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This is good to hear. I am hoping that I can hang in

Posted By: mT2 on 2008-06-19
In Reply to: Being with MDI-MD for only a few years, there is not - Indy-MT

until the work picks up... I really don't want to find another situation, although have to admit I have my resume out already just in case... I wish today there were so much work I would work my fingers to the bone, and put some in savings. Been at this a long time and know that I should be doing that. Unfortunately, it has been a rocky 6 months working for another MTSO and promises not kept. So this is a long string of bad events for this MT. Perhaps will take on another IC and wait it out, just want to work, you know, an honest day's work for an honest day's pay sort of thing. :)


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Well put; I'm hoping to hang onto this for a couple more years (sm)
when I could retire - although I'd really like to keep working for a while longer. However, I think if I was a decade or 2 or 3 younger I would be looking into the field of medical information technology.

Thanks SO much. I was hoping I could hear from SM
someone who works there. I have an email friend who referred me, but I really wanted someone else's opinion. I like everything I have heard and will probably accept the position once I have another interview. Well, I have to have employee/spouse insurance and I don't much like the cost -- but it's that way everywhere anymore. Anyway, thanks for responding.

Hoping it comes thru for you! Good luck! nm
s
Thats great. I was hoping for good things

Which accounts are you working?  Do you like them?  Are you making alot of money?  Does Hils pay on time, every time? 


Thanks


Hoping change in CEO is a good thing
The former CEO started this mess, maybe a new one will be a change for the better.
I would give them a try, you hear good and bad, but mostly good. nm
x
Why does someone only want to hear the good
about a company.  Isn't enough that they offshore and lied about it, of in the event of some other companies that checks are late or bounced.   Any of the above is enough to make me not want to work for a company.   In most cases there are multiple complaints against xx company, so it isn't just a personality clash, an MT who produced a bad product and got fired, etc.  If they aren't going to listen to the experience of others, why even ask.  
That's good to hear! I wonder why
there are a lot of people who say they run out of work there though? That would be my only concern. Otherwise, sounds like a good company. Another question - do they do voice recognition and do you HAVE to do it? Where I work now everything is going to VR and I HATE it - income has dropped drastically.
Good to hear it

I'm glad to here that.  I am starting on 07/10/2006.  Everyone has been super nice and very accomodating. 


I will -- That is definitely GOOD to hear!
I have been SOO nervous about making the change, but the job I have now is the absolute dregs of the dregs. 
Wow, that's good to hear
Really, my primary complaint there was the lead. The doctors were good dictators, very easy to work for.  I think KS probably offers benefits that are comparable to any other major MTSO. The pay could be better but hey, that's the complaint every MT has. 
That's good to hear and maybe

it can come back.  Posters like the rectum person need to be banned.


But the way things are going in transcription now, people need a place to vent.  There are some negative people who are negative by nature, but when everything is going to crap it's hard to be positive, and we need to be honest with each other.


If there actually was a place to send all of our legitimate complaints -- and there are many -- and someone would take us seriously and help -- maybe the situation could eventually be turned around.


And, one more thing, really bad things are actually happening to many transcriptionists today - they are NOT just WHINING.  We need a voice.


So, if you have a job that you are happy with, keep it as long as you can.  But, really, try to have some empathy for your peers who are facing REAL hardships.


Great to hear! Good for you!
:)
Good for you! I am glad to hear that you
are a good recruiter, having no idea who you are, was only relaying MY experiences.  Sorry for those, such as you, who do your job well.  I have lost thousands of dollars depending on what was told to me by recruiters, and that is a fact.  If I would not have listened to the out and out lies, simple questions like, Will such and such an abbreviation Expander work with your system? and was told yes, when they had no clue if it would or not after I was hired and quit my other job.  As I said, good for you for being on the up and up and doing your job well.  And I agree, if I could quit MT today, I would run away as fast as I could!!!  Not only is your job thankless, but apparently OURS are TOO!!! Or at least I am given that impression but more than just ONE company!!!!!!
I feel the same way and it's good to hear
To the original poster...It is frustrating at times, I must admit. But life is full of ups and downs. I like to compare it to a NASDAQ company - you know, when they post the company's 1st quarter earnings, etc. Even multi-billion dollar companies have ups and downs, so they take advantage of the ups and tighten their belts during the down times. That's the nature of working in this profession.
Glad to hear something good about them,
xx
Oh no! That is not good to hear. I searched
the archives and there were a lot of good things about them. I was considering switching from another well thought of company which is wanting us to work every weekend, just so I would not have to work every weekend. Sounds like this may be a move from the frying pan to the fire! Please, if anyone has any info good or bad post before I or anyone else makes a mistake... Thanks!
Good news to hear! At least some companies are
trying!  Best of luck to you in 2006!
You hear bad and good - it is what you make of it - if it fits your needs, try it out!
s
I hear you. I pay NO attention to how good someone thinks they are.
With all that wonderful experience, if you cannot pull the testing, you have just proven you don't know your own skill level.

