The VLC talks with working grads
VLC graduate Rachael Ratzlaff of Minnesota
VLC: Where do you work as a medical transcriptionist and how long have you been there?
Rachel: I work out of my home (in Minnesota) for Ascott Transcription Services, based out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They provide transcription for VA Hospitals in the Midwest, and one Air Force base in Alaska. I started working for them in April '03 as an independent contractor, and now I am working with them full-time as an employee.
VLC: Do you work at home or in an office?
Rachel: I work at home Tuesday to Saturday. I work 8 hours days - 40 hours a week. I picked my hours and days to work.
VLC: What did you do before becoming an MT?
Rachel: I had worked at a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, and then most recently at a clinic & hospital in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, both in the admissions/switchboard departments.
VLC: Why did you decide to become an MT?
Rachel: I had worked in the medical field for five years, but was tired of dealing with the politics of the workplace. I loved the medical field, however, so started looking into medical transcription. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for me, having had some experience with terminology, and loving computer work and paperwork.
VLC: Which of VLC medical transcription courses did you take?
Rachel: I took the (then) Professional Course.
VLC: How long did it take you to complete it?
Rachel: It took me about 14 months to complete. I also worked full-time while I took the course, took 1 full month off entirely, and moved to another state in the meantime as well.
VLC: Who was your instructor(s)?
Rachel: Carol, Sheila, and Bev.
VLC: What did you enjoy most about the course?
Rachel: I enjoyed both learning the terminology and the transcription practice.
VLC: Do you find the practice tapes are helping you in a real-work situation?
Rachel: Definitely. Actually, I think that some of it was actually worse than what I work on now, which prepared me for the worst of the worst. It definitely boosts your confidence when testing with companies, and for "real" work, to know that you have heard worse, and have worked through it before.
VLC: How did you go about applying for jobs?
Rachel: I applied over the Internet with any transcription companies I found online, through the company database book that VLC has with the course, and from advertisements I had seen in magazines. Since there were so many companies that I applied to, I had to keep a list of who I applied with, tested with, etc. It helped in follow-up as well.
VLC: How long did it take you to find a job?
Rachel: I applied for one month before I got hired. I sent out applications/resumes to anyone and everyone (over 100) during that time, and kept following up. The interesting thing I found was that I was getting interested companies long after I was hired with Ascott. I kept having to remind myself that I was not the only one looking for a job, and that potential employers had to probably search through hundreds of other applicants like myself.
VLC: Are you paid by the line or by the hour?
Rachel: I am paid by the line.
VLC: Do you have any advice for anyone thinking of training to be an MT?
Rachel: From my perspective, this has been the best career change! I absolutely love it! My advice for anyone thinking of training would be to see if this is something that you would like to do long-term before you go through all of the training. Ask yourself if you like to do paperwork/computer work? Do you like working with others, or would you be able to stay at home all day by yourself? If you like people, you may want to think about work in an office/hospital setting. If you have children, are you able to establish work time without interruptions if working at home? Do you like doing research? Those are just some of the questions, but there are many more. I have found this to be the best career, and often wonder why I didn't get training sooner. You probably will not start making a whole lot of money at first, but the pay off in the end is great.
