'Twas the Night Before Christmas
At last, it is Christmas Eve. If you can believe it, I am still waiting for one more package to arrive in the mail. I have never been this behind before, especially since most of my shopping is done online. I actually went to Kmart Monday night at around 8:00 p.m. to get some clothes for my daughter from my father (somehow I was elected to do his shopping this year!) and I actually had a great time! I figured the parking lot would be full and I'd have to walk forever to reach the store and once inside I'd be bumping into other shoppers left and right; however, I had the store to myself and it was fantastic. The sales that were going on were incredible and I am so happy that I decided to go.
We received about a foot of snow in my area over the past several days, which I think pales in comparison to many other areas. I have to admit, I am very excited to have snow on the ground for Christmas Day. The past few years I have felt cheated, as whatever small amount of snow we had at the time always seemed to melt just before Christmas. This year, there is plenty and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.
The 2008 salary results in the December 15th issue of ADVANCE gave me something to smile about today. It seems as though every time I turn around I am reading something about the dismal pay that medical transcriptionists get. I've always looked past that as pay was not the reason why I chose this career. It is something that I find extremely interesting and it provides the flexibility that I desire to work from home. However, it was certainly nice to hear that there was an increase of 4% in salaries. The information on the MTs with the RMT credential was interesting. The RMT exam has been a hot topic at my school since the credential was introduced and many students plan to sit for the exam once their schooling is complete. The article stated that RMTs made less than full-time MTs with no credential, but on average they did make slightly more than MTs that fell in the 0-2 years of experience category. Although I plan to sit for the exam when I am ready, that certainly convinced me that I am better off with the RMT credential than without. Having said that, I was amazed to learn that 47% of MTs said their employers do not offer more pay if they have a credential. My first reaction was to question why I'd ever bother to sit for an exam that won't earn me any more respect - and money - but, I know that it's worth if for me. I am sure that the recognition from employers will come and I want to be ready when it does. I really feared that earning a credential would be several years away for me, when I had a lot of experience under my belt. When the RMT was introduced, I was very excited that I would have the opportunity to sit for an exam immediately after my schooling. It was a great article and encouraging to see the HIM field continuing to thrive.
I hope that everyone has a terrific holiday with their loved ones. I am looking forward to a relatively relaxing day as I anxiously await that last package. All of the wrapping is done, the 18-lb. prime rib is ready to be cooked and our relatives coming from out of town have arrived safely. The countdown to Christmas Day is almost over!
Happy Holidays Everyone!