I am very fortunate!
Posted By: mary on 2006-06-22
In Reply to: One time I had a doc - KB
All my docs thank me at the end and sometimes will even after a particularly long report will say "Say, I am ready for a cool one--how about it?" After reading all these comments on board, I feel very lucky.
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I have been very, very fortunate....
as mine only flares up a couple of times a year, so far, but you change see the changes in my fingers, etc. I'm very stubborn about everything in my life, like Frank Sinatra.....I did it my way.....don't take meds, don't follow any particular diet, etc. I do live in Florida which of course helps with the Raynaud's which was a problem when I was in Virginia a few years ago. Medications do not like me at all, they always cause some kind of problem, so when the pain is really bad I'll just take good ole Bayer aspirin that seems to help a lot. I'm about 60 years old now and one day will probably have to do more but for now, just aspirin and ignore it. Stupid maybe? Who knows. Look at all the bad things they are finding out about certain meds now. I'd rather just trust in the Lord for now; will do meds when absolutely necessary. As for typing, it takes an hour or two before my fingers really fly anymore but they do still have wings!!!
Do as I say and not as I do....make sure your friend has a GOOD rheumatologist...they can do wonders for those who find themselves really incapacitated!!!! If you are in Florida, go to Dr. Norman B. Gaylis in Aventura, Florida. He really helped me with my first flareup before I moved!!
consider yourself fortunate
/
Fortunate IC.
I know very well the difficulty of taking vacation and while I do not take a vacation every year, I have taken time off for a cruise for my 20th anniversary and for three major surgeries.
I have taken my laptop with me on trips and done what I can while away but it's not the same quantity as when I'm home. I tell all my offices several weeks in advance the dates that I will be gone and that I will do what I can while I'm out but they will have to wait until I return for my undivided attention. I have not had any problems with this arrangement. I did not take the lapto on the cruise and everything was waiting when I returned. Yeah, it's kinda of tough getting caught up but I consider it even tougher not getting away at all.
When I had the surgeries, I made arrangements to have other friends take some of my work while I was recuperating; all of the offices have been very compassionate and understanding so I've been very fortunate in this regard.
It's not easy to take a vacation but I have found that if I explain what is going on and give them plenty of notice, they are very understanding. Everyone in the office gets a vacation, including the docs, so they understand when I'm due for the same.
Sorry, that should have been "I am fortunate to have"
Some of us were fortunate
to get started in this field when it was possible to be hired and trained on the job. Some of us started right out of high school in the transcription department of a hospital where OJT was offered.
After retiring from another career, I took an aptitude test given by MRC, and did well enough that they basically let me train myself in medical transcription. I spent the next several years with my nose in books, looking up every other word and for the first year listened to every report twice just to make sure my work was okay. It took a long time to train my ear for ESL dictators. It was slow going and not very profitable at first, but eventually I began to make fairly good money at it. I've worked for MTSOs ever since, and currently make $20-$25 an hour - depending. But now these companies are really putting the screws to us.
Many employers now demand a ''certificate'' from a ''school'' for serious consideration. Some years ago, with over 10 years of experience with MTSOs, I interviewed with a local medical practice (the type with a staff of physicians and a stuffy professional practice manager). He did not really understand how I could be doing this without any ''formal training.'' I offered to demonstrate my ability, but once he realized I had no ''degree'' I was not allowed to test for a position. I have sent my resume to other local practices over the years, but never got an interview. So it was much easier to keep working for MTSOs, who at least would hire me based on experience and testing.
Anyone who has been in this profession very long realizes that it takes years of experience to become any good at it. However, I don't think a newbie has any way to get a foot in the door without some silly piece of paper from some funky school nowadays. Am I missing a way that the neophyte can get hired, work at MT and ''hone the craft'' without attending some rip-off school?
Again, here, I've been fortunate...
5' 5" and weight fluctuates between 105 and 115 pounds....so I don't have a problem with weight. Why in the world doesn't she try a different rheumatologist? Are you all in a small town? Believe me, it would be worth the drive to go 2 to 4 hours to see someone who can help her. The pain is no fun at all; it is deep within the bones; you can't touch it to make it better; all you can do is wait and know that eventually it will improve. It sounds like she has a really advanced case. Maybe you can help her find another rheumatologist, no matter how far away; I have seen many patients improve to the point where they CAN enjoy life again....she just needs a good doc!!! I'll be thinking about her. Tell her she will not get better until she does something to improve the situation and the first step is finding a good rheumatologist. She probably needs some help here as right now she probably doesn't care too much anymore, especially if she is drinking too much....I know just went through this with a neighbor. She was in the deepest, darkest pit of depression, didn't want to live, drank constantly, lost down to 60 pounds and was totally jaundiced. I called EMS and put her in the hospital for a month. She was angry but only for about two days. Now she is a very happy person and looking forward to life, although with some liver damage. Guess sometimes we just have to take them by the hand and lead them to where they need to go.
