AAMT Pros and
ConAAMT Pros and
Con
3/97, I don't know if AAMT should get all the credit, but transcriptionists have certainly become more recognized since AAMT has been with us. I started transcribing pre-AAMT days, and we were called med stenos or typists, worked in the basement, had no measures of production other than just work your butt off and no objective quality standards other than doctors who couldn't spell or diagram a sentence to save their souls, or the word of our trainers, some of whom didn't attend college but could take shorthand and type and started out taking shorthand from the pathologists in the morgue or the surgeons dictating from who knows where (oops - cell phones make this an irrelevant point, but you get my drift.). I had one old ratty Syllabus for the Surgical Secretary and an ancient copy of Dorland's some doctor had thrown out. I had an IBM typewriter that I had to drop on my desk from a height of 3" to unlock. And NOBODY knew what a "medical transcriber" (anyone remember that name?) did for a living. Now not only does everyone know who we are, everyone wants to BE us.
I think things NEVER get better by themselves; if left on their own, things deteriorate. It takes an action on the part of someone to make it better, and while AAMT may not have done all the work in getting us recognized for the professionals we are, it did mobilize the "transcribers" and get them thinking of themselves in a different light and looking at the skills we have and the tools we need, compiling and publishing the reference materials we need instead of each one of us scribbling in our own little notebooks, and eventually making transcription one of the #1 startup businesses in the '90s.
Re which is better, the internet or a structured organization, I believe we need both. The Internet is great for fast and informative help. I have found tons of answers to my MT problems here. However, I could not do without my local AAMT chapter. It is responsible for 1/2 of my clients through networking. At the meetings, I learn what is happening in the MT world in my community. You can't get that online. There is much to be gained by one on one contact through chapter meetings and seminars.
The AAMT's main goals as I see them are to provide education, education opportunities, and networking opportunities. Not to engage in pointless discussion about which is better. They both are wonderful tools and I am glad to have both.
From Christine
Well said, Sue. I, too, am a member of AAMT. I enjoy sci.med.trans and all the other areas of the internet that cater to medical transcription but I, too, could not do without a local AAMT chapter. The best jobs I have ever heard about were at my local chapter meetings and sitting here "conversing" while I type at my keyboard is not the same as going to my chapter meeting, hearing a lively discussion from a local physician, and then chatting face to face with my peers.
While the internet contact with other MTs may suffice for some and others may only have local chapter contact, I enjoy both and think that they both serve a different purpose for me. Would I like AAMT to be more active in internet forums? Sure, but not if, as you say, they would end up simply being "you say this/I say that" discussions.
Appreciated the posts about the importance of local meetings for MTs, especially for local job contacts. I am now a part of a local group of 4; we've never had a meeting and probably never will, but we use phone and Email.
I do think many find jobs via the Internet now too, even local jobs. You can find local MTs via the EMail directory at www.mtdaily.com/mtlist too.
About AAMT's self-defeating style. . .I quit in protest a few years ago when they called online networking an anarchic fad. I hear that their membership is down a good bit these days, and they know they are facing a challenge, especially with online networking replacing some of their function.
I also believe it is appropriate, and very American, to mock things that are destructive and intimidating, and to expose them publicly, in the best tradition of free speech. Perhaps we need a professional political cartoonist to draw us some cartoons about AAMT. We have also had to learn how to avoid slander, and possible lawsuits, from our new online power to publish. Just how to handle this freedom responsibly is a delicate matter:
1. Bad publicity is still publicity, so talking about AAMT here can
actually benefit the status quo and may not help them change.
2. AAMT will not come here and defend themselves; the top leaders will
not let their leaders speak on their behalf here.
3. AAMT's lawyers sometimes contact online MTs and warn them about
misrepresenting AAMT if they have signed the note as an AAMT officer.
4. AAMT is not all bad; many good things were accomplished and many of
us have benefited from them. Some good things continue.
5. Local groups are different, and local is different from national.
6. AAMT reads this forum.
7. There are local AAMT leaders who participate on this forum but are
limited in how they can speak up.
8. This topic has been discussed over and over online in the last 5
years. Some people weary of it.
9. Some of us would like to see AAMT change, so we hold our tongue in
hope against hope.
As many times before, I will issue this worn-out invitation to AAMT national leaders to come and participate on this forum. Perhaps you could deputize one of your lawyers to speak for you here and present your side of the story if you cannot come. It would be refreshing to sit down at this "table" with you and hear you out. Anywhere else, it will sound different, because by coming here you will be accepting us as online MTs at large.
At one time, I was really all set to go for the CMT, but I have pretty much changed my mind on that, too. They have raised the price on that, too. It was $135 for each part of the test and now is $350 for both. Considering the fact that those three letters after my name will not bring in a penny more income, I wonder why bother. The places that pay extra for CMTs are VERY, VERY FEW and FAR BETWEEN! I know if I do get the CMT the State of Texas is not going to give me any more pay just because I am a CMT. I also disagree with the philosophy that if you take the test and flunk it, you have to pay FULL PRICE to take it again. I feel that is grossly unfair. So, I have about decided to stay as I am, just a plain old MT.
