Double major - BA English/journalism. Did MT while in college and came back after layoff.
Posted By: I work for lines and make 125K+/yr which I'd ha on 2005-07-18
In Reply to: Do you have a college degree, and in what? - Why do you do MT?
amazing, just amazing.....
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
Current 4th year English major. Lots of school ahead. sigh. nm
x
They are teaching you to always put the period inside quotes now. I just took a college English
It still looks wrong to me that way, but that's how they're doing it.
Please tell me I am not alone. Just got a report back where I made a MAJOR mistake. (sm)
I normally try to be very, very careful, but I don't know what happened, but it did.
Feeling a little shaken regarding my skills and attention span right now.
Please tell me I am not the only one who has made an error and had the client send the report back.
My hat is still off to you and a double bow, and yes, life has a way of striking - come back ms crue
nms
Me too - I'm already back in college - best of luck to you!
x
I am seriously thinking of going back to college at 38
years old and still work full-time. My kids are older now and pretty much self-sufficient. I would still have to work full-time though - need the money too much to go part-time.
I was thinking about going into the field of speech language pathology but not absolutely positive on that. The only thing I am positive about is my income as an MT is at a complete stand still and I'd like something to fall back on when this field no longer suits me.
Are there any other Moms out there going to school and working full-time? I'd like to hear how it's going for you.
I've been back in college for 2 years now.
and wish you the best of luck! You can never have too much education. It opens so many more doors!
Has anyone considered going back to college after having a family?
Any advice? My husband is wanting me to go back to school and get a nursing degree, but I don't know if I have the stamina to work (which I would have to), take care of my family and go to school full time. I don't think you can enter a nursing program part time.
I don't know that I would like to enter nursing but the thought of going back to school is tempting. Of course, there are going to family obstacles to overcome first, the biggest being having someone available to take care of my son. We have no family close by, so it would be up to me and my husband to work our schedules to make sure he was okay. My husband's schedule is not flexible at all but it is such a weird schedule we could work around it. My son is only 9 (soon to be 10) but I don't feel comfortable leaving him home alone yet. He has some friends whose parents have let them come home from school to an empty home since 1st or 2nd grade, but I would NEVER consider that.
Thanks for listening. I would appreciate any advice or stories from others. This is really on my mind now and I guess I am weighing my options.
certainly going back to college doesn't protect from outsourcing..
one of the first things that went to India was accounting...
job layoff
Voice recognition. Lost 2 jobs to it already. I'd go to school for something better if I were you. I have been doing this for 23 years, but when I started we were on typewriters and never knew how computers were going to change the future of transcription. Good luck, but if I was investing my time in school, I try to find something that's hopefully not going out.
Insurance and layoff question.
There's a possibility that my boyfriend might be getting laid off from his job. Apparently, because the company he works for has less than 20 employees, Cobra does not apply here. Any help? I have no idea about any of this. TIA!
fer cryin out loud. Now this md says "she was placed on layoff"
 
In my state you can, it's considered a permanent layoff NM
NM
Has anyone tried the 'shared work' layoff alternative
plan? I know they have this in New York state and actually know someone whose employer does this. The employer must participate but you can always ask about it. There are very specific requirements but it seems if your company does not pay down time, wouldn't it be to their benefit also to keep good MTs this way?
BA Journalism.
:)
A BA in journalism
You could also check places like guru.com that have jobs with people looking for writers, copywriters, publishers, etc. You might get lucky and fall into something. I've seen screen plays needing written from there and different things. I know it might not be the best advice but its a start!
One of journalism's finest.
He will be missed, and has been missed. I will never forget his coverage of 9/11, the endless hours of reporting during a very traumatic time.
Er - what exactly does your friend do in journalism? nm
:)
How come you 2 with journalism degrees aren't
x
You make more money doing MT than in journalism?
I have been an MTSO/had my own accounts and made LOTS of money in MT. BUT, my friend who has a degree in journalism is doing so much better than I am. She has a home in Marietta, Georgia that I only WISH were mine. And then she has a second home and the SECOND home was $300,000. That home is just for them to stay in when they go to another state and visit relatives. It is nowhwere near as nice as their home in Atlanta.
I've been wondering about that, too. I'd like to get into journalism
on a freelance basis.
