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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

6 at home and 1 in house (first job) in 6 years

Posted By: nm on 2007-09-06
In Reply to: Poll time: How many different transcription - companies have you worked for? (sm)

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Home vs in house
The perfect solution is working at home for a doctor's office or hospital and being paid by the hour instead of the line.  It's so irritating to have to be online in for a certain time period, having NO work and making NO money.  At least hourly you're guaranteed income.  JMHO.
Home versus in-house
Let me answer before I read everyone else's responses. I worked at home and for awhile it was great, but I had kids underfoot, that didn't work out. So back to inhouse. It's nice having a regular paycheck and not having to worry about taxes, they're taken out. Also health insurance is a big concern. But I'm sick of the nitpicking and being treated like a child. I hate being spied on and I hate office politics. People are in close proximity when I'm transcribing and there is a lot of loud talking in the small room. Plus when the other people are crabby, it casts a dark shadow on the whole day.

I may soon have no choice but to work at home again, as my place of employment is rumored to be upgrading and at all other facilities owned by this company, that has meant shipping our work overseas. I don't dread returning home though. Just got a brand-new Dell computer, found and loaded my Instant Type and imported my PRD files. I will switch to my husband's insurance which is a kind I'm not crazy about but it's better than nothing. I have a tax guy now and I'll stay on top of taxes with my estimated quarterles. And there's a company I've been working for on and off for years that treats me like gold and will take me on anytime!

I'm the type of person who doesn't like being constantly monitored by an authority figure, particularly an ignorant one! It may soon be time to get out of the in-house and back to my home! We'll see. For now, I'm in-house. But maybe soon, I won't be.
Home Office vs In-House
What about transcription done in-house in an office or dept. where there is high traffic from MDs to janitors?

My dog watches me type and horror of all horrors, I usually have the dictation on speaker phone.


stay home or go in house....

I got offered a job in a small neurology office starting at $17/hr with a raise in a few months.  No working weekends or holidays and lots of vacation days.  Low stress.


I currently work at home for a pretty decent company with a pretty decent line rate, but am starting to feel pressure to produce more...my average pay at home is between $13 and $15 an hour.  It also adds stress when there is little to know work available and I am having to alter my schedule to "make up" time.


So, I would be making a bit more money, but I will have to have child care for the summers and for after school, so I don't know if it is worth it. 


Can someone give me some insight as to whether they were faced with this decision...what they decided and why?  I would really appreciate it. 


Stay home or go in-house?

Help! What do I do?  I currently work for a pretty good national company and I get to stay home and work in my PJs, but then... we ran out of work for a few days and I panicked.  I applied for an in-house position doing radiology, which I have never done before.  I am fairly certain they will offer me the position to work 24 to 32 hours, with many more hours if I want them.  It pays about 18.50 per hour during the week and 19.39 on the weekends, which I will work one weekend day.  So now what???


Do I give up the comfort of my home for a guaranteed paycheck and work in a cubical typing radiology notes for 8 hours a day?  UGH!  Tough to have such choices in this economy. 


Any insight or thoughts on this?  I do have young children, but they spend a lot of time at grandma's while I work anyway.


 


I've worked in-house and at home ....
I find that even when you're in-house, with the nature of the job, there's no time for chit-chat.  When I worked in-house we had production minimums and there was incentive to earn if you produced, so who has time to talk?  I'm with you.  I'm happy being here in my comfy clothing without all that aggravation.  Let is snow, I don't have to drive in it!
Along the same line, does anyone do coding at home or only in house? Does it pay well? nm
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My 3 sons are eating me outta house and home too! :) NM
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Majority of the jobs seem to be in-house. Never could find an at-home job that way. nm
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Answer is get out of the house. Gym, dances, Home Depot.
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"close" your home office before you sell your house...sm

then you don't have to do anything with the tax depreciation, etc.


Love in house, hate nationals at home nm
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Is coding offered at home or only in-house? Gotta be better than doing this...nm
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And I disagree with that. I've worked home and in-house,
Everyone is different and some people don't rely on jobs to provide social interaction. When it comes to my job, I prefer being at home working independently without a lot of interruptions and enjoy the freedom of working from home. If I were stuck in an office with rigid hours, then I'd be resentful. Personally, I loathe being stuck in an office full of catty backstabbers and love the solitude of home. When I want to socialize, I call one of my friends.

