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Is the electronic book of style the same as the BOS 2nd edition book?  I want the electronic one if they are the same, as far as information goes. 

Thanks!

It is clinic notes that are pretty easy to type.  Some of the work is digital and some is still on tapes.  They want me to come in and pick up tapes, and they want me to print and deliver reports when I pick up the tapes because they don't know much about setting up a remote printer.  I made an introductory offer of 12 cpl for the first month and then 15 cpl if we both feel like continuing to work together.  I felt that since I am going to be out the cost of gas and ink, my offer was more than reasonable.  Well, they countered with a flat 12 cpl period with a one year contract and then we reevaluate at that time.  While I was mulling that over, she called back and asked if I would be interested in doing some radiology for them in addition to the clinic work.  So basically this account will keep me very busy and is not going to be just overflow.

So now I'm back to thinking 15 cpl and because they balking, not offering the introductory rate anymore.

What does everyone think?

Does anybody do transcription on their laptop, other than those working for that company that has its own board on here?

If you took a position working from home directly for a small doctors' office (5 docs) with no ESL and you supplied your own computer and internet, what is the lowest line rate you would accept?   There is a good chance they may provide benefits too, including medical insurance.  This would be for radiology only with mammos, x-rays, CTs, diagnostics, ultrasounds and no MRIs. 

Thanks in advance for comments. 

Hi people :)

When MT gets very boring (which is most days for me), I have a few things I'll do to keep producing. Will you please share any games you play with yourself to crank out some extra lines (something more than "I need to meet the bills, and that keeps me in the chair").

Here's mine. I hope these will help. Please share yours!

• Try to get the % keystrokes saved in Shorthand higher than the last time I worked.


• Keep a timer with me - transcribe 20 minutes, clean home for 10, transcribe 20, clean for 10. Not a very productive way, but I use this when I am truly climbing the walls and nothing else works. Sometimes if I'm on a roll and the 20 minutes are up, I'll just hit the timer again and go for another 20 before the cleaning break. The break gets my house in order (amazing what can be done in 10 minutes - folded laundry and dishes running and so on), gives my wrists a break, gets the blood flowing.


• I find the times I have the worst trouble sitting there and working are the times when it's been a while since I've been out of the house. Getting out regularly helps working go much easier.


• Sometimes set a goal of a specific amount 300 lines or whatever is a slight stretch but can possibly be reached in an hour, and aim for that.


• A walk to the mailbox or other light exercise can help.


• I haven't tried a regular exercise break in the middle of the day (say a 1-hour break to reenergize and really get a good workout in), but if that helps you I hope you'll share.


• Try to get to half of my line count by noon.


• Get done for the day in time to watch Dr. Phil as a reward. :)

  doc says "However, the patient was terminated by technician who felt the patient was becoming diaphoretic and having his symptomatology associated with shortness of breath."

 scribe types "However, the study was terminated by the technician who felt the patient was becoming diaphoretic and having symptoms associated with shortness of breath."

I heard about this but it sounds kinda strange.  Anyone ever run into this kind of account?  How do you not leave blanks if you don't know what they are saying?

Just wanted to let you know that I am STILL laughing over your post about BP pills even today.  I laughed all through work last night.  I thought maybe it was too funny because I was so tired.  But NOPE, I still thought it was just as funny today!!!!

Thanks for the GREAT laugh.      

How can I become a CMT which is radiology specific?  Do I contact AAMT?  It is my hope that the focus of the test is primarily on radiology and anatomy as I have been out of the other fields for such a long time, it would be impossible to pass the test (I have heard the standard CMT test is quite difficult, is this true?).

Thank you and Happy Holidays Inspite of It All!!!! 

CalfRadMT@aol.com

OK, ladies - my GYN put me on Premarin cream last week.   After using it for 4 or 5 days, I am now having PMS symptoms and some mild bleeding.  I"m assuming this is natural side-effect of the Premarin, but since I'm newly "postmenopausal," I would like some reassurance.   Can't call their office until next Tuesday anyway, if I decided to do that.

Any info you want to share would be appreciated.   TIA.

Why in the world if it is so awful, so stressful, so thankless and pay is not that much more (someone posted $3 dollars an hour below), why do you continue to supervise?  

Also the general tone of the supervisors is kind of like they don't really like or respect the MTs.  Is that healthy?

I am looking at moving back to working from home, I am currently 'in-house' working for a hospital clinic but I need more flexibility for my children's schedules.

I have a decent lead on an IC position, but I am trying to figure out if I can find/afford health care.  I really only need catastrophic type care and plan to pay for my own routine care.

Does anyone know of a decent insurance company??

Thanks VT_MT

How many reports do you type per day, lets say average being 5 min. per report or acute care hospital, which is what I do, and how many average do you send to QA? 

Per day I do on average about 35 reports, average 3 QA'd reports, rarely get one day without sending at least one, and on a really bad day I send around 6 to QA.  This is usually the worst of the worst, bad phone lines, very hurried/slurring/mumbling dictators, or the thick ESLs, and even listening to twice. 

