Editing is the higher skill since it's more brain work,, AND SM
Posted By: MsIndigo on 2008-03-11
In Reply to: NEWBIE - Should I take editing or transcribing job?!?! - Dana
the computers are taking over the finger work. That and practitioners entering directly into the electronic medical record mean that most traditional transcription jobs before too long will be a thing of the past.
So I'd recommend you go directly to editing since you'll end up doing that anyway. If there's a future in this, it's going to be with a higher level of medical knowledge and a more expanded involvement in medical records beyond merely editing dictation, but likely including that.
Plus, with editing you'll be in at least twice as many reports as if you were transcribing them, which means you'll get much more experience more quickly. Whether you'll lose some benefit from not typing every word out I don't know, but you will spend a lot less time getting verbage you don't need to learn on paper. I.e., instead of typing some version of, "The patient presented to the emergency room by private automobile with a complaint of" a few hundred times a week,...you don't.
Do commit to developing an expansion base that will cut the Keystrokes it takes to do your work to the very minimum. As long as anyone's paid on a production basis, and as long as we're using keyboards, someone using 5 keystrokes to make 2 edits will BOTH make a lot more money than someone who takes 9 keystrokes to make one correction AND be a much more valuable productive worker--i.e., worth keeping on and developing as most traditional jobs disappear.
And do sign up for more medical classes, the ones people preparing for nursing and medical school take.
Whether you'll make more or less money one way or the other right now probably depends more than anything on the particular talents you bring to the job and the particular skills you choose to develop. Unlike the previous poster who does better transcribing, I make more editing, but I'm a fast reader and a slow keyboarder, so the less my income depends on what my fingers are capable of the better. Best wishes!
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Editing is the higher skill. I earn more editing SM
because I'm able to produce more--if the company doesn't adjust the way production's figured down and down again to keep the account from going elsewhere (when that happened to me on EditScript with no explanation of why my income was dropping, I went elsewhere also).
If you believe editing is a HIGHER skill, then why are we being paid
Good for you, Linda! SM First, editing's a desirable trend. Higher skill, easier SM
I feel it may be like a train about to rush around the bend at me.
For the discussion, editing is a higher skill and it's easier on the hands--absolutely no carpal tunnel problems since I started editing. And the WAGES ARE ABOUT THE SAME--you go through approximately twice as much dictation (some people more, some less depending on talent) in the same time it would take to transcribe it and get paid half as much for that amount of dictation, ending up without a drop in wages from editing. This is fair and market-driven.
Fewer editors would be needed, but some would be needed for the stinkers, even scary-good as VR gets with most dictators.
The big threat is from the electronic medical record, where physicians and their assistants check boxes on a handheld device they carry around with them and there is NO text report to come to us at all. England has had this for some years; go look and see how MTs are doing on the Emerald Isle.
No Chicken Little here, guys, AND not burying my head in the sand either. I don't have a view into the future, but the one thing that's clear is the future will require developing new skills, professional or trade level, of one kind or another. I just hope and pray it doesn't require going back to suits and office politics. School's okay, even at my age, but am guilty of putting it off to see if I'm going to be allowed to continue pretty much as is until I'm too old to work...huh--maybe there's some sand obscuring the picture after all. Best wishes.
I found out a long time ago that there are two kinds of editing.. one is editing MTs work (like QA)
and the other is editing as in VR. I have done VR editing, but when I put down this as experience on a resume, I was asked by the HR person if this meant that I had "edited" other MTs work. I think there is a lot of confusion out there and I wish they would just keep that as QA instead of calling it editing. Just be clear in what you want to edit as most companies that expect you to "edit" other MTs in a QA position do require you have a lot of experience. If you just going for VR editing, which is what Transcend has available and there are a few companies out there doing VR, none of which I think really require much experience as it is easy to learn. Hope I made some sense and it can be pretty confusing on how companies use the term "editing" thus it effects their expectations as far as experience goes.
What is "O" work? I'm racking my brain trying to
think of what it would be..???
Thx.
My brain doesn't work that fast
I'd have to use 'hyperpatm' and 'hypopatm'. Sometimes I make macros and can't remember what my train of thought was when I made them.
To help save time while working, sometimes I just make a list of macros I want to add and then add them in all at once when I'm on a break/lunch/or things when things are slow.
FDA warns that it delivers higher doses than expected, and has a higher rate of stroke. (sm)
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/115/111590.htm
Agree! Board is like chatting. Work requires more brain cells.
x
By editing the work I have a job.
x
Editing offshore work
Some of their work is better than the work I see by American MTs. Don't be so quick to judge. Yes, they do see editor's feedback and they learn from their mistakes quickly. I have said this before, there is plenty of work to go around. There is no need to worry unless you are one of the lazy American MTs who only want to work when it is convenient for your schedule.
Editing 3rd world work
I just edited two jobs that were typed in the Middle East. There is NO WAY anyone can truthfully claim these people will make fair MTs, never mind good ones and to say nothing of great one. And the foreign owned companies think it will be possible to send this type of work straight to the facility without US ED??