You also have to be able to let QA remarks roll off your back a little, but that only works if you don't have the threat of being docked or terminated as a result of those QA remarks. Find an MTSO that doesn't hold those things over your head (yes, they do exist).

I do think the key IS where you work, but not home versus office - it's finding a company that values MTs, not sees them as mere production machines. They are few and far between, but they're out there. I lived through my share of bad apples in this biz before finding the good ones, so I speak from experience.
When I took a business trip one time, I came home to an immaculate house.
Then during the next few weeks, I couldn't find certain things like clothes, dishes, and items I kept on the counters. DH had decided to put all the dirty stuff out in the garage where the babysitter couldn't see it because he was embarrased by the mess he and the kids had made. There was mold and mildew on everything because he taped it inside boxes or stuffed it inside coolers, and he forgot to tell me about it.
"close" your home office before you sell your house and you will have no problem..nm
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I worked in house for 2 years

and when I went on Maternity leave they set me up from home.  I started working for a national in January.  My other at home position went VR and they brought all the jobs back in house. I couldn't go back into the office as I have two little ones and the cost of daycare is outrageous.  What's the sense of working then?


Regarding going in-house after ICing for 7 years...(sm)

First, thanks to all who responded.  Your collective experiences and insight were very helpful.  I've decided that for the time being I am going to stay put at home.  The main reason I was considering going in-house was because I am now alone at home (hubby is in assisted living).  After years of caregiving and progressively becoming housebound due to that caregiving I find myself doing nothing but working and visiting hubby.  I thought going in-house would give me a much needed change.  However, I've decided that I'd rather select the people I interact with than having that fellowship need met by colleagues in a work environment. 


Anyway, thanks again for your input.  Most of you confirmed my underlying horror of office politics, gossiping, and pure misery.  I do love the company I work with and would have had a very difficult time leaving them.  I'm staying put!! 


I trained in house 5 years ago
They had such a turnover they would hire anybody off the street that felt like giving it a try.  One in-house self-study medical terminology course, and a lot of help and support from my co-workers and I was good to go.  Since then I've worked for 2 nationals (and had to unlearn a few bad habits - I'd never even heard of BOS inhouse, LOL).  I never spent a cent to begin this profession - I got paid hourly to do it.
we are not talking about a house in the assoc. The original poster lives in a regular home.
So they cannot tell someone else what color to paint their house.


My sons are born again too and their wives can't leave the house, home school the kids, no tv,
and if my DIL wanted to work, it is out of the question. One of my sons just believes in having babies and having babies. They now have 5. I divorced his dad and apparently his dad taught them this is the American way. I just feel so bad for both my sons' wives. They both are born again and both live their life that way.
At home, Melitta or any kind of hazelnut. Out of house, Green Mountain from the gas stationso or
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Best advice - work in-house a couple of years
You really do need hands-on experience in order to be able to do this at home. You will run into terms that you will have no idea how to look up - like "booj aw boo" would you know to look under bougie au boule? Or "terry onal craniotomy" would you know it is "pterional" or would you spends loads of time looking for "T" words? If you work face to face with experienced MTs, they can help you when you run into similar situations. I'm not being snooty, I am only pointing out real situations that you will be faced with and the reasons MTSOs insist that before an MT can work independently at home they have at least 2 years experience. I believe that most of us have worked in-house in the beginning to get to the point where we can do this efficiently at home. Once you do get that experience, though, stand back, the MTSOs will be beating down your door with job offers. Good luck and hang in there! Remember we all had to start somewhere. Best of luck to you!
A few years ago, Atlanta in-house average was about $12-$15/hour, plus good bennies. nm

By the way, as of about 5 years ago, Wellstar was with a service.  They might not even have in-house MTs.  Hope so for  your sake :).


 


 


Been doing this 6 years at home for 5
I am thankful to have been at home though with things that have happened in the past, family members with surgeries etc. Everything has a purpose. I would just pray about your decision.
18 years at home
Started out picking up tapes with 2-week-old daughter in tow, went to a national where we had to download dictation from a phone line onto cassettes, and now work two part-times jobs, one for a hospital as an IC and the other for a national.

Many times I have been very grateful for being home, like two days ago when I got a phone call from DD that she was just in her second car accident in 3 months.
My DH worked from home for about 2 years

I felt like a hermit when he went back to a conventional office job! 


