Given the uncertainty with the future, Kelly, SM
Posted By: MsIndigo on 2008-02-24
In Reply to: Is it worth it? - Kelly
I wouldn't recommend anyone go into MT right now (especially a single mother without a partner's income to fall back on)--unless you have the opportunity to do a limited range of work you can handle competently in short order, such as for a local physician's office, or to do hourly pay work, such as in a hospital, and are prepared to walk away if needed. Becoming skilled enough to make decent money requires a surprisingly long investment in time (much longer than many other comparably paid jobs), and for anyone working on a production basis that means an investment in lost wages that would have been earned at other work. Someone trying to enter doing acute care work on a production basis will make very little for some while--a very very long while if not working a full work week at it every week. The only way to become fast and accurate is through extensive experience on the job.
For a parent, also, it's important to point out that this work requires eyes, ears, and hands be engaged with the report in front of you. You won't hear any suspicious quiet settle on the house, and whenever you stop to tie a shoe you stop earning money. There's no multitasking while you're actually doing this work. Best wishes.
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Me too! Too much uncertainty in the MT field...sm
and too much potential in nursing. I have a small MTSO and since I'm getting a salary and can set a flexible schedule, I'm getting my BSN. Our state college only has a full time program. 1000 people applied and 70 got in. If you didn't have a 3.50, you didn't get in. The curricula is incredibly tough. I'm pretty smart but this is very challenging. Yet I am finding out I love the challenges too. Working as an MT is a definite plus. Everybody! comes to me to ask me how to spell things, including the instructors :) and I was the only person in the class who knew what a pheochromocytoma was. (I have lots of other medical background too including medical assistant, paramedic, etc. but listening to thousands of medical reports teaches you an immense amount.) Not to mention my charting is impeccable.
My main plan is to go on and get an Advanced Practice Nurse degree (master's) so I can work in primary care in the physicians' offices. Good luck to you. and Email me with any more questions.
Thanks Kelly!
I am going to try the Neutrogena, I've had good luck with them in the past.
Kelly has got to go!
x
Kelly needs to go because she just is NOT...nm
.
Regis & Kelly
I have been in the audience of Regis and Kathy Lee. It was great. I love Regis. He is so funny.
Kelly LeBrock
She was that girl from the commercial. She was also in Weird Science, ugh, how do I even know that?!? She was a model and I was kinda glad she's fat now too. OOOOH...Evil Jodi !
Thanks Keyboard Kelly (SM)
I have been scoping out all the different keyboards, too. Sure can get confusing!
Did it take you a long time to adjust to the Gold Touch in the tented position? I thought that looked rather interesting and would be something I would like to try. At the end of the day my hands ache and I am anxious to find a more comfortable keyboard.
Have you ever tried or considered the Kinesis Contoured keyboard? (Been looking at that one too). It's the one where the keys are sunk into a bowl-like depression. I've done some research on it and it does take getting used to, but all who have used it declare their pain is gone forever.
Wish there was a place where all these neat (and strange) keyboards could be tried out.
Another question, I have only been an MT for 5 years,and when I started everyone said - Be sure and get a gel wrist rest. Well, I did, but according to all the scientific research, I have been using it wrong. I rest my wrists on the wrist rest at all times letting my fingers "do the walking." I have just learned I should actually suspend my wrists while typing and only place them on the rests when not typing. Had any experience with this? Many thanks!
Chris....and Kelly....
I really wish that America would get it right for once and not base this on "looks" but on talent. Let's be real, seriously Kelly is not that great, she's just a cute Barbie. Katherine is the most talentin IMO in regard to the girls. I really would love to see Chris win it, he is the most talented and not bad looking either!! A total package. Just like Bo last season. He really should have won it. Carrie is just a robotic Barbie now.
Kelly seems to be Pickled...
I've never lived anywhere but Georgia, and it really makes me mad when folks get on TV and act slow, playing up the dumb hick stereotype. Anybody ever seen the Klan on Jerry Springer, for example? LOL It makes the rest of us (Albeit, we do speak a little bit slower/relaxed.) look dumb as dirt! I think she's faking to try and be "cutsie." I see nothing cute about it. It just nauseates me. I think they got rid of the wrong southerner last night.
I think Paris or Kelly
I'd love to see Kelly go home. She was bad last week and worse this week. If there's any justice, she'll be gone. I like Katharine and didn't think she was as bad as the judge's thought last night. I really love Chris thouh and think he'll definitely be in the final two.
Has anyone ever been in the audience of Regis and Kelly?
I love watching them on t.v., and was wondering what it's like to actually be there.
OFF TOPIC KELLY AND REGIS
Did anyone see the show this morning? I had to miss it. Did Lori Schulweiss pick a guy? Who did she pick. I have been watching all last week but missed it today.
