Upon completion of your medical transcriptionist training, the time has come to find a job. It is not easy for a new transcriptionist to find a company that will hire you fresh out of training, but it can be done with the right resources. There are, unfortunately, also plenty of scams related to this industry just waiting to take you for a ride. See below for some tips to keep in mind when searching for a job.
Job Descriptions. There are basically two types of medical transcriptionists in the world; employees and independent contractors, which means you are self-employed. Here are the differences between the two:
Employee. You are put on the company's payroll. This means you sign an application for employment, complete a W-4, and other necessary paperwork that makes you eligible to be an employee. You can work either part-time or full-time for the company (whatever you agree upon). Full-time employees usually have all the benefits that in-house employees enjoy, including vacation time, paid holidays, etc.
Independent Contractor. In this situation, you basically work for yourself, but contract with a company to work a set amount of hours or complete a set number of lines. You sign a contract that becomes binding. You usually have the option of working part-time or full-time, but do not enjoy paid time off. In this scenario, you are also responsible for your quarterly taxes paid to the IRS.
Finding a Job. Very few places will hire new MTs because they need people that are experienced and can come right in to help on their accounts. With new MTs, it takes time to review their work and give feedback, which most companies do not have the time to do. They work on a 24-hour turnaround time to keep their accounts in good status. Two national companies that are known to hire new MTs include:
- Spheris is said to hire new graduates from the Career Step training course. They hire employees only (not independent contractors) and have a fairly rigorous testing process.
- Medquist hires new graduates, but their beginner pay is very low. They, too, hire employees only. They are considered the biggest medical transcriptionist company in the world.
- You may also try to find a local medical transcriptions company or a new doctor's office and ask if they are interested in giving you a try.
- MTDaily.com has some good information on their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
Anywhere you apply, you can be sure that you will need to complete testing, go through a training process, and be on a probation period for about three months before they let you type dictations on your own. They have strict quality assurance procedures that must be followed in order to stay in good status with their accounts (doctor's offices and hospitals).
How to Tell a Scam
- A company wants you to pay them to come work for them (unless they supply you with a foot pedal, which usually happens on an independent contractor basis. But, the payment for the pedal is usually reimbursed back to you, once you have completed your probation period.)
- The company should be able to provide testimonies from current employees.
- A company that promises you will make a huge amount of money. The going rate for a beginner MT is between 0.06 and 0.07 a line (based on a 65 character line). The pay goes up with experience.
- The company has only a P.O. Box for an address, and will not give you an actual street address.
- A company tells you they will hire you without any experience. You cannot get a medical transcriptionist position without prior training. It just doesn't happen.
- Use your best judgment, ask questions, and if anything makes you suspicious about a company, it probably is a scam.
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