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

To those leaving MT - Anon

Posted: Sep 13, 2012

Curious, as to those getting out of MT, where are you going? I am soooo dissatisfied with this profession today. My wages are half what they were hourly only 4 years ago (VR for me is not profitable). The account specs get more and more complicated and you have to work on at least 5 or 6 accounts to keep work. Add in the hard to understand accents (I mean can't even understand the dictator's name half the time) and the left off demographics, and it is a recipe for low, low wages. I live in a hard-hit area of the country as far as employment goes, but I keep thinking there must be something that pays better than this. I remember the long-ago good old days, when you could usually find factory work but no more.

Leaving MT - Inquiring minds

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm not leaving by choice, I'm being forced out because my employer outsourced. I completed a coding progam and am hoping to find a job working in patient accounts or billing at my current place and will get my coding certification. If I have to go on unemployment, I'll probably see if there are worker retraining programs and/or do volunteer work somewhere. If the "good old days" were when you worked in a factory, things must be pretty bad

Didn't mean to mislead, did not work in a factory - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Just meaning would be willing to do that now if I could earn more than minimum wage. Worked in a medical office and a couple of other secretarial jobs prior to MT'ing, but here where unemployment is high (I am also an older woman), the chances for
going back into an office after being out so many years are slim to none. I may check into the coding. Guess I am a little afraid it may also eventually be outsourced. Do they address that issue in the courses? Thanks for responding.

Factories - Inquiring minds

[ In Reply To ..]
I didn't mean to imply that there was anything wrong with working in a factory but it wouldn't be for me. Depending on what they make, it can be hard physical labor with health related conditions of its own. It's been a while since I finished my coding course but AFIK they don't address the issue of outsourcing. I've been told that there are quite a variety of jobs where people can use their coding skills, you need certification. I'm interviewing tomorrow in a medical billing office which I thought might be a good place for me to start. I'm older too, and it's difficult starting over. I wish I knew what jobs would be safe for the not too distant future, everything is so unpredictable now.

Is there - something

[ In Reply To ..]
wrong with working in a factory? I've worked in factories before and took pride in my work just like I do MT work. I was creating goods used by Americans that are now made in foreign countries.

Speaking just for myself - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I would not be able to withstand the physical labor of working in a factory; I have lupus. Sometimes, about the only thing that does NOT hurt is typing.

Well, again, see, to have misstepped, certainly nothing wrong - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
in my opinion with working in factory. Hence, I would work in one now if I could get a job there. Used to be mostly garment factories in my area that did not pay very much above minimum wage. Now, that would obviously be better than I am making doing MT'ing. However, all those factories went out of the country. They offered benefits, paid time off, and sometimes depending on what you did, a chance to move up. My mother worked in garment factories for years. Just thought I had someone left the impression that I had actually done that work before. Simply meant there used to so many and they were always needing workers at one of them.

I wish I knew where to go! I check the job ads every - day, but no-one wants an ex-MT.

[ In Reply To ..]
Meaning that our job became so specialized (no longer even a "medical secretary", that now I can't even seem to find an entry-level secretary job that I could land without having to go back to school for 2 years. And I'll be retirement age in 3 years. POINTLESS. Just shoot me, NOW.

same here - downtime

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm applying at the clerk level. I can't get an interview.

Leaving - Gonzo

[ In Reply To ..]
After being an MT for 18 years, losing money like crazy, almost losing my home, tired of no paid holidays, no sick days, and constant big brother breathing down my throat, I am leaving with last day tomorrow :) I started to apply as a medical secretary and was hired pretty quickly through my area craigslist.com. Good luck to you and may you find success.

Good for you, Gonzo! - (see message)

[ In Reply To ..]
When you applied for the job through Craigslist, did it tell you which office the job was with in the ad?

I see so many of them that are vague enough that it makes me hesitant to apply. I didn't send any info one time (no resume or personal data)....just inquired as to the type of business they were and the approximate location within our large city before I decided if it was even an option, and I started getting really questionable e-mails from who knows where (but it wasn't a legitimate job). That kind of thing made me think I need to stick to jobs where they give the company or clinic name. Anyway, just wondered what your experience was with that.

Best of luck to you in your new job!

Gonzo - mt20years

[ In Reply To ..]
Good for you Gonzo. I am in the same boat you were in. I have been an MT a long time and used to be proud to do this work. I have almost lost my home as well because of pay cuts every year, instead of raises. It makes no sense to me how I cannot sustain 99% QA but yet they can still send things offshore.

I am getting out of this business as well, going to finish my CMA training.

Best of luck to you in your new job.

My last day too - me

[ In Reply To ..]
My last day is today too, lmao! Good luck to you. This place is like a revolving door!

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