As you can see, experiences vary very widely SM
Posted By: MsIndigo on 2009-06-10
In Reply to: I work on Escription VR and if you cannot make minimum wage, then - VR person
But--It's the future, so leap in! Figure out every way technology can do the work for you much, much faster. Start programming your corrections into your Expander from day 1. All of them. Not just a few main phrases, but virtually every word within them and every possible variable. Program in all your punctuation corrections. Like changing ". He " to ", he" and vice versa within at most 3 keystrokes. You'll do it all day long.
It's true people are making less in general these days, but any time I hear of people still being able to support themselves fairly acceptably I pretty much know they're still typing out most stuff out the looong way. Alllllllllll of it alllllll day looooong...... That's really sort of analogous to people who refused to learn word processing, insisting on staying with Selectrics and Liquid Paper. Back then, like now, we upgraded our skills or went broke.
And if you don't already, practice reading fast until you get that skill up there. There's a lot of reading to this.
Don't bother fussing about what a mess VR can make of some dictation. All that counts is what income you can make from cleaning it up. (Tho skimming through reports that just need a slight buffing IS a pleasure.)
My last thought is that this business is in flux, and it's true some companies are not paying equitably for this work. Yes, a greatly increased pool of skilled workers for each good job does mean pay has gone down for MT overall, but if you feel you're producing fairly well compared to others in your position and your income still has dropped signficantly over what you earned doing transcription, you need a better company. OTOH, if you've worked hard at developing these new skills and can't seem to do decently, it may no longer be the field for you. Either way, plan on being ready to move on if necessary. Don't wait many months to figure it out. Best wishes!
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It can vary widely so I'm not sure there is a baseline.
Some companies pay per line, some pay per hour. Hourly is the best way to go. The per line rate can go from 2 to 5 cpl, hourly $10 to $15. Figure out what your hourly rate is doing transcription and you'll know what to ask for. Generally QA people make less than MTs, but you wouldn't want to take a cut I don't think.
goes to show how much our experiences out here vary... Everyone comes from a different POV
I think Stedman's is the best and most widely
used by far. I can't imagine trying to transcribe w/o a spellchecker and most companies require you to have one.
Stedman's is $99 unless you get the premium version, where you get 3 updates a year, and I think it is about $170. You can download Stedman's from their website.
Java.com.......widely used..
xx
SH's a lot more widely acceptable than not. SM
If I were interested in browsing the want ads, I'd contact ShortHand itself to chat about what platforms don't work well with Shorthand even after their finetuning. That way choices wouldn't be unnecessarily limited and no dependence would be placed on possibly questionable info from Personnel personnel. Best wishes.
yes it can vary
Some don't pay for underlining or bold and you really don't notice these things because they are out of sight and out of mind. We assume that a rate per line means everything in the entire line, but it doesn't. I recently used Abacus and counted by gross and two other ways and it sure can vary.
...may vary (was cut off) (nm)
x
My experiences are like yours..
I've done - and do - the same thing you do. The difference is your docs treat you well. Mine treat me like yesterday's newspaper, but in the big scheme of things, it doesn't matter. What DOES matter is that I get my invoices paid on time, which they are.
My hubby tells me even though my docs don't say so, they do appreciate me because they send me checks every month. And that's why I'm in this business - for the monthly checks - no other reason - .
I don't want docs calling in to dictate and instead cracking jokes and telling me what their kids did the other day. The fact of the matter is I don't care. I look at that as taking up my precious time! Wanna' chitter-chatter with me, doc?? Then let's chitter chatter at a cocktail party or dinner, but don't do it on my company time/dime. Hehehe! 