You know, you really don't need to stay in the field of journalism
Just the fact that you have a bachelor's in ANYTHING is enough for most places. As a matter of fact I know someone who has a BA in Drama who is VP of Finance at a nationally known bank, my husband's undergrad degree was Spanish and he has had several well-paying jobs that had nothing to do with Spanish. The fact that you had enough initiative and intelligence to earn a bachelor's is enough for most employers. Check out Monster and Career Builder. You'll see what I mean.
MA in journalism. I transcribe part-time,
and review records, edit academic papers and do expert witness preparation
of course they speak english, with an accent but they speak British-English quite well.
And I can't speak Indian so I guess they have an edge don't they?
There is something major going on here
Accounts that used to be really busy have no work. Multiple accounts are asking us not to work on their account for the day. Last night an updated was posted with 100 something jobs available in one account, and then later an oops, sorry, I meant 0 jobs available. What is up with that? Don't know what's happening with this company.
French Ed. major
with English Ed minor and Music minor. No jobs around here in Northern Indiana, and extended family is here, so once started having kids, kind of just fell into this work. Love it, though, love using the Latin I had years ago.
We have DirecTV and have had no major
issues. I have internet through the cable company and have had lots of problems. If cable is through Time Warner they have the worst customer service. In my area the programming is about the same between cable and satellite, except DirecTV has just added satellite radio. I don't know if cable charges per each box, but DirecTV does charge $5.00/mo per box after the first one. The only complaint I have about DirecTV is that we had a big storm and after that we could not get every channel on every box (we have 3). We're not sure where the problem is, but for them to come out is an automatic $70.00 and then depending on what the issue is there could be more charges. When my internet goes out there are no service fees, although it is a pain in the rear getting anyone out to fix the problem.
With satellite you may have to put the dish in your yard on on your house where it might be an eye sore, but if the dish is on the house they only have the run the wiring down the house and not in the yard. If you have cable they have to run it from the pole to your house and they barely bury it, so that you have to have it located every time you need to do any planting/digging.
With satellite when it rains real hard we lose signal, though it doesn't usually last long. When we used to have cable we might not lose signal entirely, but it would be very fuzy. Cable really utilizes satellite. Our local cable company has huge dishes setup and the cable feeds from those.
some major issues!
If the post set off some "emotions," then keep them to yourself, or scream them out loud at home where no one can hear you. The person who posted this did not do so to set off YOUR PERSONAL "emotions." I think your major emotion just might be jealousy!!
These are not petty! These are major sm
things that any experienced MT should know. You need to take the correction as it was intended...........not to be petty but to fix things that you have been doing wrong for years! The docs don't know formatting and unfortunately most of the hospitals don't either. Be glad you FINALLY have some correction! Why you would waste your time checking everyone elses transcription is beyond me.
This kind of transcription is why I don't get too excited when I have an "experienced" MT call me to test for a job. I have tested MANY MTs with experience even more than yours and gotten the same thing! Sometimes people have been working for the same place for years and never been corrected.
This kind of stuff is why (in my opinion) that all MTs should have at least 2-5 years experience in an acute care facility before going out on their own! This "new wave" of going to MT school and then opening your "own business" is bringing this profession way down! It needs to stop.
major discrimination
My husband works for an agent with a major insurance company. He is not the agent although he does have to have agent's licensing. We were told probably 15 years ago, that a white male would not be allowed to become an agent for many, many years due to people (this happened to be two women) who declared that they were discriminated against in this company. So to compensate for discrimination this national company will not hire a "white male" for the appointed amount of time (which was a very extended time period of many, many years) unless that "white male walked on water." That was their quote too. I have heard (but have not verified this) that this same "discrimination" is going on in the medical field. Therefore, you have all the ESL's who are able to get into med school but the American Caucasian is not chosen because you cannot discriminate. My question is "Who is really being discriminated against?" In my husband's company -- It is the Caucasian white male and I have a feeling that it is the Caucasian that is discriminated against in the medical field as well.
What is a major bummer is...
