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Help me decipher this pay description. - Posted By: huh?

Chronial Transcriptions: MT daily: Line rates based on 55 black character line, 0.08-0.09 DOE and test results. Let me venture a guess. A 55-black character line would mean 55 strokes, spaces not counted? DOE? What's that? I thought that was the (US) Department of Energy.

Brightness screen all of a sudden - Posted By: What did I do now?

appearing on screen while typing report. It is black bordered, blue inside that and 100% brightness- goes away and comes right back. How to get rid of for good?

MTStars has a new chat software. Check it out. Click on the CHAT now! link at the top right corner. - Posted By: Administrator (sm)

If you would like to set times and days/evenings to chat, post here and we will include it in the newsletter.

RE: Jobs - Posted By: klownmom

It sure is lean pickins on jobs now a days. I know it is slow always during this time, but this is ridiculous.

despise OB/GYN rpts. Need good link..sm - Posted By: nul

I hate these reports and I am trying to overcome...need
a good link for reference. Thanks.

Setting up Smartype? - Posted By: Any tips?

I just ordered Smartype and was wondering if you all could give me tips on setting up that have helped you with making money with Smartype. Thanks

New Job = Slow - Posted By: Anon

Not sure where to post this or if anyone can/will answer, but...I just started a new part-time job and I am finding my line counts so extremely low I don't know if it is worth continuing or if I should just stay with my full time job and try and get extra hours. Has anyone had similar experience when starting a "new" job? I am so frustrated, but don't want to just quit, but I also can't keep working 12 hours when 3-4 of them are below minimum wage. Any advice/similar experiences/anything?

How do MQrs on DocQscribe get their line counts? - Posted By: Thanks.

Is every office different?

Any way to transfer microcasettes to digital voice files? (sm) - Posted By: midwestMT

I'll be using a subcontractor and rather than picking up and delivering tapes, is there a way for me to transfer dictation from tapes to voice files that she can transcribe using express scribe?

Do they make such a machine?

Appropriate charges for hospital SR editing? SM - Posted By: MTSOinCA

As a service owner providing transcription services (medical records, not pathology or radiology) to a large hospital, I was informed recently that the hospital is moving to speech recognition over the next couple of years. I foresee this to be a giant fiasco in general, but my specific question is this� I am wondering about my charges to the hospital and how they will/should be affected? I know the �powers that be� will expect me to lower my per line rate for SR editing (they currently pay 16 cpl for transcription), but I don�t have any idea what is appropriate. Has anyone had experience with such a scenario? Any input will be greatly appreciated.

I stood up for myself and probably lost an account - oh well - Posted By: Patti

This is only the second month that I have had this account but they thought that their bill was a little "high" as the doctor does not feel that he should pay for any lines that I have in a template or if the physical is mainly normal and so I have a normal template, etc. I told them to try to find somone else that was cheaper that gave them the service that I did, with the TAT and quality. This is a doctor that loves to rib off insurance companies and morally I have been debating about doing this account but felt someone had to do it. But I told the NP/OM that with the time I spend in delivery and pick-up, paper, etc. I need to make this much per hour and that is about what I make. This is the first time in a long time I have really stuck up for myself. She said that their last Transcriptionist had been charging $5 a page and I said fine I would compare that with my lines but it would be with 1" margins all the way around and a 12 courier font to define "a page" and low and behold it came out about the same as with my line count. Anyway I am sure that they will begin to look elsewhere and that is fine, I wasn't looking for an account when this one came my way and so somewhere else there is something else. But it made me feel good to stand up for myself and believe in my skills.

http://www.medrecinst.com/index.asp - Posted By: no-ostrichMT

this is insane. when you see who is running this - the person whose claim to fame is actually making the medical transcription business what it is today, boasting over 400,000 MTs.

now she is trying to what, cut that workforce down by maybe more than half.

this is an extremely aggressive push for mobile healthcare and point-of service care, which from what I see completely eliminates the need for people at all, period.

does anyone know, please, is there a future for us in this picture. is there anyone working with these people to help preserve our jobs in some form at least?

where do we write, who do we talk to? this person also used to run the AAMT, and now has jumped ship for the opportunity to make probably millions for front-running this technology. does she even consider the 400,000 MTs (in this country alone) losing their livelihood. does she care?

IS THERE GOING TO BE A PLACE FOR US???

word board - Posted By: Abby

Does anyone know where to find the "Word Board?" Is it located on MTStars?