I get the JAAMT but like some of the others, I feel it is too full of JUNK that is not useful. Why keep continually printing stuff about past conventions and the like. I can tell you why, just to fill up the space because they are required to have a certain number of pages and that's all they can find to put in that space. I know about that kind of stuff because I was a Journeyman Printer before I became an MT. I worked for a daily newspaper in Grand Island, Nebraska for six years in the composing room, and before that I worked for a book publisher back in Dubuque, Iowa that printed nothing but college level textbooks. That experience has served me well in the switch-over to MT.
I don't know for sure, but I understand that AAMT is allowing MTs from places like Korea, Vietnam, the Phillipine Islands, etc., join the organization. I frown upon that. I feel like if it is the American= Association for Medical Transcription, then it should remain the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION. If they are going to allow all the others to belong then they should change the name.
I have worked for the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation for nine years. All of that time was not as an MT because they did not have a dictation system. I spent about five years as a Ward Secretary and then they decided to develop a centralized transcription because the amount of work was too much for the Ward Secretaries to handle. At first they just created one position and I was IT! I had a tape transcriber and an Panasonic Typewriter/Word Processor with a monitor, disk drive, etc. After about a year of that they put in the Digital Dictation System and got computers. I was the only one for about four or five months and then more and more disciplines started coming on line so we have since expanded to six transcriptionists and have remote printing directly to the units now. I like the benefits I have with the state but the pay is not the greatest.
Now, I am in the process of trying to get set up to transcribe at home and trying to find a contact that I can do that for, because I think I want to retire from the state next year but will need some extra income.
At this point in time, I am not sure whether I am going to renew AAMT again or not, but I have definitely decided against the CMT. I feel kind of like some of the others out there, I know how many years of experience I have and I know what I can do. That CMT is not going to tell a prospective employer that I can do their work for them, is it? Not if you can get the CMT with only schooling and one year of experience.
from Kay, kgar41@aol.com: Those numbers are truly astounding...250,000 MT's!!! Imagine what we could all do if we worked together for a common cause.. advancing the profession of medical transcription ! One would think this is what the AAMT's purpose would be and what they would be INTENT on doing. It seems to me, after collecting dozens and dozens of responses re: AAMT over the past month or so, that the AAMT is actually working against us by not actually working FOR us. What percentage of total MT's do they actually represent, 2-3%?? Many people talk and think about forming "another organization" for MT's, and I think that would be wonderful. But, just as the AMA is the "recognized" organization for MDs; ANA for nurses, etc.; aren't we "stuck" with AAMT as our representative organization?
From Mary: I don't think we are stuck with the AAMT, but they are stuck I'm afraid. I can imagine several things happening: AAMT could lose enough money and members that they would fold up; other small groups with diverse purposes could be formed; medical records associations could pick up the interests of MTs (MTIA, AHIMA); MT companies could do more to represent our interests; online communication has already replaced much of the networking and educational function of these groups; AAMT could change their priorities and organizational style and appoint new leaders.
In general, I think people are less willing these days to trust any formal organization, including the government. In our day, institutions are weak and often corrupt, and we are all sick of it I think. Leaders are suspect, and only peers can be trusted, and even then, you gotta network carefully! This puts us all in a weaker position because some things can't be done without selected leaders. But at least we can find the things we can do as a "web" of peers who have the power to publish daily. We are more powerful than the richest king that ever lived before our day, in that simple fact. I am curious to see what new kind of leadership will arise for the information age.
However, as I have been reading the commentaries on these pages, I am glad to see that I am not alone in feeling "dictated to" rather than represented.
Our local chapter of AAMT, of which I have been variously president, vice- president, secretary, treasurer and parliamentarian, seems to be on the verge of becoming extinct. It is at the point now where in order to get people willing to serve as officers w e have had to offer to pay half of the national dues to AAMT, since, in order to be an officer one must be a member of AAMT. Now, we find that in order to continue as a chapter all our members must join AAMT.
We have had a tremendous increase in our local membership, drawing from ARTs, RRTs, radiology techs, medical lab techs, etc., who must have CEUs to keep their certifications in their respective fields. These people pay, or their employers pay, dues to the ir own professional organizations. The idea of paying an additional $100+ to AAMT has startled them, to say the least. We are trying to work out some other category for local membership that would keep these people on our active mailing list, help cover t he costs of printing and mailing them our announcements for symposia, and to keep them coming back.
My personal opinion is that AAMT has gotten things mixed up. The organization should exist as a representative for the MTs. Each and every member should be enfranchised to participate in the decision-making process. Look at the HOD. Who composes that "representative body?" Members of the State/Regional boards, right? In our state our board does not even get any financial support from AAMT, nor does it get any dues from the three chapters. How can it be said that thes e boards are really a part of the AAMT structure? I feel that the HOD should be composed of delegates from each chapter who are elected by the chapter. I also feel that the state/regional boards should be composed of delegates from each chapter who will act as links in communication between the state/reg ion and the home chapter.
Another thing is the dues structure. The money should be collected at the local chapter level then disbursed to the state/region, and then to the national level. Believe me, it is a lot easier for the local treasurer/secretary to complete the forms, colle ct the money and then issue only 1 check to the region and 1 check to the national organization. Thus the national organization only receives 1 check from each chapter with a list of all members, members' status (active, associate, supporting, industrial, etc). There would be a few other checks coming in from "at-large" members without a local affiliate.