Keyboard Kelly - One more question (sm)
Thanks for the info. Would you let me know how you like the Kinesis Contoured keyboard when you have a chance to try it out? I have enclosed my email address.
Also, the keyboards you buy on ebay - are they new or used? Have you ever been "bit" with a bad keyboard? Thanks!
Keyboard Kelly - Need Your Input (sm)
It's me again. I have narrowed my choices down to the Goldtouch or the Kinesis Maxim. I had leaned towards the Kinesis because it is advertised to be a really soft touch. Also, I liked the sloping palms rests. BUT - the Kinesis only tents at 8 and 14 degrees while the Goldtouch tents up to 30 degrees - quite a big difference.
How comfortable is the Goldtouch tented up w/o a palm rest?
How much tenting do you usually set yours on?
Does it have a soft touch?
Would so appreciate your reply. I really wanted a keyboard that had reprogrammable keys so I could put my backspace key where the left space bar is, but all those keyboards seem a little too pricey for me.... maybe when I get rich!! LOL
Many thanks!
On Regis and Kelly yesterday, they said (sm)
Regis saw the first 2 episodes, said you would not guess in a million years what happens at the end of the first show, and that the second episode was "gut-wrenching."
Kelly Pickler gets on my nerves - sm
I am from the South, too, but she makes us look stupid. However, I absolutely LOVE Taylor Hicks!! That's entertainment!!!
Kelly won't go tonight--probably Katherine!
x
yep sings country well but Kelly is just NOT..nm
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Kelly can sing Country and there are
probably more Country fans out there than the others. She has a strong fan base. I doubt she will be going home anytime soon. I tried calling for 2 hours last night and could not get through on her lines so ended up texting. She does play the dumb blonde a little to much for me though.
Kelly? I am at a total loss as to what the fascination is
a
Keyboard Kelly - Many thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions.
I really do appreciate it.
DixieKaye
Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, Jack Lemmon and - sm
Tony Curtis and Cary Grant.
Wasn't really one of the tour shows, but I did see Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson....sm
when they toured together. Really went to see Clay, but Kelly was actually much much better.
future of VR
My personal opinion is that for now only some companies will use it but eventually it will become more predominant like all technology, i.e., cassettes to mini-cassettes to C-phones, etc.; as well as manual typewriters to electric to memory typewriters to computers. It seems to be something people either love or hate, but I do believe it is here to stay, though not take over.
Future-Net - NM
X
In the future you should try
doing a catchy flyer with pertinent info and faxing it. This works much better. Most of your mailers probably went in the trash without being opened. If you do a flyer, try using phrases like -will beat your current Transcriptionist rate- you WILL get calls. You can bargain from there.
I have a friend who works in a doctor's office and a drug rep gave them a list of phone numbers and fax numbers for all physicians in the area. If you can get one of these, just go down the list and fax 10 or 15 back to back at a time. I got several calls.
MT future
I have ben doing transcription for 7 years and ASR editing for about 6 months. From what I see, it will be a very, very long time before it is perfected. Honestly, transcription has not been lucrative for me in the past and although pay is slightly lower than transcribing, I have not seen much of a diffence to my bottom line.
MT future
sorry about typos, been a long day!
future
unfortunely, seems to work well for radiology...hospital probably a safer bet for future work.
there is editing needed, but personally would rather type thanlisten and correct. and many self edit anyway.
no future in MT
I agree. Itis the same old crap everywhere you go. Lousy pay, no raises, etc. I've worked for several agencies and it is only same old routine.
since i'm not sure about the future of MT
I've gone back to school as well. I'm completely torn as to what I want to do, i'm back and forth, and the past two years have been taking courses for nutrition and psychology, and cannot decide between the two. When I was a soph in HS I knew I wanted to do something with psychology, but here it is 15 years later, when I've decided to go for it, and its just brutal, the studying, the work on top of a full time job. I SOOO wish I would have just started 15 years ago, in that direction. I've always had a full time job and moved out at a young age, so just took the technical college route and learned MTing.
I'm looking at about 10 years of college because I can only go part-time, to be a clinical psychologist. I'm thinking of just going for the nutrition. I love working with food, time flies when i'm in the kitchen and I love watching people enjoy what i've made. I just know its a stressful job, you're on your feet a lot, and its more about speed than anything. I went to the library today and bought a book "can you stand the heat" all about the working conditions of a chef. I know I do not have it in me to be in school the next 10 years, i'm sorry, maybe if I were independently wealthy and could just focus on that. Becoming a chef will take less than three years. I will do MT'ing as long as its around though, as I enjoy working independently.