So sorry to hear about your situation. Good Luck! nm
x
Hey, nice to hear from you again. I would say Encompass is a very good sm

place to work.  I wasn't working there full-time, but from what I saw, they have a nice benefit package, and the staff is very helpful and professional.  The only kinda scary part is that they require 99.5% accuracy (or maybe 99, cannot remember).  Fortunately, on my first QA thing before being released from QA, I did manage to achieve that (a little more actually), so I was relieved.  I guess I just do not have enough confidence in myself.  Unfortunately, they lost the account I was hired for, but they were looking for another one.  In the meantime, though, my personal life kind of took a different turn, and I ended up moving from Kansas to Colorado, so I decided one job was enough for now.


As for eTransPlus, they are also very friendly, although much more disorganized than some companies.  I was put off for a week and a half past the date I was hired to start, then when I did start, there were tech problems, then I did 4 jobs or so and ran out of work ... that kind of thing.  Again, when I decided to move, I just decided it was not worth the extra aggravation.  Still, I would recommend either company.


There are still some good companies out there, although I hesitate to comment since my experience is not recent.  I used to work for MDI-MD, and they paid VERY well at the time because you had to supply your own LD, and that was before the days of unlimited LD.  I had 5 accounts, so managed to keep myself busy, but now I read posts about people running out of work, so I do not really know.


I have heard good things about Axolotl, and I applied, but the only opening is 3rd shift with 80% ESLs, so I decided not to do it.  Their benefits are great, though - no deductible for BC/BS!  And there is a $500 sign-on bonus too.  Oh well ...


I talked to Acusis, and if you can overlook their heavy overseas connection, they have a nice benefit package as well.  The pay is so-so.  I guess no one ever pays me what I know I am worth. 


If you run into a company you are interested in, feel free to ask me.  I have been an MT for about 100 years now, so I might have worked for them! 


Good luck -- hope you find something wonderful. 


 


 


 


 


Wow .. it's great to hear from you! Thanks for the good wishes. sm

The thing with eTransPlus was not a good fit for me either.  I think it is probably a good company, it just didn't work for me as my start date kept getting pushed back, I was running out of work, there were program glitches, etc.  Sometimes some things are just not meant to be.  I hope you get on with Keystrokes again.  I know it sounds kind of gushy, but I have found them to be truly wonderful people.  I don't need someone to constantly sing my praises or anything -- decent pay and plenty of work is enough -- but it is kind of nice to hear thank you every now and then, and know that if you have a problem arise, someone will listen and try to help you. 


Again, thanks for posting -- great to hear from you!  Good luck! 


glad to hear there is still a good company out there...
xx
"thank you" good to hear, YEP "smile"
,,
I'm so sorry to hear this. It doesn't sound good. I hope you
nm
Interesting posts. It is good to hear both sides

I can understand the employees who want everything and give very little back.  Very frustrating.


But then you have the situation described for the employee where there is no job satisfaction, no family/personal life allowed or frowned upon by management and no chance for promotion.   And then being compared to an Indian who has a completely different social environment. 


I know mothers who are IC and while they do take time off during the day for their kids (how dare they make dinner for those kids and hubby) but then they work long into the night after kids and hubby have gone to bed.  There are no weekends with their family either.  And the work reward is the pay will be lowered because the client wants to pay a lower rate.  It is not exactly incentive to work hard without any breaks and ignore the family in favor of what the company needs.


I remember years ago working for a start up company and the manager did not want the single girls to date at night and instead work late.  She thought they should be devoting their time to their career in transcription.  Well a Transcriptionist could do that but whether she worked harder or not the pay would be the same and she would always be a transcriptionist.  The manager on the other hand if the company did well would receive promotions and raises I am sure.  So that is the difference....management perks vs worker bee perks.  It was easy for her to give up a social and personal life because the rewards but the transcriptionist typing straight for hours and hours would see the same pay day in day out, no advancement or recognition for working harder other than not having a manager angry. 


However after reading that post I will be aware  and really give it my all. I do understand the need for a better work ethic.   I see what the management wants and needs.  Especially when managers are spending Thanksgiving with their families and the transcriptionist is working for 7 cpl with no break.  It is the American way of doing business.


