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

Midlife crisis or need of a new career? - SooTired

Posted: Jan 21, 2010

Anyone else find themselves in tears at their job? These dictators are so ridiculous and I cannot believe we actually create medical reports from the mumble that comes out of their mouths. I have been a transcriptionist for 20 years and it has been in the last year or so I am starting to actually hate my job because of the dictators. I feel so helpless not to mention unable to really make any money anymore at something that once was a very lucrative career. I guess I just needed to vent to avoid a complete mental breakdown. Take care.

Crises - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
No midlife crisis, just reality. I am reduced to tears as well. One can take a few bad dictators in a row, but when it's constant, it just breaks you. All the "good" dictators are going to ILP.

I absolutely loved this field,--it's my passion, my love, my life, but it has just become a big mess. Grass may be a bit greener on the other side in terms of other companies, but they're all going downhill fast.

Crises - TJ

[ In Reply To ..]
I am in the same frame of mind. I absolutely loved this field as well--but no longer. All of these companies have gotten on the band wagon and left us behind without ability to pay our bills - I guess I should get a tent and live in it somewhere, but cannot afford a tent either.

Sootired - Looloo

[ In Reply To ..]
YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Many of us that have been doing this job for many years are at their wits end! I ABSOLUTELY hands down without a doubt HATE this job, HATE working for MQ and an sick and tired of this anonymous treatment!

We are only HUMAN! I am disgusted that we really are helpless and voiceless in this company and every single suggestion, request, or whatever I have offered (due to years of experience) to my "superiors" to make things run smoothly is completely disregarded.

They can suck it. (I know it's awful for a "mature" woman to use that term, but I am fed up) I really only wanted to work doing MT work in a hospital records department until I retired. I used to LOVE it that much. I would have too, except for OUTSOURCING.

It is not a midlife crisis, it is a REAL LIFE CRISIS. If possible, get retraining, get out of this field. I am working on it. 54 and re-training to be an RN. Hopefully I'll live long enough to reap the rewards of that for a while (fingers crossed!)

Chin up Honey!

Thanks.. - SooTired

[ In Reply To ..]
It is encouraging to see we are not alone (ironically put since we all work alone)! We spend our lives juggling family life, housework, taxi services, phone calls, bills and more bills, oh yah and this little interruption called "working" for a living with morons dictating crap in our ears. I believe that is why I become so agitated when I actually hear real people talk! Retraining does sound ideal, but only if we could have a money tree available.....thanks again for your replies and God Bless us all!!

Sootired - Looloo

[ In Reply To ..]
Actually, I qualified for a Pell Grant because of my LOW yearly income! Go by your local college and check into financial assistance. There is money available!

couldn't have said it better! - mushroom

[ In Reply To ..]
"Anonymous treatment" is so right and they can easily get away with it just treating us as numbers (ADP) and like one poster said below MQ has affected all realms of our lives, especially the mental, emotional, physical and financial and they don't care that they are doing it as long as the $$$ are coming in for their disgusting salaries and bonuses that they no doubt get while most of the MTs who have been with them years haven't even received a raise since being in their employ as they have all of their multitude of rules that they can pull from their hats to deny us and most of the reasons why we don't get a raise are beyond our control -- just love the one about if a dictator's difficult just keep doing him and it will get better -- oh, come on, you insult our intelligence, and then there's the infamous sound issues that are never in our control, but we still get dinged for that anyway, etc. etc. You all know the crap so won't waste time repeating. It is just so disheartening to have us beat down when we have certainly given this profession our best. Like the writing's been on the wall for sometime and just like the majority of those who are quitting and moving onto either another MTSO, which hopefully is better for them, and/or training for something else that can't be outsourced, I will probably follow as the misery that goes with this job 100% of the time is just not worth it. However, the other day on the TV I was pleasantly surprised to hear the word "insourced" in a commercial so maybe there is hope, but I fear it has come too late for us. Don't see how upper management at MQ can live with themselves, but I guess fine as they've got the $$$ that have been taken away from the MTs who made it for them. Karma, do your thing, is all I hope for so they can experience some of what they put us through.

