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I have a question that I realize could be pretty loaded. - Posted By: MTWondering

I in no way want to spark a debate and I won't engage in one. I just have a moral situation and I ask that only those who have had similar experiences respond. As stated, no need for a debate. I am adamantly opposed to abortion for any reason. I don't condemn those who do or have had them, but I oppose abortion. I work for a national and just recently had a few abortion procedures to transcribe. I felt awful doing it. I was really torn between wanting to cherry pick past those (which I feel would be perfectly acceptable to do while letting a supervisor know why), but didn't. I just feel like a real hypocrite that my initials are now attached to an abortion procedure that I do not support. I just wondered if anyone ever found themselves in this situation and what, if anything, did you do about it. Now, this is about abortion only. I'm sure many of you could jump in and say you're against gastric bypass but you still transcribe those, etc. I respect others' views. This happens to be strictly about this situation and in an effort to avoid ugliness by way of a debate, I respectfully request that you only respond if you have dealt with this situation specifically. Thank you and God bless!

What happens to pt. records if an MD closes his office?? - Posted By: Does anyone know??

If an MD in solo practice retires or leaves town, where do those records go and how would one go about obtaining needed records? Any help is appreciated.

Thank you MT Stars and Diskriter just rec'd $50 American Express (sm) - Posted By: Debbie

MT Stars and Diskriter for making MT week so much fun. I received my American Express $50 gift cheque in the mail today from Diskriter. This gift is truly appreciated, thanks again!

switching companies - Posted By: kv

I need some input! I've been offered a position with another company but I'm not sure if I should jump ship and take it. There's not much difference in pay. There's a bit more flexibility with hours. Should I ask for time off from my current company and try the new company for a couple of weeks to see if it will be a good fit? Should I let the new company know that I'm just wanting to "try" them out? I know this probably all sounds unrealistic, but I don't want to go from something bad to something worse and have regrets and not be able to go back. I've recently separated from my husband and have 2 small kids. I'm not happy with my current company, but I want to make sure this new company will be a place I'll be able to succeed at. I just don't want to make things worse for myself.

how do you set boundaries?-sm - Posted By: CS

I am a home-based MT and have always found it difficult to deal with interruptions. For the most part, I do not have a problem with phone calls or e-mails or faxes. I do, however, find it hard to deal with trying to work in my work when I have company. My office is in the corner of the dining room which can be partially closed off but still....I don't have company often but often enough that it affects my overall income so it does concern me. The visitors know what I do for a living but still decide to visit whether its convenient or not. I don't feel like I want to say no every time but I still would like to be able to work a bit on the days when they are here. For example, when hubby's family is here, I would like to be able to get up early and work and when his relatives get up he can handle things for awhile. The last time I tried this everyone got up early. I felt rather resentful. I have had other instances where I was kept from my work too. I have listed the pros and cons of moving my office and have decided to keep it where it is for a variety of reasons. Any suggestions? Thanks.

meditec - Posted By: Lea

I know I've read a lot of posts about not paying for mentoring programs but has anyone actually taken the program with MediTec? If so how did it go? Is it legit? It is easy for those of you who have your foot in the door to say we shouldn't pay (and I agree) but we need to get started somehow and I think there just aren't enough opportunities for newbies to get going.

Schools - Posted By: GC

I am looking for a school that provides refresher courses for medical transcriptionists who have not worked at this type work for long periods of time. I do not feel that someone who has done this type work in the past for several years and is still working in a hospital doing administrative or clerical work should need to take a complete course. Replies will be appreciated.

Good cpl rate? - Posted By: c-lou

Would you guys be willing to compare line rates. I know there's a difference for experience, etc. I've been MT'ing for 8-1/2 years now. Been with the same company for the past 4 years. Thinking about changing, but want to make sure I'm getting the best line rate I can. I've only had two increases in my line rate since being with this company. Thanks!!

I am so sick of ESL dictators! - Posted By: MQMT

What a lousy day! I am sick to death of getting 100 different doctors a day and maybe one of them speak English. Makes for a very long frustrating day.

DANGEROUS VIRUS COMING.... - Posted By: sm

Subject: Big virus coming, confirmed by McAfee and Norton and Snopes

Subj: Big virus coming, confirmed by McAfee and Norton and
Snopes

Big virus coming, confirmed by McAfee and Norton and Snopes

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp

Hi All, I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing
up for this virus!