Thanks,

Abby

I have been - Posted By: BURNT OUT MT

a Transcriptionist for a little over 20 years...and am now experiencing what I feel is burn out! I don't know exactly what to do about it. I just feel like after about six hours of typing, I am literally forcing myself to type more! I am a single mom so this is my only source of income. I go down the list of how lucky I am to work from home, but lately, it just doesn't seem like it's working! I know there's probably nothing I can do about it, but I just wanted to vent a little and see if anyone else has had this experience and maybe find out what you did about it.

I am going to apply for the nursing program in December and hopefully will get accepted because I definitely think it's time for a carrier change, but in the meantime, I have to keep working and need a way to revitalize my love for this job! Any ideas and comments are appreciated

I need some ideas on benefits and fundraising. - Posted By: please help, not MT related

I volunteered (gulp) to help a friend of a friend with a benefit for a child with a potentially terminal illness. Has anyone here ever done anything like this before? Can you help me brainstorm ideas? I've been making phone calls all day since there's no work. We're putting up fliers and I've contacted the media. We're selling raffle tickets and auctioning off gift baskets. We're soliciting donations and food for the event. What else? Any ideas on businesses I should contact? Thank you.

MedTransofAmerica.net - Posted By: Jean Flynn

The woman that runs this company has a job listing posted on MT Jobs. I worked for her for 5 months. Checks were always late with one excuse or another....now they have begun to bounce. She was Janet Spock. Now she is Janet Zingales and she has also changed her E-Mail address. Stay away from her if you want a regular paycheck!

VR Tips - Posted By: Help

Okay, since so many of us are being transitioned into VR, I thought it might be helpful to start a thread discussing helpful tips on how to be more productive with VR.

For some dictators (the ones that have the "good" VR come through), I have found that reading through the report and changing it to go more with accounts specifics gets me through it faster than trying to change while listening.

I also like to use ctrl + lft arrow key to skip by words instead of by letters.

Other than that . . . I really suck at VR, which is why I am hoping to see if anyone has tips or suggestions on how to help make all MTs more productive on VR.

TIA.

Crockpot timesaver tip. sm - Posted By: Kool

I came across something new (at least new to me). Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners. No more scrubbing baked on food out of the crockpot. They work like oven baking plastic bags. Even big enough to use in my oval-shaped crockpot.

Prior MT..BS.Ed...job opportunities? - Posted By: angie

Thinking of returning to the MT field. Little background: I'm currently teaching high school, Bachelor of Science in Ed. I was a MT off and on for 12 years prior to starting my teaching job 2.5 yrs ago, almost all of that experience in a hospital, one year with WebMedx at the end. I also did IC here and there locally. Not sure teaching HS is for me, LOL. But I hate to waste my degree too...are there trainer jobs? Should I look into QA or editing? Am I being completely silly for re-thinking my MT career?? I miss the medical community, have been a part of it for most of my adult life. I enjoy the education aspect, just not sure HS is the right fit. Any suggestions appreciated! Thanks :D

How many of you started out the old way - pre computers? - Posted By: omt

Just curious. I was sitting here doing my spell check and using my Expanders and remembering when I used to type the notes on sticky paper on a typewriter , using white out for errors, and then cutting out the individual notes and peeling and sticking them in the charts. UGH!

Of course the doc I worked for back then had a computer, but only for billing, and was too cheap to buy another one. So I sat in a little corner with an old IBM selectric and a dozen bottles of white out.

At the risk of really making me look old, I'll mention I took typing in high school and in college on a MANUAL typewriter.

For all you younguns' out there, that means it had no electricity.

There is a 2 lb. baby chihuahua laying at my feet while I work today. So precious. nm - Posted By: Kim

How to connect laptop to desktop sm - Posted By: Gemini

My desktop will not connect to the internet, no internet explorer working yet my laptop connects so if I can connect to my desktop somehow could I start up the internet that way and download internet explorer to my desktop so I will not get an error message? Confusing, I know, but I did a disk compression and I think that's how it got messed up. A system restore will now be allowed on any old dates tried. It's very frustrating.

Dictaphone VR - Posted By: nn

Has anyone out there edited Dictaphone VR? Considering a job, but not sure if I could make more than I make typing. Thanks.

What is the best reasonable VR program available? - Posted By: MT2

I am an IC and considering buying a VR program, but I would like to know which is the most accurate, and also cost is a factor too. Does anyone have any recommendations, good or bad? I hear a lot about Dragon, but I am hesitant because I have heard it takes a long time to train it to your voice.

Thanks for any and all advice.

Discouraged and disgusted - Posted By: stargazer

I have a training course, a 3-month internship, and 4 months employment into this line of work and I here I am only making 2-5 cpl. I apply for jobs, but they won't even let me test. Why is this profession so hard to break in to? It seems so incredibly impersonal and these human resource people seem so curt and rude, like you're not a real person. Today I feel like I've made a huge and costly mistake getting into this business. Anyone out there considering it should think twice!

