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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

What holiday shortage? None this year

Posted By: busy on 2006-01-09
In Reply to: Work poll - MQMT

nm


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No, just a shortage of US MTs who will
s
No shortage out by Akron, OH
s
lol they eat dog too, i think they were just having a shortage of dog at the restaurant so....
they had to do a roundup. Next, they will report the feline virus is out of control and do a roundup on them as well and that's all I have to comment on this post. Take care all!
Finish the course. I think there will be a shortage sm
in the future of all medical personnel from MT to MD. Looking at the whole picture, those of us from the baby boomer age are pushing 50 and as families, many of us had 3 or fewer children or none at all. So, in my opinion, that leaves a much smaller volume medical personnel to care for the aging in the future. So, finish that course so you can type my reports when I need them.
There is supposed to be a shortage
of American MTs I am reading in a large national information management magazine, and also according to our own gov. and our national association.  So why are wages falling if we are so desperately needed?  After 20 years, I am also seeking to get out.  I am at the height of my career in MT and find this is a losing profession.  They took a survey and were surprised in the article that wages have gone down.  They said a reason might because so many MTs work at home and so are part-time.  What a bunch of "you-know-what.!"  Wages are dropping because we do not get paid what we used to be paid.  I am making less now than 10 years ago.  I was recently offered an IC job for 7 CPL!   That was starting wages 15 years ago for FT.  Now they want to pay that for experienced and IC to boot, so you have higher percentage of taxes.  I have even seen 6 CPL.  These companies are trying to outbid each other by charging less and less, so they pay their MTs less and less.  They also must cover those big salaries and bonuses for the CEOs.
is there a shortage of American MTs?
nm
There is not a shortage. A lot of work
is being sent out of the country.
And the MTSOs say there's a shortage of
But yet they can't understand why.  Go figure. 
I live in the NE and let me tell you, there is NO shortage of trees.
cc
gas shortage/leaving for ohio in the am
Here in Brunswick stations closed at 6 pm and not open until Friday and can get only 5 gallons then. Trucker said Atlanta was getting $5 a gal and now Atlanta is completely out of gas. I am leaving for Ohio in the am and concerned if this shortage is just here or all the way up. Any info would be appreciated.
There's a shortage of US MT's because the skill is becoming obsolete

Schools don't even encourage anyone to get into this field anymore because they don't want to have someone take a course and then be out of work in a few years when this skill goes the same direction that shorthand did several decades back.


Like someone said on the Company board, education is the key.  Don't allow yourself to be a one-trick pony and learn how to do something else while you can.


What a shortage of medical transcriptionists

Whoever says that needs to take a look at the job board and the posting that has over 1,000 views.


There are no transcriptionists looking for jobs either.


Nursing has created their own shortage
by severely restricting the availability of classes for students and refusing to make the class time available in the evenings, weekends, etc.

They also created their own shortage by making so many of the jobs papershuffling jobs rather than hands on care, and many of those jobs could easily be filled by a trained technician rather than an RN.

I do not feel sorry for nurses.
About "US qualified MT shortage" and s/m
claiming that MTs won't work nights and weekends, I don't know about you, but at my job, God forbid I have a technical issue that's not between 8 AM and 5 PM.  It's the office staff that won't work nights and weekends, not the MTs.
Unfortunately, this company has no shortage of workers.
I know they hired a few new grads after I turned down their offer. As long as someone will work for that, they have no incentive to raise rates. Companies now don't seem to care about experience and quality, only concerned with the $$$. They didn't care that I can transcribe 2000 lines a day with 99% accuracy. They would rather stick to their cpl and hire new grads. Well, good luck to them.
Is there a shortage of experienced MTs here in the USA? Am I blind and deaf? sm
I was talking to a prospective employer today.  First off, it is a start-up company in US.  They already have a base in the Philippines. Well, that turned right off; however, we continued the conversation.  My question to this person was this.....so, if you were to get contracts for MT here in the US, are you willing to just hire US MTs?  Answer...Well there is such a shortage of good quality MTs here in the US and we would like to have the work done in the Philippines.  My next question, and if the contract specifically states all work is to stay in the USA, what then?  Well, then we would hire only US based MTs. 

Finally, I had to stop him in his tracks....I told him I emphatically disagree.  There is not a shortage of US MTs.  The problem is that you or any other Internationally based company is not willing to pay the US MTs what they are worth.  You want cheap labor, and you won't get that in the US.  Our MTs here in the USA produce such a high quality patient record and you have to be willing to compensate for that.  If you are interested in USA contracts but want to use cheap labor with no concern for quality, than I am not the person for this position.


 


I am so furious right now as I mull over the conversation......am I just blind or is there really a shortage here in the US of quality-driven MTs.



