An MTSO's perspective.

• An MTSO's perspective. - dizzi
  • Thanks everyone for the kind responses. I'm glad I posted. I have gotten some good leads. - dizzi
  • I would hire short-hour IC MTs - SM - From one MTSO to another
    • I forgot to add - SM - From one MTSO to another
      • I would agree with both of these posts. - sm
  • Not quite sure ...........sm - Long Time IC - 25 years
  • sounds like you are letting them run over you. sm - LMT
  • what i do - another small MT company
  • Right here...email me...I have no - mtcd
  • Those transcriptionists should realize how little everybody else pays and consider them lucky to wor - paintyper
  • What kind of clinic work are you needing help with?? - Job seeker
  • I haven't missed a day of work in 10 years - Ms. Reliable
  • I don't see why employers are so afraid to ask for ... sm - MSMT
  • I have been IC for several years now. sm - searching
  • Me. nm - bottom of the barrel
  • I am a reliable IC, but I can say - that I have had a few experiences
    • I do have assigned accounts and even those I can't get back within 24-48 hours at end of week. s - dizzi
      • I'm sure that is tough to find someone - especially clinic work that isn't
        • C-phone - Trish
      • The problem with getting someone to help - sm
  • MTs - me
  • Right here... e-mail me - 7 days a week

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What you describe is something that happens unfortunately, and is not one's CHOICE.  Your mother is to be commended and I admire her.  Women find themselves alone through abandonment and death.  Can't be helped. 

However, bringing children into the world on purpose when you're young and stupid and trying to keep your boyfriend, or because you think it will be fun, or because your clock is ticking and YOU want to be a mother, and all the other poor reasons for PURPOSELY having children who will be raised without ao mother and father is something different. 

Ever since the 1960s, it's become evil to judge these choices.  We toss baby showers for 14-year-olds.  We celebrate a single woman having a baby on purpose.  There's no shame anymore.  On the whole, single mothers have a much higher rate of poverty, and that creates a vicious cycle whereby an entire generation or two have repeated the same poor choices.  The black family prior to the 1960s used to be MORE intact than any other group, now they are born out-of-wedlock at a rate of 69%.  That has a huge impact on the raising of young men, who lack a positive example in their lives to teach them to be men.  They're joining gangs as a replacement family and listening to gangster rap.  The fall out from rampant single mothering is having effects on many aspects of our society.

Again, what your mother was dealt is an entirely different matter. 

You're dealing with two factors:  [1] Those physicians in private practice who use SR (speech recognition), and [2] Hospitals that utilize SR.

MDs in private practice are well versed in the proper use of the SR (Dragon NaturallySpeaking Medical Suite). Those who are REALLY knowledgeable can write macros and templates that will knock your socks off. I've seen the results and they are quite impressive. They won’t need more than their office secretary to clean things up.

Hospitals that use SR will have less and less need for the MT who physically transcribes the reports. Why pay 12+ cpl for a service when you can get the same result by utilizing the services of a 4 cpl Editor (or whatever the going rate is).

I mean ... in all seriousness ... if you didn’t drive a car that much, which would you buy:  a 2006 Saturn for $18,000 or a 2006 Lexus for $35,000?

The end result will be the same either way. From point A to point B. And, that is ALL the hospitals and doctors care about.

I don't know if this is just PMS or winter blahs or Christmas blues.  I just really feel resentful lately.  It's like I'm spinning my wheels and accomplishing nothing lately.  I'm not happy about anything in my life because I feel like I can't catch up.  The house isn't clean enough, I don't get enough lines in, there's always extra stuff needing to be done.  Every day is the same old, same old.  I'm running from the moment I get up in the morning.  I have to drive my kids to and from three different schools every morning and afternoon.  That takes up about two hours a day between driving and sitting in the parking lots.  We were told our house was on the school bus route before we bought it, but then the school district changed the bus routes from 1 mile to 1.5 miles, 2 miles to 3 miles, etc. 

