I have kept 1 for the past 4 years but have - sm
Posted By: on 2007-02-22
In Reply to: I would like to take a quick poll... - wonderin'
moved about a bit trying to find a good FT gig. Have worked for 3 other companies in 5 years trying to find a good fit, no set schedule, good accounts and pay. So far no luck. I do like my PT job now, do about 6000 lines every 2 weeks but would love to find what a few others have, a good account, easy lines and good pay, but those are few are far between I think. I cannot work a set schedule as I have way too much going on, so it makes it harder to acheive nirvana.
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That is how I have been doing it for the past 2 years -sm
My husband has 2 exemptions, but Married as single, so it is taxed at a higher amount. Covers my taxes (so far) and we still get about $1400 back. I plan to pay some taxes though this year via the electronic Federal site. Have not started yet though as finances are tight at the moment but plan to get on the stick by June with any luck and pay in a couple thousand.
for the past 5 years...
i don't pay a thing until i do my taxes, then i pay it all at one time. so i will not pay 2007 taxes until i see my accountant next month.
q.4h. for the past 15 years
I don't remember where I was working when they made us start using that format, but every place I have worked for the past 15 years at least has used that format.
Personally, I think some people at AAMT have too much time on their hands. There are millions of transcribed medical reports out there and there is no single way of doing things that is better than another.
Transcription survived pretty well before AAMT came into existence - we used to be paid a lot better than we are now and we had respect of the doctors.
What we have done in the past 8 years - sm
You can pay it all at the end if you so choose, but you may owe a penalty if you made more than you did last year. No, SS is definitely not optional unless you want to do jail time, LOL! Remember, you being an IC pay both portions of SS yourself (normally employer pays half and you pay half). You can lump it all together in the end moneywise, but it will be broken down on the tax forms themselves. Hope this helps some. 
After 37 years I am mostly past that...
... but I remember in the old days, when I would "work all night in my sleep," as we always said, and when I got up in the morning, gee, none of that work had actually been done! Now THAT is not FAIR!!
some of us have been pointing to this for the past two years
and there will be others who will reply "plenty of work for GOOD MT's" which I wish they would have posted that for the 150 US Heartland MT's that got canned. You might say "Come ON people! Offer more than that! We are WORTH it!!!" Apparently we aren't worth it or they would offer more. As they say in Economics 101, "the market will only pay what the market will bear." Offshoring, EMR and VR are eating away at MT, the only thing left will be the junk ESL....
Where in the world have I been for the past 40+ years?
I have never, ever been paid for my gas money to come to a job. Where do you live that they do that? I have lived in 2 different states, been working at jobs since 14 and I am amazed to hear someone say this. Totally AMAZED. What planet did you get off of?
Over the past 33 years, I've often wondered sm
the same, is it worth it? I guess it was for me, as I really don't know what else I would prefer to do (besides crafting, my pets, gardening, and other hobby stuff). I don't think I'd consider starting out now as an MT with things the way they are.
As far as the depression, anxiety, etc., I don't think being at home alone causes these. I think these problems are inherent in those particular people who eventually turn to this type of work.
What I'm saying is (put out the flames) not all or even many of us have these problems, but those who do would find this kind of work attractive.
I think it's important for those of us at home to pursue outside interests to get us in the world. I'm delighted to be able to be home all the time. Sometimes I don't leave the house for 4-5 days at a time. My pets provide a lot of company. When I want people, I email some, or go out somewhere.
CMT-me, I am QUITE informed, have sat on the board in past years
I do not believe getting the CMT is as worthy as you say. I believe that it is overrated when it comes to getting paid more my by services and I do speak from experience. I had the CMT for many years and I let it lapse because it was a waste of perfectly good money. Money I choose to keep in my pocket rather than spend putting in AAMTs pocket. No, I am quite happy not having the CMT and earn a living wage even without it. As I said previously, I can say as an informed MT (former CMT) that a good 90% or more transcription services do not care if you have the CMT. All they care about is that you can get the job done and at the cheapest rate of pay possible.
Ex-CMT
There have been lots of changes over the past couple of years (sm)
What kind of info are you looking for specifically? Are you asking about posting a resume on the MT Stars site? - or the JLG site? If the latter, I believe JLG takes applications on their web site.