Scam companies/schools that recommend them - Posted By: MTTOMANY

In regards to scam companies mainly Toth�I also wanted to add this note . . . there is a school (a small one) that provides passing students with a list of places that hire new grads. I cannot say the name of that school, as I have seen them advertise here and I don�t want to point fingers. Anyway, I do not know if she still has Toth on her list for newbies searching for potential jobs, but she did at one time. She claims she checks out the companies before she lists them, which is false. I personally informed the school about Toth because I along with four other MTs who had taken her course were cheated out of pay. She told me she didn't put Toth on the list � that she checks them out etc. Not too long after that a new grad approached me because she found that Toth was on the list and wondered if it was the same company that had cheated so many newbies. I told her that it was and she didn't take the job. At least I saved one MT. J Anyway, please do your own research when applying for jobs. Some schools don't care. They just like to say that they have a high percentage of working grads (they fail to mention the grads are not getting paid)! Please use caution. The best way to learn about the good places is by word of mouth. Okay-Thank you and have a good night. I am getting off my soapbox now.

Is anyone doing anything else at home to supplement MT income? - Posted By: MQMT

I need some ideas. Besides running out of work, I am on burn out. Please give me some ideas to make some cash at home w/o going back out into the workplace. I thought about e-bay but I don't have an ongoing product to sell.

Thanks!

A question for you who work off schedule. - Posted By: Curious

Do you also cherry pick in order to get those all important lines and extra bucks? It would seem to me that someone who doesn't care about his fellow MTs as far as line counts, would be someone that doesn't care across the board. So screw them any way you can, right? Take all the lines your greedy little hands can grab and also make sure those lines are the cream of the crop, as well. Might as well give the other MTs the shaft all around.

Opinion of what - Posted By: Rita might do

UH OH - Just watched FOX News and they indicate that Rita may become a category 4 or perhaps even a 5 once she hits the warm waters. From what I heard, it is heading for Texas - how awful considering that there are hundreds of thousands of evacuees already there from Katrina. Any thoughts or has anyone heard anything different of what could or might happen in the upcoming days?

Share your thoughts with us.

Can an at home employee deduct a computer on taxes? - Posted By: or can just ICs deduct?

Does Anyone Know of A Good Medical Spell Checker For Office 2007? - Posted By: kittymt

Hello all! I am new to these boards :) . My husband bought me a new computer with office 2007 installed on it for Christmas :). I was curious if anyone knew of a good medical spell check for Office 2007. Thanks In Advance!!!

I only have satellite. Anyone know of any companies that still take that? sm - Posted By: Pattii

I live just past the lines to get DSL or cable. I have over 25 years experience, but my location is proving to be a problem. Thanks.

M-Modal/Anymodal?? - Posted By: justcurious

Just curious if there are any Diskriter employees out there that have been transitioned over to this and how it has affected them. Is there a feature similiar to autocorrect in Word that can be used to type with? Can you use any Expander program with it like InstantText? Did you notice it slowed you down or was it pretty comparable to what you were doing before as far as line counts. Thanks for any info!

Could someone help me on my Tech Help question re. Goldtouch keyboard? - Posted By: justme2

Please see my question on the Technical Help board. Thanks

Aaaargh - Posted By: ER MT

Don't you just love it when the doctor who is dictating starts a dictation, then gets distracted, puts the phone down, walks away and forgets you are still hanging on the other end waiting for him to come back and finish the dictation??!!! Of course, I had to keep listening because I wasn't sure he would return and finish . . . but alas . . . no, he just walked away and I listened to nothing for five minutes.

Books on shortcuts and macros... - Posted By: mt'er. sm

Know of any books on shortcuts and macros other than "saving keystrokes?" Thanks.:)

What do you do if you totally don't agree with - Posted By: the way the QA/MTSO transcribes?

I'm having a difficult time with a new account. There are many things that are being changed when I know I'm right. I even reasearch and can verify why I do what I do.

What would you do in this situation? I'm going crazy. I'm having a hard time because I can't do something I know isn't correct regarding grammer, medical term spelling, etc.

Help...I'm so frustrated.

Chat room - Posted By: Curious

Just wondering why there is so few in chat room. Whenever I go to chat, no one is there.

Does anyone know if you can purchase - Posted By: sm

a C-phone locally or you have to get them on the web? I am freaking out. A little bit of water got spilled on mine and the buttons will not work now. I let it dry out overnight and it seems fine when you plug it in, but none of the buttons will work!