Simply leave out the language. Goldbird
You can work for home doing editing for television news...?
Would you be interested in that?
My sister was Program Director for a local TV station for several years. Now, while she attends college, she is an Editor for a news organization and works from home.
Mass affect on brain or mass effect on brain?
dd
transcriptions have a skill also
as far as looking up addresses go!
There's a shortage of US MT's because the skill is becoming obsolete
Schools don't even encourage anyone to get into this field anymore because they don't want to have someone take a course and then be out of work in a few years when this skill goes the same direction that shorthand did several decades back.
Like someone said on the Company board, education is the key. Don't allow yourself to be a one-trick pony and learn how to do something else while you can.
MTs with less skill s/b paid less with that money going to the best
I can do xxxx but it makes me sick when the slackers get the exact same pay as me. Please don't give me the xxxx story that I can make more by being more efficient.
This is all part of transcription and the skill
I have had in all of my years of experience many types of dictators. I can honestly say that I have had ESL dictators that were better than your run of the mill American dictators. We are a melting pot, and what's funny to me is that so many make comments about an MTSO sending ESL dicators offshore, yet we have Mexican, Chinese, and Indian restaurants that we eat from and love the food. I think we need to somehow learn to embrace the ESL dictators. I had an ESL that was the most lovely physician. He knew that his dictation was difficult and was always willing to answer questions and would take the extra time to explain why he stated this or that. 
Upping the skill ante.
You might go online and look at Oak Horizons. They have an excellent reputation and are affordable. Also check VO-Technical schools for grammar as they are less expensive but adequate and junior colleges in your area. Good luck and good for you in improving your quality.
Good research skills the best skill an MT
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Failing national skill test
This is to Vicki. Please do not be discouraged. The MAJORITY of the companies out there (most of them advertising here) actually DO NOT want experienced MT's. They are looking for the stay-at-home mom (not critizing, wish I could be one) that do not actually have to carry an active part in family income. If you are experienced you would actually produce (imagine that-isn't that why we are working cpl?) and that would cost them money. Where a newbie makes the minimal amount for a time and that makes them happy. Not to say that they would not be on the newbie's butt to produce 98%+ etc.
I have 30 years experience, and I have failed tests from a national company. I have kept myself updated over the years and extremely computer literate, and had been in charge of staffing before they recently outsourced our workflow to India, so it is not a case of not accepting the "new ways" of doing things. Many of the "new" AAMT guidelines are grossly incorrect according to the major hospital system that I represent.
Just my say. Thank you.
West coast prices are usually higher (I work for a west coast company) sm
for one thing. I am in a rather economically depressed area and I START my price at .14 and drop a penny for each of several things - no tapes, sending electronically, etc.
This job of the OP may be a bugger-bear to transcribe. Even .14 may be too low.
If I had just one other skill that allowed me to pay for my modest lifestyle, I'd utilize it.
Maybe it is the 20 yrs in this business. I now have tinnitus, am absolutely sure that sitting for 8-10 hours a day is having a detrimental effect on my health, am more anxiety ridden now that there is very little job security and I am a sole operation here in my little world, have arm and hand fatigue (it's a freakin miracle I do not have CTS yet). I just really do not enjoy doing this as I used to. I have to really force myself to stay focused and am really really trying to find some joy in it by realizing other people have tedious jobs just as I do that they must also dislike.
B.S. in HIM, no MT school, OTJ training for that skill, but the HIM classes for the knowledge. nm
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It depends on your skill level, your speed, your ability to do the
nm
Yes! We're talking critical skill developement here! nmx
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Totally agree. They're no longer paying for this so-called skill
and that's part of the reason the quality is down.
This is a very basic computer skill/concept. You copy files to another drive using Explorer.
There are very detailed instructions in the Help files that accompany Windows. You can read those for more information.
Basically, you open Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer). Locate the files you want to copy, highlight and right mouse click. Choose Copy. Now, find the location where you want to copy these files (usually another drive like D: or H:, whereever the flash/jump/thumb drive is located) and paste the files there.
Question about Editing for those who do editing
What would you consider to be the average amount of lines a day of editing based on a 65 space line in an 8 hour day. If you can do an average of 1200 straight typing what would be the expectation for a day of editing? What do you think is a fair rate of pay for that editing? Do you know of companies that offer a tiered incentive rate for editing rates to do most of them offer a flat rate for lph? Do you find you make more money, less money or about the same than straight typing? Thanks to anyone who is willing to share this information. Feel free to email if you would rather share by email.
VR editing versus MT editing pay
Greetings,
How does VR editing prod. pay compare to hourly pay ($15) regular QA and constantly being threatened to start being payed production. Are there any special tricks to know to make good money on a VR program? Any companies that have VR and are better than other ones would be appreciated as well. Any and all assistance much appreciated-have to make a change shortly, so looking for a great company that offers ins. benefits. Thanks for your time.
oh please. Put in a brain. Unfortunately your
type of thinking is very common in our field.
It's not funny when you're on a board where language is one skill you're selling.
.
Brain surgery... ha....sm
when I thing of some of the doctors I've known over the years, we could probably learn brain surgery before they could learn transcription !