I checked Snopes (URL above:), and it is for real!!

Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!

You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any
message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD,' regardless of who sent
it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the
whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from
someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. &nb sp;This
is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts It
is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and
open it.

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you
by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified
by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was
discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind
of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc,
where the vital information is kept.

COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF YOU
SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.

Snopes lists all the names could come in.

addressing a letter - Posted By: Banana

I type for an office of 4 surgeons, but have just recently come across a few nurse practitioners that are referring pts to the office. My question is how do I address the letter to them that my docs want to send. In their dictation they are addressing it Dear Dr. so-so, but they do not have PhD's in their credentials so I don't think that this is correct. How do you correctly address this person?

How many authors do you have daily? - Posted By: in-hiding

I'm with a small MTSO and for quite a while have been on an account with about 10 doctors, mostly ESL. I was very comfortable with them. I have been trained on three accounts, one with maybe 6 and then another very large account, but they kept me primarily on this account.

Recently I was switched to one of the other accounts - no ESL, but this last pay period I had 38 different authors!! Am having a hard time getting comfortable, and there's other problems , but for this post I just was hoping to find out, on average how many authors are others doing?

Maybe I was really lucky before with just 10 docs - ?

cable Internet. - Posted By: Job Hunting

Cable Internet just recently became available to my area. I was excited because most the MTSOs require cable. I am currently on satellite. I called about the cable internet and they said for a home office it is $80 per month and you only get 10 gigabytes or megabytes (don�t remember which) per month for downloading stuff off the internet. Then you get charged extra. Is this normal for cable Internet? It sounds strange to me but I am not very savvy on these sorts of things.

Chatty dictator. - Posted By: Open ears

I would have been upset, but this guy just made me laugh. During his 20 minute dictation he probably spent at least 5 minutes of it talking to me. He explained his vacation and why he was late doing the dictation. He explained he was still getting his stuff back in order and talked politely the whole time he shuffled papers, told me about a picture that was supposed to be in the chart but he just couldn't find it, talk, talk, talking away like I was his best friend.

At the end he had to apologize profusely. In any other case I would have been so disturbed by this but this poor man made me feel so bad for him. He couldn't have been more polite.

Got my chuckle for the night, doc talking about breath sounds - sm - Posted By: Laura E.

and how the lungs were clear, etc. then the next sentence is "the patient is currently not breathing", just funny after the previous sentences on his lung sounds. Also diagnosed at age 2, however the child is only 14 months old, hmmm, nice trick there! Presume he means 2-months but will have to question it though since he did not say!

How do I list references on resume SM - Posted By: cb

when I have been working for national company for 15 years and cannot, obviously, list my immediate supervisor or any QA people I have encountered? The references I have are from several years ago. Are they still valid?

I'm really confused and upset about this. Do companies expect a list of 3-4 references with names and numbers?

Thank you.

Shorthand users - How can I keep headings bolded in PE. I want to make - Posted By: pkmt

a shortcut for parts of the PE and headings need to be bolded. I cut and copied what I want into SH but when it pulls up they are not bold. TYIA.

question about moving on - Posted By: Ex Mqr

I worked for MQ for over 2 decades, from back when they were Transcriptions Limited. Have nearly 34 years experience in EVERYTHING except pathology.

I was offered a job with a company where I would do urgent care from an FTP site using my Word 2003. That is fine. My question is, how do you count lines? They said something about counting lines using Word 2003 as everything on the page is paid for. I don't even know how to do that. That is what happens when you work for one company for so long, you get use to their program and never think about it.

Is there a way to count lines for every single document all at once or do you have to count lines for each document? Haven't started this yet, but sure would like to know what I am doing before I get hooked up into this.

Thanks ahead of time!

Part-time work using Extext/word client/dictaphone - Posted By: Thanks

Anyone know any companies that are hiring that use this system? I really want to start part-time and then probably commit to full time later. I really want a company that supplies your equipment! Thanks.

A question for those with their own accounts - Posted By: Pam

How did you get your accounts and what line rate did you start with? Also do you pick up and drop off? Who do you speak with (Doctor or office manager) when you have a question about dictation? What is your normal TAT?

Thanks in advance for your help with this.

