Spheris interview, not jumping up and down

Just had an interview with Spheris. I currently work for MQ, so am naturally looking at what other options are out there currently. I've read some of the posts on Spheris and I have to say a few things stike me a little funny. I guess you know a recruiter is good at her job if she is good at working her way around the questions instead of answering the questions! I asked about work flow and running out of work. She basically didn't say the work flow runs low but it's not that it NEVER happens and that there is no downtime pay for lack of work. Sort of evasive if posts stating running out of work is a problem anymore. I wanted to know the line rates, high/low anything, and she said she could not give me that information!! Ok, you want me to consider you as an employer without all the info but you want me to fess up anything? Why is this a big secret? The wage that low that they have to try to sucker you in before they will tell you it sucks? If you think you might try to start me at 6 cents/line let me know, we can save a lot of time! She wants to start me on a clinic account because I havn't done operative reports. So lets waste all your other acute care experience? I'd rather hoped to be moving forward in my experience base than moving backward. On top of that, you can't even be considered for any changes for 6 months! If you hire on part time, you can't go full time for 6 months either. Many downfalls it would seem.

I've had a couple other interviews in the past few weeks. The outlook just doesn't seem very appealing.Why is it there is no medical Transcriptionist labor union and/or why one can't be started? I would think it would help stop a lot of mistreatment and outsourcing and protect our interests as we need someone to help out in this department since we are all home, alone.

• Spheris interview, not jumping up and down - I am defeated
  • spheris - sparky
    • they start at 0.065, not 0.06 - n/m
      • Wow! Now that is better. - NM
        • Loved The Way You Replied! - midwestmt
        • I know, not much more....just trying to make myself - feel better. n/m
    • Is there any way you can get on acute care? - That is awful.
  • I'm with YOU, girl! - nm - Flibertygibbit
  • The issue a union has been mentioned dozens and dozens of times. - me
  • No you are not defeated. There are some good companies out there. - I work at one.
    • making 9+ CPL doesn't matter if the platform is crap. - 7 cpl + easy platform = good money
    • I agree, I'm feeling defeated too! - NY MT
      • 8 cents a line... - Jaerae
        • I also work for 8 cents a line. I left a job typing OPs for 10-11 cents sm - searching
          • 8 cpl for clinic work is great. What company - pays that?
        • I have checked into 3 different - nationals and
          • ACK! - Transcriptionist X
            • How lucky you are? - Daphne

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No, its not a test.  They will ask you about your transcription background, what platforms you have used, etc.  They will tell you about  the company,  the benefits and pay, and describe the job, so have your list of questions close by.

Yes, doesn't it give you a warm and fuzzy feeling to see exactly how much our government protects its citizens. NOT!

Not only us MTs, but hundreds of other jobs have been outsourced so that CEOs and other parasites can make big profits even though the quality of service has taken a nosedive.  Anybody try to talk to people from Dell Computer, for example? I just say I can't understand a word you are saying and call me back when you find sonebody who can speak English. 

Hi PAM: 

Upon reading your post, my first thought was that is a very cynical way to look at our industry, but then I got to thinking about my paycheck for my present company and how little I make for how hard I work.  Then something clicked in my brain and now I totally agree with you.  You are right -- we are slave labor for the MTSO's who probably make tons of money from our hard work.  Well I am about retirment age and probably will not be working that much more.  I have warned people against this job.  You can no longer make a decent living as an MT and that is a fact.  fortunately for me, I have other sources for paying my bills.  Otherwise I am sure I would have been homeless a long time ago.   Someday there will be no good MT's around and then who will do their work?  Oh I am sure they will find somebody, not necessarily good quality and maybe not a dedicated worker with bad attitude, but that is probably what these companies deserve after all. 

Call me totally disillusioned with being an MT.    

MQ is making some poor decisions and I am debating whether to stay on for the ride and see if things are better once it is bought out, or just go somewhere else.  I was looking at Diskriter...does anybody have any experience with this company, and if so I would love some opinions on it.  TIA!!

I've been there long enough to know that there are ups and downs in work and it happens all over. VR is not bad, could be better, but I like it.

I'd rather be out of work for a week or two than 4 months like I was with my local hospital. There may be better jobs out there but I'm not looking.

FYI: I'm basically sole provider for us, too. It gets tough at times but I try to roll with the punches.

Micromanaged to the microsecond, or ms!  Horrible. And part of a team?  Total opposite - part of a team as in prison.

It depends on so many things.  Will you be working as an employee (with benefits) or IC?  Your post makes it sound like you'll be an independent contractor, as employees are usually not given the option to determine their own pay scale.

It also depends on what kind of work you'll be doing.  If it's just x-rays, i.e., short reports, you're better off charging by the report.  Try to keep in in the $1.25 per report range and make sure you get paid for links; two separate reports on the same job, like shoulder and clavicle would be two reports, CT of the abdomen and pelvis would be two reports.  On the other hand, if you'll be doing long reports like MRIs, Special Procedures, etc.,  then you'll do better charging by the line.  65 character line with all spaces included.  I would ask for 9 cpl at the least.  Maybe 10.  They'll probably try to chew you down anyway.  And most importantly, walk in there with confidence and professionalism.  Don't be intimidated by them.  You are a professional.  Don't ask them what they are offering.  Tell them, in a polite but firm manner what you expect to be paid, and see how they react.

Well, that's my advice.  Good luck.  Let us know how it turned out.

Sounds like it went well.  Give it a try.  If you're not happy with them in a month or two, start looking for other opportunities.  Good luck!

My interview just consisted of general employment info.  Not a lot of questions to me, mainly just telling me about the benefits, pay, etc. and discussing what kind of schedule you want, etc.   

I've had interviews in the past that were more like a test, but this was not one of them.

I work for Diskriter on a SmartSource account where I am actually an employee of the hospital itself.  They also have accounts where you are employed by Diskriter.  I have no complaints at all.  My lines counts are much higher  than when I worked at MQ.  Although the pay is pretty average, if you are a high producer the incentive really makes a big difference.   There have been postings on this board in the past about hospitals/QA being extremely picky, but I have not had that problem.

Good Luck in your interview!       

Insist that they tell you much your line rate will REALLY be.  Some companies that use Dictaphone EXText take a flat percentage off the top to allow for headers and footers, no matter that not all headers and footers are the same, they are different for different hospitals but they are greedy and take anywhere from 10 to 17% (that I have proof of) off the top so if you are told you will get 8 cpl you will have to deduct the percentage from that.  I'm sure that other companies that use different software do the same thing.  Ask them to tell you what their flat percentage is.  If they refuse to tell you stop the interview!!!!!!!!!!!   

I know for a fact that one company takes 17% off and their president went in one day and changed all the headers to have hardly any lines in them at all but they still take that 17%.  I worked very closely in the home office and saw that with my own eyes and that greed made me find another job.  I did not want to be a part of any company like that which would cheat the employees that way. 

Remember, if they refuse to tell you the flat percentage that they skim off the top of EXText or other software (the magic number) STOP THE INTERVIEW!

Good luck!  They expect 1200 lines/day for full-time, 8 cpl, employee status with 90 days' probation.  I actually just heard from them again and have another interview Monday...Sounds good/legit; I've been doing this for 8 years and have worked for a lot of people.  They said there's never a lack of work, either!