FOLLOWUP: We are now only $75.00 away from reaching our goal.
Posted By: Sheri Steadman, Administrator (sm) on 2005-12-21
In Reply to: URGENT REQUEST: An MT that we sent a box of gifts to did not receive the package. - Sheri Steadman, Administrator
You generous donations are amazing and truly appreciated. Once the goal is reached, I will be walking into Walmart to speak to the store manager about getting a gift card to this family back east and know that the MTs children WILL have Christmas this year!
THANK YOU!
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FOLLOWUP: We now only need $15.00 and we will have reached our goal
and I will be on my way to Walmart. You are all fantastic people to be so giving. I know that it's hard to scrape bucks together working in this industry and at this time of the year, so again THANK YOU for your emergency donations!
You can block that number from reaching you.
They will block the number but not tell you who it is.
Call them right after a phone call comes in that is a hang up. Apparently, this happens a lot since SBC has an 800 number for this request.
Well, congratulations on reaching this exciting :) SM
point n your life. There's nothing like certainty to simplify what was all too complicated for too long. Obviously this new life has to be one in which you do like what you're doing. Best wishes.
Oh yeah, and you'll see them reaching in their wallets a little more
c
I agree. Life is too short. Be the bigger person and keep reaching out.
My sister is a big 'ol gossip. She has talked about me more times than I can remember and she has been telling our mom on my all my life. She and I would have bitter fights as adults and not speak for months at a time, but then one day I realized that she's never going to change. So I basically stopped confiding in her things I didn't want to the world or my mom to know and moved on. We have a great relationship now mostly because I won't allow myself to be in a position where she can make me angry.
this is my goal too...
haven't reached it just yet, though.
what is the LPH goal they have for you?
x
Definitely have a goal! sm
I certainly want to be involved in high-level administration. I have arranged some interviews with several professionals to get more of a realistic scope of their positions so I can tailor my educational pathway accordingly.
Thank you so much for responding!
If you need a goal, then set your
own goal based upon what you are doing now. Stop comparing yourself to others. What if you found out the other gals are doing twice as much as you? Will you magically find a way to do twice as much as you are now, or will you feel worthless because you are only half as good an employee?
You SHOULD BE DOING your own personal best, always, no matter what everyone else is doing.
The ultimate goal
is accurate, timely reports to facilitate patient care, and whatever comes along to accomplish this will be used. We know it won't happen overnight, but , as we all know, new methods are being tried as we speak. Nothin' stays the same.
I sit a goal for myself, on 8 hours
I usually am hitting 3000 but that is both VR and straight. I do not want to work full time anymore so figured it would take about that a day in order to work just part like I want but still to get a decent salary.
My goal is $150/day, only type
I am a slow typer so I need all of the info that I can get about expanders/short cuts. I am only getting 7cpl and can type about 135 lph (slow I know). Anyway, I need to be making $150 a day at least. What do I need to do specifically to accomplish this in a 6 to 8 hour day? I have Instant Text.... Thanks
goal is 10,000 lines a week!... :) nm
x
Do you have a goal job you're shooting for? sm
I did not, so I figured the BS in HIM with the RHIA was my best bet, thinking I would be readily qualified for any job in HIM. Not quite true, but I never regretting spending the time, effort, and money on it to earn it. Had I KNOWN that I wanted to be coder, or a tumor registrar specifically, I probably would have opted for just their respective certifications, but I was young and not really sure where I wanted to end up. Interestingly, I found myself with a much harder job search than I'd been led to believe would be true. I couldn't get entry-level HIM jobs because I was perceived as 'overqualified' and offices felt I would quit and move on as soon as a better opportunity came along; but I couldn't get management-type jobs because my only experience was the clinicals I did during school--understandably so, I didn't want to manage when I didn't really know what i was doing! Your certification says "administrator" but your resume doesn't.
Best of luck to you, the education is never wasted. You'll get different opinions on certification, but your classroom learning and clinicals are well worth it.
I joined in the 70's because their goal then was professional wages.
it's 2008. they must not be very good at what they do. However, they do self promote extremely well.
This info would probably have helped reach your goal this morning! LOL Thanks! nm
n
Dishes once a week? My goal is to live life better than the day before.
Try to enrich my life, even if it's just a little extra prayer or a little thoughtful thing for someone who doesn't expect it. Everyday.
