Agreed. But you have no answer. ;(
Posted By: how I wish you did. sm on 2005-09-12
In Reply to: 20 years as an MT - now I am on strike...sm - on strike
I cannot believe what we've been reduced to either. When I started 15 years ago, this was a hot job. I got more money each time I started a new job. I have had great accounts/jobs go to templates and VR, or (?) Through the years, my needs required more income but even with more experience, I watch my income shrink.
I was just commenting to my daughter the other day as I came on this board how sad it is to see so many people scrambling to work for companies for for pennies/line. There is no dignity and not much self-respect to glean anymore from a job well done.
Most of us just have to "bite the bullet" and play the game. I wish you luck. :)
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Agreed!
more are women than men.
Agreed.
By ''too pushy or desperate,'' I just meant not haranguing them TOO much or TOO frequently. But definitely follow up, in a professional manner, and let them know that you're still interested ... especially if you haven't received a reply in a reasonable amount of time. Worked for me! (third time's the charm?)
agreed -
I did not renew this year - and I personally know at least 10 MTs in my area who did not renew this year -- they have lost their focus to the American MT. IMO, perhaps their biggest financial support is through sales of their membership listing to offshore and/or unrelated companies! No thank you!
Agreed
And poor Elliott. He seems like such a sweetheart. And mq_mt, I'll be sure to say hello. LOL.
Agreed!
Looks are only skin deep and come and go. Stephen is a hunk in ways to numerous to count and truth be known, he makes a lot of women's heart go a flitter flutter, they're just too timid to admit it, but I'll stand up right here and say it out loud and clear:
THAT
MAN
IS
F_I_N_E
AGREED! (nt)
Agreed!
Tell them you have six school kids at home and will need extra money to leave them and take the job traveling to do their bidding! (wink!)
Agreed. I'm with you.
And getting paid crap for it when it takes longer to edit than it does to transcribe outright because the VR companies don't train the docs.
Agreed
They basically want their files online because they are horribly disorganized and cannot keep track of what they've sent to me or I've sent back to them. If I store them on an external drive here, they will just drive me crazy asking me to look for stuff. I've tried hard to work with these guys, but this issue coupled with some others has shown that what they really need is an inhouse transcriptionist.
Agreed!
I certainly agree with you there... :)
AGREED
When I needed to switch my docs to digital I got my stuff from transcriptiongear and my FTP through Hippo. Transcriptiongear is great at recommending the right products that are the easiest to use for offices doing the switch. They also have tech support for all their products to help you get set up. This is what you will need.
Digital recorders for each doctor. Most recorders also come with software that will automatically transfer the dictation from recorder to computer (I find this an important step). Computers will also need a free USB port for the recorder.
FTP. You will need a host (somebody will have to pay a monthly fee for this) and both you and the office will need an FTP client (a program to transfer the files). HIPPO offers both and again good support. There are free FTP clients out there but you don't get any support so if you are just starting out I don't recommend it.
What you need: In addition to an FTP client, you are also going to need a player and a foot pedal to play the digital files once you get them. I just use ExpressScribe, which is free, and you can talk to transcriptiongear about the right pedal.
If I left something out, somebody will (hopefully) point it out. There are many other options out there with many pros and cons. This is just the set up I use and we're happy with it.
Agreed
!
Agreed.
I had my own accounts for about six years and ended up keeping a brutal schedule that put me on psych meds, ultimately.
If you go this route, I think it's absolutely necessary that you are a person who CAN set healthy boundaries for yourself.
I couldn't, of course my clients didn't much care even if I could, and I'd get phone calls at 11:30 at night, 6:30 in the morning, unreasonable demands, COMPLETELY inconsistent workload... and remember, when it's just you, you keep up with no matter what they throw at you (meaning, 20 minutes of dictation OR 200 minutes of dictation) in your required turnaround time, or you could lose the client. Office staff doesn't often remember (or care) that you are just one person. You are a vendor to them.
I sound horribly harsh, but I just think it's a good idea to know what to expect. It sounds glamorous but, for me, it was anything but. Didn't make enough to hire an IC, but had too much work for myself, and now I'm here with CTS and severe burnout, having cut back severely on my work.
If you can handle those challenges, that's wonderful, and good luck! For all the positives, remember the huge challenges.
Agreed, but...
Your post is true. However, MTs who are not ready to "fly" should not be hired to do hospital work in the first place. Some could, but they need to be screened for the ones who know their limitations, how to use their resources, and that includes QA resources (assuming their QA person is a good resource). Now, who hired them? The vultures who hope to make a buck off of them and us? The MTSOs who hire unqualified people do us no service, do the new MTs no service, do the clients no service and definitely do the patients no service. If they want to hire people who are marginal those new people should be assigned a mentor to help them along and that mentor should be paid for that service. That is the only solution, as I see it. Only the qualified should work and earn what they are worth. I don't know about you, but I would welcome the raise they could give me if they hired fewer unqualifed people, hired more qualified (which they could do if they paid fairly) and then they would not have to have so many angry QA employees. Makes sense. Maybe we should all the the CMT test and only those who pass work (at a higher line rate). Then, when new transcriptionists start, they will be more qualified and less a burden on QA.
