to drive even further to secure a hospital job like I have now with over double the pay you get working for a service if the job could be done from home after initial training period.

The point of my post was that good jobs are out there, you just have to get away from the computer to find them as the good-paying work-from-home MT jobs are often not advertised.

I agree that MT is not a one-size-fits-all occupation and that is great and that everyones situation is different.

I've worked in hospitals 13 years in the greater Chicago area - when there were no at home MTs. we drove.

[ In Reply To ..]
Chicago direct, surrounding suburbs, and across the border into Indiana. U never really lived near a job, but communted. Just like everyone else. Car, bus, train, sometimes hour commute one way.

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