Bad QA experiences
At a previous MTSO we were, also pretty much on our own until an account executive (never an MT)took it on herself to start doing QA and started sending us corrections. She actually wanted us to listen to a sentence then make it more concise, and to use as many abbreviations as possible. This was an ESL physician. I told her to get real. I did agree to conform to her bizarre style issues, and said I would correct grammar, but I would absolutely never deliberately do anything that took that much extra time and reduced my lines. I talked to my supervisor and that put an end to that.
very well said. my experiences exactly, as well.
e
I have a lot of the same experiences you do -
I am not afraid to go out, but it just does not seem worth the effort to get up and get dressed and made up just to go to the grocery store... I, like you, am only happy going out with my husband. It is causing a big strain on our relationship as I feel that since he is out of the house all the time, that when I want to go with him he should always take me everywhere he goes. He thinks I should just get up and get out of the house on my own. He does not realize that working at home for so many years I have been isolated and, especially since we moved to a new town, I don't know anybody and since we have no children for sporting events, school events, etc., I really have no way to meet people. We have finally moved into an area after 4 years that has a community pool and I have met some people there, but it remains to be seen if a friendship develops with any of them.
I used to think that working at home was wonderful, and don't get me wrong, there are many benefits to it, but I also feel like mentally it is not really a good thing for a lot of people. I have a relative who also works at home and she is just like me - not only mentally, but physically we are suffering. The weight gain for one thing - the lack of sunshine, the lack of exercise, etc.
I myself have finally made the choice after 15+ years to return to school and get a degree that will allow me once again to leave my home and still make the income that I am accustomed to as a transcriptionist.
Does it vary by state? usually something like 23.
x
It probably does vary between accounts.
Problem in MTSO's don't want MTs to know exactly what they are charging. So MTs get a flat rate. It's not fair.
opinions vary,
but i don't think so. but in this day and age, i think you are wise to have more than 1 skill up your sleeve. i think the pendulum will swing and we will realize that a thinking person is better than a machine, tho some adapting may be necessary and that shipping work overseas isn't the smartest solution either. i suspect you'll esp find ample work in the big city.
I have this & speed can vary sm
I also have the 727 with Sprint and also another card for my laptop so hubby can be on it while I'm working. I worked for a company where I had to log in to their VPN system, and there were times I would lose connection because my connection speed would dip down too low. However, I am about 1/3 of a mile outside the official coverage area and have to use an antenna to get a good signal, and this may or may not be the case with your connection. I have also used my USB card for the Bayscribe system and just started with Keystrokes using DocQScribe with absolutely no problems at all.
My similar experiences.....
First, I'm sorry about this loss, but you must NOT dwell on it. You must move forward for your sake and financial sake. This is unfortuately such common behavior in this business, and reading your post did not surprise me. I have been an IC for over ten years now, and the practice you describe is SO common.
I have learned throughout the years to set aside as much money as I can so that when the rug is pulled out from underneath me, I'll have $$$ to fall back on. I also keep a supply of hundreds of stamps/letterhead/envelopes handy so that when this happens, I don't have to go broke buying this stuff and marketing for other clients.
Basically the same thing has happened to me. I just lost one client last month due to them finding a cheaper rate, and another account I have had for eight years is going EMR next month. I will then be officially out of business, you might say.
But that is NOT going to keep me down. I'm doing mass marketing to doctors, attorneys and all kinds of businesses who need "virtual transcriptionists," and you know, I feel if I market enough, the law of averages is going to be that I WILL find new clients. You must have faith in yourself and do not take what happened to you personally. Yeah, it was lousy, rude, and unprofessional of them not to give you any notice after years of good service, but what can you do? Don't lose a wink of sleep over it - move onward and forward, and you will be successful.
Good luck!
Anyone with experiences to share sm
I don't suppose anyone has ever worked for both companies and can give me the real scoop?
More graveyard experiences
I've worked graveyard before and will be starting again tonight. I've learned a few things from past experience that can help this time.
One is bright lights at night and blackout curtains during daytime sleeping hours. Another is turning off the ringer on the phone before going to bed, arranging with a neighbor who is generally home during the day to take true emergency calls from certain people and ring my doorbell if necessary.
