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Why is it "bad" to get an earful of good, honest truth about this industry?

Posted By: Sorry, you're about a decade late if you though on 2008-10-04
In Reply to: I agree - Melissa

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Honest to God truth...
I couldn't believe it. I just stared at this employee in disbelief and said "You're kidding, right?" She said no, they have different people all the time doing the "order taking" who read off a script - she said she wishes they would just let one of THEM do it because these "employees" are always getting the order wrong, offering drinks that they don't have in their particular franchise and generally making it harder on them to do their jobs. I told her I could REALLY relate to that!
honest to God truth - I would not tell my best friend to go into this now.

Just couldn't figure out why an engineer with all the time and money spent on education would switch - staying home ain't all its cracked up to be sometimes - a lot of us clock in and out on time clocks and are held accountable for all of our hours.  I know it sound glamorous - but not really.  A lot of us have already returned back into the regular work force, commuting and everything and more of us are likely to follow.  Don't get me wrong - I love what I do, but don't think it is going to hold out much longer. 


No, we who have worked in this industry don't have a good

we've been sold up the river!  Can anyone say OFFSHORE?! That is the very reason our rates of pay have gone down the tubes. How COULD anyone maintain a good attitude? What I post to newbies here is just fair warning. No one can make any kind of living on 5 cents a line. Newbies are also fodder for crappy MTSOs.  It may sound negative, but it's the absolute truth.  It's pretty sick when offshore companies are now training US MTs.  My suggestion to anyone thinking about going into MT....don't.  Find another line of work.  There are other things out there you can do.


Good luck to both of you. Just be honest
with him but don't go into graphic details - that only hurts them even more.

It'll take a very long time before he can trust you again so be prepared but don't give up if you truly love each other.
The truth will set you free and the truth is more low level income people w/o education or proper
skills to keep up their home or train their children live in trailer homes and low income housing. If that sets you off, maybe you should not visit these threads or read the posts regarding others viewpoints on trailer parks. They have zoning laws against them in many communities because they draw undesirable people are not particularly pleasing to the community as a whole, bringing property values down. If you have issues with this, seek out the government in various communities and have them change the laws. Fact is fact and you cannot dispute these facts.
The truth stings sometimes and I congratulate MTStars for having the kahoonas to post truth.
Tired of being lied to. I'm a big girl and can handle the truth. Why can't you?
Opened a can of worms, eh? Truth hurts, but it is TRUTH!

8 cpl is about the top out in the US MT industry. If you're making more consider yourself lucky because it just might be snatched away from you at any moment. For the 14 cent per liner, good for you! You went out and got your own accounts. Others should follow your example. As far as the "stupid" MT comment, keep in mind that she was not consistent and **often** had one excuse after another not to work, yet I could see her online and when I would ask her why she was online she would give VERY lame excuses.  Also, keep in mind that I also was the one who helped this gal out monetarily to begin with and she took advantage of my generosity.  Don't make me out to be the bad gal here just because I own a service.  The shoe could easily be on your foot.


So, NEWS FLASH, if you have an MT position that is paying more than 8 cpl, consider it a real blessing and pray that your job isn't outsourced offshore. 


"Bad" MTs
I, too, have been in this profession since the days of typewriters and carbon paper - however, we were not required to crank out thousands of lines per day in order to stay employed, to say nothing of being paid anything worthwihle.
No way, no how. Every one has a "bad" day once in a while. nm
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Never had a "bad" job. I liked them all and I even work
:)
It existed this morning and nothing "bad" was said that I know of, sm

but I have been gone most of the day, so maybe it turned ugly.  I contributed to the thread, but do not recall saying anything rude or nasty to anyone.  Oh well ...........


Happy Friday! 


Is there "bad" money to be made?
Just wondering in this economy if anyone would say, "Oh no, sorry, that's bad money." Unless, of course, it's the world's oldest profession which sometimes I think pays way higher!
PS this was leaving on "bad terms".. i wouldnt have done that if i was just quitting because i
I wouldn't have acted that way if it was my choice to leave. they gave me no choice. grrr im still so frustrated!!! :(
You don't have to believe, the truth is the truth. I, too, have seen with my own two eyes and ha

years experience as an MT.  I say misfortune because MTs with this much experience usually have gigantic egos and feel like they've "seen it all and done it all."  They simply don't make mistakes.  Not possible, no way.  This particular MT became irate with me.  She actually threw her 20+ years experience in my face and said "I've been doing this for over 20 years, I think I know what I'm doing!"  It was painfully obvious, she did not have a clue.  She'd been doing it wrong for 20 years and no one ever told her, so she thought she was right.


