I work there now, have for the past 2-1/2 years.
Posted By: OrthoMT on 2009-05-12
In Reply to: Keystrokes.. any feedback from current employees? - jd
What feedback are you looking for?
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I have mde over 60K doing MT for the past 5 years. Why are you so hesitant to post who you work sm
for? Yes, I think you are a fraud am I am no jealous in the least. At least I don't have to lie as a part of my daily business. You still, an no other recruiter responding, has had the integrity to post their company name. No surprise.
What I have done for the past 6 years - sm
For the first 4 years as an IC I paid quarterly to state and had hubby take out additional federal from his check. I now have him take out additional for both, which is far easier for me. The IRS does not care where it comes from, just that it gets paid. Not sure if this is an option for you, but it works for me.
Agree, but over the past five or so years, new MTs sm
have been relying on Google and the Internet as their only references. We know how reliable the Internet is(n't)!! The US MTs need to step up to the plate, too!!
I've been happy for the past 2 years
No problems at all for me, and only getting better now with our annual raise (I know it's small, but it is something), holiday pay, more PTO, etc.
just today - you're a little behind - that was for the past 3 years-
and ID thiefs are also overseas - did ya see Dateline this week? Another point you are missing - we can prosecute those here - try finding somebody in Pakistan right now.
In the past 4 years I have always been paid on time
x
I have been a recruiter for 4 different companies over the past 15 years. sm
This is more common than most realize. For every 20 resumes I receive, only 8 are qualified. Of those 8, only 6 will answer their phone or call back when a voice mail is left. That always amazes me, as why apply if you have no desire to talk to the company? Of those 6, only 4 actually are qualified. You would be surprised how many only want 1st shift, M-F, no weekends, no holidays, no ESL doctors, only internet accounts, only word-based, only op notes, no op notes, only long reports, only short reports, etc. The list goes on and on. We hear about every health ailment, how some are working althought they do not need the money, wish I could say that, about how their husbands do not like them to work when they are home. We hear about how they have to leave for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon because they have to drive their kids to school. Did I mention that they need off every other Wednesday for 3 hours for Cub Scouts and every Thursday for two hours at lunchtime to be lunch mom at the school. Oh, don't forget that they get their hair done every Friday morning from 8 until 10 and they may have to drive their mom to the doctor every Tuesday. I am not exaggerating. They all assure me that they want a lot of volume, but of the 4 that I actually hire, it is even scarier. One may be perfect in terms of volume, quality and actually showing up for work. One will work for an hour and disappear forever. One will beg for work but only take 10 minutes off the system at most. One will have an emergency the first day and never call back, never actually starting.
So to have 100 employees, you need to go through 3000 resumes, hire 500 of them and hope to get 100 good ones.
I was going to work for a large company that gets a few bad and many good posts here but decided that the pressure would be too great. It is hard to find 5 good MTs for a new account. I cannot even begin to think how impossible it would be to find 25 or 30, as they have advertised in the past.
This industry sees a lot of job hoppers. Yes, there are a lot of bad companies out there, but they job hop for no reason it seems, other than someone actually expected them to show up and produce.
I am personally against offshore transcription and will not work for a company that send work out of the U.S. but I know why they turn to other countries to do the work. They have a better work ethic. When they find a good job, they stay with it forever. They appreciate that have a job and food on the table. It is a way of life for them and there are no second chances. They cannot burn their bridges or no one will hire them.
Maybe MTSOs need to have higher standards and hold their employees to them. There are thousands of excellent MTs out there, we just have to weed through so many to get to them that they sometimes get overlooked.
Sorry for ranting, but I really enjoyed the OP's post and it struck a few nerves!!!
I have used it for the past 2 years through another company and love it!! nm
nm
Keystrokes for the past 2 years!! I plan on retiring with them !! nm
nm
I have been there awhile. The good posts are because over the past few years sm
they have really worked hard to improve employee relationships and it has worked. There are no problems there anymore. They used to say they were growing pains and we all wondered how long they could say that. Now I am glad I stuck it out because all the old problems (and I mean old being over 2 years or more) are gone. Great company to work for.
