Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

It is NOT an easy way to make money

Posted By: typerlady on 2007-02-26
In Reply to: Was just posting the truth - ra11en

and most companies advertising at-home training and promising the moon are out for your money. Medical transcription is a CAREER and not a JOB. Stick with engineering and do some crafting on the side to make "extra money."


Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

They are boring but easy, and you can make a lot of money. nm
x
7 cpl gross and counts blank lines, IC status-- make a ton of money because it's easy work...nm
x
Make money? I'm not making any money because of my decision. You read my reasoning
You can agree with me or not, but don't make false assumptions please.
You're working to make money, not to spend money.
These people should be ashamed of themselves taking advantage of people this way!
I also blew some money signing up with Quixtar... The only way to make any money is to bug everyone

you know into signing up.  I felt like a snake oil huckster.  I hated it.  I was flushing money down the toilet from the moment I handed over my money. 


RUN, do not walk away!  I do an entirely different side business now that I really love (in addition to my MTing, which I also love!)  Find something you're good at and that you truly love doing.  Then make a business out of it.  That's the best way to have a side business.  Selling discount toilet paper through Amway/Quixtar?  Not so much. 


Easy easy money they are!

I don't mind seeing those puppies filter in at all.  Same for H&Ps.  They are always different though, so can't really pop in the same pre-formatted autotext, but it's usually WHAMMO 2-3 pages at a time.  Give them a shot...you may just be pleasantly surprised! 



ERs. Really easy money makers. sm
If only we were all so lucky to have just ERs. 
thank you both! money is an easy enough gift sm
but i think i will keep it a little lesser amt as they have only been friends about 6 mos as we just moved here. all the other girls in their group of friends are part of the quinceanera so i wasn't sure what my daughter and i needed to wear, etc. it is indoors at a church according to the invitation. is "merengue" the same as dancing? i think it sounds like a lot of fun and can think of lots of other things for my daughter and i to do while in the area as well. never had a good vacation so the 2 of us will enjoy ourselves. i am thankful they gave us enough heads up (almost 2 months) notice to prepare financial wise for the trip. sounds like a blast though and a really good experience for my 14yo to attend.
i don't send stuff to editing. i have been doing this for years. it's easy money and my QA r
And I got all my hair and my BP is fine.
We make it look easy

The reason so many people think it is such a glamorous job is because those of us who have been doing it for years make it look so easy.  We can sit in front of our computer (at home) and breeze along through the toughest ESL dictators without picking up a book.  Why wouldn't everything thing they could do this.


Reality will show your friend that there is a lot more to being an MT than just typing.  I think back to the days before internet when I had to use a book to look up every difficult or new word.  Very time consuming.  At least new MTs have internet resources.


Easy mistake to make! (nm)
nm
Repetitive = easy, so no, they usually don't make more.
But there are exceptions to every rule, of course. As was stated in another post on radiology, the software is usually maddeningly inefficient, so sometimes it is hard to find and retain MTs for certain facilities. But the reason the software is bad for MTs is that they usually bought it with the hope they could change over to VR, thereby putting most of the MTs out of work. Radiology can be fun if you find a place where you can work in-house, have the skills to win the respect of the radiologists and learn to be able to read their minds, which helps you a lot when they misspeak.
You make it sound so easy, BUT
I believe medical editing is more difficult than straight transcribing, especially if the MT lack years of experience. If the VR text indicates an incorrect term but it looks and sounds close to the accurate term, it would be very easy for an inexperienced MT to not realize that mistake and not make the proper correction. I only hope the physicians are reading their reports. Unfortunately, many of them do not because of time constraints.

With my 20+ years' experience,I do foresee potential problems with VR in the hands of inexperienced MTs. Unfortunately, many MTs will lack the necessary editing skills to acquire a 100% accuracy rate. They have mainly been taught to transcribe verbatim.

