Author Topic: I'm working towards a career change  (Read 9602 times)

Offline shortfiction

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I'm working towards a career change
« on: November 11, 2009, 01:47:53 am »
Almost nobody at my workplace knows about this.
I have been teaching college for 19 years but I am still part time.  It is exceedingly difficult to get an interview, let alone a full time position, in English these days.  The economy and being in Cali. don't help either.
I don't want to be PT the rest of my life.  It's too unstable and the pay is hourly. 
So....I have taken my mad skills in English and editing and have started medical transcription class.  First I took medical terminology.  I am also typing as quickly as I can but trying to be accurate as well.  Did you know that there are over 215,000 medical terms?  And they keep adding more! :o

It's hard, but I am going to keep at it.  It takes up to 1.5 years to get enough training to take the exam. 
 I hope to work with an agency or in-house to start.   

Just wanted to tell someone.

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Offline ZK

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2009, 06:10:32 am »

Good for you. I guess you are aware there are typing software programs which help develop your typing skills?
Wow 215,000 medical terms? that's a phenomenal amount! Now how many words are in the English language?
I think its great that you are looking at something different and the challenges that it brings.

I changed careers two years ago, doing something I never thought I would do, and I have never looked back. Love the job and the lifestyle




Offline Kelda

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2009, 09:19:58 am »
wow! Good luck with it all SF!
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2009, 09:45:51 am »
Good luck!

As an English teacher, you'll catch on quickly to the language, terminology, and usage. Heh, I went from writing history for a living to working as a proofreader and then an editor for a medical publisher.

I don't want to be discouraging, but I feel obliged to mention that in my current job (here on the East Coast), I have a teammate who spent many years as a medical transcriptionist--until the hospital where she worked outsourced her job to India!  :o  That said, I'm not really familiar with the field; perhaps there are opportunities with individual practices where that isn't a danger.
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Offline delalluvia

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2009, 01:16:36 pm »
Good luck!

As an English teacher, you'll catch on quickly to the language, terminology, and usage. Heh, I went from writing history for a living to working as a proofreader and then an editor for a medical publisher.

I don't want to be discouraging, but I feel obliged to mention that in my current job (here on the East Coast), I have a teammate who spent many years as a medical transcriptionist--until the hospital where she worked outsourced her job to India!  :o  That said, I'm not really familiar with the field; perhaps there are opportunities with individual practices where that isn't a danger.

OMG.  That sounds incredibly dangerous.  It's hard enough for transcriptionists whose first language is English to get the transcription right let alone other people not from the same country.

I was a weekend clerk for a medical transcription company while I went to college.  While incredibly convenient -  you can pretty much set your own hours and work from your own home - you also get paid by the volume of work you do so you might want to keep that in mind.  i.e. sometimes the work is slow and a Big Gun transcriptionist can come in and eat up all the work.  You're racing each other to get your numbers, so to speak.  Also, it - ah - takes a certain kind of person to be a transcriptionist. You might meet a strange new breed of people when/if you do become one.

All the transcriptionists keep medical dictionaries.  They don't expect you to know ALL of the terms.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2009, 11:50:56 pm by delalluvia »

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2009, 06:37:34 pm »
All the transcriptionists keep medical dictionaries.  They don't expect you to know ALL of the terms.

There are all kinds of medical dictionaries and word books out there. Dorland's Medical Dictionary is the standard where I work, but there are others. Plus, if you do this for a living, I think you might be able to deduct the purchase price as a business expense.  :D
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Offline shortfiction

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2009, 02:34:52 pm »
My teacher works for various medical groups from  home.  That might be the way to go.   
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Offline shortfiction

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2009, 02:55:13 pm »
Yes, I've heard about the outsourcing and the SR software issues as they relate to MT as well.  I will be sure to ask the teacher about it.  In the meantime, one of the training sites gives some good info:

http://www.tranzmed.com/Careers.html

Also, both Bush and Obama wanted computerized charting in place in all hospitals and medical offices, but this would cost $20 billion, and there are other controversies associated with the idea.   

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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2009, 03:17:44 pm »
Yes, I've heard about the outsourcing and the SR software issues as they relate to MT as well.  I will be sure to ask the teacher about it.  In the meantime, one of the training sites gives some good info:

http://www.tranzmed.com/Careers.html

Also, both Bush and Obama wanted computerized charting in place in all hospitals and medical offices, but this would cost $20 billion, and there are other controversies associated with the idea.   

Sounds to me like you're going into this with eyes wide open and well prepared. Good luck!  :D
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline shortfiction

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2010, 09:34:52 pm »
Well, one can become an  SRT editor---they are needed to clean up the mess that the computer makes.  So wouldn't it make sense for a doc just to use the Mt/editor in the first place?
Also, the EHR regs are so onerous that they may put off a lot of docs.

Until or unless the technology improves vastly, it looks like the human MTs are here for a while.
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Offline shortfiction

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2010, 07:20:16 pm »
I got the certificate--passed the final with 97%--and am working on specialities now.
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2010, 07:33:56 pm »
Yee-haw!! Great to hear, shorty!!
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Offline Kelda

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2010, 04:45:17 am »
great news!
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Offline shortfiction

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #13 on: June 23, 2010, 08:41:21 pm »
I just passed the Registered Medical Transcriptionist exam today, with a certification good for three years!
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Offline delalluvia

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #14 on: June 23, 2010, 09:26:15 pm »
Congrats!!!

Well, one can become an  SRT editor---they are needed to clean up the mess that the computer makes.  So wouldn't it make sense for a doc just to use the Mt/editor in the first place?
Also, the EHR regs are so onerous that they may put off a lot of docs.

Until or unless the technology improves vastly, it looks like the human MTs are here for a while.

I dunno.  My hospital uses the Dragon program - vocal recognition program - which transcribes directly.

http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/products/default.asp

I'm sure there are quirks in the system, but the doctors are relying on it more and more.  

Offline Kelda

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #15 on: June 25, 2010, 04:00:09 am »
I just passed the Registered Medical Transcriptionist exam today, with a certification good for three years!

well done!!
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Offline shortfiction

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #16 on: July 07, 2010, 05:13:16 pm »
Dragon N.S. is used by both doctors and transcriptionists.  It is good for saving time and the MT's hands, yet it's created a need for medical lang. specializiation and editing, and 60% of trans. in the US is still being done the conventional way.
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Offline Kelda

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #17 on: July 07, 2010, 05:21:17 pm »
lots of work for you then!
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Offline shortfiction

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #18 on: August 15, 2010, 11:12:19 pm »
I actually landed an interview at a pathology lab last week. They went with someone else, but it is encouraging to be called.
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Offline Lynne

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #19 on: August 15, 2010, 11:30:08 pm »
Congratulations on both the certification and the interview!  The job market is ridiculously tough right now, but from what I'm reading you will be well-positioned when thing do take as turn for the better.
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Offline Kelda

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #20 on: August 16, 2010, 04:24:31 am »
next time will be the charm shortfiction!
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Offline shortfiction

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #21 on: November 17, 2010, 10:52:16 pm »
I had five interviews in late summer.  Right now I am doing my regular work but intend to job hunt more vigorously in December.  I am also taking medical coding classes to broaden my possibilities.   
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Offline Kelda

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Re: I'm working towards a career change
« Reply #22 on: November 18, 2010, 04:04:44 pm »
fingers crossed. xxx
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