Answers to your questions. I live in Fl. It was my sister
Posted By: Just me on 2005-08-09
In Reply to: Where in the heck do you live? sm - Huh?
who used my name. When you get stopped here, they ask for your license and registration but she probably said "oh, I don't have my license on me" or some story like that. They then will ask for your name, address and date of birth. She's 2 years older than me and can easily pass for me except her hair is much longer and curly whereas mine is straight now. She won't give her name because hers is suspended from a second DUI she got in May. She's a <insert sarcastic tone> "great sister."
When I got those 2 tickets for no seat belt it was when I first moved here from NY. Never heard of a seat belt law until I moved here. In NY it was not a big deal back in the 80s. Never wore my seat belt back then but the 2 tickets exactly one year to the day apart made me start wearing them. Now I'm going to start reliving the 80s in my head and remember everything has changed SOOOO much since then. Geez, I'm getting old.
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Answers to questions.
1) Certainly lose the BF. He's doing you no favors nor the children. He is teaching that behavior and the 2 youngest (his, correct?) already are predisposed by nature. You need nuture to go along with it. He is destroying everything you are working for.
Yes, two youngest are his. You are correct with the above.
2) I would say pay off your CC debt first.
In a perfect world, this would be great, however. How do I rent and pay this off when rent is the same as house payment would be?
3) Get 6 months emergency savings.
See answer to #2.
4) Then save for 1-2 years for a down payment by reducing your budgeted expenses to 70% of your net.
I have a downpayment, using my IRA.
You are in a precarious situation financially. You will lose child support shortly; you are $9500 in debt; you are wanting to take on a house payment $200 than you want to spend; you are wanting to rely on a $350 rent income that could fall through...??? This doesn't include the BF situation who is destroying your belongings and environment.
By saying 200 more than I want to spend, I am not saying $200 more than what I have. I could do it without the 350 rent, but it will be tighter. Just want the 350 as a cushion.
I'd make sure I was out of a bad relationship, out of CC debt, can make it without the child support and the brother renting, and have a good downpayment and the ability to live on LESS than I bring home and still save. Yes, that would be ideal, I agree, however, I would have to stay with BF while this is done. Maybe I should just invest in a more comfier couch as that is where I have been sleeping for the past 2 months and rubberize the house so he can't break anything else. Sorry, I'm just so flustered with "perfect world" scenarios as well.
Answers to questions.
1. Can the BF come up with his probable court-ordered child support of at least $1000 a month? We are going to try to do as much 50/50 as possible. He works days, I work nights. I work all from home. I will have kids on my insurance so will be getting some extra from him, not sure how much yet.
2. Do you make car payments? No car payment.
3. How much is your student loan payment - and for how much longer? $75, at 5% interest, roughly 2 years left
4. Do you have a degree in something? Should you stay in transcription? Medical Secretary Degree. Transcription is where I have made money.
5. Can you make the house payments if the BF finks out on the child support in 2 years if your 16 yo moves out and gets married and doesn't attend college? If I am full-time....yes.
6. You will be at an expensive time in your life with the 1 and 2 YO/ who will then be 3 and 4 years old by then and still needing day care. Kids do not need daycare. I work nights, he works days.
7. A house is expensive upkeep. And much energy. Yes, you are right. But rentals around here for equal house to what I am buying are about 300 more per month.
I agree with the others. Don't jump the gun here. Take care of one thing at a time. Get yourself into a situation where you won't be stressed if there comes a blip in the road - like you break your arm - or the car tears up - or you need an emergency root canal - one of the kids breaks a leg and you need to stay home. There are a million things. Yes, you are right, there are a million things. There would still be a million things if I rent as well. I do have health ins. I do have short-term disability. And, I work all from home if kid, God forbid, breaks a leg.
I would rent, move BF out, get childsupport started from him to see how that goes, re-look at the budget. Boyfriend owns this house where I live. I have to do the moving. I have no financial ties to it. I have improved it with my landscaping and my money and sweat equity only has given him more value for his house.
when the FT job comes around, and if you feel it is the one for you and they are good for the money, then look at the house. You must live for you, not the 16 YO.
By then you will have your FT monies coming in, the child support coming in, you will know what your extra income is, you will have all your insurances in place and leave time built up, and a house may be good by then. Also, the market is overvalued right now. They are saying people buying right now may be buying things that won't be worth what they paid for them in a year. My purchase offer is accepted at 10,000 below what appraised value is on the home.
Do you have any family you could stay with at all for 6 months. You need some breathing space, girl.
No, none. The rest of my family is in more dire financial straights than I am.
Thanks and some answers to some of your questions....