I try to keep in mind that a lot of other people aren't readily available during the day or able to do what they like during the day because of work, either in or out of the home. I also remember how lucky I am to be able to work from home and not have to deal with a commute, among other things.
Give myself some unwinding time after my shift and then do the best I can to adhere to regular sleep hours that least interfere with regular activities outside of work. There will be times, of course, when I'll need to be flexible on the sleep hours to take care of things that must occasionally be done during the usual sleep hours schedule.
Accept that there will be days when the rest of the world will not be tip-toeing around because I want to sleep. Watch out for sleep-deprivation crankiness, try my best not to take it out on other folks, and apologize promptly if I do. It does help to explain the situation yet not use it as a recurrent or frequent excuse.
Make use of caffeinated beverages at the beginning of my shift and limit them toward the latter portion. Remember that power naps during breaks may work for other people but that the temptation to keep hitting the snooze alarm could be overwhelming for me. It was one thing when I was an IC, but not cool as an employee. Better for me is to something semi-active during breaks and make myself get up and stretch on a periodic, regular basis.
Keep in mind that it will take a little while to get used to the new schedule and see what sleep hours seem to work best for me through trial and error. I'm lucky that I have a natural tendency toward nightowlism.
Sorry for the length of this essay and best of luck to you! Would that there were a yawning smiley face...
YMMV (your mileage may vary)
>>>Who are making more money with VR than you did with straight transcribing?
Depends upon the day.
>>>If so, how many LPH did you average when doing straight transcribing?
About 250 lph.
>>>If not, how would you rate the difference, approximately in % of income lost
When VR is "kicking booty," I can get close to 400 lph with around 99% accuracy. And that's just straight dictation. If I knew how to do macros and templates, I could probably get close to 500 lph. --- But it didn't happen overnight. I started using the product again in November 2002 when I busted my finger. When it's a matter of spending the time training the product correctly or not working at all, you find a lot of patience.
LOL! Accounts vary, I guess. SM
I have typed on one where they don't want them capped, and it bugs me every time. :)
What you can do per hour can vary WILDLY
I have some accounts I can crank out lines on and hit 1000 in 5 hours easily. I have another that can take me nearly 8 hours because of being 90% ESL (really bad ones to boot!) and really tedious account specifics. I have been on this platform for 6 years and have expanded to the max. It can just depend on the accounts you do! :-)
Yes it can vary, that is up to the MTSO how they want to pay/bill - sm
I used to work for one that billed out as a line being 60 characters; she also had another account that was 50 characters (which gives the Dr. the impression they are paying less as the rate is .10; which is actually .13/65 char). This was a smaller MTSO though, all the larger companies I have worked for have all been 65 char/line.
Seems to vary by company. Mine seem to
s
Reports vary so much it's hard to say
It really depends on what type of reports they are, as well as your platform. I just started doing radiology and man when I think I am really rocking, my report numbers are up and my line count is down. Like you, sometimes when I'm really strugling with those long complicated MR reports and feel like I'm stopping every five seconds, despite myself I'm typing more lines. I feel it's because the reports are so long.
Basically, I live by the axiom that anytime you have to take your hands off the keyboard, it costs you money. Period. That's why people talk about the "good old days" of WP51 and straight Word (not Word-based platforms) where you could keep your hands where they belonged and not fiddle with the mouse all the time or wait on the platform to catch up to you.
Sorry I don't have more answers; perhaps someone who keeps better records than me will be more help! :)
I had similar experiences after my mom died (sm)
On my mother's birthday, after she died, the smoke alarms went off in my house. They were not in need of new batteries, nor was there even a hint of smoke in the house.
They continued to go off at different occasions, each of which was a "special day," either a birthday or a holiday that she enjoyed.
