ROS Profile
Pat Bowen, CMT
ROS Program Director/Instructor
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
How I got started: I got into medical transcription pretty much by accident. In 1986, I had just graduated with a degree in Biology. Finding a job after college was not easy. (That "I have the education but no job experience" problem applies to every job field . . . not just medical transcription.) As I had always loved to type, I took a job working for a lady who transcribed Social Security documentation, which included both medical and legal transcription. I loved it! I also thought it was cool to go to her house and work in my shorts all day.
I think back on the mistakes I made, and my stomach turns. I was fortunate to find patient employers in the early years. Nowadays, well-trained "newbies" are years ahead of me when I started. My references back in the dinosaur days included a medical dictionary and Webster's Medical Speller ($3.95). I worked on a Wang word processor.
When my first employer was transferred with her husband, I went out on my own. I borrowed $1000 from my grandpa to buy a computer and dot-matrix printer. We darn near starved for a couple of months. Since working at Wal-Mart in the evening didn't exactly float my boat, I decided to apply for a job in an ophthalmology office. When the office manager decided she wanted my office (and was going to stick me in a closet), I offered to work at home for them. Thank goodness they agreed. I've been working at home ever since.
I had my own local accounts for years (mostly family practice and ophthalmology). Because of my background in education (I was going to teach high school biology until I did my student teaching . . . eeek!) and the fact that I had mentored quite a few MTs, a friend encouraged me to apply for a teaching position at the local community college in 1993. In early 1995, we started the ROS program (on a wing and a prayer). After that got going strong, I gave my accounts to local students (who still have them). We've also published MT Monthly since May 1993.
Favorite quote: "Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: All of them make me laugh."
Home office: We recently relocated to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. We now live on a small lake and are enjoying nature at its best. My office is small but efficient. Occasionally, I have a wet dog that smells like a catfish running through it.
Our family: My husband Clint and I have been together 19 years (we got married six months from the day we met). We have two kids, Evan and Abbey. They are in 9th and 7th grade, respectively. Since moving to the lake, both kids enjoy swimming, canoeing, and fishing. My entire family (parents, one sister, and two brothers) lives about 3 hours away in the Kansas City area. We all have two kids . . . ages range from 9 to 14. My parents live on 40 acres, and family gatherings, with 18 of us, are a lot of fun. Here are some more pictures of Clint and the kids:
Clint, Abbey, and Evan.
Abbey (7) and Evan (9).
Our animals: We have 2 cats and 1 dog (a record low for us).
Our home: Oak Ridge is located at Lake of the Ozarks, which is about smack dab in the middle of Tennessee.
Activities: When we're not playing in the yard or lake, we play lots of video games and rent movies. I enjoy reading medical mystery novels when I have time, as well as biographies and books on spirituality. On the dark side, Clint and I enjoy the Soprano's and Six Feet Under on HBO. I'd love to travel more if we had the time and money. Our goal is to cover every state before the kids graduate high school. So far, we've made it to 17.
More stuff: I've been a member of AAMT since 1992 and was on the board of our state association for three years (I'm taking a break now). I would love, one day, to get as many ROS'ers together as possible for a meeting. I think that would be awesome!
If I were to win the lottery, I'd pay off all my bills first. I'd probably continue to do what I'm doing but hire someone to do all the dirty work. <g> I really do enjoy my work. I start around 7 or 8 a.m., and before I know it, the kids are coming home from school. It's amazing how fast the days go!
What encourages me? Seeing so many of my students succeed in this profession!