Would like to hear from recent WEBMEDX employees. Good/bad/ugly? (nm)
 
Sorry to hear that. I talked with Ann a few times, and it sounded like a good company. nm

Sorry to hear that because that was a good account with great normals. Hope
you find a new home where you will be appreciated and with good line counts!
MT Recrutiers- ever hear of this transcription comany? Any info good or bad, new company? nm
nm
Anyone that applied with Kathy Kirby hear anything yet? I am wondering how long it takes to hear a
response back
Hang in there!!! After about 3 or 4

Tookie Williams


Just hang in there with DSG
I have been with DSG for about 4 years and it has changed quite a bit.  However, in spite of my dial-up issues, DSG has been a good company to work for.  Yes it has its ups and downs, but every company does.  Communication is the key for any transcriptin company and a successful MT.  Hang in there....this is a slow time since we are getting out of the flu/cold season.  The work will pick up.  Just be patient.  Maybe you could work for a second company part-time to cover for any slow DSG work.  Just a thought.
hang it up
they are NOT flexible.
It has nothing to do with being able to hang...sm
or not. If you are the main breadwinner in the family and now you have to look at training on a new account with smaller checks, as you have a learning curve especially when you are going from typing to VR,the pay is going to be less and the amount of lines you have to get is quite a bit different. So, those of us that have only ourselves to depend on as far as income are scrambling to figure out how we are going to keep the lights on and the house payment made. I really love people who think they can just make snap judgments about people without knowing where they are coming from. Let's see how well you chill when you know that for at least a month or so your check is going to be terrible until you can get up to speed on a new account and if you are even going to like the account they put you on. Good luck to you and I hope you are never put in a position where you are told to either hang or go on. Geez.
Hang in there
Well some of us can't 'hang in there' waiting for people to quit, I had that same idea and it worked for 2 or 3 weeks until the new hires came on, and then no work again. and besides, all these companies do when people quit is hire more people, so that is not a good idea either, they just put more 'warm bodies' in the chairs, one quits, oh opening, one more warm body, needed. That's all we are to these companies is 'warm bodies' in chairs. That's how they refer to us in meetings!
Hang on it will change
I am surprised to hear that FOCUS ICs are without jobs!!! I work for another company that provides services for them and we have so many jobs from FOCUS that we are asked to work extended shifts. I know that they have some accounts that are supposed to be VR editing but everyone working on them is mostly doing MT work until the VRE kicks in. We hear it is about 30-60 days from 90% VRE.
Hang in there, I had the same situation

It is hard to adjust to new rules, but you will catch on.  Reading over material/samples provided by the part-time employer is a great way to familiarize yourself with their ways of the trade.  Also, do not argue with QA.  Let it go.  If they let you go because of your QA score, then it was not meant to be.  There are plenty of others who would appreciate your intensity to learn.  Do not beat yourself up about it.  If you have a full-time job, then you know that you are worthy.  Keep trying, you are definitely playing it smart.  Never give up what you have until you find what you want. 


Hang on a minute...

I'd like to address something that's really bothering me as I see it expressed so frequently -- It's what I call THE GRATITUDE TRICK.


First, I am not trying to find fault with what you wrote.  You sound like a fabulous mom and a very dedicated MT.  I really admire you for the sacrifices you've made to accomplish what you have -- and that goes for everyone out there in the MT world who has done the same.  I mean this sincerely.  I am amazed at what some of you have managed to do and how you continue the struggle now.  Hats off to you all!!! 


But I have to question why do MTs have to make such sacrifices in the first place???  It sounds to me like this has been the case for many years now.  If we are the professionals we claim to be, we deserve the same standard of living that any other professional gets to have who works out of their home.  The perks go across the board for everyone who works from home, no matter what profession--gas savings, wardrobe, etc.  We are no different.  This aspect of what our job is worth income-wise is only a small part of the equation.  The difference for us is that we are not fairly compensated for our work as other professionals are for theirs.  THAT is what sets us apart, not the perks.  


I think this is a way the services have used to keep us in submission for years, and it's dirty playing.  I do not feel grateful to my employer to be able to work from home.  My gratitude goes to God for the technology that allows me to do this.  Heck, I'm saving them money in overhead from working from home, buying and maintaining my own equipment and reference materials, paying my own Internet service fee, etc.  No, THEY are making money OFF OF US.  Yes, businesses do that.  They have to earn a profit.  But it is wrong for them to tell us pretty much to go away and be quiet and count our blessings because they are so kind as to let us work from home, thus making us feel that we should be ashamed for wanting to be paid more.  This is nothing but a mind game.  They are using this way of responding to us to shut us up and we're falling for it.  Next, it will be but at least we hired you and didn't send the work to India!  Little by little we are being demeaned by them as they reduce benefits, demand more in production, etc. all the while telling us how lucky we are to be able to work from home and we're falling for it. 