Go to the library, there are books that fit your personality type with a specific job, and then a list of the pros and cons, the money you would make. Just really research it. If its what you want to do the rest of your life, make sure its something that will make you happy.
Future-Net
I do work for Future-Net and this is what they do.
I'm sure your future will be
xx
Is there a future for me as a IC MT...
Hello! I'm new here but any advice would be welcomed. I haven't worked as a full-time MT in nine years. Mostly I've done Pathology at a hospital in Las Cruces, NM. I would like to get back into the MT field so I've purchased the SUM Advanced CD, which I am currently working on, and 19 practice dictation tapes from "Absolute Experience". I have also just started a workbook entitled, "The Language of Medicine." After I've finished all this, is there a future for me as an independent contractor MT? This is really the only job that pays well that I can do from home. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance! Shelley P.S. I took a test this week through a company called StatIQ in Albuquerque and I was surprised that I scored 94% (since it has been so long). However, you must score 98% to secure a job.
Why not? Don't you think that even future - sm
programmers, code writers and technical engineers are warned that a lot of U.S. work is being sent to other countries?
Future Net
No YOG - Your Office Genie was sold to MQ. FutureNet had most of the old YOG employees. I quit because I did not want to work for MQ.
Might try it in future...
but for 30 years have done my straight-8 on 2nd shift, 3-11 or thereabouts. I'm up at the crack of dawn and love having the daylight hours to be outside and get so much done. I will admit that some nights typing can be sOOOOOO long, though.
Future-Net
Does anyone know anything good or bad about Future-Net I have been accepted for a position with them and want to know what you think. Thanks in advance.
Kathy
FUTURE REFERENCE
try www.fda.gov in the future, great help for all FDA approved meds
The future of transcription....
Actually, it's listed in job future forecasting as a growing field, in light of the aging Baby Boomers. There's one thing for sure in this world, people will get old and sick. As far as voice recognition, I think it will fall by the wayside just as soon as people realize that it has very limited realistic possibilities for quickly producing a quality document. It will NEVER happen and I've said it all along. A "few" doctors who are very committed have made it work in their own practice, but as my eye doctor told me (who tried it a while back for his office dictation), "I don't have time to fuss with it." He said that if we going to have to hire someone to make it right, since he didn't have time to make sure it was right himself, then he might as well just have someone transcribe it.
The last factor in the availability of experienced MTs is the pay. It has gone continually down in the last 10 years. How can you expect to hire someone to do something which is very specialized and pay them peanuts? If it were a job where people thought they could make a good income, they'd pursue the field. But the word is out that it's no more than sweat shop wages in many places, so why bother? And I agree with you about mentoring. The hospital I work for (at home) does hire a newbie at a time and train them. But that's increasingly rare as the almighty dollar dictates everything these days.
A - No future in this profession.
Get a 4-year degree and open up your options.
The future of MTing. sm
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at the future. I prefer to think of them as forward thinkers, because that is what they are. I congratulate you on doing well. However, the industry, as a whole, thanks to offshoring and greedy MTSOs, is not doing so well. There's an excellent article on this board about Dictaphone being bought out and the new company "phasing out manual transcription." Exactly what do you think that means?
Future-Net Technologies
Anybody know anything about this company? I have heard good and bad.
bucky may have a future but he does come.NM
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I too am worried about the future of MT BUT......
Am I the only one here who thinks this article has nothing to do with us? We ARE NOT simply word processors or data-entry keyers. This says nothing about medical transcriptionists. Just my opinion.
and maybe you can do their transcription in the future, but not now.
:P
Thank you. I think that will be my future plan! nm
nm
VR is definitely the wave of the future
Integris owns several large hospitals and numerous smaller clinics in Oklahoma City (near where I live) and they now do all their radiology transcription using VR. They only employ about five transcriptionists to do editing and what little transcription they need to have done. And their main hospital is the largest one in Oklahoma City. I don't know exactly how many radiology MTs they used to employ, but I do know they were staffed 24/7 and probably had at least 10 or more people working during peak times.
Actually, I think for a while this will work to the advantage of at-home transcriptionists, because it will be cheaper for smaller facilities to have a transcription company handle their work than for them to invest in a VR system. But eventually, yes, I think we will go the way of the dinosaurs.... 
For future reference
eScription increased my time out value and that fixed it.
Hmm, but my daughter won't! Think about the future instead of just yourself.
/
Scared about future
Hi all, I've been wondering this for some time and especially these past couple of weeks when work has been low, I'm 33 years old, do you all think MT is a profession I could retire from? Or do you think that MT'ing is going to be phased out before my retirement age? I'm just worried about in the near future when I'm in my late 40s, early 50s, I will no longer have a job and then what will I do, it will be too late to start over. Does anybody else think about these things or am I just being crazy? 
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