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#97906 - 05/14/08 09:04 AM
leaving MT?
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rusty
New Member
Registered: 06/20/05
Posts: 12
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Hi, I have been working from home for a large hospital group for about 13 years. We are currently in the process of changing over from a straight typing format to a VR/editing type format. Along with this change will come a change in pay structure. The specifics of the new pay structure are yet to be determined, but management has more or less confirmed that they will not be paying nearly as well for editing as they had for typing. Now that my kids are older, I am considering leaving MT all together and going into the office. It has been so long since I have worked in a medical office I have no idea which job I would be qualified for or which clerical type medical office job would pay the best. Medical secretary comes to mind, but I don't think the pay is on the same scale as what an experienced MT can make. Does anyone know which clerical type job in the medical office would pay comparable to MT?
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#97928 - 05/14/08 11:53 AM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: rusty]
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LisaKT57
New Member
Registered: 02/20/08
Posts: 18
Loc: VA
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Personally I'd wait and see what the pay scale is like. When you consider the costs of gas skyrocketing, just the routine car maintenance, potential parking fees, worrying about getting out in bad weather, possibly (if you're like me) having to redo your wardrobe to accommodate a dress code - you just might be better off to stay where you are even with a pay cut. I am in the same situation you are - large hospital group, work at home. We have some VR/editing, some reports that are still transcribed from scratch (it was discovered that going through the process for VR to "create" the file took too long for stat reports, so they never go to VR); plus it's (supposedly) the "easy" doctors who go to VR - if a doctor is a mumbler or has a horrible accent, they don't go through VR because the editing process is harder than straight typing it. At any rate, our hourly rate stayed the same with VR, but the "incentive" rate is less. Not fair? That's a good question. Most of us routinely edit more reports, faster, than we type straight out, so if everything is edited that could break the bank with 30+ employees.
Aside from that, at our hospital a medical secretary is one pay grade lower than a medical transcriptionist. I was a medical secretary, still did some transcribing but it was intermixed with routine office tasks. I would think any job that says just "high school diploma or equivalent required" would be lower on the pay scale, like receptionist, a clerk who enters data she's getting from some other source as opposed to needing to know the terminology herself.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
_________________________
Lisa
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#97931 - 05/14/08 12:44 PM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: LisaKT57]
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14tonks
Member
Registered: 10/25/01
Posts: 6282
Loc: Only 3rd world country in US
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Not fair? That's a good question. Most of us routinely edit more reports, faster, than we type straight out, so if everything is edited that could break the bank with 30+ employees.
No, it wouldn't break the bank. The company is going to receive the same total number of lines to transcribe whatever method is used. If they pay less for VRE because, theoretically, the employees can each do more, they are saving a bundle on overhead (less payroll cost for the same total amount of work done and fewer employees with accompanying employee benefit expenses needed). That bundle is put into the owner's and executive's pockets rather than the worker's, although it is the workers who are being more productive. In the good ol' days, more productive workers were regarded as being entitled to a share of the income from that increased production, but apparently not in MT as currently practiced by the nationals.
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#97935 - 05/14/08 01:10 PM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: LisaKT57]
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rusty
New Member
Registered: 06/20/05
Posts: 12
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Thanks Lisa, I don't know what to do at this point. I am currently paid by the dictated minute and they will be changing us over to a line count pay scale. I do not get any type of hourly rate; the pay is strictly by production. I happen to be very, very quick on the typing side of things and can generally meet my production minimum in much less time than my coworkers say it takes them. When we switch over to editing, I have the feeling I will lose that advantage and will have to increase my hours in order to make the same money. They have said there will be a separate pay scale for typing versus editing, but it will also be by lc and I will have no basis for comparison as I have never been paid by the line. I do feel pretty sure I will be working more hours for less money, though. I was just wondering if it would be worth scrapping this whole production-based job for a regular hourly job with PTO that I can leave at the office when the day is done. I have been out of the office so long, though, I have no idea which type of job to keep my eye out for. I have all summer to decide, so just wanted to start comparing jobs and pay and see if it would be worth it to make a change.