I am so clueless about DVI, C-phone, - Posted By: Lanier, etc...sm

I see an ad for work and he is requiring a DVI or c-phone. I have worked on a Lanier before but can't tell you what model. Does it even matter. I bought a DVI system from transcriptiongear.com and had to return it. It was not compatible with what the company was looking for. Can anyone shed some light on this. I am thinking if I purchased the Lanier it will work for whatever situation, but not sure if the model matters. Also, how is it different from DVI or C-phone?

TIA.

Needing to know if anybody feels same way - Posted By: mt4ever

I wanted to post because I have had a very eerie feeling lately and wanted to see if anyone has been experiencing a similar thing... I was a home MT working directly for a hospital for many years and a high producer. Then, the hospital cut our incentive and many of us ended up with a MTSO after that. Well, after being with the same job for many years, I spent over 2 years with the MTSO and found out that my line counts were very low because the platform was not counting my lines in a well honest (to me) way. I thought I was losing my talent, but after finding out about this for sure by looking at the minutes versus the lines over a couple of weeks and checking with other MTs (finally) I found out it was not me. I since have been working for a very reputable MTSO (no hospital jobs around directly that I could find by me) and something is happening. I am struggling to get my line counts again, and I did a study with the minutes and though not as bad as the other MTSO, the same thing is happening AGAIN! (dont mean to yell, just emphasizing). It is so hard to look for yet another job...My question is this: Is it my imagination, am I just losing my talent and my mind, or are most jobs now counting the lines differently than before say 3 years ago when I left the hospital job. And, if I can't produce that much anymore because they count lines differently now, how does one find at least a job which is moderately easier to get more than minimum? Look, I used to make over 50K a year and now I am eeking out perhaps 27 a year and feeling like I am losing my talent. Any advice would be appreciated here. I don't want to go through job after job, stress after stress. BTW: My husband will be able to provide benefits in a couple of months, but until recently I have been the one to have to provide health coverage and this has figured heavily into where I work. Thanks in advance for your opinions. I don't want my hand held, just a little reality check. Thanks in advance.

Question - Posted By: MTTX

How does EMR work and also voice recognition??? The doctor I work finally decided to to digital, but he was also inquiring about these two systems and I am a little concern that he might eventually go that route. Is a Transcriptionist still needed to edit reports?

Thanks

CorTmedical - Posted By: Candi

Does anyone know anything about CorTmedical? A friend has been offered a job, and we want to find out what people know about them.

where did my posting go? - Posted By: Jan

I just posted something less than an hour ago about input on companies. Now it is not here?

Bringing topic over from 2nd page. Someone - Posted By: posted that she gets paid a (sm)

higher rate because he/she has the CMT. I say the reality is that 90% or better don't give a toot about the CMT and are going to pay what they want anyway. And, all the RMT is going to do is cause major grief to a lot of hard working MTs, MTs who are barely making it financially. The RMT will cost MONEY along with their requirements. AAMT has caved to offshoring and is doing American MTs no favors. Frankly, I think the only worth an AAMT membership holds is the money you would be paying to put in their pocket. And, for what? To lobby on the Hill in favor of a bill that would ensure that patients� individually identifiable health information is secure and protected; improving health care quality and reducing medical errors, and developing best practices to support and accelerate efforts to adopt, implement, and effectively use interoperable health information technology when all the while AAMT is openly embracing offshoring?

In a nutshell, your money is fodder for a worthless organization.

Oh, and Jay and anyone else from AAMT, in case you're reading here, here's a couple of suggestions for AAMTs potential name change...

Foundation for the United Council of Kooks (Formerly Modesto Mavens)
Organization Of Offshore Suckups (OOS)

just want to vent - Posted By: bs

I just love it when we are to type verbatim-- I just wish I could really just type VERBATIM and show this physician that he does not even know if a patient is a male or female! He starts out as male, then female, then male, then female-- GET THE BODY PARTS RIGHT FOR GOODNESS SAKES!! OK-- I AM DONE! What really gets confusing is if a patient has name that you really don't know if it is a male or female- the sad part is, he does not do a GU exam, so you can't tell by that part of the dictation, which would help out a great deal! THANKS FOR LETTING ME VENT

Chartscript - Posted By: just me

Anybody know any companies that use Chartscript?

Is this National Mumble Day? - Posted By: yahoo

Did I not get the memo that all dictators should mumble and speakasfastastheycantoday?

Breast pump? - Posted By: desertblossom

Can one of you younger women enlighten me about electronic breast pumps? Today I was typing a report and heard the term for the first time. Are hand pumps not used anymore? This patient received an electronic breast pump from WIC.

