why take all your advice from people who hate their career
Posted By: still like it on 2009-04-08
In Reply to: Thinking about MT as 2nd job - extra money - tubbybrown
It is true that there are a lot of people on this website that have had enough of their career and want to discourage everyone from being an MT. You have to remember that all the negative stuff people say about being an MT come from people who have been doing it for so long they are burned out. You also should consider the opinions of people who still love their job.
While it is true that it isn't easy to get started as an MT, it can be a worthwhile career. These experienced people just want to make sure you understand it isn't easy but it also isn't impossible. Check it out for yourself, research the schools, and make your own decision. Now that you know what you have ahead, you can make a more educated choice. Good luck.
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I hate to burst your bubble, but some people can do it.
Maybe you can't, but I did. I took my knowledge of medical terminology that I learned as a nurse, combined that with good typing skills, was tutored by some exceptional seasoned transcriptionists, and became a quality MT myself.
My advice is to do the abbreviated course at M-TEC for people with prior medical
experience and use a Sally Mae loan to pay for it. It will only cost you $30 a month.
Please help! Looking for career advice.
I am an older, single mom with a teenager who must be home-schooled for health reasons. The switch to home-schooling has necessitated a change in my career goals. I've decided to enter the MT field, working online from home. I'll most likely enroll in Career Step's online program, although I'm still looking carefully at Andrews and M-Tech, too. After I complete my MT program, what should I expect when I start my job search as a newbie? I do have transcription experience, but not in the medical field, and my work experience is not very recent as I've spent the last couple of years working full-time on a graduate degree. As a newbie MT, are there specific things I can do to enhance my employability as an MT working from home? Money is very tight, and I'll need to start earning a paycheck ASAP. I know from reading other posts that the choice of MT school is extremely important, but what else do MT employers look for? I'm assuming that in an online format, there won't be any hidden age discrimination against those over forty, but are there any other pitfalls I should be prepared for? Any and all advice would be highly appreciated!
I hate to tell you this....
But most people call them "Trans Scam." They'll scam you out of money, and you never seem to get "good enough" to make money from them. Get out of there now!!!!!!! Do a search here and on other chat boards to see what people have said about them.
You best bet is to just keep applying and testing with other companies. Eventually you'll find something. Good luck!
hate to tell you but yes I most certainly am an MTSO
as attested to by my corporate annual report to the Secretary of State, my notice of acceptance of an S-corporation by the Internal Revenue Service, my certificates of shares of the corporation, my quarterly payments to the Department of Employment Security for my employees and my portofolio in a corporate 401K. The OP said "sensitive information" which would hardly constitute your name and address which people even write down on blank pieces of paper at the supermarket to try to win a Caribbean cruise at the supermarket. And if I were you, little Miss Cop of the Internet, I would keep my fancy little fingers off this board. According to your own logic, how easy would it be for a hacker to get ahold of YOUR IP address and start stalking YOU down? The OP probably even has a site on MySpace for cryin' out loud. So go ahead and dispense your advice, i.e. panic, via the MTSTARS board. I'm sure that since you found this site it makes you an expert in all matters. LOL.
I hate to admit it, but ...
I figure if he forgot that he dictated it, he won't notice if I don't type it! So I start right where he starts over again.
Hate to be a downer, but ...
you're only going to learn what is taught in that course, and you have no idea of the things you're NOT going to learn. Sure it seems like you are learning a lot since you are starting at the beginning.
You will need to spend all the time you can on the internet, reading and learning more about everything that you learn in the course. There is a very good reason that the AHP course does not get good reviews here - or anywhere.
I realize you have spent money and have to do the best you can with what you've got, but hopefully someone who is still trying to decide upon a school will take note and make things easier for themselves.
hate-schmate - I think you exaggerate.
nobody "hates" the big three. What we do hate is the ridiculous constant sales pitch going on here, on a board that is supposed to help new MT's but obviously has turned into a place to grab one more potential client. All that gets posted here is "go to the Big Three and you will get a job without even testing"-- then when someone else posts to the contrare, that poster is attacked, ridiculed and dismissed as having unverifiable information. Nobody hates.