I have had a credit report run for the 2 out of 2 MT jobs I have had over the past 10 years - nm
nm
Actually, it is not a MQ account. They have gotten dozens of MQ accounts over the past 5 years thou
The account that everyone is referring to is high ESL, very Hispanic, in Texas. It is not bad once you get used to the doctors. It is huge and difficult but not impossible and not bad.
They also have 4 other new accounts in acute care they are hiring for and 2 other excisting accounts that are growing.
With all I see on other companies not having enough work, I am grateful for Keystrokes. They keep growing and improving and were the best move I ever made!
Anyone work for MAG Mutual now? I saw several past
there now. I do not think 8 cpl is bad. Am I crazy?
I am thinking of accepting a position with them so any help would be great!
TIA for your replies!
Anyone work for MAG Mutual now? I saw several past
MTs who work there now. I don't think 8 cpl is bad. Am I crazy?
I am thinking of accepting a position with them and want any info.
TIA for your replies!
Do you work for KS or is this just a past experience?
nm
I work for Axoltol and have in the past been offered
a position with TransTech. I read on the board that TT does not pay for spaces. I don't remember from my interview whether they do or not The money wasn't that great at TT so I turned it down.
At Axoltol (work there and still can't spell their name but it rhymes with bottle) line rate is 2 cpl what TT offered me. There aren't production bonues, but there is OT. Benefits are excellent. Insurance is very good and cheaper than any I've seen anywhere. My DH works for an extremely large company and even his insurance isn't as inexpensive. Insurance starts the first day of the month after you are hired, so if you were to start today insurance would start May 1. Vision insurance is free, as is long/short-term disability.
They are rigid about your schedule. You get to set it, but then they expect you to stick to it, though if you need to go to the doctor or something there isn't a problem getting off. You are expected to to 1200 lpd/12,000 lines per pay period. Some days I have trouble doing 1200, but I do extra another day. Platform is very easy. One of the things I like most it shows how much you make per report, how much you make per day, how much per pay period, etc. I like to see the numbers. I have a goal each month and it motivates me to see the numbers going up. They provide equipment (even flat screen monitor). Company is still small but growing. They don't offshore.
QA is great, you can see corrected report and also relisten. You don't get to see old reports from other MTs.
I was worried about being more regimented in my schedule, but it has actually helped me to have more time to do the things I want to do. Instead of working a bit here and there I sit and get it done. I'm not tied to my chair, I still take breaks.
Can you tell I love my job?
I need a little help. When indicating your past work experience on a resume, should you - sm
include the month/year range you held the position? If you changed jobs a few times within a year, won't they wonder why you possibly only stayed at a job for a few months? Any help appreciated. Thanks!
You needed a Cphone & 2nd line to work there in the past. nm
s
But overhire/lack of work for the past few months . . . nm
m
Transcend running their ads when there has hardly been work this past week.
If your flexible this is the job for you. Feast or famine. Yet, we need to hire more help. How about giving the ones who sit all day waiting to work..some work..
I've had steady work the past 2 days on
my primary account, but I'm pretty sure it only has to do with people being off. I don't think there has been any kind of major change for the greater good or anything. So I'm not getting excited. I'll be back at the soup kitchen probably next week - so someone save my seat!
I work for MDI-MD and have worked part-time for Cobb in the past. sm
It has been about 3 years or so since I worked for Cobb Transcription in Georgia (very nice woman, by the way), so my info may be old, but I'll try to help.
Good dictation quality?
Yes for both MDI-MD and Cobb
Steady work?
MDI: For the most part, yes. There have been a few times, but you usually have enough secondary and tertiary accounts to make it through the dry times.
Cobb: I was doing clinic work -- do not recall any times without work.
What are the work types?
MDI-MD has a few radiology and clinic accounts (I think), but probably the majority of the accounts are acute care.
Cobb may have hospital accounts, but all I did with them was clinic work.
Good platform?
MDI uses Bayscribe -- very easy to use.
Cobb used Word.
Pay rate?
MDI pays better than any other company I have encountered.