Seriously need input what to do... - Posted By: Banshee

In the past few years I have had 3, what started out as, great jobs. The problem that happens is I start out doing a certain work type (ERs just to be blunt) and quickly get up to speed and begin making very good money.

At all 3, very different companies, after the first 6 months to 1 year in all 3 cases a lot of people were hired at once. I then find my work type changes and my lines start getting harder and harder to make, I start getting more difficult dictators. Obviously, the newer employees are getting the easier, more lucritive work is what I imagine.

Does anyone have any advice on how to approach the problem...and it is a problem because my lines are not only dropping but my pay is dropping. I am now even considering working both weekend days to see if I can get the same work I used to but that is a really going to be a hardship.

I am not sure this would even work but I refuse to quit another job. This one is the best ever and being around for 15+ years I am not unaware of what a good job is in this business.

Three jobs, though, can you imagine, all happening the exact same way. The last 2 jobs I tried to speak up and eventually got less and less work etc., so now I have no idea how to approach this. Unfortunately, when there is no accountability I guess it is easy to make or break people just on a whim.

I honestly think because I have been through this before with the work I am now getting my abundant paychecks will be getting smaller and smaller. Forgetting about quality is not really an option, either, as this company is completely, 100% about quality.

Has anyone been through this and come out ahead, and if so how did you do it? Is there hope?

Or do I just have to go backwards again and accept I lost out on a good thing, for the 3rd time. I mean, is that it? Did I top out and now everything is going to go down before 1 year.

The last job I left I was not even bringing home $550 in 2 weeks from starting with about $800 after the first year.

A little background, and just to come right out and say it these jobs all began with doing ERs (which I find are bread-and-butter) and eventually the job types switched to discharge summaries (lot of looking of names, places, etc. ), cardiac procedures with doctors who I cannot understand, you know, the work types you have to work like an fool just to make any money.

I am terrified to complain because of getting the reverse to happen - which it what happpened at the last 2 jobs.

My QA is 99-100 consistently, I have little contact with anyone and do not complain, I work my hours pretty much and have been told QA is very happy with me...I do not leave many blanks and do not mind researching.

Since I am a fighter and believe in my worth, it is difficult to just accept losing out on the good bucks. Is there nothinig I can do, am I just reduced to taking anything dished out to me-that is just so wrong on so many levels.

I am hoping any responses I get will be helpful and not the mindset that I just have to do whatever I get and just be thankful I have a job. That is not for me.

If anyone has any advice for this particular situation, would you please share your experience, offer some advice, or at the very least let me know if this does happen to other people even at good companies...is this a common practice? Since I have so much invested in my what I use to think of as a career just quitting and joining another profession is not an option (not yet anyway).

Thank you,

A fellow MT getting bluer by the day...

DISCLAIMER: Any mistakes or typos are to be blamed on the hour of day and because I am a keyboardist not a typist (smile!), and am not using my spellcheck right now.

Arizona fires - Posted By: Getting nervous

You all have probably seen the horrible Arizona fires on TV. I can see the smoke and flames from my house-- and could be in its path if the wind changes. There is a meeting at the high school tonight regarding fire info. Even though I am SO tired of doing transcription, I would much rather be home doing it than attending a fire meeting--

To those with good headsets - Posted By: Liv

Do the better quality headsets allow you to not have to crank the volume so much? I don't like blasting my ears but with the poor quality recording and the way the dictators speak, I often have to.

Have you noticed that is not so much the case once you have purchased good headphones? - Thanks for any feedback.

questions - Posted By: torie

i am very interested in taking courses on mt and would like some help in guiding me in the right direction....can someone help me on that

Hospitals in town - Posted By: Irene

I hear sometimes that there are still hospitals doing their dictations with their own transcriptionists, and I'm lucky that I found one through their website... but wondering, just how do you find out who does the hospitals in your city? No one ever advertises in the newspapers anymore and most hospital websites have nothing about transcription. I live in a pretty big city with lots of hospitals and clinics and outpatient surgeries. Surely they're not all outsourced to the Big Greedies.

I need the best "Find A Doc" website...sm - Posted By: New Account

I have an account in Wyoming, about 2000 miles from me. I need a really good website for locating doctors by state. I'd appreciate any help!!