We don't hate our jobs. There's no money in it
anymore now that the corporations have taken us over & are offshoring our jobs. This field used to pay really well, but those days are over & it can be difficult to make minimum wage, especially on VR. Many MTs are trying to re-train to find other careers so they can actually make a living.
Sorry for mistakes...I HATE no preview option here. :( nm
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I hate it when husbands INSIST on things ...
when they don't know what they're talking about!
Way too many people drop out of MT courses, the schools are smart enough to get all the money up front.
Honey, I hate to burst your bubble, but
poor sound quality and bad dictators are reality in the real world of transcription, always has been and always will be. If you cannot do these dictations, you will not be able to pass hiriing tests, much less be able to keep a job. If the schools give out diplomas without assuring these people are ready for this type of work, then I feel very sorry for these students who spend a lot of money to take their course.
umm...I hate to tell you this...but further Labor Board stats show wages in 2004
at $29,530. They were $23,500 in 1997. So we've gained $6000/yr in 10 years? Woohoo- you're right-- Medical Transcription must not be in trouble.
"Compensation varies not only among regions of the country, but among types of employers as well. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical transcriptionists earned an average salary of $29,530 in 2004. The average hourly wage was $14.20."
"Medical transcriptionists averaged about $ 23,500 in 1997 woking in hospitals, and about $ 22,600 working in offices and clinics of medical doctors."
Who said I HATE this field? I LOVE this field but
also see the changes coming down the pike. Also feel it is not fair to withhold or misrepresent that part of the equation to someone who is considering entering MT or just starting out. Knowledge is power. It would take years for a new MT to have the kind of insight into this field that a 20+ year experience lends. Believe me, I would be only too happy to keep running my MTSO, making $75,000+ year while working 20 hours a week, paying my MT's well, but it's not going to happen. Try reading "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman if you want a perspective of what's going to happen to not only MT work but a lot of great white collar jobs. India and the rest of the world are breathing down our necks and in the next decade will be serious competitors for American jobs. There will be no "american" jobs - we will be competing against the rest of the world for jobs.
Friedman states: "The convergence of 'flatteners' has created a whole new platform. It is a global, Web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaboration. This platform enables individuals, groups, companies and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate...this platform operates without regard to geography, distance, time, and, in the near future, even language. Going forward, this platform is going to be at the center of everything...wealth and power will flow to those who get these basic things right...the infrastructure to connect with the platform and the education to get more of their people working on the platform.
Please wake up and look beyond our box.
This is exactly what we tell people if only
they will ask their questions before plunking their money down for a course. And they get so mad at us. We would have told you that PCDI won't be enough education. We would have said you are going to be too busy and distracted to commit the necessary time to the job with 2 little kids. We would have said that trying to work from home from the start was going to be awful for your career (unless you went to one of two schools).
On top of that, there are other newbies currently looking for opportunities who are flabbergasted that you threw 2 away. Now 2 people who tried to help you are going to decide they won't want to waste their time on newbies again. That's not going to help the situation for others. Sorry if we aren't terribly sympathetic, but it is all so predictable.
and some people...
Unfortunately go to a really good college but because they are not connected to any national companies have to work harder to find an at home job. The reason I went to an actual college though is because I have now completed 1/3 of the classes needed towards other medical professions, such as nursing, in case I choose to go back. I'm not sure if the classes with Career Step, MTech, etc would transfer over like that.
I think MTs are still in high demand, it's just getting that first break to get into it. I'm enjoying my first job, but I would have liked to work alongside an experienced MT to see how they do it. I encourage you to contact your local hospital and see if you can meet their MTs and just get some feedback from them and maybe sit in and watch for awhile, it's amazing how some of them get so much done in so little time!
The same you seem to have to call people
stupid and fat and ugly and lazy and, and, and...! LOL
I agree. People are seeing here what
.
People, do yourself a favor...
