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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

I guess it's a matter of perspective

Posted By: MTDays on 2008-02-23
In Reply to: They're not allowed on any other board here either. - nm

I didn't see it so much as a job wanted posting as it did not seem directed at those that hire, but rather as a person saying she was looking for a job, citing her skill set, and providing an opportunity for anyone who gets a referral bonus to refer her. Although it may be a case of potayto/potawto, I didn't look at it in the same light as I would have had she posted her resume.


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    Thanks for the perspective. I guess I'm doing as well as I can expect to.

    nm


    I guess it does not matter how nice someone is, if you can't produce due to disorganization, huh?

    I am just really nervous.  The company I have been with for over a year does not offer benefits and it is really scary to go switching jobs for benefits.  I do have a family and need benefits.  But I would rather be certain in my accounts and my company that I am work then to take a huge leap of faith, get a job where you cannot meet production due to whatever reasons and then be out of money, job, etc.  This is a scary field to switch jobs in.  Thanks for all info!  I appreciate it!  You may have just saved me from making a huge mistake. 


    to look at it from your perspective...
    you ask why the sudden outrage over HL offshoring. It isn't the offshoring that caused outrage. It was the displacement of jobs to offshore personnel that caused a feeling of electricution to those losing their jobs.

    There is some personal responsibility in knowing what your company is up to when it comes to offshoring when certain information about that activity is readily available online; however, there are companies that hide the fact that they offshore and prevent under penality of job termination employees communicating with each other in private or in public.

    What goes on behind the scenes can be quietly veiled until suddenly the worker bee is cut off from its food supply. Do you blame the bee? Only if it doesn't adapt and move on. Do we ask the bee if it feels hurt about what happpend? Certainly not. It isn't human.

    Instead of blaming AAMT, why isn't anyone looking at the board of directors of MTIA? It has a significantly disproportionate number of offshoring CEOs on its board of directors with those individuals pushing for American MT apprecenticeships, with federal funds potentially being covertly diverted to their offshore investments. They sent HL's president to California in 2004 to represent them as the best of the best regarding the issue of offshoring.

    People do what they need to do to keep their lives afloat at a particular point in their lives but it is unwise to live the life of an ostrich with heads buried in the sand.

    No offense to anyone who lost their job intended. I would feel many negative emotions if I were in your shoes.
    Your perspective....
    Perhaps you are wrong.  We each have our own ideas on MQ so both sides should be equally read for the above person to have a choice.  Glad you're happy but I'm not.  Will not sugar-coat MQ for anyone - they have a right to know not all is sweet there.
    Oh, isn't that a different perspective...sm
    RH was the one who got under my skin. Her and I clashed from day 1.
    another perspective....
    I’ve worked at Precyse more than 6 years now and experienced many changes. They have definitely had their growing pains and going to ASR has most definitely brought more. Let’s face it everyone, everything is changing (some good and some not so good) and it has been this way forever. Manual Typewriters to Word Processors, to PCs; DOS to Windows and now Microsoft Office 2007. Domestic transcription to overseas. Manual typing to Assisted Voice Recognition. Being paid hourly to production. We can either change with the times or change careers. My head is always trying to wrap around something new. What is Precyse suppose to do. Not change keep up. Put It’s foot down and say no. How can they do that and keep competitive and keep in business. They are not an “I don’t care about the MT” company. There are 400 transcriptionists at Precyse now from what I hear and over 700 employees overall. This means that they are providing jobs to 700 people in the USA. I have to defend them. Because of them (and my hard work), I have a roof over my head and food on my table. ASR accounts are not mandatory but I want to learn them to keep competitive. This is the future and it’s not going away. Yes, I’ve run into production problems, ESLs that I just want to cry over, low line counts, system issues, lack of communication and change in managers. But this is everywhere. There have been more times where I can just do my job and do it well, make decent money and feel good about what I do. I’m tired of jumping around. Even though Precyse has big changes going on, they really try to think about and develop the new programs around how it is going to affect the MT. One example is the ASR line rate. On top of the line rate, they also pay a bonus to keep you whole until your average pay is equal to or higher than what you’ve earned on straight transcription. Bottom line, we have to be real about this business. This doesn’t mean you have to just take being treated unfairly. There are plenty of unfair companies out there but I can’t say that Precyse is one of them.
    Different perspective - sm
    Maybe I am just old and have a different perspective on things, but have you tried talking to your direct supervisor? Sometimes they can help ease things during the break-in phase. If your issues are primarily related to one QA person, possibly this could be salvaged?
    My perspective
    I absolutely love it...honestly. I don't work on the University accounts, I work on clinics and I love it.  We have boatloads of work right now and yes, the OT is mandatory, but only 1 hour a day, more if you want.  My supe is the absolute best, communication is awesome...for me, Amphion works well.  Coming from my old job, it's like night and day.  I've been with them for almost 2 years and love it...
    My perspective sm
    for what it is worth here.