We will have to wait and see if any major issues present themselves with VR. I think it could be a very efficient system, but I do not believe the job of editing should not be taken too lightly. I think editing VR text could be easier if you are simply editing for a few physicians, but not for a multitude of dictators in the hospital setting.
Poll: Please yes or no, don't explain, make it easy.

Is it sensible to rebuild New Orleans below sea level?


Thank you. All of us at SS do our best to make it easy. I am so happy to see when it works out wel
We are here for our employees. We just have to know if there is a problem and we will do our best to fix it. Thank you for you vote of confidence in us!
sorry - ....make them easy targets for the scam. nm
x
so easy to make your own baked chicken and tastes better.
Just wash a whole chicken (clean inside, as well) Then salt inside.

Put it breast-side DOWN on small baking rack in shallow baking sheet (I line the pan with foil first), bake at 350 for 30 minute, then turn the bird over onto its back (drain the cavity when you turn it over, put those droppings in the bottom of the cookie sheet). Bake for another hour, turn over (and drain cavity again) for 15-30 minutes, and then turn back on its back for a little longer. I do put some foil over the bird for the first hour or so just to save splatters on the oven. With whole chicken at 69 cents a pound, you just cannot get an cheaper, easier meal than this.
Well, I would like to applyl. I hope you can make a go of it but it will not be an easy road. If
:+
Easy to use! You can see old reports & copy to make templates from them, look up doc/Pt
s
kettle corn is great, easy to make, and you can spice it up...
and there are pretzels, potato chips, veggie chips. you can quickly roast any kind of nut and spice or sweeten them up. I use sucranat for sugar, or turbanado, anything not bleached.

yummy fruit, fresh or frozen.

lots of things you can do...
How really do you make money?

I know I'm new but at least I have a job Right???


Anyway editing VR at 3 cents a line and not being quick is frustrating... I have been working for a week and I think I made maybe if I'm lucky 200.00, now I left a job making 500.00 a week after taxes... Boy I am stupid... So much for this great career working at home blah blah... I guess I'm totally frustrated considering no one will hire you new and when you get a job they say here is some chicken feed... I can't live off of this, does anyone have any suggestions... I will there is something to be said for getting paid by the hour


I don't make any money and I am

I am paid an hourly rate based on the number of lines I edit.  I'm trying to go back to being an MT.  I took a job for this company that pays $12/hr.  I am supposed to average 300 lines per hour.  I can only get a raise if my average is more than this for 6 months.


I don't know about anybody else, but I don't see that I will ever be able to edit more than 300 lines an hour because it takes time to provide feedback.


 


You cannot do it well and make money sm
by constantly stopping to work to attend to children, errands, family business.  If you want to make money, you have to treat it like what it is, a real job. 
i make my money on them.
they are easy and i rarely have to look up words.
you won't make any money

if you cann't understand what they are saying.  You will sit twiddling your thumbs, going ARHGGH!  7 cpl is not good either, but at least you could be making something compared to nothing with ESL.  Making < $5 an hour typing ESL  versus maybe $10 an hour at 7 cpl... Hard choice..


When did you make the most money?

Was your line rate higher when you started, halfway through, or now?


One year and you make decent money? What is decent money to you?
k
Needing to make some money.....
I just started a new job and really like it when I have work but the problem is that I do 2 or 3 reports and then it's gone for 20 or 30 minutes.  I can't make any money doing a report here and there....I've asked for a backup account but they are saying everything is low right now.  What do I do?  I don't want to switch companies again when I just started this one, but my bills aren't waiting simply because I don't have any work.  I didn't get to work Friday or Monday at all.  Yesterday, I finally did my minimum (I want to do a lot more than that) but it took me until 11:00 last night to do it because I had to work here and there all day long..........Just wondering if this is the case for a lot of people.  Guess I just needed to vent. 
How to make money MTing

I'm an occasional lurker and infrequent poster. I see so many posts regarding inability to make money that I thought I would post some ideas in the hope it might help someone. However, I don't expect my post to ever see the light of day as every time I do post, my post disappears faster than a snowball in the desert.


