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

Saying Goodbye - OldTimer

Posted: Feb 21, 2013

I was an MT for over 40 years and loved it, first working in physicianâ��s offices, then hospitals, and when hospitals shut down MT department I worked at home. Unfortunately over time, this phased out for me too, as I sat by the hour waiting for work, not making enough to get by. Jobs outside the home were difficult and discriminating, I felt, because of my age. Even retirees as Walmart greeters arenâ��t so plentiful. Trying to find an answer wasnâ��t easy with bills piling up and rent overdue, so I did something I dreaded. I filed for my social security at 62. Not the best choice, believe me. I loved transcription and was never bored, learning more and more every time I placed my hands on the keyboard. Once a competitive and respectful occupation, it turned into an outsourcing money-maker for everyone but the MT working long hard hours producing documents necessary for medicine. I wanted to come here to this site, be heard, and to let all of you know how much I respect each and every one of you for hanging in there and trying to make the best of what you accomplish. My very best to you, and I hope transcription makes a true professional comeback one day as physicians and nurses tire of trying to do what we do. But, only a true MT has the knowledge of transcribing a medical report with skill, accuracy, and accomplishment. Be proud.

Thanks Old Timer - wish I were close to retirement age

[ In Reply To ..]
I have roughly 24 years of work ahead of me, but dont want to go back to school. I really have no choice, I know, but I cant decide what to do from here. This is what I know, what I wanted and where I dreamed I would be the rest of my life.

I have to get passionate about something. I just cant figure it out.

I feel the same way - jo48

[ In Reply To ..]
and I can't figure it out either. Thanks so much OldTimer! I appreciate your post very much and I agree with you 100%! Happy retirement and God Speed!

Here's what I don't get: Every day on the news, - someone is griping about - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
our country's crumbling infrastructure, its dwindling tax base, lack of jobs, and how all the soon-to-be-senior Baby Boomers are going to bleed Social Security dry with their sheer numbers. And yet ---- they look the other way when American businesses ship one job after another overseas, and then blatantly discriminate against any job-seeker over 50. I guess it hasn't occurred to any of the mental midgets running our government that keeping people working - including those at retirement age - would do more towards building our country back up again than all the speeches, posturing, lawmaking, (or breaking) or spending cuts put together. We can't go on "fixing" every other country's problems in this world, if we can't even begin to tackle our own.

I'm in the same boat as Old Timer: I'm old enough to take early SS, but am trying to keep my hands off it as long as possible. Meanwhile, I can't support myself doing MT any longer. I've always hated school, too, and although I SHOULD have considered going back 6 or 8 years ago, I held off. Part of that was because I had no idea what I wanted to do, either. MT had always been the perfect job for me, and something that I did well.

Unfortunately, in my attempts to get OUT of medical transcription, I've come to realize that all these years of becoming ever more specialized as an MT (remember when most of us used to be at least in part, "medical secretaries"?), my other office skills were on a steep decline. And now, the final insult: Computer keyboarding doesn't do that much for typing skill - it makes us sloppy (no more 4-part copies and Liquid Paper!) But the final blow came when we started doing VR. Other than emails and, of course, MTStars, how many of us even type a whole sentence anymore? I haven't copy-typed in probably 10+ years. So my workday has literally become that of staring at a PC monitor, and wiggling the mouse with one hand, pecking a few correcting letters or backspaces here and there with the other.

And surprise, surprise, when I took a employment application typing test not long ago! My speed is down FIFTY PERCENT. A skills assessment for the same company was a major ego-deflator, since I still use an ancient desktop, and run a prehistoric version of MS Word. These days, even a receptionist or an "office help" person has to know the latest version of MS Office Suite backwards and forwards. They want people with management skills, even when not applying for management positions. They want a certain amount of graphic art skills. They want their receptionists to also be bookkeepers and payroll specialists.

No wonder there were so few jobs, out of thousands, that I could even apply for, let alone stand a snowball's chance in H*** of getting hired for. So, even though I still have NO idea what I would like to do, or what to apply for, or what I'll ever end up getting, I did finally shrug my shoulders, buy a bookpack, and dragged my no-spring-chicken butt back to school to learn how to use the tools I'll need to do whatever job it is I finally land. (I hope). And with how constantly business software keeps changing, I've pretty much resigned myself to having to STAY in school, at least periodically, to be able to keep up.