My mom was in marching band when she was in HS and pretty much made me follow in her footsteps. It was okay, but not a decision I would have chosen. My daughter inadvertantly, through a scheduling glitch ended up in marching band her first year of high school. She ended up loving it. At sleep-away band camp the following year, in the chaparone's quarters (where I was sleeping), the smoke alarm went off during the night. It was kind of funny though, because it went off in another chaparone's room and I didn't even hear it. The other chaparone told me about it the next day and what she went through to get it to stop (basically had to beat if off the wall). When she told me, I just smiled and said, "Oh, that was my mom, she just got the wrong room."
I always thought how proud mom would have been that my daughter ended up in band and even ended up being the drum major her senior year and what a difference it made in her life.
That was the last I've heard of mom.
I'm a strong believer in God, but somehow I think it's possible that those close to us have "ways" of letting us know they're still loving us, even though they have a strange way of showing it! Kind of like when they were alive LOL! ;-)
I have had similar experiences with a company
doing that. Its the purpose of the production emails - to shame you into boosting your production to keep up with the others - whether the others are actually real or not has always been a matter of speculation to me....But you are feeling exactly what the sender wants you to feel! Terrible tactics to me, but works for some.
My experiences with home offices...
I used to have my office in the living room. It was really difficult for me and my family.
I moved it into the dining room ... again, was just a bad fit and crowded/cramped everything.
Finally I moved it to my bedroom. Now at first, I had my desk sitting out in the open and it became depressing. While I enjoyed the privacy and quiet (I could actually shut my door), it was all I saw when I was in my bedroom. That blank monitor staring at me, either making me feel guilty by not working more or making me dread going to work.
Soooo, then I got creative and I've been thrilled every since.
I pulled all of my clothes out of my closet and bought a beautiful armoire with drawers and a rod in the top to hang clothes. Beautiful asset to my bedroom.
I purchased a smaller but very nice desk and fit it right inside my closet. I have a lovely little lamp on my desk, streamlined all my paperwork to a minimum and put as much as I could live without (in tangible form) on the computer. Have a small vase I keep fresh but cheap flowers in. All I have is in the closet and I can close it up out of sight when I am done. I can store my books up on the shelf above plus I have a small CD player up there to play soft music while I work.
I did not want an ugly office chair anymore. I really liked my upholstered chair in my bedroom. So I had my son put rollers on it and now it is my chair. When I'm not working, I just turn it and angle it into the corner like it has always been...when I need to work, I just sit and slide right under my desk.
I could not be happier with this set up and it has been this way just over a year now.
It's funny how people have different experiences (sm)
Three of the best doctors I ever got to transcribe were podiatrists. We did clinic notes for one and did the op notes at a small freestanding surgical center for the other two. They were all great, lots of repetition, clear, lots of lines. Those were the days....
What other experiences have you had with clinic work.
I have worked for 3 local companies (including current)and this is how it is mostly done locally. The alternative was with no patient list and guessing at how the name is spelled because physician did not spell it. I do have all my addresses in a Word file, and if it used once it goes in there. For physician office accounts how do your experiences differ? The physicians are very resistent to investing in equipment on their end. It is difficult enough to get them to change from tapes to a digital recorder. I do agree that this system of doing things is awkward for the MT (me). I was just wondering what alternatives there are in dealing with clinic accounts, since is this is what constitutes the majority clients of companies I have worked for, and who I have worked for directly myself. I knew I was not making as much money as many of you. I guess this is one of the reasons.
My experiences while working graveyard were (sm)
both good and bad: Bad: During the spring/summer months, I wanted to be out catching the rays and walking the beach, but my body kept telling me, "It's time to sleep." Additionally, my diet was a little off; eating a Stouffer's dinner at 3:00 a.m. just seemed out of order. Also, I started watching those Judge shows in the afternoons, thus, not putting the lights out until about 5 p.m., leaving me only about 5 hours to sleep -- not enough for this bod. That experience taught me that I am definitely a morning person.
As a for instance, 225 lines/hr at 8 cpl would be $18/hr. Your mileage may vary. nm
a
Line rates vary geographically.
