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Does anyone know how to change the size of your screen size so the text will larger.  I saw this a couple weeks ago on how to do it and forget to write it down.  I know it was either alt or control and some other key.

Thanks!!

How the heck do I double space??  I have been through the whole tool bar and cannot find where I can double space.  what I have found is how to space between paragraphs, which is not what I need.  I need to double space my report.

please help me   I'm almost crying over this.

I have gotten the names of Smart Type, Instant Text and Shorthand for Windows...  I would like opinions on these if you have one, and I would also like to know if I can use one program for both my desktop and laptop, or if I have to buy the program twice and enter all my expansions twice?

TIA and TTFN

Okay, I'm not sure what I did, but here's the deal...When I log into myspace on my computer, I can't see any pictures.  All of the other sites are fine, just not this one.  However, if I log into myspace from a different computer, everything is fine.  Any ideas?

I may be needing my own health ins. coverage in the future and I was wondering if anyone knows of any good companies that don't require acute care experience (and preferably will accept dial-up - but that part could change). I have 12 years of multi-specialty experience and have always worked as an IC but may need to consider employee status. I need to work from home due to health issues.

Thanks so much.

I have been coming on here RANDOMLY for a couple of months so I sometimes miss all topics/discussions, but I have a few questions if anyone would like to help me out.

Are most transcriptionists unhappy with the job?

Why does there seem to be no standardization (is that a word? LOL) in this industry, whether that be for pay, schooling, etc.?

Since when did it become okay to outsource work or underbid other transcriptionists just to get ahead?

Do you think the average person on the street knows what a medical Transcriptionist is?  I can answer this myself and that is an overwhelming NO.  Maybe THAT is why we are ultimately getting screwed.  This is only my 10th year of transcribing, and I am only 27, but I had hopes that this would be my career well into the times where I could stay home and raise a family.  I may be different because I am not an employee anywhere, I am an IC, but I can still barely make ends meet, as I just lost a job to a couple women who gave a 2 cent less line count than I charged.  I'm sorry but my skill is not worth less than what I charge.  That is why I have an awful time seeing 6-7 cents a line pay grade for some companies.  How is that even worth my time, to sit on my ass all day, type until my wrists hurt and back ache...

We are not appreciated enough and all anyone ever does on here is talk about it.  If I knew how to actually get something done about it, I'd lead the way, but I don't have a clue.  I wish someone did because this industry is hurting a lot of us that this is all we know.

I don't mean this to be a whining and complaining post because yes, I have a job in this unknown economy, but for who knows how long, lets be honest.  With voice recognition software and outsourcing all over the place... it's just a hard time anyway.

Any thoughts?

Guys, I've finally made up my mind that the profession that we used to know is gone and is never coming back.  The industry leaders have made it their business to turn MT's into the equivalent of sweatshop workers, and I don't find that dynamic at all appealing. 

Can any of you give any suggestions as to what types of careers we might transition into and make a decent income?  I'm polishing up my resume now, but I fear that I've stayed in this industry for far too long and have handicapped myself from being able to take advantage of any other career opportunities that might exist out there. 

Any and all feedback would be appreciated. 

All of a sudden when I open any document I have on the left side of my screen about a one-inch print preview (at least I think its a print preview).  It shows the pages within that template.  I don't know what I did to get it there and I can't seem to find the button to remove it.  Anyone know what this left-sided print preview is and what I need to do to remove it? 

Thank you

good resources for sample reports?  I have done phacos by the thousands, but now working on a teaching hospital and they do tons of eye surgeries.  The facility is severely backlogged and just said don't worry about blanks get us caught up and they have not provided any samples, any corrections.  I have Stedman's, but a lot of the doctors dictate so fast or don't enunciate.  I can't look something up if I can't hear them and I'm not familiar enough with the terminology to know what it might/should/could be.  

I have to leave blanks and I don't feel like I'm learning anything when I'm not getting any feedback and just continue to leave the same blanks.

Any help would be appreciated. 

I check the Craigslist website quite often, and on a whim I clicked on India and then jobs.  SO MANY POSTINGS FOR JOBS AVAILABLE FOR U.S. BASED COMPANIES - customer service, call centers, computer techs, and yes even MTs.  There was even one posting a few weeks ago from a "company" that would set you up with a U.S. based physical address, phone number, fax number so that you could have your business "based" in the U.S., obviously to actually be in another country and get the U.S. tax break.  Sickening

My husband took my son to see the doc for a tetanus shot after he stepped on a nail.  I'm always transcribing and couldn't go there myself.  After coming home from the doctor's office, my son and husband tell me that his foot was never even looked at by even a nurse, let alone the doctor.  My son got the tetanus shot, and the paperwork said "do not give if a fever is present."  Woops, they didn't even take his temperature.  Rather than looking at his foot to determine if it was infected, they just asked my son if it was infected.  I called the office totally irate, and they reduced the charges from $88 to $7.  Wow, didn't expect that.  It's a crying shame that we're a society so hung up on paperwork and billing (HIPAA, etc.) that a doctor or nurse would not even take the time to actually look at a patient's wound.  What's really ironic is that very day I transcribed a report where the doctor states the patient shouldn't self-medicate with vitamins and supplements.  So, we're not smart enough to determine what vitamins and supplements to take, but we are expected to determine whether or not we have an infection?   

