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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Applied at a hospital for a clerk

Posted By: job. SM on 2007-11-18
In Reply to: just curious how did everyone get started doing MT? - sa

20 years later, I'm an MT with three of my own accounts and IC for a company on-line.


I applied at the hospital and told them I had done transcription in high school for my medical secretary certificate, and the recruiter asked me if I'd like to work in Radiology as an MT.  I said I wasn't very good at it and she said it pays $2.00 more an hour, and I said "Well then, let me give it a whirl!"  I passed the typing test and have never looked back.  I built up my knowledge by working for 17 years in a hospital in different departments.  I went from Radiology to the Cath Lab to a diagnostics area. 


I loved the challenge.  The medical terms and stories interested me so much that I even wanted to be on the procedures so I could learn more.  So, yes I wore lead and went in as an observer.  If you ever want to gain experience, that is the best way!  Be right there for the show!  LOL




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Hospital Unit Coordinator/Clerk
Anyone know what this kind of job would be like? One of the local hospitals has a few of these positions open in various departments. I'm wondering if it's a high pressure/low pay kind of thing, if only because they seem to be hiring from the outside. When I worked for a bank many years ago, they hired "outsiders" only for the crap jobs. I'm tired of MT and want to explore my options.
I applied for a job at a very well-known hospital. SM

The person that called me kept telling me I had to come in and take a typing test.  I kept telling her I was a CMT and she kept saying she understood that I had a certificate from an MT school.  This will never change.  Those that have no clue are the ones that are put in leadership positions.  And if you're lucky to have a cousin already in you may have a chance, otherwise forget it. 


When the kids started school I wanted a job in my home town. A hospital clerk position (sm)
came open. You started compiling charts, making copies, etc. Then I was promoted after a few months and began learning transcription and did that part of the day. Then a few months later they taught me coding and abstracting and I did that part of the day. It was a great learning experience to learn things from the bottom up. Needless to say, I am an old dog here who has been doing this more than 25 years now.
When the kids started school I wanted a job in my home town. A hospital clerk position (sm)
came open. You started compiling charts, making copies, etc. Then I was promoted after a few months and began learning transcription and did that part of the day. Then a few months later they taught me coding and abstracting and I did that part of the day. It was a great learning experience to learn things from the bottom up. Needless to say, I am an old dog here who has been doing this more than 25 years now.
Depends on what kind of hospital? Large urban hospital or small community hospital? SM

Also, is it a large teaching hospital? If so you have to consider there will be A LOT of different residents dictating, usually a lot of ESLs at teaching hospitals, and the residents rotate out and new ones rotate in every summer. So you can't expect to get the same dictators and build up your macros because the dictators change all the time.


I would say 9 cpl would be a pretty good offer for a small to medium community hospital where you will be doing the same dictators on a daily basis.  But for bigger, urban or teaching hospitals I would want at least 12 to 15 cpl. 


Transcription clerk.....
We don't have a "lead transcriptionist" at the hospital I type for.  There is transcription clerk who handles the reports coming in, getting them filed and such, but our pools are set up either by our supervisor or whatever particular work type needs to be worked on.  As an example, I get Preop H&P's, then H&P's, consults, discharges, ER notes and ops in that order.  Basically, if that pool is empty, it will bring up next report in your next assigned pool.  As I said earlier, you can interrupt a report ( on my C-phone it is 08) and you will get the next report, but then the one you interrupted will come up next.  The person in charge of the dictation would have to assign it out to someone else to keep you from getting it.  With a C-phone and the pools having been set up prior, you won't get a report that you should have to skip over.
way underpaid...you might as well be a clerk at 711...sm
Sorry to say and no offense to you personally, but any experienced MT accepting these wages is severely impacting this profession. If you owned a business, wouldn't you rather pay someone $8.50 an hour? This is disgraceful and an insult to any experienced MT. I have seen MTs work for this wage, but unfortunately 99% of them produce garbage, and then require someone paid at top wage to edit the report. EXPERIENCED MTs need to refuse these jobs, and let the companies hire someone who feels $8.50 an hour is a fair wage, and watch their clients drop like flies, or have an Editor fix everything. I've always said, there is no replacement for a multi-specialty experienced MT who works for a company and requires very little editing. You either know your stuff or you don't. If you know your stuff, you will make a profit for the company you work for. It's as simple as that. The companies who think that hiring ILPs and new MTs and paying them slave wages, will certainly be one of those companies that will not be in existent a few years down the road. Let's get real people!
A girl who worked as a clerk in our

