The Catch-22

For those thinking of starting a career in medical transcription, those who have started training, and those who have just finished their training, a word of advice… getting a job is harder than “they”make it out to be. 

You just finished training, you’re excited about your new career, you have determination, drive and ambition… now to get started working… you’ve hit the job boards, checked in your local paper, and taken every online test imaginable, but it keeps coming back…. they want more experience, the ONE thing you don’t have.

How do I get experience without getting a job?

How do I get a job without having experience?

If you’ve read My Story, you know how I finally managed to start working from home after two years at a multidisciplinary clinic.   The training course I took did not have job placement assistance, something that every good instructional program should have….

So what is my advice to you? 

I would actually very strongly recommend you work in a hospital or multidisciplinary clinic with other transcriptionists first.  Why?  For the simple reason that you will learn SO much more from working with experienced transcriptionists by being physically able to ask them for help and advice.  Plus, it will give you a local support base.  Working from home is great, but your co-workers tend to be spread from coast to coast.   Having a network of colleagues locally can help combat the feelings of isolation that inevitably crop up after being home by yourself so much.   Once you’ve established yourself as a quality MT and wooed your supervisors to write wonderful recommendations for you, finding a job with a national company should be a piece of cake.

If you truly want to work from home right out of training, unless your training program has job placement assistance, it’s going to be much harder to find a job that pays more than peanuts and your options are very narrowed.   I know of one company that would hire newbies and pay them 4 cents per line… that’s HALF the national standard for starting MTs.   Be careful who you choose to work for, and do your research on any company you are considering.  Google them, check the message boards at MT Daily and MT Stars to get a feel for their reputation (but keep in mind that only unhappy employees post complaints), call the Better Business Bureau and see if they have any customer complaints against them (this can give you an idea of their business ethics).  

 I know, it can be depressing.  You’ve invested time and money into a career that you can do from home for any one of a vast number of reasons only to find out that the road is blocked.  However, don’t despair.  It takes a long time to go from newbie to professional, but if you’re committed, it will be well worth the effort.

Choosing a medical transcription school

Schools that offer transcription courses are a dime a dozen… You’ve seen the ads on the web, on TV, in your mailbox.  How can you know where to find a school that has a good reputation with ongoing support once you’ve graduated? 

The best place to choose an MT school is from AHDI, The Association for Healthcare Documentation and Integrity.  They have weeded through most of the garbage out there and have a substantial list of training facilities to choose from:  http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/mtapproved.cfm.

It is of utmost importance that any school you choose utilize the The Book of Style for Medical Transcription, 3rd Edition, is willing to provide names and contact information of former students for references, will have an internship/apprentice program and/or offer job placement assistance .

Do I have what it takes?

You’ve seen the ads…

You’ve Googled it…

You’ve wondered what it would be like…

Once a person finds out that I am a medical transcriptionist, I inevitably hear how they or someone they know have considered becoming an MT to make money from home. 

There are plenty of resources on the web giving you all the ins and outs of working from home, from how to create a schedule to setting up your home office to  isolation issues, ad nauseum.  It can be information overload. 

SO, to add to that overload, here’s my two cents for a “self test” to see if you have the muster to work from home:

1. Do I have a good work ethic?
   Working from home is great… no one looking over your shoulder, no office politics, no office lunatic to deal with… BUT, you have to have enough self-motivation to accomplish your the tasks you need to for any given day, even the ones when you’d rather take a nap than do one more minute of dictation. 
2. Do I manage my time well?
   Time management is probably the single most important aspect of working from home.  If you have a strong work ethic, this should be no problem for you.  However, if you struggle with distractions (Facebook is my weakness) this can be killer.  That said, there are ways to learn to manage your time so that you can be the most productive in the least amount of time.  
3. Do I have the support of my family/friends?
   Having a good support base to work from home is important, especially that they understand that, even though you are home, you are still working.  Time is a precious thing, and once spent cannot be returned.  A supportive partner will be understanding that some days it clicks and some days it doesn’t, but all in all, it’s worth it to have you home instead of working late in an office. 

If you’ve passed the “work at home” test, then you’re ready for the “Can I be an MT test”:

1. Do I enjoy being on the computer all day?
   Inevitably, you are going to be on the computer for a minimum of 5 hours a day.  If you do not like computers, this is probably not the career for you. 
2. Did I excel in grammar and language in school?
   You will be creating legal documentation for medical facilities.  This documentation will be used for insurance claims, referrals, legal issues, etc.  Medical terminology is a language all it’s own.  If you love learning, research, and language, you will probably enjoy transcription.   
3. Am I a perfectionist?
   While perfection in medical transcription is preferred, we are human and make mistakes occasionally.  That said, one of the beefs I have with bad MTs is that they do not bother to research what they don’t know.  A perfectionist will make absolutely sure that the information they are putting in the note makes sense, is in context, and that all unknown medical terminology and drugs have been researched.  A perfectionist will excel in medical transcription because their quality will stand out, making them in demand in their field. 

If you’ve decided that transcription sounds like an interesting and exciting field of work, then you’re ready to start researching schools to learn the craft.