Well I at least I am fortunate to have a job I guess
So many newbies can't find work and I have tried in house in my area, gues what they mostly outsource their work, I know Spheris does a few hospitals in the area, So I will try this IC for awhile but I am deffinatley going back to work, I cant live off of this yet and I am not doing this for (stay at home mother) I do not have children... Yet...
Just wanted to give this an honest effort
make that -- If I ever am fortunate
it is very late and I am very tired. Darn it -- where is my spell checker. LOL
We are fortunate to have benefits.
The problem is that we have a person who can transcribe their required line count in 6 hours or sometimes under that. When there is extra work to be done, she will get on and get her line count in about 6 hours, then get off for about an hour, then get back on and do extra to finish her shift. When there is not extra to be done, she gets on and off so that she covers her shift. This Transcriptionist always produces more than the others when there is extra to be done. We have other transcriptionists who cannot transcribe as fast, but they make appointments in the middle of their shift and take off and come back on and transcribe their remaining lines. The ones who do not transcribe as fast complain about the one who gets off and on, but in reality, they are doing the same thing in the name of appointments or errands, just not getting as many lines. All employees have a base hourly pay. The required line count is 1000 lines per day. The lines are calculated at 125 lines equaling one hour pay. All transcriptionists work in the same pools so the work is distributed evenly. If a transcriptionist transcribes 5375 lines in a week, they are paid 40 hours at base pay and then paid time and a half for 3 hours, even if they have not actually "worked" 43 hours. The lines are registered in minutes, with one minute of dictation equaling ten lines. We would like to go with a straight line count, not minutes, with an incentive program, but our system counts headers and footers and blank lines. Not sure what the solution should be.
I was fortunate enough to have an account
where my Expander stats were running 65% consistently. That meant I was only typing about 35% of each report. Expanders are definitely worth the money. I use ShortHand and love it.
I had one doctor I could do 440 lines per hour on. Unfortunately, those are the accounts going to voice recognition or offshore, so I'm unemployed yet again.
I hope your 70 MTs know how fortunate they are (sm)
Your MTs are very lucky. A lot of us would give anything to have a decent-paying job with someone who cares.
You are fortunate to call shots. Most MTs can't
MQ doesn't give a care about cell phones, noise in the background or whatever would keep you from doing the report. Just do it and don't send it to QA but if QA picks it up randomly to "grade" you, you take a cut because your report may not stand up to QA standards. It's win-win for the companies and lose-lose for MTs.
I was fortunate with community college
I took courses through my local community college's continuing education program. The instructors were people who worked in the medical field during the day and taught at night. By doing exceptionally well in the classes and being a model student, I was recommended by a couple of the instructors and got a start at the office where one instructor worked before I even finished my transcription class.
Once I got my foot in that first door, I've been working steadily and successfully ever since. I had only a couple of classes under my belt!
The approved schools are probably the best chance for work after graduation, but opportunities can arise wherever you train.
Also fortunate enough to have a separate room. And
s
Fortunate enough to have a DH who has a very good income, plus...
the fact that we have no debt but our house. There are those people who just have to have everything right now, no matter what the cost. We have 1 fairly newer SUV, paid for, and DH drives a paid for, older commuter Subaru that has over 200,000 miles that he drives 66 miles a day round trip to work. We don't have kids at home anymore, don't pay for college, still manage to save a bit. I'm always amazed at the couples with kids who have an SUV or mom van, a big truck for dad, boat, RV, flat screen TV, etc, and all the payments to go with them and then complain that they are broke. If people lived below their wage there would be no problem. Our next big crisis in the US is going to be credit cards...imagine buying $100 worth of groceries and paying 19% interest forever!
I envy you! But I am very happy at your success! Wish more of us could be as fortunate! :) nm
nm
How fortunate that someone took the time to answer your question.
I was merely pointing out that it was possible that you don't need to spend the time or money to do all of that since I apparently wrongly assumed that you knew what you were doing. So much for the assumption that you were totally aware of all that the process involved. You're lucky that after reading your response to the original post that someone even wanted to bother answering your question.
You're extremely fortunate to get those lines. Too many of us deal
s
You're incredibly fortunate. Many of us aren't even getting offered 8.5 cpl for years of exper
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