Industry certainly isn't the same anymore - sm
Posted By: Old MT on 2009-06-12
In Reply to: WAS THIS A GOOD IDEA? - kimmy
I'm a +35-year MT and still going strong, had my own business, worked in-house for hospitals/docs, done it all, work for MTSO now, but just like other industries, a lot has changed and most not for the good. I have stayed with an MTSO for only a couple of reasons - My husband has been transferred many times over the years all over the country and this is one job that I can keep doing wherever my next address is . . .I can visit family and take my work with me when I travel. It is a very isolating profession to be at home, lack of social networking and getting to meet people in new areas.
I have numerous docs for medical conditions and not one of them uses a Transcriptionist anymore, all have their own laptops they carry around. So much is offshored, VR is taking over for many facilities, and many transcription services have been gobbled up over the years by larger ones, also much of it not for the good . .I am just hoping to hang on for 10 more years until I can retire, but I'm not even sure how much of a demand there will be for my years of knowledge and quality work - it's all about the bottom line for these MTSOs and medical facilities - I saw the writing on the wall about 20 years ago or so in Calif when managed care started. One doctor I worked 15 years for was very involved in fighting it with insurance companies as HMOs moved in, of course, to no avail. It all trickles down eventually. I know many people in the business and with whom I keep in touch, and we all feel the same way. It's just sad.
It used to be you could find a mentor to see you through the early years - I had one and that was worth more than my college degree in some ways. I still believe that work experience in-house for acute care/multispecialty is still necessary to gain a good grasp of what transcription is about, but I'm old school, and I'm sure some will disagree - I tried to train/employ new MT's for my business right as they were getting started, and 90% of them just didn't get it, no matter what their courses - an at-home transcription course or college graduate - I couldn't believe the lack of comprehension of the English language in most of them.
This has just been my own personal experience I'm passing along. Overall would I recommend this profession to someone looking to get started in it - NOT ANY MORE.
Disclaimed: Please excuse any typos/grammar errors to those who love to play transcription police - I'm doing this very fast, as I am in the middle of working and typing on a separate keyboard off to the side - always have numerous computers going for different things. I normally don't even post on here, but I happened to click on the wrong board and this caught my eye - I'm sure this subject has been brought up many times here.
I truly am empathetic to your situation and wish I could give you a more uplifting opinion. Good luck to you and anyone else in the same boat.
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Breaking into the industry!
I seriously would keep looking considering the money is already spent giving the education. Breaking into the field as a new MT isn't easy.
1. A small MTSO who is looking for a new MT. I have seen a few ads on the Job Seeker board here for new MTs if you have the right equipment.
2. Going in-house for a few years to train and then transitioning to the work-at-home atmosphere.
Keep looking! Good luck to you!
You represent all that is wrong in the MT industry
I'm sorry, but it's true. And MTs wonder why we get no respect these days..... 
Try the FTC or your state's Department of Labor and Industry.
I think the FTC is www.ftc.org
AAMT is not the BE ALL of the MT industry. Frankly, I think they're a
joke. I also wouldn't recommend anyone to one particular "approved" school. The best schools are Andrews, MTec, Career Step, and SETT. Don't get hooked up with any school that you see on TV or read an ad in the paper that promises you can earn piles of money straight out of school.
I don't think so. Not anymore. Used to be
GREAT but you must understand, medical transcription is now available in a global market. The Internet has made it possible for every Tom, Rick and Harry in India to make their services available. These people are not dumb. They are very hard working. Most of them hold TWO master's degrees. Now, granted their quality is not too good now... but just wait. Let them get a few years under their belts and you will really see India take off as competitors. Furthermore, on a DAILY BASIS, I hear from others in MT who lose jobs to voice recognition, which now works, and electronic medical records, a point and click system. My own service holds a physical therapy account that brings in $70,000 per year. Five people work part time on it and the department is now implementing a voice recognition system. Bye Bye Gravy Account. In the Big Services, i.e. Medquist, etc. they have gone to voice recog with back end editing. What it really means is the MT goes in and cleans up what the computer missed. Now it used to be you could get 9, 10, cents per line typing the report. But editing takes JUST AS LONG, only because it's "easier" you only make 5, 6, 7 cents per line. The customer gets it at a lower price, the service keeps its margin, the MT gets screwed. The only dictators left to do are the ESL, and what a bear. So if you want to invest $4000 to make $4 per hour, IF you land a job, be my guest. I have 20+ years watching this field, and it's on its way out. If you think things are bad now, check back in another year. They will be much, much worse.
When you don't hear from QA anymore nm
//
Legal aspects mean nothing anymore
India isn't the only place, how about the Phillipines. Yes, it's going there too. They're being trained specifically for this work, hundreds of them. So more and more will be going away from the U.S. Your medical privacy rights mean NOTHING in those countries. They can't be held to anything!!!!
Legal aspects mean nothing anymore
Yeah, I saw the Phillipines too. I can't believe the health care profession would be that careless with such an important subject. All the about the bottom dollar huh?
In my opinion, not anymore. Been in this 25 years.
It is all going to voice recognition, meaning that the only real transcribing there will be left to do are the horrible dictators (ESLs and NON-ESLs) who cannot be processed by speech recognition.
Between that and overseas workers, not much in the way of a future in my opinion. Glad I'm nearing the end of my career in it.
Med. Transciption not too good anymore? What next?
Hi,
I've been interested in going through Mtec and becoming employed as a Med. Transcriptionist. Howevever, looking at this board, it seems like things are doing too good for transcriptionists. If the future of Medical transciprion isn't doing too well, then what other sort of occupation should I consider that is similar?
oops!...can't take on anymore students/trainees ...nm
.
Not a hard and fast rule anymore. Strictly up to QA and
s
MT is not worth it anymore. Would not worry about past. Did need to give ID to be hired though.
.
Most places only do the overflow or unwanted work from a facility, anymore. Once those
s
A nurse does not have the proper training to be an MT, anymore than an MT could suddenly decide to b
nm
Anything coming from the AAMT holds no water anymore - they invalidated their status
when they sold us out for the $$ in India. AAMT means another chance to screw MT's, that's all.
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