Well first, I know the person holds the work for several days, so no it is not my fault that the MTSO is always so rushed to get it back to the doctors office. The TAT is because I have to share the time on the call in machine with other people. My opinion is that the MTSO needs to upgrade the equipment that I work from. I don't see any reason I should be so rushed all of the time. I like to be an IC and work on my own pace. I hate being treated like an employee when I am clearly an IC.
I have asked for a raise and was turned down. Yes, I think 6.5 cpl is quite less than average only because I have been with this company so long and I know the owner makes on most of her work about double what I make, so if I make 6.5 cpl, she is making 13-14 cpl. I know it is more of a responsibility for this person being the MTSO though. I just don't know if it is fair on my part.
I have another part-time job too. I was told by this company just recently that I won't ever get a raise. I guess that is standard these days or something.
Oh, and I already have MPcount. I guess I need to do a comparison to see how many cpl on a 65 character line I make on average.
Thanks again.
My answers to your 10 questions! :)
1. How long have you worked as a medical transcriptionist? - 32 years.
2. What certification have you received? - None, as when I started there was no certification.
3. What attracted you to pursuing a career in medical transcription? - I've always liked to type, am good with words, not so good with people (hence no desire to ever become a nurse!), and I liked the flexibility it offered.
4. What type of environment do you work in (i.e. from home, physician’s office, hospital, other). - I work at home, though that is fairly recent. I worked about 31 years in various office settings.
5. What do you think are the most important skills a medical Transcriptionist should have? - Besides the obvious typing & English skills, and the ability to hear well, I would say being able to remember how a word is spelled once you look it up (most of the time, anyway!) is important. Nowadays, since most of us work at home, being a person who can work independently and do a lot of their own problem-solving is important. The ability to research things on the Internet is now as valuable, if not more valuable, than the ability to research things in reference & word books, and it actually often speeds up your ability to find what you were looking for in a book, without wasting time looking in the wrong places. Also, an MT will be happiest if NOT the type of person who must be constantly surrounded by or in touch with other people. Lots of at-home MTs get lonely, however some (like me) enjoy the solitude.
6. Did some skills come naturally to you, while others required more practice? - Pretty much came naturally, which is why the profession (which I'd never heard of before I started) was suggested to me by someone I knew who had sort of 'fallen into' MT by first working as a secretary in a medical office. So I took a 20-week medical terminology course in night school while working other office day-jobs, and was offered my first position while still in school. Back then MTs got a lot of on-the-job training. It was slow going at first, but eventually the speed and knowledge of the various specialties grows. It just takes time and mileage.
7. In addition to transcribing medical reports, do you engage in other forms of business writing while on the job (such as memos, proposals, or progress reports, etc.) to clients, coworkers, or supervisors? Please explain. - I used to do administrative typing as part of some of my prior MT jobs, which included typing medical papers to be published, a manuscript, meeting minutes, and other business correspondence by the head of my department. I was sorry to see that go, because it was very interesting and satisfying work.
8. What do you think is the most difficult aspect of medical transcription? - Staying focused. I found it hard to concentrate in an office setting because of all the background noise, yet at home I tend to get 'visual' disruption and 'to-do-list' disruption! If I hear rain, I have to open the window and look at it for a minute. If I see something that needs to be moved, picked up, cleaned, dried, fed, petted, eaten, etc., I tend to forget I'm working. The Internet and sites like MT Stars are focus-foes, as well! But everyone adapts & adjusts in their own way, and I'm gradually finding mine.
9. What do you find to be the easiest aspect of medical transcription? - The physical act of typing.
10. As a medical transcriptionist, do you often need to collaborate with others to ensure that all the information in your reports is correct? - The more experienced you get, the less often you have to ask about what would normally be fairly routine things. But usually it depends on your account, and how accustomed you are to it. No matter how experienced you get, when a new specialty comes along that you're less familiar with, you're going to be asking questions. It's only natural, and the only way a person can learn, if they can't find the answer on their own. Everyone's 'ear' is different, too. Some docs are hard to understand for most people, and yet someone will come along that thinks they're easy! Yet they might find another doc that everyone else likes to be difficult to understand. I do hate proofreading reports, but because I can't go sending EVERYthing to QA, I'm teaching myself to be better at it. One thing that helped me improve my proofreading the most, I learned from reading MT Stars! And that was to enlarge the type when switching from typing the report to proofreading it. I don't know why, but the fact that it looks different makes me proof it more accurately. But as long as there are MTs, there will always be a need for someone to answer questions for them when they arise.
Good luck in your class! :)
Answers to your questions.....sm
No and no.
