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


new MT who can't handle this - frustrated newbie


Posted: Mar 04, 2010

I've been working 2 months. One doctor on my account makes mistakes constantly, says the wrong dates, sends in partial audio files, once sent in a file that was nothing but his side of a cell phone conversation.  He complains constantly because he says these are my mistakes.  Now, for some reason, my QA person has told him she 100% agrees with him.  Also, he thinks I'm the only one working this account, so if someone else makes a mistake I still get yelled at.

This is a small private company and this doctor insists on using an old system from 2001.  It will screw up Word files sometimes.  I get blamed for that, too.  My QA person won't answer my questions, instead she starts complaining about unrelated things.  Today she called me before I was finished with a report because she thought I MIGHT make a mistake on it.  No reason, just thought I might.

I got my 2nd paycheck Monday.  I get $3/hour, mainly because we run out of work.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to get fired (and I'm pretty sure the lady before me was fired, too), and I'm trying to figure out why I shouldn't just quit right now and work at a dang McDonald's for more money and more respect.

start applying - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
When asked for your current employer just put online MTSO. Ask they not be contacted.

Begin right now applying to different companies and testing. If you have low work, then you most certainly have time to test.

Good luck!

you're right - frustrated newbie

[ In Reply To ..]
I sent off a few resumes already without mentioning my current job. Good idea about saying "online MTSO," I think I'll use that. Thanks!

I know I'll catch heck for this suggestion - battening down the hatches

[ In Reply To ..]
You're still such a newbie at 2 months that the experience won't help you get a job and it will make you look like a "short-timer". I think mentioning this position will hurt you and wouldn't even mention it. Just say you've been looking for work or whatever.

frustrated - 1mt

[ In Reply To ..]
Please let us know who you work for so others can beware. Thanks

I will when I quit - frustrated newbie

[ In Reply To ..]
I got what I consider a semi-threatening phone call from the office manager last night, a "I'm big in the MT field and can keep you from working anywhere" sort of threat. I don't think it has anything to do with this post, but I won't give the name of the company until I have quit or am fired.

I will when I quit.... - katiekamrad

[ In Reply To ..]
Hun,
NO ONE can prevent you from getting a job anywhere. If this person is threatening your future you can sue them for character defamation and public humiliation.

They would be foolish to do that to a NEW medical transcriptionist graduate. They don't want to admit that they are being hard on you when they should be training you in!

you're not alone new MT that can't handle this... - katiekamrad

[ In Reply To ..]
I too had much the same issues with a job that I got working from home just a month after I graduated. Read my post on Looking for work in MN.
I got hired working for a small transcription company, family owned...the lady that hired me got me all excited about the job, she said it would take me at least 6 months to be "perfect" at my job and that she would walk me through it the whole way.
I knew I would make a lot of mistakes the first couple of months of doing this, and I told her I would. She at first accepted it, then she noticed before I got my system down of how I rechecked my work, that I was making similar mistakes over again. Some mistakes weren't even my fault either. It was also how these people were speaking into their recorders. Anyways, I had other people proofread some of my work so I didn't think I was going stupid about my work and it turns out she was, (2 months into my job) making up mistakes that I didn't make and she ended up letting me go.
I was very discouraged and upset with myself because I kept reassuring her that I would get this job and that I just had to get my system down. I think she forgot she told me earlier on in the hiring process that it would take 6 months for me to get it.
When this lady let me go she said she needed me to be perfect right away and that she was getting frustrated with me.
You're not alone in feeling defeated with your job. Don't give up in the medical transcription field. Some people when they hire newbies, forget down the road that we make ALOT of mistakes when we first start.
BTW~Don't try to get a job at Twin Cities Transcription. That's the lady that I worked for and she's a real hypocryte

hypocryte meant to be spelled hypocrite. - katiekamrad

[ In Reply To ..]
See, I'm still so new I sometimes have to correct my own spelling when I'm not working.

katie - Nick

[ In Reply To ..]
Just a word of friendly advice, calling names and making allegations,especially on a public BB, can be taken as defamation of character and slander. All you say may be true (I do not know the lady or know anything about her company). But I do know that you need to protect YOURSELF. Don't give her a stick to hit you with! And yes, your ISP can be subpoenaed.

actually, an ISP covers a whole area and is not - ISP

[ In Reply To ..]
assigned only to 1 specific computer.

Nick - katiekamrad

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm not trying to slander or name call intentionally. I'm just very frustrated at people that hire new medical transcriptionists and have very high expectations on them to be perfect right away. I was giving an example of my previous boss and another post wanted people to name companies that were bad to them so they don't make the same mistake by calling them for work. Sorry if I offended you in anyway. This lady that I worked for needed to know how badly she treated new medical transcriptionists, even if she sees it in my posts. I can't ever say it to her in person. How can my ISP be subpoenaed and what would they do to me if I was?
A hypocrite is somebody that tells you one thing and does the opposite. That's what my former boss did to me.
Katie - Nick
[ In Reply To ..]
Katie, I know all of that and believe it or not, I am on YOUR side. However, I also know that what gets said may be actionable in a court of law. I know at least one person on this very board who has been SUED by an MTSO for what she said. Do I think that is right? Heck, no. But did it happen? It certainly did. Please be careful.