Cobb's pay rate is kinda low, as I recall, and it was based on being paid by the character.
Paid for 65 cpl with spaces?
Yes for MDI ... as I mentioned above, Cobb paid by the character.
Do you have a flexible schedule?
Yes to both. MDI gives you a 24-hour turnaround time to do your work, and I think the same was true with Cobb.
Weekend work mandatory?
MDI: You are asked to work 2 weekends a month, I think. I pretty much work every weekend, so not sure about the official rules.
Cobb: No.
Employee or IC?
MDI: Statutory employee (they take out FICA, nothing else, so you do not have to pay self-employment tax)
Cobb: Was IC only
Benefits?
No for both
Low or high volume ESLs?
Probably vaies with the account -- probably average with MDI.
I don't recall any ESLs at Cobb.
Dedicated accounts with the same doctors?
MDI: You have a primary account and usually a secondary account -- pretty much the same docs.
Cobb: Yes.
Dialup accepted?
Yes to both, as far as I know. I have had cable so long, I do not recall.
Good luck with your job search. Hope this helps. If you have an offer from MDI, I'd take it -- it is a great place to work! 
I've been on OT all but 2 days the past 4 months. If work is slow
that just means we get a chance to get caught up with TAT. Get paid for downtime too if no work.
TransTech LOW and NO WORK consistently for many months now, especially within the past couple
of months when they thought they were getting a new account and hired everyone who called or submitted a resume. There is just NO WORK for all of us anymore. Lost account, so what did they do -- put those MT's piled on top of us on our primary account.
TT is in serious trouble, I do believe, financially. If they are having to pay MANY MT's, but have few accounts, they won't last for long. Who is TT's financial backer????? Do they have one???? Who owns TT??? I once heard a real estate broker owned them. Wonder how much rent they pay on their office in Houston??? Wonder how many $$$$ in bonuses they are giving out to mgmt-type people????
We TT MT's are seriously hurting financially and getting very stressful on our health and livelihood. We hear absolutely nothing from mgmt about this situation, but *good things* are coming. You remember when the Q said the same thing to their MT's a few years ago and it was only beneficial to mgmt. It was a real crock!!!!! 
I must say that my job that I used to enjoy beginning my shift every day is now the MOST stressful thing in my life, and we ALL have stressors of one kind of another, admit or not. TT has become the biggest stress in my life, without a doubt. A doctor friend of mine and my own personal doctors say that is what my problem is.
These MTSO's have gotten just as greedy as GMC and all those other HUGE conglomerates!
I agree. This past year has been terrible with MQ. Never enough work, crappy dictators, no pay for
weekends and holidays anymore etc etc I guess with all their legal woes we are paying for it and then have to have few blanks and 98% QA on dictators I have never even heard of. A joke to be sure and no matter how good the new pay plan is or they allow everyone a window to work then everyone will be working all hours to get lines for incentive which they probably never will. MQ is losing a lot of MTs and I expect that will continue. They seem to just keep pushing and pushing and it almost seems like they want people to leave so it really makes you wonder what is going on here. They really just dont care.
I work on Docuscribe (not MQ) and have also worked on Chartscript in the past. My line counts went
down significantly when I went to the DQS platform. Don't know if it is being manipulated or not, just simply stating the facts as I have seen them.
Has anyone recently left Futurenet Tech due to their lack of work over the past several weeks? nm
d
I encountered slow to no work the weeks preceding Thanksgiving and several days after but the past
few days it has picked up. Can I ask which account/accounts your on? I think that makes a difference. Mine are part f the Escription platform. I honestly got really ticked a few weeks ago when we had no work and they were still hiring. For one, it's bad enough when we have to share some of our work with the Indians, but how fair it is to hire these poor people who think they are getting work where there is none. It makes no sense to me either. Why not provide work to your current employees than drive them away by taking on too many new people.
Concerned about the low work at WebMedx over the past few weeks. Typical for this time of year?
I've not been through a summer with them before. My main account, which always had plenty of work and occasional overtime, has been low for well over a month now. I have 2 backup accounts that are low as well. In fact, all my STM's accounts are very low volume. In all the years I've transcribed, I've never had this problem in August. It worries me more perhaps since I'm ex-MQ and consistent low work was a signal of a major downhill turn for that company. Thanks.
