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

Possible career change - princesstasha72

Posted: Jun 25, 2011

I am considering taking classes for MT as I am ready for a change in my life. As I am looking into MT I have come across several questions that I want to ask to save myself the stress, etc. of preparing to start something that may not be what I am looking for.

I see the different schools listed that others have recommended and yet I also see where my local community college offers course in MT. In your opinion would the courses there be suffice to work as a MT?

For those working as MT, what do you average as far as hours per week and pay? I have seen some who state they barely scrape by and work long hours to do that.

I desire to work in the medical field in some way, just want to make sure I make the right decision to do so.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

Possible career change - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
In general, I find community college courses in MT to be superficial. You want something that provides an in-depth education, that uses the SUM program, and that gives you access to LIVE instructors as opposed to an answer key that you use to correct your own work. My picks for excellent schools are: 1. Andrews. 2. M-TEC. Don't even think about some of the places that advertise in women's magazines. Good luck to you.

Possible career change - GH

[ In Reply To ..]
Medical transcription has all but gone the way of the dinosaur. Thanks to our brilliant technology, we now have what is called automatic speech recognition (ASR), also known as VSR or VR. The pay range varies. I make about 5.05 cpl for editing ASR. With most companies, there are many foreign dictators, some with accents that will make you want to pull your hair out. These can be learned over time, of course, but in my opinion that does not decrease the frustration factor. grrrr... I am in the middle of such a report right this minute and am trying to take deep breaths and pray to get thru this thing. I already had knowledge of medical terminology before I came into this field, so I did not have to take course and cannot advise you on that part. Remember that in this business you only get paid for what you transcribe or edit, so don't look forward to very many days off unless you have a financial backup of some sort, like a husband or something. I have to remind myself of the benefits of working at home - saving wear and tear on my car, not having to buy clothes for work, not eating out every day, which is tempting in a regular office, etc. I would suggest that you make your decision carefully before you spend a lot of money on a transcription course. In addition, the work fluctuates and there are times when very little work is available for various reasons, so you have to save accordingly to cover those times if you have bills to pay.

Possible career change - Beethoven

[ In Reply To ..]
It all depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking to make a lot of money, that's probably not going to happen. Most MTs are extremely underpaid, and I do mean extremely.

It's a good deal for a mother with children at home, especially if your spouse makes decent money, and you're not the breadwinner. It worked for me until my kids were grown and/or got older, but it's not something I would plan to do the rest of my life. It's a lot of sitting and typing at the speed of light for long hours which is extremely exhausting both mentally and physically.

In other words, this is a field you want to get into if you just want your own money and/or you have other reasons you need to be at home; i.e., children.

I don't want to discourage you, but it's important to know the pros and cons before you embark on a career change.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Beethoven - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with you completely. I am too old to have children at home, and I am looking happily at my calendar that says I will retire in 74 more days! I would not allow a child of mine to become an MT due to the lowering of wages and lack of respect in the workplace. Just my two cents' worth.

Depends on the job, etc, but as a newbie - sm -

[ In Reply To ..]
you would not make much. I have a fair amount of experience (10 years) and worked quite a few specialities, acute care and clinic, and work on average 10 hours a day, up to 12 sometimes more and make about $600 a week, and that is with pretty good accounts too. I am not a speed demon on the keyboard, about 60 WPM, so I might work less if I typed faster. I enjoy it though as it gives me the freedom I need to be active in my kids lives and be there for them. Yes I got into like many her so I could work at home and not put my kids in daycare. I managed just fine doing that and worked part-time until they went to school full-time. But I doubt I will stick with this for too much longer, and plan to go either finish my paralegal training was doing before the kids came along, or maybe get an LPN certification and see how I like that and then go for the gusto and become an RN. Lots of LPN ads where I live so figure I could at least find work. --- but MT is not for the faint of heart or for those expecting to make a ton of money, just depends on what your goals and expectations are.

Similar Messages:

Jul 10, 2012

I've been doing medical transcription for 17 years now. It used to be a good field to get into and good pay, but as the medical transcription field seems to be slowly phasing out and it's getting harder to make a decent living as we are getting lower wages and less work, I've been thinking about going back to school and getting a bachelor's in health informatation managment or administration. I already have an assosciate's degree, but I would like to know wha ...

Dec 16, 2012

I have been doing transcription for 30 years. I am fed up with it. I started working in a hospital and was making $17 an hr when they decided to lay us off. Then we went contract with the company the hospital was using at .10 cpl. Then, in October, we found out that Nuance had taken over. Now I am making .8 cpl. I want to make a career change. I have been sending out applications since August, probably close to 30 or more, with no interviews at all, no calls, nothing. I think all they see is all ...

