Advice (sm)
Posted By: Wally on 2005-12-01
In Reply to: I know what ya'll will probably say. I am scared right now. For the past 2 weeks or so sm - Dancin Shoes
Quickly call a friend/relative to keep the kids. Go to a physician as soon as possible for the sake of 1) the kids, 2) your own peace of mind, 3) the DH.
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Advice to YOU..1st learn to spell before insulting poster and trying to give advice...sm
Sound advice from a fellow MT if you want advice or support (sm)
I have been an MT for over 10 years. I also am getting burnt out, tired of my job, day in day. However, I do love transcription and make excellent money at it, have grossed over $50,000 per year the last 5 years. I decided to go back to nursing school and am very happy with my choice. However, over these 10 years of transcription I have had my ups and downs. My biggest issue with being at home working is lack of socialization, being home day in and day out with just the kids and the animals really gets to a person, sure hubby is home at night and thinks working from home is the easy life, thus the return to school and boy has my overall enjoyment of life changed once I realized I was the problem, not everyone else and I needed to find myself again.
Anyway, my biggest advice to you three-fold:
1. Get into counseling for yourself, find out who you are and what your needs are, whether or not you think you need to, I sense you are feeling overwhelmed and need someone other than your family to talk to that can be nonjudgmental to your feelings and needs.
2. If you're only making $100 after you pay preschool you can either keep doing it and be miserable, or quit because you are lucky enough to have a husband who can support the family without your income. (See how fast his mind changes just by losing the income you do have as to whether your job means anything.) Or look for a different company or office that you like more and are more productive if you really want to do transcription (lots of fish in the sea as far as companies).
3. Find a local "mom's" group where you can get out and socialize. MOPS (mother's of preschoolers) is an excellent one that is nationwide, they have a website. Also Mom2Mom is in a lot of areas. They provide a once a week time for moms with kids the same age to get together, socialize, (some offer spirtual guidance some don't) and each week a different mom takes a turn watching everyone else's children at the facility that hosts it so the other moms can talk about things they have in common. Every stay-at-home and work-from-home mom needs to socialize with adults, without their kids, or they will have a nervous breakdown eventually no matter how much they love their kids.
Sorry so long but it does get better but you have to take the first step at making yourself happy.
my advice
would be to get an MT job that pays by the hour until your experience and accuracy come together well.
I believe that MQ will pay by the hour until you reach "production" -- but i am not sure if there is a time limit on that. I believe i've seen where other companies do this also.
I admire your refusal to quit -- i believe that is one of the essential traits of a transcriptionist. Hang in there. Very little worth attaining comes easy, you'll make it.
Need some advice
I know this isn't MT-related, but it has gotten me so upset that I can't work, so maybe it is MT-related after all. Anyway, if anyone has been in this situation, can you please tell me how you successfully handled it? My son wanted to go away for the weekend and asked to use my credit card to secure a hotel room. We went online to Hotels.com and found a nice place. I put in my credit card number and was given a room confirmation. I then received an e-mail from the hotel telling me there were no rooms available. I called the hotel and they told me I would have to address it with Hotels.com since they were the ones with my credit card information. I called Hotels.com and they told me that my card had been swept for the entire amount of the stay ($276.00!) but since there were no rooms available, the money would be credited back to my account. I got my credit card statement yesterday and they only credited back $71.00 of my money, causing me to incur and over-the -limit fee of another $29.00. I don't know where to turn to get this problem resolved. Do I call Hotels.com and ask them to reimburse my over the limit fee? Do I call my credit card company and tell them that it was Hotel.com's fault for hitting my account for the whole amount when they said they weren't going to? If anyone has been through this kind of thing before, I would really appreciate your input. Needless to say, I will NEVER use Hotels.com ever again!! Thanks in advance for your help!
Well said! I will take that advice.
Here's some advice from another old MT
Give Medquist a try. I know there's a lot of controversy surrounding MQ, but there is a lot positive about the company, too. The transcription platform is very, very easy to learn and quite MT friendly. Set your boundaries about the number of accounts you are willing to do right from the beginning.
You will never have to worry about not getting paid on time. If you need no benefits, go with the statutory employee status. There's flexibility with that.
There are apparently many MQ haters on this board, but there are many more who are happy with MQ. They just don't happen to spend a lot of time posting here.
