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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

MDI-MD requires their MTs to have 3-5 years of

Posted By: annabanana on 2007-12-30
In Reply to: hope it helps - Donna

experience, I think.  They are a great company, but they aren't set up for mentoring newbies.  Good luck. 


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Do you have a job that requires you to have one?--nm

CMT requires
2 years of acute care experience before you can sit for the test. Just thought you should know. Good luck!
Penn Foster requires an 8th grade
education to take their course, which should tell you a lot.  They are poorly written and your chances of getting a job are only slightly better than if you had not taken the course.  Basically you've wasted your money - in this case you got what you paid for.   I don't mean to sound so harsh, but if you did research before taking the course you would have been much better off.   Your best option at this point is to see if you can get an in-house clinic position or either take a menitoring program. 
You have not been transcribing 10 years. Your resume reflects about 4 years tops. I am going to put
very little MT experience and now you're pushing software that posters can get for free. There is a problem with that. You need to search YOUR heart ands ask yourself just how helpful you are really trying to be to new MTs or if your lining your own pocketbook because you don't know how to transcribe yourself.
Even an "open book" tests requires you to look in your own book, not just as the guy next to y
x
I took their course 5 years ago - sm
I was quite happy with it and the price, cost a little bit more now but still reasonable. If you do all you are supposed to it does prepare you well enough, though I skipped a couple things (learning the abbreviations); and I skimmed on the actual practice dictation which was a big mistake but I wanted to graduate and get working. But I still passed the final, though not as well as I would have if I had practiced more in advance. Took me 2 months to land a job, another 2 to actually start that particular job though; in the meantime I cold-called and landed a job with a small local MTSO and started that one first, then the other fell into place about 6 weeks later (acute care where I was thrown to the wolves basically). Nothing beats learning on the job though and I learned lots while testing my butt off to land that first job. There are plenty of CAI grads, just many look down on them though the program is very good and you come out adequately prepared though I think no school can prepare you for the real deal, it can at least give you the tools and knowledge to deal with reality.
They have been saying that for years, but...
from what I gather, MT's will always be needed, even to just proof the voice recognition. I will say, however, that I am a recent grad, and am finding out that it doesn't pay very much unless you get perfect dictators, which is very slim to none in this business! Good luck with whatever you choose, but I would look into something else as far as medical to do.
MT for 5 years sm
My advice to you is to do as much research when looking for a job as possible.  I did not do this and until I came to MTStars I thought the 0.7 cents per line was what everyone was making.  I did not realize I was making almost the lowest rate in the business.  I have been doing this parttime for 5 years and there are jobs out there, just make sure you do the research into the companies like you seem to be, and as others have said make sure you go to one of the reputable schools that companies will look for.  Do not get discouraged, this can be a wonderful and lucrative business if you make sure to take your time before jumping. 
With almost ten years of MT, I would say...
If 'q.d.' follows a medication as part of a medication sig, you must type 'q.d.' If 'q.d.' is dictated within context as a "short cut" for the doctor, you must type "daily".

These edits are required to produce more professional medical/legal document...and we all know that some dictators need all the help that we can give them.

IMO...
-Jade
I took this course years ago.....
I did get a job at a local hospital, but I had an advantage. I had previously worked as a CNA at multiple hospitals and nursing homes, and ward clerk at a hospital. This is a basic course and you will probably have a hard time finding a job. I'm not trying to be rude, just truthful.
How I did it and have been doing for over 10 years....

Okay, it is time to let the cat out of the bag on how you are going to be successful as a Transcriptionist out of school.


The first thing I am seeing is that these schools promise that you will be working from home making in upwards of $40,000 a year. Forget about that. You are new to this. If you come out of school working on a production basis you may very well fall flat on your face and make $3 an hour by the end of the day. I was a transcriptionist for almost 5 years working for a hospital and I decided I could make more working on a production basis.......I failed miserably my first year.