I've done a lot of WAHM jobs in the past 15 years.
Is it the typing that's getting you or the subject matter? Maybe try general or insurance transcription? I did secretarial work at home for a while, bookkeeping, typing, resumes, insurance typing, databases, mail merges. I did mystery shopping, but couldn't make any money at it.
I sold on eBay by going to yard sales in the hot afternoon and offering people $1 a box to haul off their leftovers. Or go early in the morning so you can snap up the collectibles. Run an ad in the paper that you're buying certain collectibles. Estate sales and auctions are good sources of stuff, too. I once paid $12 for several boxes of junk that I sold for $800. eBay does get tiring quite often between finding packing materials; finding inventory to sell; answering people's emails because they can't bother to read the auction instructions; nonpaying bidders; blatant liars; driving to the post office every day, etc.
I've done some other WAHM jobs but, again, eBay and transcription make the most money for me from my home.
Well, it seems the norm to me! I've tested with at least 4 co's in the past few years and
the tests were not dictations that I do on an everyday basis. I know they pick and choose carefully what they will test you on because there are always kinks in there where the doc either stumbles, mumbles, or you know you would have to be a genius to figure out what they are saying.
Here's their revenue for the past three years and other financial data.
MQ's debts are not high either.
http://news.biohealthmatics.com/PressReleases/2005/08/19/000000002719.aspx
I've tried to quit 6 times in the past 6 years but
always went back to it. The longest I've quit was 3 weeks. My mom died from COPD and she had smoked from age 16. She really enjoyed smoking and although we kept trying, couldn't get her to quit until she was on 24 hour oxygen. She told me if she couldn't enjoy anything in life (smoking), why live. She died 3 months later.
I started smoking at 13...you know, the "try it, you'll like it" phase. We both tried to quit when I was 19 but we only lasted a day. There was only cold turkey then.
I've tried the patch (3 weeks off cigarettes), cold turkey, herbal meds, hynosis (only lasted 5 hours), you name it. I've used all the suggestions possible to no avail.
With a cigarette dangling from my mouth, I told my boys never to start smoking because they'd never be able to quit easily. Two took my advice, one didn't. He also tried to quit smoking but failed. He was on Wellbutrin for it.
My husband started smoking at 8 while working in a coal mine. He quit cold turkey 19 years ago. He was smoking almost 4 packs a day and one day he got so disgusted with it, he just threw them out the window of the car. Never touched one since and smoke from other people doesn't bother him.
He told me you really have to have the willpower and just get disgusted enough to quit. There's no other way. I guess I just don't have that willpower.
My goal every year is $52k, which I have done for the past 2 years working sm
for Keystrokes. I do radiology only, I should mention. I took the amount I wanted (actually needed) to make in a year, divided it by 52 weeks, divided it by 5 days, came up with $1000 per week or $200 per day. I divided that by 8 hours and by my report rate ($1.25). I know that I need to transcribe 20 reports per hour on average. I keep a tally. Some days, it takes me longer to do than others, but I sit down and do my 8 hours every single day. I use my Expander a LOT (literally for all but a few words). I am on one account, so I know those doctors inside and out. If I am short at the end of the week, I ask if there is work available on the weekend for me to do. The most I end up with 2 hours to make up what might have been short during the week.
At $40k, you would need to make $153.85 per day, or $19.23 per hour. At $0.07, you need to type 275 lines per hour, or 2200 for the day. This should be very easy to get with using an expander and sitting down with a set schedule.
It takes a while to get used to making sure you hit your internal quota every day. I have to think of it daily and make it up on Saturday or Sunday so that I never start a week behind my personal goal.
I also take an incentives that are handed out (for instance if they are asking for help in a backlog situation at increased rate) and work at least a partial shift on holidays. If I am ahead at the end of the week, I carry it to the next week and know that I have some lines in my internal quota bank.
I know this sounds weird, but it works for me. I have helped a few others to get to their goals as well, and this seems to work for them too.
I would also look for something that is more in the 0.08 to 0.09 per line range. Ask your lead for production tips. Ask other transcriptionists. It is very possible for us to make good money, we just have to focus on our goals.
