After 25 years of rad MT, I think that is a very good
Posted By: gd1 on 2007-06-16
In Reply to: Radiology question - romey
offer, it is what I make. I get quite a bit of long stuff, but with using macros, Is still make my quota in 4-5 hours per day. I love it. I would take the offer.
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.08 for only 2-years exp. is good- sm
obviously you do not type as fast as you think, or else type a lot out and not much Expander use. I am a snail, I type on average 60 WPM, but that can go as low as 40 WPM. I get .09 cpl at 4 years experience (not paid for spaces either so it is really about 7.75). I make between $12-$15 an hour which is okay for me. I do not have to live on what I make. But if you are only making $64 a day and have to live on it, that is not good. As for MTs making decent money, some do, but it is a myth that you will make $40-60K your first few years. If I applied myself I could make about $24K a year (before taxes of course). Those who make a LOT of $$$ are those who have one or more of the following: their own accounts, easy work, super fast typists, expand everything, don't have to look up much either terminology or dr. names/addresses and work non-stop. My work varies in difficulty, some easy, some hard; some days I look up a million addresses, others only 1 or 2. There are tons of variables in making a good line rate and salary. Obviously try to get faster at typing; try not to be distracted and enter more shortcuts/macros into your expander. I try to do that with every dictator I get so the next time I will be faster at them; yes it slows me down but in the long run it will pay off. Good luck.
Good for you. I am MQ employee, 13 years. SM
I just read on MTJobs.com MQ is offering $2000 sign on bonus@ I have not had a raise for years, get calls at 2 AM to do STAT reports, feel burned out. Not only am I leaving MQ, but I am starting a new career in the food business.
If you're good enough, I don't think those years
will matter.
Sorry, I don't know of a specific company. Hubby gets benefits, so that's never been a factor for me. I work for MQ right now, which I'm trying to get out of and have started another PT job. That one's good, but it is IC with no benefits. MQ does have benefits, but I really don't know how they are.
I would suggest posting on the company board and asking more specific questions, i.e., what are some companies that have decent insurance, do any companies give paid holidays, etc.
In all honesty, you probably won't find a company that fits all you want. You may have to decide which are most important and go from there.
I did NutriSystem 15 years ago. The food was good.
I got scared when the week I went in and had eaten off the program they said, "We've created a chemical balance in your body and ANYTHING you eat off the program screws it up." That scared me. I wondered what in the heck their chemical balance was and decided I couldn't live with it. I got off. I've obviously gained back all the weight (60+ lbs) all because I BELIEVE if you don't want to stay on it forever then you can't do it. You'll never get their chemical balance with regular food and you'll gain if and when you decide to quit paying and go off their foods. Think real hard, change what you're eating with real food and you'll do much better in the long run.
Depends on how much experience you have. I have 26 years, not good for me. nm
nm
If you haven't done MT in many years, that is a very good rate...sm
Many things have changed and companies usually require more recent experience. I say go for it!
Heck, yeah! Good pay for 1-1/2 years experience.
I've been using it a few years now. It's pretty good. You'll get used to it. -nm
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"That's Life." It was only on a short while a few years ago, but was really good. nm
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Good things take time. (this is addressed to OP, BTW) My first 15 years or sm
so of MT was without the benefit of using an expander. When Expanders became the norm, I was reluctant to try, thinking that it would be more cumbersome than by not using it at all. Was I surprised and pleased I had ventured into the Expander world.
Since you're at home you can add entries on your free time, even if you do 5 or 10 at a time, when there is no pressure on you. Start out with expanders for "the patient," "-year-old," the names of your doctors, anything that is repetitious. You will be surprised how much time this will save you. My initial expander, PRD, actually calculated saved Keystrokes and productivity. Back then I was saving 30%!
The expander is especially helpful for those crazy terms that are hyphenated or have camel caps, those that I always had to look up to check myself. Create your brief form by just using straight lowercase, for instance, duoneb for Duo-Neb (or d-n).
Speed will come, don't worry. Good luck to you!
(Posted in the wrong place--I always do that!) This is in response to OP.