    I have been an IC for years. My taxes as an IC amounted to 18% of my GROSS income last year. I didn't even make that much, but I didn't get to spend a dime beyond my business and personal expenses. As an employee, I'll have help on the FICA portion, which amounted to so much of my taxes.

    The last IC job I had, I got 11 cents a line. The account and the software were so difficult, I was lucky to get 800 lines a day (I am doing double that) and I was working 10, 12 and 14 hours a day. The account was almost all ESLs and it was terrible. That is, of course, when I had the work. Increasingly I didn't have the work. I asked for some time off because I had pneumonia, thank you very much and was told you take a couple days, don't bother coming back and I was not asking to be paid, I was NOT going to be paid!

    Take the IC job before that. No PTO and I tried for a year to get a darn THREE days off and ended up with 1/2 a day after much whining on my part. They offered insurance...$485 a month for health benefits I could not use in any state nearby, including my own. I called in sick only once in 3 yrs, but was berated for being slow when I was well and truly sick with a fever of 103. Awful.

    I took the time to total up benefits, taxes and PTO versus my average lines of 1650 a day at the rate from TT and at the 11 cents a line over 900 lines a day and at the 9 cents a line at 1500 I was doing. Guess what? I am thousands ahead! It is not possible to calculate what the lower stress of affordable benefits, the availability of a sick day if I need it, the relaxed feeling I have knowing I don't have to come up with so much in taxes, will do for my production and general contentment in life. I don't care if it is even money with my ICs, it is peace of mind here.
    Another perspective....
    when i worked in the hospitals and we were low on or out of work, we had to go do busy work, file charts, etc to 'earn' our pay. Gosh i hated that. Now, working at home, we can run do a load of laundry, go visit a friend, etc., and come back to the work when it accumulates. For me, being at home is my preferred way to travel; no gripe from me!
    A different perspective
    Niki, your describing Precyse as being a very caring place to work is analogous to being in an abusive relationship. I suppose there are those that like it and that stay because the think they deserve to be abused.
    from my perspective
    I think they are overhiring for whatever reason.  On a daily basis, there is very little work at all.  No, there are no benefits.
    The answer is, at least from my perspective,...SM
    The answer to your final question is, no lower than this. I am saying "ENOUGH" right now. I don't know for sure how it will all play out, but I do know that I'm not just going to stand silently by and watch as the soup kitchens loom larger on the horizon.

    I think that, as the qualified MTs move to the more MT-oriented companies, the strength of those companies will grow while the strength of ones that are being left will dwindle. In that scenario, the accounts will eventually have to begin shifting to the companies that are staffed to provide them the service they need. VR or no VR, the reports have to be typed.

    And something else that I have been thinking about for a while is this. What happens if we are ever able to put a national health care system in place that will allow everyone to access the health care networks. All of those people out there that currently cannot get the health care they want will suddenly be accessing the system, and many of them with health problems that are now chronic because of not having the financial ability to take care of those problems when they were acute and perhaps easier to deal with. The numbers of people suddenly accessing the health care system will increase 1000 fold, and along with that increase will come an increase in the demand for qualified MTs. For every individual that goes into a hospital, there will be a minimum of 2 reports generated concerning their patient care, i.e., 1 H&P and 1 discharge summary, minimum.