First off, get experience under your belt and make an hourly rate in the meantime. How did I do this? Well, I started out getting a job in a hospital, any job I could get. I started out in billing, even though I wanted transcription. I watched and waited for openings, when finally someone in the psychiatric unit called me (I made friends with everyone, the key to getting calls like this one) and said they were losing their transcriptionist and I should apply. I applied and got my first transcription job, making an hourly rate. Had I not gotten pregnant with twins I would probably still be there.


After babies were born, went back part time in the evenings. This time since I had experience and another local hospital was willing to hire me in the radiology department. Again, hourly. I watched and waited once again (I hated radiology transcription). I got to know who was in charge in the transcription department. I sent her a fax asking her if she needed any part time help (back then there was no work related email). She said, yes, I could work part time (I now had "experience"). The part time went to full time with benefits. However, I got bored and decided to work for, of all companies, Medquist. I thought with my speed I would be making at least $20 an hour.....hahahahahahahahaha, what a joke. I was lucky to make $8 an hour with them. After about a year of struggling I finally got my foot back in the door of a hospital in another state. I had to commute to the hospital every day during training, it was awful, however, now I again work from home, have the ability to make about $20 or more per hour, I own my own home, own a half decent car, I am divorced and don't take any child support from my ex, instead we share in the custody 50/50.


The moral of my story........


Get your foot in the door. Look for jobs that are front desk, secretarial, whatever. Once you are in there and they realize how great you are you can go wherever you want. My first transcription job in the psychiatric unit also involved secretarial duties, so not just straight transcription. I highly recommend getting into a hospital. The bennies are the best and lots of hospital transcriptionists are working from home with full hospital benefits. If you can't get into a hospital, get into anywhere where you can do some sort of typing/transcription, that way you have your first reference/experience when you apply to a company that is strictly work from home. Everyone wants experience, they just don't want to be the ones to give it to you. 


I am so tired of seeing these schools and companies swindle people.


If you are looking into training, I highly recommend your local community college. You will probably take some credit college courses that will be able to be used should you decide to do something else. My local community college has a course for under $3000 and there are college credit courses that are able to be used towards another degree.


I did my training as a medical assistant, transcription was only part of the course. However, now I am so bored with transcription that I am going back to school to be a nurse.


I hope this helps someone out there. Good luck to you all!


I know 2 different MTs with 30 years

in this business.  One lost an account to EMR and the other lost a good portion of an account to "writing in charts" which is a clue that particular account is going EMR most likely in the near future and trying to save money to purchase it...  It is very expensive for the doctors (more than our pay).  My PCP uses it and he said it is very costly but he is still using it. 


Now those MTs that lost accounts are working for nationals and averaging between 6 and 8 dollars an hour because they are being thrown horrible dictators and platforms that aren't up to par. 


Everyone in this business is struggling and thankful for what they have and afraid to ask for a raise.  I have 2 of my own accounts that I haven't had a raise in 10 years because I know someone will underbid me in a New York minute if I were to raise my rates. 


I just like what I do and like the flexibility, but if I were to spend $4,000.00 it would definitely not be to become an MT, not by today's standards anyway. 


Been at it 25+ years, still love it the same way I did at first. NM
x
Two years this month.
I was just telling some gals that I have made the mistake of attaching versus copy and paste more than once. I was applying to many companies and simply not reading directions word-for-word while doing so. With "many" companies actually preferring the attachment method, I just honestly got in a hurry and didn't pay attention. I did this as a new grad, I've done it with a couple years' experience! I also caught it right away too, and resubmitted, but that's not the point. Just like MTSOs "scan" resumes in a few seconds, I scanned ads. Just a fact! I'm busy too, whether I'm working or not. I know better now though!

I think as a newbie, and with so many companies using the "two-year experience clause," I just felt like a submitting machine. I didn't put a lot of thought into what I was actually submitting, because I really didn't expect anyone to pay much attention to me no matter what I did.

I did, however, make sure that I spellchecked any communications and tried to be as professional as possible. You might be surprised at how "unprofessional" some MTSOs are! I am hearing them say that they don't want to hear about personal issues, but I have also had many come back and burden me with their own! They sometimes set the tone for casual-type communications, which I find offensive and unnecessary.