I have a sales background, which involved sales quotas. This is easier as I am in control of my daily production, not on someone else's decisions.
Good luck!
Besides the fact they've had a freeze for hiring transcriptionists for the past couple years.
The MT I know works a few hours, is required to take 2 hours off, then come back and finish her shift. Plus she has to work 4 hours on the weekend. They do work at home but keep to a strict schedule. I wouldn't want it.
chiefly British past and past participle of SPELL
nm
But why sign it to put the past behind? The past should have
It seems that they dredged up the past by wanting the release signed to keep them out of trouble for unfair employment practices. Usually when a person ends the working relationship, they give formal written notice, the company accepts the notice, and the employment is over. Smells pretty fishy to send a termination agreement and, oh by the way, sign this release. LOL
Have gotten as much as $3,000 in the past.
The hospital I worked for for 28 years (as a medical lab technologist) always gave us a Christmas bonus. This ranged from $3,000 one year in the 80s down to an orange (yeah, a piece of fruit) and a calendar a few years later. It usually averaged, though, around $200 or so. It always depended on the hospital profit for that year.
The clinic I work for now gives us $100 and a really fancy dinner-dance party (that I don't ever attend). 
I have used it in the past
I had it before I got DSL. Never had any problems at all. Lots of local numbers to call into. Never really had problems getting bumped off. Never had problems with busy signals. Just was really slooowww (as is any dial up). I paid a few dollars more a month for the "accelerated" version. It was supposed to be faster, but I didn't notice any difference. I would definitely recommend it as far as dial up goes, though.
I have done this in the past and have just taken another
full time position with another company. If you are motivated enough, then go for it. The only advice I can offer is if they are both full time jobs with full time line requirements not hours, when the first full time job picks back up, are you going to be able to do both jobs full time? That is the only problem I had but I was able to do it just fine.
his past was his past........if you...sm
If you have never learned in life that yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a *gift*, that's why we call it present...and to forgive what was years ago and condemn him in his 60s and continually name-call him, such as *perv* - you apparently have the personality disorder.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, just as I am.....so like I said - go into the mirror.......and become introspective before you name-call....
oh, and your history is 100% perfect? Oh, I get it - you have no faults from the past or prefer to point out everyone else's faults or past. 
'tis all in the attitude.......
My past
Hope my "name" doesn't bother anyone, but I just couldn't help but post.
I can relate to how you are feeling about your friend. I suffered from secondary infertility (I had a child but when she turned 2 I started trying to have another and couldn't). I found a web site where I could post and formed many friendships. Most were women who had NO children. My heart went out to them.
The web site is
www.INCIID.org if your friend wants to check it out. I have formed lifelong friendships with several I met on there.
End of my story is that after 9 years of fertility treatments (torture!!!) and 2 miscarriages along the way (worse than torture!!!!) I finally went the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) route and got my twins. My family is now complete. It was a very long, hard haul though. So anyone considering fertility treatmens should keep that in mind. Emotionally and financially. To consider taking out a loan for $15,000 for a one-shot deal at IVF was excruciating. Especially after my doc only gave me a 10% chance of it working.
Sorry, I didn't mean to write a book. I just want to be a source of hope for someone who is going through infertiltiy and miscarriage. It has scarred me, that's true, but these babies make up for the pain of those years. Wishing your friend the best!
I have in the past. I have to
change the covers frequently. If you run out, just rig covers made from clean, soft, thin cloth or Kleenex. I wrap the tissue around it, cut off excess, and secure with small rubber bands. Aaaaaah!
Lots of MTs have ear problems. After showers, dry out ears with an astringent on a Q-Tip, being very gentle. You can even hold 2 Q-tips together to make them too large to accidently jab too deep. Dry out excess astringent with dry ends of Q-tip and don't put on headphones until air-dried completely. If skin is oily, you can use wipe the entire ear and behind with witchhazel to normalize the ear skin and avoid irritation. I can even use alcohol or 2% salicylic acid on my ears. Feels great to oily skin.
I have seen this in the past also
I did training for the small service I worked for, and have worked with new grads all the way up to 20+ years' experience and had a very different focus training each. The older MTs (exp. not age) who had received no QA did have trouble adjusting sometimes; some were more demoralized by it, no matter how kindly it was delivered, and some would get angry and say things like "I've always done it this way and no one has complained." And some had difficulty with the computer programs we used, more so than the newer MTs. I would think that latter problem would be even more pronounced now with all the fancy software out there.
