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#99328 - 06/03/08 10:41 AM
Is it worth it? Just curious.
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lilyfish
New Member
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 3
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Is it worth it for me to currently start schooling for medical transcription? My boyfriend says that voice to text technology is advancing so rapidly that by the time I finish school, no one will need my work. :/ Can someone please confirm or deny this for me... is it really worth it for me to blow $3500 on everything I need from M-TEC only to not get a job at the end?
Thanks in advance..
-Jena
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#99329 - 06/03/08 11:02 AM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: lilyfish]
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tropsicleAfter
Member
Registered: 10/30/06
Posts: 2431
Loc: (moving to) Vicksburg, MS
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Jena, I don't believe any of us are qualified to know the future, but I do have a couple of observations for you to consider.
Your boyfriend is probably wrong. They have been working on various methods of voice-to-text for a couple of decades now, at least, and anyone here who works with SRT can tell you it is far from perfect. As well, many threads here in various forums of this board address your same concerns, and the overall impression is that MTs will always be needed in some form or another.
Your question is posed with your bias already built in. I you phrase the question as whether it is worth it to blow the money, then you seem to have already made up your mind.
M-Tec and Andrews are the two schools that all-but guarantee getting a job at the end, so that part of your question is false.
I'm a guy, and honestly, it sounds to me as if your boyfriend is trying to hold you back. Does he offer you other, more sure-fire options? What does he base his proclamation about voice recognition, and the timing, on? Is he high up in that industry or does he just consider himself well-read?
_________________________
tropsicle
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#99338 - 06/03/08 01:00 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: tropsicleAfter]
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bippy
Member
Registered: 11/01/06
Posts: 452
Loc: Summerland.
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Your boyfriend is waaaay off on this one. I do some ASR reports and I have seen 1 or 2 good ones, and the rest are a jumbled mess. Even the docs who speak clearly make mistakes that we have to catch, plus all the words that sound alike--yeesh. These reports have to be as accurate as possible. Maybe the voice-to-text can work for some office settings but it is a long way from taking my job.
Go to M-TEC. You won't regret it.
_________________________
Love my new house!
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#99353 - 06/03/08 03:25 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: bippy]
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mainely mt
Member
Registered: 02/15/02
Posts: 351
Loc: maine
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I agree with Bippy. I've been doing voice recognition editing for well over a year and a half now, and there is a lot of correction involved, which is based a lot on the dictator's enunciation. We all know how bad some of them can be! Things are changing in the MT world, but I believe a lot of it is for the better. That does not mean it is going to take the need for good qualified transcriptionists away. If anything, the need will be greater in order to assist the voice recognition programs in doing their job, because they are a long way from taking over for us. The bloopers alone show that!
_________________________
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
Helen Keller
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#99364 - 06/03/08 05:15 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: mainely mt]
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TJill
Junior Member
Registered: 04/03/08
Posts: 27
Loc: New York, NY
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In order for voice recognition programs to not have the need for an MT to edit them, science will have to create near perfect artificial intelligence, meaning a computer that can think like a human; software that performs like an exact replica of the human brain and to program it with years and years of MT experience. They have not created artificial intelligence yet for any industry like this and may never be able to do it (at least not in our lifetimes). Perhaps even creating artificial intelligence like this could be dangerous to humankind and should be avoided. (Think of SciFi movies where the computers "take over" because they can think.)
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TJill
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#99379 - 06/03/08 06:42 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: mainely mt]
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lilyfish
New Member
Registered: 04/08/08
Posts: 3
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I agree with Bippy. I've been doing voice recognition editing for well over a year and a half now, and there is a lot of correction involved, which is based a lot on the dictator's enunciation.
Yeah, that's the thing. I did law enforcement transcription for a Sheriff's Department for awhile back in the day, and simply interpreting some of unintelligible mushmouthed prattling of these fellas was far harder than the typing involved. Also, I have a friend with MS who uses voice-to-text to talk to me, as his hands are too weak to type.. and I can never understand what on earth he is saying.
Thank you very much for your encouraging words, my friends. That's more or less what I figured, but I thought it would be wisest for me to get my information from the pros first! 