Good & bad posts in the past. Must work 1 Sat. a month. Supposed to be gross line pay. Some days
s
I used to work there several years ago...
good accounts, but watch out for the OM. She is a real b**ch.
I have been there for two years and have always had work
nm
I have been there for over 2 years and have never run out of work...
so, no this is not a common problem with Keystrokes...since you said you have no personal experience with them you couldn't possibly know...in fact, most of the time I have too much work...Keystrokes makes sure their current employees have all the work they want before they hire anyone...
used to work for them years ago..sm
good company, good accounts at that time. I saw the ad where they will be going to VR....I almost applied again had it not been for that VR junk.
I have never run out of work in almost 3 years.
It has been slower at times but I have never run out completely
Actually I work in an office and have for the last 20 years.
I work at home for six months and then go into the office for the other six months out of a year. My point was that you are are judging everyone for saying negative things about different companies. We express our opinions about different companies and try to help others out before they accept employment with them, or dish out a bunch of money for schooling.
If you want positive things about companies, why wasn't your question "what is the best company you have every worked for" and "which school is the best to go to for medical transcription"?
I happen to like my job, enjoy the people that I report to, and wouldn't change it for anything.
Work has been going to Trinidad for years, actually, but not a lot of it from what I can tell. A QA
nm
In 5 years I've never had a day without work, though
have had probably 4 days of about half my usual line count, due to the hospital system being down or due to hurricanes, but never went completely without work. My company isn't hiring though.
I've been there for 1-1/2 years and have never run out of work. nm
:]
Been there for 3 years, pay on time, never without work.
xx
The company I work for NEVER gives PTO, even after 5 years. I would be willing sm
to wait a year to get it. Right now, I hate taking a day off at all because I am paycheck to paycheck and need to work to make money. If I had PTO, I would not feel guilty taking a day off here and there or even a short vacation.
I've NEVER run out of work in 9 years.
hellish shift, all the reports everybody else sends back, it's a dirty job, and love the $
I have worked at MQ for about 9 years and have never run out of work. sm
I don't think that is the norm for most to run out of work at MQ.
I tried to work with them a couple of years ago...
xx
I always have enough work on it and have been on it since it started 3 years ago. sm
I do a minimum of 100 minutes every day. My goal is 120 minutes every day but I am not as fast as I once was. I do not run out of work on there but I work 2nd shift, which might be the reason. Glad you got an account you like better. I personally love this one because of the doctors, except one.
I have 25 years exp and run into the "no work syndrome" also.
It happens! I got tired of hearing no work or can you go on later...etc. I went out and got my own accounts and it has be heaven!
Believe me, the no work situation happens at every company no matter what anyone says. I think I have tried every one out there and the same thing....great for the first few weeks, then caught up and no work.
You may need a part-time job to fill in for the $$$ missed.
Good luck.
Weekend work has been going on in hospitals many years but
weekend workers generally rotate if they work in house or they used to. This should be the way these companies do this rather than tie up every weekend. It would be easier to find someone if they rotated their weekends and were firm about the commitment. It is not that hard. It is about good management and if they can't manage to get that commitment, then companies need new management to implement that kind of thing. Finding weekend workers would be a lot easier.
I've been there 5+ years and have had plenty of work.
I would occasionally work on weekends when I needed extra $$ and there is no work on the weekends now. Mondays also tend to be a little slow because they are keeping a tighter TAT and we aren't playing catch-up from the weekend, but even then I still get my lines.
Are you a long-time QTer and not getting your lines?
I don't work weekends or holidays. MT FOR 10 YEARS
NM
Not true - been doing clinic work for 8 years
and while yes, there are things such as px and other things you can make macros for, my docs say a lot of different things based on who the dictation is going to and what the problem is, also personal things pertaining to that patient. I have found OP notes have more of the same things in them than clinic notes and can make you more money.
I work at etrans and have had trouble for 2 years -
email me privately...
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