I agree. It's an impossibility for me even with years of experience AND good dictators. nm
m
A good friend died of cancer that I suspected years before
because of a test he had and he had asked me to get a copy of, which I did, but not being "qualified", it said possible metastasis, I just told him I couldn't get it for some reason, and to talk to his doctor. His doctor, for some strange reason said it was "normal". I then asked him to get a copy of it himself, but he didn't. My husband told him to go to another doctor. It took several years, but he eventually was diagnosed with cancer after having a seizure, (it had spread to his brain) and he died a few months later.
The bottom line is, we're really not qualified to diagnose or advise people. I do feel terrible guilt for it, (you should've seen me at the funeral) but there's nothing we can do. If a doctor doesn't diagnose something properly, even if WE KNOW, there's still nothing we can do about it. We don't have the capacity to treat them and nobody is going to listen to us.
A few years ago, Atlanta in-house average was about $12-$15/hour, plus good bennies. nm
By the way, as of about 5 years ago, Wellstar was with a service. They might not even have in-house MTs. Hope so for your sake :).
The Dorland's Cardiology Word Book is good, too. Might find books at half.com even if a few years
s
58, AHP/self-taught, trained at hospital 5 years, now with 2 of my own accounts for 10 years, employ
Also worn out 2 keyboards in 4 years. I will never retire. DH will come home some day from work and I'll be slumped over my keyboard. I put in 14 hours a day 7 days a week.
Pack years = packs smoked per day x years of smoking - sm
25 pack-years = 25 years of 1 pack a day, or 12-1/2 years of 2 packs a day.
I don't think pack-years applies to someone who smokes only cigars. But I don't know for sure.
I worked for Cbay for 3 years. I was also part of their lay off back many years ago. sm
Even though I got stuck in a lay off era, I still love the company. They paid well then. The people were nice (exception of 1 person) and if I had the opportunity I would go back again. Fortunately (or unfortunately - depending on how u look at it), I have a great paying job right now, so I am not looking for a change. I do know that at one time, they asked management to accept late paychecks, but never sure of the reason why. My check was never late.
I know it used to be 5-10 years back, but the laws changed within the last 2 years. They can only g
x
6 years legal then switched to medical 17+ years ago. sm
I don't mind doing legal and will do it now from time to time, but be prepared to be totally bored out of your mind.
At least that's the way I feel. I love to transcribe, learned legal in college, went on to get my paralegal degree, etc., etc., but I did temp work when the kids were younger, which was about 90% medical and I would never go back to legal except for once in a while.
Booooooring.
Only 3 years away from reaching total years for retirement
but if I had to do this and raise a family, would feel exactly like you do. The pay is terrible compared to what I used to make. I work 32 hours a week, hope to be able to continue even after full retirement age. I have worked on VR now and unless places get to where they really do not care about how their reports look, think they will need MTs. I very seldom do a report and it is 100%, just cannot remember 1 like that and most take a lot more editing. Working now because want to, not have to anymore, thank goodness!!
That is a good offer. Pay is not that good at UIMC. Good luck! nm
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I dumped my ex 20 years ago, but got lucky 13 years ago
It would take me all night and pages and pages to describe what a bad person my ex-husband was. After six years of putting up with his OCD, verbal abuse and alcohol, I left him the house, took the kids (5 and 1) and didn't look back. That was 20 years ago.
I wasn't looking to get married again, but I did. After 13 years I only complain when hubby doesn't see things my way. :)
My older kids, who were 5 and 1 when I left, are married and have kids of their own now. My husband gets the Father's Day cards. Their "real" father sits alone in the perfect little house I left behind and let him have and he drinks himself into oblivion every night because nobody is "perfect" enough, including his kids and his grandkids that he never sees.
Sad, but true. So glad I smartened up and got out of there when I did.
We have been supporting other countries for years and years now.
What is the big deal. Look at your clothes, cars, items in your house. You will see mostly China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan etc., etc. We have not supported our own people like we should have for years now!!!!
Only 2 in 13 years for me. First Edix for 8 and now Webmedx for nearly 5 years. nm
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When I trained, back years and years ago
We did not have spell checking nor the internet (Google for instantaneous help). OMG, how did we do it? We used Correcting Selectrics with the lift-off tape to correct errors- you only had dictionaries, both English and medical, to look up things so yes we did have to learn to spell all those big longgggggggggg words.
