Medical Transcription Job
Answers

Your medical transcription job questions are answered by a working transcriptionist - me! Advice given to people who send me questions via my Contact Me page is all summarized here.

If you have a question about medical transcription jobs, you may use the form on the Contact Me page and I will try to answer them as best as I can. And if I'm at loss for an answer, I'll ask someone who knows, or who knows someone who knows, and get it for you. So ask away!

Question: Chris is a U.S. transcriptionist who wrote in with this: "Love your website. I have been a MT for a little over a year now. I am a home based MT working for a company. I have been put on a nice size account and have gotten used to a lot of the doctors but I feel I should be able to make more than 9 cents a line. Do you think that is still a decent rate? I don't type 120 reports a day though. I really need to become more proficient still and make the macros work for me as I was reading on your site. I have Stedman's which is a big help when I type and I do type about 100 words a minute, but I don't have many macros working for me. So I will spend the time to incorporate that into my software to make my lines increase. But as far as pay should I ask for a raise or is that a decent rate for the time I have been doing this and should I wait to increase my lines then? I make about $1,000 to $1,100 monthly. This job has been a blessing to me because my husband was in a serious accident and sustained brain injury so I have been home to help him and my children for the past few years. Thanks again for all you do and your time. Please respond when you can. Thank you. Chris"

Answer: I included your entire message, Chris, because there were several issues I wanted to address.

First of all, 9 cents per line for a medical transcription job for someone with a little over a year's experience is excellent! Consider yourself lucky!

Secondly, did you really mean $1100 per month? Or per paycheck? I am going to assume you meant that is your monthly salary and that you work full time, and I have got to say that something is not working for you as far as productivity. Is the platform you type on a Microsoft Word-based program? Microsoft Word has some very powerful tools, like AutoCorrect and AutoText (and the macros that you mentioned) that will really zoom up your typing. I'm working on a page that will outline how I use these tools as well as Shorthand 10, so stay tuned for that. I realize you are very busy with kids and an ill husband, so I don't want to be harsh with you. But give some priority to developing shortcuts for yourself that will save you a ton of typing and increase your salary.

For those readers who aren't aware of this, the industry average number of lines per hour is 150 (although you should shoot for more than that), so at 9 cents per line, you should earn $108 per day for an 8-hour shift. This average varies depending on how efficient that platform is that you type on, how many ESLs (English as a Second Language) you have, and how much non-paid work you are required to do (like look up names and addresses).

Lastly, I feel for you and your situation and I know it's tough. So keep plugging away, Chris, and you'll get there.

Question: I have a Canadian who wrote, "I've just stumbled across your interesting and humourous site and I have a question for you, if you wouldn't mind. Basically, is there actually an ongoing need for MTs... My husband is playing devil's advocate, observing that Drs are recording notes on tablet devices with a stylo these days. I was a dictaphone secretary before becoming a stay at home mom; now having to return to the workforce after many years, MT would be a good fit. The cost of training seems exhorbitant in view of projected earnings though, hence my husband's resistance and my search for more information. I'd appreciate any nuggets of wisdom, and thank you very much for your time."

Answer: Your question is a really good one, and one that a lot of people are asking. So here's what I think -

Your husband is partially right. Doctors are using a tablet PC in their offices and pointing-and-clicking their chart notes. However, even the American Medical Association is against this cookie-cutter approach to patients' charts as it does not provide a true and complete picture of a patient's condition. I also know that some doctors, especially the younger ones who grew up in the electronic age, are comfortable with typing in their own "free form" notes.

However, having said that, there are still plenty of reports being generated from non-clinic sources - i.e. hospitals, insurance companies, nursing homes, Workmen's Comp, etc. - that will continue to generate hundreds of millions of reports per year the old-fashioned way - by voice. In fact, my niece just got a job in the medical records department of a hospital and, when she asked about electronic medical records, the manager told her, "Oh yes, we have that. But the doctors still prefer the paper charts". Imagine that!

So, I wouldn't worry. The face of medical transcription will change with voice recognition and electronic records, just like it changed from when people used IBM Selectrics and had to use White-Out to correct their typos. It's still a great job that allows a lot of us to raise our children ourselves instead of sending them off to a babysitter.

Now, as to having kids at home, remember that it is a professional job where you are getting paid to produce medical documents. If your kids are running wild (and this is not pointing a finger at you, but anyone with kids at home), start getting a grip on them while you're taking the course and get them used to not disturbing you. My son is free to talk to me (of course; after all, that's why I work from home), but if I can't talk just then, I'll say (without taking my foot off the foot pedal), "Just a minute." or "I have a lot of work to do, make it quick." and he'll know to keep it short. You'll make a lot more money in the long run!

Question: Hi my name is Keri i am considering the MT field,so that i can work from home:) Iv been a SAHM for the last 8yrs I never really had a job so i have been doing my research on the MT profession as i will admit im a little leary..But,I just wanted to say your Site has really help me make a choice on this proffesion..although i wish the pay was higher..when you get to stay home thats a perk kwim...i do have a question im considering a school called career step,its AHDI approved and takes aprox 6-8 months to complete...any thoughts or other school suggestions ?

Answer: I decided I needed to address your concerns about the low pay and (whenever I have a minute) post it to the web site because it is a common concern even among experienced MTs. I have a little blurb somewhere on the web site about how different factors affect how much you can earn in this business, and that will hold true throughout your career.