Compare this structure with the unknown numbers of checks coming in at all times of the year to one person at the national level!
The other thing is that the local chapter would also disburse, as a part of the flow-chart structure, money to the state/regional organizations as part and parcel of the membership process. So let's say that the dues are $150 per year: $100 to AAMT, $25 to state/region, and $25 to the chapter. The chapter could decide how money would be collected over the year (payment quarterly, monthly, or whatever) so that the money would be there at the time dues must be sent in. The local chapter might have 35 members, all of whom would pay the local chapter treasurer, who then writes just 2 checks.
If a chapter decides to give "scholarship" memberships, it would come out of their own dues or from the income generated by the educational programs, etc.
I have seen this dues structure in action in an international non-profit educational group that I belonged to and it works very well for them. When I was the regional treasurer for this group, I appreciated having to only handle 30 checks instead of 400!
Frankly I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot of spin-off groups that will continue to meet, sponsor educational activities, etc., without the "blessing" of AAMT.
From Mary:
Gisele, You are certainly right that those of us outside of
AAMT have limited ourselves from some avenues of working for change in
AAMT. Many are choosing to work for change from within, but often they
are only able to conform. I think those of us in protest can still have
an influence on that organization from the outside, and I'm choosing to
stand in the street and say "come to us" exactly because they
require everyone to come to them only on their terms. When the national
leaders come to this forum, when they become courageously and humbly
interactive, when they change their oppressive (so-called professional)
style, I will rejoin.
I would write off AAMT's problems as just a matter of culture lag, but I have talked to former leaders from the 80s who saw the roots of it before the Internet. However, I do think that bowing low to learn cyberspace talk could cure them of their root problems, as it requires a new kind of candor and courage and humility, and letting go of control while being true to self and loyalties, and not letting go of character. I'm keeping my freedom to talk about AAMT, not ready to give up on bringing change from the outside! Perhaps when there are 9000 MTs online and 600 in AAMT, they will join us.
I let my CMT expire because I decided I knew my own level of expertise, and did not need the initials. I had never made an extra dime from being certified. This was before I knew about the ONE national service I am sure of that pays a premium for CMTs, (DDI) and I got tired of the lack of interesting articles in the JAAMT as opposed to reprints of by-Laws and pushing AAMT. I was on the front lines 15 years ago, went to the first organizational meetings, paid my dues and my certification fees for fifteen years, kept my CME credits up by reading journal articles, never just "snoozed through a slide show at a seminar" as some have described it, and still saw the occasional little dig at "grandfathered" CMT's. Well, if we had not been there in the beginning, there would be no organization now to "certify" CMTs.
I say BRAVO to all MTs who take the CMT exam. I just don't think for my professional or personal purposes I need to keep the certification. 15 years was long enough. Still, you CAN be a CMT and NOT a member - I have read it in various sources. And you CAN keep up your certification without ever going to a convention or reading the JAAMT.
My recertification is due next June. It's not very convenient at this time for me to go to the seminars/meetings, and I haven't been able to go to the National convention, so I have been relying on the JAAMT articles to get my credits. I went back through my journals and counted the credits. Starting with May/June 1994, which is the beginning of this recert cycle for me, and going through the current Jul/Aug 1996 issue (a total of 14 JAAMTs), there have been a total of 27 medical credit-worthy articles and 42 non-medical creditworthy articles. Considering that you are only required to have 20 medical and 10 non-medical credits per 3-year cycle, those alone are more than enough. However, there are still 4 more issues of JAAMT before my recert cycle ends next June, and based on the average number of credit-worthy articles AAMT has been putting in each issue of JAAMT this year, I would expect another 12 medical credits and 12 or more non-medical credits, making the total for the three years 39 medical and 54 non-medical. Obviously that is far more than enough to complete your recertification requirements entirely by doing article summaries and nothing else.
As others have mentioned, you can get credits for watching Operation on television, or from articles in other medical books or off the Internet. As for the controversy over whether you must be an AAMT member to be certified, the answer is definitely not, and that answer comes straight out of JAAMT. Obviously, if you want to get your continuing education credits strictly by writing summaries of articles, the easiest way is to be an AAMT member and receive JAAMT - as I stated above, you are basically guaranteed to have more than enough articles without having to search anywhere else. However, if someone chooses not to join AAMT for various reasons, they are still perfectly able to take the certification test and get their CECs by using the other options mentioned above, plus, as someone else mentioned, they are still entirely welcome to attend any seminars or symposiums they choose and get the same credits as the AAMT members who attend. Granted, you may have to pay a higher seminar fee as a nonmember, but you are saving the $100/yr annual AAMT dues so it probably works out pretty even. As for fees involved to keep your CMT whether you are an AAMT member or not an AAMT member, you pay $20 per year ($15 if you get it in early) for recertification "dues". That's it - there are no other fees at the end of your cycle when you submit your credits, etc. AAMT membership and CMT status are not related to each other, which is clearly stated by AAMT. They even have two separate "membership" numbers now - one for your AAMT membership and an entirely different number for your CMT.
