proudmamma Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 from home (or maybe not at home :) I would love your input. I have done medical transcription work in the past (like 10 years ago...YIKES!!) and now I am thinking about doing it again. My husband's business is extrememly slow (very scary) and we are needing some extra income. However, I wasn't sure how the economy is affecting medical transcription work and am hoping someone here can give me some insight. I would probably have to take some sort of course since before I was trained on the job before, but I don't want to go through the trouble and expense if there isn't much work available or if the pay is bad. So, any information anyone has would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks, Lora Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I quit doing transcription about 2 years ago, so not sure how the economy has changed things. If I were you, I would call the transcription services in my city and ask about pay, openings, training requirements, etc. They could give you a good idea. Also, consider other types of transcription. Before I quit, I also typed for my local police department doing their case files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudmamma Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 Thanks Tami. If you don't mind, why did you quit? Just wondering if it was for negative reasons in the field... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudmamma Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 anyone else? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I work from home for a local hospital doing medical imaging transcription. I have been with them for 7 years and it is ideal. I get paid very well for part time, it includes benefits etc. On the other side of that, I spent some time working as a contractor for another local hospital system and for a private practice and I did not care for that. Too much uncertainty with the job. There are many companies that hire out transcription over the internet and your experience may be sufficient without additional training if you can pass their online transcription tests. Google it and you will get several replies. As for pay and demand, other than the online work, that would depend on your area. It has turned out to be the perfect solution for me. I work nights 28 hours a week after my kids are in bed. It doesn't affect them at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I quit because I just didn't have time to do it anymore. The kids activities really ramped up and I was getting up early to type. I just ran out of gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I work from home for a national company that has employees all over the country. The economy doesn't seem to have affected it much (so far, anyway). You may or may not have to take a course to refresh yourself. There are several companies that will accept experience instead of education. (Because really, many of us were trained on the job.) Try calling local hospitals and clinics, or if you are interested in working for a national company, try checking out: www.ahdionline.org (the professional organization for MTs) www.mtchat.com (a message board where you can probably find answers to some of your questions) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudmamma Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Oh wow, thanks so much for all of your responses. I haven't checked back on this thread for a while and so I just now read them all... I am really excited now! I think this will be a great set-up to be able to work from home while homeschooling. My kids are older so that helps too. I do feel like I would need some type of training because when I did this before I had someone who overlooked everything and the formatting, etc was already all set up for me. I really wouldn't know how to begin. I only did this for about 6 months and since it was over 10 years ago, I just can't remember much. Does anyone have any programs they recommend? I am looking at: Andrews School http://www.andrewsschool.com/ M Tec http://www.mtecinc.com/ http://www.urlfreeze.com/medbill/L-12be/ Virtual Learning Center While I really hate to spend the money on any of these programs, I think it would probably pay off in the end since I would be prepared, etc. Also, they all help with job placement. What do you all think? Should I go with the training and if so, which one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 I'd also check around and see what's available. I have a friend who's been doing transcription work for years, and had enough that she hired two others to help her. Now she's down to one job that is ending in August, because they are computerizing everything and cutting expenses, because they'll have someone already on-staff doing the entering. She said that, at least around here, businesses are cutting costs, and trascription is one thing that can be computerized to eliminate the "middle-man". So, make sure it's a viable option in your area. I hope it works out! I was thinking of looking into it as well, before she told me the above info.! Let us know how it goes for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudmamma Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Oh no! I also did a search on these forums for medical transcription and some of the replies said that a lot of the jobs were being outsourced over to India, etc. How disappointing! I was so excited...now I am not sure what to do or think. I really cannot afford to invest money into training if there are no jobs. Those of you who actually do this from home, are you having any of these difficulties and do you think it is something that I need to worry about :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinning Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I'm an MT and have been doing it for a few years now. While there is always the chance that outsourcing/VR (voice recognition)/EMR (electronic med. records) will always be a threat to the industry, so far it has been fine for me (and several other MTs I know). It is always a cloud on the horizon, though, but for now I have lots of work! If you wanted to get an idea of the job market, check out: http://www.mtjobs.com You can also get an idea of what kind of experience is needed and rate of pay. A lot of times what you make depends on what kind of account you are actually on; smaller accounts with fewer doctors can pay quite well--as you can get famaliar with the docs and use macros and expansions to speed up. However, larger hospital accounts can be a bit tougher to make money on initially, but I have a friend who does very well on a hospital acct--so it just depends. Here is another MT forum/job listings: http://forum.mtstars.com/seeker/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudmamma Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 Hmm...looks like there is plenty of work from viewing those two sites. I don't know, I keep reading all this conflicting information. On some of the MT forums, one person will be gloom and doom while the next will say there is plenty of work. Any other thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Outsourcing happens and has been happening for a long time, but the job market still seems to be stable. It is definitely still possible to find a job in the field if you are dedicated to it. There's a lot of turnaround in the field. Hiring does go through ups and downs throughout the year, too - during the winter holidays and summer vacation when everyone is on vacation or otherwise busy, work and hiring are slow. In between, work picks up. Right now my account is actually swamped, and we're having to work 'overtime' to try to catch up. I've been working as an MT from home working for a company based in another state (I'm an independent contractor) for almost a year and a half, working nights after my kids are in bed, and I wouldn't have it any other way. If you wanted to take a course and are looking at the ones you listed, Andrews and M-Tec are both GREAT schools, and I really don't know which I would choose. I'd probably have to go with Andrews just because I'm in Oklahoma, but if I lived in Ohio, I'd go with M-Tec! I personally went to Career Step because I could afford it. I will absolutely not bash any other school, though, as long as the program works and people are able to find jobs that fit with them. Good luck making a choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Jobs have been going to India for a long time, but it hasn't affected me yet. There are some companies working on voice recognition technology, but that will still require actual people to proofread, etc. It will be a long time before that technology is perfected. There is concern that we will lose our jobs eventually, but I think that is a concern for everyone. It's up to you to weigh the pros and cons. Regarding the schools you listed, I can vouch for mtec. I went there as a brush-up after originally being trained on the job. They let you move at your own pace, and the support was great. I had 2 job offers within 2 wks of finishing the program. I don't know much about the others though. Best of luck with whatever you decide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudmamma Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 mO2, what course did you take through mtec that allowed you to brush up on your knowledge from the previous on the job training you had? It looks like they have several different courses to choose from... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 mO2, what course did you take through mtec that allowed you to brush up on your knowledge from the previous on the job training you had? It looks like they have several different courses to choose from... Oh gosh, let me think back a few years....I went with the Premier Tier 1 course. It's the highest level course. I wanted to make sure I was marketable and that I would be able to work from home. I believe some of the work-at-home companies won't hire you if you only take the Basic level course. It's more expensive, but it paid off (for me anyway). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudmamma Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 Thanks for your answers!! I like the looks of MTec, I think, the best. Also looking at the Tier one premier... I think I am going to do this and remain positive :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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