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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

MT is not worth it anymore. Would not worry about past. Did need to give ID to be hired though.

Posted By: Not sure about background checks. on 2007-01-12
In Reply to: ...because of a misdemeanor? - mollie

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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.


They've used MediTech software in the past, don't know about
s
Past posts say have to PAY for software to work for
fg
If you read through the past posts here you'll
see that M-Tec and Andrews were the best.  They help with placement and most grads have a job by the time they finish up.  Career Step is the next choice. 
The $3000 educations will become a thing of the past

Have any of you been feeling the economic pinch.  High gas costs, cost of food rising, dropping real estate values, credit cards being used more and the balance getting higher, spouse out of work, etc etc.


This is the trend and not the end or these events.  IMO, we will see more of this rather than less.  Thank goodness healthcare is pretty immune.  I feel very safe.


Tuition costs will come down because they have to.  Who can afford $3000 to $4000 for an education now?  Not many people.  Who can afford $2000 for an education with no job guarantee???


I'll say it again, you must get a job guarantee if you are a prospective student.  Staffing school, partner alliance, MT Company that operates a school.  Those will become the favorites out of necessity.  My old college major was business.  Look for changes.


 


All I can tell you is I have been watching this issue very closely for the past 5 years...

and have seen a definite trend afoot. Let me say I have over 20 years experience in health care and MT. I also own a transcription service. I spend a lot of time networking with other people in this field. This is what I see.


1) Nearly all the major transcription services have gone to Voice Recognition platforms.(See Company Board) When they did this, they chopped the wages in half, with the idea that you should be able to produce twice as much edited work as transcribed work. However, this penalizes the fast experienced transcriptionist. It was nothing to be able to make $30-$40 an hour if you were good. As an editor, you make approximately $12. It is very difficult to increase production as an Editor - there are just not many tricks.  In addition, they also have gone offshore, nearly 100% of the big companies. We are not talking small change here. We are talking about a major shift.


2) A significant number of medical offices are switching to electronic medical record systems (EMR) which often have a computerized charting component that would replace medical transcription. We definitely are seeing FREQUENT posts about people losing accounts to EMR.


3) Every year, the physicians coming out of medical school are more and more comfortable with technology.  They live and breath with their laptops. They pay their bills on-line, they get their music on line, they find houses, cars and dates on line. They can type faster than I can. They will certainly be even less resistant to technology.


4) The AAMT which could have been the unified voice among MT's to deal with these challenges, has sold out for getting more members overseas - an untapped market to buy books, training, and equipment. $Cha-Ching$! And they ditched us.


So, say you have 150,000 jobs in an industry and 1/3 are lost to off shore and 1/3 are lost to voice recognition and EMR. What kind of competition do you think is going to be left among the remaining 1/3?   Do you think you, as a newbie, are going to be able to compete? Do you think wages are going to go UP if there are more than enough transcriptionists, all competing for the same job?


So you can be scared and upset and deny it's happening...or you can adapt...Me? I enrolled in nursing school. When MT collapses, which I believe it is on the verge of, I will be ready.


 


Past posts say lousy VR & MT pay, and running out of work. nm
s
Don't worry about it
You don't have to say you're sorry. Everyone gets burnt out from time to time. This board should be a place to vent as well as to get advice, help, etc. You don't have to be sorry for having a bad day and you shouldn't be made to feel guilty for it either.
Oh, don't worry, you will....you will...
x
Don't worry so much about VR and ASR
Sure, it's growing in popularity, but it's just not very good. An MT will always have to go over each and every one. Even if this technology ever does improve, reports will still need an MT (language specialist, Editor or whatever the latest name may be) to go over them to correct all the stuttering, redundant and miscellaneous things dicators say (such as "next, next, next; hold on; go back and add ...; go back and change...; the occasional curse word when they realize they are dictating a report they either already dictated or don't have all the information for; extraneous noises; etc., etc.). There are so very many things to fix from VR/ASR reports that MTs should be working for a very long time.
Don't worry
Some people on this board try to get down on others, so don't feel too bad if you get crappy responses sometimes. Good luck! :)
don't worry
I started out only getting about 300 lines a day.  For me that was about 5 or 6 reports.  I've been at my current job for 10 months now and I'm up to 35-40 reports a day.  Just keep at it, you'll get your speed.  Just a suggestion...you might have one already, but I would definitely suggest getting a split keyboard.  It's better for your hands/arms and you'll pick up major speed once you get used to it.
Not to worry
You don't need to worry about this! The advice already given is very good. If you follow it, you'll learn to understand the dictation.

The thing is that physicians dictate like auctioneers. That's a good thing, because that's why they need MTs. If they talked slowly and clearly, anybody could do this work.

In all seriousness, your ears just need to listen faster. I know that sounds odd, but it's the truth.

You can take comfort in the fact that doctors say things the same way over and over, so once you've figured him or her out, you'll understand nearly everything.


Don't worry sometimes it takes
awhile to get the hang of it. I haven't been doing this very long either and it took me looking things up alot of the time to get it right. Left alot of blanks at first. But sooner or later you'll get to know the drugs that are used frequently and then you'll turn into a pro! Don't let it get you down, take it moment by moment if necessary! God bless and email me if you want to chat some more!

