I started a couple
Posted By: just for fun on 2006-06-01
In Reply to: who starts these polls - the administrator - wondering
I thought they were a fun way to get to know everyone and have something else in common (besides MT).
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I just started with them a couple of months ago...
 I find it so hard to produce a good line count, and I'm assuming that it's because of not getting paid for spaces. Can you give me an idea of the difference in pay with paid spaces vs. nonpaid spaces. I'm very frustrated, and am also looking for another job. Do you think they get paid for spaces from the hospitals?
I have a couple of jobs, but just started...
And can't get a paycheck until the 10th, which will be too late. Can't seem to make a good living at this anymore and it is all I have known how to do, will be out on the street if I can't pay my rent.
started at about 8K PT 2002, last couple years 12K but
I did not work much in 2005 for about 6 months when my 5-y/o got diagnosed with cancer and going through chemo, etc. So I would have made a bit more. I expect to do about $16K this year. I alternate my hours a lot though, about 60 or so minutes of work during the school year a day, but then only 30 during the summer, plus a side job that fluctuates ($300-500 a month). I am shooting for $20K next year, still not at FT (5-6 hours a day). I'll see how it goes. I think $12K for PT is good, but that is my opinion.
I started a neighborhood watch a couple of years ago...sm
we were having similar problems to what you're having and they're gone now. Here's what worked for us. I gave every home in the subdvision a flier asking anyone that was interested in forming a neighborhood watch to come to an organization meeting and made the meeting a week later and on a week night, and gave my phone # in the event someone was interested but couldn't attend then. Out of 150 homes in my subdivision we had 40 people show up and 20 called expressing interest.
Everyone had the same complaints on the same "problem" homes and as a group we decided that each time the noise level was high enough to hear outside of the vehicle or house that we'd call the police. We all alternated placing those calls so the police department didn't think it was just 1 person complaining. The police department agreed to increase the patrols for our subdivision at all hours of the day and night and just having people see them ride through every few hours helped significantly cut down on the problems.
Over time the people that were causing problems either put their houses up for sale or moved out of the rental home and left when they saw that we neighbors insisted on a peaceful and quiet living area. It worked! When these problem homes left the problems with the trash thrown on the roads left as well.
In addition we were having some problems with some of the youth hanging out walking the streets at all hours and it was making some of the residents nervous, especially when the youth were walking through yards. So, we told the youth to stick to the roads, ask permission before cutting through yards to find out who cared and didn't care if they walked through them, and one of the men placed a basketball goal at the end of one of the cul-dec-sacs for the kids to play basketball after the neighbors in the cul-dec-sac agreed it would be fine. It worked - some of them started playing basketball there and they honored requests of homeowners that didn't want them walking on their yards.
Good luck to you!
I have 2 middle age couple friends. One couple became pregnant from condom failure.
This is not just "irresponsible" behavior! Both couples are "fixed" now, because for them, reliable birth control was NOT. But it's an error to assume this stuff happens to people who are unmarried or irresponsible. Both these couples are raising 2nd families, now, but it wasn't "irresponsibility" that did them in!
i take a couple but i too wonder if it's
the mind over matter thing working. i take flax oil capsules for my skin and i can definitely tell a difference if i stop taking it. grape seed plus (antioxidant), i can't tell one way or the other if it works. my neurosurgeon suggested glucosamine for the aches of joint surgery and the grape seed extract because he thought it was pretty good. i stopped the glucosamine because after 2 months i didn't feel any different.
i have been buying the least expensive or whatever is on sale so that might have a lot to do with the results. i would love to find a great energy source!!!
I use a couple..
I have two of the Olay Regenerist products. I like them. I especially like the thermal skin polisher, calls itself a "mini-peel treatment".
Also I have a couple of ESL
who spell things wrong all the time so I can't usually go by them spelling something. After they spell it and it come up when I do the spell check, I always end up having to look up the work anyway.
Yes, I do have a couple of ...
... jobs in mind and plan to put in applications for them tomorrow. I'm single and I have been out of work in the last 2 years for 9-10 months; also have gone through my meager savings--that's gone. I do want to work. But as I've worked for several companies in the past (other than MT) and paid taxes for over 30 years, I feel I've earned some unemployment compensation. Thanks for your input--
There are a couple out there.
