Good old days
Posted By: Ohio MT on 2005-08-03
In Reply to: What was it like? - kyradmt
I worked for a mom-and-pop MT service who gave bonuses, Xmas parties and gifts, and were good people. We never worked holidays unless we asked to and a lot of us never worked weekends. There were no line count macros. DOS counted the lines. We were paid very good wages and were told we were appreciated. Hard to believe but true!!!!
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Actually the good old days
were in the 70's and 80's when MT was first being outsourced. Then the companies who were pioneers in the field would kiss the back side of an MT or do anything else to get and keep them, provided, of course they produced quality and quantity. Editors and Q.A. hadn't been heard of, we were expected to edit and Q.A. ourselves. Many of the companies in the good old days provided full benefits and the pay was much, much better than working in house and much more than it is today.
This is from one who started MTing when it was a MINIMUM WAGE job in the clerical section of medical records located next door to the morgue in the hospital, rose to the peak in about the mid-80s just before the advent of computers and I guess everyone knows about the decline since. Guess it'll have made full circle in another 10 years or so.
Tell me about the good old days....
Hi all! I've only been doing the MT thing for about 9 months now......so I need to know: What were the good old days like for the MT business? Were you really able to make good money? Did companies really take care of their employees? Did you really have the feeling of family?
And, more importantly, how can we get things BACK to the good old days?
Good ole days?
Let me think back,,,,,back,,,,, back,,,,,,, I started about 6 years ago and have worked for 2 companies, a large national and a small national. My pay has gone down at each company, causing me to tell the large national that I didn't want to take a pay reduction at this stage of my career and I gave my two weeks notice. At the small one, couple of years ago I took a 50% pay cut because the company was just starting out and there was a chance it would have to close altogether. That pay has gone back up a little but certainly don't ever expect to be making what used to be made. Am figuring out ways to work smarter, since I can only edit and type efficiently and correctly at a certain speed, though I expect that to slowly get better. I am afraind we are at the tail end of the quickly vanishing "good ole days."
good old days
 Ah.... I remember them well. My first transcription job for a service was in 1983, owned by a local m.t. and had about 4 transcriptionists. She treated us well, the second year I was high producer and she took my husband and I to Las Vegas for 4 days (all expenses paid of course!). I worked for her for 5 years and then she moved away and quit the business. I think of her often. Wish there were more like her who knew us, we weren't just a #, and she didn't hesitate to tell us (and show us with extra $) how much she appreciated us. Those were the days!
good ole days
 Sadly enough, I do believe you are right! With very few exceptions, employers don't give a rip about their employees anymore (not just M.T.'s, but ALL employers). It's a shame. If we don't have integrity, there is not much incentive to do our best and do a great job. But we CAN and we DO!!! AND we can sleep at night!
These are the good old days....
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm still making darn good money. The trick is you have to know how to sell yourself and then make sure you deliver consistently good work. Now I'm talking IC, of course. Working for another company, I don't know. But MT is like all other jobs when you work for someone else. You get what THEY decide to pay YOU! And the sense of family? I think that probably all went out years ago, not just in MT but most fields, wouldn't you think?
GOOD OLE DAYS
yes - i had told the first doctor i worked for that i should have been a painter - i used so much white-out i would go home with my hands covered - used a selectric typewriter, and dictabelts. I swear I got hired for the sundress i was wearing - ahhh to be 18 again.......been doing this 30 years!!
the good old days
Oh Boy! Do I every identify with you! A selectric typewriter, 24 hour turn around, doing this in my garage! My then husband getting up at 4:00 a.m. to deliver and pick up work. One doc wanting me to transcribe his daughter's thesis! Two little boys, still asleep, three hours sleep for me. Eighteen docs! Fun, fun, fun! Bless your sweet heart, I was there too! Still doing it, but for a hospital, fantastic salary, boys raised, one a Gsgt. in the USMC, the other a Lt. in the USN! Divorced, thank almighty God. During those days I was working to pay his child support and alimony! I got skunked in the divorce, but nearly 70 and still going strong! The Lt. is getting married next month...the Marine is married to a stellar you woman and I have one adorable grandchild. My moto is, never stop, never give up, I have "mountains to climb and promises to keep", and believe me, I will!