If he had a brain, he'd take it out and play with it
x
Who needs to use the other side of the brain?
Life is complicated enough for us guys! 
open your pea brain :)
he comes from the ghetto, his family still lives in the ghetto, he's trying to help kids in the ghetto......and you want him in a TIE, TUX, and TAILS? He is dancing for a charity. That's all he's there for. To get $$ toward his charity of helping kids in and around the ghetto.
Perhaps you want him to dress like the late Fred Astaire?
Get real.................
Brain spazzm...
Eh, those adapters really were ''gender changers'' (or gender *and* type changers). Maybe something more like this (what I'd do anyway, if needing to frequently plug and unplug any USB device ... an extender would make that much easier, too):
http://www.mptools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=USBE4
Ischium now in the brain?!!!
Had to take my son yesterday for a CT of his right ischium, to check for osteomyelitis. I gave that info to the person on the phone when I made the appointment. Soooo - get to the imaging place, and get all the myriad forms to fill out; at the top, under 'Test Performed', was 'CT scan of the brain'. I went back up to the desk to question this of the secretary (who is a retired nurse!!), and she looked at me and actually said 'The ischium is in the brain' '!!!!!!!!!! Told hubbie later, and he said I should have told her, not unless my head was up my ***!
I'm sure the techs would have caught it when they looked at the script from the doc, but still!!!!
brain is not working, the 15% was only the SE tax- sm
still need to pay your state and federal on top of that. I have not sat down and actually figured that out by itself, need to do that though.
Don't know where my brain is today - sm
I am drowning in work, have 200 minutes due by Monday and I am not used to doing more than 60 minutes a day. But I guess 200 rolls of nickels is a bit much, $400, I think a roll is $2.00- but depending on the person they will need at least 50-100 rolls. That is a lot of nickels!
Thanks. The brain gives me problems too (sm)
(in Radiology), but Google helps. Stedman's Radiology book is great, with all the CTs, MRIs and PET scans of the head. I'm pretty sure it would help with some head-related Neurosurg.
Since when does anybody get respect for their brain?
I have always "felt unappreciated, underpaid, misunderstood, disrespected, ignored, or taken advantage of as a medical transcriptionist", AND as a typist or clerical staff. Its the way the cookie crumbles since I'm not a VIP with a suit on and a bunch of fancy letters after my name.
Oh, yeah, I've also felt all that as a wife or girlfriend, because I didn't have the wonderful appendage that causes one to think they're automatically entitled to the best of everything.
On the other hand, I always felt relieved that I didn't have the stress of being as high profile as the more important folk out there. Like, I'm not the first one they want to sue or pick a fight with, you see.
I don't mind being one of the powers behind the throne. When I first got into the medical field, it put me in mind of those birds that get on large animals like hippos and pick off their parasites and eat them. The hippo probably doesn't like carrying a bird on its back all day, but that bird improves its general situation, so it stays. I suppose that's how all the doctors and CEOs see us, as a necessary evil. These days, the hippos want to try electronic flea collars (think VR) and other methods to see if they can get the bird off their back. Sooner or later they will find that the bird isn't so bad, after all.
Once upon a time I thought there was an advocate for MTs - known as AAMT. They got greedy and bailed, huh?. Unions are greedy. Everyone is greedy. 
In another incarnation, I had a high-paying job where I was a unionized clerical worker. I paid big dues to the UAW. When I needed them, they pretty much bailed, just like an insurance company or the government will do. They want to take from the group, but they don't want to give to the individual. I don't really believe in any organization any more, they've never done diddly for me but made a bunch of empty promises and found loopholes when it was time to make good on them. I'd rather just be a free bird, flying to the hippo that can feed me best.
brain cramp!
Thanks!
half a brain...
Again... I am not trying to win any friends or make any enemies. If you are happy and have no complaints, that is wonderful. I was observing and making comments. Half a brain was not meant as a cut to anyone, simply a figure of speech.
could be a little higher, but
I make up for it by having great account with good dictators, so no struggling with ESLs for the most part. I'll take a small line count cut in exchange for less stress. For me, it's worth it.
I would say #3 and higher.
nm
8-10 cpl usually comes out about the same. The higher
the pay, the worse the accounts and the worse the platforms you have to work on. If it takes you 3-5 minutes to get into a job before you type your first word and are paid 10 cpl, you are better off at 8 cpl on a quick and easy platform. Same with good VS evil dictators.
I just left Transcend where I made 9.5 cpl and make more at a company who pays 8 cpl because the system Transcend used is just not user friendly.
It's not even a sport - these guys aren't athletes - it's a SKILL not a SPORT
x
Debbie Matenopoulos. She was no brain. nm
x
dead brain regarding digital!
Trying to switch all my clients to digital, but first I need some help with it! Using the free ES wav player. One of the drs are going to email me the files and the other is going to use a FTP site. I dont know the first thing about transcribing files "digitally" Any instructions would be really appreciated!
Thanks ya'all!
You're right. Brain fahrvegnugen.
Thanks.
brain freeze....< is Left......got it? nm
:)
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