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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

getting a job as a medical transcriptionist

Posted By: BRANDY on 2006-02-02
In Reply to:

I am getting ready to graduate as a medical Transcriptionist from an online school.  How long does it normally take for a new graduate to get a job?? I have noticed that no one wants to hire a new graduate..


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An MT is a Medical Transcriptionist...sm
Here is a link and some helpful information on desertion in the military. http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Desertion

Good luck!
You ARE a medical transcriptionist, right?!
Geez, how idiotic can you be?!

It addresses ALL medical transcriptionists. Again, the new definitions for two classes of their transcriptionists have apparently been updated. That does NOT exclude SEs! LOLOLOL

Ya can't see the forrest for the trees can ya?! LOLOLOL

It is a Medical Transcriptionist
and Medical Editor. I was confused at first too but you can do both. They never had ME's before.
You have been a medical transcriptionist...sm
for 33 years. You have put so many years into this, and I would not give up on it now. If you are making 10 cpl then I think you are making a good cpl amount and I would not give that up. You can always buy some health ins. Why drive up to 1-1/2 hours one way just to work when you have a good job at home?
Right now jobs are scarce. If you take a low paying job with benies and have to drive a good distance gas is going to take up some of your pay and I don't think you would clear very much. You are thinking right, it would be foolish in these times to give up your job for a low paying job just for benies. Don't get me wrong benies are important but you can buy some insurance or find a job in MT that has benies but I don't think your line rate would be as high. I would stay where I am.
A medical transcriptionist must be able to
translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their expanded forms.
registered medical transcriptionist - for those
x
RMT is Registered Medical Transcriptionist, ...

and CMT is certified.  The RMT is available to new MTs without the 2 years experience required to sit for the CMT.  Both are money makers for AAMT and don't do much, if anything, in the real world of MT.  Sure, there are a few companies that offer a fraction of a cent more per line for the CMT designation, but most MTSOs, as well as the majority of healthcare facilities (from large hospitals to smaller clinics and offices) have never even heard of the AAMT.


Now, before anyone slams me for knocking the AAMT, I am not.  I am involved in a research project for a large project and have investigated the ups and downs and ins and outs of MT companies, schools, job prospects and much more.  The AAMT just doesn't carry the weight they might like people to believe.


And remember . . . The "American" in AAMT is gone.  That says a lot.


 


RMT=Registered Medical Transcriptionist
A fairly new credential for MTs who are not eligible for the CMT (Certified Medical Transcriptionist) credential yet.  You have to have 2 years of experience before you can take the CMT test.  With the RMT, you do not.
Medical transcriptionist melts keyboard with fingertips
Ryan sez, "We have a medical Transcriptionist on staff who has been using the same keyboard for the last 8.5 years. My co-worker replaced it yesterday, and when he first showed it to me I thought someone had taken a blowtorch to it! The most frequently used keys have been completely worn through, exposing the mechanism beneath. Zoom in and check out the indentation on the Backspace key! The keyboard still works fine, so there's something to be said for durability. BTW, it's a NMB Technologies model RT2358TW."

Some people are hard on keyboards -- I tend the blow the contacts on the left side of the board really fast, knocking out the Ctrl, Alt and left side of the spacebar. Charlie Stross's keyboards lose their lettering in mere months, and my pal Seth Schoen types like a machinegun, but I've never noticed any particular wear on his keyboards.


Medical Transcriptionist's Guide to Microsoft Word book
Does anybody have this book?  Is it worth the money to buy it if you are pretty comfortable creating macros and such in Word already?  Just wondering.... I am always looking for new ways to increase my speed and make things easier.  Any info would be great from someone who has this book.  Thanks! 
read "The Independent Medical Transcriptionist" by Donna Avila-Weil. All you need to know is t

nm


I would buy new a Dorland's Medical Dictionary, Stedmans Medical and Surgical Equipment...SM

and Tessier's The Surgical Word Book, 3rd edition.  Books you could buy used I would say would be Stedman's Pathology and Lab Medicine and Cardiology/Pulmonary word book.  These are all the books I use the most during my day.  You could buy other speciality word books as you need them and could probably go used with those.


