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Great Grammar - Diane

Posted: Nov 14, 2009

It is very interesting to me, now that I have completed the Allied MT course, that grammar was were never taught, besides in high school. The BOS was required, but no emphasis was ever placed on needing excellent grammar skills.

I am completely discouraged by the numerous negative and cynical remarks on this site. MT is a field I choose because I wanted a second career. I am a recent widow, and frankly feel very down because of the many of the comments. Still without a job and very discouraged by the lengthly MT job application process, I am seriously considering not pursing this work at all.

I appreciate that many seasoned professionals feel screwed over, but would like to hear specifically why.

Thanks for your input.

From Vermont,

Diane

Not only in English but also able to understand foreign dictators and be - mind reader

[ In Reply To ..]
change their thoughts in the middle of a sentence and unless you are seasoned, so to speak, you will not get it. I have 1 doctor who always on his VR is saying no adverse reactions and it comes out adverse traction. If you donâ��t know to change, then you leave as is and a mistake. The pay has gone down, going even lower, most having to work 2-3 jobs 10-12 hours per day to make a living, no raises, loads of people who do not speak decent English and you as a transcriptionist have to figure out what they want and still maintain a rate of 98% in your work. Some lose their jobs because of low scores when their work checked over, some people are hounded by people checking their work and having them under their thumb almost 24/7. This has become a job that unless you want just some change for your pocket, you cannot make a living. No amount of schooling gets your foot in the door. The bosses want transcription experience, usually 2 years worth and you have to be fast with typing or you have to scan work as fast as you can. Most new people trying to get on just do not have what it takes. People are only telling the truth. Younger people are leaving this profession and going back to school. Surely that says something for MTing.

making a living in transcription--NOT - enigma

[ In Reply To ..]
It is only an option these days if you have a husband or other family member who works and can pay the bills and you don't have to worry about supporting yourself. It does not pay enough to make a living any more.

My question about the foreign dictators: why don't they let the transcriptionists in India transcribe the Indian doctors instead of making ME do it?! (said sarcastically)

MT is a field you chose; you want input from Seasoned Professionals; yet, - you posted this on New MT board.

[ In Reply To ..]
..

Oh, for crying out loud. I'm a seasoned professional and I check here all the time. - CrankyOldBroadOnTheBeach

[ In Reply To ..]
On the off chance that someone new to the profession asks a question that I feel I can answer. And hopefully I have been able to help a few people here and there.

Might I suggest you go get some fresh air?

Lots of reasons why we feel like we've been hosed... - CrankyOldBroadOnTheBeach

[ In Reply To ..]
I've been at this for (gasp) 37-1/2 years. And nowadays I'm making about what I was making back during the Reagan administration. The first term.

Oddly enough, my cost of living has not been rolled back to early 1980s levels as my wages have been. (That was supposed to be sarcasm.)

Yes, there are trade-offs. See my recent post on the main board about reasons why I still like my job.

Meanwhile, it seems like the level of responsibility that we carry just keeps getting ratcheted up higher and higher. We have to know more and more stuff just to get our jobs done, and we are held to a very high standard of accuracy. Those standards are GOOD things, don't get me wrong, but in the world I grew up in, greater responsibility and higher quality was rewarded with higher levels of pay. Not so in this world. What a shame.

Having cut my teeth in a world where there were only two kinds of transcriptionists, the quick and the dead (if you're not quick, you're dead), I'm pretty fast; I type well over 120 words per minute (and that's without all my tools and toys and expanders and goodies) and even on days when I do a lot of goofing off (posting on boards and the like) I average at least 200 lines per hour, on a straight-typing account. Probably about 80 percent of what I sent to QA, QA can't figure out either. So I think it's safe to say I'm well within the top tiers of this profession, if there were some way to quantify that. And yet I learn new things every single day. Even after this many years.

I make a wage that on this board has been described as on the higher end of things. As well I should. No, I'm not going to tell you what I make. But when I was job-hunting a little over a year ago, with over 36 years of experience I was being offered jobs at 6 and 7 cents a line--same as right-out-of-school newbies. Frankly, that's an outright insult.

Hosed? Screwed? Yeah, I'd say so.

But I'm still here, because I like what I do, and again see my other post where I talk about the trade-offs.