For new people starting out, after you've finished your training you will feel totally overwhelmed so just be expecting it. I remember my first at-home job for which my first 2-week paycheck was $88! But that was one of those "difficult" accounts where I was emailed the patient list instead of patient information popping up automatically, and there was a very heavily accented dictator which took what seemed like hours to figure out what he was saying - little things that make the difference between earning a decent living and earning peanuts!

One thing I advised my friend who is taking the Career Step course is to start creating your expander file now. I think Career Step covers that in one of their modules, but if you start using one now, you'll be two steps ahead of the game when you do start your job. By expander file, I mean a typing shortcut program such as the one I use - Shorthand 10. They have a 2-week trial period and then you can purchase by the month, the year, or permanently. This is one of the tools that will mean the difference between earning $24,000 a year or $40,000 a year - if you become familiar with it and really use it to create "shortcuts" in your typing. So start out by adding little, easy-to-remember things like "pt" for patient, "pne" for pneumonia. Have it running and use it whenever you type anything - even emails - and it will become second nature to you so that when you get your first job, you'll be that much further in your learning curve.

I also have a bunch of regular, non-medical words in mine - "ew" for elsewhere, "ti" for there is, etc.

I have so much to say on this subject, but right now I have to begin my "regular" job!

Question: This is from a lady whose husband is in the military who writes, "I live in North Carolina, my husband is in the military and is a resident of South Dakota. I consider myself a resident of SD as I am registered to vote there and my driver's license is from there. I do transcription from home for a doctor's office in Kansas as a statutory employee. How can I find out where to pay state income taxes. Of course, I would prefer to "pay" SD taxes as they have no income tax. Do you have any insight into this? Thank you for your time."

Answer: Errrgh - tax questions! Just remember, I'm the medical transcription expert, not the tax expert! The one thing I know for sure (as I'm sure you do) is that you don't have to pay Kansas taxes. The North Carolina Department of Revenue says on their web site (the second sentence will apply to you), "If you are a legal resident of another state who is stationed in North Carolina on military orders, you will not be taxed on your military pay by North Carolina. However, if you or your spouse receive income from non-military employment, tangible property or a business located in North Carolina, you must pay the North Carolina tax on that income". Figures. If I were in your shoes, I would definitely hire someone or even use the FreeFile link on the IRS.gov web site. Once you choose which online tax service to use, they'll have step-by-step questions leading you through the filing process and will help you sort out your state residency.

I pay someone to do my taxes but even then I have to keep track of all expenses related to business use of the home and receipts for business purchases and I forget what else.

Question: This first medical transcription job question is a common one. Sana said "Hello, i like your website. It does really provide tons of information. I am curious that if its ok to type by not looking at the screen. I am not really good in typing while looking at the screen. I tend to make more mistakes. what do you suggest?"

Answer: Touch typing is the ability to type without looking at the keyboard and is one of those skills that seems like a "long-cut" at first. But put your index fingers on the "F" and "J" keys, keep your eyes on the screen and get used to it! This is really indispensable when you have thousands of words in your expander program and you need to make sure you didn't type "lungs and pleural spaces" (lups) instead of "lumbar spine" (lusp)! Believe me when I say it's embarrassing!

Question: Jana asked "I am looking to do medical transcription at home, but have no idea where to start. I just moved into a new area and I'm at a loss as to where to start. I have done medical transcription in a hospital setting in the past. That was 10 years ago, but I believe I can catch up on the new drugs, procedures etc. quickly and make a decent living at this. Can you tell me how I can get started? Thanks so much!"

Answer: It depends on whether you want to work from home or in a traditional setting and whether you live "out in the sticks" or in/near a city.

To work locally, try the newspaper's job classifieds (either under secretarial or medical), Craig's List, or apply at local hospitals (go to human resources and ask for an application to fill out).

To work from home, check out sites such as www.mtjobs.com or www.mtstars.com (this one is a little hard to navigate but look for the button on the left that says "Job Seekers"). If you have the time, go through this list of transcription companies and start emailing your resume www.mtdaily.com/mtcos Be prepared to not get many responses this way - transcription companies get flooded with resumes every day and don't have the time to deal with unsolicited resumes, but you never know! The only failure is in giving up!

The final piece of advice is to have a functional resume rather than a chronological one. There's an example of a functional resume This highlights skills rather than recent experience.

Jana, I also discovered another, more esoteric way to search for a medical transcription job. Sign up for Google Alerts - here's how.

• Go to google.com
• Sign up for an account if you don't already have one, otherwise sign in.
• Click on Alerts.
• Type in "transcription".
• Choose "comprehensive, once a day.

This brings you daily updates mostly of articles and blog postings (which is one of the ways I keep up with the industry), but it also has picked up an occasional job posting.

Question: I like this medical transcription job question from Tracy, who writes "I am an at-home transcriptionist and am contemplating raising my rates (which I haven't done in 2 yrs). Can you tell me if there is a standard letter that I should use or should I do it by phone?"

Answer: I would have a professional letter typed up announcing your increase, the reasons why, how sorry you are that you have to this to a valued client, and all the other professional niceties that go into business correspondence.

Then, you make an appointment (if you can) or if it's a more informal office, you could drop in on them, and ask to talk. If everyone is busy, then leave your letter with a handwritten note on the envelope saying something along the lines of "I dropped by and everyone was busy, but please call if you have questions". I would also take muffins or expensive chocolates to leave with the letter - just a nice touch and a bit of class.

I am assuming you are self-employed with your own client.

If anyone of you have other advice for Tracy, send it via the Contact Me form and, if it's worthwhile, I'll definitely post it here.

Keep your medical transcription job questions coming! It just might help someone else in the same situation.