Has anyone ever done steno transcription? What is involved? Is it

• Has anyone ever done steno transcription? What is involved? Is it - difficult to learn and (sm)

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 Yes, it is definitely possible to use a steno machine and do transcription.  I have done so for over 10 years.  I never could pass all my tests to be a court reporter, so finally decided to use that skill in medical transcription and has worked out great for me.

Well, learning machine ShortHand isn't the easiet thing in the world.  I think it is what you make of your practice time.  I'm returning to an online school for this in the near future.

Good luck!

But when I started I used tapes and a selectric typewriter with 3 carbon copies.  We used to use a scapel blade to correct the carbon copies and then slide a little piece of carbon paper in to re-type the correction. 

I think it started going downhill when the  MTSO's started showing up more and more.  Only because, they cut the wages because after all, you got to stay at home, didn't have to pay for work clothes, transportation, meals, etc.  And you could write off part of your house mortgate, utilities, etc. as long as you had a room that used only as an office.  Everyone bought into it saying they wanted to work at home and thus they bought into the little less in wages that they offered.  I still think there is a distinct advantage to knowing the doc's you are transcribing for.  Working in a clinic or a hospital and getting to know the doc's make it alot easier to look at them and tell them they sound like they are gargling with peanut butter, they acutally laugh, and listen and I found they would make a bigger effort to be a better dictator because of it.  Better dictators = easier to type = faster TAT = less errors = less need for as much editing.  We used to transcribe all day and our work never went to QA (what was QA) QA was the doc complaining about our work which = counseling from your supervisor = getting written up = out the door if you didn't fix the problem.  That was what it was like when I first started 30 years ago.  I didn't have google, I had little notes taped all over  my workstation for those words I had never heard before until they came naturally to me, then that piece of paper was replaced by another one.  I had what I called my "bible" of phrases, etc. certain doctor's always said, no short cuts or expanders, we typed it all out.  That was real transcription.

I keep remembering how much faster you said it is than typing and I am wondering how one would go about learning how to use one?  Is it something that can be self-taught with a book?  Would I likely be able to find a good used machine?  Also, will they work with any transcribing software?

I am a slow MT and need all the help I can get!    Thanks for any further information you can give me.

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volunteer work.  Let him do for those less fortunate and maybe his life will seem pretty good.  If he feels needed that may change his whole attitude and everything else with just fall into place.  

He might also need some adjustments in his meds.  It s/l there is some depression involved, but it could just be situational and the counseling will help with that.   Meds could possibly diminish his libido and it would be worth talking to his doctor to see if that could be the case in his situation. 

Maybe you could make him a list of little things to do to help out, or plan the meals and have recipes on index cards so that he can actually prepare the meal.  If he is home all day he needs to at least be doing the daily chores. 

I think it's ridiculous that your team leader would post such a thing.  Every MT's situation is different--different accounts, shifts, work types, hours, etc.--and a team leader should know that.  As far as working for a national goes, I feel less "communication" is better.  Why stir things up?  These companies ought to just let us transcribe and keep their silly emails to themselves.  Don't they know the old saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt?"  Maybe your team leader needs more real work to do.  Don't let it bother you.  Just do your part and forget about it. 

One time I told a national bigwig (because my opinion was requested) that if I were asked to draw a cartoon which described this company's relationship with its MTs, I would draw the MT in a cage, sitting at her computer, with a (particular) "suit" poking the MT with a big stick, saying "They produce more when they're angry." 

Fortunately now I am a happy IC with a very nice company that treats its MTs with respect.  Ya have to kiss a lot of toads in this life, ya know? 

really can't compare things.  A lot of the people making that money have their own accounts or are working many hours.   You don't know if the person making 60,000 is an IC and has to pay their own taxes.  IC positions generally pay better than an employee position.  One acccount may not pay for spaces or headers.  You might actually be doing the same amount of lines, but they aren't being counted. 

At one time it wasn't that difficult for someone to make that amount of money if all the variables were favorable.  These days it is harder because line rates are overall lower and companies are always reconfiguring how to count lines in their favor.

If you are pleased with the amount of $$ you are making that is all that really matters and I would not feel that you are inadequate. 

and I mean it.  Every time I've had contact with an office and the wife works there, things are not as they should be.  They like to hole the money up as if they'll miss a shopping spree they could take on that cash or something!  It's sooo true!

These physicians are loaded, and the wives don't take kindly to the money flying out of the window or at least that is their perception. 

I'd leave that sucker like he was yesterday's trash....  He deserves nothing and didn't even deserve the cut in rate..  what a jerk!

Worked in a local office for one doctor and took a laptop with me into the room and documented the encounter while he and the patient talked, etc.  I learned a lot and I LOVED that job.  I had to quit due to babysitting issues at the end of May.  He then bought the Dragon Nat. Speaking and told me he was very impressed with it. I heard this week that he now has an ad in the paper for an MT......LOL.   The DNS slows him down and he hates to type so having an MT in the room with him was faster.  I think there is a chance this type of thing will really start becoming the norm.  Every doctor's office here is already using some type of EMR.  Most of the time it's the nurses that do the typing from what I've seen.  I'd love to go back to that job because I always felt I was working in the future of MT.  I still have a hard time thinking that it  will work in  a hospital setting though.  I can't see a doc there taking the time to sit down and log in and do all that, but then if you think about it they're already having to stop and dictate, so who knows.......

How easy is the platform, how are lines counted, do you have reference books or do you use Google to do all your research?  Do you have lots of normals/macros, do you use an expander, do you spend too much time on-line or are you up and down frequently? 

I make $40,000/year working 5 to 6 hour days/5 days a week.  I have an easy platform, lots of macros, an expander, multiple reference books.  I do work for a national, but I am also an employee and get paid by gross line, so my $40,000+/year is better than an IC making $40,000/year. 

I guess I was blessed.  In my entire 20+ year carrier I've only worked for 3 companies and each one has been better than the previous one.  

Is $40,000 what you think you s/b be making based on the TV commercials say you can make or is that what you need to be making?   If you don't need that much money to live on then don't worry about it.  You have to look at pros and cons of what you are doing versus working in an office and you might come out even by the time you factor in clothing, food, gas, etc.  (I'm assuming you work at home.) 

Most likely not.

Very upbeat about MQ being FORCED to comply by law enforcement.

nm

I took a test that was so long and involved that it was hardly worth the effort.  I got through the test and did well other than a couple of silly mistakes that I probably should have caught, nothing major, but I had listened to that long voice file and read and reread the report so many times I finally sent it on.  Anyway, I got the results back and wow, talk about PICKY!  Again, I had only missed a couple of small things, but I got reamed in email over it.  I should say that the dictator and the sound quality were absolutely horrendous.  The dictator spoke with an incredibly thick foreign accent and with the "far off distance" sound quality it was amazing that I could make out any of it.  This company should be thrilled that anyone bothered to even try to transcribe the test file, especially as long as it was, and I also can't imagine they have many people who want to work for them or stay with them.