I'm slowing giving up my perfectionism...SM
Posted By: same here on 2005-07-17
In Reply to: If I can't understand a word straight to QA that is what they get paid for. - I can relate
in that I won't search and search and search for a new/unfamiliar term. I'll do a quick search in my books and Google and maybe ask on the Word Board, but if nothing comes up, I flag it. I used to spend WAY too much time wanting to find these things, mainly because I'm pretty anal, which is generally a good thing in MT but can end up costing you $$$!
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Slowing us down
If one person is getting great line counts, and she goes on vacation, the account may suffer while she's off. If instead two people are getting mediocre line counts, and one goes on vacation, the account does not take as hard a hit.
A phenomena that easily leads to burnout is being punished for competency by one's employer. I've run into it in other industries, but it happens here too. The more you know and the better and faster you are, the more crap work they'll send your way. If you have a good work ethic and pride yourself on conquering challenges, they'll use it against you by giving you more difficult accounts/jobs, because they know you won't wimp out and complain or quit like others might. The more efficient I become, the more extra difficult work I get. The slower people that goof off are rewarded for that with a light easy work load. Its not very fair, but its certainly been a trend in my experience.
ESL is a particular thorn, because as someone else said, everyone hates to do it. I have one dictator in particular on one of my secondaries that is just impossible. Our QA person chides us for not getting him right, sending snotty emails that we must take the time to look up his old reports, and that it doesn't take much time to do so, even though SHE often has to leave the same blanks in the report that I left, because she can't understand him either. Its a case of the emperor's new clothes - everyone knows this person is impossible, but they think by guilt-tripping us into killing ourselves over each report, somehow they'll get done. Never, never will they tell the doc HE is the problem and its his own fault his reports are such a mess. Maybe ONE report doesn't take that much time, but we don't get just one report. And yes, many reports do take a lot of extra time, and often it doesn't matter how much time you spend, he's simply indecipherable. Still, they'd prefer to try to make us feel incompetent and keep the client, while we all lose money because of him.
Slowing down Dictaphone
When I used it, it was #4, but you'll need to check with your supervisor to make sure that is the right code. Then you do ## to go back to regular speed. This worked on my current transcriber also.
Not necessarily...metabolism slowing...
as we get older is a much more likely culprit. At 50, our metabolism is on average 50% lower than at age 16. That is why when we are young we can lose weight easily and rapidly, but as we age it's a tremendous struggle. Exercise is the key, as it not only burns calories but revs up the metabolism for hours following.
I presume you are slowing it down on your player - sm
when you transcribe, if not, obviously try that. If that does not help then either just to the best you can, alert whoever you are sending the work into of the blanks (and why), and just handle it that way. If you just don't want the hassle of them anymore then give them 2 weeks notice that you are dropping them since they cannot seem to follow a simple request and make it so you can turn into them a quality product. With my 1 puny account, I always email them while files have any blanks, and why. I am dealing with the Drs. personal asst. (not the office manager) and she loves that I do this (when I have to), the previous MT did not....just sent it in with the blanks with no heads up or explanation. Good luck!
Slowing down and listening ahead
These are two different things. You have to practice them separately, then eventually merge them.
As for slowing down, that should be the easiest. It means to key at a speed slow enough that you make no typos. None whatsoever--not even one.
Just practice typing one sentence until you can key it correctly without a single error. Go on to a paragraph. You'll settle on a speed that works for you.
You may feel that you are typing s l o o o o w l y, and this may frustrate you, but bear with it for a bit. Practice this every day, slowly and smoothly, giving each letter the same amount of time. No machine-gun rat-a-tat-tat. No speeding up and slowing down.
Your goal is to maintain the same boring, monotonous rate on and on and on. It shouldn't be tiring at all. You'll find it easy and restful, but you'll make better progress because you won't have to stop to fix anything.
To learn to listen ahead, you'll need to pretend that you're working on a typewriter. If you have an actual typewriter, use that. Otherwise, just assume that you CANNOT correct anything. What you type has to stay on the page forever, so it had better be right the first time.
Take a practice report. Listen to the first entire sentence without typing anything. Hold it in your head. Now type it from memory. Do the whole report that way.