I work parttime while the kids are at school, which means I'm at the bottom of the totem pole for work.  Sometimes I have to sit and wait for work to come in.  It also means I don't get a formal lunch hour, just a quick snack at my desk.  I can't make enough money, not even with the side job I do on the weekends.  I'm really tired of the strict schedule because some days I can't even get a shower in until right before I go pick up the kids.  After I pick them up, then I have to run errands, clean house, get dinner ready, help with homework, and go to bed just to do it all over again the next day.  My husband and kids help out, that's not the problem.  I just don't ever have time to sit and drink a whole cup of hot coffee at one time, let alone watch a movie or read a book.  I feel like I sold myself out to be chained down to this stupid job, but my peanut paychecks make me wonder what I'm doing it for.

Then I look around at people who are juggling fulltime jobs, hobbies, kids' activities, and everything else, and I wonder why they can handle it all but I can't seem to.  Do I expect too much of myself?

We had a neighbor lady (very obviously irritated) come over and demand her son's scooter and sweatshirt back.

I politely apologized and explained that her son had loaned the items to my son.

I could tell that she felt like you do and was not happy with her children sharing/loaning/whatever their items.  So, I just handed them over and apologized.  After she left I warned my boys to never borrow something from them ever again...that some people were like that.

But the ironic thing is (and of course I did NOT mention this to her when she came over) she has one of our bikes that my boys gave her younger son, a 4-wheeled scooter that my boys gave her middle son, two Play Station 2 games that my boys loaned to her sons and a Play Station 2 game controller (items they have never returned even though my sons have asked for them back).

Kids are kids and will ask for things.  Her sons ask me for food and drink.  I hope that my boys are not trying to mooch off her, but fear that they probably are.  Children do not understand that it is not socially acceptable to do this. 

So, I think you should try not to be too upset about all of this because your kids might just be doing the same thing (just being kids).

Chickadee

I know that it may seem that they are just spoiled when they are being picky, but I don't really believe that is the case with my kids anymore.

My ex-husband is very picky.  He said that he read an article years ago that said some people are "super tasters" and that they have too many taste buds on their tongue.  He believes that this is his problem.  He is very sensitive to strong tastes, smells, and textures. 

My kids are picky about the same exact things that he is, and they don't live with him.  He lives in another State, so it isn't a learned behavior.  My daughter gets nauseous every time she smells beef cooking, and so does her father's sister.  My daughter has only met her father's sister a few times and didn't know that when she started refusing beef.  (Neither my daughter or her aunt has ever eaten beef).

My daughter told me when she was 5 that she had wished that her pickiness would go away when she blew out the candles on her birthday cake, then burst into tears after someone told her that wishes don't come true if you tell them.  To me, this tells me that this is a lot more than just being spoiled.

When I first started out, I took the attitude that my first job (working from home office) was an internship - a paid one.  Though I didn't make a lot starting out, looking at the job as a paid opportunity to get around the learning curve helped keep the frustration level in check.  Speed and accuracy come with time and experience - if you stick with it, the money will come.  If finances can't tolerate learning on production, consider applying for an in-house position if that's feasible in your situation. Best of luck

My husband is a top-level executive (CFO) with a retail company.  He was just informed that he would be required to take a pay cut that will amount to $1200 out of our monthly budget, or approximately $15,000 a year.  We are also going to be required to pay an additional $200 a month toward our medical benefits, so we are looking at about $1400 chopped out of our monthly income effective immediately.  Although I wish right now I was in a higher-paying field, I am grateful that I am in a job where I can increase my pay through increased effort.  I decided early in the week to see if I could increase my production by really keeping my nose to the grindstone and focusing.  I typed in 2 days what it usually takes me 3 to do.  I will be making a great effort to help make up some of what my husband has lost. 

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that it's not only MTs who are seeing downward pressure one wages.  At least we have the opportunity to increase our pay through our own efforts.  My husband doesn't have that option.  He will be working longer hours and being paid considerably less.  

When I was a team leader, I had anywhere from 40-70 people on my team and I'll be honest with you, to have sat down and sent up to 70 individual E-cards, would be extremely time consuming.  I realize that a blanket E-card may seem "impersonal" but I would expect your team leader sent it from /his/her heart.  In other words, as others have said below, it definitely is the thought that counts. I doubt he/she meant to make you feel like you were not important enough to have sent an individual card to, but it was probably just a time issue. 

