Need advice on Editing/QA qualifications
Posted By: Deborah Landgraf on 2005-09-20
In Reply to:
I have 15 years inhouse, but we are being outsourced. Several coworkers have gone to work for different nationals, and I am weighing working as an MT vs. QA or editor. I would like advice on what would be best to do or to expect. I have learned the following about several companies, none of which is consistent:
Company 1: QA manager has a BA in Political Science. She runs the department as a manager only. The QA people who are chosen have at least 10 years of experience and appear to be very knowledgeable. Most of them are very helpful and are available around the clock. Most accounts have plenty of work, but a lot of ESL.
Company 2: QA manager has many years in the field and supervises QA people with also many years of experience. They have a separate Document Completion department that does nothing but fill in blanks, but it is managed by a nurse with a Bachelor's degree. They have virtual round-the-clock coverage, and you can call them for an answer or to listen to the job you are working on. They are very helpful and friendly. I hear that MTs frequently run out of work.
Company 3: Not impressed because of favoritism here. A highly qualified QA manager with years of experience, including teaching, was moved to a lateral position after a few days by a power seeker with only 2 years' experience as an MT. After that, most of the QA department either quit or was fired. The new QA director does actual QA herself but does not get along well with everyone. Some of the QA department is helpful and some are not. They also promote some after only a few months with the company regardless of experience, which creates hard feelings among those with more longevity and experience. Very poor coverage at night and on the weekend. Plenty of work on most accounts.
Company 4: Editing and QA is separate. They require 10 years' experience as an Editor and 15 years' experience in QA. The QA and editing managers distribute the work and work as managers only but they are very approachable. The QA people are knowledgeable but most of them feel superior to the MTs. Most of the editors are fine but get frustrated if easy blanks are left and also seem to be too glad to report it, almost like tattling beyond necessity. Plenty of work.
As you can see, these are all very different, and I wonder if I would be better off to just remain an MT. However, I don't want my work screened by someone who is "just starting out" as an MT. I cannot figure out why the standards are so different. If you work for these companies, you know who they are. I just don't know where to turn. Help!
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ADVICE ON EDITING
I am considering doing some editing. I have over eight years' MT experience.
What is an average number of lines you can edit per hour? Pros/cons/any additional info would be appreciated.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
qualifications
I'm confused. Do you think you should qualify for every job? I don't see listing the specific platform as any different than saying must have a C-phone or must have Word 2000.
Being an MT for 30 years is laudable but I'm not sure where it means you would fit every MT scenario.
If an MTSO has a client using XX platform, wouldn't it make sense then to have people who know how to use it?? Or perhaps I'm missing the point.
OSi's qualifications vs. other companies
This is on the job board from ANOTHER company seeking a QA Director
Qualifications
* 25 years as an MT in acute care environment
* 10 years in QA with QA management experience a plus
* credentials as CMT required, RHIA or RHIT preferable, not required.
OSi's QA Director has been an MT only for 2 years, can't spell, can't punctuate, can't manage, spends her time on this forum, but her promotion came because she threatened to go on strike because they initially offered the job to someone who was actually qualified to do the job.
The QA's who haven't been fired are quitting because she's looney and nobody can work for her.
Who takes care of her 7 younguns?
Qualifications for benefits
I'm compiling some information for another MT who doesn't visit message boards very often and hoped you all could be of some assistance. She's always been an IC and is now needing to find a FT employee position because of changes in her family situation.
I'll put my questions in list format so they can be copied and pasted with your answers. Thanks for your time.
1. What is the name of the company you are working for?
2. Would you recommend it to another MT? If not, why?
3. How many hours and/or lines per week are required for FT status?
4. Is the health insurance a good plan and relatively affordable for 2 adults (no children)?
5. How often in the past few months have you been out of work?
Thanks again. I really appreciate any information you can provide for her. I've only worked for 2 companies since starting in MT so I don't know that much about all the options out there.
Sandi
okay, what are your qualifications to make such a statement??...
There are several 100 MTs at Cymed who depend on their jobs and do not need extra stress right now. Who did you work for that this happened to? Does your situation truly impact the current situation? Inquiring minds want to know.
Good advice, and advice that I'm giving real thought to ...
If I had known that they offshored before I accepted employment with them I never would have gone there to work. I've been here long enough now though to not want to lose my benefits.
Still ... making a DECENT PAYCHECK and making a living without being stressed out over the type of work that I'm doing is just as important as good benefits.
I think your getting it all wrong.. She is probably doing VR editing..not the same as QA editing..
Does make a difference as you are not correcting someone's else work.. just VR to make sure the sentences make sense, right punctuation etc..If you have good English skills, it is not that difficult but this 1.5 cpl is a joke.
Not editing.
Typing yes, editing no, not yet. I didnt say I wouldnt have a pay cut. I did say that I feel I can produce however, the more I do it. If i left Transcend because of editing and pay cuts, I would work somewhere else and make probably the same typing. I am getting paid good with or without the pay cut. If you go somewhere else, how do you know in the future that company will not be moving to the same typing of editing platform???? Because they said they wouldn't? Dont believe that. It is the future, many companies are going to be doing it. I will know how which will keep me having a job.