I wouldn't work for less than 0.08/65-character line that included spaces. If you're traveling, printing, etc., charge more. Tax advice should come from professional tax preparers, not this site. Also check IRS website.
Plus, line rates vary by company
depending on the account. I told someone how much I made, she got a job with the same company on a different account making less $$.
Plus, line rates vary within the company
depending on the account. I told someone how much I made, she got a job with the same company on a different account making less $$.
Travel to Florida/Disney - experiences?
We are planning a trip to Florida for the Daytona 500 in February - we are having problems lining up a hotel in the Orlando area that includes suites with kitchenettes and also has shuttle service to the major parks in the area. We want something in the mid range, maybe 3 star or 4 star, and will only have 2 tweenagers traveling with us - the rest will be adults. Can anyone recommend a place to stay with some atmosphere, pool area, restaurant, etc.?
We've been there before when our kids were young and stayed in very basic motels which was fine. We hardly spent any time at the motel anyway. This time, with some going to the NASCAR race, there will be down time for others, so a nice pool/outdoor area would be a plus.
This is a place to come where MTs can share their thoughs and experiences
I'm one of those MT who's very miserable right now, I admit that, because I've been looking for a good company to work for as an IC for a very long time now.
I'm glad there are other MTs out there who are happy and content and able to pay their bills, but for the time being (the last few months), I haven't had that luxury, and I need help, whether it be a good job lead or just the camaraderie of other MTs who really can relate to my situation right now.
Here I sit, ready, willing, and able to work (and work HARD and long) while the company I've been with since the beginning of the year keeps telling me they've run out of work. Meanwhile, I've been searching for another job, seems like for AGES, but even if I'm lucky enough to actually get a response, nothing has panned out for one reason or another.
My apologies for ruining the mood again. I'm just thankful to have this place in both happy and miserable times, because unlike others in my "real life" who keep telling me to get a REAL JOB (uggghhh!!!), this place is frequented by other MTs who really do understand.
By the way, I have 15 years experience and do multispecialty clinic and hospital work (except ops), if anyone's looking for a dependable, reliable, hardworking IC MT. I will do ops, too, if anyone wants to give a noob a shot at them..
Thankful for this board.
It goes both ways. Not all those with positive experiences are skilled or professional.
Some are in it for the referral bonus, some are company recruiters posting anonymously. It's really hard for anyone to tell the motives, but you can usually tell from the way a person posts who is on the up and up from those who are just spewing sour grapes and those bucking for the referral bonus. I tend to believe negative posts that don't personally insult other posters over positive posters that completely rule out any type of problem. If a person is saying that their company is perfect and there are NO problems, that should send up red flags.
Go to eopinions.com and read the personal experiences. I was not impressed.
As I recall, there were numerous people who had such extreme swings in their electrolytes that they ended up hospitalized. Be very careful.
I've had nothing but excellent experiences working with wives as OMs.
:)
Anyone have any GOOD experiences with a credit counseling service/
If so who were they and what did they do?
TO the person who emailed me about their experiences on the multispecialty clinics, etc.
I tried twice to respond to your email and help but it keeps coming back undeliverable.
??
I would like to hear about personal experiences with lumbar supports
nm
People are just telling their experiences, stating their opinions.
It's only normal.
This will vary depending on dictator style and speed, but the average to shoot for initially shoud b
around 3 times the length of the dictation. So, if the dictation is 5 minutes long, you should be able to complete the transcription in roughly 15 minutes. Again, that can vary, but it's a good rule of thumb to go by.
It can vary from company to company.
If a company is on one coast and you on the other it can affect shift time, meaning usually if you want to start work 9-10 instead of 11 you could for 3rd shift, etc.
i'm sure it will vary from person to person.
I recently did the same thing and am loving it! The freedom from time clocks, the better company, make losing the benefits well worth it to me. You need to set up a plan to have $ set aside for taxes though. I should have done this years ago!
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