I had another MT with 10 years experience call me to scream at me and hung up on me when I tried to explain her errors to her.


The plain truth is, some people can't take criticism whether it be constructive or destructive.  They don't like to be wrong or be told their wrong.  Egos get in the way.  We are all guilty of letting our egos get in the way from time to time, but in this field, you need to be willing to admit you're wrong and you need to be able to accept criticism gracefully and give criticism diplomatically.


As an editor, I encourage MTs to let me know if they disagree with any corrections I've made.  I am happy to provide MTs with my reference materials and resources.  I am happy to admit when I am wrong and I am happy to say that I make mistakes too.  Just don't try to tell me that an MT with 16 years experience can't possibly be making terminology mistakes - she can and probably has in the past and will again in the future.


not only the MT industry
making changes with insurance.  DH works for one of the large telephone companies.  We now have to pay for a larger portion of our Rxs when previously they cost us nothing, plus office visit copays also increased.  It's still better than not having insurance at all.  But, the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer!
What does this mean for the MT industry? sm

I saw this *** and wanted to share this with other MTs. What is your interpretation of this? Are we going to be out of work for good because I'm thinking electronic medical records are going to replace us, or am I misinterpreting this statement?   What is your take on this?


"...President Obama has also talked about the need to computerize all medical records in five years, creating a huge opportunity for information technology jobs and data entry jobs."


It's the same as any industry...
You have the bottom, the top, and the in between.  I happen to be closer to the top, but there are so many others who are not at the bottom.  And if you knew me, you would know that I do not have the 'screw everybody else' mentality... and it's not really fair to accuse me of that based on my post, which did not mention anything even close to that mentality.  I just do not believe that we have it so bad in this industry, that's all.  I think we should spend some time looking at the positives versus the negatives.  There are so many people out there who have it way worse than majority of the MTs here.
I liked it all, to be honest!
I felt like their pay was comparable to other big companies, I liked their benefit package. I worked with very nice people and the platform I was on was good.  I didn't mind the clocking in and out.  The only reason I left was because I was offered another opportunity outside the world of MTs at home (working in-house) which I couldn't pass up. 
To be quite honest, I really don't know. sm
I don't think it did but I used Roundup a week later to kill the bindweed which did kill the grass, but I don't think the bug spray killed it. Either way, I just used it about three inches around the perimeter of the house and most of what I have around my house is perennial plants, not all grass, and they are still alive. LOL--only the bindweek and creeping charlie are dead from the Roundup.
Just be honest!
I am sure when you explain your paid by production situation you will be excused, no more to it. Good luck!
to be honest...

Every QA I've ever come across has never admitted that they were wrong even with proof.  I've never seen it.  I do believe they believe they do no wrong.  Just my opinion of course from my own experience.


Being honest
I would love to say, but I am sure the message would just vanish again.
Still, they could at least be honest about it, and - sm
instead of just the rubber-stamp *you failed* reply to those they didn't hire, maybe they should at least let a qualified person know that:
a) The job was filled before their application was processed.
b) They lost the application.
c) They didn't want to pay this experienced applicant what she was worth.
d) And so on.....
To be honest

It might be worth your while to take a course with a reputable MT teaching course.  You are going to be more and more frustrated and it just won't get much better.


Be careful and try to find a good course, then attempt going out in the world again. 


well, to be honest...sm
I have not really heard YOU say anything intelligent about this profession either. All I really hear out of you is how much you dislike all the whining and complaining from others about this profession. Seems to me all YOU are doing is *whining* and *complaining* about others whining and complaining. So there is no difference. They whine and complain about one thing, and you whine and complain, at the top of your lungs I might add, about the whining and complaining. And, yes, you do put yourself up on a pedestal simply because you have been doing this profession for most of your adult life, and yes, you probably had it rough. But some of the rest of us have had it rough too. However, some of us who have had it rough and kicked and clawed our way to the top, have not become bitter about it, as you obviously have. This profession, as with any profession, is only as rough and difficult as YOU choose to make it. If you have a positive attitude about things, the roughness will not feel so rough. You seem to have the idea that in order to *get anywhere* in this profession, you must beat your subordinates into submission, in order to make yourself shine. Your anger towards your chosen profession is eating you up from the inside out and the outside, at this point in time, is not a very pretty picture.
State of the MT industry

Obviously, you work some place that pays very well and you might even have secure employment. If so, that's great.  Some of us worked for companies that were sold or sent all their work offshore and we had to take jobs where we could get them.  Don't be so quick to judge other peoples' choices.  It's true that in some companies, wages are lousy, but do you really think you'd be a fry cook at the clown's over working from a home office?  If you are earning great wages and have a good job, I sure hope you're able to help other MTs find something as good as what you've got.