GOOD OLE DAYS
A dictabelt is what came before the standard size cassettes.
Ahh yes...good ole days!
I began typing clinic notes on Avery sticky paper using a reel-to-reel machine and an Olivetti typewriter!! I used to get up at 4 a.m. and drive to LA to pick up and deliver tapes, too (I was 18 back then)!! I remember when I purchased my first Lanier word processor with great, big floppy disks to save and make normals on!! That thing was huge, 'bout 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep!! Now, I use a laptop and can transcribe anywhere, anytime and have my docs using a digital call-in system on a website! Thanks for the Internet..what would we do without it? 
the good ole days
I used to have a provider that every day he would start his tapes with a joke, usually pretty corny, and at the end of the tape would always say "i hope this wasn't as boring for you to type as it was for me to say, have a great night"....made me feel very appreciated :)
Good ole days.
Hear you! Been there and done that and times have certainly changed. The hospital I worked at didn't outsource too much but they let go the long-time manager of 30 years and hired a CEO right out of college, no experience and tripled his income. Then they became real picky as to whom they wanted on their payroll.It was great for the chosen few but not for some of us who had been there 25+ years. Sadly, it was the final curtain but most of us were ready to move on after the change in management.
the good ole days
I remember at MRC when we were going to have clients or upper crust visiting, a sign would go up on the bulletin board to please wear a bra and shoes to work when we had visitors.
Those were the days!
My version of the Good Old Days
My "old days" started in 1985 working for the first HMO I'd ever heard of. Yes, electric typewriters... hard copies, white-out...learning other aspects of medical records when MT work slowed down...knowing and seeing and being appreciated by and sometimes teased by the docs I transcribed for. Then on to a mom and pop company, highly appreciated for my work (the first computer/word processing for me). Then onto the first transcription service I'd ever heard of - I loved it. I worked in-house, was paid well, was regularly appreciated, got reviews AND raises. Line counts and pay all made sense.
The next larger service I worked for was even better, started working at home for them in 1991, same company since (well, bought out by a MQ).. back then, felt like so much of a team player, like what I did really mattered and counted. These were years of annual picnics, Christmas parties, review and raises, knowing who I worked with and for by name and face, meeting with other local MTs (this was encouraged!), getting cards or flowers from the owner for helping out on a brand new account. I too felt I could count on my job, my skills, no matter what.
The changes, the "good old days" becoming just that (old and no longer current!) have been coming on for a while now. I guess I'm finally taking my head out of the sand and, though I wish it wasn't this way, take some small comfort in finding I'm not alone.
I will always take pride in my work though, that won't change. Twenty years 20 years of MT work is hard to just throw away! Wish I could be more encouraging to those entering the field, as the "guts" of this career still fascinates me.
Hey, thanks for letting me have my say.
oh i remember the good ol days
I could never stand working with people a straight eight hours a day, i'm not an "on" type of person and not gossipy either. Just not my thing. A lot of backbiting went on and you could just feel the negativity in the air. At home I don't have that. My dog/cat never talk behind my back nor are they fake. They really and truly like me. Just kidding. But I remember those days well, couldnt get out fast enough.
My good old days were great..SM
worked full time for a local hospital from home, making 14 cpl, 1 month off a year to start, full health insurance, short-term, long-term disability, all equipment and phone lines supplied. Those 2 years I made more $ than ever and haven't been able to reach that level since. They outsourced.