Sorry, so long, just felt good to get it out!!

sm - I know how you feel

[ In Reply To ..]
I felt the same when I worked for MQ. This occupation inherently has drawbacks, but I swear.. I was about to lose my mind, crying all the time. I thought, finally, "What could be worse?"

So I kept MQ PT and took another FT making less per line, but more per hour at that point. 80% less stress. Quit MQ PT, but still stayed too long. I guess I just had to hit bottom.

Sounds like you are just about there too. Again, MTing has bad situations across the board, but MQ, for me anyhow, was a detriment to my mental, emotional, and physical health.

If it is any comfort - Yzetta

[ In Reply To ..]
Hearing all the stuff at MQ has prevented me, and I am sure others, from trying to work there.

I have been pretty desperate; I thought about applying at MQ just to "get experience" - but after reading just a few posts here and on another MT board, I realize that I had better stay away from MQ. It is a #@$# shame; I love being a medical word hound and feel that transcribing is right up my alley, but it sounds like decent co's to work for are drying up by the second. I am trying to get back in the field anyway, but I am getting scared about how long I will be able to stay.

I am sorry for all of your bad experiences, but at least know that you are a guidance for others and we are learning from you.

So thankful for what you posted! MQ, SO NOT WORTH IT!!! - A friend writing a book about jobs and working at

[ In Reply To ..]
A friend of mine is writing a book about different jobs you can do and yet work at home. Some employees answer the phone for companies, kinda like 1-800-Flowers. Even some car rental company employees work from home by answering calls for people who want to rent-a-car. They make around 14.00 an hour.

Anyway, I am getting out. I too questioned if I was going through a midlife crisis. I HATE, JUST HATE what I do, especially this company. I cannot even see myself applying to another company because I feel that if MQ can treat us like horse crap, then companies will soon follow MQ because they can see what MQ can get away with. I used to love my job, but we were treated like humans then.

I personally am beyond crying and beyond the anger mode. I even had a bit of depression from this job because of how they treat us. I am even willing to sell my car and my house and try to figure out a way to go back to school and better myself. I am even embarrassed to say I am an MT. It practically means nothing anymore.

I want to help serve our community better, and help other people instead of being shut in a room, listening to crap and being treated like a computer and wanting us to work harder, yet no jobs available and cry when I see my paycheck. I am tired of giving this horrible company a smiling face and getting slapped at one side and then the other and then a kick in the butt and thrown out the door to the dogs.

I am tired of seeing 22 board members raking in 250,000 to 500,000 a year plus bonuses. While us MT's do not get any raises, YET THEY DO!!!

They just sit around a big table and laugh at us with their big fat pot bellies because of going out to eat all the time during lunch and business trip dinners.

I feel like those poor cows and how they were treated in California a few years ago, being hit at and ramming us with those machines.

MQ could give a CRAP ABOUT US! I cannot believe someone posted, "Oh, I just love MQ." OBVIOUSLY A NEWBIE WHO HAS NO CLUE!!!!!

I have not been wanting to work at all this whole week. I get on and I get cesspool work. My teenager son makes more money than I do.

So, I HAVE HAD IT!! Went to the community college to figure out what I want to do in life for a career. I brought home a college catalog. I already went through nursing school and put in 1,000 hours of training and frankly, burned out from it. I could not continue nursing. I took care of an ill parent since practically the day I was born and that did me in. I went college to do what I am doing and yet, get treated like CRAP!!!

I could go on and on, but, "HEY, MEDQUIST, I AM WORTH WAY MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW!!" I am tired of the abuse and how you treat us with no raises and take away our money. I am tired of you saying, "TIMES CHANGE AND HAVE TO ACCEPT CHANGE." Well, giving out raises and treating us like human beings is nothing new folks and we are actually giving them our time and money by staying here.

Okay, I will shut up now and take a deep breath!!!! This company is SO NOT WORTH IT!!!!

kudos to you! - mushroom

[ In Reply To ..]
xx

Woes - TJ

[ In Reply To ..]
I know what you are saying. I just found out I dropped down the scale on SR. So I have lost several hundreds of dollars coming up for the next pay period. I left one company because of this, and now I am into another situation similar. It has become a sweat shop. I know we are taken advantage of now.

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