I can't remember the name of the company but one of the owners was Tari. I think they were getting eScription work from Focus but weren't actually Focus.
here's a couple
labtestsonline.org
medilexicon.com
No, there are a couple.
x
Just a couple
For one thing, with the ESL dictators, as you may have guessed the more you type the better you get. When you're new, and especially when your testing and not under production pressure, you might be better off listening to it all the way through once or twice. The cadence and the way sentences are formed, and their syllable accents, etc. will become more clear, especially as you hear them in phrases that you can catch. Then it will be easier to go through and say things like, "Oh, yeah, this guy's E's sound like A's and he says GULLBLUTTER instead of GALLBLADDER.
It gets easier in time, to the point where now I can type with a Hindi accent without thinking about it(and even learned a few cuss words to toss at the doc at appropriate intervals). Most of the companies that I have tested for have maybe had 1 out of 4 or 5 test dictations that were ESL. I would assume that if you did swimmingly on the English speakers and even just fair on the ESL, they would give you a chance, but then again I'm just a worker bee and not very corporate at all!
Here are a couple that I use. sm
www.superpages.com
http://doctor.webmd.com/physician_finder/home.aspx?
Hope they help.
Try e-bay. There are a couple for --sm
$120+
Here are a couple lazy MTs now...
Its attitudes like this that give our line of work absolutely NO respect. Take pride in your work girls, you'd get treated a LOT better.
Couple of hints.
ANYBODY assigning work to MTs is a bad idea. Whenever human intervention is introduced there is the potential for mischief and abuse. Even if the person who starts the practice of assigning work is an honest broker, there are no guarantees that that person will be there next week doing it. People often tend to exercise what power they have, big or small, to advance themselves and/or stifle their rivals/least favorites. Nothing beats letting the machine assign jobs, oldest first.
The following does not address the issue of MTs finding a way to reject jobs they don't like. Most of the systems I have worked on have disabled that capability.
It may be obvious that there are two basic methods of large-scale cherrypicking/assigning work: 1) Assigning all the good dictators to "somebody", leaving all the bad dictators for "somebody else"; or 2) assigning all the bad dictators to "somebody else", leaving all the good dictators for "somebody".
The main indicators of cherrypicking that I look for are large gaps between job numbers and/or dictation times that don't seem to fit.
Example: Last 3 job numbers were 13605, 13610, 13618, and 13630, and were all decent or a mix of good and bad dictators, but current job number is 14221 and it is a crummy dictator. Especially suspicious if more crummy dictations follow.
Another example: Dictation time of last 3 jobs indicates they were dictated on 1st shift but then suddenly you start getting dictation times from 3rd shift and the dictator(s) is pretty bad. What happened to 2nd shift's dictations?
Basically it's about irregularities in the pattern of jobs you get.
As you suggested, it may be that the in-house MTs get an incentive bonus or just don't like doing all those crummy dictators so they casually assign themselves the good work.
My experience is that MTSOs typically do not want to deal with "crummy dictator" issues. I've never known of one--or anybody else in the medical field for that matter--that has shown any willingness at all to try to help a crummy dictator improve his/her dictation skills or to find any other solution to this enormous problem.
I have only been at it for a couple of weeks..
Having several years experience, I thought I could step right in and nail it. There are a variety of issues/concerns most importantly the accents, getting use to the different accounts (I have several) and unrealistic expectations I have set before myself. It is a good thing I get paid by the hour because if I got paid by the line, I would be starving!!! Some files are easy to zip through, others are are a real dragon!!!! I am going to give it more time though. I have wanted this position for a while and I don't give up easy! Thanks for letting me vent.
Just a couple of things I can think of...sm
You poor dear - we all remember being in your shoes. You will get your break. Keep up your confidence. Here's a couple of thoughts:
First, go through your resume and cover letter with a fine tooth comb (you definitely should send/e-mail a cover letter with your resume). Make sure there are no typos. Also, give to someone else to check for typos and look at format.
I think I have seen a few companies that say satellite is OK, but yeah, expensive! Keep looking for a company that will still allow dial-up. And, never fear! DSL came to me in the country, and I never would have dreamed that! You might call and tell them you need it for a job. If there are others near you requesting DSL, it helps alot.
Have you asked for any feedback on your online tests?
I hope these suggestions help. I'm sure other MTs will have good suggestions to give you too! Good luck to you. Keep us posted!
I always preferred a couple
bong hits while typing... it made the work a lot easier. Not sure I could type while doing alcohol.
A couple of ideas...SM
I would suggest you pick up a copy of your local area's business journal and see what terms other businesses for sale are offering. Then place an ad in it yourself once you decide what you want. If you don't have a business journal in your town or one nearby, check the classifieds in your local paper (you won't find as much there, though). You may even want to pick up the Wall Street Journal as a last option, just to see how the ads are worded and what terms/rates are out there.