The good days started unraveling when
The nationals started buying up the mom and pop MT businesses that started cropping up in most cities in the late-1980's and early 1990's. Most of these were small businesses with a few local doctor's office accounts and hospitals, had a guy who ran back and forth picking up and delivering tapes, and everyone got along fine for the most part aside from the expected competition between local companies. Then came Medquist, Transcend, etc. who swooped in and started scooping up these companies by the handful, and pretty soon we had what we have today. It happens. What started out as a good thing (computer networking) making us able to leave the offices and work from home, continued to evolve into what this business is today. Now it's taking off in another direction with voice rec and overseas MT's who work for peanuts. I've seen this business evolve from the IBM Selectric, a tape player, and a bottle of white-out to what it is today, and it's amazing what changes there have been in the last 27 years. Who would have known!
1200 to 1600 on good days (nm)
x
Do you guys ever feel like just a number? Remember the good old days...
When if you had a problem, you could go straight to the manager and they'd take care of it right away, making you feel secure in your position and important? When I talk to my supervisor, I feel like her main focus is to get off the phone with me asap, being very short with me, and quick to say she will get right on something when in fact she never does. I just feel so remote and always worry about how long i'm going to have a job in the MT field because of how uncaring the supervisors are, not knowing us personally, not having a face to go along with the person, being able to yank us off an account we're comfortable with onto some ungodly thing where our line count goes down to zilch, and having NO control over it. I was never one to work around people because of all the backstabbing that goes on with women in the office, but I would love to have a home office to report to periodically throughout the year, and maybe work in-house a couple times a month, just to put a face with people and not feel like a number that would be easy to dispose of.
The good old days were not so good for me. sm
Transcribing from tapes on a Selectric typewriter with 3 or 4 carbons and white out, no spellcheck, no expansion program, no internet for research.
30 hours divided by four days equals seven-hour days. Most of us have to work pretty much every day
.
Working 6/hour days, 5 days/week I make
$42,000.00, but the work is there to make more if I want to. I'm in the southeast.
2000 low days, 4000 busy days
Did 43,000 lines last month. 6 doctors.
You can "make a living" if you work 16-hr days, 7 days
and if you rarely buy anything but food and the barest essentials in clothing. My balancing act is so precarious that all it'll take is one of life's little disasters (rent increase, sick pet, major car repair) to pull the rug out from under me. Not a good feeling at all.
550-650 lph on average. Some days more, some days less. It all depends. nm
x
How? By working 12-hr days 7 days/week?
;LKJ
That is a good offer. Pay is not that good at UIMC. Good luck! nm
x
In SEVEN days?
$30 in 7 days? You've got to be kidding, right? I could see $30 in 7 hours being bad, but in 7 days? Either way, it's still not even minimum wage. Aren't you worth at least twice minimum wage per hour? Granted, there is always a period of adjustment when starting a new account, but I won't even stick around that long if I can't even make minimum wage. Wow. That's all I can say. I think you know in your heart what you need to do. You are worth so much more.
I've been frustrated myself because I'm supposed to do so many lines per week. Monday and Tuesday were no work because the weekend people did it all. Wednesday was technical problems. Now I'm scrambling to get my lines in by the end of business today to reach my weekly line quota and get a half decent paycheck. I was basically on call for them for free for three days.
There's not much of interest to me on the Job Seeker's board either. Heck, maybe I'll take the next month off work and fool around for the rest of the summer until I can find something else. I should have backed up paychecks coming in to last until then. Good luck with your dilemma.
yes, just last few days.
Thought it was my computer - it acts like it can't keep up w/the typing and I'm not THAT fast...;) Now that I know it isn't just me though, I think I'll give them a call tomorrow if it happens again.
I think my MT days are over.....sm
I took a Federal job last year and kept one small, very part-time MT account. I got a 2-step promotion yesterday (lots more money), so I'm going to drop the MT account. This will be my first experience as a supervisor/work group leader. I'll probably still check in here, I actually use a lot of the grammar and software info. I loved MT, but the benefits and job security were a good move for me and my family. Best of luck to all.