Get a good education if you want to be an MT. Though there are always exceptions, you need a very solid foundation on which to build your career. I believe you get what you pay for with the MT schools. Be aware that just "attending" the school does not promise success. You need to actually DO all the course work, study, and battle your way through the SUM tapes to train your ear. It is the ONLY way to train for this career. There are no quick fixes for this. You then need to be highly motivated and willing to put in lots of hard work once you graduate in order to continue learning and growing. You also should have a very solid grasp of English as a written language and have excellent reading skills before you even embark on this as a career choice.
This career is definitely not for everyone, so everyone should not assume that since they can type, like computers, or want to help people that they qualify and will excel at it. Honestly assess yourself before you begin and save yourself lots of grief by choosing your career pathy wisely. Just some friendly advice. 
I have heard of it - from all the people who took that course and can't get a job. NM
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People Just Don't Learn
Why is CS still getting praise??? Affordable or not, you may be an experienced *unemployed* MT because many companies are discovering that CS just doesn't give the education needed regardless of the few praisers who got lucky.
M-TEC or Andrews has a "refresher" course for MTs who have done 1 specialty or haven't worked for a while.
Focus is okay for new people
The pay is relatively good for new people. Most is VR, and it has its pros and cons. The biggest problem I have is lack of work, but seems to be getting a bit better. All accounts are different, though, from what I've seen. Email me if more specific questions.
some people....not nice!
I would try in-house to get some experience.
If you have to work at home then try doctor offices that have 1 or 2 docs. They might be more willing to hire someone without experience.
Most people love ES and that is what my
company uses. There are lots of choices available, but I don't think there are any free ones. There is Start/Stop and Bytescribe (haven't heard about them lately not sure if they are still around), and GearPlayer.
You Poor Thing - This people must be
First of all, I did not go to MTEC, Andrews or Career Step, but it does seem like they companies to train with.. it seems most people get good jobs in a timely manner when training with them. You pay more, but it seems to be worth it.
As far as days/hours... I have been working for the past 9 months WORKING MY OWN HOURS. The days are set, but as long as I get my lines in during that day, they are very happy. I was a newbie, they started me at a great rate, and I got a 1 cent raise after 3 months (I am very lucky). There ARE MANY companies out there that know that MOST of us ARE moms at home in our PJs. I actually get more accomplished dressed as such.. sitting in my office wearing my pumps is really not necessary... maybe that's why these other people are so damn cranky!!! Anyway, a lot of accounts are 24-hr TAT and as long as you get your lines in, most people don't care when you did it.. as long as the client is happy. Don't these idiots bring you down .. good luck!
How do people make a living in ....
this business? I'm new and realize how lucky I am to have a MT position in which I can work from home. I was hired by a MTSO who needed people on a new account she was getting. Now I am not needed on the account because it's just not rolling in all the work it was suppose to (maybe that is how is going to be or maybe just cause of the holidays). She continues to give me as much work as she possibly can and is constantly stating how amazed she is by my ability to catch on quick to the new doctors she throws at me. However, I am lucky to make $100 every two weeks. I am looking for a second MT job. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am wonder if even a second job is going to bring in enough money though. I actually just have to bring in around $500 (rent because my husband can pay everything else) but of course to be financially comfortable I would like to bring in more. Is it worth getting a second job or will I eventually have to get a third? I really want to stay working as an IC for the MTSO because she is so nice and it lets me be more flexible than a national would. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Geez Louise people
The POINT was that the person the OP mentioned is of the ilk who WILL NOT understand why she isn't getting hired. The example given was of someone who is clearly unqualified if she (or he or it) cannot even communicate appropriately in a very brief message. Well prepared new graduates will not have this problem and will not face the issues the person described will face. The ill prepared (the graduates of the crappy schools who believe that they should be hired at a high cps because they do not understand how ill prepared and unqualified they are) are the ones we see here over and over again bemoaning the fact that they can't pass the tests and cant get hired. THAT WAS ALL I WAS TRYING TO WAY. All of a sudden I'm an evil, arrogant person because I expect people applying for jobs to be properly trained and to present themselves professionally? Wow. Now who's being arrogant and judgmental?