local hospital heard that I worked at home doing transcription.  She called and asked me a bunch of questions of how I got into this.  Of course, I answered all of her questions and added that if she was interested in doing transcription that she would need to go to our local community college and take some courses.  She said she didn't need to go to school because "all you do is type what the doctors say, right?"  To which I replied, "Yeah, that's all I do, just type what the doctor says," as a wave of disgust swept over me.  She came over to the house and sat down to type.  After about five words, with the deer in the headlights look on her face, she was astonished that "just type what the doctor says" is not all that easy!  It was worth all the time trying to explain what transcription really entails. 


Update: I did not get that file clerk job
at the hospital.  They just called and said they choose another applicant.  They said they would like to keep my name on file in case they have another opening though.  Oh well, guess it wasn't meant to be.   It probably would not have paid much anyway. 
desk clerk at a low-budget hotel -
I called in sick with the flu, and that night the place was robbed at gunpoint.  I had never been so happy to be sick!
Try a search on Clerk of Courts website.
You might try searching on your Clerk of Courts website (if they have one). If he has been sued, it should be on there. If called as a witness probably not. Seems like if you are sued, though, or served to be a witness, they actually have a deputy come out and serve you in person. Could even be something like a parking ticket he didn't know he got. Let us know (if not real personal). Got me curious.
Often it is the clerk who types up and sends emails. nm
x
Was nurses aid, then aide in ICU, then ward clerk, then
MORE medical terms cuz halo the docs were professors, and they let me play PA under their supervision, then w/comp supervisor, then pregnant, then had to find a PMs job and landed in transcription dept as trainee. If I could meet their requirements, I stuck. If not, I was fired. I stuck.
The clerk in the clearing area keyed the amount
and they can correct the mistake.  Banks use large clearing houses.  A clerk looks at the check and keys in the amount (it shows on the far right lower side on your check). They are human and they do make mistakes.  I had one key in a check for $40 as $400 years ago.  Bank was very apologetic and corrected and refunded everything.
I decided I did not want to be a file clerk for the rest of my life.....
I was hired in a 5 doc urology practice as a file clerk. And we all know that the file room is a toxic waste dump from people who have no idea what to do with whatever piece of paper they have. After working in the file room, the docs asked me if I would help out the other transcriptionist. (She was the only one at the time). Since I KNEW I wasn't cut out to be a file clerk, I said sure. So I filed part time, helped with transcription overload. We got a new peds urologist fresh from a Fellowship at Mayo Clinic so he was a really wordy type.

Long story short, he was so busy I was out of the file room for good, typing just for him as he saw lots of kids, and loving every minute of it. He moved to Arizona in the early 2000's, called me in 2006, and the rest, as they say, is history. He is still a peds urologist and I am still working for him. Everything is done over the Internet. No paper anywhere except what his office prints out.

He is one of the reasons I LOVE MY JOB.
In 1990, when I started as a MR clerk, SMOKING was allowed in Med Records...
can you imagine, and with all the charts laying around...it is so comical now to think of it...

That lasted until about 1992 I think...