You'll have trouble with whole sentences at first. You might have to do just phrases, then longer phrases, then work up to sentences.
Practice that perhaps an hour a day for a week or so. At some point, the process may click for you and you'll figure out the point behind it.
Once you can do whole sentences, you can start typing while listening. Listen to the first sentence, but this time start typing it when you have heard half or all of it. You can pause the tape momentarily at the end of the sentence if you need to, but you should be able to type continuously.
Listen listen listen . . . listentype listentype listentype type type type listentype listentype listentype type type type, etc.
It takes practice, but it's worth it.
Strike in Pakistan slowing down offshored work here. Just another example of offshore
:+
I'm not giving up
Fortunately, even once I return to work outside the home my child will not be going into daycare. Even if I did MT at home and he wasn't there, my family-my mom would take care of him.
I'm not giving up, i'm just not willing to put all my eggs in one basket right now. I'm sure I will keep my day job, get my MT training and try to find something PT for 3-6 months. It will probably take me longer to find a PT job at home for a newbie, but this way I can get some experience under my belt and still be able to have a stable income. Once I have gained the much need experience, I'm willing to do this FT. I think I will have my mom keep him 4 hours while i'm working and then do 4 or more hours of work while he is asleep or napping. I think this would work better for me.
You will end up giving him away if you don't
You need to train him to accept being in his cage. If you don't do something about this situation, I can betcha you will soon be looking for a home for him. Which would be more humane? Taking the time and energy to retrain him or give him away to strangers? Also, neutering him may help. He is at that age where he is beginning to notice girls, and this may be contributing to the problem. ALso, when you try to find him a new home, it will be easier to give away a neurtered male.
For those giving up MT
what will you do next? Is medical billing the next logical step for MTs, or is that a bad gamble as well?
how is giving you that information
She isn't giving you the whole story on pay...
There are many different account levels. Each level pays a certain rate per line for transcription and per hour for training.
If she's at 6.5 cpl, she's on an account so easy you could do it in your sleep, literally.
Account levels go as high as just over 10 cpl as a base rate.
Spheris wants a certain level of knowledge whether you are new or not. Not all accounts have positions open at all times so you may well have 10 or 15 years experience but if the highest level account with an opening pays 7 cpl then that's what you get hired into. You can always bid off on other positions and even other platforms once you've passed 90 days.
I have 3 accounts...one I rarely type on. I switch myself back and forth on my other 2 accounts. One is easy and the other a little more difficult. While the easy account doesn't pay as much, I can do a lot more work on it with no effort so I make better money on it.
And, 127.5 lines per hour is how they base what you should be doing to get your lines in the minimum hours you can work for your status. Even at 127.5 lines for 20 hours a week as PT, you're making $8.28 an hour. That's NOT minimum wage. I agree, it isn't what I want/need to make (and I make much more than that), but you're statement that "...what you're talking about is not even minimum wage..." is completely wrong.
If you're going to give the story - get it right and give it all.
giving notice
Depends - either wait until you have a new job, if that's what you want; or, just tell them you quit and do they want you to finish out the week or? I guess I don't see the problem. If they wanted to fire you, it would be "bye bye now."
Giving Notice
I feel you should treat them the same way they treated you. Did they try to work with you or did you ask them/tell them their reports weren't your "cup of tea"? Myself, I am very professional, but an MT's job is different than an office job. They're like McDonald's; either they won't even replace you or they probably have 50 resumes to pick from and hire the same day. So my answer is no, don't give notice if they were tacky. I wrote an email and asked for a shipping label form a large company. They finally sent the slip after two requests and are open to hiring me again!! So I feel any more, MTs are a "dime a dozen." If you are ethical enough to sit there and type two more weeks while you could be spending your time finding a decent company to work for ASAP, I think it would be stupid to waste your time on them ... depending on your circumstances of which I know nothing about.
RadGuy, you are giving your age. I was only 11 and had no
:)
Giving up? That's their fault then!
Sorry, but where survival is concerned, you don't "give up". There's always a way. I've scooped dog pens, I've delivered phone books, I've cleaned houses. That's a lame excuse and people like that don't get any pity from me.