If our profession (and I keep using the word profession because that is what it is) goes down the drain because of technology, etc. then we can't control that.  But let's not help it along by buying into a mindset that says we're not valuable.   Anyone who has the knowledge and skills to do this job well should see their worth reflected in their paychecks, bottom line.  All the other stuff is just icing on the the cake.  


I think we as a body of professionals and as individuals need to have a much greater sense of self-respect, self-worth to begin with.  We are not the cast-offs of the working world!  If you can do this job well, you are no idiot.  And all of us know, this is anything but an easy job.   Many of you have invested most if not all of your working lives doing transcription.  Companies should be grateful to YOU for working for them.  A qualified MT only increases the company's image. 


Now how to become fairly compensated is a whole 'nother can of worms given what we are up against today.  But I think we need to start valuing ourselves more before we expect to be valued by those for whom we work.  This gratitude to our employer trick they use on us has got to be exposed for the dirty trick that it is and it needs to go!! 


I think a lot of our frustration with this profession comes from such mind games.  If you can keep your employees confused, if you can keep them from feeling they have no right to complain, you've got it made as an employer.  They're under your control.  But in the end it weakens employee morale which results in frequent employee turnover which results in loss of production while new people learn the accounts, etc. so it really backfires on them and is a stupid (to put it nicely) way to run a business.   You can run it right into the ground this way.


Even the benefits packages are somewhat of a joke if you can't afford the insurance.  I'm sure the companies have ways to write off those expenses to their own benefit.  That's another trick they use on us.  My dental insurance won't pay the rent.  Pay me a decent enough salary and I'll get my own dental insurance!


If we have any hope of turning our situation around, we need to be able to see the tactics that are being used against us.  Just trying to point out some red flags here as I see them. 


 


I do too...took me a bit to get the hang of my ESLs...
but doing fine now, just took perseverance, dedication, and patience. My docs are all pretty good. Sometimes the volume is low, but that is to be expected, and I plan accordingly.
Tell them okay, hang up and forget it. Let them
x
That's a shame but hang in there

I'm do a different platform/client, but I also hired in this summer, and went through a rough time at first.  I talked to my supe, and after changing my schedule a bit and taking on two secondaries, things have become much better, and there's actually been OT on my accounts for the last few weeks.


Check the backlogs on the community page.  Some accounts regularly have OT approved (its in the little box at the top left, who's approved for OT and for how long).  Maybe you can get trained on some of those.  Are you willing to change your schedule at all?  My accounts consistently have certain heavier days than others, and before I was off during the heavy days.  My supe asked me to shift my schedule and it has made a very positive difference.


Hang in there - maybe they just haven't gotten through
all the resumes they received yet.
I actually was lucky to hang on to SM
an at-home hospital job with benefits for 11 cpl until 2001, but they cut us loose and I haven't seen that kind of pay since.
That sucks...all I can say is hang in there...
Things should pick back up this week, especially with Spring Break being over with..
Hang in there. There will be other opportunities after
Don't burn your bridge with this particular hospital, but giving up your passion and relocating might be worse on your mind and your pocket book than you originally thought. If your gut says no, go with no. Trust that there will be a better position out there soon. But be kind and keep the door open with this hospital in case they have something else. I cannot say what is good for you, but for me, I would not absolutely go against my gut and I have a feeling from your post your gut has doubts. Hang in there, keep up the faith, keep looking for jobs. The right one will come along where you can have both your happiness and the money too. Good luck to you whatever you choose. Let us know how it goes. Happy New Year!
Same experience but hang in there...
I also have 30 plus years' experience and in particular wanted to work second-shift hours. Back in February, I sent probably 30 resumes out and got maybe 5 phone calls, all told. I almost hired on at Transcend, then saw a brand new ad here on MT Stars at Diskriter. (I'd talked to them previously a few months back but was told because I didn't want VR, they didn't have anything for me right then). On a whim, I immediately applied again to the new ad at Diskriter and got a call within a day and accepted there; it just felt better and I was apparently just what they needed right then. I'm thinking that's part of the game now.
how long can they hang in there?...nm
nm
Yes they should hang their heads sm
and thank you for saying so. I have a phone interview at 2 p.m. today EST. I will never trust 100% anything a company says again and just as I did with this company, I will have my rear end covered in case this happens again. I don't have to work anymore and choose to work. I am not into retiring at 54. I can work part-time which is what I was classified at Milner. If it gets slow then I take it in stride. I just don't like the lying and I am especially ticked (as I have said) that I plain out asked them because I had another job offer and they told me things were ok. Matter of fact the job offer I had was from a lady with a company who found me, I didn't find her. She saw posts on MT stars and sent me an e-mail. That is so frustrating!
Hang on to your hat because you are in for a big change coming up.
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