Although CMTs can take the examination again and get a large number of credits if they pass, few do that because they have to pay the same exam fee as the first time. If you gather credits by any means whatsoever other than the CMT examination itself, there is no "passing" or "failing" to become REcertified. You simply submit your forms before the end of your three-year cycle, and as long as you have the required number of credits, you are recertified.
As a side note, while I was calculating all this stuff, I decided to figure out which CMT route was cheaper - as an AAMT member or not. Even though I'm not any happier than anyone else that AAMT raised the dues to $100/yr, I found the following estimate interesting. Most of the seminars/symposiums I have attended have cost around $50 for registration (higher for non-AAMT members, of course) and I have usually received about 5 credits from each one (divided between medical and non-medical). That averages out to about $10 per credit, plus any travel/hotel/gas expenses required. If you pay $100/yr to be an AAMT member and use JAAMT articles to get all your credits, it works out to about $10 per credit (3 years of AAMT dues = $300 divided by 30 credits needed equals $10 per credit). Both nonmembers and members alike have to pay the $20/15 per yr recertification dues, so those don't enter into it. So to me it seems that a CMT has an equal choice either way, and could choose what suits her needs/wants.
I realize there are a whole lot of MTs out there who think CMT are just three wasted letters and don't mean anything. I'm not any gung-ho AAMT and/or CMT person - I made the decision to take the CMT exam for personal reasons and also because I happened to work for that ONE company that paid a little extra if you were a CMT. I've been an AAMT member for about ten years, and of course the dues were small until recently so I didn't hesitate to continue my membership. When the dues went way up, I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to continue my membership (even though I still fully intended to keep up my CMT), and decided to continue my membership for now, partly because of the above reasons of using the JAAMT to get my CECs - it's cheaper and much easier for me. Noble reasons (ha) but they work for me!
But I think there is something that we all forget about, and not just about AAMT but any professional association. It is the "hidden" things they do for our profession. A good example is their representatives in Washington DC who constantly read and reread senate and house bills that affect our industry. Many times "medical transcription" is not even mentioned, we our grouped with other healthcare professionals. Sometimes this is okay, but sometimes it definitely is not. There is a bill floating out there right now that if it passes as is, will dramatically change the way we do transcription. One thing alone, it will create a lot of paper work that ALL MTs will have to fill out when receiving and returning dictation. I don't know the details of all this, but AAMT is working with senate staffs on this and because of their input, the staff people want to know more about medical transcription. As is so often the case, they do not know we are a separate, technical profession.
And what about when AAMT gets calls from other associations with questions or concerns about the MT field. It is because of AAMT that many supevisors, managers, etc., know that this field requires different technical skills than from other healthcare professions. That is why more and more home-study schools are springing up and more classes in colleges. Because AAMT has opened the door for us and given us that better recognition. If there were no AAMT, these things would not get done and our jobs would change, probably not for the better!
Yes, there are problems in AAMT which need to be worked on, communication being a big issue. But eliminating AAMT? I just don't think so. We would be thrown back into the dark ages if there was not a professional association to represent our interests. AAMT will change, perhaps become a completely different assoc., who knows? But I for one hope there is always a prof assc for us to keep the standards of this industry as high as possible. We all deserve nothing less!
I have tried to keep abreast of the changes in AAMT because I had wanted to be a CMT, but I could not afford it. Every time I felt I had gotten ahead a little and might be able to pull it off, low and behold AAMT just priced me out on a yearly basis.
Well. Here I sit, looking at these posts. I think we all need a reality check. AAMT needs one for sure. I am a very good medical transcriptionist. I don't need to be "certified" by a group of strangers who have titled themselves. Now here is the biscuit. We need one another for sure. Life is tough enough without a group of self-important people making it more tough just for the sake of "professionalism."
Do we need AAMT? If so, then why? Consider the coffee klatches. Moms getting together with moms and having a break every week or so from hubby and child(ren) and getting strength and support for the coming days. It might not be organized but boy it sure can bless the moms who participate! In the same line of thought, I think my modem has done more for my growth as a transcriptionist in the past three months than all the AAMT journals I have read over the last nine years. We are a neighborhood of transcriptionists and I am reluctant now to pay a group for the ability to verify my existence to this fellowship.
Suppose we decide to let AAMT die and just do what we are doing today. expressing ourselves on open forums, giving information, encouraging one another, and doing what we have to do continually--LEARNING. Now, suppose we do meet from time-to-time in person and just talk and see faces and enjoy the company? I say we are all collectively much better off without AAMT than with it. I have a deep fellowship with you all that cannot come with membership or monies paid. I believe the time has drawn nigh for a death summary for AAMT: dictated in the present tense for those who knew the patient, transcribed in the past tense by those of us who have recognized the passing.
The House of Delegates will consider some issues that are of great concern to many who have not renewed and to those who would like to be a part of AAMT. An AAMT member from Texas has sent in a proposed bylaw change that would nullify the 1994 "unification bylaw" which requires all local chapter members to also be AAMT members. While many members agree with the concept in general, the actual process has not worked out. The requirement hurts the very people AAMT was created to help. Most of these potential AAMT members would very much like to join the national association. For them it is a question of priorities. We need to face the fact that every MT in the country does not make $15 to $30 per hour. For those who have not rejoined, at least for some, it is a matter of disagreement with AAMT policies and the direction in which it is being taken at this time. Many of us feel that AAMT has become so politically oriented that it has lost sight of why AAMT was formed. The goals of continuing education and support of MTs should be for all of us the ultimate purpose of AAMT.