I can get at leAST 5 cpl editing at
Softscript, much better than 4 or 4.8 cpl.
2 cpl for editing? TIA
nm
6 cpl as an IC for editing?
s
No - not at 4 cpl, but at 12 cpl editing VR. nm
x
Editing at 12 cpl?
Who do you work for that you are making 12 cpl for editing?
VR Editing, or you use VR? NM
nm
editing
I know of NO companies that pay decent for editing. They think it takes less time and gives us higher line counts; just the opposite for me at the 2 places I've done editing. It takes more time to delete and add words and fix words than it does to just transcribe it. Especially when the voice recognition isn't even close!
Yes 1.5 cpl for editing
I have been an MT for 2 years, I have never edited before. This is my first editing position. I am learning a lot. Sure the pay is not the best, but I am learning. Don't get me wrong, I do need money, but I also need experience in this field. I don't know if the pay goes up or not, I have only been with them for almost 2 months and have not asked for a pay raise. I am sure there are editing jobs that pay more, but I like the company, the people, and the flexibility. There are no set lines you have to edit. You go at your own pace. There are pros and cons to every company. Some like Shapin, others do not.
Do you mean editing VR, or MTs?
xx
Would you consider editing?
Superior global solutions has both editing and straight transcription. I have been here for a few months not and LOVE them. Easy word-based system to use and I tip back and forth between straight typing and editing voice. I have CTS and have noticed a big improvement. Maybe you should consider editing?.
Editing pay is way too low BUT
a liveable wage is just as someone below said at $16 to $20, but find the companies and count them on one hand that pay it. Companies today are not interested in quality or they would pay editors a decent wage. Half of what I earned as an MT is NOT a decent wage and $16 to $20 is half of what I earned as an MT.
I do editing myself, and...........
I can say that they might be able to see the view, but the font is not touched in any way. Sounds like your QA person does not know much about computers. I would just do it, they cannot fire you for trying to save your eyesight, and they cannot tell you not to do that. I always do it. Does not change font.
Go for the VR editing
This is the future of MT - it won't hurt you to learn it now while it is still new. Keystrokes - unless you can deal with a lot of emotional drama - I'd go the other way.
Editing?
As of a year ago, they didn't do editing. Their platform had been purchased by Nuance/Dragon Naturally Speaking, but I didn't get the impression they would be going the VR route any time soon.
Not VR editing, QA editing
They had an ad for a regular editor. Heard various things from them being wonderful to bouncing checks, but I can't really find anything definite.
I know where you can get way more for editing!
nm
Editing
Do you mind if I ask why you work as an Editor for someone who hires with such low standards? In other words, too CHEAP to pay qualified MTs what they are worth. As long as the experienced MTs are willing to accept these low salaries to clean up crap, the cycle will just continue of salaries going down, down, down.
I Like Editing
I Like editing with eScription. I can edit twice as fast as I can type. Before eScription, my wrists and shoulders would hurt at the end of the day. I don't have that problem any more.
I've been a transcriptionists for 15 years. Before, eScription, I was worried about how much longer I could work. I think eScription has extended my career.
Anybody out there do editing for
Transtech? Just wondering if it was good or bad, how much pay, etc? 
Editing
Right now I make $15 hr editing. Can you really make that good of money at .04? What is the platform and is there a lot of formatting, etc?
editing
No, not a lot of formatting. Mostly it is just punctuation, etc. But some doctors do require major editing. It works out for me but I guess it depends on the docs you get and how comfortable you are
MT Editing
Just curious - does anyone know if MT Editors have a special program they use to be able to distinguish words we miss as transcriptionists very clearly? I find it interesting that what is a simple word, which I know once the correction comes back, that they are able to figure it out and have a flawless report.
Doing 100% QA Editing for 3 cpl
Is 3 cpl considered low for being expected to do 100% QA on every file? Seems like I just can't make any money listening to every single dictation from beginning to end, but yet this is what is expected.
7 cpl for editing
7 cpl for editing would be nice. I get about 4.5 CPL and I hate VR. Its not only cumbersome and more work, but its boring!!!
should be 0.065 cpl for VR editing nm
xx
Editing
Maybe editing just isn't your thing.
editing
It depends. Sometimes honestly I could have transcribed it faster. It is another field pay has gone down. I started out editing in the days at 6 cents per line. I figure they were given the indians 2 and still making money. Editing or MTing, it is all going down the toilet. Go back to school.
non VR editing I do about
nm
editing
Boy where to start. There's one group of about 100 clinic accounts and you don't pull them in any particular order, the specifics are an absolute nightmare, and with so many you never get to actually know any of them enough to go through them quicker.
All the editing is 100% listens, which really kills your pay. On one of the platforms, the program never works right, so you might have to fill in all the header information, which means writing down the demographic info and then typing it in - you don't get paid for this.
