Anyone out there work for Chronicle Transcripts who could answer questions?

• Anyone out there work for Chronicle Transcripts who could answer questions? - luvmting
  • Questions - newmt
  • Chronicle - debbie

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Chronicle gets my vote!

Hello fellow MTs!  Anyone care to share any info on this company?

TIA!

They're certainly a nice group, but may be a little manipulative as well.  Not unlike a lot of companies, they seem to expect that the company's needs come first and your life comes second.  Don't be shocked when they call you at times when you are not scheduled.  The QA can be a little condescending, or at least seems that way in email.  The platform stinks (APEX); really difficult to get a decent line count, plus it had the habit of breaking down at least once daily, often in the middle of a report.  If you have nothing else to do with your time and you don't really need a lot of money, and you do transcription because you just really LOVE it and would rather transcribe than do just about anything else, including sleep, then they are very pleasant to work for; however, if you want to work your set schedule and not be bothered on off hours, this company may not be a good fit for you.

Lillybelle.

I am scheduled for a telephone interview with Chronicle Transcripts next week.  Do they require you to have any special equipment outside of Windows XP, 512 mb, USB port footpedal, sound card to hear the audio files?  I know most companies do not require anything other as stated above, but I thought I may have read somewhere they required something in addition.

Just wanted to know if I have everything I needed, if they offer me a job.

TIA

here tested with them recently?  Hard, ESL?  Any advise to share would be great. 

Thanks in advance.

looking for current experience with them?  Training, pay, platform, QA?  Is there enough work? 

I went through training and now I'm not sure I made the right decision.  Any comments from anyone who started recently?

I've taken a position with CTI, but I'm kind of worried after reading all the negative posts about the horrible Apex platform.

Is there anyone who works for them who is satisfied?

Most info I found on these two companies is rather old...Any new info?  The good, bad, and ugly please.  Trying to make an informed decision and find my home :)  TIA

anyone have any information to share on either of these two companies?  They are both advertising for current openings.  I'm currently an IC and wondering if there really is a benefit to being employee status?  

Any information on platform, management, QA, etc. would be appreciated.  Easy/hard to meet production quotas?  Pay on time?  I don't need health benefits.

Any information is appreciated. 

California uses the same platform the other posters here mention (APEX).  I stayed for 2 months and finally called it a day.  It was horrible, always breaking down, slow, the dictionary isn't even a standard medical dictionary.  Are Chronicle and Transolutions the same company or related does anyone know?

I left soon after starting with them a while ago because they didn't have enough work.  They are advertising again saying lots of work available.  I had to buy Word 2003 the first time only to find out it wasn't enough work to keep busy.  Have things changed?  Do they have enough work for everyone?  Is the same rude QA woman still there?  Same platform (uses Word 2003)?  Any info would be appreciated. 

xx

I know, work for a long time and tried asking questions, but they just beat around the bush and don't answer the true question that you presented to them.

Maybe it is kite flying weather where you are !!!

to here goes...firstly, I don't know about the platform, only that it is Word based. Secondly, I have many years cardio, and thirdly, no the test was not hard. Still looking for any answers to my questions above. Thanks in advance.

What if something happens and you cannot type the required amount per day (sickness, doctor app.,etc.)?  The two ladies who run Allegiant are truly willing to work with you and are very accommodating.  If I'm not able to work I just let them know as much in advance as I can, and I've never had a problem.  If you can't work in the morning, just work later in the day.  You're not tied to certain hours to work.  Your committment when working for Allegiant is 500 lines a day.  These two ladies are truly the best bosses I've ever had.  I try to be the best and do the best that I can and don't take advantage of them.  They recognize my effort, and everybody is happy! 

Are there many ESLs?  ESL ratio was one of my main concerns when I started.  There are a couple who drove me insane at first but QA helped me through them, and they're not a problem now.  If you can't understand something, you leave a blank.  You're not punished and you don't have your pay deducted.  I'm telling you....these gals are TOPS to work for!  To answer your question...the ratio may be 75% English, 25% ESL, maybe 80/20...I really don't know, not many and not difficult.

On average how many doctors do you transcribe for?  My account is a group of clinics.  I guess I have maybe 20 docs, but if one dictates several in a row I may only transcribe for two or three docs in a single day.  Most of the docs are family medicine, but I have an ob-gyn, a urologist, an orthopedic doc, and an ENT guy that I really enjoy.  The dictations are pretty much brief H&Ps or SOAP notes.  I have done a few simple OPs, some stress tests, and even an office vasectomy but absolutely nothing complicated.

Do you get to keep the same doctors or are you switched around a lot?  There isn't really any switching to do....you just do the docs in your account.  If work runs out I have a backup account, but usually by the time the work runs out I've reached my 500 lines anyhow and am ready to quit.  Work builds back up pretty quickly.  Right this minute at 10:37 pm EST there are over 200 reports in the system.

Do you ever run out of work?  Oops, guess I just answered this above!

Do you find the EMDAT system user friendly?  I had never worked on EMDAT before so of course it was confusing just starting out.  It's always hard learning a new system, a new account, new docs....When I first started I just made up my mind to devote some extra time to learning everything.  Nobody expects you to learn it all in one day and still meet your 500-line commitment.  It took a couple of weeks before I started to really become productive.  The hardest part for me was getting all my autokeys transferred from my old national into Word and then into Emdat.  Once I got that done it made things a lot easier.  I actually think EMDAT is pretty simple.  Doesn't have a lot bells and whistles.

Are you required to buy any software, etc.?  Up until last week the answer to this was no.  However, the clinic had a problem with us transcribing in Express Scribe (something to do with HIPAA regulations) so now we have to get our audio through EMDAT instead of Express Scribe.  EMDAT requires a propriatary foot pedal which I did have to buy ($103 total)

Is high speed internet required?  I honestly can't answer this.  I have Earthlink cable so it wasn't an issue for me.

Is all work IC with no benefits?  No benefits at all other than the privilege of working for 2 ladies who treat you fairly and with respect.  I've been around the block a time or two, and I feel so at home with Allegiant.  When I type my 500 lines and sign off I don't feel like I've been beat.  These gals don't harrass, they don't threaten, they don't pull any fast ones.  They just leave you alone to do your job.  I signed up for direct deposit.  Money has been there right on time!

Do they have full time work?  I don't know if by full time you mean 8 hours a day or 1200 lines a day.  When you first start the only thing you need to tell them is which days you will be working.  I signed up for Monday-Friday, 500 lines per day.  No specific time...just 500 lines per day.  I think most of what Allegiant has is clinic work so weekends aren't much of an issue.  If work gets backed up on Friday it will carry over to the weekends, so if you want to do some on the weekend there's usually some available, and when work is available it's pretty much up for grabs so you can help yourself and do all you want.  Work is slowest on Mondays, next slowest the other mornings, and picks up steam as the day and week go on. 

I wasted a lot of years working for a large national, stressing every day over QA, line counts, residents, poor sound quality, work schedule, and a dozen other things.  I'm really, really, really glad I found Allegiant.

except the offshoring.  To my knowledge, neither company offshores.   I guess the main difference between the two would be deciding whether you want to be an employee with benefits, or work as an SE (they at least take out FICA so you don't have to mess with the self-employment tax) with no benefits and deal with federal and state taxes on your own.  Also, MDI-MD still has some accounts that require a C-phone and unlimited LD, whereas with TT it is strictly wav files.   I don't think you would go wrong with either company.

I do not know anything about Keystrokes, but judging from the posts, it seems that a lot of people are quite happy there.

Not sure if this helps, but I wish you luck.