If QA makes changes, your line count is not affected.
Basically, what you see is what you get ~ meaning, your finished report is what is counted regardless of what is QA'd after you edit it.
Let me explain it this way ~ You log in, ES program loads, Word opens, a blank document is there when you start. You download your first job. That job is voice recognized, so the job loads with the dictation already transcribed. You listen to the dictation and edit the report with voice. You spell check it, proof it and upload. Whamo.....your line count for that report is at your fingertips when you hit the metrics button.
However many characters are in that report when you upload it is what is counted.
I hope this helps.
You are correct in your expectations. I know the answers to these questions.
This is information a recruiter should know by heart.
Read her post above this. It answers your questions. sm
However, it is HER board and she makes the rules. If you want respect, you have to give it first, and that would include not offending others by shortening up Jesus Christ to JC. As a Christian myself, I don't leave out the CHRIST in Christmas with an X. You know what they say....when in Rome....
Meditech questions and Cerner questions. Any input is appreciated. SM
I just recently went back to work in the office at a local hospital. We type in both Meditech and Cerner, depending on what you are typing, i.e. Medical Records reports versus Radiology. We are currently typing blindly in Meditech, meaning we do not have access to our line counts and must depend on management to give us our totals. In Cerner, we are able to run a line count report and print out a hard copy of our line counts at the end of the day.
We are finding that 800 lines in Cerner equals about 500 lines in Meditech. We are not paid per line nor do we have an incentive plan, but we have a new HIM Director who would like to institute an incentive plan and the administrator over our department has laid down the law and decreed that all transcriptionists not making minimum in the department will be written up. Problem is according to Meditech line totals that we have been given, that would be about half the department.
The transcription supervisor has taken our concerns to the new director who told the MT Supervisor to hold off on writing people and has taken home all the line counts from the last month and she is going over them with a fine tooth comb this weekend.
I am not a very trusting soul by nature, so I am doing a little research on my own. I've been in this business for about 15 years. I started out in a hospital and have worked for a few services at home and am now back in the hospital setting. So I know a few things about line count and I consider myself to be pretty well informed on trends and technology in the industry. I would like to walk into our next department meeting armed with as much knowledge as possible. So I have come up with some questions that I would like some fellow MTs to answer, give opinions, and maybe even direct me to websites or individuals who could give me a better understanding of Meditech and Cerner. Here are my questions:
- Is it possible for an MT to have access to her line count in Meditech or is strictly a management function? Any MTs that work in Meditech on this board, do you currently have access to your line counts and if so, how do you check them? Is it an option on the main menu after you log into Meditech?
- How is a line defined in Meditech? (i.e. 65 cpl, with spaces, without spaces)
- How is a line defined in Cerner?
- What abbreviation Expanders work with both Meditech and Cerner?
- Examples of incentive plans (if anyone would like to share that with me that would be great, if not I completely understand).
- Measuring productivity by minutes of dictation versus typed lines.
- What would be the minimum minutes required for an 8-hour day?
- How would one structure an incentive program based on minutes?
I was thinking of presenting the idea that we keep track of productivity using minutes instead of lines since there is such a discrepancy in Meditech. I also worry that if an incentive plan is put into place and we are still typing blind into Meditech, what's to keep management from shaving off a few lines here and there?
Feel free to email me or post here any responses. Either is fine. I really appreciate any input, comments, or just plain old supportive posts would be nice too! 
why no, i don't live in snobville. did you think you knew me? i live in heritage hills a suburb
it takes a little longer to get to work and shopping but thank god i have some privacy and am away from the congestion. lovely trees and lakes all around. maybe about 20 minutes to a large shopping mall. but no, i don't even know where snobville is.
why yes the quality of air where i live is quite different than where the city people live.
Lots of pollution. That's why everyone is moving away from the city and areas zoned for multiple housing units and low income housing and trailer parks. Population is dense and near manufacturing. So yes, the air is different but millions of people pay a little extra for the quality, the space and privacy afforded to those who move out of polluted crowded areas such as you defend. There is always a reason why some areas and housing is cheaper than others. Maybe it is the air and maybe it's something you can't quite put your finger on but you know you would prefer not to live in certain areas. You know what I mean or are you living in one of those areas? They tell after awhile you block out the sounds, the smells and get used to the pollution. I don't know. I didn't stay long enough to test the theory. My mental and physical health is way too important to me.
I know they live a long time, so if there is a chance they will out live you - sm
make sure you make provisions for them in your will. I have only had cockatiels and some finches, so don't really know anything about the bigger birds. I love African Grey's but they are very expensive.
