Sooner or later, we, medical transcriptionists reach a saturation point and start feeling that life has got stagnant. There is no room for creativity or rarely any chance to move to the upper corporate echelons of the company we work for. You begin as a typist, continue as a typist, and end as a typist. There won’t be any appreciation for whatever sincere dedicated effort that you may put into this job. Life starts becoming boring. With the revolution taking place in the healthcare documentation space, human element in producing a document has come down; hence the income too starts dwindling with the days passing by, as the payment is purely based on your productivity, i.e., the number of lines you produce a day. Yes, medical transcription is not a secured job as you get aged but a do or die job. At this stage, we start looking at other possible avenues to make a living, first part time and then to convert it into a full-time activity. We regret for having chosen a career that we are not passionate about but purely for the reason of convenience, having the work-at-home option. The situation is no different both onshore and offshore as far as I know. I too am in a similar situation, and that is why I started this blog.
As such, interestingly one of the readers who stumbled on this blog sent me an interesting mail last week through the contact form seeking guidance on medical transcription career after retirement. I am reproducing it here with his permission.
I am Bryant. I am from the US, 52-year-old man that is working in Afghanistan. My entire career up to this point has been defense related electronics.
I’m sure you know that defense and travel go hand-in-hand. I have about 45 countries under my belt for travel. I am interested in retiring to Thailand.
I still want to work after I leave here, but in a semi-retired status. I don’t want to travel so much anymore, because that usually means being somewhere I don’t want to be.
So I have stumbled upon your current career of MT. My questions to you are:
- Would companies be reluctant to hire me at my age? I want to work from Thailand, but I would need a year or two at a company to get some experience.
- What schools do you recommend that are online, and would a degree in this field open more doors, or is a certification enough?
- Is the demand out there that would justify my time and expense for what I want to do?
Any info is much appreciated and I have bookmarked your blog.
Had this question been put forward even some four-five years back, I would have nodded yes for a medical transcription career after retirement and would have guided him accordingly. However, at this point in time, it is a definitive NO and replied him as below.
I am happy that I could help you. You have knocked the right door as well.
However, here is the bitter truth: MT is a sunset industry with EMRs taking away the jobs of MTs, both offshore as well as onshore MTs. I discussed this a couple of years ago about how EMR is going to affect the medical transcription industry. The situation is no different now that either medical transcription industry has an uncertain future or demise in the recent future!
The pay rates too have come down heavily from 22 cents a line when I started this career to now about 2 to 3 cents a line.
Hence, being a US citizen, I would suggest you to take up something like virtual assistance, charging anything from $20 to $50 an hour depending on your skills. I do not have full information regarding that, however. You may search Google for more information on this and could then make a decision.
Also I would like to let you know that medical coding with an average annual salary of $46,800 is definitely a better option than medical transcription! You may find how to get on to that trade by Googling yourself.
So, what alternative career options do we medical transcriptionists have? I remember sometime back we had another MT, Kathy Nicholls touching on this subject but couldn’t end on a definitive note.
Hence for Bryant’s further query “Do you think there would be any resistance to someone doing coding as an independent contractor working at another country?” I couldn’t actually guide him, and conveyed my inability to describe the nature of work in medical billing and coding due to lack of knowledge on the subject, and even my desire for an alternative career, and that I too am on the brink of a career change!
So, together we came to a conclusion to put these questions to the readers of this blog, who are into medical transcription:
Here are the questions for you:
- Do you think virtual assistance and medical billing and coding would be an alternative viable option for medical transcriptionists?
- Apart from these, what other alternative career choices do medical transcriptionists have?
- What career choice would you suggest for a veteran like Bryant who want to start from scratch and want to work from home on a computer and Internet? (Of course, the paychecks should be decent and not underpaid as we have ended now in medical transcription!)
Substantiate your answers from where to begin with sitting at home to pursuing training online to finding a remunerative job online. Your answer is definitely going to be a turning point for many MTs and for our friend Bryant.
