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Is it still the rule with AAMT to spell out WHOLE numbers zero through nine, use numerals for 10 and above or did they change this with the 2nd ed.

Also what is the standard font and size used nationally.

Thanks - Sandra

or what is a straight line???

I am a contractor who has one contract, which is more than enough work for me. It is a multi-doctor practice. I have had this contract for over two years at 2 cents per word. Is 2 cents around the going rate for per word pay -- for an independent contractor, not a company? Obviously, I am paying my own taxes and I have no benefits.

1. Laundry.


2. Dusting and vacuuming the house.


3. Cleaning bathrooms.


4. Cleaning the kitchen after meals.


5. Lawn chores.

For our house, my husband & I split the laundry chores, he does the yard work, everyone pitches in for the dusting/vacuuming, the kids clean their bathroom and my husband & I alternate cleaning ours, and we rotate who cleans the kitchen after meals.   The kids also don't get an allowance - this is part of their "living" experience; however, if they want to do extra work like clean extra areas that aren't theirs then they can make some money.

I have downloaded the program but when I open the internet typist program, nothing happens other than the ampersand and then nothing.  Its as if there is a security issue or something preventing me from opening the program. 

Thanks in advance!

ICs, I was curious to see how long do you keep your reports on your computer for the doctors?  Is there a usual time limit? 

Thank you!

what are your thoughts on this program? Does it seem to help a lot ?

Thanks....I appreciate it.

I don't mean companies that you work for, but some independent company that you could rent one from.   I had one for a long time, but then the company I work for went to wav files, and foolishly, I got rid of my C-phone.  Now I have an opportunity at another company that requires a C-phone, but they don't supply them or rent them.  Before buying something and then finding out the company stinks, I thought it would be nice to rent one.  Maybe this is a farfetched idea, but thought I'd ask.

Thanks.

I just wonder because I am so sick of correcting reports where the MT has obviously just guessed at what is being dictated or what she heard rather than taking a minute to crack open a freaking book or at the very least Google it.

QA is a resource not a freaking safety net for MTs who can't or won't do the job they were hired for.  Part of the job description for medical transcription is to be both productive AND accurate!  Nowhere does it say, if you don't know, just guess or if you don't know, just leave a blank -- don't look it up or use the internet -- just leave a blank. 

While I'm at it, let me just say to all the MTs out there who have being "doing this for years" and don't think they could ever possibly make a mistake -- YOU ARE WRONG!  To the MTs who use "that's how we were told to do it at my last job" as your battle cry -- THAT IS WHY WE HAVE A STANDARDIZED REFERENCE BOOK CALLED THE AAMT BOS!

I don't care how you did it at your last job.  I don't care if that is what you thought you heard.  I don't care if your spell check didn't catch it.  And I don't care how long you've been an MT.  You should have known how to spell it, you should own a reference book, you should own a copy of the BOS, and years of experience in no way replaces a good solid education!  Finally, you should take the time to educate yourself, look things up you aren't sure of, and just plain care about the content of your work -- not just how much of it you can get done.

 << Getting off my soapbox now.

Anyone know if being a transcriptonist and wearing hearing aids are compatible? Thank you.

After being out of MT for 4.5 years I have recently returned.  I'm having a hard time finding the right fit.  The biggest problem I'm seeing is everybody seems to be requiring headers for reports and then each report put in a separate document, due to the new electronic record.  I find that this slows me way, way down.  Maybe I'll eventually get used to it, but I sure do miss the days of one document for doctor's day's work.  There are so many procedural details that I can't just sit and transcribe.  I've also run into very poor voice file sound quality.  

I worked in the field for 14 years and never had major problems adjusting to new accounts.  Maybe my time is just over for this type of work. 

I know technology has definitely made MT easier in some ways, but in others, it seems like such hassle.  Does anyone else have problems with headers and all these separate documents?  Does the field seem to be worse now than 5 years ago? 

I got offered a job in a small neurology office starting at $17/hr with a raise in a few months.  No working weekends or holidays and lots of vacation days.  Low stress.

I currently work at home for a pretty decent company with a pretty decent line rate, but am starting to feel pressure to produce more...my average pay at home is between $13 and $15 an hour.  It also adds stress when there is little to know work available and I am having to alter my schedule to "make up" time.

So, I would be making a bit more money, but I will have to have child care for the summers and for after school, so I don't know if it is worth it. 

Can someone give me some insight as to whether they were faced with this decision...what they decided and why?  I would really appreciate it. 

Thank you!

As we all know, line rates for ICs continue to fall due to offshoring and other issues involved.  I can no longer quote a decent line rate or I hear the phone slam in my ear. 

Therefore, I've decided to do what I have to do to compete and get accounts, which is lower my line rate to 10.5.  Naturally, I am not going to give this large cardiology group a 65-character line for that rate.

What do you feel is fair for me and the group line character-wise for 10.5 cents line?  I was thinking of a 50-character line.  Your opinions, please.

Thank you!      

I transcribe for one professional that says statements such as: "She DID SEEM in agreement". "She DID START to cry" and "The mother DID COME BACK to the office"  My supervisor told me she doesn't care for how this sounds either and that we just need to go ahead and type it as is.  Of course I am going to abide by what my supervisor says.  Is it just "cut and dry" when transcribing to type EXACTLY what is being said? - - - I also type for another professional with a PhD who will dictate and use certain words out of context, but I know what he means to say.  Do we just TACTFULLY address individual issues like this when they arise with those who are dictating?

Hi, All!