Live and let live. Don't force your lifestyle on me.
x
I used to live in MN now I live in MS and they were both cold last night!
Will take MS cold over MN cold any day, and I don't miss the snow. I miss the Mall of America, though!
I live in PA, can I help? If they are close to where I live, I would go check them out for ya!
Where in PA is this company?
your sister
If it is this easy for her to do, it sounds to me like you might have to take it a step further after you straighten out this mess, and file some kind of charges, or SOMETHING that would prevent you from getting in future trouble. So sorry for your plight.
You said it, sister! NM
NM
I'm right there with ya, sister...
lots of heathens, drunkards, cheaters, and liars! God bless us every one!!!
Right on, Sister!
Amen! I couldn't have said it better myself.
Need to help my sister, not sure how.
She is trying to get another job and get out of a bad situation. Her boss, who is weird to begin with, has become increasingly paranoid and strange over the past few months. He is accusing her of stealing and locking her out of some necessary (bookkeeping) parts of her work. It is a landscaping company and she does a lot of the scheduling and bookkeeping stuff. We both wonder if he is on drugs and/or schizophrenic. There are several employees who obviously come to work stoned and/or get stoned on the job (meth probably).
I want to report him to someone, not sure who or how. I mean I want to get him in BIG trouble.  When she leaves, his little company will probably crash. Maybe that is trouble enough.
My sister in law just had it done about
She is a little disappointed in that she is not losing weight as fast as she would like. You go back for appointments and they tighten the band little by little, so you can eat less and less. She has lot about 25 pounds so far and I think that is pretty good for that amount of time. They emphasize that they don't want you to lose it TOO fast.
Insurance covered hers and most likely if you have a high enough BMI (body mass index), insurance would cover it. My SIL told me how much it is without insurance and dang it I can't remember now. For some reason $17,000 is popping into my mind but I am not at all sure about that figure.
Sharon Osborne, Ozzie's wife, had a lap band a few years ago. She used to weigh quite a big more.
Im with u, sister
I just got done with a horrible dicator. I tried my hardest and the report still looked like swiss cheese. If the hospitals would just go to the source and MAKE these ESL dictators take dictation lessons. I would be more than happy to teach. AAAAGGGHH. Thank you for letting me rant!
You got it sister!
I thank my lucky stars that I am skilled enough to make it here at home. I also have children that I think have benefited greatly from me being at home. It is so funny how the "home" interruptions are actually easier than the ones I had experienced working on-site. Sometimes, I felt like my co-workers and the doctors were worse than my children needing pampering and consoling. When I was on-site, I used to say to my transcription co-worker that we should hang-up a sign that says "Complaint Department" because when whoever it may be brought us the work, they also brought their complaints for the day. We would just look at each other and laugh thinking wow, we're really losing out, we should have been psychiatrists. We were so forgotten until something went wrong. No one really noticed when everything went right, if ya' catch my drift. 
Wow you need a big sister-hug right now. - sm
It seems like they got your e-mail,but not your message... If it were me, and I know we all have different situations, but if it were me, I would begin quietly looking for another job. You know what you have right now, and you know what your dream job is, maybe you can find a compromise. If you do it while you are still working, there is not as much pressure to find one right away, and you know that eventually there is a light at the end of the tunnel (hopefull not an oncoming train) so it may not be as hard to take. In the meantime, come here and vent whenever you want, that is part of what we are here for, to get each other through the tough times...
You said it, sister! ... lol ...nm
xx
I'm with ya, sister!
I'm 53 and more than ready for a change to something I can actually look forward to! I don't know if it'll be any better income in a new career, but like the Sheryl Crow song says "A change will do you good." Good luck to ALL of you guys!
Right on sister!...nm
ee
Tell your sister to run!!!
This field is going to the dumps. Currently trying to get out of it
You must live where I live. I ran into the same sort of SM
situation when I was the president-elect of the local chapter and the VP-elect of the state chapter. I bailed out. There was no fighting it.
LOL! Don't live in NH. Live in ConnectiTAX. LOL NM
NM
Can you live on 7.75 cpl or do you need 9.5 cpl. If I could live at the lower, that is what I
:+
Amen, sister. I'm with you!
When Tommy boy doesn't get what he wants, he goes on the attack. Telling Matt Lauer he knew nothing about psychiatry! What, Pray tell, does pretty boy Cruise know? He is nothing but a spoiled bully. I refuse to waste any of my money on him.
Amen, Sister!
I'll be the one with the mug on the right, okay? 
Amen, Sister! nm
.