I am an MT myself as well as QA Specialist and I just do not agree with this mentality.  I think they use this excuse to justify their wanting to offshore.  I see through the smoke screen; however, I guess I just need to hear it from my fellow MTs. 



What are your thoughts on this issue of not enough trained and experienced MTs here in the USA?  Personally, I don't agree. 


This was an executive-type position with an awesome benefit package and salary; however, I turned down any opportunities with this company.  I will not encourage or support giving our MT jobs to the Philippines, India or anywhere but the USA.



 


The real shortage is good MTSOs
First of all, congratulations to you for having the guts to stick up for your convictions.  I am really proud of you for telling them like it is.  There is no shortage of good MTs, there is, however, a shortage of good MTSOs and national MT companies.  Fortunately, we have boards like this one to tell us who those are, the ones who pay peanuts, the ones with inferior equipment/platforms, and the ones who outsource their work overseas and think the foreign MTs are "far superior" to the American MTs.  Most of us experienced MTs who have been in this business for any length of time, would not work for them.  The ones who cry that "there are no more good American MTs" are the ones who are outsourcing overseas or otherwise abusing their employees - that is why they have such a hard time attracting "Good MTs."  They need to look in the mirror to see the reasons why!
I am the orginal poster asking the question about the shortage. I am under 40.
I started MT while in high school in a VoTech program and have been doing it ever since! I am 35. Not every MT out there is "old".
Shortage on multiple accounts through a national. nm
x, nope, none, zip, all EMPTY
my point is -- not like there's a shortage of people to talk to.
dfkus
Question to ponder...If there is such a huge shortage of MTs, why is everybody always

nursing shortage includes nurses for instructors...sm
you can't teach nursing classes without nurses to teach the classes - that's part of the shortage and part of the reason why the shortage continues. Also more nurses are going for the bachelor's degree (4 years vs. 2 years) and that is extending the time before they are out in the work force.
I live right off I-75 in Richmond, Ky and we haven't had any shortage yet, but price is definitel
up at $2.99 a gallon.  Good luck to you!
holiday day

at my company we don't get paid for holidays either...guess that is the price of being able to work at home....sucks...we can get paid by taking PTO time but I usually just work extra when I know a holiday is coming up, but frankly who wants to work during x-mas time with the hustle and bustle....


Holiday Pay

I recently began working for a service who only pays for a holiday IF you work that day (compensation of 10 cpl).  However, if you don't work that day, you don't get paid.  I am full time with all full-time benefits.  I realize production pay is entirely different than hourly, but is this common for most transcription companies?  I'm an old transcriptionist, but new to the ways of production pay.  Thanks for any input!


Holiday pay

It it a little hard for me to payfor holidays when the accounts don't pay the owner for holidays.  Wish I could for my help but just can't afford it.  I sympathize with you truly.  Guess I could pay a cheaper line rate to them year round and then be about to do it, but that does not seem fair.   It is hard in this business to offer many benefits as we do not get paid unless the work is done,  just like truck drivers, hair stylists, manicurists, etc.


 


 


No one ever has to pay you holiday pay.
It is a generous gesture but it isn't mandatory, you know.

There is no excuse for you to feel it is necessary to be paid for time not worked. If you want that, go back inhouse.

PTO is generous enough.

No, you will not get holiday pay until...
I was told that you have to be hitting your 11,000 per pay period for at least 90 days before you get holiday pay, benefits, etc. You can confirm this with the HR lady. They do pay for holidays once you get past this.
Holiday pay

I guess I should have stated that my gals are I/C's and they get 75 to 80% of what I get from the docs on a gross line.  If I charge more to the docs, they will go elsewhere.  They just type and I do all the pick up, delivery, invoicing, etc.  I  also just got hit by the city for my business license which just went up to 3.3% of GROSS receipts BEFORE any expenses.   If your business makes less than $25K you dont have to pay for a business license but if you make $1 over the 25K you have to pay on the entire amount.   So I have to pay this even on the amount that the gals make.  Am not sure I can stay in this for long.  The city is saying that all IC's that make over $25K should pay for a license. 