I believe anyone can still make money doing MT provided:


1. You take the time to thoroughly learn your terminology, not just words, but a thorough understanding. You will never make money if your fingers are flipping through books instead of being on the keyboard. Learning takes time and effort. IMHO learning can't be done with small children underfoot any more than you would take your children to a classroom and expect to learn. Once you are a seasoned MT and know your job the way you know the back of your hand, then, yes, you can work with the children (or a tornado) around you.


If you aren't willing to commit to #1 then there is no use reading on.


2. You MUST work for a company that isn't constantly running out of work. No work, no money, doesn't matter how much knowledge you have or how fast you type. If your company consistently runs out of work, do yourself a favor and move on. I would suggest keeping the old job until you try out the new company lest you find you have jumped from the frying pan into the fire.


3. Nevermind "how I've always done it." Right or wrong, your obligation is to the place that signs your paycheck. If you "can't remember" changes, make a macro that will remind you. Same with verbatim. Forget what you "have always done" and condition yourself, right or wrong, to type exactly what is dictated, no more, no less.


Now to increase your pay:


1. Really work at increasing your typing speed. There is something to be said for learning to type on an old standard Underwood typewriter and doing the exercises "the quick brown fox jumped over the hollow log" and "now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." It really works.


2. Use your word expander to the max. I first use all the accepted medical abbreviations. I then go to what I can easily remember as my abbreviations. For instance I use ASHD2 to spell out when dicitated. I use the first 2 letters of each word in a 2 word phrase i.e. stco (stable condition). Pay attention to anything a given physician dictates consistently and put it in your word expander. Most people can edit faster than they type.


3. Learn to proof as you go. It can be done. My kids used to laugh at me because they said my mouth was constantly moving when I was typing. Still does. That's because I'm also reading as I'm typing. Train yourself to do this and you won't have to waste time going back and proofing.


4. Learn to be an accurate typist. You will be surprised how much time you spend backing up to correct typing errors. That is what spellcheck is for but that also wastes time. Don't waste time backing up to correct typos, wait for spellcheck and remember that the seconds you spend correcting typos, even with spellcheck, makes a big difference at the end of the day.


5. Take your job seriously. If your fingers aren't on the keyboard, you aren't making money. My routine is that I work as hard as I can until I reach 1/2 of my daily goal, which is twice the minimum that is required. Once I have reached that point I allow myself to do other things. Like I will type 2 or 3 reports, do a load of laundry or whatever. I also DO NOT answer the phone until I have reached the 1/2 mark. That includes visiting this or any other board. I've already reached my 1/2 point today and I'm feeling a little bored, it being Friday and all. Even then, I am mindful that time is money and I limit the time I spend on doing other things.


6. Get over the excuse that you are constantly changing accounts. You're paid to do whatever comes across your screen. Teach yourself to "file" account specifics in your brain so they automatically come up with the account...it can be done. Don't be afraid of new accounts or new dictators. Remember it's all the same WORDS just spoken by different voices.


It doesn't matter how much I make because that doesn't help any of you. Let's just say it's up there with the highest producers who post here and I am also an "old dog". I've been MTing probably about as long as most of you have been on this earth and believe it or not, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. :)


Hope this little bit of info will help someone and I hope it stays up long enough to do so.


Can one make money at etransplus?