Most days I truly like my job very much; however,
today is not one of those days. After listening to dictators on speaker phones, chewing gum, and ESL's, today I don't like my job a whole bunch. Tomorrow will probably be different, though.
I had one of those days too.
Very draining. Hope it gets better for you.
It will still be there in 2 days
when I go on to work. They let it happen constantly. They are just glad someone is dumb enough to do the idiots the cherrypickers skip continuously. The funny part is one does get used to them although they still SUCK.
Unfortunately, I had it for four days...nm
.
I think I will try it a few more days.....
If I just can get it, then I will try another ergonomic style..
I think after two days..
I am getting the hang of it. I still hit a few keys wrong here and there, but I think I will end up loving it too! I have noticed that my hands dont ache at the end of the day and thats a +++!!
Does anybody else ever have days that you just
absolutely depise transcription? Usually I enjoy my job, but today McDonald's, Hardee's, Pizza Hut, cleaning toilets, etc. is looking better.
Ever have one of those days
When you've typed an entire report and don't recollect having done it. You check it and it's correct. Frightening. My mind is elsewhere this morning. Too much caffeine (shh, don't tell my coffeepot). 
Having one of those days 2 days in a row!!!
 Have had the same ESL the last 2 days who mumbles incoherently until the end when he suddenly puts the phone near his face and rattles off the last sentence crystal clear before hanging up. I would love to grab him by the _____ (pick a body part) and ask him very politely to please ennunciate and speak just a little bit louder.
Thank you. Done venting. Carry on. 
Have you ever had one of those days?
When it seems like your fingers are not cooperating? So far this evening, I have misspelled somewhere close to 6 of every 10 words. thank goodness for spell checkers! I seem to be hitting extra letters every time I turn around!
Re: Have you ever had one of those days?
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Some days just go like this.
 My 19 yo son can't find his keys and boy, is he upset. He, dad and I search the house for the keys. He knows where he put them last night, but they're not there. I push furniture out, shake all the clothes that he has lying around his room, search and search, along with the others. Now, 1-1/2 hours later, 1 hour late for work, he finds them.......
in his back pocket behind his wallet.  I'm laughing, of course he's really mad now!
some days
 so where were they????
I tried it only for a few days, it
I started to take Doxepin instead- it was a life saver! It is considered to be a rather "old" drug and you would have to check to see if it is even available in your area. I took it for anxiety & trouble sleeping. Anyway it is a an alternative option to look into should Prozac not agree with you. Good luck. 
days gone by
How about shows you miss that are no longer on (excpet maybe reruns)? I miss:
- Seinfeld
- Ally McBeal
- Strong Medicine
- The Division
- Any Day Now
Days Definitely
I love Days and make sure that I take my lunch break at 1:00 to watch the show. I'm happy to see Patch and Kayla back too. I've been watching for years myself. I just want them to get this Shawn/Belle/Claire mess taken care of. It's been going on long enough. My other addiction is Rob Thomas.
one of those days
I can't concentrate, my head hurts, and I can't hear half of what is being said.
Sorry, I needed to whine for a minute.
Thanks for letting me
Having one of those days...why is it
necessary for these dictators just not to care when dictating. I am doing a 20+ minute dictation. So far we are into almost 10 minutes of the dictation and so far I have one paragraph done, literally. We are still in the HPI. He has said ummmm who knows how many times and back tracked to rearrange things he already dictated. I would love for each dictator to type one lousy report of theirs, just one and see what we put up with. Maybe just maybe then they will shape up a bit and clean up their act, then again why should they care. Maybe if they got paid for typing their own dictation they might get the point, once they starve, lose their nice boat, house etc. Sheesh. Okay done now, feel much better. Thanks for allowing me to vent. 
one of those days
arghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
Dictator, weather, kids,
It has all been said before. And how was your day.
I feel better already
11% if they pay in 3 days -- nm
nm
Three days then said ....
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