May be true - Me

[ In Reply To ..]
How is what she said any different than everyone else on this forum who lists their company name and complains about them?

frustrated newbie - katiekamrad

[ In Reply To ..]
Even though I offended Nick in my reply post to you earlier, I was trying to be honest about how I was treated as a new medical transcriptionist in the company I worked for. It almost sounds like we worked for the same dang company. I got treated much the same way being a newbie, and I got fired too.
Please read my reply post to you for encouragement because Nick misunderstood what I was trying to say. I understand. Communicating via computer versus talking in person can employ much more misunderstandings.
I wasn't trying to slander anyones character. I was trying to explain how badly I was treated as a new medical transcriptionist much the same way you were. I hope Nick can read between the lines of my post and realize that I was truely trying to explain my experience being a new medical transcriptionist in all honesty. Im not trying to make bad waves with anyone, just trying to get my story out!

katie, if it is true what you wrote, it is not slander, just telling how it was. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
(slander)

� noun: words "falsely" spoken that damage the reputation of another.

Relax, you do not have to defend yourself.

But, it is better not to post names or company's names.

sorry, should be "companies' names." - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Thanks to the people who understood my posts. - katiekamrad

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you folks who understood my posts and didn't think I was being slanderish or abusive.
Nick, all is good. I don't see any difference between my post and frustrated newbies posts about a former boss.
Let's get to the real topics so my defense in my posts can be done and over with.
Thanks everyone.
right, after all this is a forum where we can vent - nm
[ In Reply To ..]
nm
Sure you can vent - anon
[ In Reply To ..]
and you can retain counsel when you are subpoenaed. Anyone here remember Gourdpainter?

New MT - workingmt

[ In Reply To ..]
I am sorry that you found yourself in a bad situation with your first job. At the clinic where I work, the MTs are expected to correct dates if the doctor says them worng, that's just a small part of what we do to make sure the reports are accurate. I've worked at home as well as on site; working at home is difficult, even for experienced people. If you were told that you would be making big money from day one as an MT then you were misinformed, it takes time to gain experience. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees about your company keeping you supplied with work, that seems to be happening to a lot of people. There are many other employers out there but they all want you to test; that alone is good experience. If you can find one, an MT job at a hospital, clinic or doctor's office might be a better fit for you in the beginning where you could work with others and learn a bit more before being left to fend for yourself at home.
Try not to get discouraged and good luck.

additional problem is.... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
that companies regard an applicant only as "newbie," or "newly graduated MT" within 6 months of graduating. They even post it.

If a newbie cannot land a job in this time frame, she is not anymore regarded as newbie, but an MT whose skills are somehow "rusted."

As MT schools are constantly putting out new MTs in abundance, employers have the freedom to pick MTs who graduating shorter than 6 months ago.

$3 an hour - beenthere

[ In Reply To ..]
It's also illegal for ANY company to pay employees $3 an hour no matter if they are a "newbie" or not! You can contact your state wage and labor department.
true, this is because we are paid by production - minimum
[ In Reply To ..]
and companies set a minimum line count. If an MT goes below the minimum they fire this MT, otherwise they have to pay the minimum wage, no matter how much she produces.

reply to additional problem is... - katiekamrad

[ In Reply To ..]
That doesn't sound right to me that if a newbie doesn't get a job within 6 months of graduating that their skills are considered "rusted". Really, I think that's putting too much judgement on the new graduate, especially since hardly any transcription services want to hire new graduates unless they have at least a years worth of working experience.
You shouldn't put those kinds of fears in us newbies workingmt...considering you aren't a new graduate anymore, you have a secure job and you used to be in our same situation shortly after you graduated as well. Now, for us it's even worse because a lot of people are turning to voice recognition.

Give us newbies a chance PLEASE, transcription services, doctors and hospitals! Sometimes it's almost better to hire a new graduate because everything we learned is FRESH in our memories and it's a lot easier to mold us in your companies rules.

Did this place give you transcription test before they hired you? - deb

[ In Reply To ..]
If not, it's their own fault that they did assess your skills before hiring you. With a decent employment test, they would have known whether your work would be up to their standards or not.

read what I wrote again - frustrated newbie

[ In Reply To ..]
I know you really want to think my transcription abilities are poor, but if you read what I wrote you'll see I'm being slammed for technical issues that are beyond my control and mistakes I did not make. This has nothing to do with my skill as a transcriptionist.


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