The holidays are busy for everybody!  Some of my relatives complain that they hate getting a "newsletter" in their Christmas card that I send out every year, but you know.....It's different than it was 40-50 years ago.  Everyone is being stretched to the limit on their time, and I just don't have time to sit down and write a note on every single Christmas card I send, and I would rather send out a 'generic' newsletter to everyone on my Christmas card list rather than just sign my name only!

Let me ask you something for you to answer to yourself:  If this was on a billboad for the world to see, it would bother you, right?  And not because of YOU but because of the implication given -- that she works for a company who perhaps is of a certain persuasion and seeks employees of the same which right now is a controversial topic-- get what I mean? This is not to condemn the lifestyle but only to say it might lead others to think this company is of that lifestyle itself or seeks such employees which in turn might deprive you of business or other employees.  See where I'm going?  So yes, I do think it has an impact on your business and in a negative way.  It's not like she's broadly smiling while holding a little baby and saying she works for you, giving the impression you can be a stay-at-home mom and work for this company and all will be well with the world.  People don't think negatively of a loving mother.  It's not a controversial topic. 

Example:  If the picture was of her drunk at the computer with headphones on with a liquor bottle nearby it would reflect badly on your company, possibly implying that you don't care about what the end product looks like or who you hire.   

Now her behavior does not affect her work, so there is a difference.  But still, I think there must be an issue here that the law would cover. You can't fire her for being lesbian.  But bringing your name into the picture changes matters-- that's a different story especially when done so in this manner. 

Think about how companies are so particular what their logo looks like and their web pages -- it is a form of advertising.  You see something, you associate it with that company like the Nike whatever.  There is a mental connection made in the mind of the beholder.  It's happening to whomever sees this picture and depending on the mindset and morals of those who see it, it can reflect badly on you in such wise that you hire immature people who willingly broadcast scandalous things on the Internet, you don't care in what context your name is mentioned--in short, YOU are not professional because you allow your name to be associated with such a picture so who wants to give their work to you?  And for other MTs, they may get the impression you condone this and they might not want to work for you, thereby depriving you of income both ways. 

You may have grounds for legal action here if you wish to pursue it.  But mentioning where she works in the context of whatever sort while engaging in behavior that is of a controversial nature certainly does NOT help your company's image and if you are the owner, I'd be mad as you know what.  I know if I did such a thing, I'd get fired no questions asked.  They'd find a lawyer and get a reason and fire me. 

I'd seek legal advice as to the implications of this sort of thing.  It's out there now.  It's a problem you have to deal with.  If you don't want to ask a lawyer, then ask her to remove it from the web site and make her sign a legal document stating she will not mention on the Internet where she works (get a lawyer to draw it up so it covers all possibilities) if you want to keep her.  If she wishes to live this lifestyle, that is her business.  When she brings your or your company's name into it, it becomes your business as well.   

You'll get a lot of negative feedback on this board.  I, however, am making 8.75 cpl doing straight typing and am enjoying the heck out of it. 

As to your actual question of how to get into the field, frankly right now is a tough time to do it.  I think the MTSO's who are hiring are getting inundated with resumes.  Having said that, however, make sure your resume really emphasizes the transcription experience and what you are doing to bring it up to date.  Then just send it to every MTSO that you can think of.  The job seeker's board here is good, mtjobs.com is a good one, and I think there's another one that I don't know right off the top of my head.

It may take a while and you may send your resume out 100 times, but you'll hit that one where a real person looks at it and thinks that you're worth taking a chance with.

Good luck.

My husband was in a networking class last night and the teacher, who he says really knows his stuff, polled the class to see how everyone felt about tech support being outsourced. Well, the general concensus was pretty negative.

The teacher also voiced his opinion. He had absolutely nothing good to say about them. They don't know what they're doing. They read from a script and so forth.

He pretty much said, "The damn Indians don't know squat about computers."

The teacher ... is from India.

Interesting, huh?