By nullifying the 1994 unification bylaw, I hope we will send a message to present, past and future members that AAMT can still be the kind of association we once had. Of course, the success of repealing the unification is not "in the bag." We need support of any and all of the delegates who feel that unification needs to be repealed. There are 40 votes in the House of Delegates. Nine of those are AAMT board members. The Bylaws Committee has recommended against approval of the proposed bylaw. It will be an uphill battle.
There are AAMT policies and procedures being considered for change, through resolutions submitted for consideration by the HOD. If approved, they will cancel out the requirements for chapters to have at least 10 Active (AAMT) members. This requirement is a real hardship on large (in area) states who must have several smaller chapters simply because the distance is too great for members in outlying areas to attend meetings in, for instance, Denver. Our small chapters have been very active and have contributed greatly to the State association. For them to live under the constant threat of dissolution because their numbers fall below 10 is terribly unfair. Again, we're hoping to reverse those policies.
On a more personal note, I am nearing the age when I'll be thinking about retirement. When that time comes, I feel that I could still contribute a lot to our local AAMT chapter. If it means joining AAMT and paying $130 in dues (the dues for an associate member), the cost would be prohibitive for me. Perhaps we as an organization need to put more thought into what our actions may mean in the future.
For anyone who reads this and agrees with the thoughts above, you can help the cause by talking to any delegate you might know, or any AAMT member who knows a delegate who can pass on the word.
Several writers have suggested that the best approach is to work within AAMT and lobby for reform. I'm not sure the group's structure and procedures would lend themselves to lasting change. I agree that there is not much point in trying to set up another MT organization only to have it, too, mired in bureaucracy.
One solution is to resign from AAMT and keep up professional contact through MT networking on the Internet. Other writers have pointed out, though, that there is a great deal to be gained in face-to-face contact with other transcriptionists.
Would it be possible to combine the things we like best about a professional organization and about the Net and keep everything accessible and affordable?
One group that does an excellent job with regional symposia is Health Professions Institute. HPI has hosted many symposia for MT managers and supervisors in the 1990s. Perhaps HPI could host one or two regional symposia for MTs each year. These could be held in conjunction with the symposia HPI is already putting on, reducing administrative costs. If the Medical Transcription Industry Alliance were to get involved, that would help considerably with the expense of organizing the meetings. MTIA Executive Director Catherine Baxter has already been urging the large MT companies to provide continuing education for their employees, so MTIA members would have a vested interest in underwriting such symposia. Again, there would be the advantage of keeping costs down by holding some MT regional meetings concurrently with MTIA meetings. After all, MT managers and service owners don't operate in a vacuum; they have many interests in common with MTs and all could benefit from being exposed to some of the same exhibits, panels, lectures, break-out sessions and brainstorming groups.
Again, if we were to pick and choose among the best features of the existing groups, we might be able to synthesize something new, something that would meet our needs more efficiently, and be stimulating and fun. This hybrid group could incorporate all interested online MTs. People could continue to belong to AAMT and treat the new regional meetings as a supplement, or people could use the regional meetings as a substitute.
As pessimistic as I am about AAMT being able to implement lasting change, I'm still in contact with the leadership, if only to express my dismay. While some limited change may still be possible in that association, I think it would be very healthy to apply some external pressure. If there were a different kind of MT group, a loose organization that included online networking and the occasional regional meeting, we might be agreeably surprised at AAMT's capacity for change. I propose the name TRANS-FORUM, to designate MTs who are grappling with the transformations in the transcription industry. The nature of a forum is quite different from that of an association, so it could easily complement the existing structures, or for some MTs, it could provide an alternative.
Reasons for the decline: Many new doctors aren't joining; some join only their specialty groups; and many consider the AMA irrelevant or out of touch. The AMA is responding with aggressive membership drives and by giving specialty groups more power. . .Many new doctors aren't joining; and many consider the AMA irrelevant or out of touch."
I have been a member of AAMT since 1980 and as everyone in the organization knows I am not afraid to speak my mind. I will keep harrassing them about items with which I disagree but I would rather do it at a convention, in person, and let them chew on it a while. If you have any questions about this group that I can answer, I can't say I maintain close ties, I would be happy to do so.
Even if being a CMT doesn't reward you it can be used to create your own rewards. For example, I used to be the general contractor for Alaska Native Medical Center transcription. The bids were usually for one year but after my first year was completed they were so happy with the quality of the transcription the records director called me to ask what they might incorporate into the RFP that would allow me to have an edge over other bidders. The only thing I could think of was my CMT and it was written into the contract that the general contractor had to be a CMT and I continued this contract winning the next award for five option years. When the contract became too much to handle, or at least too much hassle, I did not re-bid but that CMT gave me an edge I otherwise would not have had. There is a good side and a bad side to everything and I do agree with you that AAMT needs to make some attitude adjustments but I sincerely believe it has to be from within.