That is not all that long ago really, to go from electric typewriters to smoking being practically outlawed...

they say MT will change more in the next few years, than it has in the last 100>>>>!
wow, i have never applied...
with a company that even questioned my background. ive probably seen conviction questions on a couple of applications, but i was never even asked about my background during an interview.

keep looking, keep applying; their out there.
i applied also
They did send me a response, however.  They said that the position had been filled but they would like to keep my resume on file for a future position.
Never applied; do not need JLG.
x
I saw the ad too and applied
I did not hear back from them, but I do feel like they were paying that because they were looking for someone for the three days only, although they may pay that for stats all the time and were just in a pinch with Thanksgiving coming up. My experience is that most companies do not pay extra for stats, but I am rarely asked to do them. I know that they exist though (as you obviously know too, what with having a friend who is actually living it).
When I was job hunting, I applied
and was offered a job, declined.  Now I am so glad, I will not work for a company that wants to put MTs out of business in this country.  I would never, ever work for Spheris.
I applied 2 different times
The first time it took awhile and I finally gave up on them (around a year ago),but this time they didn't take long at all. I have been there only a couple weeks, but they seem to make the effort to give their current employees the work they want and try not to overhire. I know that some people on here have just been hired so they may be busy with training to. Hang in there!
Have you applied to National co's and getting
xx
ditto! I have applied
I have applied at hotels, and clerical jobs outside of MT work, because this is a dying profession. It's all turning into a joke now. Where are all the good jobs? I used to be at the top of my game and make great $$$$.

BEWARE OF THE SCAM MT COMPANIES! I had put in a lot of hours for one company!
Every job I applied to has. Tell them I dont
x
I too applied for an out of home (sm)
position as a unit clerk at the hospital.  Figured with 20 years in the medical field doing front office as well as transcription, I'd at least get an interview.  Nada.  Not sure if it's the at-home stigma or what.  Keep sending in applications and resumes.  That's what I'm doing.  Good luck.
I believe that this was applied to transcription
is so the record would be more "consistent" all the way through.
actually applied this week
took about two hours - testing includes Excel, Word, basic grammar, basic filing, and typing test. Got all fired up, they were going to fax my resume "right now" and I would hear back "tomorrow at the latest"...still waiting. Be prepared to give out a lot of information (SS number, at least 3 professional references, entire work history including any gaps) etc. I know I aced the Word/spelling/grammar tests (and I suck at Excel but told them that up front and the position did not require Excel), know I passed the criminal/background check, and yet I wait. Sigh. Good luck to you though; maybe you will score!
I know AMS (Applied Medical) has ER reports. However,
...not sure if they offer the money you are used to. I think pay depends on experience, but call them or e-mail them. You may be offered a different pay rate with your experince level.

Trying to help.:) Good luck.
Thank you to the 2 who e-mailed me! I've applied.
NM
Anyone else to lazy to take tests..LOL. I applied for a job
but I swear when I opened up the testing and it was 6 reports including discharge summaries, right then and there, I just thought to my "NO way." I guess I just don't have the drive or energy to do testing for a job that takes a hour or more.  Part of me realizes that they need this information, but the other part, just thinks it's ridiculous to expect people to spend so much time on a test. Trust me, most of the time, when you see one report, it's quite apparent if the person has any skills or not. Sooooo, I guess I'm lazy because I'm NOT doing this test. Anyone else get these feelings...Maybe I'll regret it and maybe not. Time will test because a lot of other people were sent the same test so I'll wait for their report LOL
Indian MT said he applied to co. with fake
x
Venkat applied to cos. with resume not his,
x
Last summer I applied to 2 companies and sm
was offered positions at 9 and 9.5, which is basically what I asked; I think I indicated I wanted 10 but didn't push it because I was in the same boat as you. I have less experience than you but am a skilled transcriptionist. BTW, I accepted the lower one because it came with a good production bonus schedule that makes my actual pay routinely between 10 and 11 and a good platform that helps me achieve a pretty high line count.
I applied with them some time back.

I was interviewed and asked to test. The test recordings were so full of static and hard to hear that I decided the tests weren't worth the time or frustration. I sent the recruiter an email regarding the poor quality of the recordings and never heard another word from her. Has anyone else had the same experience with their test recordings?