So I think I get she's saying, but on the other hand, I don't think it was too smart or tactful for her to say it and be quoted for it! I've always thought you need a mix of MTs for a healthy environment, newer and "older"!
How do get past the
frustration of KNOWING QA changes are incorrect? Working at Chronicle I had one good QA person I was dealing with and would send me what they call a comparison report. Then when I typed on a different shift and asked for a finished report I noted that many of the blanks I had left were still there BUT there were also things changed that I KNOW were incorrect? As an MT, are we within our rights to question QA changes and also the experience level of the QA? Viewing the particular changes made in my instance, there is no way this QA person carried any kind of experience.
There have been some things with others in the past
In fact, he's estranged from both of his children, one son and one daughter, they actually hate him and have written nasty letters. The daughter is completely insane, does drugs, married about four or five times, a thief, but nothing has been brought up about any sort of abuse. His other daughter and I have talked. She said that her mother growing up was very suspicious of her and her father's relationship. Actually accused her of leading him on, or teasing him, and something happened where she caught her naked and him in the same room and got mad at her. The daughter swears nothing was going on, but who knows, we didn't know him back then. So it ruined her relationship with her mother.
He has my family fooled that he's this great wonderful guy, yet his own family wants nothing to do with him. Thats why bad mouthing him, I would be ostracized. They all know he's slightly perverted, but its accepted. Thats why i'm wondering if i'm blowing it out of proportion. All I know is that its changed and i'm extremely uncomfortable. Being too specific about what he's said is too embarrassing to even mention to them. I don't even want to make eye contact with him.
that's a blast from the past
I remember that term from years ago.
I did a Google search and the closest I got was a Maxwell Sweetheart retractor: http://www.snowdenpencer.com/snowden/dspcatalog.nsf/b7e010000d3e8e708525666e004dfec2/0174ad87011670c085256673005b0e34?OpenDocument
If you read the first paragraph, it's referring to the shape of the blade ... so my guess is if you can have a heart-shaped blade with a retractor, why not with the tenaculum.
She has been referred in the past - sm
by social services, that's where they hooked up with her current psychologist.
It's a rural area, not much to offer, so they are looking further away from home now to find the right person/people for counseling.
Should also mention that SS dropped the ball on more than one occasion when it comes to Tater and her younger brother (different father.) Tater's mom has also relinquished custody of the baby brother in the past couple of months. Just handed him over without so much as a "how ya doin" to the boy's father, who is also the same guy that she had tossed in jail for domestic abuse and has a standing no contact order against. Some mother.
I never had any problem in the past..nm
/
living it for the past 2.5 yrs---
my ex quite working a legal job so he doesn't have to pay support. my 3 yo son was able to get insurance through the state but it was very hard to get (and didn't keep it) they don't cover that much. the state keeps rewriting the laws and cut benefits each time. I'm an ic and have my own health ins for my son and myself. I'm robbing peter to pay paul right now and probably will be for a long time. we're doing without a lot of things so that I don't have to take a job outside of the house not to mention that I couldn't afford full time child care. I would try getting extra side jobs so that you could stay home. I worked 3 jobs for 2 years and went down to one job that promised full time work a couple of months ago and needless to say they haven't kept up their end of the deal-as usual-so I'm looking to pick up at least 1 other job. the peace of mind knowing that I'm here and flexible, especially if my son gets sick, isn't worth trading right now.
did in the past but does not do drugs...sm
I wish he'd come in here and sue your arse...for that post
Felony in Past
I've just completed an MT course and am now looking to get hired. I have been turned down by a couple of companies because I have a felony in my past from 1995. Can someone who has a felony every get hired to be an MT or have I wasted my money and time? If it is possible to get hired, any ideas on which companies I should try. Thanks in advance for anyone's help.
felony in past
A lot of people in the medical field are very self-righteous and judgemental as well as hypocritical. Apparently this is not a field to go into unless you're perfection like they think they are. Sorry if this upsets some people on this board.
felony in past
i am inclined not to think that "Anon" and "anon2" are the same person. i have reread both, and the two have very different styles. i think "anon2" is just commenting on "Anon's" reply posts, but that is just mho. incidently, i did not take anything amiss in the posts. i thought several of them were quite compassionate.