My goal is to eventually add commentary and humor/satire/etc...sm
I'm not talented in all those areas and hope to attract other MTs who are. There's no money in it at this point, unfortunately.
Jay
My goal every year is $52k, which I have done for the past 2 years working sm
for Keystrokes. I do radiology only, I should mention. I took the amount I wanted (actually needed) to make in a year, divided it by 52 weeks, divided it by 5 days, came up with $1000 per week or $200 per day. I divided that by 8 hours and by my report rate ($1.25). I know that I need to transcribe 20 reports per hour on average. I keep a tally. Some days, it takes me longer to do than others, but I sit down and do my 8 hours every single day. I use my Expander a LOT (literally for all but a few words). I am on one account, so I know those doctors inside and out. If I am short at the end of the week, I ask if there is work available on the weekend for me to do. The most I end up with 2 hours to make up what might have been short during the week.
At $40k, you would need to make $153.85 per day, or $19.23 per hour. At $0.07, you need to type 275 lines per hour, or 2200 for the day. This should be very easy to get with using an expander and sitting down with a set schedule.
It takes a while to get used to making sure you hit your internal quota every day. I have to think of it daily and make it up on Saturday or Sunday so that I never start a week behind my personal goal.
I also take an incentives that are handed out (for instance if they are asking for help in a backlog situation at increased rate) and work at least a partial shift on holidays. If I am ahead at the end of the week, I carry it to the next week and know that I have some lines in my internal quota bank.
I know this sounds weird, but it works for me. I have helped a few others to get to their goals as well, and this seems to work for them too.
I would also look for something that is more in the 0.08 to 0.09 per line range. Ask your lead for production tips. Ask other transcriptionists. It is very possible for us to make good money, we just have to focus on our goals.
I have a sales background, which involved sales quotas. This is easier as I am in control of my daily production, not on someone else's decisions.
Good luck!
followup
I do short cuts to remember
nfup= noun = followup
afup=adjective=follow-up
vfup=verb=follow up
Followup in two weeks.
A follow-up exam is recommended.
He will follow up with onc/rad in three days.
followup
I am an MT from Canada. Why would you send your work to India when you co uld be sending your work to CANADA, where we have a lower dollar, have the highest educated people in the world, we have fibreoptic telephone lines, we dont get storms, and we have the highest internet usage of any cou ntry in the world!!!
As for sending work to India, that is outrageous. When did slavery start?? At least in the old days, slaves were paid enough for rent and food and clothing!!The money you people pay MTs is not much more than this!! ANd what do you know about medicla transcription, I bet you couldnt type one medical word under production levels if you life depended on it!!! MTs are the brains and cheap asses make money off of OUR brains and talent!!
followup
I have decided against the company. Thank you all who responded, for looking out for me. Now I have another question. Have any of you heard of, or had experience with, VLC? Virtual Learning Center?
http://www.thevlc.com/
Followup
Okay - so I will check with my attorney or my state about the license thing... but what is the going rate for ICs to charge?? Is it by report or by the line or by the hour?? I know it probably varies, but I would just really like to have an idea of what to tell these 2 doctors if they ask me to set my rate.... don't want to sell myself short.
No followup
Yes this has happened to me too. They loved my resume, I told them I could test the following Monday. I sat around all day waiting for nothing. I E-mailed this company three times since with no response.
My personal goal is when my mortgage is paid off by half - just 125K to go!
Then I will cut back to part time and let hubby carry me. :-) He makes lots more than I do now anyway.
If you can put a in front of it, it is followup..sm
For example he had a followup visit scheduled. OR He is to come in for followup in 2 weeks.
He will follow up in 2 weeks. OR
He is going to follow up with me in 2 weeks.
Hope that helps
Maybe it's time for them to do a followup on -nm
.
quick followup
You make some very valid points, and I thank you for your input. Speficially, in my case, I have no platforms to work with -- all docs use 1-800 or digital handhelds and exchange is done on FTP site - very simple copy/paste procedure. Work is done in Word. There isn't a doc on my service I haven't done MYSELF for at least 2 weeks when I took them on and asked myself are they worth keeping? Are they good dictators? (I have virtually no ESL dictators). Did I make money? Even those specialties I didn't know and was slow at, I could refrence to find out what I didn't know --critical in our work. I don't care when MTs work and I don't try to contact them until their work is OUT of TAT - and then often get "i got busy with other stuff" reply. Shouldn't it be ME you tell when you get busy so I can still accommodate the client as I agreed to? I know life happens, and things come up, but tell ME instead of hiding. That's just being responsible. If the work I've given you isn't a good fit, then tell ME and give me a day or two to replace you.. don't just say the heck with it and walk away. But then again, if everyone was responsible in that way, I wouldn't be sitting here on Christmas day catching up work from Friday because yet another new hire just "disappeared" on
Thursday and didn't tell me till yesterday. Maybe I'm just getting old, but seems common courtesy went out somewhere in the mid 90's. HA. Thanks for listening.