If American MTs were to unionize today..jobs would not magically clear up and go overseas.  Why??  Because if Cbay, MedQ and other large MTSO do not need the threat of a union to ship jobs overseas...if they had the manpower set up (as they are busily trying to do....training the little Indian people as quick as they can to decipher american medical language...most likely very poorly)....then these jobs would be gone now...  We do not have jobs because we are not unionized.  we havwe jobs because at this point in time..India, Philippines and any other third world country they can set up their server is not able to handle all of US transcription. 

If we were able to form a union....the first order of business would be severely limit the amount of transcriptinon that goes overseas...as well as provide informed consent to the docs, hospitals, and clinics that their dictation is going overseas...  Also..I would demand to see examples of transcription provided by these third world countries.  I would also demand ASR is paid NO LESS than 20% of an MT Line rate and I would ensure cost of living raises just like every other industry.  I also would dismantle the worthless AAMT as their only purpose is to sell exhibit space to MTSO.  They have historically servied the MTSO...NOT the individual transcriptionist...

Just wondering what your base pay is, and how your incentive program works.  If you would like to give your city or geographic area that would be nice, but not necessary.  I'm just hoping to get an idea.

Also, what benefits does your hospital offer?  I'm specifically wondering about 401K and whether any hospitals match the employee's 401K contribution.

Can works suite be bought at best buy or do I have to get it through MS site.

I'm really depressed and need someone; no religious stuff, though.

At what point should one give up one's children if you feel you aren't giving them  a good life?

Nobody should ever work for this woman.  She sends bad checks or no check at all and keeps the money for herself that the MLSs are typing.  This is a very disgusting company owned and operated by Bawnie

Hi everyone,

Do any of you have other types of jobs besides MT, QA, Editing, etc. like me?? I just started another type of job for evenings to help out financially, and I like doing so.  I still do my main MT thing, but the other one is actually fun for me, and not just slaving away all day at a computer!! 

  I've been doing MT for a long time - 31 years this summer.  "Back in the day",  when somewhat you met asked you what you did for a living, the reaction was usually:

a)  "What's a medical transcriber?"

b)  "Wow - it must've taken you a long time to learn all that!"

c)  or "Gee, that must be a really interesting job!

At least they PRETENDED to be impressed, anyway. 

But have you told anyone lately what you do for a living?  The reactions I get nowadays usually run the gamut from contempt to pity. 

You're at a party, you've just met 3 new people, and each one tells what they do for a living: 

"I'm a stockbroker."   (People are impressed.)

"I'm an English Lit. professor."  (Ditto)

"I'm currently between jobs."  (People assume they're just waiting for the right offer.)

Then it's YOUR turn:  "I'm  medical transcriptionist."    (First, dead silence.)  Then someone nods their head knowingly and gives a rather condescending, "Oohhhhh...."    You might just as well have told them you were dying of cancer or something.   

I sure hope someone can help me here.  I have recently started using Word 2007 and am absolutely lost!  I finally figured out how to create a macro....but now cannot figure how how to call up that macro when I need it.  does this make sense???  example, ddd stands for degenerative disc disease..when I type "ddd"  do I hit a function key, just the tab key, CTL + function key?????  can't figure this out.  please help me!

thanks.  Rita

What might WPW stand for?  All he says is 35-year-old female with a history of WPW.

TIA!

I have had my days with horrible dictors, and today I have a dream dictor, could no thave been happier to get her and my fingers do not work.  I can't seem to type anything correctly. lol.  Thank goodness I proof my work before sending - thank goodness for spellcheckers and grammar checkers - cause I suck today lol

Does anybody else have that kind of day - or is it just me? Now be nice lol

I went to visit my aunt last night.  Last week she fell and broke all the bones in her ankle.  She has plates and screws.  This is her fourth fall this year, but that is another story.  I looked at her cast and placed my hand on her leg just above the cast and it was warm.  I felt her other leg and it was cool.  The more I went up on the broken leg the less warm it got, but all the way up it was definitely significantly warmer than her "good" leg. 

My mother is a nurse practitioner and she showed up while I was there.  I explained my concern to her (my aunt is also a diabetic) about a possible infection.  She wouldn't acknowledge my concern.  I repeated myself and still nothing.  Lately my mother and I have had a couple issues regarding family members and their heath.  I am not a nurse nor do I claim to be, but being in this profession you do learn about the medical field and somtimes I feel I see a different side of things than my mom.  I can't figure out why, but she just doesn't see any value in my thoughts regarding medicine, ideas, thoughts, alternatives, etc.  In every other way she is the best mom in the world and I love her so much, but I feel she is disrespecting me by not taking my opinions/thoughts into account regarding the field of medicine and our family.

Another example is she has trouble with the pronunciation of medications.  I'm not claiming to be a pro, but I hear doctors and nurses says these meds over and over and over and I feel the majority rules in this regard.  Again, she thinks I'm wrong and doesn't really listen to what I'm saying.  The only reason I correct her is because I think it would be embarrasing to speak with a doctor and not say a med correctly.  I think it is a reflection on her.  It also helps with dictation too (as we all know).

Any ideas.  I don't know what to do.  I tried talking to her about this a couple weeks regarding my dad's health and she really didn't listen to what I had to say.  With certain things you can just blow it off, but this is the health of my aunt and father and I just couldn't live with myself if something happened to them.

Thanks for listening and for any ideas.