 


 


Do you get holiday pay?
How many of you work for companies who give holiday pay premiums or time off with pay?  Mine doesn't give either and it sucks!
Yes a Holiday
Holiday for me. 6 cents a 75-character line kind of seems a bit low, though. Was that perhaps a mistake I am wondering?

holiday
Actually, there is no solution to this problem - there are no solutions to any questions about the MT world... it's always something and I don't say that lightly.
Mine are in year-round thank goodness! They've started their new year 2 months ago.
x
What is everyone doing for the holiday weekend? sm
We're not doing much - probably will go and see the Herbie movie at some point and of course cooking out on the grill is mandatory. 
This is ONLY because of 4th of July holiday...sm
and not unheard of in the industry. You really should call your acct mgr and ask for a secondary acct. My acct mgr has been VERY accommodating. Before long all accts will be booming again, as mine has picked up today.
I am, too, wonder if it's just because of the Labor Day holiday?
nm
Jewish Holiday

 


The orthodox Jewish community celebrates Succoth - harvest feast 5 days after Yom Kippur


http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/fiszer/succoth.htm


Regular pay on a holiday? (sm)
I wouldn't do it.  No offense intended but I'm wondering how many places do that?  I've never heard of not getting 1.5 on a holiday for working?  Hey, if I could, I would give you mine since I'm not using it.  Have been an MT for a long time (16+ years) and have never and will never work a holiday for straight time.  As I mentioned when hired it was agreed I would not work holidays and I plan to stick to it. 
Is July 4th a holiday for you?
I don't think the company I work for observes this holiday.  After checking my handbook, it looks as if it is not even on the list.  We have to alternate holidays and then only have to work a half shift, so it is not so bad.  I was just checking to see if it was my holiday and was surprised to see that it is a regular day.  I'm sure I saw it when I started with them last year, but it just didn't register with me.  We had Memorial Day and will have Labor Day.  I'd rather have July 4th than either of those two holidays.  Is anyone else having to work that day as a regular day?
What you doing over the Labor Day holiday?

Well today is a holiday......
And if my memory serves me right that means low work until maybe mid-October? LOL!
No Holiday Work
I work for a small local nephrology office. There is no weekend work (I work 40 hours during the week) and we get all the major holidays off, so Monday was a non-working day for me.
Venting on a holiday

Anybody out there working today, LABOR DAY? Expected to work the holiday, and guess what, no work! And then when it trickles in, of course the crummy junk bottom of the bucket type which add up to no lines, and getting lots of comments from QA (who is looking for something to do, no doubt).


How about we don't work a holiday, and everyone comes to work Tuesday with stuff to type, everyone makes money?


Bad idea of course, we have to remember the TATs.


Sorry to be so crabby, but thanks for listening to he vent.


Jewish holiday

Just checked with my Jewish S/O and he said maybe Purim


holiday schedule?
Just wondering how other companies/hospitals handle the holiday schedule so as to where you will not be working the same holidays two years in a row.  I am working at a hospital and this is my second year in a row working Christmas.   I have worked two July 4ths in a row, too.  When I asked about it, was told it is just how it falls, but if i could come up with an easier solution, to let her know.  There are some companies that ask you to choose 1 winter holiday and 1 summer holiday to work, and the next year you do another.  Any other suggestions on how this can be handled fairly?  TIA
Union diesil mechanic - good pay, great benefits. We swap year to year on who brings home more sm
money.....but I am an IC and he has all the benefits...health insurance/dental that the company pays for, pension plan, 401k, etc.  Factor all of that in and he makes way more than I do.
See Holiday/Recipe board.
t
i had 2 docs off for the religious holiday. nm
;
Family holiday plans (sm)

I just had to post this as it reminds me so much of a lady who posted about her family, saying that they were ungrateful.


I was going to take the Amtrak train to visit my family on Thanksgiving, it's only about an hour on the Amtrak, and about $80.00 for the ticket!  My stepmother says to me that it would be way to much trouble for them to drive the 15 minutes to the station to pick me up, they are having company that day.  My father would spend his whole Thanksgiving day going back and forth to the train station.  But I was welcome to come the day before Thanksgiving and stay until the day after Thanksgiving, that way they could drop me off at the train station when they didn't have company.  Company meaning her children, who have always come first.  So I am supposed to go to their house at an alloted time?  I'll be darned if I'm going to do that.


Now I'll be darned if I am going to pay $80.00 for a train ticket to spend a day with a family with this attitude.  I told them I won't be coming, I haven't had the time to spend 3 days there and have to work, and they said it would be too much trouble to pick me up at the train station on Thanksgiving.  Am I right or wrong in not going on Thanksgiving?  Any opinions?


Transhealth pays for holiday pay
You have to work if it falls on your day but you have the option of asking off. You get holiday pay (if you are off as well) plus you get your line count that day.
Pressured to work Holiday
Anyone else feel pressured to work holidays?  When hired, I made it clear I would not be working holidays, however, the inevitable e-mail about being out of TAT comes my way today and how if scheduled, you are expected online.  Don't plan on working it because it was made clear at time of hiring, I would not work holidays.  Another benefit of working at home -- pressured to work Holidays.  I'm just venting and I guess I'm crabby too!