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

Going back to school - future former MQ employee

Posted: Nov 08, 2011

I was totally inspired by someone who posted yesterday on the "main board" who is 52 years old and based on their loss of income from the transcription field, managed to qualify for a full grant to go back to school. This person had earned one degree and was working on the next in order to get out of transcription. I thought, if this person can qualify for a full grant I know I can too since I'm a single mom sometimes not even earning minimum wage with Medquist. So this morning, I went to the advising office of my local community college, put in my application for enrollment and got all the paperwork to fill out for financial aid. The advisor told me that my circumstance isn't really unique, that RNs are facing the SAME thing - they can't find work anywhere because hospitals are only hiring LPNs now since they will do twice the work for half the wage. When I told her what I've been making with Medquist I literally got the deer-in-the-headlights look and the "what the heck has taken you so long to get out" question. I'm not sure what I will go back to school for yet but you can bet whatever it will be, it will involve me owning my own business so that I can say goodbye to this crazy control that companies like Medquist have over their employees' income and happiness. I have lots of natural talents that I could be earning an income from. There is no doubt I will qualify for financial aid - I qualified for food stamps and state health insurance 2 weeks ago and while this is a SUCKY situation, having the ability to go back to school will be my way of regaining my personal control over my financial future and getting the HELL away from his god-awful line of work. I encourage ALL of you to consider it too - earning minimum wage qualifies us for a lot of benefits that will help.

Full grant?? I can't find the post. Do you know where you find out about this? - mouse click manager

[ In Reply To ..]
I can't go into much more debt if any at all but I have to do something too. This career has been turned into a turd world sweatshop for robots. I still owe on the college I took already.

Sure ... here's the info - on the thread

[ In Reply To ..]
I hear you! I know most of us will qualify especially if this is your only source of income. The lady in advising told me that money is available for people who are in OUR situation - this is the type of thing that need-based grants were made for!

To see the thread, head over to the "main board" forum listed on the left of your screen. Then, check out the thread that begins, "High quality, cost effective and customer focused". A few lines down you will see a post by "Singular Joy". If a 52-year-old fed-up transcriptionist can go back to school on a full grant to escape this line of work, there is still hope for the rest of us.

thank you - MMM

[ In Reply To ..]
I hope you find your way out of this maze and ride a fast horse into the sunset.

Thank you, MMM - you too - I am praying for all of us

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm a single mom of a 14-year-old boy and MQ is my only source of income. I'm an MME who has worked for MQ for 14 years ... one day last week working full steam 8 hours I earned minimum wage - the next day I earned $5.41 an hour. If I don't make a move to get out of this field I will literally go under.

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