There are a few reports you can get through pretty fast, but by far not many. With being paid by the line, you're really losing a ton of money with them. A great deal of the editors just don't even try, they just push them through and I know because I was a super for them for a time before I got smart and got out.
Do you mean VR (editing)? If so, sm
I find I do okay with it. So far, I'm about 2.5 x my MT line count and growing every day. Something I do that I like is send out a weekly line count progress chart type thing - it's listed by MT number and shows your lph in MT and editing modes.
How is editing on Beyond Txt?
Is it hard or is the software decent for VR?
12 cpl for QA/editing. nm
x
VR Editing
Is 5 cents a line for a 65 character line good for doing VR editing as an independent contractor? I've never done VR editing and have no idea how much I could make or how difficult it is compared to transcription. Is VR editing difficult to learn? Any info appreciated.
Editing
Not sure if original message came through, so may be duplicate ... Does anyone have any information on the software/company EditScript? I am wondering if they can determine how much you produce/edit, manipulate your line count, line length, character type, count, etc.. When I first trained, I was doing fabulous, and now after a couple of years, I am getting really low averages and I am not changing anything I do regarding pace/consistency. The company I work for may be trying to edge out some people so was wondering if this is a capability that ES has? Thanks to anyone that can assist!
How about editing
Anyone editing for an offshore company? Any feedback you want to offer on quality or what your wages are for editing the reports that are coming back to us?
Editing
I love editing.. saves wear and tear on my wrists. I never dreamed though they would screw us over and take away our pay little by little.. I am just glad to be calling it quits with the company I have been with for 3 years. They screwed me over.
my TT pay for editing is
0.065 and for straight transcription is 0.09. I can certainly make a decent living doing editing with the bonuses and incentives. Be honest now, is TT really offering new editors 0.04 per line or less?! I have to admit that I would have a hard time accepting that amount per line.
8 cpl is a lot more than 4-5 cpl for editing
when you have to retype every single report that the junky Editor puts out.
editing VR...sm
My STM told us that you should not be able to tell the difference between a VR report and a report that was typed. You should absolutely be listening to the entire dictation and not just reading through and making corrections. Sometimes VR will leave out entire sentences or be way off, and if you don't listen to the dictation your end product will very likely not be what the dictator actually said. I know that our pay rate for editing is dropping considerably, but we still must place quality over quantity.
The way to get a decent LPH editing is to make sure that you are working as efficiently as possible. You should be creating macros to make the edits easier. You can make macros with SH or AutoHotKey. This will allow you to be much faster without sacrificing quality.
bit of advice - sm
I have worked in many hospitals over many years, and after a bit of trial and error, I have found that this approach has always worked in my favor -
I STOPPED sending resumes to HR departments. Why? Because I would inevitably end up with a computer generated letter "thanking me for the resume ... on file ... should a position come up ... blah blah blah." I would contact the hospital and say I am responding to the position that is open, what do you mean you don't have a position??? The response would be "Oh, well someone should get in contact with you soon then."
By the time an HR department got off their butt to start calling in people for the position, chances are the transcription department was into overtime and overtime meant loss of $$ and next thing you know, it was being outsourced.
So I cut out the HR department, and would find out the name of the head of medical records and send my resume to that person. The person would either go to HR and say "contact this person for an interview" or would contact me themselves and set up the interview.
I would even send a resume to the head of medical records even if there was no opening because you never know. Hospitals may have onsite transcriptionists as well as outsourcing. But if the hospital realizes that there is the possibility of another Transcriptionist right in the area, they may be able to utilize me. Hence, I would get a phone call.
It's just a bit of advice - don't always rely on the website for transcription positions.
my advice is ask MQ for more than that...
if you have the experience and are 'seasoned' you should start out at least at 9 or 9.5. be firm. they must need MTs. if they say they do not pay that much say you are sorry to hear it but you have other offers, and everybody is paying at least 9 now...(IF you are as good as you say and you tested and passed, etc.)
men do this- they push back a little...
even if they simply will not give you more than say 8.5, they will at least know you are not stupid. if you take it at 8.5, tell them you want a review in the near future and expect to make more than that...
geeze, I started at 9.5 there a year ago...?
if you are good, demand to get paid what you deserve.
Thanks for the advice - sm
It's not a lot of money, but since I was courteous enough to send the equipment back immediately, I just don't understand why they aren't paying me. I am not going to drop it though.
Thanks again!
K
Here's my advice sm
If you are on your own and don't have a spouse or a second source of income, this isn't the job. You've really got to have some backup with Webmedx. This is not the company where you'll be on one or two accounts and have all the work you can do. This is scraping for every bit of work you can get some days and bouncing around on lots of accounts.
However, the benefits are very good. I'm not sure if they take them away, though, if you can't make your lines. Surely not if there's no work, but if there is work and you have trouble, don't know.
IF you have benefits through a spouse, I would go elsewhere and be an IC. I would not be here if I didn't need the benefits.
Good luck making a decision!
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