I can't get past the login screen.  It says "Welcome!" then throws me back to the login screen.  I see they have a message that says "You can still send messages to your contacts through your Outlook or Outlook Express."  Wrong.  Can't do that, either.  Have been on hold to Atlanta for over 1/2 hour.  Whose idea was this??

I just bought an Acer notebook from Walmart.  Anyone have experience with this they can share?

I know they are not much good for transcribing (too small), but I also go to college and seeing as they only weigh 1 pound, I thought it might be good to have.

Do you think I wasted my money?  Should I have spent the extra $200 and got a real laptop?

I am a good Editor trying to find a new work home.  The company I work for is downsizing and I am afraid I am next.  I would like to have a place where I can have benefits as I have children.

Does such a place exist anymore?

Thank you.

How long had you been in the business before the onset of the symptoms, how fast did they progress, and what steps did you take to keep the symptoms at bay, without surgery.  Even those who have had surgery, you may reply whether or not it helped.

For me, my symptoms began after seven years, just aching.  I then switched keyboards to split.  That worked for a few months, then the joint pains in fingers.  I typed softer, really concentrated on not BANGING the keys out.  Those two things helped another six months.  Last year about this time, pain again caught up.  I got splints..started B6, magnesium, muscle relaxers, took sugar and pasta out of diet (most), and coffee, carpal tunnel exercises.  If I deviate off this diet for even one day, I get the inflammation in the wrists.  The night splint worked for exactly one year.  Here we are, i'm now on the same boring diet, and have resorted to wearing the splints during the day as well.  I believe this is my last year as an MT.  I need to get a dif job and do this part time or find an editing job which seems impossible.

Could some of you share your time lines so I know how severe mine is in comparison?  Also anything I have not tried, if you could share.  Thanks. 

Hi all,

Came across this cool website for medical transcriptionists. Thought I'd share with y'all. Not sure if many of you already know of it. If not, do have a look. Found it very helpful personally.

http://medicaltranscriptionwordhelp.googlepages.com

On my personal computer, I seem to have picked up some kind of virus.  I keep getting popups all over the place and one of them is telling me that I have viruses and I should purchase their program to remove them, which I don't want to do because that program is likely a virus in sheep's clothing.  I was running AVG (the free program) but apparently it did not stop whatever bug I picked up. 

My questions are: 
1.  If I purchase an antivirus program (from Walmart or Staples, for example), will this remove whatever has already taken up residence on my PC? 

2.  What is the best virus program for the money on the market? 

Thanks in advance! 

Wondering if those of us on this board have noticed that credit card companies will be increasing their interest rates along with the minimum payment due soon.  How will this affect some people who can barely make the minimum payments now.  Any insight greatly appreciated. 

this one about new pay plan............ "Pay rates based upon experience, skill, and work difficulty" is the first 'highlight'....... I have been asking for a raise since MAY and I am level 3 typist, highest level MQ has....  Supposed to be contacted personaly by someone in the future.  Hmmmmm, wonder what they will offer. 

Does anyone know how to compare byte count versus gross line pay?

Thank you

Hi, everyone, and thanks for the good feedback!  I thought I should be as generous as everybody has been to me by sharing the feedback in a summary: 

According to the consensus of most replies here is what I am getting: 

GOOD - Amphion, MDI-MD (*not MDI-FL), Keystrokes, Silent Type, Phoenix Medcom, QT Medical, Digital Records, SPI, and eTransPlus. 

Acusis was mentioned as a good one, BUT when I input "Acusis" into Google to find its site and also saw this one

http://www.acusisindia.com/AIP0302/Home.asp

I had second thoughts about applying.  I have already lost one good account to India, so I don't wish to go through that again. 

BAD- Medquist, Ascend, Transolutions, Transcend, Healthscribe, Spheris, KJM Trans., SoftScript, Superior Global, OSI, Zylomed, Medvoice, A to Z, D&L Typing, MedWord, Precyse, MDI-FL (although MDI-MD has had glowing reports). 

I can add my own horror story to the Bad List:  Voice Systems in Georgia.  Don't work this account if you ever want to get paid!  I worked for 3 months before I finally saw a penny, and that was only with multiple threats and refusing to type another word until they were caught up.  And they were SO DISORGANIZED that it was a NIGHTMARE!!!  It took weeks of small, incomplete checks for them finally to catch up with me, and the verbal abuse and language I got over the phone, fax, and e-mail were unbelievable!  Very unprofessional! 

Thank you to everyone who answered me and gave me encouragement.  I have applied to everybody on the Good List but found out that I still have unsolvable connectivity problems with some of them, like Amphion.  We have high-speed business-grade satellite, but that is not enough in some cases.  And we don't have land lines, either.  We live way out in the boonies. 

Still that leaves a few good choices, so I thank all of you!!! 

What is the average pay per line for editing (including VR editing)?

Thanks

Found this nice MT website on Google search. Thought I'd share it with all.