Thanks for posting a followup...
That is basically what I thought your reasoning was based on your original post. There is nothing wrong with questioning anything you are unsure of. No one will hold it against you. 
followup - 3 rules
#1. Follow up (verb): I will follow up with the patient next week.
#2. Followup (noun): The patient will come in for followup next week.
#3. Follow-up (adjective): The patient will have a follow-up appointment next week. I disagree mildly with the post about BOS2 on this.
Grammar good info in BOS/AAMT. Also any good grammar textbook from a bookstore would be good to review/read/study. I tried out Whitesmoke grammar program and hated it. Hope this helps!
Followup on comments
Hi, everyone.
I recently had an applicant inform me that my help-wanted ad was being badmouthed at this site, and I have since read elsewhere that I am apparently an overbearing/pushy, basically obnoxious person to work with (I have also posted responses at the other places I could find, in the hopes that the remarks do not keep potential applicants from applying). There is a reason my help-wanted ad is so detailed. One reason is to answer all possible questions that anyone interested in the position might have. Over the years, I have amended my ad due to circumstances that have come up with transcriptionists I have worked with. The information in the ad regarding "the work is to be typed until it is finished, not a set amount of lines per day," is because I had a Transcriptionist that thought she could type a very small amount whenever she felt like it, leaving the remainder to be typed by someone else later. As I am sure you know, many large MTSOs only require that so many lines per day be typed. In my situation, the transcriptionist essentially gets assigned doctors/clinics, so all of the work needs to be typed and returned the following day (the transcriptionists choose their workload when they are hired). At any rate, I am sure many people will find flaws with my help-wanted ad, but I did the best that I could to fully inform everyone what the job actually entails. BTW, as the ad states, the .07 cpl is only for one or two weeks, which covers my time for being on call to help out while the transcriptionist is getting comfortable with how the Macros function. In the beginning, the new transcriptionists only type a few small reports per day, so if you deduct 1¢ per line from the reports they have typed, I am getting paid very little.
jhwm, I would like to say "thank you" for the kind words. I have read a lot of really vicious things about myself and my company, none of which I feel is deserved. I understand that I might not have time to chat with everyone who applies, but I do not feel I have done anything to justify the horrible things that have been said about me. LOL--You're right, there is a lot of information coming at each new person in the beginning. I am not sure when you worked with me, but these days, I forewarn anyone new about the information coming their way and that they do not need to memorize it. Some of the information that has been compiled is on things that are not related to the job, such as how to do certain things in Word (basically everything I learned when first switching over from WP.1 to Word). The pictures of the animal's eye, lab forms, terminology list, medication list, etc. are supposed to be helpful so that the transcriptionist who is learning does not need to look all over the place whenever an answer is needed quickly. Sorry, I am in defensive mode and keep finding myself trying to explain everything! Again, thank you for saying something nice about me. I hope others see your post and realize I am not a total ogre!
And here's the followup article to that one...
See link below:
Followup to resume
Maybe someone can help me!
I have always been advised to follow up after an interview/test etc.
Is that possible after taking a standard computerized MT test?
Any opinions appreciated!
Thanks!
Followup to resume
Maybe someone can help me!
I have always been advised to follow up after an interview/test etc.
Is that possible after taking a standard computerized MT test?
Any opinions appreciated!
Thanks!
lie detector tests too huh busy. just to see if everyone tells the truth about credentials and goal
I think they should check your medical and psychiatriac records too and see what type of medications you may be prescribed. Maybe they could interview your neighbors and family to see if you have a history or lying or fabricating, delusions of grandeur, bipolar or just plain character flaws. I have noted that on these boards sometimes people tend to fabricate. hahaha. bwaaaaaaahaaaaaaa
Check it all out before you can get a job working at home. I mean the pay is worth it to go through all the hoops and if you are exposed as a deviant too bad. No sense it taking ridiculous risks for .8 cents per line doiing medical transcription when you can ship it to India for way cheaper to all those good souls who don't have any vices.