I wouldn't bother with buying a drug book, new editions come out every year and I just stick to the FDA website and RXList as my drug references.


Also FYI, not a book, but I use my Stedman's Electronic Medical Dictationary a lot.  It's easier to open the program than it is to pick up a huge 30-pound dictionary.


Medical Transcription In The Era Of Electronic Medical Records
EMR has revolutionized the healthcare industry in recent times. Many experts felt that EMR & Voice Recognition would totally replace Medical Transcription - however; the industry soon realized that transcription has certain advantages over point & click charting and many physicians preferred to dictate notes rather than document the data at the point of care themselves.
You know you are a transcriptionist
n
come on.. you are a transcriptionist
if you have ever been in house when someone has tried to illegaly obtain medical records... lawyers, insurance people, you know what I'm talking about.

There are a million ways to use your medical information against you.
My SIL wants to be a transcriptionist...

She wants to study at home, but I went to college for it like 15 years ago.  I don't know anything about computer courses or whatever.  I don't just want to "google" it.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks. 


Jodi 


Is a transcriptionist a
healthcare professional? I am filling out something online that asks me to select a category - that is closest thing besides other....
PT transcriptionist
It's cake once you get used to the terms. Stedman's ortho and rehab words is a life saver for me. "Googling" also helps a lot. Get the stedman's dictionary and within a couple of weeks, you should be doing fine!

Feel free to ask away if you need help with anything else on this subject!
How Much Can One Transcriptionist Do....

Hi all, I am wanting to get some advice here.  I work at home for a 270 bed acute care hospital and have a minimum of 5000 lines per two week pay period requirement to maintain insurance.  I also work as an IC for a psychiatrist doing progress notes on tapes that they aren't in any real hurry about (usually pick up tapes twice a week) and then work part-time for a national company.  I just was called to do transcription for a neurological group that has three physicians.  They have basically told me to set my price as they are unhappy with the person doing it right now and are looking for someone else.  When do you know you have reached your limit or do you just try it for a while?  Also, I have a friend who is wanting to do some work on the side, but I am not sure how to go about doing this (paying, taxes, etc).  Any help here would be appreciated.  What do others in this situation do?  Thanks


Tami


Are you a transcriptionist.....if so....you can
NM
You know you are a transcriptionist when...

You know you are a Transcriptionist when...you tell your four year old daughter to get ready to go to bed and she looks up at your from her favorite toy (an old keyboard) and says "Let me finish my report first.  "


Is transcriptionist necessary for
VR, yes, for the time being. I have worked on VR now for the same place 4-5 years, exact same physicians for the most part. It was pure salad starting off but like I said, surprised me when it went so fast to straight VR. The pay is different for this. Did you know that? I do a combination of VR and also some straight, 75% VR and the pay is a lot lower. Is yours a combination of the 2 or not? I have good speed so it really it not a hinderence to me, might be if I did straight VR.
ER transcriptionist

I have been an oncology Transcriptionist for over 6 years and getting a little bored with it, so was contemplating doing ER.  Can any of you ER pros tell me what you like about it or don't like about it.  Is it difficult to learn the lingo and get the lines you need to produce?  Any info is appreciated.


Thanks for your input.


Transcriptionist!!
I remember when word-processors replaced typewriters. Back then, people were concerned that they would no longer be called typists.

