Medical Transcription? Career Step? WAHM?

Updated on June 19, 2013
J.G. asks from Minneapolis, MN
9 answers

So my husband and I are buying a house that's going to make things tight for a little while. Well, we aren't 100% committed to the idea yet but we have a purchase agreement signed and for the moment that's that.

Which means, I really need to bring in some money and while childcare for other children is an option I've been exploring other options as well, one of which is medical transcription or medical coding and billing. I know most MTs work from home and most coders and billers work in an office.

Honestly, this is only a temporary type thing for 2-3 years but I want it to be a worthwhile endeavor. I'm ready to register for a course offered through the community college which is a Career Step course and I'm seeing some people saying how amazing the opportunity is and also how horrid it is. Confused. Just looking for some additional input.

Thanks!!

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K.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I knew one woman who did this but recently lost her job. She said that more and more transcription is being automated and the need for real people is decreasing. I don't know anything else about it other than what she said. Hope that helps!

1 mom found this helpful

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S.B.

answers from Dallas on

Medical transcriptions at home is going to be a dead end job. With the advent of electronic medical records, more and more doctors are having transcribers accompany them on patient visits in the office and the hospital. They enter data as the doctor or patient responds and then the doctor re-reads those at the end of the day and submits. Medical coding is also very computerized and usually done in the physician office. Could it be done at home with a networked computer? possibly, but I would check into companies that supply outside billing services to physicians. Good luck!

3 moms found this helpful
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S.T.

answers from Houston on

I would do something different, with programs such as dragon naturally speaking, doctors just talk into their ipad or iphone, and it types it directly into a program. Try to search for a job, then you will find that there are very few legitimate ones out there for this type of work. Childcare is a good way to make money, also cleaning houses and window cleaning are good ways. I do a little work from home for amazons Mturk, I do transcription work for casting words, they pay pretty well. you can make around $10 an hour

3 moms found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

Have you financially qualified for the house?

If not - don't buy it. I don't know what your idea of "tight" is, but I know that if you feel the noose tightening, it's not the house for you.

Medical transcriptionists are mostly done in an office now and with 0bamacare - electronic records are being "mandated", I believe...so from what I see - it's a fading profession. I could be wrong!!

If you have the $2K to fork over for this training...have you talked to ANY doctors offices that are hiring for this? Call your PCP and find out if there is a need for them. They can tell you straight up!!

Look at job boards and find out if there is a need for this field, IF there are a lot of postings - call and find out what specifically they are looking for - can you work from home or do you have to be in an office. Get the word straight from the horses mouth instead of a school that wants your money.

Good luck!

2 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Hold on, I need to run down the hall and tell our four transcriptionists they are home!

Okay so while I was there I asked them about their training. Three did take transcription courses, one took court reporting but has knowledge of medical terms.

One of our coders does do transcriptioning from home but she is paid by work product not hourly and it is a lot less than if she was in an office environment.

2 moms found this helpful
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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

It probably depends on how much work the student is willing to put in. I know that you have to be very familiar with medical terminology which, for me, is a nightmare. You, of course, have to understand every word the doctor utters and know how to spell it!

I used to do legal transcription as a side job. Believe it or not, it's really h*** o* the body. Sitting pretty much completely still except for your fingers on the keyboard. Your neck, shoulders, back, rearend all get stiff. And if you are at it for a long time several days in a row, the muscle running up your shin can get sore from the up and down on the foot pedal.

I'm not trying to discourage you. If you can get that type of work, it would be great. But just understand it's not all sunshine and roses.

During a jury trial, court reporters switch off from the morning to the afternoon sessions because it's just too much for one person to sit there literally all day long. After a while, you are exhausted - your brain no longer functions and you make constant type o's. It is exhausting.

Legal transcribing would be much easier to get into. Literally no jargon to become familiar with because you would usually be transcribing police interrogations, 911 calls, police radio communications, etc. VERY INTERESTING!

If you don't want to go the school route, try that. But be sure your typing skills are honed - you must be able to type fast to make it lucrative. You get paid by the page, so the faster you type, the more you make per hour. You'll learn to hate phrases like "know what I mean, man" and "ya feel me?" LOL!

2 moms found this helpful

R.X.

answers from Houston on

Babysit. Easy job. Good money.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.T.

answers from Albuquerque on

Sorry to say, but medical transcription is not a field you would find a job in. Most medical transcription is now being done by computers or by people in India. Doctors used to have transcribers in their own offices and transcription would take a week because it was done around other work. Then they were able to hire people who worked from home to transcribe, and it only took a few days because the people were dedicated transcribers. But several years ago some amazing computer programs were developed that can do most of the transcribing. And the records that can't be transcribed electronically are now sent to India (or the Philappeans, etc.) to be transcribed "overnight". They're electronically sent and people working in big centers work during their day (our night) and get the records back to the doctors the next morning.

As a result, there's no job market for a stay at home mom here -- even with a certificate from a course. Please spend your money elsewhere!

1 mom found this helpful
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W.H.

answers from Sacramento on

My neighbor down the road ran a daycare for five years and paid off her house and property and was able to finance her husband starting a propane company. She stopped doing daycare and her husband is now the bread winner. Yes, she had to jump thru a few hoops to get the daycare off the ground, but boy did it pay off. If you can deal with kids and parents, go the daycare route!

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