At least I feel like what I'm doing is sort of a win-win situation. It may not guarantee me a job, but at least it'll give me more opportunities to get one, if I can do PowerPoint, Excel, or MS Word _______ (fill in the future year of your choice). At the very least, I'm already finding out how to use certain word processing features on my "Prehistoric MS Word, 200 BC" version that's on my computer.

APPLAUSE! Good for you. - IAMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Best of luck to you in your computer classes and future job search.

Saying goodby - Kitty Lady

[ In Reply To ..]
I know how you feel. I am waiting until July to take my 1/2 of my husband's social security until I turn 66 which will be about $1000 minus taxes and then I will continue to work at my part time job which pays more money. The job is a checker in a grocery store and since I live in a community that depends on seasonal work the hours vary quite a bit--can be 39 hours or less than 20 but can't make my bills on that.

Aldi's is hiring cashiers and I am going to apply but no confidence I can get that job as I am 61 and they will hire young people first. Every time I go into that store, I see younger people everywhere and no gray haired old ladies. Oh well, ces't la vie.

I'll be there too pretty soon - - Holding out

[ In Reply To ..]
I have five years to retirement and full Social Security. So far my position has been pretty secure, but there have been huge upheavals in the network I work for and just a few months ago we almost got outsourced. I'm praying they don't do anything drastic for five more years.

I agree wholeheartedly with what you said about loving medical transcription. I too never have a day I don't learn something new. Yes, colonoscopies get boring and tedious, but then you get something really intricate and interesting like spinal or brain surgery and I can feel my adrenaline get going. Whenever I have to leave this profession, I'm going to miss it completely. I can't imagine life without it.

Good luck to you! Thank you for your respect and support!

Old Timer - cr

[ In Reply To ..]
I also retired at 62 but it's worked out okay overall. It saddens my heart to see how the profession of transcription has deteriorated over the past 30 years. My mind often drifts to the way it used to be. Even the doctors have changed in quality and style of dictating. I still work PT but am being watched and hounded routinely by the company. It's all so sad, an era gone. I hope the younger ones will see a day when an MT/ME can feel appreciated again, and for the pay they deserve.

Congratulations on your retirement, Old Timer. sm - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Truly wishing you the best. I'm taking early retirement at 62 this year, too. I'm really looking forward to it and will only work part-time for a couple years more. God bless you.

Why say goodbye? - dataentry

[ In Reply To ..]
I too wait for work and barely make it. Hoping I can wait till I'm 62 (next year) and I will immediately get on social security. Why? Because you can still work part time, and you can make up to 15-K in addition to what you get from SS. Plus whatever you make from your job that gets added to your Social Security payment and will be calculated and adjusted to a higher benefit rate when you are 65. So that's why I can't wait to turn 62.

Best wishes, OldTimer. One can continue to work, - but hope you do not need to. :) nm

[ In Reply To ..]
x

HUGE, HUGE, HUGE - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
............HUG..........

Happy for you OT! - Frosty Mug

[ In Reply To ..]
Congrats & best wishes to you!

Left MT - Retired Early

[ In Reply To ..]
I also took social security at 62 to make ends meet, continued working for about a year while on social security, which means over a certain amount they took back $1 for every $2 I made, and just "retired" on social security of under $900 a month. I never thought I could retire but I moved into an apartment complex for 62 and over that is less than 2 years old, very nice and very secure and my rent and utilities total 30% of my entire income. If I make more, I pay more, on social security alone, I still pay 30%. I figured I am at least as well off, if not better off, than I was working and paying taxes - and my neck and shoulders are doing much better not being on the computer all the time. To have continued working my body would have paid a price and I would never have been able to get ahead. I didn't want people to remember me as having "worked til the very last breath". If you are 62 or over, check with the housing authority or Dept of Aging in your area for housing for seniors, or Google for low cost housing for seniors. I actually moved out of state (about 50 miles) because that is where the opening was. Most have waiting lists but since this place was fairly new, their list was short (they told me about a year but I was top of the list in 30 days and moved in shortly after). Best of luck to all suffering because of this industry. I started in the early 70s so have a lot of years in but its not the same business.

I'm going to do the same thing. I have 6 yrs to go. - MT56

[ In Reply To ..]
Good luck to you.