To add value you need to be offering things like an established company name, any archived files you have, hardware and software used in the business, any "norms" you have set up, etc. You will also want to offer your services during the transition, as a liason between the new owner and the clients to train and troubleshoot.
Finally, be sure to get a well-written contract that spells out exactly what you are selling and what you are/are not liable for. Be sure your business is in compliance with all regulations and don't release any medical records without the knowledge and written consent of your clients, and then only to the new business owner who has a "business need to know".
Good luck!
I had that for a couple of months and it has
recently gone away. I tried pillows, sitting up straighter, etc. Nothing seemed to help. It was to the point I could only sit for about an hour at a time. I didn't realize it until I saw your post, but I'm not hurting anymore. I haven't been as stressed lately and I wonder if that was causing it. I tend to manifest stress with a physical ailment, used to be migraines, then back spasms when major sudden stress.
As of about a couple months ago, we are to
not spell out any number at all. I hate that because it looks ridiculous.
A couple of thoughts for you....sm
Rule #1 for any business that requires you pay "x" dollars to get involved is to ask yourself the following question: What is the commission rate and how much do I have to sell to recoop what I spent to get into the business? Do I know enough people that would buy the product to recoop and then keep buying so I can make money? Will my family, friends and neighbors get annoyed if I ask them to buy something from me? Do I really believe in the product/products? How will I sell the product/products after I've approached all friends, family & neighbors?
Good luck with whatever you decide.
A couple of additions
That should have read put the DISK in the A: drive and then search for the *.acl file. (If you want to transfer the *.acl file you have on disk to your computer in case something happened to the one on your computer C: drive).
When the *.acl file that you are working with becomes corrupted and will not work right (most often because of large size) -- what I do is rename the one on my computer C: drive, the one that is not working, by searching for the *.acl drive on the C:drive, right clicking it and renaming it the file name plus the word "old" and then transferring the one from the A: drive to the C: drive and that way it just becomes the new *.acl file, named the same way it was.
One of our MTs just went a couple weeks ago. nm
xxx
A couple things... sm
You mention being depressed, so I'm wondering if you really might benefit from an antidepressant? (I know mine works wonders for me.)
Another thing, I love to watch Oprah when she does shows about inspirational weight loss stories. You can read some of them at: http://www2.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_2000/tows_past_20001109.jhtml
Oprah's website has a lot of info, and message boards for support. Apparently, her trainer, Bob Greene, has some great books out about weight loss and emotional eating.
For me, it helps a lot to keep a "food journal." My weight is okay, but I feel flabby. My challenge is eating healthy and exercising. I hate to exercise and I don't know why because I always feel better when I do.
Good luck to you. Hang in there, and keep looking for what works for you.
Couple of comments
I have been dieting for three years....just trying to lose about 25 pounds. It's been hard. Now I have to tell you that I am just under 5'8" and now weigh 140 pounds. Sounds great doesn't it? Well, my significant other has never seen me naked in 8 years because I think I still look kind of gross. My point is, that while being fairly slim is, of course, a good thing, you may continue to have issues with your looks. I still focus in on all the places that I find unattractive or flabby. I don't think I would ever be happy with the way my body looks.
I think part of the problem is cultural, in that we are daily bombarded with women on TV, in magazines and in movies who are not representative of what women generally look like.
Yes, your weight right now is probably too high but perhaps you should set some realistic goals rather than trying to look like, well, you know, all those women I was talking about. I found that exercise combined with the dieting was the most beneficial. But you probably already know all this.
A couple of months???
Gheesh! They're nickle and diming her to death for the love of Pete, and you want her to do them a favor and give them two months' notice? Heck! Why not give them a couple of years' notice so they can continue to take further advantage of her???
I did a couple of years ago
I did about two years ago, two years after I got divorced with a lot of debt. At first I tried to settle the debts at 25-40%, and supposedly would have 3 years to do so, but then got sued anyway and had two lawsuits, so I was back to where I started. Spoke to a lawyer about bankruptcy and he said go for it and encouraged me to do it myself. Of course I didn't own anything except for a car that was worth about $200.00, so it was easy. It was the last thing I thought I'd ever do, but it flew through without a hitch and four months from the time I filed it was over. Yes, my credit has been stinky, but it's coming back. Wish I would have filed sooner.
Don't know about your situation, but a lot of lawyers will offer a free consultation so you could see if it would be worth it for you.
Good luck!