I started out with all my resources in place. I think that MTSOs have to remember that a newbie is just that. We have just spent thousands to be educated, bought a new computer in some cases, bought a library maybe, and had to set up an office in our home as well. I invested thousands before I applied for my first job! An experienced mentor and friend told me not to scrimp where resources were concerned, and I didn't! The generalization of the MTSO about newbies was what ticked me off. We might make mistakes, but who doesn't? That was unfair!

As far as the $400 phone system, that I would have noticed and passed on immediately. Some schools don't even explain what these are. I had to ask! I now own one that I haven't used in over a year since I bought it. You are trained with Wav files, which is the more prevalent of the two forms of obtaining voice files, and no, I don't have one sitting around "just in case." These bad boys cost from $300-$800. Get real. I doubt there are many experienced MTs who have this or would spend that kind of money upfront before ever hearing the dictators and knowing what you are getting into.

I do, however, think it is perfectly fair to expect that applicants have the basics in place, i.e., resource books, Word processing program, updated computer with protection, and at least a USB pedal.

There is no excuse for punctuation, spelling and grammatical errors in any communications related to finding work. I agree with that.

I hired on with Medquist out of school, or soon thereafter. Here was their attitude at my office: Leave a ton of blanks, time is money, you will learn from your feedback (if you are lucky enough to get it).

I was very uncomfortable with that! I wanted to learn and grow. I was perfectly willing to spend ten minutes researching a single word or phrase in order to learn, and I felt good about my results. Fact is, more companies than not could care less. I've been told that we hire editors for that, so move on. Time is money!

I continually st rived for perfection, and that does take time. You have to be willing to spend countless hours in research and then verification through viable resources your first years. I did, and I don't regret it. Let's take into consideration also though that I was in a position to do that! I do this because I'm good at it and I love it. If I had to pay the mortgage and support a couple of kids, I might look at things in a whole different light.

I think that schools and their ads are a big problem when it comes to moms at home. They give the impression that having children, as well as not being able to pay for child-care services is some sort of prerequisite for this work! If you have these needs, this job is for you. Bull!!

Then, you have people replying to questions like, "why did you choose this career" with responses like, "I have kids and can't afford child care," versus, "I love this work, and I am good at it."

I personally strive and always have for perfection. I have done my time in downtime, and that is with an extensive medical background beforehand! You really have to be willing to give your all, work hard and for little to start. That's a fact!

IMO, schools are failing sometimes to provide their students with essential information in important areas. I see new grads out on the moon alone the day after they pass their exam with nothing but a lousy outdated list of companies to apply to.

Yes, I think you addressed this issue appropriately. I hope it turns into a revealing and learning thread for all concerned!

Thanks,

Missy C


been filing IC for over 15 years
You will definitely need a CPA for this one. You will get to deduct what ever portion of your home you use from your mortgage payment (if you use a room that is 250 squre feet in your 1,000 square foot home, you can deduct 25% of your mortgage payment and utilities), part of your auto (depending if you use your car at all to pick up or deliver work), internet costs, phone costs, and the list goes on.

Personally I do not set aside taxes for my share of the household income. My husband claims 0 and covers mine and his; seems to work for us.

You will definitely need a CPA because there are things you must pay such as self employment tax. If you try to do this yourself and make a mistake it can be very costly later on.

Good luck!!! I hope you enjoy being your own boss. I certainly do.
This is the 3 cpl job, right? Your pay should go up in several weeks, NOT in several years! nm
s
Experience: 2, 5, 10 years

How are newbies supposed to get experience?


Does anyone know of companies who hire newbies?


My mentor 12 years ago.
was the owner of a small MTSO here in town.  She took me from typing psychiatric accounts to acute care and I worked for her for 8 years.  The pay was low at first at $7 an hour, but in a few months I went to incentive and was making a lot more money and learning every day.  So I would say to get some resumes made up and get out the yellow pages and see what you can find around town.  Most hospitals I applied to would not accept me until I had experience, which now I can understand why.  It's really hard now if you're new and most MTs are at home.  I miss that I can ask any questions of my coworkers if I was stumped on something, or asking if they would please listen to something. 
You are very lucky, with 4+ years exp, I get .09 cpl - nm
x
where have you been for the past two years?