Only 3 years away from reaching total years for retirement
but if I had to do this and raise a family, would feel exactly like you do. The pay is terrible compared to what I used to make. I work 32 hours a week, hope to be able to continue even after full retirement age. I have worked on VR now and unless places get to where they really do not care about how their reports look, think they will need MTs. I very seldom do a report and it is 100%, just cannot remember 1 like that and most take a lot more editing. Working now because want to, not have to anymore, thank goodness!!
Please post a followup when/if you hear anything about this...
Starting to talk to supervisor (and then probably payroll) myself about this, as I'd also like an explanation as to how this figure was derived (so I can hopefully double-check to be sure it doesn't occur again).
I feel somewhat like a stupid unpaid shill for MQ now, having defended the line counts on DQS on several MT boards a couple of times now, because I have occasionally randomly copied and pasted my reports into Word and "seemingly" confirmed that the line counts in DQS were accurate.
Considering the amounts of these checks in general, being dependent on how long one's been on DQS (mine is less than $8, but I've only been on DQS for six months or so), I suspect it's something like them incorrectly rounding up (like maybe not crediting 64.5 as 65 but as 64?) or some little arithmetical folderol like that.
Anyway, I'd be very interested to hear what the discrepancy is all about, from anyone who hears anything. I sure do feel that we were owed an explanation in the letter along with the check, regardless.
Followup poll regarding bifocals....SM
It just so happens that I went to the eye doc last month, and he recommended bifocals! Yikes! (I'm 44.) I was leery of the progressive bifocals (and their cost) so I ordered some old-fashioned lined bifocals. I have to wait 10 days for them (obviously not Lenscrafters) so I'm really curious how I'll do.
Bifocal people, what kind do you have, and do you like them?
Followup poll regarding bifocals
I have had both bifocals with line and without. It takes some getting used to, but after a day or two, no lines are what I went with. I now wear progressives trifocals, have beginning of cataract in each eye, but I tried one pair for transcription and one for driving and chain around the neck, pain in the neck. My pair cost me 285.00 and I am very happy with them, just got a new prescription for the progressive trifocals. Good luck in your decision.
Late Payers Followup
These are all very good responses. As a usually-paid-late IC for a small MTSO, I am learning from your ideas. I hope more folks will add in their comments as well.
Frustrated with SmartLines--Followup
Well done! You have stated the problem perfectly; more clearly than my original statement of the problem.
I have been using Smartype for 6 or 7 years, I think. I have been transcribing for 20+ years. At one point I actually solved this problem, although I don't remember how! I don't remember what I did to solve it, and now it has recurred.
This multiple-SmartLines problem has happened with MS Word 2000, 2002, and 2003 (which I dumped in favor of going back to 2002 because it had too many problems, even with the updated version).
I have used Windows 98 all the way through 2003 while using Smartype.
I believe that I have experienced the SmartLine problem whether in MS Word by itself or in a number of MT programs. I have quit a number of companies because of various incompatibility issues with SmarType, since I have THOUSANDS of entries (both single words and SmartBlocks), and I didn't like the idea of doing the equivalent of rewriting an entire dictionary.
At this point, I am ready to "bite the bullet" and switch to ShortHand or something else, even if it means the equivalent of dictionary-rewriting, just so I can get some work done and some income coming in again!
I saw somebody's post about having put Smartype entries into ShortHand. Did this work, even for all the SmartBlocks? If so, could you please tell me how you did it? I'm sure many of us would like to know. (I will also post this last bit as a reply to that post.)
Thank you all for any help you can give.
Followup story linked below
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/41036-1.html
Exanders to the Recycle Bin Followup
Right. There is still straight typing out there.
The point is that once one agency says, "We have ASR and now we are paying our transcriptionists 5 cents/line" what do the other agencies do? Eventually they have to do the same thing and eventually we will all have VR or ASR and eventually all be paid 5 cents per line. That's the way it works. One company can drive the entire business down.
Followup on the foot pedal
I was told by EMDAT support that there is nothing I can do, except buy one of their footpedals! I smell a scam. They can program this complex software, but cannot figure out how to make all footpedals compatible? Oh well, complaining won't solve my problem, Just had to vent a bit. Thanks to everyone for all your input. I am off to spend even more money before I can make any.....
