Are You Serious? Tips inside.
Posted By: Amanda on 2006-09-04
In Reply to: Okay. Where do I begin? I need some advice! My husband is in real estate. sm - New To Penny Pinching
First off, kids can deal without ice cream. Trust me; it's true. For another thing, I've never considered myself desperate or a penny pincher. Hard times? Oh yeah, I've had those, but I still consider myself blessed because I have air in my lungs and a wonderful family.
My mom's been bellyaching about "being broke" but she keeps forgetting that she goes on vacation every year, has $500 taken out every check for various things, (savings, Christmas gifts, whatever) and pretty much has everything she needs. She forgets what it was like to be a single mom on Welfare working for $4.25/hour. How do you forget that?
Anyway...I call generic brands "fake," so don't get alarmed with my tips. Fake cereal in the bags taste just like the expensive stuff in boxes. Honest. I can't tell the difference. I hate Wal-Mart, but their True Value brand is good. Get a grocery store ad, look for sales, try some store-brand items.
There are a few things I will NOT by the fake version of because it's gross, to me. One is ketchup; I only do Heinz. One is Miracle Whip or mayonnaise (Hellman's for that). I only get Stove-Top stuffing and Hamburger Helper; no fake stuffing or hamburger meals. Store-brand vegetables are just dandy. Here, we buy 4 bags of boneless, skinless chicken breast for $20 when it's on sale. Fake french fries are good, too; Ore Ida's bags are just too small for my taste. We shop at Save A Lot sometimes and Audi, too. You have to take your own grocery bags or use their boxes, but you save a lot of money. Target has deals on SOME things.
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Thanks for the tips.
By the way, aren't little girls the best?
Thanks for the tips - you were right!
It was great. Cool air, all Ops reports, clear dictators. I realize now the other people on my accounts are getting started at 5:00 am and beating me to all the work. Little did I know!
I only worked for about 2 hours last night because it was a spur of the moment thing and I hadn't napped. I worry about the quality of my work when I'm tired, so I'm going to take a long snooze this afternoon and start work at about 9.
In the 2 hours I worked, I got 390 lines, which is excellent for me with no templates/normals. Woohoo! I'll be able to hit my line count for the day in about half the time it takes me during the day.
Thanks all!
My tips
From someone who goes twice a year. Definetely plan to go Super Bowel Weekend,you will have ZERO wait on rides and just run from ride to ride, it is great. Also the first two weeks in December are okay. The summer and spring break are disgusting, it will put you in such a bad mood after one day. Check out the website Mousesavers.com. They have so much information there about everything Disney. When we go for one night with two kids and Florida resident discount we spend at at $500 for hotel, food, etc, etc. We also get in the Disney mood and think that are made of money so do spend more than needed. I would say go to disney site Disneyworld.com and figure out your ticket prices and hotel and then add $60 for each person per day. That is $20 per meal with a little extra left over from each meal for drinks, snacks, etc. That will be the top amount you need, but it gives you somewhere to start. We try to eat breakfast in hotel, pop tarts, PB&J and then only have to pay for lunch and dinner. Or eat breakfast, skip lunch and eat early dinner. If you need any more tips let me know, I have learned a lot over the years of going.
btw thanks for the tips
You're right, sitting around waiting for the perfect job won't happen. Something about MT'ing made me feel so comfortable and cozy, now not so much. I'm in the beginning stages of stepping out and finding another career before the boat sails. I guess having a few ideas is a start.
Thanks everyone for your tips. I really appreciate all the help!!
Hopefully, I can become an ESL specialist:)
I used to cut the tips off
Where I used to work as they seemed to turn the heat waaaay down at night and on the weekends when there was no one else but me in the bldg. working! I had bought those cheap less than a buck stretchy kind and cut the finger tips off and that worked well for me.
thanks for all the tips !
tips
Do you have one of those old-fashioned grocery stores in your area that still take your groceries out to your car? Like a Piggly Wiggly for instance? Do you tip the baggers that take your groceries out? I seriously had never gave it a thought until a friend of mine went to one of those grocery stores with me and she said that she does. I've never noticed anyone doing that. I tip my beautician, at the car wash, and for a manicure/pedicure, but it had honestly never crossed my mind until she said that she did that. Now everytime I go I'm looking around to see if anyone else does and I still can't figure out if they are or not.