You say, "In-house jobs are being outsourced rapidly" and then draw the conclusion that there must be a demand for more MT's?  Where do you think those jobs are being outsourced? It ain't Kokomo, it's New Delhi, etc. It used to be new MT's COULD get a job, back in the old days when the market wasn't imploding.  But even then, you really needed to work in house before you could work from home. It ain't as easy as it seems, especially with ESL's.


Look I'm sorry you got misled about the field. But flogging a dead horse isn't going to help.


That was not the case 6 years ago, though - sm
things might have changed. MQ will allow graduates from certain programs apply though they have no experience, granted you have to pass the test in order to get a job. If you fail it they say to reapply in 6 months.
We were all newbies, but 5 years ago you

had a better chance at getting a job.  If you only want to hear the good stuff you aren't going to learn anything.  I feel for you, I really do, but if you had investigated before taking your course you would have been better informed.  I don't care how much anatomy and terminology you had and I don't care if you made 100% on every test, you still have not experienced real transcription.  There was one newbie MT that had a cerficiate stating she had a completed a course and she insisted she was a certified MT, which she was not.


I'm self-taught, got into the business quite by accident, but I have also seen at it for 20+ years and things were much different then.


I know you're frustrated but we're trying to educate you and you aren't open to hearing anything that isn't positive. 


I did not incorporate until 15 years into being an IC

My husband and I file a joint return, and my social security number was what I used in lieu of a federal tax ID#. 


 


 


I worked for probably 12 years with only one
computer, but I was the only one who pretty much used the computer.  That was years ago before the internet became what it has and you weren't downloading music, uploading pictures, etc.   I would make sure you have a good virus protection program.  If you have a SO that likes to play on-line games or computer games or have kids who need the computer for research I wouldn't spend the funds for a second computer, especially if funds are tight. 
as an MT with 17 years experience....

your offer is more than fair.  with all the new MT's on this forum saying they can't get a job, this is a fabulous offer. 


my hat is off to you for taking the time to train, and pay 7 cents a line.  I started out at minimum wage 17 years ago...just grateful for the opportunity.


I only made $13.00 after 20 years
If you want to just get the experience, then go for it.  Once you've gained talent and speed and enough experience, you can take that and make more than that much per hour by working production, but at least hourly, you can slack a little at times and not worry. 
After13 years
I'm back in now after 13 years off and it was a big difference. I don't think you will find the same. We were just beginning on computers, no one worked at home and there were no expanders, etc. I'm learning all these things now, but I'm working and doing o.k.

If you had a previous specialty it might give you a jump ahead to look for a job in that, i.e. neurology, radiology.
Look I've been at this for 20 years

It really isn't something you just go to school for a while, and then go and grab a part-time position and think it's going to make you some cash.  I have always encouraged others who wanted to enter this field, but I can tell you that after 20 years, I am only being offered 7-8 cpl and the accounts I can get on my own are few and far between with the VR, EMR, and large national MT companies taking all of the clients at low rates and offering spit shined reports and fancy platforms for easy access.


Your best bet is to go ahead and choose the closest flower shop and work the register.  It will be much easier on your heart, soul, and sanity!  Trust Me!


I'm only 38 and I'm so burned out I could scream and throw my headphones.  I make 45K a year, but I work long hours and put up with a lot of crap from the offices I service as they know they can find someone cheaper in a heartbeat.  I've had no raise in 10 years.  I worked on-site for 17 years at 13 dollars an hour with benefits only to find out I would be training my replacement (C-Bay).  I gave 2 weeks' notice and here I sit. 


My rt hand throbs, my back aches, and my stress level is high.  If you really think after hearing this that it sounds like a good idea to go to school and become an MT, then have at it, but it will have you in a tail spin and wishing you never did.


My sis-in-law thought she'd be on easy street!  Well guess what?  Two years later, and she's not an MT but has the education.  She gave up because it was too hard! 


