With deep sympathy and - appreciation.....(sm)

I got out of MT about 9 months ago, but I continued to read this forum to keep in touch with any possible changes in the MT world that might indicate I should try to get back in (while I was job-hunting fruitlessly during that time).  Without being able to find a new job for so long, I was worried about whether I had made the right choice or not by declining the M*Modal job when they took over my former MTSO.  

Now, this weekend, as I read the posts of terminations and chronic NJA, I feel so bad for those of you who are going through this.  I know that had I taken the M*Modal job, one of those terminations would have been me because I fit the "profile" of so many who are describing themselves: Lots of experience; offered a higher-than-average CPL at Tier 3 when M*Modal took my MTSO over; highly conscientious with quality and accuracy, looking up unfamiliar new drugs or equipment words, doctors' names for correct spellings, etc.; unable to pass off horrible reports because of my training and personal ethics so spending way too much time editing; always making minimum production but not by a huge margin, and then only by putting in 10 hours or more to produce 8 hours' worth of work....I was "old school."  

I'm posting here because I want to say how much I appreciate this forum.  I discovered it when my hospital outsourced to my first MTSO.  Had I not followed this forum, I would never have know how terrible Medquist's reputation was.  I also would never have known that M*Modal is the former Medquist, so when my MTSO was bought by M*Modal, I would have been like a lamb to the slaughter--not realizing it was that same company.  When we got the email that day saying, "Good news! We are now M*Modal employees!! Dial in for a conference call at....," I wouldn't have recognized the name "M*Modal," and I might have thought: "Oh well, just a change of name."  Instead, I felt my heart start pounding really hard, and my hands were shaking.  My body was telling me this was NOT "good news."    

I had told my husband during my time at the first MTSO that if M*Modal EVER bought out my company, I didn't think there was any way I could accept the job, based solely on what I knew from this forum.  How else would I have ever known the history of Medquist or that they were now M*Modal?  After following M*Modal's history here these past months, I have to say that I'm eternally grateful that this forum exists.  

Yes, there are those who will say that the negative posts are only the disgruntled few...that the majority of employees are happily working and don't have time to post here or don't know about this forum.  I suppose that could be true, but I highly doubt it.  My experience with my relatively good MTSO was negative in so many ways that people have posted about other MTSOs, and I was a top-notch, excellent employee in every way.  It wasn't just that I was a slacker, not doing a good job, or "sub-par" in any way.  I know that to be true.  So, I lean toward believing those who post here about the negatives.  All of us only know the truth from our own perspective.  If YOUR truth hasn't been negative, then, by all means, keep on keeping on.  

If you are getting that bad-vibe feeling about your job, please have an exit plan.  I didn't have one when we were caught off-guard at the time my hospital outsourced our jobs, and I HAD TO keep our health insurance in place.  When I learned that MTSO life was not the life for me, I started applying for individual health insurance.  It took some effort to find a plan we could get on, but we finally got approved with one JUST BEFORE it was announced that M*Modal had bought our MTSO.  It was very fortunate timing; and even though the cost of our own insurance is formidable, we've made it work by taking a high deductible and no prescription coverage.  Not great, but it's been do-able for us.  

Good luck to all who are on edge right now.  I hope for the best for you.  And, again, thank you for making this forum available since it's the only way I know of that MTs can get a feel for what others are experiencing.  My advice is to trust your gut.  Where there's smoke, there's fire.