A lot of the older MTs in this neck of the woods have lost their jobs not to outsourcing, but inability to keep up with technology, and it's not their fault either. All of these transcribing companies seem to have upgraded their technology so now people NEED high-speed internet/cable, and dial-up just won't do anymore. Imagine losing your job because the cable/phone company won't string up cable or DSL in your neighborhood because your're just too rural. It's a huge problem and I can see why that would make many people (including myself) jaded. What in the heck do you do for work when all you've known is transcribing? Hardly any hospital hires in-house these days either. Scary times indeed.
me too... lost major $$$.. sm
I lost my derm practice to EMR, $1500+ per week. That was my only account. Very humbling experience. I know a lot of you are in the same boat. Now it is taking me about a month to make what I made in a week. Have a couple PT accounts and am working for my FP doc that has EMR. He dictates part of the note and I put the typing where he wants it. It is slow as I have satellite but at least it is some income. I think EMR is the wave of the future. Hopefully it doesn't become a law soon.
For me, a major consideration is, would you be
nm
MAJOR PROBLEMS!!!!
Okay first of all I updated to XP from ME, lost my Microsoft Office so had to reinstall it. I use Express Scribe to play dss files. Before my update I updated ES to version 4.16. Found out that does not play dss files so uninstalled that and reinstalled v. 4.15 and it worked. After the upgrade, I reinstalled version 4.15 and it does the same think at 4.16 did. WIll not load dss files. They appear in the file list but with a duration of 0 seconds. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling, restarting and everything I can think of. Even with the extra dss .exe that the website said I needed. Is there a possibility that XP doesn't not run with ES or dss files or do I need to install another component to make my files play on XP?
Please help, I am getting backlogged and starting to freakout.
major errors
Only 2 major errors allowed? When learning a new account that seems a little strict. I understand they can't have major errors but give someone a chance to get things right and learn the way of doing things.
I would say those are major. Hospitals SM
often have this sort of policy and expect the services doing business with them to enforce it.
Major error?
That is not a major error. They are just two straggling headers that got left behind, an oversight at best but not major error category. What is wrong with these people? If they call that major what do they call a real major errors that could possibly affect the outcome of patient care? When you consider all the malpractice that goes on with direct patient care involving doctors and nurses, two straggling headers on a report is really very minor.
The major obstacle is the ...sm..
long distance phone charges for the C-line. Check into Magic Jack. Some people have been very happy with it and have used it for long distance while using a C-phone. It makes no difference what kind of computer you're using when you use a C-phone.
Link to Magic Jack info is below.
A Major Rant
A rant letter to a couple of doctors:
What has happened to the medical profession in this country? Why is it that doctors forget their Hippocratic Oath? Why is it they forget the purpose of their career choice? I've transcribed this week on numerous elderly patients who have been with their doctors for five, ten or even fifteen years, but they have to seek care elsewhere because so many doctors are refusing to accept Medicare. How would you feel were if it were your own mother or father being refused care with their established physician just because they became classified as "elderly" and qualified for Medicare? If it weren't for your "connections," your parents would face the same dilemma that other elderly people face.
Why is it that when a patient comes into your office complaining of feeling fatigued and achy that you automatically assume they're depressed and pop out a prescription for them to pop a pill? Why not LISTEN to what the patient is saying and realize that while some MAY be depressed, others have a legitimate medical problem going on? Why not do some labs on them to check for anemia, hypothyroidism, etc.? Oh, I get it -- let them wait two hours to see you after their appointment time and then spend two minutes with them... after all, time is money. By the way, I guess that kid who came several times a couple of weeks ago complaining of abdominal pain wasn't just trying to get out of school since I saw his obituary in the paper this week. Even when his mom and dad brought him in a second and third time, you brushed them off. I hope seeing his obituary hurts your heart at least half as much as it hurt mine. I can't imagine the pain those parents are enduring right now, but I doubt you've stopped earning money long enough to let it bother you. And, no, I won't cover your butt if I get a subpoena when his parents sue you for medical negligence.
Why is it that you cringe when I tell you I need to raise my rates when I've not had a rate increase in three years or longer when in the mean time you've raised your rates at least three times a year every year? Oh - ok - your expenses have gone up? Do you think they've discounted my electric bill, gasoline, supplies and everything else?
Remember that last check before Christmas that I asked about when you were late paying me? You know, the one where you said you didn't have the money to pay me until after the 1st of January - although my contract with you explicitly explains payment arrangements? That was hard to swallow when your wife was standing there while I was waiting to talk to you and making out a check for $8200 to have your home decorated for Christmas? Yes, it ticked me off that you had the money for that in your budget but not the money to pay me my measly little $702. It also ticked me off when you took your three-week vacation to France and left me waiting for payment.