I take it your husband isn't working at the present time?  Did I understand you correctly?  How the heck are you getting bills paid? My DH makes 3 times what I do so I couldn't imagine living on just my pay as an MT.  Just curious!


Have never in my years at home been asked
to do such things as I read here. To stop your work and catch a horse? Apparently what goes on with others is they must appear to be weak and therefore people call upon them to do things for them because you work at home. I just do not GET it myself. I do not let people interrupt my work.
I've been at home for the last 16 years...
and feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity.
At-home MT about 10 years ago...it was heaven...
I had no complaints about MT-ing really...worked from home, made lots of money with no worries or pressure, worked the hours I pretty much wanted so I could enjoy my 'real' life, it was the best job I ever had ~

I quite miss it
It will be so worth it. After seven years at home, I pull in $100/day sm
just working around naps and early mornings before the kids get up.  I could probably do more if I wanted to at night after DH gets home, but $100 is my goal and I can usually reach that in three hours.  It's easy, go for it!
14-1/2 years, 10 yrs at home w/acute care. nm
nm
11 years of acute care, all from home. nm
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That's exactly the reason I worked at home for 15 years.
Very annoying and petty.
I worked for a hospital at home for 4 years. sm
We had to work set hours. My advice is allow youself 1/2 hour for lunch, and at least two 15-minute break periods. Work 2 hours, take a break, work 2 hours, take a lunch break, etc. Otherwise, you may find yourself having back, shoulder and hand problems. Working 9 hours may seem like a drag, but not being able to work at all is even worse. Remember, if you were working on site, you would not only have to work 8-1/2 hours, but would have travel time on top of it. Just my experience.
I have been working at home 4 years in March...
I worked in an office for 4 years before that...prefer being at home by far...
years of working at home, some of 'us' might forget how to
Its not what you say, its how you say it.  DUH
oops cut myself off....working at home with 3 years experience.
';
I've worked at home for years and mothered sm
4 babies during that time. Buy a battery-operated swing and put it right beside your desk. I breastfed all of mine, too. They would swing and sleep, then when they woke up I'd take a break and nurse and then put the baby back in the swing. Get one that reclines and the baby will be very comfortable. That battery-operated swing allowed me to continue working. It was worth every penny I paid for it, and then some! Good luck and enjoy your little sweetie. She will grow up much too fast.
At this for 30+ years. I think the thing to remember is yes, it is a business, when I am home to w
working. One thing I do to start off is treadmill every morning 30 minutes, just walk, no vigorous jogging too old, just enough to get those endorphins working and then start with my cup of coffee. I don't answer the phone for anyone unless its my mom. She only call is if something is wrong, otherwise I let the machine pick it up. I will if I have personal calls for myself take time when no work or do that rather than lunch for 40 minutes or so. I do the hour stretch. I also use weights, free weights by my desk I use to lift and stretch out my neck and arm muscles. I also use a ball twice a day to lie on and roll out the shoulders. This enables me to keep at it. No house chores. After I am done I do those. My kids are raised, but this job always enabled me to be here at home for them. I worked nights for a long time too broke up my work time when they were younger. So everything at home is workable with the right approach. Just remember, you are working, just because your home don't take personal calls. I don't think I would have done this for this many years if it was not work the $$. Be creative in your own routine have fun with it and make it work enjoyable. We can go out and have coffee in the sun on the deck in our PJs for our breaks, so remember the flexibility factor there.
I've been home working with my kids for 10 years now sm

I worked outside of the house for one year after my first boy was born.  I hated leaving him.  So I was home working by the time he was a year old.  I really enjoyed it.  10 years later, I'm still working at home, and have a 6 y/o boy too.  Both my kids are in school.  I'm so thankful to be home so that I can get them off the bus, attend parties at school, go on field trips with them.  I can take care of house chores and keep and eye on my three dogs.  The only thing is sometimes I miss being around people, being able to leave my work at my job (at home it's here all the time).  My hubby works midnights, so he's home during the day too, but sleeps.  Sometimes I feel like I have no "me time".  After my boys get a little older, I may get out of the house to work.  Sometimes I would like to actually change my career to sometime more hands on with patients.  I love the medical field, I've been doing transcription for about 14 years.  Another plus for working at home with kids is if they are sick, you don't have to call out of work.  You can do your job and take care of your kids.  You don't have to look your best either, on those days or any days.  I'm guilty for sitting here in my PJs a lot, not having any makeup on or hair fixed. 