I am a small MTSO and also IC'd for another company a couple of years ago and something similar happened to me.  However it was probably a little different as I did the pick-up and deliveries although I was an IC for the company.  When she did not bill the clinics so that I could not get paid, I knew the clinics and so I went to them and told them that after a certain date I would not be doing their sevice because I was not being paid -- a little different than your story but you can also let the clinics know how that service is being run.  Again, only after you write your calm, fact filled letter.  But if someone threatened my business with anything like that - going to my accounts -- they would be paid within 24 hours.   Reputation is what counts in this business.   But again, just write to them calmly and with the facts asking them to prove that you had signed a contract, then giving them 48 hours to produce such contract or send you a check for your services or you will see them in court.   Again, I would threaten to go to their accounts to let them know how they run their business but only as a last resort.  But just do it, write them you deserve your money.   Was there problems prior to quitting and that is why you just left suddenly -- I know this leaves them in a lurch but if they were a crummy company they probably deserved it.  Also if you did not sign a contract stating you would not go after any account you worked on for two years go for the accounts. 

my hospital's TAT is between 24 and 48 hours depending on type of report.  When I worked in-house, it was from 2 to 48 hours, with Op notes/HP having a 2 hour TAT.   I think it varies a bit between hospitals, but as a general rule most reports are no greater than 24 hours. Sometimes discharge summaries have a longer TAT, such as 48 hours.   I don't have any experience with VA hospitals, but they probably aren't much different.  

I am an IC for a small MTSO.  I have a deduction taken from my invoice every pay period for renting Transnet equipment.  My foot pedal broke and I asked urgently Monday morning for a replacement foot pedal to be Fed Exed to me - work was on the system and needed to get done.  Well, after many many phone calls and e-mails I got the replacement foot pedal via Fed Ex (they shipped on Friday) on Saturday morning.  So I worked all weekend to get caught up on a whole week's worth of work.  Got my invoice yesterday (late - the MTSO has rescheduled their payment schedule as they are not getting promptly paid by their clients - the ICs had to accept the new payment schedule or quit).  There was a deduction for $40.13 for delivery fee for the foot pedal.  The Accounts manager says that "many memos" have been sent out that ICs are responsible for delivery fees.  Huh?  I looked over the memo I received about Transnet rentals and it said our invoice deduction covers maintenance costs for faulty equipment, etc. (the MTSO had originally said I would be billed for a new foot pedal - then I brought up the memo on rentals that covers faulty equipment and that got dropped pretty quickly).  I told the Accts manager that postage is the MTSOs expense, just like it is my IC expense to return the faulty equipment to the MTSO.  I also mentioned that the MTSO pays for phone charges to fax stuff to ICs; likewise the ICs pay for their phone charges for faxing to the MTSO.

What would you do?  I am so fed up with this MTSO...I don't make that much money on Transnet anyway (most of my lines are from microtapes) that I am tempted to just tell her to take all of my doctors on Transnet and quit doing these willy nilly deductions without my approval or knowledge.  This is the third time the Accts manager has taken "deductions" from my invoice without telling me - the last time was for Chicago taxes on rental equipment (totally illegal according to Cook County govn't) - that took 2 weeks to get straightened out!  Arrggghhh!!!

if an MT is directly contacting my client and I would appreciate the tip that I could follow up on.  A good MTSO will be able to handle the situation in a way that would not result in you being in the middle.  Perhaps the MTSO could approach the MT and simply say that the client said that they were contacted by one of the staff about whatever the topic may have been and to no longer make direct contact with the client. 

I wouldn't necessarily say it's none of your business considering that the job you hold is your bread and butter and if your coworker says something to the MTSOs client that could jeapordize the MTSO/client relationship, that COULD affect you, so I believe you have grounds to speak up.

I am a small MTSO that has two part-time IC's and can only pay them 0.85 cpl to 0.9 but because of the account they can make $45 an hour.  Again, I stress to me it is what I can make an hour.  But it is a psych account, I pick up tapes, meet the gals, and then they have 3 days to do the reports which are long, 10-12 pages but I developed so many templates that they can do them about 60 to 75 minutes.  They E-mail to me and I E-mail the reports to the docs.  We pick up on Thurs, and they have to have to me by 10 on Tues.  My other accounts they sometimes help me with but again I can only pay .85 to 9.  Again though they can make $25 an hour which I don't feel is bad pay.  I just cannot charge the docs more than I do at 11.5 to 12 cpl.  They pay on time, never a bounced check and appreciate what we do so I feel we all benefit.   Also they have been loyal to me and my psych account has been with me for over 16 years.   See what you make per hour. 

That is my Saturday 2 cents worth for the day.  If any typo's cannot find my glasses so sorry if there are.   Patti