I wish you all of the luck in the world, but keep you day job and keep your money in your pocket that you'll pay for the education because we're being sold down the river and fast without a paddle or life jacket! 



Yeah, right, like we will see that same post in another 10 years or even 5. (nm)
x
Of course.....even after 15 years of transcribing I would need to look up a word or two.
nm
i have been transcribing for 15 years and am NOT a CMT nor do I chose to be.
I can get a job with a telephone interview and not have to take a test. Do not be pulled into that "i got to spend money to make money" motto. That's bull. being a CMT means something to those who are members ONLY!!!!!.
with my 15+ years experience, I could never be as arrogant......
as you sound. Why would you lump all the new MT's in one category and assume they all expect $60,000 per year. When I first got in this field, I found most MT's were burnt out nurses who felt they were the only ones who could perform this job. They were wrong. Anyone with dedication and the desire to learn can be good at this job and YES make $60,000 with your kids at home. I should know, I have four kids, and have done all the little league, gymnastics, school volunteering, etc., that a mom wants to do. I find your assumptions an embarrassment and I would like the new MT's to know that you and your opinions do not represent me. Good luck to all newbies. Stick with it, and you can make your $60,000. It just takes time and hard work.
i am. i've done this 25 years and making top $
newbies, however, who get all puffed up about how much they've mastered, omg i am laughing here trying to type this, are quite the funny.


People have been saying that for years. Some have a different experience
I think that the industry is screening out people who don't really enjoy medical transcription and some who weren't prepared to do it well enough to make money. The jobs and money are pretty good for the people who like to do this work, are motivated, and know what they are doing. No complaints here! Also no put down of those who are not doing well. Medical transcription is not for everyone. That's not an insult. Find something you love and do it well!
Remember a couple of years ago
We heard the same thing. Big articles in newspapers about the radiology group that loved speech recognition so much. It turned out that administration forced it on the doctors. They rebelled and hired transcriptionists for themselves and walked in with transcription machines. They told administration they had wasted enough of the doctors' time and they were having no more of it.

I'm sure we'll hear of some successes, but it sure isn't getting rave reviews from the majority of users. Someday, maybe.
I would rather hire someone with years of experience
and could care less what school they went to, than someone with no experience who came from the Big Three.  Experience is valuable!
Took me 10 years to get to 9 cpl. You're the lucky one! :) nm
s
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.


Been having extra taken out of DH check for 3 years now at the
advice of my tax guy and have had no problems whatsoever.  The IRS doesn't care where the money comes from, just that they get it.  We file a joint return.  If you file separately the situation might be different. 
Well let's see; no raises in years and even pay cuts,

lots of the good work going to India and other offshore countries leaving the difficult ESL dictators for us, lots of VR work that pays very little, especially when you have to retype a great deal of it, most companies only offer IC positions which offer no benefits, platforms that make it difficult to obtain lines, line counting programs that may/may not count lines correctly, usually shorting the MT; frequent periods of low work or no work at all.  How is that for a start?   If you are just looking at getting into this profession it doesn't make sense to spend a few thousand for school and then IF you can even get a job you probably aren't going to make enough $$ to pay your bills.  Many people are enticed by the TV and magazine ads claiming you can make $40,000 while working at home after taking a correspondance class for a few months.  It isn't going to happen.  Sure you can make that much $$, but it will be 5 to 6 years down the road before you are good enough and that is based on rates now and no telling what they'll be like in the future. 


 


This is similar to how I started out 19 years ago.

I was given the opportunity to transcribe for the radiology department and soon was asked to cross-train to other areas of the hospital to transcribe.  Boy, did I learn a lot. 


I remember one lady (I was only 18 when I started working at the hospital) after 3 years of vo-tech high school training.  I used to get mad because she would make me look things up in the medical dictionary.  She forced me to use my noggin.  Once I got the hang of it, I thanked her again and again for being so hard on me.  There was another lady who worked p.r.n., but she had her own clients.  I learned a lot from her.  I think of her often when I "can't go/have to work" even though I work from home.  NOW, I know what she was talking about, but I have learned to manipulate my schedule to not miss out on anything. 