I've mentored several people and only 1 could cut it
It really takes a lot to be a mentor one-on-one with someone entering this field. My experience has been that there is an attitude of entitlement (not that I'm saying this about YOU personally, your mileage may vary). It's as though I am supposed to overlook the lack of pervserverance to research words because I'm there as the buffer to fall back on....like just don't worry about, Milton will pick up the slack so I can just get a higher line count.
Once I actually offered to mentor on the condition of being paid for my efforts and I was accused of being a scheister just into it for the money. The deal was that I would mentor the person until I could help them get a job and after two months of being gainfully employed (all the time answering questions), my pay would be equal to 2 weeks pay of the person I mentored. Now, I'm investing all this time and effort into the situation for potentially months on end and then I'm accused of being into it for a couple hundred dollars?? I make that in a day of transcribing so that got me out of being interested in mentoring.
I had no mentor, I had no QA feedback, I worked from home, didn't have the electronic resources that are available today, worked mostly 12 hour days usually 6 to 7 days a week and I made very little my first year but doubled my income every year for 4 years until I hit a plataeu and now pay is going down for reasons beyond my control.
If you don't have the dedication to making yourself a success, you may find a mentor who gives up on you and you'll be feeling as though you are a victim. Don't count on a mentor. Count on yourself. Best of luck.
Two people may be composing an answer
at the same time, and they have no idea somebody else hit the "post reply" button before they did.
I've heard of people who do okay with them, but ...
I've never hired a grad of their school. I've tested many of them, but none of the At Home grads have done well enough on my tests.
even I have a couple of people I call.....sm
I'm in this business many years, almost 3 decades, and I STILL have a couple of people, one especially, who I call when I have an MT question or if I want them to listen over the phone....it's networking and it's great and if you find a REAL good mt or cmt, well, then you've got GREAT help. Sometimes 4 ears are better than 2. I even have my daughter listen if she is here (albeit she is not in the medical field except 5 years so far *S*)
Best of luck!!
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!
I happen to know two of the people you "hired" - sm
And one informed me of the shareware she purchased from you. It was Express Scribe and she found out later that she could download it for free at www.nch.com.au/scribe/. I invite everyone to check it out. And there was not a foot pedal involved at that time.
And of course you want to take this into personal e-mail so you're not exposed for the scammer that you are!
Also, if you're giving everyone a break, then why don't you deduct the cost out of the new employee's first paycheck, as other MTSO's do, instead of taking their money upfront?
Yes, MTs are struggling to get into this field. We don't need con artists giving us glimmers of hope and then ripping us off. I'm so glad I didn't buy into your scam.
You say you apologized & refunded people but yet you still
manage to claim that you have been "defamed and slammed" because you were trying to do something good. I don't buy that for a minute. You KNOW you were charging people and making money off of them. If you want to be sincere, admit your TOTAL wrongdoing rather than try to cover up the truth.
I believe MANY people have said they have gotten their refund. Get a job or a life and get over it
My gosh, give it a rest already. Others have posted they got their money but you still have to come here with your negative posts and dribble.
MANY people? I saw one! What board are you reading?
nm
You make the most sense of many, many people
On these boards! What you say is what I have found to be true, anyway. My problem is getting enough work without getting too much work. Right now, I do acute care part time through a woman who does the local hospital overflow. But, I'm her only part-timer, so some days there's a satisfactory amount of work, and other times I might go a couple weeks without any.
I'd love to get one single doctor and do all their stuff, that seems like a good amount. LOL Now, I just have to get off my tookus and find it!
Thank you, Minnie. I really wish people would understand this (sm)
is a job - your job! Yes, working from home affords me the opportunity to dress casually and work my schedule out according to life's little plans, but when I am working, I am working. I set my hours for when the children are at school and at night when they are at sleep. I cannot do it all and I do not pretend to. Yes, if children get sick or injured that does screw up the schedule, but it does not excuse me from my commitments.