Similar Messages:

Feb 11, 2015

After nearly 30 years of MT/ME, I have seen this profession circle the drain, going down the proverbial toilet, and I don't even recognize it any more. It's not fun anymore. It saddens me to think how some of the greedy big MT companies totally messed things up for many of us (can you say OUTSOURCING?). True, there are a few that are still making a decent living; consider yourselves very fortunate. I'm glad I have something else to fall back on and not settle for peanuts.&n ...

Oct 22, 2009

I was notified today that I have been chosen for a job with the local hospital - not doing transcription. I finally get to say goodbye to no vacation, no sick pay, working 24/7, no pay increase, no recognition for a job well done, having to worry about my own taxes, and just everything that goes along with it, like the lying and back-stabbing from managers *** and owners ***, and having to deal with QA who says they follow BOS, but then makes things up as they go. Its an 8 to 5 job ...

Jan 13, 2011

When I was a medical transcription student last winter at a local two-year college, most of us students joined AHDI at the encouragement of our instructors. My membership has expired and in today's mail was a membership renewal request from AHDI. I tossed it in the trash. I can't afford the membership because I can't get a job because AHDI supports offshoring of medical transcription jobs. Goodbye, AHDI. ...

Feb 01, 2011

Well I did it finally. I quit Transcend. I hope they will eventually wake up and realize that VR does not enable you to double your production, but I doubt they ever will. I realized that after they switched all my accounts over, I really cared so little about my accounts and if I was making mistakes that it was time I left. I felt absoloutely no loyalty to this company anymore. They don't care about me, why should I care about them. I am leavi ...

Jun 30, 2011

I dread this change to Transcend and doubt very highly it will work out at all for me. Good luck to all the MTs. ...

Dec 15, 2011

I lucked upon my first MT position because of a friend. The clinic where we worked was closing. I was a nurse and had just found out I was pregnant and she was our office transcriptionist. Not many places want to hire a pregnant nurse, so doing transcription seemed to be the answer to my prayers. Just about the time I was ready to go back to nursing.....ooops pregnant again. So, I stayed doing transcription for eight years (not nearly as long as most of you on here) ...

Jan 01, 2013

See you again in 11 months! ...

Jan 04, 2013

I'm going back to full-time at M*Modal. Maybe not the perfect situation, but they pay 25% more, I never run out of work, and I'm always treated with kindness and respect. Nuance reeks. Goodbye QA losers. Goodbye hateful supervisors. I hope you all rot. Maybe I'll even turn you in to the Labor Board for your illegal practices. Don't think since you are so big you can't hurt. The bigger they come, the harder they fall. ...

Jan 05, 2013

Meridian was probably one of the last MT companies in the industry with integrity. They had very flexible schedules, above average pay, always plenty of work, wonderful QA, very reasonable expectations, and respect for their employees. I had hoped to retire there. It was very comfortable. The future does not seem as bright now. Even if this profession does not completely die, companies like Meridian will soon cease to exist. It was a good run while it las ...

Feb 11, 2013

Goodbye Nuance, cant say its been nice. 4 and 8 just aint so great! 5 and 9 is more inline. Every Sunday is just a drag. One weekend a month has more swag. Your QA is awful, degrading and sad, I'm just plain tired of being mad. Every comma, dot and dash, point me ugly e-mails, stealing my cash! I've had enough so farewell and goodbye. I am going to give an American Company a try. ...

May 02, 2013

Looking back at working for this scum company, you cannot believe how when I get an email from my new company that I shudder to open it because of the almighty fear of Fiesa that was put in me with Nuance. I hated opening my email from that company. It was only about my errors from Fiesa or something TL wanted us to do or just griping about who was or was not working their hours, blah, blah, blah. I hate to admit this to anyone but I even started smoking again just because it was an outlet ...

Jan 29, 2014

I care too much about what we do as MTs to continue working for this company. If you care too, do what I've done...find someplace else to work where integrity, character, and quality really mean something. If you are an MT that cares about what you do, you are too good for MModal. Go somewhere you will be appreciated for your knowledge and expertise in this field. I'm doing it...so can you. ...

Feb 20, 2014

I have been envying all of you who have already left, and now it is my turn to say goodbye. I regret leaving all the nice people I worked with but do not regret leaving this company. I give Nuance a 65% quality score as an employer (failed audit, no bonus, needs mentoring!!) Thank you for all who have posted on this forum. Hearing your stories helped me when I was struggling and thought I was alone. I hope you all find yourselves in a better place soon!! ...