I do understand - its all about the money. Of course, that is why I work. But, if I ever get to the point that I'm so cold-hearted or money-oriented that I cannot try and give the best of my abilities in my transcription for every patient I type on, I have common sense enough to know its time to get out of my profession. Yes, to you I'm just a "typist", but how many times have you picked up the phone and called me asking, "Do you remember the names of the tests that I need to order for Lyme disease?" Or, what about when you can't dictate a proper letter and you say, "This is what I want to say - can you fix it for me?" What about those times when I've flagged a lab result and said, "This patient would be dead with a potassium of 988." Regardless, I remain just a "typist" in your mind.
In spite of all your faults, I do my best for you. I give you accurate work every day of every week because I know one typo (on the transcription work you don't review) with a drug dosage could mean the difference between life and death of your patients. But in the end, does it really matter to you?
At least 200; FT account is a major
trauma center, PT is a major surgical center. Both are teaching hospitals, so I have all the residents thrown in too.
Double Wow sm
Could you please e-mail me that recipe, I promise I won't disclose it to anyone!
Double what you'd pay an IC
probably. I'd say the MTSO I work for probably makes double what I do in order to pay me. Makes sense.
This was a major national. You can mess with just about anything...
as long as you have a space bar.
to fellow psych major
I would like to start working in the field before I get my BA. Do you know how many credits you would need in order to do that, and is an AA degree far enough to begin work? You're a lot closer than me so I figured you might know this. It would be a big weight off my shoulders knowing I could work within three years rather than 7, which seems so long. Thanks in advance
Major patriarchy brainwashing.
Having sex does not make you a "wh0re." It usually means you are a functioning adult capable of making your own choices and not having your entire life dictated to you.
We have Publix - MAJOR stores all over....sm
Publix says tipping is not allowed. I do not agree with that. They are loading TONS of stuff into cars, why shouldn't they get a tip? I tip, their bosses are not outside watching anyway and I don't know that anyone ever lost a job with Publix (one of the largest employers in the SE) due to this
to each his/her own I suppose
Dude, what's your major malfunction? sm
Since I've been working for the last 1-1/2 years with a company and more recently with my own accounts, I daresay that I am doing just fine with or without the RMT. I wanted to take the RMT for my own fun. I am sure there are others that either want to take the test or that are waiting to hear their results after waiting several months.
It is not a major deal to set up Meditech....
I went remote over 10 years ago and I set up most everything myself with installing the program for Meditech with dial up. Now I do it VPN which they installed but I probably could have done myself. More hospitals should look at contracting or hiring the MT directly. It is so much cheaper for them. After increasing my rate a couple of years ago, my hospital looked into hiring an MTSO and was surprised at how much more they would have to pay (more than 3 times what I charge) even if they did offer health insurance and taxes. As to the poster below, I rarely miss work because if I don't work I don't get paid. And when I can't, the hospital has a back up they hired themselves. There are always somebody willing to do extra work somewhere.
Me too.. Lost major account
to EMR.. basically put me out of business. I could have "stayed-on" in house doing limited transcription and scanning for 1/2 the money. System was not very friendly to transcription, had to constantly switch screens, etc. would have really lost $$$ if I was paid by the line. Either way hourly/cpl, less money for me. I decided to just stay home and go with national. Hopefully I can hold out for the next 5 or so years, or else I guess I'm off to Walmart!
Major bummer dude!
This is my 2nd Saitek...the first one had silver keys and oh ya, I got the paint on them babies worn off within 6 months. I'm totally bummed to hear this one will do the same thing, because I really looked at it hard before buying and saw the letters were "etched" in and not painted on. It's no biggie for me, being a touch typist, but when family or friends want to plink around, they got totally lost...plus it looked fargin' ugly too.
I use the angry red lights when typing that ESL crap (red alert!), and the happy purple the rest of the time. The old one was just blue, so I'm kinda sick of that for right now, but it is so much fun to mess with the mood lighting. Simple pleasures for simple minds 
Currently working for a major national, they use BOS because they want
all MTs transcribing the same. What the client wants comes first, then BOS on the majority of accounts. This is SUPPOSED to make QA-ing a report easier.
|