Medical coding is a better option than medical transcription both in terms of productivity and pay. There is also good demand for medical coders right now.
Simply said, medical coding is just assigning code numbers to each and every disease/diagnosis/procedure for easy handling of documents for insurance companies.
Medical billing and coding go hand on hand. Online medical coding and billing training programs are available for becoming a Registered Medical Coder. Inquire the reliability of a particular course on online forums/with friends before enrolling into one and if the trainers could actually help you find a job. As of now you don’t need a certification to be a medical coder, however, but it would be easy for one to find a job with a certificate.
With cost of living in Thailand in terms of USD (1 USD = 31 Thai Baht) being very much less than back at home even an annual income of $30000 should be more than enough to lead a lavish lifestyle!
Do not go into medical coding and billing! I have a friend who was a medical transcriptionist until she was laid off a few years ago due to voice recognition. She went through the Billing and Coding program, only to discover that she can’t find a job in that either because employers are wanting people with several years of experience. I don’t know what to suggest. I’m still trying to find another occupation, too.
Yep. Fact of the day contradictory to Akhilan’s statement. Experience matters everywhere and don’t know how to skew ourselves in any job without any experience.
Wish you good luck Leslie. Kindly let us know too what you choose.
Here is my two cents:
1.) Online tutoring. How about getting associated with a virtual tutoring site?
2.) Raj, do you remember once you wrote about buying an established affiliate marketing website for passive income? Why not revisit that thought again?
Interesting! Two noteworthy propositions. Yeah, it’s time that I should think about the second one again.
It’s a huge cop out and excuse to say you must have experience with a warning to not enter that field.
My wife has been in medical transcription for over 20 years and had to reinvent herself numerous times but always worked. The industry has changed and there are plenty of openings for entry level personnel in MT and coding. Coding however is the new frontier. And Ms. Nichols at MT Tools is very good and has great advice but she is also selling a course in coding which is not cheap. She is encouraging encoding and offering a paid course. Perform your due diligence before leaping. An alternative is finding a current self-study book for encoding at Amazon. i.e. Step-by-Step Medical Coding 2012 Edition, 1e
Negative talk poisons the discussion pool. If you want something bad enough the get out there and do it. Stop with the excuses. Unless your an expert quit giving advice to not do things.
I am a CPA/MBA and Microsoft Systems Engineer with years or hiring and management experience. I have business consulting experience of over 30 years. Don’t discourage people, but show them valid alternatives on topics you know something about. (This is not for the site owner here but minions who comment)
And…I have over 20 affiliate marketing sites and if you think that’s an easy alternative than you’re sadly mistaken. I would recommend doing it but don’t quit your day job and shoot for 10 good quality websites on subjects you are interested in.
However, be prepared to work hard, wear many hats and learn copywriting, SEO, web building, keyword search, domain purchasing, finding a good site host…………Yes, you can do this but you won’t be sitting on the beach while you earn millions in passive income.
Or, switch to learning encoding, master it and find a job. On the side you can then use ODesk and put your resume out there to seek contract jobs.
Here’s an acronym to success – G.O.Y.A
“Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it.”
Thank you! You have given great information. I am hoping to get a few tips. I am currently temporarily disabled and hoping to find a Surgeon who can fix my back, hip, and leg pain. I have had two surgeries so far. The last one messed up and retired. Medical malpractice lawyers claimed it would be too hard to prove. Even though he went in the wrong part of my body, screws placed wrong, and a few other things. Anyways long story short it is very slim chance we will find a Surgeon that does revisions and the surgery is expected to give me 20-30% relief. So I will have struggles walking and standing and still need my wheelchair. I am a single mom and I wanted to get into MT but now I am interested in medical coding. I just want to work. So what jobs would you reccomened someone like me who would need to pick a career and get training or schooling. What ones are in high demand and will still be in high demand 5-10 years from now in your opinion? What are all my options for working from home all or 50 % of the time? Thank you for any input.