I guess it is good that they are members of all these other groups for professional interaction, but do all of us really need to know about all that is happening in these other groups? I only read one or two articles any more in the Journal. I do not believe the Journal (the only thing I get for my $100) should be half-filled with the By-Laws, what happens at the House of Delegates, etc., etc. Send this information out separately. Not as part of the publication. More articles by actual working MTs, their regional or local problems that are probably being experienced in other areas, what is happening regarding HMOs eating up the clinics, the doctor's offices closing as they join HMO groups/large clinics, hospitals outsourcing, these would be of interest.
Also, they need a more tolerant attitude towards people newly coming into the field that may not be 20 years old, wanting to work at home immediately, but have worked for years, have had "career" positions, and now want a change. They are willing and know they need to "pay their dues." No change comes easily. But there definitely is an intolerance, especially on the part of CMTs (and in my experience, a lot been "grandmothered" in. That was a big shock to me. I was so in awe of the CMTs in our chapter. And tolerance for the young people coming in. Yes, a lot of them will not make it because it is harder than they thought, but a lot of them will due to their willingness to learn, work hard, and keep seeking that first job. Now no one has time to train the new people. What happens in 20 years when those in charge will not be the leaders and will not be working. Where is the new MT to come from?
I believe AAMT is far too political. My suggestion would be to separate AAMT into two arms of AAMT, one political so Claudia and her group can continue to professionalize the MTs, but another larger arm that will work towards getting back to the basics of working with, not talking down to, the average MT, who may not want or need to become a CMT and not be considered subhuman because they do not, discuss the real world of the working MT whether it be in the hospital setting and worrying about their jobs being outsourced, or the new or experienced MT working at home, the isolation, how to find out the going rate in an area, how to deal with a doctor that doesn't pay, etc.
Again, I am a member of AAMT now because I am an officer in my local chapter. I enjoy that. But I am turned off by the continuous demands for more money, the fact that next year, no one can belong to a local chapter without paying the national dues. I think that is outrageous. Another way to keep out the young student memebers. The local chapters are going to be the losers. Recently, there was a blatant "request" for money by hitting up each chapter for the "opporuntiy to sponsor AAMT" at the Minneapolis convention because they didn't make enough money from their vendors! Less travel, less staff (maybe volunteers instead?), less of the superiority that comes through, would be nice to see. Someone said $50 per year for membership would be reasonable. I concur. And students (with proof of being a student) perhaps $35. They still have books, class costs, etc., to buy without money coming in.
I've heard there are differences between HPI and AAMT. I don't see why HPI can't be the publisher of information, and AAMT provide the nuts and bolts of being an MT, addressing all the forms this takes. The book that was done by Donna-Weil and Mary Glaccum filled the need that could have been addressed by AAMT. (So glad they did!) That's the kind of information we need from our organization.
If the dues were lowered to a more reasonable level and, even more importantly, I think, the patronizing attitude toward new MTs was done away with, I think AAMT would be a more interactive organization with higher membership numbers and happier membership. I was a member the first year I started doing MT work and would have remained a member had I not felt "talked down to" and like all that was important were my membership dues...which went up $25 the very first year I joined! I know of no other organization that I would join and pay over $100 for the privilege of receiving a magazine four times a year....do you? MT Monthly was 1/3 the cost of AAMT dues and received monthly and packed full of information that didn't talk down to MTs, new or experienced....I'd rather put my money there. MT can be an isolating profession...we need to help each other, encourage each other, not try to set up "cliques", if you will.
I agreed with much that you said. I can name two MTs right now who elected not to join again because they felt the fee was too high for what they were getting in return. They are out of school more than six months but less than a year and feel the AAMT gives little support to newbies. One of them told me "Just read the JAAMT - it's snobby and pretentious. The same information could be delivered in a much more down to earth way." I have to admit she could be right. I'd like a more "Real person" approach.
I have to say I'm kind of relieved that I'm not the only one who feels maybe the AAMT is a little too full of itself. You are very correct when you say that as technology advances we gain power in communicating more with ourselves. I'm a new MT and I have learned more off the MT Daily website and the AOL exchange than I have learned in reading the last year of JAAMT.
The AAMT really does need to reach out to help it's members more....I think I made my feelings clear about mentoring. I learned more about starting out by reading The Independent Medical Transcriptionist than I did from AAMT. Producing and providing information to us like authors Donna Avila-Weil and Mary Glaccum did is what we need - on a wide variety of other subjects- not unlike what MT Daily tries to do.
I think it's also important to point out that in some cases employers don't give a hoot about the AAMT guidelines for style; one prospective employer asked me "Who appointed them the "transcription police" - we do it how the physician wants it because that is who signs the check."
I elected to rejoin the AAMT because it is on my resume and I feel that as it's the largest professional organization of it's kind for MTs right now, I should be a member. I would like, however, to see it move into a different direction away from the executive, clinical feel and more "Real life, real folks, plain english."