What are your thoughts on VR? - Posted By: Is it easier to make lines?

Or does it make it more difficult to get lines? Ive been offered a job that is a little bit of straight typing and VR combined...what do you think about this scenario?

Opthamology Terms - Posted By: Angie

I am testing for a company and I need a good website with Opthamology terminology?

Thanks

How many of you smoke while working? See message. - Posted By: txmt

Please don't post about the evils of smoking, etc., just looking for a yes or no.

What would you do? - Posted By: jenny

I recently started a new job, about a month ago, is going okay but nothing to brag about. This weekend I went to Vegas and somehow managed to come home with over 500,000 from blackjack and a progressive slot machine win - I want to quit because I want to take some time off to spend with my daughter, but am actually feeling guilty since I just started this job, what would you do if this happened to you?

just took a position an co. uses emdat..sm - Posted By: help please

i have never used this before. i have been using smarttype for years and very nervous about starting a new job without my expander. any ideas from anyone regarding this system and Expanders (if any) that work with it? i appreciate all your input.

ankle edema question - Posted By: mary

I am very concerned because just recently I started getting pitting edema in my ankles. They are extremely bad. I can't wear socks it is so bad. I don't have a clue what could be causing it. I did have 3 kidney stones last year that I don't think ever passed out of my bladder but I have no more trouble out of it. Then no other problems. I dont go to the restroom hardly at all, which has me worried. I have tried Lasix which worked but I get scared because I feel dehydrated. Mouth is dry, etc. It has me worried for DVT or CHF. I am only 38.

Any ideas what else it could be or if I am needing to go to ER ASAP. I dont have insurance so I dont want to go if it is just from sitting at the computer all day and is normal.

tia,

PLEASE, somebody, who ARE the good MT companies? - Posted By: Terry

I have 20+ years' experience, and I am looking for a good MT company who will employ me full-time. We are losing our current job because we just moved and our current hospitals can't work with our satellite connection (which is high-speed, business-grade Direcway). We are suddenly without jobs and need help fast!

Who are The Good Guys?

My last post!!! To all of you MTs who are so against day care. SM - Posted By: nn

You can bash day care all you want, but I have to say that unless you are with your kids at home not having to work, but giving them one-on-one attention, you are not being fair to your child either. I think day care is a lesser of the two evils. You are allowing your child a learning experience. My kids are not being "raised" by the people at day care. But they are picking up valuable experience and learning essential social skills. I think this is better than watching their mommy work all day and being left by themselves to play. You cannot honestly say that you do not neglect your children while you are at all working all day FT.

PT is a different story. I guess it is possible to work around their schedule and I believe an hour or two a day of keeping them occupied on their own is fine.

My kids have made such great friends at day care and they think of day care as a horrible place. They think of it as a place where they can play with their friends while their mommy gets her work done. Of course, my kids are only in day care for the time it takes me to finish my work and I wake up very early to get half of it done, so I can spend more time with them.

But I am more comfortable knowing that they are at a place where they are interacting with other people and having fun, rather than home with me working, not able to give them the attention that they need.

I also have to say this. I was never in day care. My mom didnt have to work. I was very shy and never was I forced to come out of my shell. I had to repeat Kindergarten because I was not ready for it. I struggled through school because I was shy and I hated the interaction. I hated being called on for a question. I hated having to do oral reports. Even to this day, I hate having to work in an office with all the office politics, which is probably why I was so interested in working from home.

I can see that my oldest daughter is shy and I could imagine that we would struggle the same way through school as I did. But now that she is in daycare, although it took some time, she is very friendly and interacts with everyone great. She starts Kindergarten this September and I am not even worried because I know she is going to do so incredibly well. She is definitely ready. As I said her day care is more of a school setting. They learn a lot there!!!! If she didnt have this experience I dont think she would have even been accepted into kindergarten this year.

Argh. Can't. Listen. To. This. Doctor. Any. Longer. - Posted By: going bonkers

No, wait, back up. Change that. Nurse? Did you find the chart? Oh, really. Ok. Yeah. Sigh. Hang up. Scratch that. Start over.

He adds extraneous Rs and Ls throughout his pronunciation, but he's American.

Has anyone told their STM they were . . . - Posted By: Question?

afraid of being fired? I think I might have really screwed myself by doing this. Urgh :( Sometimes I speak (technically type) before I think.

Immigration - Please sign the petition! - Posted By: see inside

Two Border State Governors Declare Illegal Immigration State of Emergency

SIGN THE PETITION!
CLICK HERE!

THANK YOU!