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It has happened to me 3 times now.  I answer an ad, am asked to test, then never hear from the recruiter again.  Never sent a test, nothing.  Is this a common problem in the MT world?  I'm fairly new to all of this, finished my course just 7 months ago.  I've had a good job, but recently accounts there are being shuffled and I'm not happy with what I am getting so want to move on. 

Would you contact the recruiter and ask if they still want you to test or just move on and forget it?

companies. 

 - here goes, anyway!   ----  "How funny would THIS be?"  

I know it would be impossible to ever get MTs to stick together on anything, let alone a work-stoppage kind of strike.  But can you imagine the hilarity (at least on OUR end, anyway), if for just one week.  Heck - one DAY, even -- we all decided to transcribe everything verbatim?  And I mean, VERBATIM, not the 'fixed-up' kind of verbatim most of us are expected to do.  I mean verbatim, as in if they don't punctuate anywhere in a 3-page letter, they get a 3-page unpunctuated letter.  They screw up the 'copy-to' addresses, then instead of spending OUR time looking up the correct address or spelling of the recipient, let it go as-is.  If they say "left" and MEANT "right", they get "left".  When they bounce back and forth between calling the patient a "he" and a "she", and don't clarify it, then that will be come a report on the world's first simultaneously dual-gender individual.  All the little checks and balances, and save-their-@ss type of transcription we do automatically, doesn't get done for one day.  Unfortunately, it would probably cause every Editor in the country to simultaneously call in sick with killer migraines.  But that's okay, at least it would be FUNNY.  And lord knows, this profession could sure use a laugh now and then, couldn't it? 

Not sure what folder I can find them on my computer.

It seems people everywhere are looking for positivity - especially in light of the Katrina disaster, on top of the 9/11 anniversary, the Iraq war, tensions in every aspect of our life.  I'm going to share a personal mantra of mine that has helped me in the past, is soothing me now, and will greatly benefit me in the future as well.

Fasting can be looked at in different ways.  Most of the time, we think of it purely toward food and most of the time associate it with religion.  Fasting, however, is really a drawing back, holding back, purposefully now allowing full satisfaction.  You can do this in any and all aspects of your life.  Fasting as a way of life can change your life -- it has mine.

By not allowing myself to fully satisfy whatever aspect I am engaging, I make room for personal growth and fulfillment from that innate resource of the soul.  I recognize God as my maker, my Father, my Savior.  Some recognize other forms of higher power.  I can speak from MY experience, my beliefs, that fasting in areas of your life as a way of living will grant Him room to give you satisfaction and fulfillment beyond what you could have achieved without it.

You can fast with money -- don't buy everything you want to with the last $5 in your hand, give it away.  Give it to some worthy cause.  Give it to church.  Buy diapers or food for a local shelter.  Don't take all your money for just yourself.

You can fast with time -- give 30 minutes a week to read stories to children at the library, to visit a nursing home and play checkers or just talk and hold the hands of people who have no control over their fate, or volunteer with CASA or a battered women's shelter, or even a school to help with room mothers or watch traffic at the high school, etc.  Don't take all your time for just yourself.

You can fast with your intellect -- give an hour a week to work on changing a problem in your community, your state, your local government, your school district, this nation, this world.  Use your mind and determine a value really close to your heart and then use your intellect to understand where you can help and do so.  Don't take all your intellectual energy for just yourself.

You can fast spiritually -- give an hour or two a week in prayer for simply thanks.  It takes the focus off YOU.  It puts it on OTHERS.  It directs your attention away from what you are inundated with all the time.  Don't take all your prayer time for just yourself.

Of course, you can fast with food as well.  Wednesdays are the middle of the work week and perhaps you could do a juice fast (only juice/water) for the day, or fast from something you usually indulge in, or just simply decide to always leave food uneaten on your plate every meal.  Do it with the remembrance of the millions who die every single day from not having food to eat.  Do it to recognize that we have it all right here in our own backyard.  Do it to recognize the choice you have of whether you WANT to eat, what you want to eat, how much you want, etc.  Maybe you will fast a meal and send the makings of one to a shelter or to a family in need.  Don't take all the food just for yourself.

