What Successful MTs are Saying To Each Other When You Aren't Around - Putting Things Into Perspective

The "When You Aren't Around" part is just to get your attention. I know that many of you are also successful MTs. There are many others who believe they are and will argue until the cows come home to convince us that they are, when they aren't. Most successful MTs have seen the ones I'm talking about.

I've been a successful MT for years. Throughout the years I've known a lot of MTs, some managing to get jobs and somehow keep them because of connections or friendships, or who knows what. It certainly isn't because of their skills. Others may not have spent 25 years transcribing, but they do great work.

Some of us get together occasionally. As friends, we can say things to each other that we wouldn't say to strangers. We talk about the state of the economy, the healthcare industry, and the future of medical transcription. Some are burned out on medical transcription and are getting into medical coding, and loving it! Others are doing too well in MT to even consider leaving it.

Sometimes we talk about the vast numbers of people who are trying to do MT, and failing, because they don't have the skills and/or knowledge. Other times we talk about a few of those truly awful MT corporations that abuse MTs. I'm not sure why people continue to work for them. Some of my friends are still hanging on with one or two of those companies, and the rest of us are a little embarrrassed for them and with them. They know that while they are being treated well at those companies, it's at the expense of others who aren't. That's something we talk about when others aren't around.

1. There are some really awful companies, but not all of them are. There are still some great opportunities out there for those who have the quailfications, work ethics, character, personal situation that allows them to do the work.

2. There are some truly awful MTs out there who never should have considered this kind of work. In fact, not everyone is even physically able to do the work. Others have family responsibilities that make it nearly impossible for them to do the work the way it should be done.

3. We agree that nobody knows exactly what the MT world will be like in 10-15 years, but we believe there will always be a place for the skills we have, as long as we keep learning.

4. We also agree that there are people who spend their lives in negativity. They go from failure to failure in life, trying to take others with them. We have our share of MTs who fit that description.