Whereever you land next, may it be a great fit for you. :)
Need advice, please --
My 15-year-old niece has confided that she has met a boy through an over 21 chat room and has been emailing him (supposedly, he is 18). He has been to her house, and her parents have met him and they think he is a nice boy, but they have no idea how they really met. I have serious reservations about this and feel I should tell her parents, because even if this one is very nice, he is still too old for her, and what about the next one?
Advice
Learning a secondary account can be challenging but it also makes you a more well-rounded transcriptionist. The more accounts, the more doctors you work on, the better off you are in the long run. If its hard at first, work that much harder to learn it. You can't have to much experience!
Need advice
I just wanted to see if anyone had any advice to give.....I have been debating changing jobs. I currently make $15 an hour doing transcription in office. The delima I am having is that the whole reason I started doing transcription was so that I could work from home. I have been doing transcription for 4 years and my job is really easy and I am happy with the money, there are however other down falls with the company and I am not able to have the flexability of working at home, therefore dealing with the stress of not being able to always be there for "home" things. I have three school age kids, and they are all very active. My question is....Do I have a chance of finding anything else working at home or do I just try and suck it up where I am at??? I really have not started looking, so I am not sure what is actually out there. I hate changing jobs, but I also don't want to settle.
Just need some outside help and opinions! Thanks, KL
RE: Need advice
Don't forget your taxes. You can really wind up in a mess if you don't get on top of that right away.
Need Advice! What would you do?
Want opinions about something which has come up at work and need some advice. I am the lead Transcriptionist in a department with three other people.
Last year, one of our physicians in the practice was fired and rejoined another practice in town. He currently has a lawsuit against the company about the firing.
Today, I saw letters typed by one of the girls in the my department for this particular doctor. (because this patient switched physician groups). Apparently she has been working for him on the side since October of 2004. I am not sure if she is still typing for him or not.
My question is this, would this be something you would bring to the manager's attention, talk to my coworker, or just let it go.
On one hand I feel she is being dishonest and not loyal to our current company. I do not know if she is saying anything about our practice to the other doctor or not. Also at looking at the letters, she set them up exactly the same way we do. Isn't this considered a conflict of interest?
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!
Re: Advice - sm
My question - is she using YOUR company's equipment to do this typing? Is she doing it on YOUR company's time? THAT would be a NO-NO to me, along with the other points you mentioned, it doesn't seem quite the kosher thing to do.
Thanks for the advice!!! nm
nm
Thanks for the advice!
That does sound reasonable. Anything to get my foot in the door would be helpful.
need advice
I worked for a multispecialty medical center for 6 years that shut down and sent all transcription out to a service. I got a job with spheris. I love the company itself, they are great. But the problem is money. This is my first experience with production pay. To make what I made by the hour, I would have to produce 1500 lines a day. I am now producing about 1000 a day more or less, depending on how much research I need to do, if my cable or power goes out or if their server goes down or is slow.-- I do ER, consults, admit and discharge summaries, no operative reports. Cant really use a lot of expansions, only for simple phrases or individual words, no macros, mostly straight typing. I figured once I got used to their system and compiled all my provider samples and got my Expander glossaries pretty much built I would improve, which I have, but I really cant see myself ever doing much more than 1200 a day, and that would be with no "P" breaks. I am still having to stop multiple times during the day to enter drug names in my drug glossary so I dont have to look them up all the time to see if they are generic or brand names-their spell-check doesnt have automatic caps, which is another problem for me because I am having a hard time training myself to hit that shift key, I am constantly entering text into my expander. The terminology is not a problem for me.
I am reading that a lot of you guys are doing 400 lines an hour.!!! My previous job didnt have a word expander, so I know I need to utilize that better. How do you do it, what am I doing wrong, what can I do to improve, do I need to just forget it and apply at Home Depot? I LOVE transcription!!!!
Looking for advice
Hey, anyone in the Portland/Beaverton area I could speak to about the "real deal" in MT work in the current environment? I'd really appreciate it. Off line at moosefeather at msn dot com :)
My advice to you
You are doing just fine. Trust me, having kids makes it more difficult to get more work done, but you will soon find a good schedule that works for you. I work for Medquist as an SE and am able to work WHENEVER I want which makes it much easier for me, considering I have 3 kids, ages 7, 3, and 2. Your average of 500-700 lines a day is really good for just starting in July. Don't fret, this is one job that you only get better with in time because you become more used to the doctors and type faster, and don't forget to keep adding to your word expanders.
Another tip I can give is to only work when your child is sleeping, otherwise it becomes too much of a distraction to have your child awake and running around while you try to concentrate on your work. Not to mention, it could also be dangerous if you can't see or hear them like you should.
