It is happening to people all over the country; in large cities and small towns. Companies are downsizing or closing. You may be with the same firm for 20+ years in a senior position and still you are not immune to the chopping block.
During a brain-storming telephone conversation my friend casually mentioned what another friend did to make extra money. I thought, oh sure, another stuffing envelope business or something similar. That wasn’t the case at all – this person worked as a legal secretary by day – and medical transcriptionist by night using the internet to receive and send documents. The light bulb flashed on and I thought – I can do that. How hard can it be to type?
The search began for a reputable school offering a medical terminology and transcription course for a dead-broke, fifty-year-old, single-parent, with poor credit, living in Podunk. With all that stacked against me I searched through an amazing amount of information from community education classes to community colleges – and also distance education. Luckily, my diligent searching paid off and I found a reputable school with the perfect distance education classes I needed to start over and a student loan (co-signed in my case) made it affordable.
Retraining my brain wasn’t quite so simple. The learning side of my brain hadn’t had to comprehend much more than the company newsletter and flight plans for almost 30 years. Now that poor brain was gasping and panting in an attempt to pronounce, spell and understand the meaning of words like tonsilloadenoidectomy or electroencephalography. Man-oh-man, what a joy!
2,000 flash cards and several months of hard work later – I passed my final exam on the same day my daughter graduated from high school. There was celebrating in our household that night as we both faced the future with unknown possibilities and great promise. Medical transcription may not be for everyone and I never dreamed it would be the lifeline allowing me to make a living from home, but with the power of the internet it doesn’t matter if I live in Podunk or New York City.
When you find yourself in a sinking boat and approaching the falls it is time to open your mind and be willing to take a chance, creating a new future – a future in which you have more control of your destiny.
Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com
Joanne Robbins has published several articles on a variety of topics. Her latest project, slated for December 2006, is www.boomer-gear.com