    In my opinion, VR is wasted in the hands of anyone that cannot produce the finished product without someone else stepping in and polishing it up. In the hands of the right people, VR will indeed accomplish what everyone ideally hoped it would. The individuals developing it will still realize their profits, and the technology will increase production and accuracy more than substantially, if it's in the right hands. In my opinion, we're the ones that should be using it. If doctors think they want to use it, that's fine. Just don't come to me and ask me to fix it for you. If you want to do it, then do it. If you want me to do it, then back off and let me do it. What if we all take that stand right now and say "ENOUGH." Where does that leave companies like Transcend and MQ/Philips with the expense of their research and investments to account for. Think it through everyone. What will they be forced to do if we refuse to play ball with them on this issue. Do you think they will just throw the technology in the trash? I don't. I do think taking such a stand will put us back in the driver's seat where we belong. We're the backbone! We're the ones that produce the product they market. Don't help them learn how to do it without us.
    definitely, current perspective is
    what I am looking for. I wanted to know if the company has changed any and whether they are the same, better, or worse. I would really appreciate any information anyone might have for me. I did get an e-mail from them yesterday. A request for rehire has been sent in my favor.
    a slightly different perspective...

    My story:  I started a week ago with sneezing.  At first, I thought it was allergies because we took DH's truck for a long drive (the one he takes the dog to the shop in).  But after 2 doses of Benadryl and 6 hours later, still sneezing.  The sneezing started up again the next day and by the third day I was coughing.  The coughing got worse as the week went on and it got to the point where I was gagging on the mucus.  I self-medicated with OTC stuff -- Robitussin, Mucinex, etc.  By Sunday, I was on the couch the entire day.  My body hurt, my ears hurt, I had chills, still coughing and sneezing.  Finally on Monday, I called my doc and made an appt for that afternoon.


    My doc did a thorough exam on me and told me that what I had was more than likely viral and that antibiotics would do me no good (I'm old school, I say give me the Z-pack and send me on my way), but not this newbie.  He gave me an inhaler.  We have 3 of those in my house already and told me to continue with my OTC stuff.  I paid my copay and left.


    Needless to say, the next time I get sick, I'll wait until I'm dead to go to the doctor's because I'm sure it's just a virus and we can't really treat a virus.  Maybe that's the prob with the workload.  People aren't going to their doctors because the doctors aren't doing much to help.  Save your money and wait it out.


    Precyse - a different perspective..

    As someone who has worked for two major national companies in my career as an MT, I have experienced the worse of the worse. Been at Precyse for 1-1/2 years and I have found them to be an absolute wonderful company to work for, very caring and eager to fix what needs fixing. Yes, they are not  perfect company.....Yes, there have slower times of the year that I have needed to flex my time. That is nothing new for me in this profession. In the 20 years as a Transcriptionist I have learned to expect such highs and lows for work and to adjust my schedule to compensate. Yes, I have worked on some difficult accounts with Precyse, but patient's whose reports are dictated by those difficult dictators deserve to have their reports done in a professional and accurate manner as well. It is a good thing that there are MTs who are willing to do them. The MTs at Precyse that I have talked to are VERY happy to be here and also have many war stories to tell about other companies they have worked for. I am glad I work for a company that cares about its employees and offers a great environment to work in, as well as some of the best benefits in the business. If you look hard enough, you are going to be able to find ex-employees who were not happy at Precyse for some reason, I happen to not be one of them! 


    One Supervisor's Perspective

    There's a certain natural tension between the need for reports to be complete and the need for MTs to be productive.  This means making a reasonable effort to resolve blanks and ambiguities, but no more.  There is an obligation to the client and patient, not only to deliver this report (the one that you're transcribing), but also those that are waiting in the queue behind it.


    Dictation being what it is, some blanks are inevitable.  Sometimes you just need a second set of ears (the way we used to hand our earphones to the person next to us and ask what's this guy saying?).  As a supervisor I was much happier helping my people resolve blanks than being scared to leave them and making poor decisions.