Tips sm
Wouldn't it be nice if we got a "tip" for every time we saved someone by taking extra time with their dictation? Just a dream, of course! I too give my hairdresser a $20 tip for full highlight, etc., but I find now for just a cut alone to give her $5 is enough as it doesn't take that long. Perhaps I'm cheap, but I think the prices are so riduculous unless you go to SuperCuts, etc., that it's figured into the price. A hairdresser once told me he paid $3.00 for a $45.00 perm solution, of course, no one gets "perms" anymore, but there's a big markup. I try to go according to how long the stylist spends on me, if she gives me extra time and attention, I go higher. Sometimes some of them put on an "act" for you if they're not busy. You have to know the circumstances. My "regular" hairdresser pays for her space, so she has to make her rent and pay a babysitter. I like her, so I'm willing to spend more.
A few other tips, sm
A local noon TV show gave similar tips that have appeared here, but here are a few more:
Keep your money with you, i.e. wear a fanny pack rather than having it in a box or something.
Sometimes people ask to use your bathroom. Don't let them in your house, let them know of a store or gas station nearby with restroom facilities.
If it is a hot day and you have access to a child who is old enough, have them sell ice-cold lemonade. People will buy. Or, just keep a pitcher of ice cold water and paper cups, just to help them cool off.
Set a time and cut prices in half the last couple of hours on the second day, if you really want to sell your stuff.
If you don't want to move the unsold stuff back into the house, consider donating it to Good Will, Salvation Army, etc. Just pack it in your car and drive it over.
Have fun!
Thanks for those tips. (sm)
Those are really some great ideas.
My youngest has 2 more years until he is off to Kindergarten. As much as I hate to wish away the years where my kids are concerned, I know that things will be much easier for me when I have a "full" day to be able to devote to work with no interruptions. Then I will just have to worry about family and friends interruptions, which should be easier to handle!
I did sit down with my daughter yesterday and told her that I was desperate for some help this summer, oferring a small raise in her weekly allowance if she would give me a hand with the boys. She has been spending her days running around way too much. She agreed, so we will see how that goes.
It definitely is not easy to work at home when you have children. I can't even count the number of times I have thought to myself that I need to start looking for an in-house job. Then I remind myself of the benefits of being home for my kids. I think they do outweight the disadvantages in the long run.
Thank you everyone for your tips!
x
Any tips
I am looking to get back into the field after a 12 year break to raise my kids. Any advice on how to get my foot in the door or who might hire me? I have over 10 years experience in out-patient radiology.
Thanks.
Thanks for the tips!
nm
My tips here...
"With my tapes, I could type the entire day's dictation for the day in one word document."
Why can't you do that now? I type all my files in one Word document, them chop them up into separate files when done proofreading.
"It takes much longer to download the file, create the new documents, save, and upload than it does to type it."
Well, how long did it take you to get in the car and drive to get your tapes and return them?
I'm not sure what your problem is. I can tell you how I do it....maybe that will help.
I download all my digital files at once, then start transcribing them all in one Word document.
If you can't download them all at once, download the first one and transcribe it while you're downloading the second one, etc.
Thanks for tips
Thank you for the tips.
I just recenty started to use the Expander more for the basic parts of the sentence. It seems as time goes on, more things occur to me. I will check out the links posted too (thanks!).
I need to come up with a good system for labs. I can see that is slowing me down ... and vitals. I am very slow on the number row.
Anyway, I appreciate the ideas posted and will welcome any others that you all might think of.
Here are a few tips (sm)
Have your own "word list" (I use Lil Red Notebook) so once you look up a word and verify it, it will be faster to find it next time.
Also get a good Expander and learn how to use it, not just for individual words but for whole phrases (and even paragraphs) depending on what kind of work you are doing.
Stedman's medical spellchecker.
Try to just work during work hours, and surf only when you are not supposed to be working. This is the hardest thing for me! Sometimes even when looking things up online I get distracted, following links and reading things I don't really need to read when I've already found my answer.
Good luck to you. I have heard nothing but good things about an M-Tec education!
Thank you for all your tips
I am going to look into everyone's suggestions. I take it IT means Instant Text? How do you separate your dictionaries with doctors?
VR tips
I work on Edit Script and the average pay for most companies seems to be .04 cpl. I get .0425. Your production really depends on the account you have, the dicator and you learining the shortcut keys. I still have a hard time not using the mouse! But on the other hand, I am not a stong typist, so I prefer VR over typing. If I had to do straight typing I probably would not make it in this business, so VR is the way for me. I had to switch companies because my first one had difficult dictators and I was not making much money. Things are better now, but still a work in progress. One suggestion I will make is that you use the Escription forum for productivity tips and also there is a link that will tell you of your progress if you log into it. The system can read your skills as you use it and give you a report on your progress. It will tell you if you are using the mouse too much, etc. It really is a great system with a lot of great tools for MTs.