Dec 15, 2009

I've finally made myself accept the fact that medical transcription is never going to return to its former state and have been wondering in what other field I have an interest and could once again earn a decent living. Does anyone on the forum have any paralegal or legal secretary experience? I've been researching this field online and have found a few on-line courses but, as with MT, I know I have to be really careful which course I choose and from whom. If anyone h ...

Sep 06, 2010

Hi, I hope you don't mind a visitor from the outside I'm here because I need to change careers. I'm 59 , female, single, and have done one career all my life which has been clinical social work/mental health counseling. I'm burned out with this career and alot has indicated that medical transcription might suit me. Where do I begin? What training do I need? Do I need training at all? (this may sound dumb) What schools are the best? Online versus ...

Aug 24, 2011

I've been a medical transcriptionst for 25 years (most of that time working at home)...I can't believe how much money I am losing....I used to think that I would never go back into an office/hospital to work because I wouldn't be making enough money. Now, I am at my wits end. My pay has literally been cut in half, no thanks to EMR/VR. I am at a loss as to what to do...should I change careers (at age 49) or keep doing what I'm doing, while getting further and ...

Sep 24, 2011

I was a medical transcriptionist for 9 years, working from home. Two years ago, I left the field and took an opportunity elsewhere. At the time, it was a better opportunity financially. It turns out that this position is not what I thought it was going to be. The money is nice, but the stress and the job itself are making me miserable! When I quit transcribing 2 years ago, I was making about 0.9 cents/line and only working part-time. My current position pays a ...

Jan 29, 2012

I have been working at an OBGYN office for 10 months now and for reasons I'd rather not get into, I am having issues with my MT supervisor. I love MT work. I do feel it is the right niche for me. However, my LPH is under 100 and I do not feel that I am getting enough work to improve my speed. I am still new and still learning. I'm starting to wonder if I might be better off setting up a home office and trying to get on with a company like Medquist or something. I am getting paid on ...

Jun 06, 2012

Hello! I just found this board and am hoping for some advice. I will give you some background information first. I am a LPN, but have been a SAHM only for nearly 4 years. I actually left the profession because of burn-out, and my husbands job allowed be to stay home. I love being home, but I'm feeling a bit restless. I'd like to start contributing a bit financially, without huge committments. (I am VP of my kids' PTA and I keep plenty busy in many aspects). Last w ...

Jan 29, 2010

Makes sense to me; I'd opt to be an electrician (if I can't get on disability). Automotive technicians and mechanics repair and maintain automobiles and light trucks. Motorists need these services near their homes and businesses, meaning this hands-on work would be pretty hard for someone in another country to do. So rest easy. This job is staying close to home. Training is a 6-month or 1-year automotive repair certificate program or a 2-year associate degree program.& ...

Aug 02, 2011

I've been an MT for 10 years but for the past year I have been in school working towards an AA degree in Health Information Management. I would like to be an RHIT and do coding somewhere. However, I like it but not enough to want to do this for the rest as my life as I am only 34. I love the medical field and want to stay in it but am thinking of switching my major. I think maybe switching to LPN and then eventually become an RN. I think that I might enjoy working with people more ...

Aug 09, 2011

I've decided I am getting out of MTing. The two options I am interested are completely different yet in the medical field which I love. First is health information management, 2-year degree. Would like to be a coder but worried it will end up like MT in 10 years. Second is becoming an LPN and then down the road an RN. I am in my early 30s and I've got a long work life ahead of me but want to be happy! Which way to go? ...

Feb 02, 2013

Currently hold Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. Worked as executive admin asst for past 15 years. Considering going to Andrews on line MT school. Is this a good investment and career change for me or should I look into something else? Like the ability to possibly work from home. Also, which school is best choice for finding work at home job (Andrews, Career Step, Mtec, etc..)??? ...

Dec 22, 2013

Anybody got any ideas for a career change for someone that has been doing medical transcription for 20 years? ...

Mar 06, 2014

My son is attending massage therapy training and will be done the end of June. He will be making more money than I will be once working. It only took a year. He is going for another year to earn an AA, but will start working and go to school at night. It's kind of expensive, but I think it would be a rewarding career. There is an extensive anatomy course that we MTs would breeze through, so I thought I would pass this suggestion on. I realize some of you are in remote areas and thi ...

Mar 11, 2015

The last one on here wanted to charge $497 for a 3-month package of some junk book and phone coaching and followup coaching sessions. I've got her email. I'd hate to find out what her "expanded " package costs. You can find all the same information on line yourself for free. How much time have you already spent job searching on line? Don't waste your money with these people and your time. Use your time wisely yourself. You could also lik ...

Mar 05, 2012

Anyone have problems passing Career Step MT testing. ...