The list can go on and on and on.  It truly works.  You can start really really small and if you want to increase what you are enjoying, you've a base to start on.  Start with $5 a payperiod to invest in others; 30 minutes a week to give to others; 30 minutes a week studying and working toward resolution of a problem in your world somewhere; 30 minutes a week of prayer for others; a meal a week for others. 

Trust me, it is a different type of sacrifice.  One that only offers positive results and they are guaranteed for everyone. 

My two career choices are either nursing, really interested in psych, or a dental hygienist.

I know more about nursing than the dental and was wondering if anyone could give me any insight on either one, as far as school, working conditions, salaries, anything basically.

I think I would enjoy nursing more, but the schedule for the hygienist appeals to me more with 2 young kids at home.  In my area, the schooling is about the same and the salary seems about the same too.

TIA!

Is anyone out there a veterinary MT? I just read an interesting article about veterinary medical transcription. How fun would that be for us that are animal lovers? I did not know such a job existed.

Here is the article:

http://health-information.advanceweb.com/editorial/content/editorial.aspx?cc=98501&zz=0#AnchorPostComment

I wanted to move this discussion back to the top so I started a new thread.  She asked if I share any websites or information with the MTs I QA and my answer is, I do.  

For instance, when looking up a doctor's name, did any of the MTs here know that most states have a state department for professional licensing where you can look up MDs, DOs, physical therapists, nurses (both LPNs and RNs), etc?  So in addition to using the AMA, website which is great because you can do a sound alike search, you can also go to each state's licensing website.  I should add that no one ever told me this when I was an MT.  I just discovered it on my own because I cared enough about the work I put out to make sure I exhausted every resource possible.

Another nifty, self-taught, trick of the trade... I have the website for every facility for every account I work on in my favorites.  A lot of times a facility will have a doctor finder on their website.  In addition, they may say the name of a ward or department that you might be able to reference on the website.  Not to mention, it helps to know where the facility is located for future reference such as when a dictator mentions a place of employment in a patient's social history.  If you know where your facility is located, then you can look at the yellow pages online for that area.

I always share any great terminology or drug websites I come across.  There's a great website that will list most every hospital in any particular state and a link to that hospital's website.  All I had to do to find that website was do a Google search for "hospitals in Arizona or California or Texas" (whatever state you need) and I found theagapecenter.com website.

No one person ever sat me down as an MT and gave me a step by step on how to use my reference books or the internet.  I taught myself because I CARED.  That's the problem with a lot of the MTs I QA.  They don't care.  The say the MTSOs only care about the bottom line, well the MTs only care about the bottom line too and the end result is poor quality and subsequently loss of American jobs.

But so what?!?!  I'm just a dragon lady and most QA people are just big meanies anyway.  MTs can keep blaming everybody else for their low wages and offshoring, but it's time to step up and take some responsibility.

Made me think of "I AM SPARTACUS!"

I have to entertain myself somehow while I work!

What would you say is the "industry standard" for line counts in an 8-hour work day?   Where do some of the companies want you to be?   150 lines per hour?  200 lines per hour?   More? Less?

Just curious since I've been out of the loop for a while.   Thanks.

I am an IC for a small MTSO.  I have a deduction taken from my invoice every pay period for renting Transnet equipment.  My foot pedal broke and I asked urgently Monday morning for a replacement foot pedal to be Fed Exed to me - work was on the system and needed to get done.  Well, after many many phone calls and e-mails I got the replacement foot pedal via Fed Ex (they shipped on Friday) on Saturday morning.  So I worked all weekend to get caught up on a whole week's worth of work.  Got my invoice yesterday (late - the MTSO has rescheduled their payment schedule as they are not getting promptly paid by their clients - the ICs had to accept the new payment schedule or quit).  There was a deduction for $40.13 for delivery fee for the foot pedal.  The Accounts manager says that "many memos" have been sent out that ICs are responsible for delivery fees.  Huh?  I looked over the memo I received about Transnet rentals and it said our invoice deduction covers maintenance costs for faulty equipment, etc. (the MTSO had originally said I would be billed for a new foot pedal - then I brought up the memo on rentals that covers faulty equipment and that got dropped pretty quickly).  I told the Accts manager that postage is the MTSOs expense, just like it is my IC expense to return the faulty equipment to the MTSO.  I also mentioned that the MTSO pays for phone charges to fax stuff to ICs; likewise the ICs pay for their phone charges for faxing to the MTSO.