Too many people get sucked into the idea that
you can work at home right away; maybe 10 years ago, maybe even 5 years ago you could, but not now. Did you check out MT before you took the class? So many come here only after completing their schooling and most complain they can't get a job, but they didn't investigate it before starting and they are expecting to be working at home right out of school. Some have taken programs through correspondance schools that were pretty worthless, again because they didn't investigate the schools or because one has a more affordable program.
It doesn't matter what your grade is, whether your grade is 97% (which is not the same as GPA) or not. If you went to one of the better recognized/accepted schools and then have that grade you might have better luck.
You need an eye for detail in this job and that will be helpful, but that is only a tiny portion of what an MT does. I have been in this business 20 years and I learn new things all the time and I think most MTs with several years of experience will tell you the same thing. I still have days where I spend up to 30 minutes researching something. I still have days where I have to leave a blank because I can't document a piece of equipment or I just can't understand what the dictator is saying. You have to be able to understand accents/dialects, be able to make out what the doctor is saying while they are dictating and eating an apple. You need to be able to tell the difference between abduction and adduction because they pretty much sound the same most of the time. You need to know that when a doctor spells a piece of equipment or a drug that you shouldn't take his word for it, investigate it yourself. Doctors spell things wrong all the time. You need to know when a doctor mispronounces a word - doctors all the time say "Perm a Cath" but it is PermCath. All this comes with practice/experience, which you just don't have fresh out of school.
I know I sound like it is hopeless and it isn't, but your expectations are probably unrealistic too. Post your resume. It doesn't cost anything and you never know what will come of it, but I would recommend you come to this board or the company board and ask about any company just to be sure they are legitimate.
You could also contact local doctors. Find a doctor in practice alone or maybe just 2 doctors. Since you are only wanting to work PT and take care of your daughter you probably shouldn't take on anything more than that. You will also have to look up lots of things to start with, which will slow you down.
What about entry-level people?
 I have been looking for a position in transcription for a while now. Everyone wants EXPERIENCE!!! My question is, how do you get experience if nobody is willing to hire you? I have taken tests and the responses that I get are that other people are more qualified but that I do have an impressive background. What do you do?
For every 20+ people from subpar schools who can't get a job, there is always one
person from those schools who is LUCKY enough to get a job and thereby get experience, and they just can't resist pointing out that THEY got a job. They are in the MINORITY. All you need to do is read MT message boards around the internet and this becomes clear.
Unfortunately there are a lot of people who just don't see the harm in lying.
Maybe she should be a politician. I hope she doesn't mind when people lie to her.
If someone offered to pay her 8 cpl and then only paid her 7 cpl, I bet she wouldn't like that lie.
It all depends on whose foot the shoe is on.
Okay, but most people have a hard time living
in a different state from their family, let alone another country.
Why do people feel they can scam their way into this field?
With inferior educations for cheap and now wanting to lie to get jobs? Whatever happened to working for what you earn and telling the truth? :-(
Be careful when people have to write you off the board
It may be totally innocent, but often the scammers do that. If they offer you a job and you have to buy equipment, come back on the board and let us know.
If they offer you a scholarship or an internship or offer to be your "mentor" and you'll just do the work for free, you're about to be scammed.
Yes, and these were people trying to make an HONEST living
nm
Yeah, I've noticed people do that a lot here.
nm
Our local hospital group has a few people in
radiology and pathology, but the rest has been outsourced for about 25 years. Hospitals are looking to cut costs where they can. There are still MTs who work for the hospital, just not in-house.
If you need a job you do what you have to do. If the US MTs don't take the jobs guess where they will go. I make more working at home per line than what any hospital pays that I have seen. I don't have insurance (because it is outragenously priced), but I do have some benefits. Also working at home you have fewer expenses, so it pretty much equals out.
That's exactly how I learned. Trained by people who knew
*what the heck they were doing.*
Been ripping people for years. There were even mentioned in
Family Fun magazine about them being a company to stay away from. Numerous unresolved complaints with the BBB. Alan claims to be an upstanding Christian - which makes me want to puke.
You are the exception to the rule, isn't fair to make people think ANYONE can do it. nm
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