 


 


If this industry has become amoral it's because:

MTs for the most part have always been treated poorly, no respect and low pay.  We have to stand up for ourselves and not back down from our line rates because no one is going to look out for us but us.  No, not even the docs and/or the OMs, surprise, surprise!  I say she should go for the full monty.  They get to see more patients and therefore have a higher income.  Why should she have to settle for a lower income because they're smart and use time-saving macros?? 


Men make more than we do in any industry.
Sucks, but that's the way it is.
What is the industry standard...sm
Tried to post this on Wednesday, will try again...I need to know what is the industry standard conversion for minutes dictated to minutes typed?  Not how much do you do - but what is average for one hour dictation - how many hours typed.  Bosses think we're taking too long but we do not get automatic demographics and need to look on log sheets (if they arrive and if they're correct) for everything from patient name to referring doctors, addresses, patient #'s, etc. So I need to give him an "average" number of hours dictated equal "X" amount of hours typed taking into consideration the lack of information, the searching we must do and the various typing speeds.  I'm not going to "judge" anyone's advice  - just need some input from those that have been there.  Thanks for sharing.
I agree - as with almost any industry (sm)
you have to find your niche and the place you can call home.  IMO and experience, you can make $60,000-$120,000/year in MT if you find the right hospital, your own accounts, MTSO and/or area of transcription and increase your skills constantly.  After say 4-8 different gigs and nothing works out, then MT work is probably not for you.  Same for any job, whether it is tech support rep (my former career), mortgage broker, service tech.
Industry Standard for VR Pay?
What is the industry standard for VR pay? Specifically for someone just starting out.
Industry pay is sinking.
With 9 years experience, I was offered 5cpl for straight typing.  Nuts if you ask me.  Yet the company filled the positions with that pay. 
The going industry rates are....sm
Around 14 cpl, 65 character line for transcription, 6-7 cpl for editing.

You can "thank" overseas competition for these pricing because they actually will quote around 8-10 cpl for transcription and 3-4 cpl for editing.

Stinks, doesn't it?

I remember when we used to be able to get 18-20 cpl, gross line and could pay the MT 10-12 cpl and all were happy. Gone are those days - I wish they were back!
You could mention where the industry is going
at all because it may offend someone.  The funny thing is that some of the course outlines on line may give you some great material to go by as it explains it pretty well on some of those sites. I think it is a great career, so I may be biased.  
Please do this industry a favor sm
CHARGE WHAT YOU ARE WORTH AND NOT A PENNY LESS!

I mean it. The last person I talked to about this has her own company. Clinics she charges 14 to 18 cents a line, depending on the difficulty and the logistics of the office. Nope, does not include printing or tapes, they have to call in, period.

For hospitals, she charges 22 to 26 cents a line and she gets it. She usually types as many of the OP notes as she has time for and doesn't sub them out because she likes that. Any lines she does herself goes into the corporation at 100% and she pays herself a salary for all her work, not by the line for MTing she does. She has 20 yrs of experience, all of it in acute care.

She says, DO NOT sell your skills short. Don't try to undercut someone to get the job. Remind these people that they get what they pay for and deliver on every promise, but don't make promises you can't deliver on 99.5% of the time. Incorporating is good, better than not and I know all of the reasons behind that too.