What would you do?  I am so fed up with this MTSO...I don't make that much money on Transnet anyway (most of my lines are from microtapes) that I am tempted to just tell her to take all of my doctors on Transnet and quit doing these willy nilly deductions without my approval or knowledge.  This is the third time the Accts manager has taken "deductions" from my invoice without telling me - the last time was for Chicago taxes on rental equipment (totally illegal according to Cook County govn't) - that took 2 weeks to get straightened out!  Arrggghhh!!!

I would like some line count pros to help me figure this out, please!  During the recruiting process I specifically asked how I would be getting paid and I was told "per line which includes 65 characters including spaces, footers, headers, and any norms pulled into the report."  I downloaded the FlashCount program from this site and started comparing this line count against the company's.  So far, It "appears" that I'm getting shorted about 100+/- lines/day and they are using more like 74 characters with spaces.  What is the difference between cpl and gross cpl?  How would you interpret their explanation for how I would be paid?  Is the FlashCount program accurate enough?

Thanks!

They're in NJ and I'm wondering if they hire subs or if they outsource. Anyone know?

What do you guys do when you don't get paid?  I am an IC and the company I work for is a month late paying me and won't answer my e-mails or phone calls.  I am ready to scream! What can I do?

Thanks

Advice needed!  Boss is pushing for us to do overtime, but the last time I worked overtime I got paid LESS than a regular check!!!  It all went to taxes, and the way they calculate holidays, etc.  So, I told her for this reason, I don't think it's fair for me to work overtime.  She said, "Too bad for you, but we are backlogged, and everyone needs to pitch in."  I want to be a teamplayer, but working for "free" really gets me down.  Especially when I do at least 600 extra lines every day!  Please help me handle this tactfully.

Am I the only one that doesn't like ExpressScribe? The audio always sounds very digitized to me. Are there any other better programs out there?

Is there a setting in Express Scribe where when you let up on the pedal it rewinds?  Is it in options somewhere?

TIA

I see a lot of talk about line rates and MT's unhappy with their line rate they receive.  I would like some opinions.  We pay 8 cents per line and the line consists of 65 characters plus spaces.  This is exactly how we invoice our clients.  Is this a fair rate in your opinion?

Hello,

I have windows pro on my computer but would like to install windows xp...so my question is: If I uninstall pro and install xp will I lose everything in my word and everything that I have installed on my computer (DocQscribe)?

TIA

When multiple documents are open, I sometimes get each one showing individually on the bottom task bar, but other times they are all grouped together. Is there a way to always keep them showing individually.

Hope this question makes sense.

I wanted to share a neat trick I recently figured out that I can do with my Microsoft USB Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 (IntelliType Pro).  I recently posted a query asking if there was a way to turn numbering off and on without using the mouse (which I hate), and I've discovered that there is with this particular keyboard.  To turn the numbering feature on (for a list of current meds, for example), you hold down the Shift key, Ctrl key, and the key to the left of the Ctrl key that is the lower right of your keyboard (the key that looks like it has a picture of a page with an arrow on it).  This brings up a drop-down menu and you can select numbering or bullets from there.  the first time I did this, I discovered it made funky changes to my font, so I had to go in and set the font (by selecting the customize button in the lower right corner on the numbering option), and once I had it all tweaked to the way I wanted it, it appeared to have reset my default to the way to my preference.  I apologize if this is confusing, but if you have this keyboard, and you have any questions about my instructions, feel free to ask, and I'd be glad to try to help!

I transcribed a PHP yesterday.  There was a statement that the doctor made that said something to the effect of (can't remember verbatim at the moment):

She claims to have been feeling very well as of late, but she prefaced this by saying she was still recovering from spinal surgery.

Now, I clearly heard the word prefaced, and in the context it made perfect sense.

I had a blank later on in the report, so I sent it to QA.  When I got the report back, QA had changed that sentence...

...but she professed this by saying....

What??  First of all, I clearly heard the dictator.  He wasn't an ESL and he was speaking very clearly.  Second of all, that changes the entire context of the sentence.

This just bugs me.  Had to vent.  What to do?  Ugh