I have a couple of ESL doctors who say
"full stop" instead of saying period at the end of a sentence. The first time I had one I didn't know what he was saying because he wasn't clear. After QA told me what he was saying I could hear it, but still drinks me crazy.
I also have an ESL doctor who says "paragraft" instead of paragraph.
Couple of remedies to try sm
I had severe eczema a few years ago stemming from medications that I take. Couldn't stop taking the pills so had to try the remedies. He had me try Vanicream skin cream and Robathol oil . It worked pretty good but I found the oil worked better if I applied it to dry skin and the Vanicream directly over it and I could use it once a day instead of twice, so I just put in on before bedtime and my clothes didn't messed up. Kind of pricey though, the cream was 12.00 and the oil was 18.00 and it lasted about a month if you used it twice a day. Now I just use Avon Skin So Soft and Vaseline creamy every night which I think works 100% better. You can get a big bottle of the oil for about 15.00 and the Vaseline creamy at the dollar store for a buck. I tried using the oil in my bath and quit (clogs the pipes), then tried putting on wet skin and towel drying and it didn't seem to work as well as putting it on dry skin and then the cream over it. It seems to seal it in better. Give it a try and see how that works for you. It completely took the itch away. I tried Benadryl for the itch and it just dried my skin even worse.
I was in the same boat a couple
years ago. There is just so much you can deduct in paper, pens, etc., including electricity and on and on. I decided to change companies and go to an employee status. This way I don't have to worry about deductions for SS, taxes, etc. Good luck and I hope things work out for you.
There are a couple of things you can do - sm
1) Did you know the TAT going in? Obviously you did and you've been doing this for 3 years now. As an IC, you have the right to accept or deny these terms. If you dont accept these terms, then you need to either walk away or try and renegotiate with the idea that you risk losing the account. 2) They will not give you a raise. Again, as an IC you need to be the one to set your rates. Basically you renegotiate your contract with your MTSO again with the idea that you may or may not have this account any longer.
Realize that as an IC, you are basically an MTSO who contracts with other MTSOs rather than directly with a client. Begin thinking like a business rather than someone who is lucky to be able to work from home. Figure out what you need to to make and then adjust your rates. Also, feel free to start obtaining more work from other MTSOs/clinics.
Good luck to you.
A couple of years ago . . .
this lady in California won the lottery. She divorced her husband and didn't tell him about the lottery. He thought she was being very generous because she let them have their house and most everything else. Well, he started getting all this mail for lottery winners and put 2 and 2 together and took her to court. The judge was very hard on her for lying and made her give everything to the husband. Live and learn. 
You have said in a couple of sentences SM
what I have felt about this field for years now--it is next to impossible to deal in a normal way with most MTs--they have warped personalities and have no concept of how to act in everyday social situations.
I'm going there in just a couple weeks.
I'm going to Sedona to check out Valley Verde School for my son. Are you familiar with it?
There are a couple of downloads to put on
regardless of the operating system you run. I did this because a "boyfriend" let his brother "borry" mine when I wasn't home and he put a lot of porn and spy ware on my work computer.
I ended up having to reformat the hard drive and reinstall everything. According to HIPPA, you are to safe guard the medical records on your computer and you are supposed to have a contract stating your methods to protect your compliance.
Yes, I tip. Usually a couple of dollars but
if I have a lot of groceries, will make it $3. But last year on Christmas Eve when I had LOTS of groceries and the store was packed and it was pouring down rain and the sacker got soaked loading my groceries in my car, I gave him $5.
i have a couple favorites
one is a zuchinni spice pie (mix it all in blender and pour into crust) -- the other is a casserole using mushroom soup. e/m me if you'd like these.
a couple of things
I can *de-stress* by taking a break and sitting down on the floor and playing with my kids. Or maybe eat some chocolate. Or lay on the couch for a few minutes and turn on my fav radio station that plays 80s music (drives my older daughter NUTS, LOL).
Takes me back in time........ LOL.
Basically, if I am in the middle of a bad dictation (as long as it is not a STAT) I just take a few minute break. It always helps me.
I hope things get better for you!
I saw a couple interviews
but Barbara and the producers told Star to make her exit "her way" and when she did, they screamed foul. The producers LIED to Star, that they knew nothing about the 'rumors' (which they established) etc etc. I used to respect Barbara Walters, but Star outclasses her by far.
A couple things you could try
I am able to use my F10 for normal speed/100% and F12 for 200% for proofing purposes. In settings, there is a place where you can edit hot keys too. :)
HTH.