I eventually went back to school and am out of debt, own my home and both my kids are college educated, with me being the next to graduate from a major university.
I've been kicked in the butt financially, health-wise (lost my job, got fired because I had cancer and chemo made me "throw up too much"), divorce due to domestic violence.
I never gave up. I will never give up.
Life is YOUR responsibility. If you give up, that's up to you but there's no one to blame but yourself.
Sounds like she is giving you
certainly need it. You might be making $22 an hour, but your are being grossly overpaid if you don't know these things already. These are all standard and basic things any MT should know.
Nevermind - I'm giving it to you anyway! lol
For a REALISTIC but FANTASTIC job, here's what I think:
-- limited ESLs but completely accessible samples (meaning, a secure website that I can go to in the middle of the night when I'm typing and get all the samples I need)
-- Word Expander of my choice on YOUR provided equipment
-- Weekly teleconferences with my entire mgmt team and coworkers to discuss how we did last week, what we see coming up this week, what's on our mind, etc.
-- Base pay commensurate with worktypes: clinic and ER = 0.10 cpl; acute care w/o ops = 0.12 cpl; ops = 0.15 cpl; specialties (neuro, ophth, cardio, path, hem/onc, etc.) = 0.15
-- Production incentives based on that day's lines-per-hour averages; the more you type, the higher the incentive tier
-- Shift differentials of 1 cpl for 2nd shift and 2 cpl for 3rd shift if you work 4 or more hours into the shift
-- Difficulty pay for weighted ESLs and difficult dictators (not all ESLs are bad, some US docs are hideous) up to double lines
-- Weekend incentives of 3 cpl for 1000 lines or more on Sat and Sun
-- REgular QA feedback
-- Qrtly bonuses based on percentage of QA blanks sent and quality on regular QA analysis of my work
-- PTO rates averaged every quarter
-- PTO of 15+ days a year -- commensurate with yrs of svc
-- PAID HOLIDAYS (paid hrly if not worked and double lines if worked)
-- Mentor program -- pair up proven exp'd MTs with newbies and pay the mentors a flat fee per month
-- Let me earn a few extra rewards for top production and really high QA and not missing work and keeping my schedule and good communication
-- A $50 "thank you" during MT week
-- Never promise anything you cannot or will not deliver
How's that?
How about giving us some tips?
I do envy that ability. :)
How about some tips on how to work up to a level like that? I mean, aside from being glued to the chair and shortcuts (the obvious). Do you have to think about each letter as you are typing? How do you type so quickly while avoding typos? Are there exercises one can do to help with this?
Giving notice
I think it is a kindness. After all, they will need to replace you, and possibly need to train somebody for your account. Otherwise they could come up short on turn-around time. However, if they have been extremely unfair with you, I would give 2 weeks and tell them if they did not need 2 week's that I could to leave at any time.
Sooy, but I am not giving out the
name because it is small (at least compared to the mega companies I worked for) and they are not hiring right now. I just want to say maybe it is not that MT is a dying profession, as I see posted on the board here sometimes, and but maybe it is the companies out there causing some of the problems with MTing.
I am glad I stuck it out and did not quit, but searched around until I found the right placement for me.
IMHO these big companies don't care about quality, they just want quantity, and the MTs are just a number. I can't work like that. They are not concerned with patient care.
Giving notice as an IC...
I have been an IC for multiple years at a clinic and wish to resign due to extremely long hours and very little time off. I rather have more time off and a smaller income, rather than no life with more money. I would like to leave on a friendly note too, but I am confused on how to tell them. Do I tell them in a letter or speak to them in person? I also want to give them a few weeks notice. All opinions and advice are welcome.
Thanks again~
thank you for giving me insight on this
I can see now about your point on the certain days there is more work because this company does handle clinic work. I really don't want to sell myself short. I have been looking a year if that tells you anything!! it sounds like they didn't have much to offer somone. She did tell me "her ladies that work for her do not have that much experience." Thank you for listening. I don't feel quite as bad now about marking yet another off my list.
THANKS!!! Giving me the page...
