Posted: February 16th, 2006

The VLC talks with working grads

VLC: Where do you work as a medical transcriptionist and how long have you been there?
Linda: I live in San Antonio, Florida, about 30 miles north of Tampa, and 35 miles inland from the gulf. We moved here 11/22/2003, and I got into medical transcription so I could supplement my husband's retirement income. I also travel with my computer to northern Wisconsin for several months of the year, and am so glad this job can be portable!

VLC: Do you work at home or in an office?
Linda: I work from home, which I love, with my view of palm trees, our retirement golf community, and the occasional wildlife that walks through our yard. My original plan was to work about 20 hours a week, since I only needed to supplement our income. But the reality is that I work at least 35 hours because there is so much work available! I am one of approximately 15 independent contractors working for a transcription company that does work for my friend's company. Networking can be a great thing. I moved from Wisconsin and now work for a company in Cape Coral, Florida, transcribing for a client of a company in Wisconsin. I had the potential for employment before I even finished the transcription course because my friend had confidence in my abilities. I did still have to apply and get hired, but my employer is willing to give new grads a chance. She gives us in-house editing help when we are stumped, and we do not get penalized for leaving blanks. Better a blank than a bad guess! I was asked what hours worked for me, and she then worked with me to give me clients that fit my schedule preference. As much as I would like to have company benefits, I really prefer not working weekends and having a more flexible schedule.

VLC: What did you do before becoming an MT?
Linda: Living in Wisconsin, I was an RN for 25 years. I then worked with my husband in his art/custom framing gallery for 6 years. When he decided to retire, he gave me the business, which I ran until we decided it was time to move to our Florida retirement golf community and my "dream home."

VLC: Why did you decide to become an MT?
Linda: Knowing I needed to supplement our income, as I have a few years yet before I retire, I was telling a friend that we had bought our dream home in Florida and all I had to do was find a job that I could do from home, on my schedule. Another friend turned around and said he had just the job for me and asked when I could start. It turned out that he was working for a transcription company. I had never given it any thought before then. But I love working on the computer, and I wanted to work from home, and he wanted me right away! I went home and looked up medical transcription on the internet. I checked out a couple of sites, but VLC impressed me the most, especially with the little sample I could try out for only $20. I knew right away I could do this. I signed up, and have never regretted my choice of school or my third profession in life.

VLC: Which of the VLC medical transcription courses did you take?
Linda: I took what was called the Student Course because I knew I did not want to own a company, and I only wanted to work part time.

VLC: How long did it take you to complete it?
Linda: I hate to say I started 07/11/2003 and did not finish officially until 03/25/2005. But I was running a full-time business all alone, and I studied weekends. We moved in November, 2003. I needed to start work by January, and contacted my friend, even though I had not finished the course yet. He contacted one of his independent contractors who happened to be in South Florida. She sent me an e-mail with three voice files and told me to do the best I could. I must have done well enough for her to start me out, because she hired me. Networking is a great thing. I worked and continued the course in my spare time, finally completing it, much to my own satisfaction. That is not the school's recommended course of action, but it worked for me.

VLC: What did you enjoy most about the course?
Linda: The quick response from instructors and the prompt grading of lessons and tests. I was so impressed with the on-line school! The classes were clear, concise, and the program just flowed, without having to mail in tests and wait for a slow mail response.

VLC: Do you find the practice dictation is helping you in a real-work situation?
Linda: The variety of class dictation is a major plus, because the real world is full of difficult accents, background noise, poor quality of voice files, and people talking at the speed of light. I felt extremely well prepared for the work environment. Practice-practice-practice is what it takes to be able to handle the real working situations. I think what surprised me the most was that so many doctors speak so fast on their dictations. Some will spell difficult words or other doctor's names, but most don't give thought to the anonymous transcriber who has to search for accuracy.

VLC: Are you paid by the line or by the hour?
Linda: I am paid by the line.

VLC: Do you have any advice for anyone thinking of training to be an MT?
Linda: Try it! If you don't, you will always wonder "What if…" Where else can you learn a career that is this much fun at your own pace and have a flexible schedule and work from home! I have never regretted my decision, and truly love what I do. Remember that your education is ongoing, and give yourself time to grow in the profession. No one is expected to know everything all at once. Graduating from the course is just the start of things. Income and ability will improve with time and practice. Speed plus accuracy equals income, but I don't think anyone starts out at the top.

VLC: Do you have any advice on beneficial resources for new MTs?
Linda: The best resource at our fingertips is the internet. You can put a word or a phrase, even misspelled, into the browser and get answers. I have "Favorite" sites for drugs, procedures, a thesaurus, etc. It is faster than searching through a text book. Also, make use of the typing program provided with the course. I spent my two-week vacation "playing" with it, and increased my typing speed 20 wpm, which translates into more money.