I wish you every luck.
yea but it is industry standard!
and also as i put in my email to my doc... the templates and macros BENEFIT YOU!
What is the future of IC in this industry?
Wide-spread IC, I mean, such as we've had in the past? Sorry for your situation, Blondie. The reason I ask is that the company I'm working for is making it a real priority to make employee MTs work their agreed-upon hours so the work can be kept in TAT and the clients will be happy and not break off blocks of work to send elsewhere. I'm wondering how you think the end of the work-whenever-and-as-much-as-you-feel-like era would affect the large numbers of IT workers. ??
More industry lies...
1200 lines per day at 8 cpl is only $96.00 per day. At that rate, if you worked eight hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, you would earn just over $35K. Who does that? Anyone working full-time for an MTSO can expect to earn less than $25K and you will rarely, if ever, see a raise. This survey is, as they say, in no way scientific. It is all designed to make people think it pays to be certified, which it does not.
Do you have any connections in the industry?
If not, you might as well forget it.  The people/companies that land accounts are the ones that know people and have connections at the hospitals, offices, etc.  If no one knows you from Adam, then they aren't going to give you the time of day.
No, I don't do that many lines, but to be honest...
I quit MQ for this job because I was more often that not WITHOUT WORK!  It didn't matter what I "might" have done, it wasn't there consistently enough to make it.  Couldn't count on an income.  I am not a power transcriptionist like you must be.  I can't sit there for 12 hours a day with my butt in a chair typing at breakneck speed.  I have to move around, and with too much speed comes too many errors for me, so I'm happy typing my 1,200 lines a day in 6 hours.
I suspect you are the honest one
I was skeptical above when I read the responses to "How much have you made so far with the year half over".  Awfully amazing how much money they claim (maybe overestimate) they make -- equivalent of full-time income with how much time they take off for their kids or "life".   There was an allusion to the truth about the MT who said she is a second paycheck to her husband MBA.  But I suspect you are the honest one, stating that it isn't the money.  It certainly isn't the virtually non-existent benefits. 
FAIR and Honest... sm
I have worked for DSC (Document Solutions Center) in Alabama for many, many years, and have become good friends with the owner of the company... she is very fair to her girls - they come first, she is very flexible, they have a tightly established management team, and the work is abundant... she pays very fair, and gives bonuses and raises as often as she can...    Another GREAT company is OSi...  I am currently working for them, and they are just the BEST... I get the best pay per line, the greatest accounts, never-ending work, constant bonuses, gifts, 24/7 contact with staff...  I can give you contact information on either if you wish... and no, I am not looking for a finder's fee...  I am honest, and just enjoy helping those out who are asking for help...  Contact me by email anytime... Bobbie
Here is an honest answer from another
Amphion employee. They have way overhired. There is very little work. PAy is only fair. Do not make a mistake or you will regret it. Sad, but true. Wish I had listened to the others. The ones who are saying it is the best are upper management obviously
Honest feedback. SM
Personally, I would be very willing to relocate as I plan to do that soon, anyway. Just haven't decided where yet. Plus, if your particular location is on the east coast, that would be a definite bonus for me (personally).

Keep us posted, please?
At least you're honest about it. NM
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to be honest, 30 mins may not be
But it depends on the breed. Some breeds need more physical AND mental exercise than others. I honestly can't see any breed being satisfied with only a half an hour of exercise a day NOT including walks. If you talk to any vet or trainer, they will tell you that dog walking is a critical part of a dog's life. It not only provides them with "potty time" and exercise but also provides them with daily structure and discipline. A dogs world is based on a "pack" and they look at you as their leader. Without that structure, they can become confused or rebellious, etc.
Anyway, in a nutshell, you really need to talk to a vet & get in touch with a trainer to learn how to solve your problem & how to properly train & take care of your dog. Best of luck.
To be honest, you need something a bit more drastic than WW
WW is a good program for those who need to lose 50 pounds, but at the weight you are now, you are risking your health. I should know, I weighed more than you before I started Medifast and my health was definitely headed for the pine box (well, not that bad, but bad enough).

With Medifast you will lose an average of 5 pounds a week if you work the program. You will also learn healthy eating and portion control. It is a low calorie diet, but is perfectly balanced including all vitamins and minerals you need daily. It is also soy based so no problem with lactose intolerance.

You eat 5 of their meals which you choose from a variety of soups, oatmeal, bars, shakes, fruit drinks, hot drinks, chili, etc. You also eat a meal you prepare of a protein and vegetables called a lean and green.

This diet is so easy to follow as you don't even have to think about points or core foods or spending too much time figuring out menu plans and shopping and then cooking everything.

Please check out the message boards at Medifast1.com or Makemethinner.com. You'll find people there who have tried every diet ever written about with no success, but have been able to stick with Medifast and really reach their goals, most for the first time ever.

There is one lady named Pat on the Medifast board who is a true inspiration to all of us. She has lost over 163 pounds with Medifast and still working her way to goal. She has never cheated once on the plan in all the months she has been on program. She was even able to come off her oxygen a month or so ago.

There is no program to compare with Medifast. It works. I have lost over 40 pounds in 8 weeks with a huge drop in my blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.

This is the only diet plan that I have been able to stick with. It may just be the perfect plan for you, too.

To anyone reading this post who has been thinking of gastric bypass, do try Medifast first. You'll wonder why you ever thought a bypass was a good idea. That's a fact.
Be honest and say you have no experience.
Then, after a year of proving yourself, you will be able to be compensated for your hard work.
You are being honest and upfront and you have got to do what you have to !! nm
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IC is a rip off if you are an honest person.
I guess it works great for people who cheat.


you're *being honest*?.....N/M