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#99384 - 06/03/08 07:25 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: lilyfish]
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haggis
Member
Registered: 04/29/04
Posts: 2630
Loc: Left Coast, FL
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IMHO, SR may indeed suck, but it's taking over--and the former MTs being squeezed into "editing" positions with it are finding their pay cut at least in half, and often for doing almost as much work and with their minimum production quotas doubled.
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#99390 - 06/03/08 09:01 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: haggis]
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FarAwayDeb
Member
Registered: 03/15/02
Posts: 2822
Loc: just south of Rochester, NY
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IMHO, SR may indeed suck, but it's taking over--and the former MTs being squeezed into "editing" positions with it are finding their pay cut at least in half, and often for doing almost as much work and with their minimum production quotas doubled.
I was wondering why nobody mentioned that! Considering that some of the SR is so bad that people almost have to retype it from scratch, and considering the low wages that are being offered for SR work, if I wasn't already in the MT business, I wouldn't consider entering it now. And that's what I tell people when they ask me.
_________________________
Good grammar ain't easy.
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#99424 - 06/04/08 07:15 AM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: FarAwayDeb]
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mainely mt
Member
Registered: 02/15/02
Posts: 351
Loc: maine
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When I started doing SR, there was a pay cut of 25% involved, but I have found that I can make about 1/3 to 1/2 more pay than I could doing regular transcription. It's true there are some days where I would rather just do the whole report over because there is so much editing, but for the most part it is a lot easier to do (for me) than regular transcription. One of the things my company does is try to work with the dictator on "best dictation practices" so that the end product is much easier to attain on our end of things. It doesn't always work, but most times the dictator wants to have a quality document, and will take that extra minute or so to speak louder or speak a little clearer. Contrary to popular opinion, you can teach an old dog new tricks at times!
I think one of the largest problems is the companies that do squeeze their employees into these editing positions with drastic pay cuts, and then just let them deal with whatever comes in. They don't seem to care what goes on as long as they get their money, and that right there is what makes so much of this business a sweat shop. I've only been an MT for 6-1/2 years, but in just that short a time I've seen major changes; some are good, others are definitely not. Even so, there are still some excellent companies out there that know how to treat their employees. In the long run I believe these will be the ones to survive this mess because their employees will want to be part of the team, as opposed to the companies that suck their employees dry and expect them to perform top-notch work with inferior standards and/or platforms, all the while managing to make these people think they can't find anything better.
Anyway, sorry for the soapbox...I just get annoyed at the nature of this business sometimes! If I had it to do over again, would I? Knowing what I know now, I think I would, because it is possible to get a good job (though not as good as the heyday). My favorite part of being an MT though, is the close-knit community we have here, where we give each other advice and support. Maybe I live in a sheltered world, but I don't think there is really another group quite like this one, and that alone makes all the headaches worthwhile.
_________________________
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
Helen Keller
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#104333 - 07/20/08 03:38 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: lilyfish]
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NCS
New Member
Registered: 07/20/08
Posts: 4
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Hi
If this is what you truly desire, don't let anyone hold you back! None of us know the future, so hang on to your dreams. I am currently a MT student and the program and faculty are absolutely amazing. Check out the website and see what I mean. Also, visit myspacepage if you like.
Good luck!
Nancy
MT student
http://www.mtworkathome.com
http://www.myspacepage.com/stlerz
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#104334 - 07/20/08 03:58 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: NCS]
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tropsicleAfter
Member
Registered: 10/30/06
Posts: 2431
Loc: (moving to) Vicksburg, MS
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LOL
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tropsicle
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#104335 - 07/20/08 03:59 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: NCS]
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haggis
Member
Registered: 04/29/04
Posts: 2630
Loc: Left Coast, FL
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Criminy. MTACKY is back at the spammage?
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#104338 - 07/20/08 04:57 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: haggis]
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FarAwayDeb
Member
Registered: 03/15/02
Posts: 2822
Loc: just south of Rochester, NY
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Criminy. MTACKY is back at the spammage?
Actually, yes. Direct from the link in Nancy's post:
we’ve only found ONE school that incorporates this in their curriculum. (www.mtacc.net)
MTACKY returns! 
_________________________
Good grammar ain't easy.
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#104339 - 07/20/08 04:59 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: FarAwayDeb]
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haggis
Member
Registered: 04/29/04
Posts: 2630
Loc: Left Coast, FL
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Dang. PT Barnum was right.