You'll do fine!!
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.
As a new MT, focus on quality and don't worry about quantity. SM
Any decent company who gives a new MT the chance, should be considerate and realize they cannot produce like a veteran MT. Speaking from experience working for myself and hiring several subcontractors, and also working for large nationals, the quality of your work will first be evaluated. With training and experience, your production will increase. If you need to reread, relisten, etc., do it because it will be well worth it. Research every word or phrase you are not sure of. In time, your brain will soak these terms up like a sponge. You will find yourself researching less and less. However, even veteran MTs continue to learn daily. I feel a good MT has good researching skills that never end. Good luck, keep your head up. Research and review your reports before submitting them.
When you don't hear from QA anymore nm
//
Industry certainly isn't the same anymore - sm
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.


Don't worry - you'll learn all that basic stuff
in school. They used to teach it in secretarial classes, of course, but if you know you want to be an MT, go to one of the top schools (M-Tec and Andrews), and you will be ready when it's time to test.
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
.
Don't worry anon, this is the same person on the Word Board asking test questions!!

Not a hard and fast rule anymore. Strictly up to QA and
s
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.
Newbies are getting hired.
I didn't have to pay big bucks for my education and did just fine. I also got hired with a national right out of school and have never had trouble getting offers and the best pay.

If you haven't been to one of the other schools, you should keep your opinions to yourself! What's right for you may not be for someone else and vice versa. I get so tired of hearing crap like yours.

I could create what you call a top-notch school in no time. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to do it either.


They test them and if they do well, they get hired like anyone else.
nm
Reason you can't get hired...
"... six were willing to test me. Four of them I failed and the other two I quit in the middle of the test because they had ESLs in there and we weren't even trained on ESL dictations."

This is what happens when you don't go to Andrews or M-TEC. You choose a "cheaper" school, and you get a poor education. Companies who "require" 2 years' experience WILL TEST AND HIRED brand-new grads from Andrews and M-Tec because they know they have a full, complete, and excellent education. They will not even allow people from schools advertised on the back of matchbooks and in TV Guide to take their employment test, because they KNOW they do not have the proper education and training!
No. I wait until I'm actually hired. No need for it beforehand. nm
s
if you are hired by co, usually employee...sm

If you are *hired by a company* then usually you are an employee...it is when you score your own accounts that you can become an IC....but I'd brush up on typing skills, no offense.....it's truly detail- oriented work and you misspelled pursue and independent...and again, no offense....


if she has no training, she will not be hired
nm
Yes they do, but then they are hired by the company. If you can't
get hired it isn't going to be helpful.
HELP! Where can new grad get hired?

I am a new graduate ... where can i get a job? All the posts want yrs experience! how do i get any ... if no one will hire me?


                          Thanks for any help


I went to a community college and was hired
by a national one month before I graduated. You do not have to go to one of the "Big 3" to find a job in this business. You have to keep applying, keep sending in resumes, and TEST, TEST, TEST. That's what I did. It's not easy, but it can be done if you stick with it.
IThey might have hired you for a new account. Call! sm

You didn't mention the name of the company. It could be they have a new account and it's not off the ground yet. It was a month after I was hired before I actually started working. That was two years ago and I'm seldom out of work.  I'm still on that same account. 


If you are hired as an IC, is it harder to stay with that company?
Do you have to worry about renewing your contract every so often?
LOL, Thanks! ..... when I'm ready to be hired, wouldja pass the word around?? LOL ... nm
zz
I've hired from that school before and have found CAIs SM
graduates to be severely undertrained with lack of basic skills. I've hired several of their graduates and none of them worked out. That's how I know it's not a quality school.
M-TEC or Andrews have track records of their grads being hired.
If you want to learn about the industry, get a solid education, and see employers knocking themselves out to hire you, go with one of them. I attended M-Tec and literally had dozens of offers to test and several job offers before I even graduated. Some people get tired of hearing those names coming up time and time again, but the facts speak for themselves! Check out their web sites. Good luck! :-)
You have to PAY EXTRA for the internship and they don't teach you enough to get hired. (see messa
Much better to go to Andrews School or M-TEC, the top two schools in the country. Almost guaranteed to be able to get a job afterwards, and most companies will waive the 2-years' experience requirement if you are an Andrews or M-Tec grad.
If you don't know the difference between loosing and losing, you're not going to get hired any
x
Andrews, MTEC, and CareerStep produce graduates that are regularly hired. NM
x
Why are companies telling people they are hired but they need to wait in line for available mentors.
from their company. How long should someone wait? Is it even worth taking the test?
is it worth it?

to spend the $3500, time and effort to learn MT and then have the fear of not having work or dealing with a less than reputable company waiting for my checks when they are late or they bounce?


I have to admit some of the posts scare the heck out of me? Am I the only one scared of this aspect of the business?


is it worth it?
It's not as bad as it sounds on these boards. A lot of complaining, but it isn't that bad. I have made a pretty darn good living at it and I get to work from home, don't have to pay those high gas prices! Don't let these folks scare you. They just like to see themselves talk!
Is it worth it to become an MT??
I am currently taking courses to become an MT, but from reading some of the post on this board about the difficulty finding work, or making any real money, I am left wondering if this career choice is really worth pursuing. I am not fully concerned with working from home, although I am sure anyone would agree that would be nice, I can work in an office just as well. Can anyone give me some positive advice? I don't want to waste anymore money or time if this profession is that hard to get into.  TIA!  S.C.
Is being a MT worth it
If you have small children & have a hubby that makes $90+ a year, perfect. Otherwise, women in this profession of 30 years have had to claim bankrupcy. Not too good. Used to be a proud profession,now the work mentality with outsourcing, etc., makes me wonder if HIPAA was tuned up, so people couldn't see the sloppy records that go to insurance companies, courts, etc. Mary