    That doesn't mean, however, that I didn't sometimes see blanks that undoubtedly should and could have been resolved by the MT.  For instance, I would see a blank early in a report due to a somewhat mumbled phrase that was dictated more clearly later and correctly transcribed, but the MT did not connect the dots with the earlier blank.  Or, I would see a blank for an unusual (but clearly pronounced) medication that I found in 5 seconds in the drug reference that we provided to MTs.  Or, I would see a blank for hypo-/hyper- such as hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia that was unclear, but the accompanying value made the choice obvious.  We hired only very experienced MTs for my accounts, and they should be able to resolve an ambiguity in a sentence such as The patient was extremely hyp?glycemic with a blood glucose of 26.


    As I dealt with blanks turned in by my team, I sometimes had to address issues of inattention to context, lack of skills with reference materials or Web search methods, carelessness and yes, sometimes downright refusal to take even a brief amount of time to check a spelling.  I also sometimes had to deal with things like Expander errors, which occur due to inattention and/or the method that an MT uses to name her short forms (and in some cases, creating far too many short forms of questionable productive value).


    However, I dealt with issues like these on an individual basis and only when I was satisfied in my mind that I wasn't misconstruing the situation.  In doing so, I found that most of these situations were opportunities to help an MT improve her skills or her understanding in some way and very few were cause for some sort of corrective action.  In other words, in my experience the vast majority of MTs take enormous pride in the work they do and the skills they bring to the dictation.  By contrast, a much smaller percentage of physicians exhibit that same level of care in their dictation, and to me that meant giving the MT the benefit of the doubt.


    I was also keenly mindful of something else, which is that my connection to the dictation system might be better than what the MT had, so that what might be clear to me on reviewing the report could well have been less so when she transcribed it.  The phone system is such that we go through many different switches and circuits between here and there, and these connections can be quite different even between the same two locations on different phone calls.  You might call the system in Tampa from your home in Chicago, and one time your call could be routed through Atlanta while the next time it goes through Dallas.  Knowing this, again, the benefit of the doubt must go to the MT.


    So, I looked for certain patterns of behaviors, not one-off incidents.  I produced for many, many years and have never forgotten the challenges of dealing with that tension between leaving no blanks and the corresponding responsibility not only to this job, but to the job behind it.  You can't lay down any rules about this.  You can only help your people have the best skills possible in doing rapid and effective research, in using the context of the report to help resolve ambiguities, and then you encourage them - yes, ENCOURAGE them - to leave a blank when they have made a reasonable effort rather than to believe that filling in anything is better than leaving a blank.  The supervisor should be the MT's resource of last resort - the backstop, so to speak.  It's the patient and that report that matter most, and getting it right is more important than who fills in the blank.


     


     


     


     


    from tax perspective, do you feel that IC or employee is better?
    do you make less being IC or do you have write offs that compensate for this? thanks for any info. Just starting as an IC and not really sure this is the right decision for me.
    Wrong! That's just your personal perspective.
    I'm very happy there. My manager works with me. I'm making more money this year than the previous years. I have PTO and insurance.