Sep 11, 2014

It's time to move on. There are things I have learned while at Nuance, and I am grateful to have a job when I really needed it, but I am happy to be moving on. I will not miss editing/retyping a whole report for pretty much nothing, I will not miss fiesa, I will not miss MUP, I will not miss having a million log ins for all the different things Nuance has, I will not miss having to switch between screens when typing a report to verify age, gender, location, dr etc, and I will not miss ...

Sep 25, 2014

Just finished my last shift with Nuance! I have taken early retirement and "hung up" my keyboard and earphones for good. Had a great time deleting all the Nuance stuff off my computer! I've been in this business 42 years; downhill the last 10. I fell into a great opportunity to do sewing alterations for a bridal shop (which I love) and it's paying better than what MT was, with none of the aggravations. No more timeclock, no more shifts, no more asking for time o ...

Nov 28, 2014

The S-account is fully functional and also going with another vendor as of next week and we got, what was it, 5 days' notice? We knew it was coming but thanks much (not), Diskriter, for giving us that notice, it being holiday time and all. Oh well, on to plan B. Good luck coworkers. It's my last night tonight, probably my last night transcribing after 38 years. Can't wait to pack up this company PC and get rid of it. I could really party if ...

Jun 23, 2015

Good morning everyone. I am happy to report that on June 12th I gave my resignation to BR. No 2-wk. notice, and not even 1-day notice. I didn't feel they deserved a 2-wk. notice, afterall, they gave me no notice when they pulled me from an account I'd worked on for years to a "pod" where my pay was severely cut. I am taking 3 wks. off and starting my new job after my 3 wks. off. I'm giving myself a well deserved vacation! I will be doing transcription in-house, among other clerica ...

Mar 19, 2010

No more going from account to account. No more nasty QA. No more pay cuts. No more VR. No more off-shoring. No more testing. After being in this business for 20 years, no more being told you are not good enough!!! No more running out of work. No more sitting at the computer for 10 hours a day for 4 hours worth of work. No more demands for night and weekend work. No more OT without OT pay. No more, no more, no more! I do not ...

Jun 25, 2012

After being an MT for 12 years and wanting to go back to college for the past 2 years, I have finally done it! I will no longer be an MT as of July 1st, and I couldn't be happier! I applied and was accepted to WGU and will be getting my BS in Health Informatics. This is a very unique program and my goal is to finish in a year and a half (I had credits transfer in which helps). Anyone who is interested in going back to college and wants to work in health care with IT, check ...

Sep 30, 2014

d ...

Oct 29, 2014

Kiss your exclusives goodbye. As of right now, I am seeing other people's exclusives and they are seeing mine in their pool as well. The way it works is your exclusives will feed in at the top with higher priority, and then after those, you will see other people's exclusives feeding in at lower priority. So, if someone's exclusives don't dictate one day, or they only dictate a little bit, then that MLS will be all over YOUR exclusives. Yay. So excited. ...

Oct 21, 2012

I am writing this email to inform you that tonight will be my last night with Nuance Transcription Services. Over my many years in the workforce, I must say this is the first resignation letter I have penned without any sense of melancholy fondness for the job I am leaving behind. No, instead, it is a feeling of liberation from "time served." For the past 7 months, I have put in my time here at Nuance, suffered through many countless hours of horrible voice recognition files, made next to ...

Jan 01, 2014

nm ...

Nov 22, 2013

I've been gone for a month now. I feel like bricks have been taken off my chest. I don't feel the vomit rise in my throat when I checked Fiesa. I work somewhere else for a little bit less money (about $20 day less), but it is so worth it. There are companies hiring now. The pay might be a little less than Nuance, but take it. In other small companies, the people you work for are nice and they care like the company I came from before Nuance. ...

May 07, 2015

Today ends an era of an 18-year career as a medical transcriptionist. I resigned a couple weeks' back to accept a position outside of the transcription industry. It is bitter sweet because transcription has been such a huge part of my life and became a part of my way of living. I won't trash talk Nuance today because it has absolutely no benefit. After all, I was able to muddle through the changes as well as what I see as unethical policies and procedures and wa ...