I'm making that after 19 years of experience
It would depend on what you're doing in three years as far as a job or having your own clients.  I wouldn't expect to make $40,000.00 after three years.  I think it will take a lot longer than that to build up to that kind of money; however, if you work 2 or 3 jobs, you could probably come close.  You'll just always be transcribing and you'll have no time for anything else especially if you plan to work for a national. 
You need 2 years of experience to take the CMT test. NM
x
Four years' transcription experience, but new to MT
Hi, all.

I've been reading the forums with great interest for a few weeks now, and I realize the job market is pretty dire these days, but I thought I might ask for some advice all the same. I'm a stenographer, so I can write up to 225 words per minute in realtime, which comes in handy when producing accurate transcripts very quickly. During the school year I transcribe for Deaf and hard of hearing college students, but summers are slow for me, and I thought I might be able to find some seasonal overflow work to supplement my savings until August. I've been a general Transcriptionist since 2005, and have produced media editing scripts, scripts for closed captioning, transcripts of seminars and business meetings, among many others. Just this year I've been getting a lot of experience with medical terminology, transcribing interviews for an ophthalmology journal and classes for a Deaf student in Pharmacy school. The fact remains that I've never done any actual medical transcription work, per se. I'm not sure whether to market myself as an entry-level transcriptionist or as one with some experience. I've got a robust medical steno dictionary and considerable research skills, but I'm unfamiliar with formatting conventions. Where should I look to either supplement my training or to find an employer who would be willing to fill me in on what I need to know and then set me loose at 225 wpm?
I graduated from CAI years ago, always had work since
nm
Most of those experienced MTs got their jobs YEARS ago
without any training. With offshoring and voice recognition, only grads from the best schools can be sure of getting an MT job nowadays.
I worked for 2 years on site before I went home, but that was just
the hospital I worked for.  You technically had to do one year or so in the office, depending on how good you were.  I didn't really want to go home at first, but they kind of forced the issue. I hear Medquist will hire right out of school to start at home.  Good Luck!
wanted to share something from my 15+ years experience....

When I first started out, I graduated from a business college.  Nine months, five days a week, four hours a day of schooling.  When I finished top of my class I thought I was ready.  I struggled to find a job; not too much outsourcing back then.  I begged a medical records director to hire me on, and he did.  I literally was not ready for what was to come.  Luckily I was mentored by a lady who knew it all.  She was great.  After six years at the hospital, I broke away and started with my own accounts.  I have raised four children (youngest in kindergarden).  I have been a team mom for baseball, board of director member for local little league, and never missed a school function.  This has been an awesome profession for me.  Some days are better than others as far as pay is concerned, but on average I am pulling $200 a day....not bad. 


There is a book out there that might be of help to you new graduates.  It is called The Medical Phrase Book.  That book helped me very much.  The other thing that really works is using a telephone book A-Z to jot down new meds and words you learn. 


 


Good luck to all of you.


How can you sit for the CMT exam without the 2 years' experience required?
.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I tried to do it all for years with small kids,
schooling, learning a new job, handling the household and finances. Something's going to suffer, and most likely, EVERYTHING will suffer. We can't do it all by ourselves and we shouldn't be expected to. Unfortunately, smacking someone upside the head with a 2x4 is considered assault, but smacking them upside the head with a legal document outlining child support amounts and visitation requirements is quite effective.
I have worked exclusively on a laptop for nearly 6 years.

I have traveled through 34 states and Mexico and worked the whole time.  I have sat by the pool many days while my children swam.  I have sat out on my deck on a pretty day.   When space allows I use an external keyboard, but it only takes me a few minutes to readjust to the laptop keyboard when needed.   I obviously use a wav player for my work.   I have a bus card, a foot pedal, my earphones plugged in and sometimes my keyboard and I don't notice a significant difference in the drain on my battery whether I have these attached or not.  If your battery is running low that quickly you need a new battery.   I do not have an external mouse but use a touch pad.  I find that a mouse is necessary if you are using an external keyboard, becauase your computer will be elevated and it will create a strain on your wrist to use the touch pad.