I appreciate your advice and will certainly
take it to heart.
Just wanted you to know though that I already know the information you posted. I had an MT business for 5 years. I've done MT work for 25 years.
I may be new with MQ but I'm no where near new with MT work. This isn't my first time to do IC/SE work either.
My rainy day money isn't going to the govt. It goes for what I want it to. I've been self-employed for a few years now. I know what I'm doing.
Thank you for your advice though!
Advice to MQ.
This advice is given too late, but for future reference...
When you have a new program, just send the information out.
Telling people a month in advance that you are going to send the information out is just upsetting. Calling people on the phone to tell them they will get information next month but you cannot answer any questions just makes everyone more agitated.
If you think you were offering a teaser to get people excited, I am sorry to say that it backfired. As you can see from reading this board, everyone is just nervous and upset. Some people are out looking for other jobs because they think they are going to lose their SE position.
Big mistake......
advice
I quit over 3 years ago. I decided that I couldn't just slack off or use something to help me, I just set a date and totally stopped forever that day. You feel really bizarre for a few days and I still wanted one for probably a year or more, but that was the only way for me. Just stop. Also I chewed lots of gum all the time. I think I probably did gain weight but I got pregnant right after that so who knows what the weight is from.
But it really does make you feel better in the long run and I have a friend in her early 20s whose parents are both already dead because of lung CA (she still smokes, not a big lesson learner).
Anyway, good luck and just stop!! Just make your mind up right now!! Just buy your last pack and don't buy anymore!
Need some advice
Wanting to change from Hospital to working at home and a little confused about what some services are looking for as far as experience like what is basic 4 experience?
My advice to you
HEY BUTT HEAD - SIT ON A POPSICLE STICK AND SPIN
Advice
I think the best plastic surgery that you could get would be to have your pie hole permanently sewn shut so that no one would EVER have to hear your disgusting voice again. Also, as an added benefit to us, get your hands sawed off so we wouldn't have to read your posts! Then you would be really attractive. Kind of seen but not heard. WOW that would be GREAT.
You need some advice yourself
What is so deranged about Barney? You guys attacking right off the bat are making it less likely for people to post because of their fear of being attacked. I don't get it. Why don't you just let BARNEY alone and move on. If people want to respond let them, because if you can pull up a post that Barney is attacking, being nasty, threatening, or being down right obscene, then please share it with us.
If we all are going to be compared to Zipper and MQLOVER and so on, then you are going to see less and less responses from people and that will be thanks to you MQx4. 
Advice
If you want to work for a national, go to one of the major schools, Andrews or M-TEC. Don't go to a podunk internet course that is cheaper, but will make recruiters immediately toss your resume. We do that. We also tend to not get real excited about "hometown" courses, because we don't know the program and don't have time or interest to do the research.
You are selling yourself to the recruiter, so do whatever you can to catch their attention. Good school, good test scores, literate communication. Also--be professional, not cute. No cutesy backgrounds in your emails, etc. Put your experience and/or MT education at the top. I don't want to know that you worked at Gussie's Gas and Go, have experience in parenting, and own a rescue dog. I really don't. Just give me the absolute basics that will make me go "hmmmm!" and, even if you don't have a ton of experience, if you've gone to one of the top schools, I'll look at you.
OH! Also, don't use that silly line about "I have 2 years of experience" when all you really have is two years of schooling. Big difference. I'll toss MT's resumes from one particular internet school just because they dare to try to get that one by me. Don't know if the school promotes that angle or not, but it doesn't fly. Experience means that you're out on the job, without a net, making money--not that you're having every report scrutinized by a teacher and you're paying them to do it.
Wow, I guess I've gotten a little off course, haven't I? Would just like to see you head in the right direction (according to me, of course) right off the bat.
Best of luck, and enjoy the process!
Here's some advice....sm
don't wait until the first of the year to get away from this maniac. Since you said he can be violent at times how do you know he won't seriously hurt or kill you before then? Every case of domestic homicide always has had a history of violence before the violent person killed the victim.
There are battered women shelters and homes that you can move to until you can get on your feet and get your own place. If you can't afford getting your own place now please pick up that phone and call for help. In a lot of cities if you call 211 that will connect you to someone who can give you this information, and if 211 doesn't work in your area get the phone book and look on the front cover.