Hang in there---Sue
Tips for you ... sm
I travel quite a bit with this work. Here's my suggestions:
1. Great laptop
2. AT&T Wireless Internet card
3. AVG security package
4. Bank account with a large national bank .. NO DEBIT CARDS. Use credit card for everything then pay as soon as it appears on your online statement. NO interest is paid. If you pay with a debit card, you have no consumer protection plus your funds could be wiped out. With a credit card, you have a barrier, can dispute the payment, recover lost/stolen funds, get warranties on purchases, etc.
Enjoy.
Tips
Will you please share some tips on what you do to maintain your income level, i.e., the type of Expander you use, how you stay focused, whatever it is that keeps you at the top? I would very much appreciate it. Thank you.
Tips
I definitely would not say I'm at the top. I get distracted like many with surfing, chatting, etc during my work time. Honestly, if my work ethic was more strict, I could make another 20-30,000 a year.
I use IT as my expander. I am not an Expander queen. I use them and add all the time but I'm not obsessed with it - but it definitely saves me time and worth every penny 10 fold. I use my Stedman's Elec Dictionary - another total must have for this job.
You're going to make more money if you know your specialty and your doctors. I try to get work where I can do the same doctors regularly. I would not take a position where there is a huge pool of doctors. I make the money on my single doctor accounts where I can get regulars and build up speed the fastest. Even accounts with 4 to 5 doctors you can easily build up speed on.
Don't settle for cr*p jobs. As I said earlier, there are better paying companies out there. Makes me extremely irritated to see companies posting for slave wages wanting so much experience and basically offering nothing in return but the chance to make $5 an hour. I won't even test until I know what the rate will be. And honestly, the best companies have the shortest or no test.
Keystrokes and MDI may look good compared to most bigger companies, but I personally wouldn't work for them. There are better places, but you have to be willing to do some research and go beyond what everyone else does.
tips
I am looking for tips to make my typing faster. For example, auto corrects, quick cut and pastes, etc. Any ideas?
VR Tips
Okay, since so many of us are being transitioned into VR, I thought it might be helpful to start a thread discussing helpful tips on how to be more productive with VR.
For some dictators (the ones that have the "good" VR come through), I have found that reading through the report and changing it to go more with accounts specifics gets me through it faster than trying to change while listening.
I also like to use ctrl + lft arrow key to skip by words instead of by letters.
Other than that . . . I really suck at VR, which is why I am hoping to see if anyone has tips or suggestions on how to help make all MTs more productive on VR.
TIA.
Some thoughts and tips...SM
Your question: If we have
the same tools available to us, why is there such a disparity among earnings?
There is no "secret" or "magic" trick. Everyone is different and has their own skills. There are "great," "good," and "adequate" people in every profession. Some people are "naturals."
Here are some of the things that helped me:
I read VERY quickly and can also proofread as I go.
I rarely have to look up a grammar/punctuation question because it's just natural to me. I can't explain it; I just do it.
I can research and find things very quickly because I simply see/find the information faster.
I worked hard to refine my research skills, learning how to create effective searches and how to find the best information. I find 90% of my information on Google in 1 or 2 searches. I don't go around to site after site after site.
I developed a system for my expander that's very natural for me, so I don't have to stop and find what abbreviation I used.
I add everything I can think of into my Shorthand so I almost NEVER have to look things up twice. I add phrases, names, addresses, etc. I add drugs so I don't have to check how it's capped.
I created Word macros to handle many tasks for me, from removing prefilled headers to format changes.
I spend long periods of time at the computer so I can focus and hit a rhythm instead of doing bits here and there.
I keep my mind on my work. I think about what I'm hearing and how it all fits together. That way, I have a good "fund of knowledge" when the dictation is less than clear.
Hints and tips ...
First, please do NOT even use the term FAILURE to identify yourself in anyway. NO ONE doing this job is a failure, period.
You state you do not use any normals or standards because everything MUST be typed from scratch. Is that "must" coming from your employer or because you don't see a way to do it with the changes you have to make?
I don't often have to use a long "normal" or "standard" such as an entire exam or review of systems, etc. I use word expanders, autocorrect, shorthand, etc., for individual words and phrases more than anything. Nest them. Examples of individual words: Use "ow" for "otherwise"; use "ht" for hematocrit; use "hps" for hepatosplenomegaly. When making your shortcuts, make sure you use what comes naturally. Then do phrases: "hpm" for "0.5% Marcaine" while "hpmx" is "half-percent Marcaine"; use "mzb" for "Metzenbaum scissors", etc.