FTP site question?? - Posted By: Don't mean to sound dumb, but

How do FTP sites work? I've never worked on one before and am just wondering if someone would give a little info? Is there a platform when you sign on to site? How do you play files? etc. Thanks!

Does anyone know of any - Posted By: MT4eight

online courses for medical terminology, just to brush up on medical terms. Not transcription schools, just a medical terminology class?

where did you buy your transcriber.... - Posted By: MTstudent

Where? How much? What to look for?

Any help is great!

C-phone - Posted By: Ashley

What is a C-phone and how much are they?

IC to employee...sm please - Posted By: tia

I would like to hear from any of you that have gone from an IC to an employee, on howyou handled the changes. I am thinking about giving up my IC position (which is my own account with a hospital) to look for a full time position with a national company. As an employee, do you really have to sit in front of the computer 8 to 12 hours for your shift? What happens if there is nothing to transcribe? Do you have to stay put and wait?

I have only transcribed as a hospital employee (paid by the hour) and then came home for the same hospital as an IC (paid by the minute of dictation) when my youngest had health problems. I have always had enough work with occasional slow weeks at the same time every year. I have done some IC work with a few smaller MTSO. The hospital is going through a lot of changes and I do not feel that my position is stable. I was offered a position with a national a little over a year ago but raised my rates at the hospital instead. (Although after I raised my rates, they looked into using a service and found I was way cheaper to use). But I have recently figured my line counts with this hospital (Never bothered before because I got paid per minute) and figured I only got paid between 8-9 cpl with the same rate on weekends and nights. I was offered that plus benefits with other companies.

Should I try to find a good company and adjust to the changes in my schedule? (sorry so long)

Clinical versus Acute Care - why do companies - Posted By: sm

advertise for clinical MTs and then send you a test for acute care? I was told it was the only tests they had. I've been down this road before. Once you pass the test they place you on acute care and come up with excuses about clinical. Sooner or later they'll get the hint - when MTs apply for clinical that is what they want to type. No more testing for acute care for me - when I apply for clinical.

job training question - Posted By: ae

I am working for one company. Got the offer to train at a higher rate with another one. One of the managers called me yesterday. She said the trainer and software guy would be contacting me, but did not give me a time frame. I emailed her asking her for a time frame. This was yesterday. How laid back should I be about this? I would like training to start this week if they can do it, as I need to know asap whether this job will work out or not. Is it proper to email her today, wait until Wednesday, email the big boss, etc.

What is a good game plan?

Lawsuit MQ - Posted By: anon

Have not heard a single peep about what is current on the big MQ lawsuit. Still being pursued? This is too big not to hear from anyone about updates .... anybody? I followed this for a long time in November/December/Jan, then POOF! Realize that the wheels spin slowing in legal-ville, but sure would like it if somebody could throw us some crumbs of information.

And if it has just fizzled out ... SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!!!

Who is transcribing HCA hospitals? - Posted By: Wally

Does anyone know what company is transcribing the Texas HCA hospitals? Need to know this really quick.

assign key on Lanier-need help! - Posted By: Cindy

I'm trying to re-listne to a job I signed off. I need to find the assign key. My Lanier is not marked with that key. How do I find it. Thanks

pay per page - Posted By: SM

Does anyone know the average $ per page, not radiology but clinic notes?

Medicolegal board? - Posted By: gaffy

Someone told me there was one on MTStars. Just do not see where it may be. Can someone point the way? Thanks much!

Outsourcing Concerns - Posted By: We all need to get involved

Did any of you watch the special the other night on identity theft? I think it was maybe on Dateline. If so, you heard them say the identity theft ring reaches far beyond the shores of the US. It involves many of the countries that are receiving outsourced transcription work.

The first thought that came to mind when watching that was our medical records. I often have dictation that gives me a SSN and DOB. I also often have dictation on a new patient giving me other details, such as where the individual works, how many children they have, etc. I always get their height, weight and race. With these details, the individuals being outsourced to have everything they need to supply a terrorist or identity theft ring information to enable them to pose as someone else. This is very frightening to me!

What do we do? How do we wake America up to what we're facing? Sure, we can write our elected officials, but you all know as well as I do that such correspondence falls upon deaf ears. Does anyone have any suggestions on where we go from here? At this point, it isn't only about losing our jobs, its about national security.

SUPERIOR GLOBAL - Posted By: illinois mt

Does anyone know anything good or bad about Superior Global Solutions out of Texas?