Be sure that you and your child receive counseling for dealing with this fool. I would personally never put up with anyone that lashed out at my child like that and your daughter needs to know that you really are sorry by showing in your actions that you're breaking away for good as well as getting her some counseling to deal with it. If money is tight there are usually counseling services available for a sliding fee scale.
Lastly, when you move don't let this idiot (boyfriend) know where you have moved to as he may start stalking you. It happens a lot. The folks working with battered women can help you get moved and obtain additional housing without him being able to track down where you're at easily. Since you mentioned working at a hospital you can also put security there on alert that he may try to visit you there and to be available to kick his butt out and have him arrested if he breathes towards you in the wrong direction.
I applaud you for deciding that enough is enough - now be sure to followup on your plan and don't let him try to sweet talk you with crap like "I'll change." Rarely does an abusive person like that change.
Good luck!
took your advice
I did much better today. Thanks for the advice. I was able to get over 1300 today
Need some advice
I got a job offer finally for a full time medical transcription job...I have had a part time job for about a year and I just took a full time job in another place (not Medical) being an Senior Closing Coordinator for a title company (pay is not bad) and I love my new job.. but the drive is long and I am married but I do not have kids so its not like I have to be home... anyway I love my new job.. hmmm the struggle with all of this.. getting paid by the hour not having to worry about a line count is not bad along with a 401 and medical benefits.. Its a shame the industry does not treat us better.. I guess I just stay part time and work as an IC it is best
Thanks for the advice; I appreciate
I wondered if the bigger one would be better, too, so your post confirms it for me. I think I will get the programmable one as well. I can think of times it would be handy. Thanks again.
advice...
No, you are not out of line. Yes, humans make mistakes - but that is why they make spellcheckers, and why we proofread.
You are very nice to offer more money, but really, the reports should be perfect anyway if she has that much time, has done the same dictator for over a year. I would look for someone else - she doesn't take her job seriously.
Advice
I have tried both OSi and just finished up with Transcend, they both are horrors from hell. Transcends working platform is totally screwed up and you have to look all the demo stuff up, very hard to make money. The people/sups and all, so-so. I am now looking again myself. Wish there were a really decent company to work with. I am so fed up with the misrepresentations of these companies, etc. They want to make AL of the money and pay the MT peanuts is the way I am beginning to feel. Anyway ... good luck. HANK ...
would you like some advice from me?
Need some advice from other MTs
I have been working for a hospital full-time during transcription. Due to an employee quitting our schedule is up for a major change, which will be requiring MTs to rotate shifts day to night on a weekly basis. I determining whether to transfer out of the department and maybe taking a secretary job working set hours or may be applying full-time as an employee or IC with an online company where I can set my own hours without interrupting my life, make the same or more money and not having the headache. Someone please point me in the right direction. And, if you know of any companies that provide stable work, let me know. THANKS!!! ALLTYPE, FAST CHART, TRANSCEND, KEYSTOKES, etc.
advice
Thanks, that helps alot.
advice
It’s really frustrating because us MTs have children and other family priorities and then all the sudden everything changes and so does your family life. You are hired in to do a certain shift that you desire then it changes and we have no say so.
advice
Once the position is field all shifts will be rotated.
advice
I have been told that once before by another MT. Thanks for the advice!!!
Thanks for your advice. :) I appreciate it. NM
s
My advice:
Buy a puppy.
They're more cuddly, give unlimited unconditional love, are LOYAL, never lie, and communicate better than any man I've ever met!
ooh....just did. I have some advice
I wanted to lease a vehicle for tax write off purposes. I found that at the dealers you have to give a substantial down payment and lease for 4-5 years to get the payment remotely low...even then I was looking at a payment of $6 to $7 hundred per month...YIKES!!! I ended up assuming a lease through Leasetrader.com. I took over someone's lease where they had 24 months left on the lease and 26 thouand miles left to drive. It cost me a couple of hundred dollars through LeaseTrader. I now drive a 2003 Infinity G series which is absolutely beautiful, and I assumed his $420 payment; he put $4,500 down to get that payment for four years. Worked for me.
thanks for the advice...
Its sounding more and more like a headache, like you really have to cover your bases. Didnt realize insurance would go up either.
Advice
Gift Certificates to their favorite book store or movie theatre. I always like that!
advice
I'm their age - get them Bath and Body Works certificates and let them go the after Christmas sale and get some great bargains on great products. I don't know any woman who doesn't like B&BW.
Thank you for your advice!
I've tried both small crates and large ones, and it hasn't seemed to matter--he messes in both sizes when I leave him in a crate.