My most productive times are when I am NOT using a large cut of canned text but literally 'skipping along' shortcutting phrases as they are dictated.
Operative note example: For the phrase "The patient was taken to the operating room and placed on the operating room table in the supine position." -- I have this in 3 separate shortcuts and type:
tptor and poort isup
The only "word" I typed was 'and'...the rest of that sentence was in shortcuts.
Don't jump in there and do them all at once. Try to do 5 to 10 (I would not recommend doing more than 10 a day) shortcuts a day. Write them down in a list and keep by your monitor until you can use them without referring to your list. Then do another 5 to 10 shortcuts.
I'm not boosting my line count in any fashion whatsoever. My accounts are verbatim accounts. If I had long spills of canned text, I'd spend all day editing that to fit verbatim. Instead, I use individual word and phrase shortcuts. The key is to name them so it comes naturally to you.
I do all my medications by starting the shortcut with a "k" because it is so unused and I can easily look at all the med shortcuts in the list. The meds I use most are vancomycin, gentamicin, Tylenol, and ibuprofen. For me, those are listed as kv, kgg, kt, and ki.
Use your autocorrect to capitalize acronyms. I type copd in lower case and have that entered into autocorrect so it automatically capitalizes it for me as COPD -- saves me the "struggle" of having to capitalize it. Then I add an "x" to the end to expand it out, so copdx is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sometimes, if it is more natural, I double the last letter of the shortcut name for expanding it such as gbb for gallbladder.
Shortcut some of your punctuation, too: Using "ft," is "Following this," for the beginning of some sentences.
Design macros to carry out functions for yourself. I hate it when doctors number the first of a list and then there is never a 2nd item. Therefore, I NEVER number the first item even if it is dictated. Instead, I built a macro so that IF he goes on with "#2..." then I hit my macro and it goes back to the beginning of that line, numbers it, and returns to the end of the line, returns, and numbers for the 2nd item. I have a macro that goes back and changes the capitalized heading of "DIAGNOSIS" to "DIAGNOSES" for when there are more than 1 diagnoses listed.
Learn to use your search/replace features, etc.
???? Will any of this help ????
hints and tips
can you email me with how to make the macro for the numbers? That sounds wonderful (and helpful.... I hate it when they give a diagnosis, med, what ever, and THEN say 'next number"!!!!!) If you can I will give you my address, don't want to post it unless sure :)
Great tips!
Thanxxxx...
Thanks for your tips, they helped! NM
x
A few more tips for those interested
I use the number 8 key for my ectomy words.
For examply. Appendectomy is programmed as a8
Cholecystectomy c8
Hysterectomy h8
Tonsillectomy t8
You get the idea. In the rare instance that this interferes with another word (i.e. T8 on a spine exam. I type t8n which means (NOT) so it will expand to simply T8.
instead of using the semicolon, I do pretty much the same thing but with the slash / on the right side of the keyboard. I use this pretty much when i can divide words such as t/a therafter. u/w underwent u/g undergone l/h lightheaded.
for family members I use the number 9. For example,
b9 is brother s9 is sister sil9 is sister in law d9 is daughter gm9 grandmother gd9 grandaughter.
I use the letter z quite a bit to just to phonetically shorten words. For example.
dz disease anz aneurysm rz resolve rzd resolved rzg resolving bz because czd caused czg causing etc. If i here a "z" sound in a word I take advantage of it.
My psych words take the prefix nut. nuts is psychosis nutc is psychotic lol. Cute, I know, but I never forget these.
For really common words that I type a zillion times: AR anterior pr posterior ll lateral ml medial I try to make these as short as possible.
KEEP THE TIPS COMING. This is great to share.
Longtime MT's tips
Has anyone heard anything from this person since the post. I sent her my e-mail but have not heard a thing so I was wondering if I just hadn't received the e-mail or if she hadn't gotten in out yet. Anyone who can clear this up is appreciated.
Good tips, Thanks!
I downloaded AVG. Great!!
tips on ESLs
I am new to acute care at a hospital where there are many ESL docs. I find it helps not to slow them down because it makes it worse. Also, try asking for the same doc because repetitive listening really helps. Good luck to you.
need some tips for tax deductions
I would really appreciate any tips I an get on tax deductions for at home employee.
radiology tips
http://www.transcriptionresource.com/samples.htm
http://www.wheelessonline.com/
that someone also thanked you for the tips..sm
it's all how one interprets a post....I see the other poster thanked you for tips and added that iliopsoas is ONE word, not 2....
you took it negatively, unfortunately.....