.. number was what I needed.
(((((hug to you))))
I'm not giving my clients away, plus
up tapes twice a week; neither one of them will go digital. You would like the pay on one though; they pay me for blank lines, which is great. I do wish you luck on your search. I didn't say they were "pain in the butts," but just simply stating that 8 cpl not to have to deal with the administrative end can be worth it sometimes. I'm on the East Coast.
Giving myself a raise
I have been working for an office for 2 years now at the same line rate. I would like to increase my per line rate, but want to know how I should go about doing that.
I feel that I do good work for them and need some type of raise since I am an independent contractor and do not get bonuses, etc.
Thanks for your input.
No instead of giving a pay raise,
they would rather hire someone new at the same rate they are paying you now or even a lower rate. They don't care anything about loyalty anymore. It's really sad.
Giving out SS# for new contracts
Is there anyone else, besides me, who's very hesitant on giving out your social security # to new contracts? Am I better off trying to get a Federal Tax ID # and using that instead?
Well, I'm probably guilty of giving
more negative than positive feedback not because I don't appreciate good work but just because things are so busy, I only take the time to point out something if the client points it out to me or if i happen to see something that really is wrong. I try to be fair and not nitpicky and only bring something negative up if it really needs to be addressed.
Honestly, I probably don't make it that obvious when I am thinking an IC anymore, I'll just use them less and someone reliable more. A lot depends on their attitude and willingness to work on problems. If someone asks me, though, I will always be honest with them about how I think they are doing. You should talk to your MTSO and just tell her you're wondering how you are doing, whether there's anything she wants you do to do differently, etc.
I was just giving examples.
I didn't see the posts in question where people were complaining about only making $20/hr. I was just trying to point out that all of us have various issues, and there is no way to know why someone can't make it on $20/hr. It isn't always pure greed. Sometimes I think it is just to easy to judge someone on a forum when we don't have the full story, especially this one where everyone is completely anonymous. We don't know the posters issues and why they are having trouble. Most people don't share their whole life stories on an open forum. Some just want to vent somewhere where others are facing the same issue.
If you want to hear complaining though, you should hear to the millionaires around here complaining that they had to sell their jet or their 3rd vacation home because of the money they are losing in this economy. Poor things! LOL.
Thank you for giving us a voice - sm
It is a good starting point. THANK YOU!! 
Sometimes those giving the tests
deliberately give you a difficult dictator or bad-quality dictation to see what you will do. When in doubt, leave a blank. It's not such a big deal, as you will become familiar with the dictator/account & will have samples to go by. I'm always curious though if I leave a blank and will ask and either say, "oh that's what it was," or "I'd have never gotten than in a million years, what in the world?." Good luck on your test!
What are your thoughts on giving notice?
I've only been with this particular job for less than a month, but can already tell it's not for me. Seems like a good company, but the accts and work are not my cup of tea. I'd like to cut my losses and get on with it.
Does the 'real world' etiquette of two week's notice apply to the MT world as well? I've always given 2 weeks at my outside world jobs, but am really tempted to just give a week's notice since I just started there. I don't think it would leave the company in the lurch too badly as they have many other MTs and are still hiring.
What do you think?
You did the right thing by giving her a gift -
Now it is up to HER to send a thank-you note. These things tend to take a while for some reason these days. Yes, I also waited a year for a note saying how much they liked receiving the gift I sent. Another bride had her notes out within a week. Just sit tight and see what happens. :-)
Yes, it's my opinion and realize you were just giving her
.
How much you download isn't an issue with the 10 gig. They are giving
you web space so you can create your own website, independent blog, or store photos on-line. The 10 gig doesn't have anything to do with how much you surf, how many websites you visit, etc. It won't come into play with how many songs, wav files, etc. you download.
I say I'm giving 2 wks, but then ask if I can leave now. Only had 1 place say to
s
is giving notice required?
I'm having a debate with my husband right now.
I know when you're an employee that it's customary to gives two weeks' notice, but what about when you're an independent contractor? One of us says that two weeks notice is customary whether you're an employee or IC, but the other says that you don't have to give any notice if you're an IC. Who is right?