Agree with others, and another thing...sm - 20+ years

[ In Reply To ..]
Yet another older timer here. Along with what MindReader and CrankyOldBroad wrote, personally the job is not fun anymore. I used to love using my skills to produce accurate reports. Now, some of my accounts are strict verbatim and we are to leave "There is many nodules" or "There are 1 nodule." Man, that irks me to no end. Believe it or not, Americans/English speakers are the worst offenders, so obviously K-12 schools in general are not emphasizing grammar either.

Diane, if this is a field you really want to try out, I will not discourage you. I truly believe the only way to know for sure if you like or dislike something is to try it (yes, there are exceptions--I know without trying it that I would not like being hit by a train). However, please read as many posts as you can, pros and cons, and make an informed decision before spending time and money. Only you know if the pay is worth your while; if voice/speech recognition editing is something you want to do (many MTSOs use this now and pretty sure many more will soon to stay competitive); if you want to be an IC, will you be able to afford your own insurance and taxes. Do not be afraid to ask questions on forums, just know that you will get the occasional snarky response, but ignore those and focus on the helpful answers. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you.

grammar - enigma

[ In Reply To ..]
It's no longer fun for me, either. Grammar and spelling are no longer appreciated in today's culture. Read any book that was published since the 1980s--full of typos. As someone who cares about that, I feel obsolete. The big transcription companies (like the one I work for) treat you like a machine, which does perfect work, doesn't need to be paid, and whose speed can be cranked up accordingly. Unfortunately, I am a human and need to eat and stay warm, and I am no longer paid enough to eat and stay warm so my machine will not function properly.

Great Grammar - Diane - Tina

[ In Reply To ..]
Hi Diane. Sorry you are feeling down, but this field may still prove beneficial for you; however, the real reason so many of us "seasoned MTs" feel screwed over is the fact that with the switch to VR and the decrease in line rate, we are making about half of what we are use to (after years of loyal service). Now, if an MT types about 40 wpm, then they may love VR; but when an MT types 90+ wpm and was averaging 300-400 lph before the switch, there is no way they are going to double those lines to make the same amount utilizing VR (as pay per line is only about 60% of previous line rate). I have left MDI/Transcend after 6 years of service due to that very reason and am in the process of starting my own transcription company. As soon as I can get some clients (if ever, as they seem all want the larger MTSOs), I will post here to let everyone know. I will not turn to VR (ever) nor will I utilize off-shore transcriptionists...even if it means flopping big time. I believe you get what you pay for, and I want quality MTs (from the USA) who are able to transform the dictated word into what it should be, not what it sounds like. I don't want to make a killing, just a good living and I believe that my employees deserve the same...should I ever have a need to hire (fingers crossed). In the end, the clients are not saving money with VR, it's just that the MTSO is making more at a significantly greater cost to physicians and hospitals due to poor quality and at a drastic cut to MTs. If we, as transcriptionists, would voice our opinions, not to our employers but to hospitals, physicians, newspapers, government officials, etc... then perhaps they would hear us and respond in a manner befitting our years of experience, loyalty, and excellence. I wish you all the best...I truly do!!!

To Diane - Just passing through

[ In Reply To ..]
MT, like any other job, is what you make of it. If you surround yourself with negative attitude, it rubs off and you will be miserable. I have been in this business for ages and still love what I do. Don't get caught up in all the "office" mumbo jumbo (it can happen even working from home if you let yourself get caught up with the negativity on this board). If I do not like where I am working, then I simply move on to another company I can be happy with.

I know it can be hard to break into this field right out of school, but keep trying, something will come along. Try not to let this board get you down and remember you are only hearing from a small fraction of the MTs out there. Most of the MTs I know are very happy in this profession and make a good living at it, both as independent contractors and as employees. Attitude is what makes the difference in any job.

Thanks. - Diane

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for your positive perspective.
It's encouraging to hear that you love what you do.

newbie in Vermont,

Diane

MT - Tara

[ In Reply To ..]
Diane,

I also forgot to mention in my posts that when you are looking at job ads, make sure you read through the whole ad. I was looking at one yesterday and at the top it said 2 years experience, but when I read through the description it did say they would consider recent graduates. So make sure you look through the whole ad and not just where it says experience.

This is refreshing!!! - SSchildmeier

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you to all you "seasoned" MTs who responded to this question with kindness! This is the first set of posts that I have seen in a LONG time on this forum that I did not think..."well that was a horrible thing to say...man are they bitter!" It was refreshing that you all have been through the mill per se, but you were able to state the positive and negative experiences in a kind way and I thank you for that! I hope that I can be like that when I have been working that long! Thank you all again!

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