There are no tips.....really....wouldn't know..sm
I wouldn't know what to tell you as I learned HTML online in chat rooms back in 1996-1997 from, believe it or not, kids from 10-15 years of age. You need to find a teen who is superinterested in the web and being online who can teach you these things for free.
I did just look for free sites for you to learn what is now XML, didn't find much, but here is one link plus there is always productivitytalk dot com for a good technical website. Here's the link I just found, don't know how informative it really is or not. Best of luck.
http://www.stylusstudio.com/learn_xml.html
Such great tips!
Glad I was ''just passing by'' and saw this thread! Such helpful tips for staying focused. Thanks to all.
How about giving us some tips?
I do envy that ability. :)
How about some tips on how to work up to a level like that? I mean, aside from being glued to the chair and shortcuts (the obvious). Do you have to think about each letter as you are typing? How do you type so quickly while avoding typos? Are there exercises one can do to help with this?
Resume tips
Anyone know where to find a good outline/tips for writing a resume for a transcriptionist?
resume tips
I too am a medical transcriptionist, however, I also own a resume writing business.
Please see my site and get back to me if you choose to.
David
www.bethlehemresume.net
TIPS NEEDED
Does anyone have any tips for me? I have just gone from plain old tapes to using digital files through Cryptoheaven. With my tapes, I could type the entire day's dictation for the day in one word document. Now with the digital files, each note is dictated in separate files. It takes much longer to download the file, create the new documents, save, and upload than it does to type it. These are very short notes. I'm working half the day with only about 30,000 characters typed! Am I doing something wrong or is this just the way it is?
shorthand tips
Hey, anybody willing to give some ShortHand tips, new to the program, only used MQ - DQS Expanders program. I don't get the linking dictionaries thing and some other questions. Any help appreciated. Thanks.
Any other tips you can share and what should...
I be prepared to bring? I am going to Phoenix in November for 2 weeks while hubby is on a business trip and this will be my first travel/work trip. Thanks!
tips for VR editing
Lately I have found it very easy to be distracted while doing VR editing and I have made some silly mistakes. I do not make these type of mistakes when straight typing, but somehow lose my focus easily with editing. Does anyone have any good tips for staying focused while editing?
Need tips for remembering
Does anyone have any good tips on how to remember things after looking up a definition &/or spelling while working. It seems the information is more fluid with me, and I find myself looking up the same thing on different days (to make sure it fits in the area dicated or whatever). I have always been a bit on an ADD type and have trouble retaining things I read.
I even have trouble when proofing, because I will not remember hearing/typing something at the top of the report (by the time I get to the bottom) and feel the need to verify by relistening to that part. It seems to go in one ear and out the other. I'm sure this sucks a fair amount of my time when added up.
Any effective technique hints will be greatly appreciated. 
Agree and tips
Hayseed, you have a unique talent with words. Well, you've heard of writers that have earned big bucks for their writing efforts, and you could be the next one to hop on that gravy train!
My advice: Check out a book or magazine for writers, like "Writer's Digest", and start submitting! The "Writer's Market" is a thick book that comes out every year or so and has submission guidelines for lots of publications, but nowadays you can also find this info for free online by just searching the word "writer" from a search engine like Google.
Here a couple places to start:
http://writersdigest.com/
http://www.writer.org
Go for it!!
Search Tips
...or at least give hints on how to search for other areas. I did tons of Google searches over the weekend and wasn't able to come up with anything. Maybe I just wasn't searching properly...
Escription tips - help!!!
I am an experienced MT but am new to the EditScript platform. So far, I love the way my wrists and arms are feeling, but now my wallet hurts.
I don't know what it is but I can't seem to garner a good speed yet. I have only been doing it for a little over a week now but I would think speed would be increasing by now.
Has anyone else experienced this and if so, what are your techniques or does it just take time? How much time?
TIA 
tips on website
I have the same problems with speed as well, but they give the tips on the Escript website and they also have a great forum.
Good Luck...
Elementary tips, but...
The best advice I have, I am sure you already know. Use your expander, type consistently, with even keystrokes, at a speed that you can keep up and not have to rewind alot, if at all. Keep distractions to a minimum and keep moving. I do around 250-275 lines an hour with just those things...using shortcuts, keeping a constant typing rhythm, and staying focused. I am actually on the slow side, as far as typing goes, for MTs.
If you have been typing for several years and know you can do better, then it IS time to start a job search. I agree with you there.
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