Amen, Sister! nm
/
RadGuy for your sister
Angels Gate is a perfect place to make that donation. There are a nonprofit couple who have starting taking in animals that otherwise would have been discarded or puyt down. They have both dogs and cats that have no hind legs and bacause of these wonderful people the animals now have prostheses with wheels which allows them to get around. They have just about any and every type of animal with any type of disability. Go to their web site www.Angelsgate.com. I give regularly because I love animals sooo much, but because these are increadible survivors.
Amen, Sister! nm
x
Amen sister! I often wonder now sm
when I started in 1979 at the age of 24, the folks in the office who had been doing this for years then. What did they start on? The hospital I was trained at (forget schools), I had a male Transcriptionist train me who is still transcribing today and he is 60 years old. He had been transcribing for 12 years when I started so that is 40 years for him total!
To SISTER ON DISABILITY
#1. How did these people even know about her return to college? I would have her check with the financial aid office of the colllege to see IF they notified anyone in order to get grants for her, as in state grants, Americans with Disability Act, etc. Someone had to tell these people and if the college is selling names to marketers, then they should be called on the carpet by the atty gen.
#2. My biggest concern is that these people now have access to her checking account and if she has her SSD check deposited monthly, whose to stop them from deducting all they want?
Very scary and I would make sure this is looked into immediately. Hoping for the best of this situation.
I did it some to help out a friend's sister - sm
I only did it 2 a month though, from top to bottom took about 4 hours each time, depended on how dirty the house got, was 2 adults and 2 adult/teenage borders. All I did was clean, vacuum, dust, mop though, no beds. Was not top $, only made $40 each time. But if you get enough of them and charge $15-$20 and hour, would not be too bad. I hate to clean though, so it would be a last resort for me.
Hey....just a minute....that's my sister's name and
NM
I hear you sister! Besides. sm
I always take what I hear on any MT boards with a grain of salt. I happen to know that many times management posts on these boards in the guise of a "thrilled" employee who has found the "perfect job." And when someone actually tells what their not so perfect experience is, they are branded a malcontent. Let's face it, not every company is for everyone. One thing I know for sure, the face of MT has changed dramatically and not for the better.
Amen, sister!
I was the original question poster, and was stunned at the sarcasm when I came back in to check responses today. I agree, I think people don't really have a reason to lie about their IQs, and it shows in this dialogue that we are a pretty darned intelligent bunch. Wow. But it must make others feel insecure, for these other posts to have sprung up overnight. I think maybe in MY case, keeping my IQ quiet was the rsult of the same thing (dissing me for it) happening in school. Dunno why people with normal IQs have to feel bad, cuz yer right, smart people have just as many problems, if not one more, as others.
wicked sister
I had same prob with my big sis. I tried for years to be the good sister and to no avail. At one point she was hospitalized and I happened to figure out what was seriously wrong with her before the docs. She actually confessed what a rotten sister she had been and begged my forgiveness. Hah -- for six months she was okay. Then she went back to her old back-stabbing evil ways. I had to write her off to maintain my sanity. Blood or no blood, when you have done all you can do -- the rest is between you and God. It is her loss. I say good bye and good riddance. and BTW this is exactly what my Sunday school class told me to do. As Christians we are called to be kind; not doormats.
My sister was successful sm
She went to Curves and lost about 20 pounds (didn't have much to lose). She loved it. They have an eating plan that she went on and she liked that too. If you're not used to doing exercise, this is the place to start. If you already exercise, it might be too slow for you. Can you do a trial? Good luck!!
I'm sorry, but the part about your sister
calling all giggling to tell you your mom was dead is extremely disturbing. I hope you don't speak to that woman. She sounds psychotic.
It was actually my younger sister!!
No idea what prompted it.
oh sister, you know this already, but you got it made! :-)
I have basically the same set-up in N FL except for the AC thing ;-)
It makes a big difference with the well and septic, for sure. Takes a little sting out of the electricity bill.
I've always wanted to live in Washington state... I love gloomy overcast weather. Maybe some day...
Well, enjoy and give those doggies a kiss for me (I have 3 and love 'em).
Amen my sister!!!
I agree with you, I am a Christian as well and have been since I was 15, I am born again and cannot understand how people get by day to day without Jesus! I totally agree with you, everyone slams Christianity but then again the bible tells us that would happen so I guess we should not be totally surprised by it! :)
Amen, sister! nm
nm
Amen to that, sister!
What a blessing,and I thank God every day for it.
my sister in law has this. wouldn't get it!
My sister in law is getting rid of hers also. We went there over Thanskgiving and I took my computer with me to work. I am glad it was a holiday. I asked her if she had dial up. I think it is worse than dial up. It took forever to download and upload. Think again before getting it.
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