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I am about to see my voc rehab counselor.  I have some information about schools for MT, but would like some input.

What schools would you recommend?  I would like to hear from people who have worked as MT's for more than 5 years and are successful and satisfied with their work.

I have never tested my speed using my Expander and have no idea how many WPM I type.  I became a certified master typist last year at over 100 WPM without my expander.  I've been doing this for six years.

I'm really curious what the average is with an expander.  TIA.

Perhaps somebody on here can give me some advice......Back in August 2004, due to my husband losing his job, we were forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  At that time we provided our attorney with copies of income tax returns dating back to 2000.  At that time, we were on a payment plan to repay taxes from 2000 (roughly $1300.) We had just filed 2003 taxes and only owed a few hundred dollars.  Most of this underpayment of taxes was due to extra jobs my husband worked as a police officer.  Anyway, we were told not to pay the IRS anything as the debt from 2000 and 2003 would probably be discharged.  Bankruptcy was discharged in January 2005.  We never received any correspondence from the IRS letting us know that we owed anything from those years.  We ASSUMED that it had been discharged.  We took another hickey in 2004 (they year we filed BK) as my husband had to cash-in his retirement since we lost our house and had to find a place to live...that check was in the amount of $25,000.  Though we did have income taxes taken out when we received the check, I guess it threw us into another income tax bracket and that year we owed a little over $3000.   When I filed my 2005 taxes last year, we were due a refund of over $4000 as my husband still is not working from the severe depression of losing his job and I am the sole breadwinner for the family.  Long story short, the IRS took the $4000 I owed and spread it out over the the taxes that we previous owed for 2000, 2003 and a little of 2004.  Their method of dividing the tax refund was odd as instead of wiping out the oldest debt first, they wiped out the 2000 debt but left a couple hundred of the 2003 and took a little off the 2004 debt.  UGH!!! 

After numerous phone calls to the IRS in May to determine what the heck was going on with the refund as I expected to get back a little of the 4000., they advised me it was tied up in the bankruptcy division.  I talked to 3 different ladies at the IRS and all of them were extremely rude to me, no matter how polite I was to them.

Here comes the worst part.....yesterday I get 4 certified letters from the IRS, 2 addressed to me and 2 to my husband...informing us of intent to levy due to unpaid taxes.  I called the IRS yesterday and once again explained the situation that we were unaware that we owed money from years prior to the bankruptcy and that I had also submitted a request to work out a repayment plan.  The IRS rep, another rude woman, got snippy with me when I was trying to explain to her the reason why I could not get a loan to repay the tax today.  She promptly told me, "No is a sufficient answer....I don't need to know the reason why."  When I told her that since my husband is not working and I have the only income, I could maybe eek out $50 per month.  She said, "Oh...that's not enough.  That won't work at all."  She also said, "You don't want the IRS to put a levy on your property (which I don't own anything for them to garnish, other than my wages.  She then tells me she needs to transfer me to another department to work out a special circumstances repayment plan.  Of course, I was on hold for 20 minutes and nobody came to the phone; then we were disconnected.  I've been trying to reach the attorney that handled my bankruptcy to ask his advice and see what to do about the IRS.....That IRS customer service rep made me feel like a criminal and she spoke to me in a threatening tone.  They wait 2-1/2 years, never bother to send a notice to say that we still owed for the prior years and now they're making my life miserable for an amount of less than $4000.  Oh, and I told the lady that I had filed an extension for 2006 taxes but now had all my paperwork and would be working on them this weekend.  I further stated that I felt pretty sure that I would be getting another large refund since I'm the only one working.  I swear, I don't think the ding-dong heard a word I said.  Truly amazing they come after my pittance when there are rich people out there that owe 10 times what I do.  What really scares me is my parents just gave me a 2001 Toyota Camry that is easily worth $7000 or $8000 dollars.  I really need that car and now I'm afraid to get it titled in my name for fear they will take my transportation!!!  Not to mention what they could do to my bank account....and I have 2 teenagers I'm trying to raise.  Maybe this will force my husband to get off his rump and do something besides odd and end cash jobs that don't pay anything.  I had major depression a few years ago and I know it is bad but he kept telling me to get over back then.....I'm trying to turn the other cheek, but I can't do this alone either.

Has anybody out there been through anything like this that can give me some advice.  Sorry for rambling!!

Anyone currently or ever work for Documed?  If so, would like to know what you think of the company, platform, etc.  Any info would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks

addicted!

Maybe I have an outdated BOS.  Mine says the abbreviations such as q.i.d. and q.8h are acceptable, but I'd like to know what the current BOS says.  Thank you.

If I double-click on the EXText icon first, it will not load Word and I get a "dump" message. If I load Word manually, the EXText program doesn't respond. However, if I load Word first, EXText loads just fine, I TransNet also connects, but none of the EXText keyboard commands are working.

If anyone else had this problem, how did you solve it? 

I recently received a quote for a local web design company, and it was close to $1,000! I don't have that kind of money. I would just like somewhere to tell a little bit about myself and the services I offer to Physicians.

Thanks!

Is anyone familiar with the Touchworks/Allscript platform.  Would appreciate hearing your thoughts on this...ease of learning, good sound quality,  and what you generally think about it.  TIA

Hi all,

I am in the process of setting up my own home office and was wondering about transcription software.  I have heard about the free ones such as DSS Lite and Express Scribe. I did not like the Express Scribe at all, but only used it at one place, so I'm not sure if it was just THEIR audio, or if it is the ES? When I tried to slow the dictation down just a tiny bit, it got all distorted and whistly.