Hi,


I am pleased with the benefit package and the line rate for insurance, but I was astounded by style they prefer.  It is just so much.  Can one make money there? 


and, i didn't make THAT much money nm
nm
Most of the men I know in this field make more money than
I think they do less bonding with coworkers and seem to focus better.
I do PT and make tons of money...sm
very easy work. Few ESL in that field and they are very agreeable to working with you. Lots of word Expander phrases, hardly any drugs, no labs. Love it. Make more money in PT with less cpl than any of my other accounts just because I can crank it out.
You make more money doing MT than in journalism?
I have been an MTSO/had my own accounts and made LOTS of money in MT.  BUT, my friend who has a degree in journalism is doing so much better than I am.  She has a home in Marietta, Georgia that I only WISH were mine.  And then she has a second home and the SECOND home was $300,000.  That home is just for them to stay in when they go to another state and visit relatives.  It is nowhwere near as nice as their home in Atlanta.
Does anybody make money VR editing?
I am considering taking a position doing this and I wonder if you can make a living at it. A poster below said that if you are a fast typist you will lose money, but if you are a 150-200 lph typist can you break even? I would like to hear from anyone who actually does VR editing either full-time or part-time. What's the scoop?
And what do you consider "a ton of money" ? What do you make weekly? nm
x
That's definitely good money. I wish I could make that much.
I'm making about $1,400 a MONTH working 25-30 hours per week. ESLs, run out of work often, lousy platform. What's the point any more? I definitely need to pick up some local accounts and never work for another national.
Oh man....that is NOT good...how do you make any money?

What else could you do and make this kind of money? sm
If you still make great money in it, at least 50K per year, as I do, then it is still hot.  if not, it is not hot.
keep daycare. you can't do everything and make money.
i know...tried it.
Four. And they make very good money.
But I get your point. But you asked!
No, if you cannot produce enough to make the money you need,
It's not the industry's fault some do not have the aptitude to make what they want.


I am, but not because of pay. I make decent money, more than I would

make in most fields today that don't require a degree or experience.   I'm just burned out with the monotony of it.  Type, type, type and then type some more because the account is behind and others aren't pulling their weight, so type, type, type, go to bed without spending time with family, exhausted, kitchen not cleaned up, and get up the next day and do the same thing all over again.  You have no control over your paycheck because you are paid by production.  If you have one of those days where you get the worst dictators or the sound quality is really bad you don't make your lines.  If you don't feel well you don't make your lines.   


I've done this nearly 20 years, about 19 more than I ever thought I would, but I'm tired, I don't enjoy my job, and I want to do something different.  My problem is that I need to be home 5 more years and I don't know what I can do and make the money I need to make. 


 


Do Radiology MTs make more money?

New to profession, and wondering if radiology MTs make most of the money ?  I heard that they usually do because it is so repetitive.


Oh, but I make really good money
so I did not understand where this was coming from. You see, I have no children at home, only 2 of us, no bills, I only work part because that is all I want but still bring home about $1500.00 every 2 weeks, so no need to feel sorry. I said I type fast.
The only way to make money now is typing SM
in shorthand, using ShortHand or some other word expander. I don't type anything out unless I have to. Not only long words, but words like "what", "been", "the", (of course). There are websites you can visit or books you can buy on the topic. The above way to make "expansions" are quite cumbersome and not effective.
Some of us are IT people who make more money
doing MT. I've found that I know more about computers than the so-called IT people working for MT services. However, I would never recommend PC Doctor. AVG Free is the best free antivirus software out there. And you're not an id-iot. It's also tough to know which programs will cause a software conflict until you actually try them. Hope things go better for you.
I agree with you, and this is why we don't make more money too sm
Seems like, if you don't have a magic wand dangling between your legs, you don't count for much. This is still the 21st Century...kinda sad isn't it?
I make decent money at my
I just feel like a cog in a machine,  unappreciated, unnoticed. I work for a hospital. I have also felt this way working for large services. I would like to feel that my time and services are valuable and appreciated, but I just don't seem to feel that way.
Do CMTs make more money?

I have perceived this as a scam by the AAMT.  Am I wrong?


I don't think so. AAMT will use that to make more money...sm
Maybe AAMT will make the unions pay dues to them..wouldn't that be something.

No, really, if everyone needs certification, than the union will be working with AAMT and that is not good for all MTs.

Although I am not against all unions, I am not for a MT union. They do exist. If you want to join one, look them up. Some are probably taking new members. Get out your wallets.....