The Dark Side of Medical Transcription

I was reading the comments posted previously, and I was also considering an on-line medical transcription course in British Columbia, with the goal of working out of my own home.  After reading some of the comments, I am left wondering if this would be a huge waste of good money and my time?  Is it really worth taking the course, or am I being very naive?  Any comments would be greatly appreciated, before I invest a lot of money into this .  Thank you.

Can someone offer me some advice, I am seriously thinking of enrolling in an on-line Medical Transcription course in Canada, however, after reading some of the comments, I am really starting to wonder if I should invest the time, and the money, (the course isn't cheap), and be no further ahead or worse than I am now?  What are the job prospects like in Canada, can I work from my home?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

I'm just taking the MT course up in Canada from an online company.

I made some formulas in an excel sheet to figure out what I would be earning as an online MT. My line count is sometimes as high as 200 per hour. However, the research can take me 20 or more minutes per document. Therefore, my formulas are calculating my wages as being in the $2.00 per hour range.

When I approached my teacher, he didn't even know anything about what online MTs make. Gee whiz, I am flipping at this moment, cause McDonalds at least pays minimum wage!!

Oh, and then that *very smart* teacher pipes up and says "well companies who hire people on a commission basis are required by Canadian law to pay at least minimum wage".  

I could not believe this!!! Does he think I'm going to bang my head against the wall for a whole year to make freaking minimum wage??? What a way to insult a student. Grrrrrrr..........

I was forced to file for unemployment while working for an MTSO which basically reduced work over a period of months, whether intentionally or not, I do not know. If you can't pay rent and utilities, you can't stay and maintain a computer station! My ex-employer was adamant in their belief that I would not get UC because they marked me as a voluntary resignation which was later proved by the Workforce Innovation (UC department) to be false. Work reduction is a justifying reason for UC, all else being equal, i.e. no misconduct on your part. So I am getting unemployment currently and it is certainly poverty wage. Many MTs do not realize that some of the 'rules' that MTSOs set up in their so-called employee manuals are nothing more than illegal hypes to keep you from filing UC even when you are entitled to it, thus putting in a tumultous situation.

After 22 years of being an MT and experiencing a continuous downhill decline in my wage, benefits, and respect, I have decided to move into other aspects of HIM and EHR. I do, however, have a burning question to anyone that can possibly shed some light.  

AHIMA provides credentials and professional backing to coding, cancer registrar, healthcare privacy and security personnel, RHIA, RHIT, and their newest certification for health data analysts.  Why has the medical transcriptionists been ignored by AHIMA? There is no AHIMA credential for us.  Why?

Yes, we can be obtain credentials from our own association, AAMT which is now AHDI, however, it is recognized by so few in the industry as valid.  

The medical record is based on transcribed reports.  EHR builds upon the foundation of transcribed reports.  These reports are produced by professionals who understand anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, medical terminology, laboratory and diagnostics, grammar, punctuation and deciphering ESL dictators. So, again, I ask why has the MT been overlooked as a valid healthcare professional by AHIMA?

Below is a direct quote from AHIMA website

http://www.ahima.org/certification/

Why Get Certified?

Certification is a means for showing that a credentialed professional possesses the knowledge and skills necessary for the optimal performance of his or her job. Through credentialing, the practitioner’s employer, peers, and the public are reassured that he or she is both competent and well-informed in the daily and accurate administration of his or her professional duties.

Does this not apply also to Medical Transcriptionists?  Until we are brought under the wing of AHIMA and viewed as healthcare professionals by our own organization, I don't believe things are going to get better for the MT.

There happen to be thousands of American 'voters' (i.e. qualified MT's) that are already griping EXTENSIVELY on web forums.  Which, of course, discourages potential 'voters' from even bothering.  And why should they, if elections are rigged?

There's a school of thought that says if you don't vote, you don't have a right to gripe about your government.

Beyond the tragedy that is the current state of MT is the sub-zero confidence it continues to inspire in potential students.  What sort of masochist is required to spend over 1000 hours and thousands of dollars in a competent program to ultimately compete with second and third world economies for (at best) stagnant or declining wages?  How about no job security, no respect, and the constant crack of the whip?  I'm certainly not the only American that has the native skill, inclination, desire, time and the cash to purchase the best education out there (M-TEC or Andrews), but you'd have to pull a gun on me to consider enrolling.  And I'd probably still say no--at least death would be certain!  Will the last overworked, grossly underpaid MT exiting the building please turn off the computer?  Thank you.  

I do recall many years ago in Sacramento, California, I had been doing a large amount of work for a chiropracter.  I returned the work on time and gave him excellent quality work.  We had a written agreement that he would pay by the 10th of each month.  After he got two complete months behind on paying me (though he said he was having a difficult time, but would pay soon and asked me to be patient) I sent him yet another written note and said that I would have to take him to small claims court.  I gave him two weeks to respond with payment.  At the very last minute he came up with final payment.  By this time, I had stopped doing work for him and accepted another account to fill the work slot.  I did not want to do it and I am sure he did not believe that I would go to this extent, but he just kept putting me off.  I told him it was not personal, but that I had done the work and I had responsibilities to meet too.  About one month later he filed for bankruptcy.  

With all the merging going on and transcription going overseas where they will take less pay, why should people stay in the field? I gave 8 years to my present company, worked overtime, changed my life to fit theirs and now since Sept, there has been a steady decrease in work volume and NOT one person will say WHY.  So, I am just about ready to chuck my CMT (which did not give me any more money or prestige) and go to work elsewhere and forget I ever tried to do what I loved and was intrigued by. I have been in the MT business off and on for over 20 years and there is not one service out there that is paying what my knowledge is worth. Just bang the keyboard and never mind. My quality (99-100%) should speak louder than production but apparently all anyone wants is MORE and FASTER. It's a complete rip off. No wonder people are running and FAST!!! Sorry, didn't mean to sound off but management in my company is deaf.