A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Another career, another job.

Posted: May 4, 2015

Just curious! How many of you have ditched the MT world and started a new career or ventured out into a brand new job? If so, what are you doing now and are you glad you changed careers/jobs? :)

;

Career - Well ...

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First thing I would if I gave up on being an MT would be that I would no longer have any use for reading this site!

In touch - declasse

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LOL, yeah, but a lot of MTs actually stay in touch on here even after they broaden their horizons.......:) Thanks for responding!

I started doing GT transcription. sm - anon

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It's less stress and most of it is pretty interesting. I've thought about getting back into MT, occasionally apply for MT, then change my mind. It's a shame to let the MT skills fade, especially medical terminology, but the stress involved for the pay isn't worth it for me. I find my schedule to be much more flexible and if I apply myself I can make pretty decent money.

May I ask what GT transcription is - ??? n/m

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x

GT Transcription - LinK

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I also do GT transcription on the side. It's General Transcription which can be transcribing a large array of subjects some one-on-one interviews, focus groups, etc. I think it's harder than MT, but it's a change and the pay can be quite good depending on your experience and the company you work for. They are very flexible. I work whenever I want when there's work. I can either accept it or say no thank you, no questions asked.

Coding, then RHIA. Best decision I ever made. - Yes, thrilled with it. nm

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NM

Coding - declasse

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Hey, did you know that coding has been using CAC (computer-assisted coding) for a few years now and it is taking all the coders' jobs? They are more or less heading down the same road as us MTs, unfortunately! :( Look it up on VR/Speech Recognition on this site. I find that it is hard to get a job outside the MT field if you have been in it many years.....:( I feel stuck!

I felt stuck too - Getting Out

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I thought I would never get out of MT, having been in it for 30+ years and working from home for the last 16, but I started applying for a state job, and through what I totally believe was Divine Intervention, I got a job at the Division of Highways in my state, starting out as a temp (office assistant) with no benefits but with the probable potential (unless something crazy happens) of transitioning quickly (a couple of months) to a permanent full-time job with benefits, with further potential of another promotion towards the end of the year.
I haven't started yet because my paperwork is being processed, which can take up to 6 weeks (it's been almost 4 so far) but I've already given my notice, telling my supervisor that it could be 2 to 6 weeks before I actually start.
So, it is possible to get out of MT, even at age 52 (almost 53)! Don't give up.

Getting out - declasse

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I am trying to keep my chin up, but I am hurting financially, may be getting evicted because I can't pay my rent. Barely making minimum wage in this career more than sucks! I truly believe in Divine Intervention, but here lately my faith has been very low.........:( I live by myself, so it becomes harder and harder paying everything, and my rent just went up too! Great! Anyway, I wish you many blessings and thanks for the inspiration! ;)

Coding - FormerMT

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Just recently started a job at a surgeon's office being a scribe. Love the job but part of it is the coding. The software I use when I input the notes "reads" the notes and the CPT and ICD-9 codes "pop up" automatically according to what is transcribed. So, yes, I would have to agree that the coder may be going the way of the transcriptionist.

Sorry, but that is not the coding I do. - Coder

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Sorry, but you are way off target and misleading others. Because you don't know what coding is, you think that what you see at that office that "pops up" the codes is "coding." It absolutely is not. That is NOT my job.

First, that is NOT taking away coding jobs because offices like that have been "coding" that way since forever, only using paper lists of diagnoses and codes called charge tickets. The doctor checks/ed off diagnoses and procedures on the sheet and some clerical worker created a bill from it. People in offices often think that is "coding" because it involves some codes, but it bears little resemblance to what I do for a living. It is simply not coding.

Second, there is a lot more to coding than what your software does, just as there is a lot more to healthcare than what some piddly office does. Some of it involves how the documentation is written. Some of it involves very complex rules and algorithms.

Third, associating words with codes is only part of it. There are also many jobs in health information management that require coding skills but are not front-line coding. More open up every year. It is not a field like MT, where there is no job to turn to.

Fourth, you seem to have missed the point that A CODER is behind the coding in that software. Also the fact that some point g A CODING CONSULTANT is going to have to review your coding and billing for compliance purposes. Also the fact that Medicare and insurer CODING AUDITORS are looking at your bills and can make your life unpleasant and even shut down your practice.

Nope, my job is not going anywhere because I do more than blindly plop codes on hills in a doctor's office. Which is why I get paid way more than you do.

response to Sorry, but that is not the coding I do. - Coder - student

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Hello! I am not a coder yet (although I do agree coding is not going away anytime soon )but do you think the "software" the OP is speaking of is physician practice computer assisted coding? Even if that is the case, shouldn't a certified coder being reviewing and dropping those accounts?

Yes, that is what it is. - Coder

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Yes, that's what it is. It is software programmed to burp up 401.9 every time it sees the word hypertension or 99213 every time it sees 3 diagnoses and x number of clicks in a PE.

The problem is that practices believe it is correct. It looks fine to them, because they can't code. They THINK they can because people usually don't know what they don't know. They aren't aware that there even IS anything to know. Physicians tend to have boundless confidence in their own knowledge. (Like some of them are spelling and punctuation experts ... same thing.)

Should a professional coder be reviewing it? It would be in a facility setting, but not necessarily on each claim. The review would be in the form of periodic audits followed by provider training.

In a small office, the coding should be reviewed periodically by an outside auditor or consultant. Offices that do not do this are in for unhappy surprises when Medicare discovers things that "interest" them. They look for statistical probabilities, then investigate. Offices that do not use professional coder review and training can't even point to the coder consultant as evidence that they tried to do things correctly. Things go worse for them.

Right now, Medicare is discovering all sorts of displeasing things that EHRs are doing.

You would not want a job reviewing every claim in an office like that because what they do is very repetitive. You would go out of your mind in a week. They could not afford to pay you what you are worth, either.

Hey, did you know that is not true? - SM

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Hey, did you know that CAC doesn't actually replace coders?

What you said is incorrect, and would be impossible for several reasons. You do not understand what you are talking about, unfortunately.

I did not have much difficulty finding a job outside MT.

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