Face it. Speech Recognition is here to stay, and editing is better than typing. I make more money with editing at 3.9 cents per line than typing at 8 cents per line.
I am an experienced transcriptionist, and have no more need sm
to proof every word of every report that the doctors have a need to actually listen over to their own dictation.  Speed and quality go hand in hand in making a good MT.  If you don't have both, then you will never make any more and never have any confidence in your skills.  I think I already told you, above, that I have a QA score of 99.4.  Good enough for me. 
Is that the one for a general transcriptionist?
c
One transcriptionist, three doctors--HELP

I work from home as an independent MT and presently, I am working for three doctors.  Anyone else out there working for a few doctors.  I am beginning to think it is impossible for one person to do this, as I am working 7 days a week, long hours.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! 


I meant transcriptionist~
x
I feel the same way - have been a transcriptionist for 30+ (SM)

years, and at this point in my life, maybe 5 or 6 years from retirement (if I can afford it), and it is too late for me to start something new.  We ARE stuck in this field, at least I feel like I am.  If I were younger, I would definitely consider other options.


Being a transcriptionist is quite honorable...
its the MT companies who have given it a bad rep. I don't know of too many people who can do what we do, and that still says a lot.
Vet tech/transcriptionist
That's interesting...I used to be a vet tech in the '80s and got tired of not being able to explain to the animals why I was causing pain. I also like more focused work. Loved radiology so now radiology Transcriptionist for 15 years. So you and I had flip-flopped career paths...good luck on this new endeavor as a veterinary assistant.
General Transcriptionist

Im trying to begin my career in MT.  I've ordered a at home study course and im waiting for it to arrive but in the mean time i heard that general transcription is the route to go until you become efficient enough to begin in MT.  Does anyone know of how I need to get started in this and what I need to do to begin?


Thanks


Jodie


Traveling Transcriptionist
How can they expect you to be a traveling Transcriptionist and go cold turkey into a facility and maintain a line count of 1500 lines?
Traveling transcriptionist job
I would love a job like this. Where do you apply for it. Also, do you have to do ops to get the job?
P. S. So, the transcriptionist is the one training the s/w. sm
Of course, we don't get paid any more for this little item which will actually lower our line rates when we are editing the gibberish.  It's a vicious circle. 
Coder vs. Transcriptionist

Honestly, which is better?  As far as job market, earnings, and essential functions of the job? 


Transcriptionist dictating into VR
I read an article about this years ago.  A local Transcriptionist would listen to a report and dictate it into a VR program she had on her computer so all she had to do was edit rather than type because she had carpal tunnel so bad.  It worked well enough for her that she could remain employed.  I didn't know her or have a chance to meet her, unfortunately, but she inspired me to take the VR class through Office Careers at the local junior college.  Like most people in the class, I found out pretty quick that I didn't have the voice for the software.  It just didn't work well.  Plus you have to retrain it any time you get a cold, allergies are acting up, yell yourself hoarse at her kid's football game, etc., because your voice quality has changed and the program doesn't recognize you as you anymore.  At the time, she was working with reports on tape and whatever word processing program was popular at the time (WordStar, WordPerfect, Word).  I'm not sure if you can use VR on your computer (or the one supplied by your employer) with the Internet platforms that provide the voice files now.  It would probably be an added complication your company's technical department wouldn't want to deal with unless they were forced to as a "reasonable accommodation" under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
I am a radiology transcriptionist and I just
am falling in love with it. It works just fine for me. I now need to "fine tune" it and learn more of the commands to make it as efficient as possible. You have 30 days to try it out and return if unhappy. I did not buy the expensive medical version, bought the Preferred version and so am adding words at this point, but not a lot of them it doesn't seem like.
Transcriptionist or Correctionist?

So, are you a Transcriptionist or a "correctionist" (per Wikipedia--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_transcription)? 


I am a transcriptionist.  I am not an Editor (a title which should be used only for publications) and most definitely not a correctionist (ugh/shudder).  For those who absolutely love VR/ASR, I'm sorry, but I really don't consider you to be transcriptionists.  You are basically QA'ing the computer, i.e., a correctionist or a janitor. 


Flame away!!!


distabled transcriptionist

disabled Transcriptionist who wants to transcribe.  Any type of foot pedal that can be used or adapted for use as have no use of legs.