I need some help.  I have a doc who dictates a soap note after he sees each patient, so walks around the office with his handheld microcassette recorder.  I have been using only digital files for several years now and hate going back to transcribing tapes.  Since he walks around and dictates a short blurb after each patient, a call-in system won't work for him.  What I need is to set him up with a digital recorder and then an easy way to upload the files to me to transcribe, and then I can email them back.  I have used MEP for encryption in the past, but have always had the voice files sent to me from an MTSO, so have no experience in that end of it.

Does anyone know an easy way to set this up?  I need simple, as he is not very computer literate.  Even if I have to stop in and download the voice files from his recorder to a jump drive a couple times a week, that would be better than tapes.  Ideally, I would like to set him up with a recorder that he can upload the files to his computer and then email them to me.  Is there a reasonably priced digital recorder out there that will work for this?  What's the easiest way to transfer the files?  Is there a particular brand(s) of recorder that is good (or bad)?  And how much memory should I look for?  ANY help with this would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Thank you!

I pulled out my old Lanier machine to work for a company I worked for previously and I forgot how to set it to go back a couple of seconds when I take my foot off the pedal.  I tried Googling,,found nothing.. Does anybody know?  thanks

jerks about collecting on it, such as taxes or medical bills.  However, when the shoe's on the other foot, do you think they pay up in a timely manner?  We're owed tax money from 2002 that we're still waiting for.  There was some kind of mixup with the IRS, so we had to pay the taxes or they threatened us with collection.  I had to file an amended return to get our money back from their mistake.  The amended return was received over six months ago.

The medical company owes me a refund from a year ago because they forced me to make payments and threatened me with collection on my account.  They are the ones that didn't provide documentation or follow up with the insurance company.  I had to do it for them!  I should be happy that I'm even getting my own money back, but I need it today.  Even the bank messed up on me last night.  We made a car payment by check that got taken out through ACH electronic check processing and they deposited the check, too.  They got a double car payment from us because of their mistake.  It's going to take the bank two days to research it and process the credit on my account.  I don't think so!  These people need to cough up MY money NOW!

Talk me out of this, tell me why it would not work, and tell me I am nuts. 

OR tell me it is a great idea, how it would work and why...

I keep reading of all those who want to get into the MT field.  Those who are in school and hoping to land their first job.  Those who have finished school and are struggling to get a job because they have no experience.

I keep thinking I could do something about this.  Somehow I could mentor newbies.  Get them up and running, give them experience, then off they would go into the world of MT.

Whenever I get this crazy idea, I think I must be insane.  Why and HOW would I venture to do such a thing?  I have years and years experience, I make a VERY good income as an IC, I have what most would want in the MT field.  I have no accounts of my own, nor would I desire that.  I contract from two services.  They have the headaches - - - I have the flexiblity and pay I want.

Then I think, maybe I could do this for a service instead of having my own accounts.  Then I think no one would pay me what I make now.

THEN I think I have lost all my marbles and I put these crazy ideas aside.  Then, they resurface.......

Please tell me why this would not work.  Help me understand once and for all that it would be a devastating move for me, that newbies are too hard to mentor, that the field is *going downhill*, etc., etc., etc.

Or tell me why it is a great idea.

Thank you for your input.

  What is the best way to prepar for this. 

I presently work with a Dictaphone C-phone but have been having problems with either my phone system (FIOS) or the phone, or both.  The boss suggested switching to Transnet. I have heard that when working on Transnet on your computer you cannot have access to the internet. I need to do a significant number of physician lookups for addresses, etc. so this would be a definite draw back. I'd like your opinion as to the pros and cons of the C-phone vs Transnet and if given the choice which would you prefer.

Thanks in advance.

Barbara

Does anyone have any proofing tips/ideas that they use when going over their own reports?

I always, always go over my reports at least once after typing them. Sometimes, though, I will read the sentence like it should be, instead of noticing that I left a simple small word out or something simple like that. I type a lot (and I mean A LOT) of 20-30 second reports a day  lol..and towards the end of the day is when I notice it happening.

I do this on VERY rare occasion and but am just looking for some suggestions.

Thanks!

'); I'm working 12 hours a day just to get in 8 hours worth of lines because the platform I work on is messing up constantly... and I'm barely getting $1300 a month!!!

So, where do we MTs find the money? Are there any good companies out there that pay well? Should I look into working for a private doctor (which I hate because I like fringe benefits)? Any advice? I can't keep living below poverty level forever.

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IC Versus SE Status Regarding pay rate - Posted By: SouthernMaid

If you are an IC and you make 8 cpl, after deducting 7.5% self-employment tax you are making 7.4 cpl.  Then, if you are an SE and make 8 cpl and they pay half of taxes (7.5%) are you really making 8.6 cpl?  CONFUSED!!

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radiology - Posted By: Sandy

Could some of you who type only radiology tell me approximately how many reports you transcribe per 8-hour shift?  Thanks.

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INDIA WILL CONTINUE LEADING US-BEEN OVERSEAS AND SEEN POVERTY!!!!! - Posted By: ConeyIslandGirl

So many of us do not know what it is like to live in poverty.  India is still divided between the rich and poor.  Consequently, that leaves the so many of the poor to work like dogs just to support themselves and their extended family members.  I am tired of everyone talking about the Indian MTs.  We need to be in their shoes also.  All and all, AMERICA IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE!!!!!  THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY!!!!

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who actually owns MT Stars? how do i know it's not MQ to see your deepest thoughts and renegades - Posted By: just curious

who are anti-MQ?  are the owners names anywhere on this site?  i know i can sleep better if it's not anyone affiliated with MQ.  if MQ personnel own this site i'm doomed.

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