I'm wondering if maybe they need two segments of their organization - one for hospital/institution MT employees, and one for independents. I have found very little of value to an independent, particularly one who has entered the profession from another career, skipping the x-number of years' of entry-level experience. I feel in AAMT's eyes, we simply don't exist -- and as Jennifer pointed out in this month's MT Monthly newsletter, there seems to be more and more of "us" making inroads to MT every day, bringing out particular talents and experience to the profession. When I was a member I would search the journal (often in vain) for any information related to IC's -- most of their thrust seems to me to be related to large institutions and to employer/employee concerns.
The other concerns I had, and ones I finally refused to support with ongoing membership, are:
1) Their constant references to either previously-held or upcoming conventions -- with the emphasis being that that's where the "real stuff" happens. I wonder what percentage of member MTs actually attend -- and where is the organization's value to those who can't attend? Like - here's dessert, but what happened to the meal?
2) As with any organization, they are very involved in the actual structure and maintenance of that organization -- but, I feel, to the detriment of passing along valuable information to their members. (Do I care about Section X, Chapter Y, Article Z of their constitution - or whatever? Not when it takes up so much space in their journal, I don't.) They seem to be bogged down in the mechanics of an organization.
3) Until the medical community is ready to formulate TRUE standards and accept CMT accreditation to where it truly means something -- where you will get a job as a CMT that I, with non-CMT status, won't, I'll pass on the hassle and the expense. From the viewpoint of a recent outsider who has crossed over from another profession -- much of MT-ing is subject to employers', clients' and personal preferences -- language and grammar are NOT absolutes -- even terminology can be manipulated six ways to Sunday -- just look at the discussions held daily on our forums. How this can be manufactured into a "test" and certification given is beyond me. It's even more ludicrous when grandfathering has been enacted.
4) It doesn't seem to me that there are enough local organizations to support the national group (and thus their outrageous prices on EVERYthing!) I would join a local group if one were available - but in our area (probably 250,000 people) there is only a defunct group with no hope of revival. I would see value in a local (support, networking, friendly community) group, and would be happy to support a national group on a limited basis.
5) Finally, here are what other professional organizations offer: Group insurance for everything; meaningful discounts on nearly everything from rental cars to air fare, credit cards and visits from the tooth fairy; serious lobbying efforts at the state and national level; complete access to every possible publication in the field; aggressive continuing education opportunities; opportunities for service to others - (charity efforts); mentoring opportunities; recognition within the larger community of one's profession.
I am from one of the largest Chapters in Texas. I used to be the Chapter Representative for my chapter until I let my membership go this year after being a member for many, many years. I too thought that education and networking was the mission of AAMT. I know my code of ethics states clearly that I will share knowledge of my profession with others in order to promote this esteemed profession. I was told to put a price on it. I was also told at a State Convention by one of their "hired hands" that AAMTs focus was quite the opposite. They were encouraging us to deny people who didn't pay dues access to the meetings. Well, I'm sorry, this is one way we could get the message out. It felt like church to us, we could invite guests and if they got the message then they joined up, if they just felt good when they left, then they'd keep on coming back and maybe join someday. Sorry AAMT, I won't put a price on knowledge.
I paid for my benefits so that I could SHARE information with others and promote my profession with people in my local area. I did not pay so that the Directors and Presidents could have their name put up in lights and join every organization under the sun for associations which are not going to get the little service owners, the beginning MTs, or the students - anywhere. Sharing knowledge and inviting others to understand what it is that we do will help more than any old closed-door policy you could ever possibly dream up. I truly believe that you can catch more flies with honey. In our chapter, we used to have a nice tidy $2,000 of liquidated revenue from very active members who participated and helped each other out. Now there are only two AAMT members left in our local chapter. Dues are $20 for active membership in the chapter. That adds up to $40. This is a net loss of $1,960.00.
We are all avid readers and participants on the Internet and various other sources where we are readily received and knowledge is abundant with those of us who are still kicking. I'm glad that this is being discussed and I hope that we all band together and salvage what AAMT has done to their very precious resource.
Suppose you have a favorite restaurant. Let's call it the Hungry Hut. You eat there several times a week because it's close to your home and your work. The food is excellent with generous-sized servings and reasonably priced. The restaurant is owned and run by a very nice couple. The servers are friendly and efficient. After a couple of visits, they call you by name. The whole atmosphere is like a family. When they're not busy, you chat with the owners and servers. You all share stories about your families, your pets, your work, your church, cheerfully argue over which team or political party is best. Yet, they don't take advantage of you because of this closeness; the food and the service are always good. You tell everyone what a great restaurant it is because you want them to succeed. One day you come in and they're blown away--it's all the people you've been telling! You put on an apron, grab the water pitcher, see that everyone has setups, water, and menus, and clear empty tables. You care about them; they care about you. Then one day they lose their lease because, by selling the property, the owner can retire and never worry about money again.
A chain buys the property, razes the old building, and puts up a new restaurant. They even buy the rights to use the Hungry Hut name. You decide to give them a try. After all, they are convenient--it's the same location. Maybe they'll be as good. The servers have a memorized routine and deliver it well; they're good actors. They smile a big but superficial, painted-on smile. They ask, "How are you? Can I get you anything else? Would you like desert?" But they never hear your answers; they've turned away before the words are barely out of their mouths. When they're not busy, they stand in a corner and chat with each other. The food tastes like it came out of a can or a box and the portions are small. You go to the register to pay and the manager says, "How was everything?" You say, "The service was perfunctory; the food was unpalatable." The manager says, Th"anks, and have a nice day!" It is definitely NOT the Hungry Hut!