Also, who knows about Gear Player? It's about $80 but worth it if the quality is better?

Thanks.

I have tried green tea on 2 separate occasions and both times experienced what appears to be bloody stools with it.  As soon as I stop the intake of the tea, the blood goes away.  I really like the tea as it does a good job of promoting energy and weight loss, but I cannot understand why it causes this reaction.  Would anyone have any idea why this happens?  Is there another natural energy booster I can try?  Thanks for any and all help. 

I now live in Florida and have a 75-pound chest of drawers that belonged to my mother in the Midwest.  I want to bring it down here, but I don't have a truck and my car is a compact, cannot two anything with it. 

Does anyone have experience with this type of a small move?  Would it be better to have it packaged and sent via a  service like DHL or somebody?   I would rather not entrust it to a moving van company.

Thanks for any suggestions. 

If billing by bytes do you divide this by say 65 (standard line), same as for characters?  Thanks so much.

Could anyone direct to me some good web sites with wedding cake pictures?  I have found a few, but it seems they are all "cookie cutter" and I am looking for something original, but not crazy.  Am having a smaller wedding (under 100), outdoor.  Any links anyone could provide, I would be majorly appreciative!  (I have cake appointments next week and need to provide some ideas for them.)

This is not meant to start any arguing between anyone.  This is just my outlook.  I was raised by a single mom.  Through no choice of her own, my father decided to end their marriage to be with another woman.  I was 5 when we were kicked out of the only home we ever knew with nowhere to go.  We had to live with some friends of hers for 3 months while she saved up money to get us a place to live.  She was a nurse and worked her butt off 7 nights a week, working 60 to  70 hours a week to put food in my mouth and clothes on my back.  She went without, didnt ever have nice clothes, didnt have a social life, was the sole supporter and had to be a mom and a dad to me.  She was everything to me and what she sacrificed for me she did willingly and lovingly.  She gave up everything for herself so that I could have a bright future. 

I saw what my mom went through as a single mom.  There was no support there when the pipes broke, the car wouldnt start and she couldnt get to work, if her child was ill, if she were ill.  There was no second income, nobody to lean on. 

Through all her struggles raising me, she never was bitter and never complained about being a single mom.  But I feel that any single mother out there trying to raise children to be all they can, at the same time solely supporting the family should be regarded with a little respect.  Look how hard it is in this day to make it even as a married couple with kids. It is hard. 

If you havent walked down that road, you will never imagine how hard it is.  I think some compassion is due to that lady and her children.  Maybe not just because she is a single mom, but because at some point in our own walk, we may need some compassion sometime ourselves. 

Which one is better:  billed per 65-character line or per word?

anyone know the average or going line rate for ASR?  I'm totally new to this and eager to know the good, bad, etc. of ASR and how MTs are being paid and how much. thanks.

I have been an MT for 8 yrs and have been thinking about getting my own accounts locally.  It would be much more efficient to avoid trips to dr's offices for pick-up/delivery, so my main question is what is a good alternate way to do this?  I have seen email mentioned, but can the work be transferred securely this way...is it emailed as an attachment so that work is done on another platform that has expanders/shortcuts integrated...what platform/program to use??  What equipment do I need...what equipment does the dr need for dictation...do I provide it or does doc?  I have so many questions about the logistics of working this out...detailed info would be greatly appreciated.

What to charge? ....I know this is controversial...was thinking .14 cpl (65 character), 12 font, ? margins.  Recommend higher or lower rate? (region=major city in AZ)

Marketing:  How to introduce service in marketing material...should I include price in the material or just say something like "reasonable" or "competitive"?

I welcome any input you may have, especially on the issue of specifics how to receive/deliver work, platform/equipment needed.

Thanks

Had to take my son yesterday for a CT of his right ischium, to check for osteomyelitis.  I gave that info to the person on the phone when I made the appointment.  Soooo - get to the imaging place, and get all the myriad forms to fill out; at the top, under 'Test Performed', was 'CT scan of the brain'.  I went back up to the desk to question this of the secretary (who is a retired nurse!!), and she looked at me and actually said 'The ischium is in the brain''!!!!!!!!!!  Told hubbie later, and he said I should have told her, not unless my head was up my ***! 

I'm sure the techs would have caught it when they looked at the script from the doc, but still!!!!

Is there anything at all an MT can do when you have grave concerns about the care a patient is receiving? I know the answer to this is probably no, but I am so completely frustrated with my one of "my" doctors right now.  I know that one of his patients is not receiving the proper care, and I am really worried for this patient. I wish I could contact the patient's mother and let her know my concerns, but I know that is not allowed and I would be fired for doing so. I know that I'm not anywhere near as smart as a doctor, but my son has the same condition that this patient does and I know that the patient is not receiving the proper care or even the correct diagnosis. It is hard to go into all of the details for confidentiality reasons. I just know, 100% sure, that this patient deserves better care than he is receiving. 

Sometimes the virtual world that we work in is great, and other times it really stinks. If I were working in the doctor's office I could gently share my concerns (maybe I would still be fired but I could give it a shot). Here in this virtual world where the doctors don't even know I exist I can do absolutely nothing.

I'm just so frustrated at the doctor and so very worried for this patient.

I've recently started a new job typing from home, however i have been told that i need a file converter that can convert DVF files to DSS or WAV.  I was told to downlaod Switch however i couldn;t get it to work, i must be doing something wrong.  Can anyone please suggest an alternative file converter.

Cheers

Emily