Jul 21, 2010

Just doing a little survey here: Do you think the medical transcriptionist is becoming more and more obsolete? I have been in the field for a long time and have already lost a couple of jobs due to technology or work being contracted out. It seems to be the one job I was always able to find as there was also a need, especially if you're experienced. Nowadays, we're talking VR, editors, etc. etc. and the pay is not getting any better. Personally, I have alw ...

Jun 30, 2011

I am just a little fish in a big pond, very rarely posted here, but loved to read the posts! I felt though I had to post tonight as I am very sad. For the last 15 years, I was an MT, but tonight was my last shift and typed my last report - a discharge summary. Same thing I started on all those years ago. My account is going VR on July 1, and I was told my wage would go from 9 cents a line to 4 cents. No matter how they crouch it in rah-rah terms (increased produc ...

Jul 13, 2012

I am a 47-year-old woman with a BS degree in management who has always wanted to work in the medical field. I began a training program for transcription but have since learned that field isn't promising at this point. I am analytical and have worked in accounting-type positions for many years, and I think I would enjoy coding. From the perspective of someone with experience in the coding field, would you recommend coding as a career or would you suggest possibly RHIA? I would appreciate ...

Oct 08, 2012

I am about 90% done with my preemployment process at a county position in a neighboring town. It will not be too soon for me start as we got word today that we lost one of the biggest contracts they had and they wont be getting a new one until February. So let me tell you just how thankful I am that I am not going to have to deal with these issues of MT anymore. I will be moving on to an employer where I am fully vested at 8 years! I am 40, so essentially I could retire then! & ...

Oct 12, 2012

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I am a military wife, so I'm hoping to start a career where I can work from home. For now I would only want to work part-time since I have a young child at home, but it would be nice to have the option to work full-time someday. I've been thinking about becoming a MT for a while now, but lately I've been discouraged because it looks like the job growth has slowed considerably in recent years. I'm looking into the Car ...

Apr 02, 2013

How many of you are pursuing a new career. I can't live on the money I make from MT, and I don't know if I can do this until I retire. I have been studying gemology, trying to get into estate jewelry. ...

Apr 08, 2013

Well, I wish I would have looked at this forum before going to MT school. I tried working for two different MT companies. First one I hated the platform/pay and the second one I really liked the account and platform but my work wasn't "clean enough" and they let me go after two weeks. I think I got canned because I questioned some QA redlines and was told I was wrong (no, no comma. Yes, you put a comma. That's hypenated. No, not hypenated.) I even ha ...

Aug 03, 2013

Here is a link to a very cool career map on AHIMA website. You click on one career in entry, mid, advanced or master level and it will connect you to all the paths you can go. It also shows emerging areas. Just what we have all been talking about mapped out! http://www.hicareers.com/CareerMap/ ï»¿ ...

Nov 06, 2013

I was just wondering if anyone had found another work-from-home career to go to after leaving the MT "world?" The way this industry is going, I'm just tired of it all and would like to find something else I can do from home and make good $$ at itI I have started on something of a new career but it will take some time to get up, get going and start making $$ at it. I am designing cat "trees" or furniture that is more attractive and way more easy to clean than what is on the market out ...

Apr 15, 2010

put all of this wonderful medical terminology to good use? Don't want to be a nurse. I hate needles and blood. I am a very empathetic and compassionate person. I really don't want to deal with the public/customers. ...

May 09, 2010

Hmmmm...Interesting, was reading about Andrews School and M-Tech. I looked them up online and they DO seem to be THE schools to go to. Seems as though Career Step is in 3rd or so? How would anyone place U.S. Career Institute? I'm sure this another matchbox school, but do you think it's one that employers run from? Just curious, thanks if you can help. And Happy Mother's Day to all those great mom's out there, hope you had a great day! :) ...

May 12, 2010

wonder if anyone here, or if anyone knows of anyone who utilized Career Step for either their MT program or their coding program ...

Jun 04, 2010

I am reading on this board and seeing that people from Medquist are being let go, places are being bought out, hospitals are selling in-house to the outside services now. The services charge a decent amount of money to these hospitals, but we see pennies of it. What is sad is that what we do is very important, yet we are treated like all we do is type words (and anyone who has done ESL docs know it isn't just words - it's format, it's incorrect pronunciation, inco ...

Jun 15, 2010

Hello, All: While helping my son research possibilities for his career choice, we found out that ultrasonography only requires two years of education and the median pay is around $40K-$50K. You don't have to be licensed and can take the job anywhere in the country. Not bad, huh? Wanted to pass that information along to any frustrated MTs who are considering getting out. I woudln't mind doing that myself. Dental hygienists make even more and also o ...