Agreed
Actually the only MT I know who makes decent money is one who works for a hospital (familiar work, familiar docs, 1 set of formats) which pays a combination of hourly and per line. She only makes it because she is the "fastest gun in the west" at the keyboard, fingers fairly fly, but she's getting the physical results of that, ie carpal tunnel, arthritic fingers, etc. Unfortunately for me, I love the work if I could only find a decent place for it.
agreed...
nm
I have never agreed with anyone like I do with your's!
Anytime I hear a single mother I just get a really bad taste in my mouth. It is used as an excuse. I was a divorced mother, never a single mother, but I had 2 children that I saw after and never got any coddling because of my having children. Anytime I hear "single mother" it just sounds to me like you want something for nothing and to be singled out for reduced rates, a giveaway, freebies, food stamps, well you get the picture.
agreed
You have to comply with HIPAA on this. It is not in your job description to question a doctor's judgement. You don't know what the patient's wishes are and why the doctor is treating a patient a certain way. If you value your integrity (and job) leave it be and don't get emotionally involved with work.
Agreed, but...(sm)
I think we can probably all tell where the OP worked and I don't blame her at ALL for being soured on the profession. Glad I passed on that particular opportunity when it was offered. *Shudder*
That being said, I've had great employers, particularly my current one, and I'm still making very good money.
It's all in the luck of the draw and with which company you have the opportunity to work for.
Again, OP, you have my sympathies...I'd be living on benzos if I worked for *THAT* place!!!
Agreed (more)
I know. I agree with you there. I'm just glad that for now the attendings are still using us. I'm just afraid that they are going to phase us out eventually. Maybe not right away, but there is always that possibility. But, these attendings are absolutely opposed VR. They did not want to switch. They did not want to be responsible for editing because they rely too much on us. The residents are trained coming in to use it, so they'll never come back to using us. <sigh>
LOLOL - AGREED
LOLOL--YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!
Agreed. Roll with the changes in the
be phased out. Those who refused to switch out of WP5.1 and learn Word or some other windows-based program now have a much more limited set of work options. The same thing will happen with ASR. You can learn to work with it and learn to be part of it or eventually be obsolete and out of a job.
Agreed; what's the deal .....
There are other companies, instead of spouting your bitterness here... please work elsewhere.
I am really happy at MDI, as are most of the people I work with. I love my team leader. I don't know who you are, but gosh - you sure are negative.
agreed, i'm in school and still only about
i'm quite torn, as I want to do this the rest of my life (psychology) but at the same time school is so hard when you're trying to keep a full time job, and I would need a graduate degree to get a job that pays well. I can't go full time either, i'm just starting out, so it seems like a jail sentence some days. Looking at close to 10 years of schooling. I also love nutrition, to become a nutritionist it would take much less time, but just thinking about all that math and those formulas, eek! Then there is cooking, a school here offers an associates degree for that. It seems like a stressful job that I would not get joy out of. Cookie cutter restaurant recipes.
I look at it this way, it wouldnt hurt to learn about social sciences, that can be applied to any field. Maybe take a break from social sciences, go for that cooking degree or get a nutritionist diploma and work with food. I'm showing my indecision right now. I envy those people who knew what they wanted to do early on and are successful at it and thriving.
That's what I meant. I agreed with you.
And you responded with vitriol, "dear". Not at all nice. And from someone who was so upset with perceived negativity.
Agreed, Patti!
I guess if I were the OP, I'd be looking while working. :-)
I agreed with post up until that SM
"fascinating and exciting times" comment.
The work is going offshore to India, Phillipines, China, Guam, Timbuktu, whatever. Anyone with a small child they hope to home school for 18 years, better find a new line of work.
Things are changing, but they most certainly are not getting better.
Agreed, standard set, so
who would that be? When can we start? Who wants to help? What about a committe appointed and administered through a university with Merriam-Webster, Stedmans, NIH, etc. on the committee. I once met the man (on the phone) who started Sno-Med. Wish I could find his phone number. Maybe he could help us all. All this middle-man stuff and uncertainty has to stop. Thanks for your post.
Agreed, that's not logical. (sm)
...so it's a good thing no one said that. :-) Not sure where you got that idea. I don't question Norton's or McAfee's "safety," only their superiority (and I have, indeed, seen numerous systems slow to a crawl while either was installed and running). As I ended my last post, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).
It depends on what the agreed contract between
the company and the client defines.
I know of 2 companies that provided all work out of TAT for free to the client (so, of course it cost the company considerably because they were paying out money but not taking in money).
Regardless of what it costs financially, it costs in reputation and that is just as expensive and devastating.
Agreed. Chris WOWED me tho!
I was amazed at how great his voice really is. I would have bought that song if he recorded it! Sad to say, I think Taylor should pray he is not sent home.