Couple of things
First, she should realize that it doesn't matter whether or not you deliver the work - if you transcribe it, it's billable. I would just tell them you don't want it sitting in your office when it's already done, and take it in. LET THEM DEAL WITH IT! If they can't handle the volume all at once, they can let it sit there. You've met your turnaround and they can't say you didn't deliver on time and use that as an excuse.
Second, you don't have a contract? I would get one.
I would let this play out without rocking the boat too much but I would advise also that when and where the doc and his wife take a vacation and how much they make versus your vacations and what you make are completely irrelevant and shouldn't even be part of the conversation. Your financial commitments and obligations are your problem, not theirs. They have no obligation to make their travel plans with you in mind, or budget for the business based on whether or not they know you have kids who require expensive tutoring.
Not after a couple of days, but
I think in some cases I have seen the bitter end by that point. I have quit in the first month or two three times. By then the empty promises start coming out, if they are empty that is.
a couple of other points
This is not only about our jobs - this is about our medical records - the quality of what is done overseas is not the same as what is done here. Errors made in medical records should be taken seriously. Secondly, our privacy is protected we are held accountable for that in the US - do you think for one minute we could prosecute someone in India who does not follow the rules?
couple of ideas
You can try another ULD through a cable phone line (check with your cable company to see if they offer it). Those are VoIP like Vonage but you may not have the same sound quality problems. You can also get 2 land lines each with a different ULD carrier and then splitting your transcription time half and half to keep your total minutes under 5000/month for each. The only other thing I can think of is to get a business line. I don't know how much those cost.
It's a headache, I know.
I too was in Charley and a couple others
First off - laptop with a battery with a car adapter. I missed one day of work that day only. I plugged my laptop into the car battery to recharge it when I needed to, which was about ever 2 hours, but better than being without work. (I even went to the local fire department - only about five blocks away - and they let me plug in and charge it up one afternoon - desperatiion)
Verizon now has a wireless card that you can get that works just about anywhere. The only crux is that you have to have a Verizon cell phone.
I have Vonage and I always take it with me, but you have to have a broadband modem to connect to, so if there is no power, that does not work.
I have spent a few nights in a motel just to be able to work. It usually winds up a wash between the cost of the motel and the net pay for that time, but my employer is not upset, I get a shower and a clean bed.
I have a small gasoline generator that runs for about three hours. I plug my office battery backup (UPS)into it -- because those generators do have up and down output, so I protect against surges and drops (brownouts)-- and then I plus my computer equipment, my broadband modem, and anything else I need to work at that time.
I am an independent contractor but no subcontractors. I have some clients that understand and some do not when there is a crisis. My personal feeling is that I am a profession and should be prepared -- the buck stops with me.
Hope this helps.
A couple years ago...
someone told me 15-16 cpl, but I'm sure it's more than that. This person "knew" or so she said.
A couple of things
For really obscure muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc., I use Gray's Anatomy online: http://www.bartleby.com/107/ . I do a search in the search box, then when it gives me a page, I do a search of the page for the term I'm looking for. The text is much too dense to try to read through it when you're working on a deadline.
If your Stedman's Radiology Word Book is current, it should have most of the information you need. For MRIs, there are a few acronyms commonly used in the technique like FLAIR, STIR, FIESTA, etc. If they use BI-RADS for the mammograms, you will want to get a list or sample of exactly how they want you to do it. For CTs, they generally use the same contrast material for most of the exams - Omnipaque, Visipaque, etc. Your Stedman's should have most of those.
For those three types of exams, you shouldn't have too much trouble. CTs and MRIs can be pretty anatomy-intensive, but if you have good reference books, you'll be okay. Mammograms are generally not too difficult. Here is a site that gives a good overview and also gives the BI-RADS classifications: http://www.radiologyassistant.nl/en/4349108442109 .
I've got a couple, too! :D
My sistern went to high school with a girl who was known throughout high school as just "Cindy". Upon graduation, they made everyone use their full names, and hers was actually "Cinderella"!
I once saw a pt. named "Precious Jewel _____" . I'm sure she got teased a lot in school!
So far in my life I've known a Hope, a Faith, a Charity, and Honor.... the most unusual of the 4 names.
Once typed for a doctor who, whenever he did a report on a pt. named Ying Lo, he'd starting singing, "Ying Lo, sweet char-i-ot....!"
My siblings & I were all avid readers as kids - we'd read anything: the dictionary, cereal boxes, cook books, even the phone book. In the phone book, my brother once found the name, "Itty Bitty Boo". (Sounds like something you'd call a kitten!)
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