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#97960 - 05/14/08 10:27 PM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: rusty]
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Glory1863
Member
Registered: 03/27/08
Posts: 273
Loc: Beyond Antares
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Rusty, what are you interested in doing? What is your training? Could you even do something outside the medical field? Since you have a job, have been given warning of upcoming changes and have time to look, that's what I'd do. If you see something that looks promising, check it out. It never hurts to inquire. You may find something new that you'd really like. You may find that things have changed for the worse all the way around. In any case, you will have some basis for comparison to whatever your new pay structure turns out to be. On the other hand, you could just go with the flow, but if your current situation really goes down the tubes, then you will feel more pressure to find something else, maybe anything else, quickly. That's not a comfortable position to be in.
Best of luck to you. This isn't the greatest time to be looking for work.
_________________________
The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. Abraham Lincoln
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#97966 - 05/15/08 12:57 AM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: Glory1863]
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AmBeck22
Member
Registered: 11/02/06
Posts: 324
Loc: WV
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Rusty,
I, personally, hated VR. That said, I was on the EditScript platform and it was surprisingly accurate. The biggest problem with it was the names. I quit that job because I hated VR and wanted straight typing, but in terms of accuracy and ease of use, EditScript was cool. I don't know what your place will be using, but you could always give a try and see what happens.
I have to agree about the gas thing. It's $4/gallon here (not a big city) and more and more people are car-pooling around here because of that.
Whatever you decide, good luck!!
_________________________
Amanda 
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#98056 - 05/16/08 09:28 AM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: 14tonks]
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LisaKT57
New Member
Registered: 02/20/08
Posts: 18
Loc: VA
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Not fair? That's a good question. Most of us routinely edit more reports, faster, than we type straight out, so if everything is edited that could break the bank with 30+ employees. In the good ol' days, more productive workers were regarded as being entitled to a share of the income from that increased production, but apparently not in MT as currently practiced by the nationals.
I work for a nonprofit hospital/healthcare system, so transcription is not their income source. I realize I'm different from most posters as far as my job, how I'm paid, etc.
_________________________
Lisa
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#98202 - 05/18/08 01:22 AM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: LisaKT57]
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RoseMT37
Member
Registered: 06/17/04
Posts: 705
Loc: Texas
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Hi Rusty. I went to work for a home health agency here locally last October. The pay is more than I was making about the last year of MT, I have benefits and no more worries with taxes. My kids are older now and I was ready for a change, not to mention the slow down in my pay lol. I love it. 8-5, 5 days a week...no worries of work hanging over my head or anyone elses work to edit, no weekends. Im really happy with the change. I started out in data entry and then billing and am now office manager. Its been an awesome experience so far. It was a learning curve and I was totally out of my comfort zone, but it was worth it for me! I loved MT while I did it and didnt think I would ever like working outside my home, but I do...oh yes and I got all sorts of new clothes lol!
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#98208 - 05/18/08 08:50 AM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: RoseMT37]
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whorn
Member
Registered: 01/17/08
Posts: 650
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You could wait and see how it all turns out with the VR. Maybe no change, or a change for the better, or worse.
A thought popped into my head, how about something regarding the ER Dept of a hospital, like intake or a unit secretary? I'm not sure, but maybe the pay would be higher there than that of a regular medical secretary?
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#98218 - 05/18/08 11:50 AM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: whorn]
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14tonks
Member
Registered: 10/25/01
Posts: 6282
Loc: Only 3rd world country in US
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Unit clerks make less than medical secretaries since the job does not require high-level secretarial/admin assistant skills.
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#98220 - 05/18/08 01:12 PM
Re: leaving MT?
[Re: 14tonks]
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rusty
New Member
Registered: 06/20/05
Posts: 12
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Thanks everyone for the input! I do intend to wait and see how it all works out. I just was looking for some kind of backup plan and was hoping for ideas. I think it would be a nice change to have an 8-5 job that I can leave and not think about while I'm home with my family. I am not sure about what the various jobs out there pay as I have not been paid an hourly salary for a very long time. I must say, my hospital pays excellent wages right now, but I think they are looking for ways to cut back on the pay and am worried that I will have to work even longer hours to make the same money. I will be going in for training very soon and will get a better feel for what is coming. Thanks again.
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