That's how I feel about AAMT. There was a time when it was run by elected volunteers. They were overworked, didn't always make the right decisions, and sometimes, it seemed they may even have had more interest in their political futures than in the people they represented. But like our federal government, WE ELECTED THEM, AND THEY REPRESENTED US. They sought and were grateful for help from the membership. AAMT goals were education (first), networking, and recognition. Now AAMT is run by paid employees. (Sorry, board of directors, but in your heart of hearts, you know it's true.) Decisions are made based on political goals (that seem to me to go far beyond recognition of medical transcription and MTs), finances, and unknown factors. You can see some of this in the people they ask to serve on committees. The House of Delegates (the only hope we had of representation in a large organization) has been a rubber stamp and a joke from the beginning. (To my knowledge, they've never vetoed or overruled a decision of the board.) There are many secrets (things board members are told during their orientation that they can't talk about outside the board room or to ordinary members). First, who decides what is necessary to keep secret and what is not? Second, DOES EVERY NEW BOARD GET TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO KEEP SECRETS? NO. It was decided by a past board. Never mind whether that board's motivation is still relevant or was even relevant then.
Back to my analogy. I cared about AAMT; I felt they cared about me. The list of offices and committes I served on, the lectures and workshops I gave, articles I wrote, etc. for AAMT at the local (but state-wide), state (Florida and California), and national level nearly fills two pages. The remainder of that space could be filled by what my husband did for AAMT, and he wasn't even a member. (In fact, many spouses of members have been great contributors.) That doesn't include my work for betterment of the profession: teaching medical transcription locally and lectures for MT and MA teachers through HPI, writing for Perspectives, even calling radio stations to tell them what a great career medical transcription is.
I say this not to blow my own horn, but to point out that CARING AND RECEIVING IS A TWO-WAY STREET. If the service no longer measures up and the food is unpalatable, you don't eat at that restaurant anymore. AAMT has changed. There are a lot of people who are probably glad--good for them. But there are a lot of people whom AAMT no longer represents, and they DO NOT NEED TO FEEL that they have to remain a member solely because of what AAMT has done for them, as though AAMT has not benefited from their membership. I wish I had a list of the bright, creative, dedicated, giving, and generous people that have left the association over the years; based on the number I know personally, the list must be quite long.
So, I decided not to renew my membership in AAMT this year. It was a difficult decision, made and rescinded three times before this. I made it with deep regret and a great sense of loss. I wish I could say I think AAMT feels the same. The saddest part for me is that AAMT has made it impossible for me to be a member of my local chapter (Central Florida Chapter) and the state (FAMT). I hope AAMT will never find a way to restrict me from attending local (all over Florida) and state meetings and working to promote these FINE and WORTHWHILE organizations.
Ellen Drake, CMT
Sorry, no e-mail address yet
Fax: 800-763-3683
As long as we support AAMT, even though it doesn't provide what we feel we need, it will continue to function in the same way, because as long as it has members who support it, it won't feel any need to change. If customers keep coming back and giving money, why change? But, if other avenues of support and nourishment exist for MTs, and membership and money decrease, perhaps there will be room for self-reflection and change. I'm one of those who used to feel that change from within was the way to go, but not anymore. The organization tries to change you to be more like the organization, not the other way around.
I believe it is time for the national leaders of AAMT who have power in the organization to become more available to MTs inside and outside of AAMT, to articulate new priorities and try to win us. This could be done efficiently on their web page if it were to become interactive. In the dialogue, perhaps correction could come on both sides. Meanwhile MTs are discussing the pros and cons of AAMT on line, some of which is posted at http://angelfire.com/mt/aamt.html and http://angelfire.com/mt2/aamt.html.
I've learned three things as a "first aid" kit to resist manipulation and assure human freedom, and thus mental health and the ability to think clearly: Privacy, choice and expression.
Privacy: Having secrets, and having secrets with friends, and being confident you have a right to have secrets. You don't have to answer any question asked of you by others.
Choice: The freedom to choose for yourself, being confident you have the right to agree or disagree, say yes or no.
Expression: The freedom to speak for yourself the way YOU want to say things. Refusing to be forced into saying things in certain ways.
Of course these things take courage since there are sometimes difficult consequences which have to be taken into account, and timing is important for the wisest approach when dealing with manipulation you have endured and don't want to lose the relationship. But sometimes it's best to do the right thing and let the chips fall... But be ready to duck, especially if you are the first one to stand up and say, "The emperor is naked!"
A degree of human freedom is necessary for a healthy personality and for a healthy organization, and it is necessary before people can "vote" and be truly voting, not under duress as they say in court. AAMT has been heavyhanded with legal considerations for everything, professionalisticism (for want of a better word) and perfectionism. They are all tied up in knots and find everything difficult now. I think it's time to simplify and let people do things unencumbered... like MTs forming local groups with no formal association with AAMT. But there are past leaders of AAMT who will come flocking back once the doors are thrown open. If the doors remain closed, there are enough leaders on the outside to accomplish lots of things.