Depressing News followup
My PT job was at a hospital that used Meditech so I do have that training on that software, but I have worked via the Internet for years with a couple of diff hospitals so thank God I did have that experience in other software programs and knowledge of Internet.
Meditech is not a MT friendly program either but I did make good money so now I am going to have to find another PT job to help the gap. I sure am going to miss that account. I have been so lost since I lost my hourly paying hospital job and going back to working by the line for my total paycheck and I hate it. I really have thought about going back to school at age 58 and doing medical billing maybe. Hope it improves for all but I really do not think it will for a long long time.
I have a problem with followup versus follow up
Which is correct.
Followup in the office tomorrow or follow up in the office tomorrow?
He was told to followup or he was told to follow up?
he presents for followup or he presents for follow up?
Thanks so much for any help.
Followup for AHDI and Indian transcription
As promised, this is the new response I got from AHDI regarding the special pricing for certification exam from AHDI.
EVERYTHING BELOW IS A QUOTE FROM AHDI
I believe that information comes from a dated press release that was sent out by our testing company, Prometric, when the exam went live in India. That is the correct price being offered on the exam there. However, we also offer that very same rate here in the US when we run promotions like our current Credentialing Cup. In addition, at least quarterly we offer this discount on our exam to individuals who do not want to participate in the Credentialing Cup. (If you're interested, you can read more about the Credentialing Cup at http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/CredentialingCup08.cfm. This promotion is our attempt to engage US transcriptionists and encourage them to become credentialed. In India, transcriptionists sit for this exam because they WANT to earn the credential - not because it necessarily pays them more money. We simply don't see this attitude often here in the US. MTs here only seem interested in certification if it is going to directly impact their wallets. I can understand that - having worked for many years as a production MT and watching my line rate slowly erode - but someone needs to take the first step toward professionalizing this industry. MTs need to learn to speak with their feet. If they get credentialed and they engage in continuing education, then there is no reason why they should settle for working for an employer that does not recognize the value they bring to their position. There ARE companies paying more for CMTs. We add them to a growing list every time an MT reports one to us. Check out: http://www.ahdionline.org/scriptcontent/whocarescert.cfm.
I don't blame the transcriptionists in India for our falling wages here in the US. Linda Kloss, CEO of AHIMA, gave a presentation at our annual conference a few weeks ago. She showed us a graph that detailed the profit margins for hospitals over the last several years. It was shocking to see how financially stable hospitals have been pushed out of business. Hospitals that once had huge profit margins are now operating in the red. The rising cost of healthcare and shrinking reimbursements from insurance companies are, in my opinion, the primary drivers behind the drop in wages for MTs. Hospital CFOs see medical transcription as a COST. They don't understand that documentation is the beginning of the revenue cycle, and that medical transcriptionists are the first line of defense for risk management. Many CFOs fall prey to technology vendors who promise that their widget will eliminate transcription, so they buy into expensive technology solutions like templates and speech recognition only to find that it costs them even more in the long run, and their documentation is now substandard. Hospitals aren't making money, transcription services are no longer making money, and, therefore, medical transcriptionists are also struggling.
One of our primary goals at AHDI is to raise awareness about the vital role that medical transcriptionists provide to healthcare. We are lobbying (literally, in Washington DC) to bring attention to the need for accurate, timely, efficient documentation. We are making the case for keeping a human professional involved in the documentation process in order to ensure quality record keeping and impact patient safety.
It's unfortunate that people misunderstand the goals of our association and automatically assume that we do not support US MTs, or that we only want to make money off of MTs. That is so completely far off from the truth. One-fourth of the staff at AHDI have worked as medical transcriptionists. We are passionate individuals who are extremely devoted to our profession and our colleagues in this industry. And we need the help and support of every single MT in this country if we're going to turn this industry around.
My daughter will followup at MCV Pediatric Hem/Onc. for the rest of her life - sm
They said that is the norm there, granted this is cancer followup and not normal yearly physicals for an adult.....she is only 5 now so she still has a long way to go. But as for their normal pediatrician, I will take them their until they graduate high school (I did the same), then onto a regular family/adult doctor.
continue your goal; he'll/they'll get used to it/over it
nm
Followup (or follow-up) for noun/adj. Follow up for verb. nm
nm
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