Hi,
I have nearly 14 years of experience as a medical transcriptionist. How is Google glass technology or EMR going to affect the medical transcriptionists? Is there any other alternative career that medical transcriptionists can pursue w.r.t. earning a passive income like Don Bistrow commented? If so, please keep me informed. Thank you.
We discussed long back how EMR could disrupt the trade of MTs here, and yes, it became real as we feared. As MTs have multiple skills, virtual assistance could be a trade that can be tried but it’s not a passive source of income anyway. Lemme me know if you come across any passive income idea.
I have transcribed for many years, actually going to school and obtaining an Associate’s Degree from my community college way back when. Wow, I now see the errors of my ways. While I have been an MT for a very long time and greatly enjoyed being able to work from home while my children were young, the time when I needed my hospital/employer to stand by me and as I also had helped the institution grow and thrive, just like nurses and other hospital executives, who, needless to say, did not lose their jobs, all I and my fellow transcriptionists received was a good swift boot out the door to an MTSO, (while the higher ups turned their heads and not once even thanked us) with the MTSO owner lying between her teeth from day #1, including on her maiden voyage to our hospital to convince us it was going to be SO MUCH BETTER working for her company and, the sad part, we all fell for it because we did not know such companies existed!!!! It still breaks my heart to see what is happening in this field, to me and others, as I am still in the work force. I cannot for the life of me understand how a job description that was once so focused on strict attention to detail, accuracy and always adhering to the MT Bible, the MT Book of Style, has now been replaced so flippantly by voice recognition (which I have had the unfortunate task of being involved with, which includes drastically reduced line pay and actually taking longer to complete than typing straight dictations, trying to figure out a “voice-recognized mess”. The MTSO companies, with many employees offshore in other countries, only desire is to turn the surviving MT populous into slaves . . . needing no reason to demean, dismiss and turn our once respected and loved positions into just a job which apparently anyone off the street can do, if you look at our now minimal-wage salaries. I once made between 50,000 to 60,000 yearly and now lucky to make minimum wage, if there is any work that is). I feel so very sorry for all those out there who feel “trapped” like me, too old to go back to school and get the on-the-job experience we need to actually secure a job . . . a very uncomfortable place when one finds herself at the big 60. I just want to encourage anyone who is possibly considering this career to think twice. While there are still many companies out there encouraging you to take their courses to become a happily, very well-paid MT, all while working in the comfort of your home in your PJs, please don’t fall for their propaganda . . . all they are promoting is an outright “lie”. I know technology is bound to evolve, but this is just one field where I feel many medical facilities have turned a blind eye to, ,willing to sacrifice correct, accurate records from their own staff who are always more familiar with the facilities’ docs, geographical data, etc., which always enhances accuracy, just to save the almighty dollar. So sad . . . and, not to mention, scary for any patient . . .
Hi Folks!
I have been a medical transcriptionist for nearly 15 years. Went through a training program and was absorbed by the same company into production in 1999. Looking back, I felt I had reached the summit of my career and really achieved something with my skills. But slowly the MT industry has reached a plateau. I then joined a course in medical coding through AAPC and I am now a certified COC. Coding is doing great now and would suggest you join a coding training course through an authentic source and become a successful coder!
Yes it is true that experience matters in coding. But that be gained by working for a lower salary initally. Just 2-3 years experience in medical coding will allow you to climb ladders as there is great demand right now due to ICD-9 -ICD-10 transition.
Would recommend to you folks, that anyone with avid interest, great focus and concentration can master coding.
Good Luck!!
Hi…..would like to know good institutes for coding if you can provide….every institute boasts, but only we come to know their real faces once we lose money and time….
Don’t pay for billing and coding courses. Look out for companies that offer stipend during training and offer to absorb you into production once you’ve finished the course.
At least that is what I did rather than going for a paid course when I entered medical transcription.
Can you suggest better coding institute in pune for better and secured future
From my personal experience I would NOT suggest anybody to opt medical transcription as a career. After 10 years of working as an MT, QA, Editor in this field I am still being treated as a fresher in other fields. I would appreciate if anybody could please guide me any alternative job rather than MT where I could utilize my skills. Thanks….