Agreed & no Freddie Mercury.....sm
Queen is a very difficult group to sing.....If all the contestants do a group Queen song, that would be great but individually? 
if you only agreed to days and hours
They have no right to make you work any certain hours, that's the point of being an IC. Don't let them dictate how many hours you work at a time. I have been an IC for 10 years and have only committed to days and lines.
By the way, 1500 lines per day is very good production.
When she took retire. she agreed to 900 limit.
x
Agreed - I'll take that advice - Thanks! (nm)
*
Golly. All that nastiness directed at someone who agreed with you?
You're the one who didn't want anything but nicey nicey. Sometimes the truth isn't nicey nice. Sometimes the truth doesn't have bunnies and flowers. It's all part of the rich tapestry of life. If I'm wasting your time, just don't read my posts. Call me a child if you want. You're the one having the tantrum.
Agreed--great little reference book!
It's one of the thinner books but sure packs a whallop when it comes to saving research time! 
Okay, the office has agreed to a network, but I have some questions..SM
Does anyone know exactly what this involves? I know we have to have an IT person do it. What do they do to set up a network betwen 7-8 computers? I'm trying to understand this more before I contact the IT person, so I don't sound like a complete dummy.
Does anyone know how much something like this costs?
TIA
Agreed--just bought my 2nd ortho book!
I actually bought it from somone on this board from the classified section who was getting out of transcription. She sold me her fifth edition and I had either 3rd or 4th...and mine was absolutely beat--definitely my most used reference book. She gave me a heck of a deal on that and that Surgical Equipment book...another lifesaver.
So, if you're looking for books, buy from someone on here before buying new new!
Also agree with one of those abbreviation books as well. Another lifesaver if you've got an account where they want all abbreviations expanded or when you get to the final diagnosis part and you HAVE to expand them.
Agreed! I couldn't stand to make my living (sm)
facilitating the state of California's biggest growth industry. Not to mention the doctors' callous attitudes towards their patients and the things you would have to transcribe would make you ill. You do know our country has the greatest percentage of our population in jail of any country in the world?
I thought it was ridiculous, and was glad Simon agreed with me. nm
x
Agreed. I always found them to be a match made in trailer heaven
A simple google search will give you your answer...I'd give you the answer,
but how would that help you learn to research on your own...and I'm in a rush to get to the next post. 
Agreed -- Bear is pretty much THE authority on accreditation and distance learning (NM)
nm
Answer
Yes, of course I'm half afraid if I leave him I won't find someone else and half afraid that I will!! I'm old enough and had enough good and bad times with men that I really don't think it would be the end of the world if I lived the rest of my life alone. It's maybe what I would not choose but it might have some positives in the long run. At least that's what I tell myself when I'm feeling good, during the middle of the night is another story....
Break-ups are tough. How do you stay on course. You get lonely, you miss him, you doubt your judgment, you want to try again, you tell yourself maybe you were too hard on him......
I think I should go to a counselor, it's just that it's quite expensive and as I said, I'll be paying for it out of pocket. I think they will tell me pretty much what you have.
It sounds like things have worked out for you. I thank you for your insight and help.
Answer
The payperiod I average 16,000 lines is a bimonthly payperiod. It runs 1st through the 15th and 16th through end of the month. It is WAY more than the minimum requirement. I am EXPECTED (with that employer) to do a minimum of 6000 lines per payperiod but the incentive is just too good to pass up.
See my post below if you want to know more. Or ask me. I'm not hiding anything. I'll tell you straight up what works for me.
Yea.. I used to think that. Now, for me, the answer is, no.
but again, you should go for it. You might love the challenge and have a really great team that will help you not have to roast over the flames. Its always possible!
Godspeed my friend, do it if you want to. It really might be the best thing you ever did! Or not, but either way, you will know for sure!
I can only answer for myself. sm
I never applied for a supervisor's job. When the super quit because of stress I was asked (no begged) to take the job (in the office) until a qualified supervisor could be hired. Time dragged on until I finally had to say either a supervisor was hired in 2 weeks or I would be quitting in two weeks. I never enjoyed being "the boss," don't know why...I just didn't. Another thing.....I abolutely HATE being told lies. I was told by an MT that she couldn't cover her 3rd shift assignment (guess who did cover it) because her grandmother had died...that was the 6th time AFTER I started counting, no telling how many grandmother's she had all told. I guess some people enjoy being the boss for one reason or another.
my first answer is, of course, neither but (sm)
if I HAD to choose, I guess I'd say A...rather give it to some poor children than some rich b****.
a better answer would have been
leaving off the "jerk" comment, and recommend that people contact the MQ office they are affiliated with to see what that particular office wants them to do.
Anyone doing DQS...please answer this for me.
When I need to enter a NEW HEADING, I type it in, then it brings up a new box that says "type in new heading"...I finish typing it, hit OK or whatever, and it puts the new heading in my report.
BUT...it doesn't KEEP The new heading! ARG! It stays on the drop down list of headings for THAT REPORT ONLY but then when I do a new report, the new heading never shows up.
What am I doing wrong? Help!! 
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