    I think it's a great place to be!
    Of course it's good to get a current MT's perspective
    .
    good perspective, I thought of this too when sm
    I posted yesterday, thought this may be happening, i.e., helpless situation for supervisor who prob. relies on so-called expertise of that worker, perhaps does not know medical transcription herself. It is a concern your name/work record being ruined.
    Thanks to sychedelic for that perspective on my 15.00 a month..
    You are exactly right, I was wondering if there were any more that were paying a fee. Can understand you point of view on the licensing fees and it is great to have the IT support that we get on this account. Again, thanks for toning this conversation down a bit :)
    Different perspective on "old days"
    I am a relatively new MT, just under 5 years in the field. But I used to be on the other end in the old days, trying to recruit MTs for a hospital and a large orthopedic practice in the late 1980s. MTs definitely COULD write their own ticket back then. We would advertise and rarely even get a single response, there just weren't enough MTs to go around. We were willing to pay whatever it took to get them, and it was a heck of a lot better than what MTs are paid now. And we tried to treat them well to KEEP them. But the field has changed and MTSOs are flooded with resumes. No need to pay well anymore with so many willing to work for peanuts because they are all competing for fewer jobs.
    That puts it into perspective - and 16 an hour stinks!
    x
    Actually, this is an interesting and thought-provoking perspective ...
    nm
    I'm curious from your perspective, who has a good platform and why? sm
    I see you posting regularly and I'm curious what you think Wbmdx could and should incorporate to make Enterprise better. Thanks.
    Thanks for this post. I love a new perspective on things.
    I've always felt that the women libbers helped the need for 2-income families, but you are right - I hadn't thought about the single women and women who wanted to work not being able to get decent jobs or decent pay. We still have a long way to go to break the glass ceiling, but women can be anything they want to be these days with regard to career, and we have the women libbers to thank for that most definitely. I am very grateful for all their efforts. I just wish that it was easier to be a SAHM these days...whatever the reason - economy, government, libbers, greed, etc. While I do feel they played at least a small role in it, the good they did outweighs the downfalls. I appreciate your input. It has given me a new perspective on things. Thanks!
    Thanks for that info. You seem to have a balanced perspective on the situation. There have been a

    lot of drastic changes in the workplace in general, not just MT.  Those changes have been a long time in the making.  The agenda in the US has been top dollar for corporations with very little respect for workers, and this has happened right under our noses to a certain extent.  Inch by inch the rug has been pulled out from under the majority of Americans, but we are a strong, resilient lot and we will recover and hopefully be smarter.  I have great faith now that we have new leadership.  I honestly didn't think we could make it happen, but the people stepped up and woohoo! 


    What does it matter what others do?
    I don't believe you're an MTSO at all.


    CPL DOES NOT MATTER
    So well said. With a bad platform and missing demographics you never get to transcribing.
    Not a matter of...
    doable. It's a matter of the difficulty of your account!!!! Consider yourself very lucky to have gotten an easy account.
    Why does it matter?
    Why does it matter that it is MQ overflow as long as you have work??
    does not matter...sm
    MTs outside of the US are restricted from this site. Do not solicit - job ad posters from this forum. Administrator nm
    Why does it matter?
    Either take and use the advice or don't. You guys make us all look like a bunch of grumpy ol' hags. She simply gave some advice, she wasn't trying to insult anybody. No need for everyone to get defensive. If you are an experienced MT and know what you're doing with your resume, then chances are you're not putting Burger King on there....so she's obviously not talking about you. I wouldn't suggest anyone put their email address on there....spammers search the web and have bots that search the web just for that. Any email address they find....spam, spam, spam. Also, any spammer could send an email with an attachment saying it's a resume but it's actually a virus. They have to safeguard themselves too, and many times that means not opening attachments from senders they don't know/trust.
    Does it really matter?

    Seems like the certification would be a waste of money to me. 


    What does it matter...
    Speech and straight type are totally individual opinions. There are so many different factors and I am trying to sort those out. It is not the difference between scared to try and how many others love it. I want facts, which never appear on this board. I want to hear from the people who have been doing straight type for at least 10+ years, no less. That is what I have been trying to say in my case...it does NOT mean I am ignorant, because I certainly am not, and it does NOT mean I can't face change, which I certainly have had to do over and over again in this industry. Haering some of the responses so far, it seems as though some think it is just like learning a new account, and that can at times be gruesome..but with the added cut in half of pay.... So give it a rest you speech presidents. This is an individual thing and all I am tring to find out is the true ratio of experienced who like it/not and inexperienced love it/not. So far, I am not sure. I am so confused right now, my brain is rattling and I think I just need to go watch Housewives of New York. I can dream of being rich eh?
    sometimes it's not a matter of...
    sometimes it's not a matter of typing slow. you should consider the fact that sometimes due to demos, ESLs, quality, etc, etc, it is just impossible to go any faster. I'm a pretty fast typist and a good MT, but on certain accounts, I struggle to make the LPH. Good for you that you make good money. Unfortunately it is not possible for all of us. Consider yourself lucky. ;)
    truth in the matter
    I know people who still work with Transhealth and they are just sticking with it until something better comes. They don't feel appreciated. When I worked with them, the mgmt team needed to practice their professional skills. Everyone has their right to post their opinion and that is what it is, an opinion like anyone else who posts positive/negative comments about the company or any other company. It is up to the person to make the best decision and all we can provide is our opinions regarding the matter.
    Doesn't matter
    They won't have the work anyway! They just want to keep EVERYBODY on standby constantly.
    It doesn't matter anyway
    We don't have any work now, so no work later will be no surprise.  Have been working for 3 hours and have been able to "snag" only two reports. 
    FT or PT shouldn't matter.