MT will be MT till he/she goes into grave, it’s one way traffic.
Please suggest about future of medical billing/coding. Is it a good alternative option for MTs?
No, it is not. All we have to do is TRY. It is not surprising to see the same question from as far back as 2004 to as recent as 2018. I have seen that everyone who had the courage to quit this industry and seriously “try” anything else has succeeded in doing so. Sooner that you do this the better. I am from India, right now in Chennai. I have worked in this field from December 1997 till about a year ago June 20, 2017 to be precise. That is when I decided to quit after a long winding career of 20 years. I agree it has been a dead field since one of the sub-vendors quoted 1 cent per line way back in 2000 and the rest is history. One question that always is in the minds of all the MTs who want to break the shackles of the mess that we are into is, what would be the best alternative industry to work for where you could carry forward if not all at least some of the expertise you gained in MT career, where you could also earn and make a decent living without compromising on the current standards of living, disturbing the financial commitments that you have. I got this idea of starting a coaching center where I can teach spoken English/communication skills to the millions of youth who are entering the job pool each year but are unemployable as they lack the basic communication skills/knowledge of English. I started Acquire Job Skills, (first I had planned to start a MT/Coding/Billing training center as well, which I realized will not work out and I don’t offer MT training anymore though I am the best trainer in MT you can think of and even if I did I gave them the clear picture of the MT industry and what they can expect of it) then I stumbled upon lot of requirement for IELTS training. I did some research (googled LOL) and found that there is huge demand for IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam conducted by British Council for immigrants planning to work or study abroad (U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K. etc) (similar to TOEFL which is preferred in the US and PTE in Australia) and being an IELTS trainer is the only job where you can carry forward all your skills that we so painstakingly gained over decades (editing, proof reading, English grammar, vocabulary, and not to forget those idioms and phrases LOL and teaching/mentoring) sans all the hype or pressure of turnaround time/bad QA scores, audits, losing DSP status, CPSE errors and other dreaded/nightmarish things. I designed my own methodology based on my understanding of the exam pattern and have been fairly successful in training dozens of IELTS aspirants and some of them got over a seven band score at their first attempt (which is considered a big deal). After one year (and a bit of struggle in the beginning months – teething trouble) I also earn the same amount that I used to earn as a operations manager for an MTSO (which was my last job). Now I plan to start 500 (at least branches/franchisees) of this business model which in my humble opinion and experience is the best alternative to MT career or a post retirement plan for so many other similar careers for those who have 15+ years of experience. With the permission of the site’s owner Rajn, may I propose anyone willing to join me I will be more than willing to guide/mentor/coach you and handhold you in professionally setting up and succeeding in this career(business) as an IELTS trainer as I have done so successfully and am confident of replicating it for my MT fraternity(for the lack of better word) or should I say MT friends/family. You can contact me via my website (https://acquirejobskills.business.site) for further queries and a presentation if you are seriously contemplating to quit MT industry(no matter which part of the world you are in) and pursue an alternative career, which is why you have come thus far down the comment and reading it till now. Of course, you must be passionate about teaching and talking. Cheers!
Medical Transcription is one of the worst field in the world. Really, I regret everyday of choosing a very bad career and I promise will not suggest anybody to come to this field. Having 16+ years of experience, even today I still struggle to earn 15000 every month, even a daily labor is earning more salary than what I am earning. Really, a very bad field.
As a medical transcriptionist for 14 years, I am to feel like this. One day I am sitting silently and think what to do next, I feel my hidden talent and started doing that. My only suggestion is to find your hidden talent. You are 100% safe and satisfied with your talent… Best of luck… Be happy… No confusion anymore. Where there’s will there’s a way…
Hello, I am a disabled mature female currently in the process of researching material to enrol as a medical transcriptionist. I am not needing full salary, rather enhance my existing fixed income for the time being. I am, however, researching what transferable skills would enhance my ability to seek at home based employment. As well, which schools are most recommended. My current application is with Canscribe Career College in British Columbia Canada.