Transcriptionist information....
xx
"REAL" transcriptionist

I hate to tell you but not all "REAL" Transcriptionist pass these test as you "PROMISE".  There are people who do not test well but are still qualified to get the job done.  I am one of those people.  I don't test well, but I am a great transcriptionist.  I have a great job working at home that I love and am doing a wonderful job for them.  They understand that there are people out there who know what to do but have struggles with testing.


 


 


 


Would appreciate comments from any specialty transcriptionist
who transitioned to another specialty.  Also, have been doing strictly psych transcription for 10+ years but would like to branch out, does anyone have a recommendation as to which direction I should be looking and learning?  I don't mind hard work and have mastered a lot of dialects, but am clueless as to what direction I should be looking to better myself in the field. 
The recruiter I spoke with was a transcriptionist - sm
and I know for a fact that I make much more than her, and she supposedly has all this experience and knowledge. When it came down to it, my experience was almost on the same level as hers, just in less years.

All I know is that I will never interview again with a national service. I feel that my experience and my knowledge and my background definitely made me a candidate for the position posted. I truly believe it was my salary that "threatened" this recruiter (for lack of a better word). I think she felt it necessary to be condescending. I will just stick with the job I have. It's not a bad job, but I just wanted a change and a chance to grow even more.
When they tried to hire me as a radiology transcriptionist sm
they was only offering 0725 and wouldn't go higher. I have 20 years experience.
IRS question--I hired a transcriptionist to help--sm
me with an account.  What is the IRS form she has to fill out for me to report her earnings? Thought it was 1099 but there are so many on the IRS site that I don't know which one to download or even if that is the correct form. Thanks, Debra
I didn't have any training as a transcriptionist.
I started out as an LPN and then went to work in the medical records department of the hospital/nursing home where I worked with a really nice bunch of ladies who took me under there wings and taught me the basics of transcription. My training as an LPN helped with the medical terminology part of it. Worked there for about 18 months and then went to work for a national and have been there 5-1/2 years. Making more now than I have ever made in my life.
Need a HIPPA form for transcriptionist
An account has asked me to prepare and sign a HIPPA compliance form. Please refer me to such a form.
Are there any Med. Transcriptionist/Stenographers on board?

I would really love to learn how to stenotype when doing medical transcription.  Can anyone recommend a good on-line course or website to get me started?  Also, if there are any of you here that are medical stenographers, would you mind telling me what kind of productivity I can expect once I learn the keyboard?


I took ShortHand in highschool, but I won't say how long ago that was.  LOL


Thank you!


Transcriptionist takes hit not MTSO!

Any reputable MTSO would know when they've taken an account too large as long they have transcription experience (I mean actually typing, not managerial experience).  It is a shame that the Transcriptionist must take the "hit", in other words, get a bad name due to staff shortages.  An MTSO offers great things, but then can't deliver until they hire the right typist, hence so many adds on these sites for typists!  Bravo for taking matters into your own hands (no pun intended) on grabbing that account!  If you are accurate, professional and can truly get the job done, then go for it!  You would have to imagine that the MTSO stole the account from someone else to gain it unless it is a new practice!  Hence, this is what they call "the pot calling the kettle black".  It happens all of the time on a management level, and almost always the transcriptionist suffers!  Often, the MTSO comes on-site and tries to hire the transcriptionists already transcribing the account (I wonder why?????).  Doesn't take rocket science to figure that one out!  Isn't that then "stealing employees"!  It is all just a big circle, so ride it out!  It is so much fun... !!!!!!   


Well said luv2type! I am a great transcriptionist...
and could care less about line counts either. I produce quality work and I am not in this to make $$$, but to do what I love! I work my hours and then I am done. Life is too short to worry about speed, line counts, or $$$. There are some companies that do want quality over quantity no matter how much you can produce. JMHO.