Sorry, I can't get past the teeth..... : > lol
x
passed/past
/
Yes, here too, for about the past 2 hours..nm
/
Unions are a way of the past
My ex was and is still in a union as a truck driver but they are slowly being phased out and it will be that way everywhere. That industry was hit prior to us with more or less outsourcing when the Fair Trade act or whatever it is called opened up with Mexico and Central America. You do not see many English speaking truckers anymore and their income went from 70 to 75K per year down to $35 to $40 and so we are not the only ones that hit by more or less outsourcing. And now the place where he works, has a union and non union company and at each terminal when the union contract comes up for renewal, the non union side bids lower and it goes that way. He is in the last terminal that is union and I doubt it will be that way when their contract expires in two years. So unions are on way out.
But if I can get past the misspelling,
I have found 2 exceptional items that I bought. Some end tables, glass with bronze bases, 10$ each, very steady, cannot get that in a store at that price and the other day bought Persian rug, supposedly 8 1/2 x 11 with blue background that exactly matches the color in my workroom. I am so excited, seems like it made the room bigger. Happy camper. Just grit my teeth and keep looking. Saw listing for an chair and attaman 1 day and sent them note saying, what is that??
New MTs a Thing of the Past?
Interesting perspective and comments! I agree with some, notably about VR. I remember when I started, asking about if VR would replace me some day, and then the answer was "not in your lifetime." Ha! I have lost accounts to VR. I am still an MT, and things are constantly changing, you are right. Thanks for your comments!
she states below that she did try in the past sm
to bring on another IC but they were resistant to the idea.
She has already tried doing what you suggest, to no avail.
I have been in this situation as well, and while it is very true that we are, in essence, vendors to our clients, there are offices that are truly difficult to work with.
It is a good idea to consider taking an employee position in this case, I agree, but please know that she's already tried addressing the issue in the way you suggest. :-)
Probably so. And my current one. And past one, too.
They might as well - they don't seem to have anything more productive with the time they spend in their plush offices behind closed doors. Unless maybe it's napping.
this past year
ok i feel dumb but if he dictates "in March of this past year" what year is that?
2 to 5 cpl judging from past ads, with 3-4 cpl
s
Have you given them feedback at all during the past
five years? I find it hard to believe that they've worked for you for five years, and it's only now that you don't find their work acceptable. Yes, it is unethical to cut their line rate or switch to a per page rate UNLESS you have already spoken to them about quality issues. Cut their line rate and hire a QA person. Tie their per line rate to their error rate, but be consistent and accurate in your own grammar and typing. Or cut their hours and hire somebody else.
As for not having the time to hire and train somebody new, a decent MT should need minimal training. I was on QA for maybe six reports at my most recent job. Stop making excuses and post an ad for a new transcriptionist. See the job seekers board link on the left side of your screen? In the time it has taken you to vent about these unacceptable MTs, you could have posted an ad and received resumes already.
100% for us this past April. nm
Yes, there are past threads, but
I think it's important to start this subject periodically so that more than just the 50 or 100 MTs who saw the last one can get the information. There are a lot of newbies who don't know what's going on & I think it's important to let them know; besides which, how about a long-time MT who's isolated because of virtual work & virtual colleagues & who maybe has only recently spent any time at all on a board because she's too busy living paycheck to paycheck to pay any attention?
I think in the real world they call this "grassroots politics," & shame on you for dissing it. People find out when they find out. If you don't like it, change channels or start your own board where no one is allowed to talk about that rapacious organization, AHDI.
It sounds like in the past,
they can recommend it ALL they want, but it does NOT mean that the services have to comply. Also, if they did make it mandatory and did not want to pay more cpl or pay for the CMT, then they would lose even more MT's and then they would be up the creek.
In the past there was a post on here about
exactly this program. Try the archives.
Passed/past
I agree akward way to say it, but perhaps they changed it because it should've read: Only lipase elevated, past 3 times normal.
Thus, saying that NOW the lipase is elevated, however, the last 3 were normal. ????
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