I applied a couple of months ago
They are a not-so-small U.S. Company who only hire U.S. MTs and does not do offshoring!!!!  They have different branches of the company that you apply to.  The account I applied for was out of the Maine office.  The recruiter was exceptionally nice.  She told me that for each job posted, they get literally hundreds of resumes/applications so list your experience in detail - type of OP notes, type of experience in specialties, ER, Discharge, Ortho testing, neuro testing, etc., and even the type of equipment you have.  The less questions they have to ask you - the better - so make sure it is all on your resume.  That is what they are looking for.  She interviews you, and perhaps others, and narrows it down before you go through a second phase of the interview process.  I was not hired but they were certainly nice enough to e mail me and let me know.  I was disappointed at the time but I do like the job I took elsehwere better than they one they were offering.  Sorry I can't tell you more because I did not get very far, but they were very nice and respectful.  I would apply there again. 
Applied to Medical Records Dept ...
... second shift position.
But isn't the increased incentive JUST on whatever is over 300 lines? Not applied to the first 3
;P
CardioScribes is a MediScribes "branch," so maybe if you applied
s
husband once applied/sister worked there
my sister worked there and only got a discount of 10%.  that is in TX, don't know if it differs elsewhere.  my husband also applied once when he was unemployed about 4 years ago and they were going to start him out at $7.50/hr and if you need benefits they're horrible.  for our family, it was going to cost about $450 a month.  he turned it down, needless to say.  with all that said, my BIL still works there as a manager and he loves it - although i don't think he makes much more than $45000 a year and that's after working there for 10+ years and half as a manager.
Applied to tons of companies and hear nothing!
Anyone else applied to lots of places and never hear anything?  I have 5 years experience and a good resume so I don't understand. 
Also applied 2 months ago. Think it was 8 cpl for 1200 lpd, going up in 1/4-cent increments, and U
n
Certainly, I applied to that ad, and received 2 phone calls back.
I had no knowledge of them either. So, I asked if they are US based and what their plan entails. He told me they have a base in the Philippines and plan to send all of the transcription overseas. If I had a problem with that to tell him now. Of course, as candid as I am, I told I absolutely have a HUGE problem with that. I also told him that I am not the candidate for him!

What led me to believe it was an overseas operation was that I put that phone number in reverse look up and an Indian name came up, not the "American Name" that was listed. So, that was a huge red flag. I outright asked him what is his "real name".
Has she applied through Social Services or is she talking to the landlord on her own? nm
s
considering I've applied for 52 jobs in the last 10 days and only got 1 reply for 5 cpl..I wonder
bc
I totally agree.. Hey, I think I've applied to that company ..LOL

It means you have special formatting applied to those paragraphs sm
like keep lines together or keep with next. You can turn those squares off with the show/hide button on the toolbar or hit Ctrl+Shift +8 to toggle marks on or off -- that's probably what you hit to turn them on.
This also happened to a friend of mine who applied to be a state trooper and ... sm
also to my husband when he applied for grants to college.
is there an adapter that can be applied to make regular single prong headphones (sm)
(the kind of prong that would fit into computer speakers or an IPOD) fit into the two-prong outlet of a Dictaphone machine?  What I would like to do is use my Bose noise-cancelling headphones with my Dictaphone C-phone.  Could someone point in my the right direction of finding such an adapter?  TIA
Finally steady money. whew. Applied and got job at Dept of Law Enforcement entering

They started me way above minimum because of my experience.  I was shocked and happy all at the same time. 


And of course I'm esctatic to not be wondering how much money I would be getting each pay check.  Working on production in transcription now is like playing Russian Roulette.


There's good benes where I going, retirement, sick days, no games with my health insurance.  I should have done this long ago.


Associate in Applied Medical Science, Bachelor's in Liberal arts with emphasis on Psychology
and looking for a way to get out of MT before voice rec takes over!

Kids are grown and gone and I no longer need to be home all day. The cats don't need as much supervision as the kids did.