MT: 24 years. Same company: 11 years same co. after buyout.
x
Grammar Question: 9 years' ago or 9 years ago? *sm*
 I have a terrible time trying to remember this rule! HELP!
Worked inhouse for years and years
Inhouse transcription from 1973 to approximately 1992 and we had no downtime for answering the phones and when the physicians came into the room (or others) needing some assistance, just part of the job. I did not feel bad about doing it then and I dont see why you would either. You don’t realize that probably you are making right now more than if you are outsourced, right? You have hourly salary plus incentive. Guess how many of us have that now? Probably inevitable about outsourcing so I would say just enjoy while you can. The pay our here now sinks further and further. I make, for instance, 4 cents a line for voice recognition and 8 for straight. Now, more complaining?
On 2nd thought, if you're NOT a good Italian style cook, make something you ARE good at. Leave th
s
Any rose gardeners out there? Good roses that are disease proof and smell good?
I heard good things about Knockout Rose but they don't smell too much like traditional rose. Supposedly blooms all season.
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Good for you! You sound like a very nice and generous person and you deserve all your good luck! nm
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19 years old...married 26 years. nm
n
they've been doing this for years and years (nm)
IMHO
People have been saying that for years and years - SM
however, I am working fewer hours and making more money. I think maybe the answer here is working as an IC for a one-owner company. MTSO was an MT for many years and she knows the secret to making lots of $ is putting your MTs doing what they do best and leaving them alone.
I don't think it is the "national" part of services that hurts. I think the low wages can be gauged by the number of suits in the company. More suits = less $.
And why pay QA? Just hire people experienced/good enough to do the work correctly the first time.
I have been doing Radiology only the last two years after several years (sm)
of acute care. I love it and find it easier although not as interesting as acute care. I was told by those who hired me that a good medical Transcriptionist will be able to do Radiology even with no experience in it. There are some specialized terms but easy to learn. I would never go back to acute care unless there were very good dictators and good sound quality.
30 (!) years; OTJ (don't think there were schools 30 years ago) nm
:)
Years ago it was 7 years. Not certain as to status now.
10 years here, too, and making 8.4....same as i was 5 years ago. nm
f
Shame on me.. Am I the only one with 4+ in 2 years, but with my last one 2 years.
Lots of little "stints" in between, just trying to keep my head above water.
24 years MT, 7.5 years with the same hospital nm.
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22 years, same company 10 years nm
nm
32 years, longest was 28 years at same co. (nm)
*
28 years, 9 years at 1 hospital..sm
9 years at one hospital, 8 years with 2 services, then went out on my own (11 years ago) and got a bunch of surgeons and I moonlight on weekends for a national (9 years with national).
If I knew what I know today, with how the MT business has gone down $$-wise for us over 20+ years, if I had my druthers and could start over again, I would have stayed with CODING/BILLING instead of MT work (though I love MT work) as billing/coding is still lucrative in this country....
just my 3 cents
32 years, 18 years at hospital...
7 at Medquist, 7 at Spheris. Starting at Transtech Medical tomorrow.
Agree with other poster.. good price..good service
I definitely think they are one of the best out there. We also have been talked through issues over the phone and also had a warranty in which they came out and fixed it right at our home. My only complaint..and I am sorry for saying this.. but... when you call their customer service 9 out of 10 times...you get someone who barely speaks English and I just hate that. I think that is true of a lot of customer support centers these days, ironically they are rarely American anymore. I am not prejudice at all. I just find it frustrating to call in for help and the help you get barely understands you and you do not understand them, thus making the experience very frustrating..
Expensive is right -- around $300 per credit hour! But they do have a good rep. Good luck! nm
I believe Pilates is good for shaping and strength, but you still need some cardio for good fat
s
Maybe try to find a good web site to refer to! Good luck NM
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Good for you. Sounds very interesting and a good chance of pace - sm
but I live in the northeast and not much need for that where I live. I also live in a small town so that limits my options. I have spent the last couple of years as a substitute teacher to supplement my MT job and just completed 4-1/2 months as a long term sub which I enjoyed and was a change of pace from MT. The only problem is as a sub or ed tech you only get paid during the school year so I would have to keep my MT job for summers and school vacations. With the way things are going in the MT world I hate to rely solely on that. I don't want to find myself without any job whatsoever.
Thanks for all the responses.
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