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

Would you still recommend at-home medical transcription, in 2011 - Flint Ridge

Posted: Nov 05, 2011

I was trained as a Medical Transcriptionist at a two-year college from 1990 to 1992. I worked at a hospital for a couple of years doing radiology, non-invasive cardiology, and neurology transcription, then I got married and moved. Soon thereafter, I started work at a mental health clinic as a Medical Transcriptionist with 12 other transcriptionists. This was in late 1993 and I am still there as of right now. The 12 transcriptionists have either left or been laid off over the years as EMR (Electronic Medical Records) got more common and I stayed on. Now only one clinician dictates (only because he has arthritis in his hands and can't type), but he will be retiring soon. I am also an Executive Secretary right now (which I more or less despise) as well as Transcriptionist for the one remaining clinician's notes. I have read chatter that Medical Transcription is no longer the lucrative at-home career that it once was. Is that true? Can you all give me some feedback on that? Otherwise, I'm thinking about going back to school to learn another trade (specifically, phlebotomy).

Only to someone I hated. If I hated & despised them - I would recommend MQ. nm

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x

Or someone Indian... then you could also recommend - the Q to them!

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Could it be the lowest paid hardest job on the planet?

I would not recommend MQ, not even - Nick

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to my worst enemy.

I would. Just so I could see them be tortured too. - Torture time.

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nm

NO! It's a TRAP. You'll be isolated, underpaid, ignored, - overworked, and INVISIBLE. -Pro-Occupy

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Don't fall into the career trap of being turned into just another unseen piece of expendable/replaceable/offshore-able computer software.

ANY live, in-office job is better than being turned into a non-person by home transcription.

Recommend MT?? s/m - 1mt

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If you have read these posts, then I believe you already know your answer. MT, upon MT, upon MT, etc. have expressed all the problems that are going on in this industry. Wages are constantly being cut and jobs completely lost either because of off-shoring or VR. The "chatter" that you have read is most definitely true! I, for one, have just got my 3rd pay cut by an MTSO that I have worked for x11 years. The writing on the wall couldn't be much clearer. I am currently in the process of looking for a new job outside of the medical transcription field all together, and it sucks because I really like my job, but things just keep getting worse instead of better.

Good grief. Have you READ the archives?? - TellingItLikeItIs

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With a few exceptions, the picture that you see portrayed here is actually as it is. Low wages that continue to drop, working an excessive number of hours per day that are not compensated, work functions that aren't compensated, constant out of work situations, benefits eligibility tied into production levels that aren't attainable due to lack of work, and more. Isolation. Many are suffering financial devastation due to remaining in this field. Working holidays, nights, and weekends without incentive pay. The list goes on and on.

If you have ANY other opportunities outside of this industry, I strongly advise you to pursue them ... unless you're only working for 'hobby money.'

No (sm) - MidwestMT

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I get asked quite a bit if I'd recommend MT as a job and I honestly tell people no.

I love my job, love being independent, having my own accounts and being at home but the field isn't growing and those of us who are fortunate enough to have clients we love, don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon.

I honestly think schools like M-TEC and Andrews do a great disservice because most of us know the field is dying and yet they're still cranking out MTs who pay a lot for their education and who then can't find a job unless it's with some crappy national company who will pay them in goats.

MT was never meant to be a lucrative at-home career. It's all the housewives and mothers that don't want to sell tupperware and think because they know how to type they can do this job that have also screwed it up.

I'm not bitter for myself but I feel for most of you out there. :(

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