    Pay should be based on your abilities and quality of your work instead of how much you can do sloppy just to get your lines.  There's nobody stopping you from going PT with several different companies.  I would never put all my eggs in one basket since every place runs low on work or overhires, etc... 


    Makes more sense to me to work PT as an IC, unless you absolutely need benefits through an MT company, which I'd never trust since you don't know how long you'll have them if they don't have the work or lose the account, etc...  Too many things could happen to be able to depend on a single MT company.


    Yes, as a matter of fact I do. sm
    I haven't worked for MQ, so they, indeed, may be better than MQ. However, I have countless accounts with Webmedx and still run out of work. I can do all work types. I bounce around on many accounts. I am completely out of work some days. It usually picks up later, but who has the kind of life that they can be around all day waiting for work to trickle in? And bouncing around on many accounts costs the MT.

    And there are plenty of similar opinions if you simply look over the archives.
    Maybe for editing, but not tx no matter how new!!
    nm
    Not sure of her name, but I wouldn't consider a job with her no matter what.
    .
    It is not a matter of whether or not AAMT can do
    anything aboutit, the point is they should stand behind all American MTs and push to help maintain it as strictly a US-based business. Those who are members are, after all, paying to keep them together and pay their salaries, and send out their notices, etc., etc.
    no matter - sorry - I need my own editor! nm
    nm
    Sometimes, no matter how many questions you ask...
    ...you aren't going to learn what you need to know. I won't say every company does this, but at times a recruiter is told to say certain things that are at odds with reality.

    Personally, I couldn't do it and live with myself, and that's why I left recruiting.

    I think the best thing to do is to ask questions about a company on the boards, and try to get as much info as you can from the recruiter, but realize that real life might be a different kettle of fish.

    Also, don't hang the recruiter after the fact. They are told what to say, and sometimes even they don't know the reality of day-to-day transcribing in the company any longer (if ever), and they completely believe what they are selling. I think most try to do their best to be as honest as they can. I don't think many would intentionally lie to you. They may gloss over some negatives, but they probably/hopefully won't lie.

    I know this probably wasn't much help, I'm sorry!
    No, it really doesn't matter sm
    I get health benefits through my husband, so I really don't need those.  I do like my taxes taken out, though. 
    You should make that no matter what. sm
    With their FT minimums (which are VERY easy to get on their ortho accounts), you will be there easily. Mine tend to be in the $1400 range on the 1st and 15th. There are slower times and busier times but I never go under $1000 (and have yet to go over $2200, which is the next goal I have made for myself!).

    Good luck in your new position! The ortho manager is the best!
    I don't think hours matter.
    I don't think hours matter. However, I would encourage you to get definitive answers from them.

    I work 6-7 days a week by choice to get lines in so I can't verify whether weekends are required or not. I also give them a very general schedule as to when I'll be working and they don't have a problem if I need to change it.

    Communication is great. My supervisors generally get back to me within a couple hours.
    Dont think it would matter
    It seems as if they feel they can get aware with it - and unfortunately they have for so long. Why - because they bounced checks in the past and no one ever said or did anything as long as they get there money eventually - I say bounce a check get fined, charged etc. Bounce a check at walmart and you can go to jail - what makes you less than walmart? Pay a bill late and get finance charges and fees - you are a business, charge them fess and late charges and maybe - just maybe - it wont happen again.