The loser pays for a dinner at Olive Garden.
Giving up Health Insurance
Does anyone know what happens if someone doesn't have health insurance and ends up with huge medical bills? Can you just pay a little every week/month (forever) or will you lose any assets you might have?
I am upper middle-aged and might have to give up my insurance because I just can't afford it right now. I have paid for years (and rarely used it), but I am terrified something major might happen if I give it up.
Thanks for any input you can give me.
Maybe the are giving you the harder dictators
because they feel you can handle it? They obviously trust you to take on the harder ones. My advice, stick with it, it will get better with time.
What is your stance on giving notice? sm
I have a job that I have had since about the first of the year. I HATE IT. They run out of work, micro manage and make veiled threats. I feel that I work for them one more day, I am gonna die! The pressure is terrible and it has made me sick.
I went back to work recently for my last IC company. They asked me and I had missed the people and the work. They pay better than the above company and I want to work for them full time. We have all agreed to a very workable schedule and I am anxious to get started.
Do I give the first company notice, and if so, how much do I need to give? Would you walk out on a job? It would be burning my bridges behind me and I know that, but I don't think that first company has a bright future in transcription anyway. I am rearranging my schedule so that I can finish my Master's degree and get out of MT once I have my PhD in another 3-4 years, in any case. Perhaps a burned bridge is not all that important right now.
My health is suffering and I am having anginal pain again because of the job stress. I have not had a full night of sleep in about 4 months because I have been chasing work. I want out, but I want to do the honorable thing too. No, they would not give me notice if they wanted to get rid of me!
Tell me your opinions please.
Be very grateful someone is giving you feedbac
You must have some talent for them to keep working with you! But be a little humble and grateful for any kind of feedback you get. Try to develop your own "suspicious" ear when you hear something you're not truly sure about. That's your responsibility to train yourself after the training. No MT learns it all in a training program. Years and years of listening and typing and researching is how you become a decent MT. And then you still will never know everything--ever. It's good you took the training, just know that it's better to get feedback from a good service than not be able to find work because you don't know what you're doing. Keep listening, researching, and typing and will eventually click. Best of luck to you.
How is giving $-per-hour average vs
x
Hey do you have the account your giving up coveredd? :) I'm interested !!
I would love my own account..
12 cpl, 24 years experience. I am not giving name of company.
x
oh shush. you're idea of giving is only if you get
'why aren't they helping us, we helped them...waaa waaa' maybe other countries have no money, how about that one. Would you give a bum on the street a quarter and then the next day expect him to give you a quarter. DUH. U.S. likes to 'hide' behind the fact that we are helping them, when we are taking whatever it is of value we can use. Read a newspaper much? Didnt think so hon.
Are you from India? Your punctuation and grammar are giving you away. nm
x
but youre still giving them your money...that is not the answer sm
Just dont go to the fastfood joints that practice this at all...it's that simple. You better believe I'll be finding out who's taking my order before I eat out again!
Are you giving free medical advice?
You can stop for six months and see how you feel. There is a place for antidepressants. Some emotional pain is simply to painful to experience and function effectively on a daily basis. My dad was severely depressed in 1987. If SSRIs were available then, I wonder if perhaps he would having gotten out of his despair long enough to not make the decisions that finally ended up taking his life.
Get a second opinion possibly.
Pashaw, your vet just wants the money instead of giving it to a groomer. nm
:+
Ok hon - stop giving in to that instinct to love men.
And while you're at it, change the color of your eyes because I DON'T LIKE YOUR COLOR. Come to think of it, isn't today Martin Luther King, Jr. day? Um - know anything about what he stood for? 50 years ago a whole lot of people felt the same way about African-Americans as you do about homosexuals. I suppose you would have told them to change the color of their skin?
Amphion-Giving notice to quit
I love this company but just cannot make my line count within the time period I signed on for and the amount of time I am willing to work during the daytime. (Already have a night job and am not going to leave). Is two weeks' notice necessary for anyone out there who has left recently? I feel like I am wasting my time at this point and don't want to waste any more beautiful days sitting at my desk and playing with my kids... Feeling kind of like a failure for wanting to quit.
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