Good luck in the future. 


I am worth that...not home course training or ESL..takes years to achieve
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My CPA deducts the square footage of my home office and has for 12 years. HTH..nm
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No social life. I now have a fear going out in public! Working from home for 8 years now will do t
nm
I have 13 years experience and just started a hospital job working from home making $16 an hour

and with a really good incentive plan.  I live in the Kansas City area.  $10 seems like a low starting point even with only two years experience which is the usual benchmark for hospital MT jobs. 


It's been my experience that the low end of the pay scale for hospital employed MTs was around $12 an hour.  Also, it's been my experience that the pay offered is usually based on years of experience and how well you perform on the transcription test.


I would say if their pay is that low, they should at least be making it up with incentive and it doesn't sound like they are.


JMO


My kids have suffered greatly from me working at home with them home. SM
I have been working at home as an MT since my two kids were born. They are now 4 and 5. In the first few years, I had no help whatsoever. Their father was a bum who didnt work or take care of them while I worked. Your children get neglected while you work basically. And babies and young children desperately need your attention while they are home with you.

My kids have so many behavioral problems right now because of their neglect. I would try to set them up with things to occupy themselves, like coloring or a movie, etc.

I finally put them in day care and things have improved, but there are still a lot of issues because of the damage that was done. They still try to seek attention by doing bad things and they dont listen to me because they are so used to me letting them get away with a lot of stuff because I was too busy typing to discipline them in their early years.

If I could do it all over again, I would definitely have put them into day care from the very beginning.

My advice would be to seek PT care for your baby. Maybe you can do some work around her schedule a little when she is home, like when she takes a nap, and then bang out a bunch of work while she is in day care.


I enjoy being alone at home, but I've got one home sick from school already.

One on one with a kid is nice, too.


This summer has been absolutely crazy.  I haven't had a moment to myself for three months because all of my kids were home traipsing their friends through the house and yard.  My husband switched his work schedule, too, so he's around more than usual.  However, I like not having to do two loads of dishes and four loads of laundry a day.  There are no toys or clutter dragged out everywhere.  I can clean the house first thing in the morning, and it stays clean until everyone gets home at night.


I even got to relax with a cup of coffee and watch TV for half an hour this morning, something I liked for a change instead of cartoons or kids' movies.  I signed up for an online class that I've been wanting to take.  I can exercise without being interrupted.  Yesterday, I went to the mall and spent all my saved up gift cards.  I got some clothes, books, bath stuff, and a new coffee mug.  My work gets done a lot faster, too.  Call me nuts, but I've never had the luxury of being alone in the house for 14 years.  It's kinda nice.  I love my family with all my heart, but I love having a few hours to myself each week, too.


Except now the cat and dogs have been acting weird since the kids went back to school.  They must think that I need someone or something to clean up after and correct behavior on.  They're getting into everything and racing around the house behind me.


my take is that she worked inhouse, not at home, and now wants to find out how to work at home. nm
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Forget "per line." Your take-home pay should be taking home SM
roughly what it was before. If it is not, is it because your current pay rate for editing (which in many companies keeps changing as the VR system is developed) is too low or is it because your talents and skills are more for speed typing than speed editing?

If the first, discuss it with higherups, and go get a new job if you don't get the response you need. My last MTSO was secretly refiguring how production was counted to pay us less. I can accept hard reality, it was the secrecy that burned. Sometimes, though, it's just that the learning curves of individual editors and that of the system aren't in sync, and you end up temporarily making less.

If the second, though, recognize it as soon as possible and change to straight transcription work, in your company or a new one, for as long as you can find it.

As for why we aren't paid more for a higher skill, that's just the way the labor supply ball bounces. Best wishes.
I think she means she has wireless TO her home, not IN her home..nm
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hospital at-home -vs- national at home

I have an interview today with a hospital...work in-house for 3 months, then go home, paid on production. I don't know as of yet what they pay production, so my question is to anyone who works for a hospital at home AND has also worked for a national at home...


Which would be the best to choose? The hospital offers great benefits, but the national I work for now also has benefits, not as good as the hospital, though.  Any input would be most appreciated!