I think I'm going to take the advice of another poster, for now, and try those belly bands and see if that will break him of this nasty of habit of hiking his leg on the furniture.
But, you don't know how much I appreciate your offering of advice and not condemning me for using potty pads in the house for the dog's bathroom pleasure. I appreciate you! 
Some advice
There are anywhere from 54 to 64 lines per page depending on your font, at $3.00 you lose a lot. If I were starting right now to get my own accounts, I would invest in a microcasette transcriber -- you already have the foot pedal to do digital, and send out brochures/flyers indicating what you have to offfer. Be prepared that a lot of clinic still want you to print out on "sticky paper" which you supply so that they can have continuous notes on a sheet of paper. You need to call around some form places to see where you can purchaste 8 1/2 x 11 sticky paper that has perforations along the sides so they can peel it and place it in the chart. But you don't need much to start. But I would think twice about charging per page, at $3.00 per page on my chart notes, I would lose out big time. I get 60 lines per page and at 11.5 cents per gross line, you do the math. Make that call, what do you have to lose. But if they are looking for someone they will probably want you to start soon and so like I have said go on E-bay and buy a microcassette transcriber --but stay away from Sony and Panasonic, Pearlcorder, Olympus, Sanyo are better brands. Can get one for $60 to $90. Good luck.
Need advice on what to do with a cat. sm
I just went through a divorce last year, so financially I haven't exactly gotten my feet completely on the ground yet, and then in September I started running out of work which made things a lot worse. (I work for MQ). I just sold my house, and I am moving into an apartment where the rent is half my mortgage. I plan to go back to school so I can get out of MTing all together.
My problem is this stray cat that I have. He started hanging around our neighborhood a few years ago. He is the sweetest thing. I didn't want a cat at all, but my kids started giving him hot dogs, and he has never left. He's a great cat, never messes in the house, never scraches the furniture, and loves my kids. I got him fixed 4 months ago in anticipation of making him a housecat so that we could take him to the apartment with us, but so far it hasn't worked.
He has his routine: Every morning he follows all the neighbor kids to whichever car in the carpool on the block is taking them to school and then watches them leave. He toms around the neighborhood all day, and then when I get home from picking the kids up from school, he is always on my front porch. Then he spends the entire afternoon going in and out the front door with the kids.
I've tried keeping him in the house and not letting him leave, and he cries and cries. Then when I get exasperated and finally let him out, he just lays down on the front porch and goes to sleep.
I don't know what to do with him. It is breaking my heart that I'm probably going to have to find a home for him. Any ideas on how to make him a housecat?
This is advice I was given.
I was told if I was married and filed jointly to have my husband change what he claimed(claimed a 3, now a 2), then they will take more taxes from his check to offset mine a little bit. This way it wont be such a shocker at the end of the year, although you may still have to pay in some. Another option if not married and filing jointly would be to pay quarterly. I believe if you go to the IRS website it helps you determine exactly how to do that. Again, this is all information people have given me, as I am new IC too!
GOOD LUCK!
Advice on the cat
My son has a cat like that. Worse, actually. He was all over the neighborhood, a real escape artist. They were convinced they would never be able to break him into being a housecat when they moved from a quiet neighborhood to a really busy one. His safety was at stake. They just kept him in till he got the idea. Oh, and they got a kitten friend for him to hang with during the day. Good luck and don't give up. Ozzie is now several months into his new life and he's fine. He can make the transition if you're persistent.
some advice
Just need some MT style help, if a letter is started Dear Joan, and it is to a doctor but the informal style is used, do you put a comma or a colon. I was QA'd that I need to put a colon but I thought if it was informal you put a comma. Just need a little help, bad day here.
Need some advice
I am ready to quit my current position but not sure if things will be better anywhere else. I currenty work on an account that pays by the gross line, however, we cannot paragraph, unless the dictator says so, some of my reports get up to as many as 5 pages of straight transcription and I am so bored by the time I finish. I used to get a good mix of reports, about 50/50 short and long but for the last 6 months that has changed to about 90/10 (long/short) and I feel I am getting screwed plus cannot stay awake and am really having a hard time sitting still long enough to be productive, my production has dropped about 25%. Any help/ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks for the advice...sm
And, interestingly enough...I had not been sleeping well so I started taking Valerian root and I did sleep better, but that was when my symptoms started. I felt so crappy and lethargic during the day after taking Valerian so I stopped it. That was just last week. So thanks for your help! It's much appreciated and I will take your advice and try these other supplements!
Thanks
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