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#104340 - 07/20/08 05:04 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: haggis]
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HoosierFemme
Member
Registered: 09/28/05
Posts: 1132
Loc: Parisian suburbs, France
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"So you want to work from home."
Yeah, THAT should be your top reason for choosing MT.  "I want to work from home. MTs work from home. Hmmmm. I think I'll be an MT!"
It's been said here before, but good grief, if your PRIMARY motivation is to work from home, then go sell Avon or something! Nothing against that--my mother had a very profitable Avon business for years. Even then, she did it because she wanted to do it and enjoyed it, not because it allowed her to work from home. That was just a PERK.
Don't get me started on typing versus transcribing. 
I don't want to discourage anyone from investigating whether MT is for them or not. Just please don't relegate this challenging, knowledge-intensive, worthy field to tapping a few keys while you sit at home in your PJs with your kids crawling on your lap.
 I'm done. Who wants to use it next? 
_________________________
The French motto is "Liberté, Egalité, and Get Out of My Way." English author Stephen Clarke
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#104358 - 07/20/08 07:08 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: HoosierFemme]
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Endiqua
Member
Registered: 04/28/05
Posts: 3468
Loc: At the computer - where else?
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Well, I'll take it for a second.
*ahem*
I had heard in the past that students of this particular institution were actually being compensated for posting what amounts to advertisements.
Some things to keep in mind:
1. A student cannot judge the quality of their education until they have graduated and put it to work.
2. It is not a good idea to take advice from someone who will benefit financially from steering one in a particular direction. (IOW, never ask a car salesman for advice on how to repair your old vehicle.)
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#104367 - 07/20/08 08:18 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: Endiqua]
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BlankKeys
Member
Registered: 04/09/08
Posts: 610
Loc: New York
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I wish I had a dime for everytime someone has told me that their daughter, sister-in-law, or neighbor wants to get into the MT field (again, so they can work at home  ). Then they'll ask me what kind of training is needed. When I talk about things like anatomy and medical terminology they invariably say "Oh, you have to know that?"
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#104368 - 07/20/08 08:32 PM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: BlankKeys]
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idnar
New Member
Registered: 07/16/08
Posts: 13
Loc: Southwestern Ohio
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I attended a college and obtained actual college credits for my certificate. I also went on and got my associate degree. In order to be a good MT, you have to know medical terminology, pharmacology, anatomy, the basics about lab tests and so much more. I do this because I love the medical field and I love the fact that I learn something new everyday. If you love to learn and have a genuine interest in medicine, then go for it.
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#104400 - 07/21/08 03:40 AM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: idnar]
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HoosierFemme
Member
Registered: 09/28/05
Posts: 1132
Loc: Parisian suburbs, France
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I attended a college and obtained actual college credits for my certificate. I also went on and got my associate degree. In order to be a good MT, you have to know medical terminology, pharmacology, anatomy, the basics about lab tests and so much more. I do this because I love the medical field and I love the fact that I learn something new everyday. If you love to learn and have a genuine interest in medicine, then go for it.
Well said, Idnar. This is why you should consider MT.
_________________________
The French motto is "Liberté, Egalité, and Get Out of My Way." English author Stephen Clarke
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#104414 - 07/21/08 11:04 AM
Re: Is it worth it? Just curious.
[Re: idnar]
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amfitz
New Member
Registered: 12/10/07
Posts: 9
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I do this because I love the medical field and I love the fact that I learn something new everyday. If you love to learn and have a genuine interest in medicine, then go for it.
I do this because I too have always been interested in the medical field. I assumed that played a huge part in every one's reasoning when choosing this career. However, as I read posts on my school's forum, I noticed that a lot of people seemed to have absolutely no interest in or previous knowledge of anything medical. I did a poll asking if people signed up for the course because they had always had an interest in medicine or if their primary reason for becoming an MT was so they could work at home. To my dismay the answers were about 50/50.
I have also seen posts by stay at home moms (I am one, so I am not in any way criticizing sahms) whose husbands make plenty of money to support their family, their kids are taking piano lessons, karate lessons, swimming lessons, etc. The woman does not need to make any money, so she chooses MT so she can make a little "mad money" on the side. Don't choose MT for this reason either. This is a serious career, and like any other job you have to commit to time and/or line commitments, and you will never get good at it if you don't take it seriously.
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