I switched from WP51 to Word a couple years ago
Posted By: tnmt on 2007-12-05
In Reply to: Using Word instead of WP - diane
I chose InstantText as my Expander because it would import my PRD list and that was important to me to make me feel comfortable out the gate. Several of my co-workers didn't really like IT but at the time, it was the one that had the easiest import function and I *had* to have my PRD to type! IT's not cheap, but I think it's well worth the investment.
Also, I highly recommend Laura Bryan's book on Word. There is another lady who is a Word guru, Cheryl something (I'm sorry I can't remember her name at the moment) who is also very good. Basically these are MTs who know you have to keep your hands off that mouse to make money, so they show you the keyboard ways to do things, in contrast to other Word how-to books for the general user which focus on the mouse.
It's a moderately painful switch, in my opinion, but once made, definitely makes one feel more 21st century. :)
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I switched from SH to Instant Text a couple of years ago and would never go back.
I increased my productivity another 30 percent pretty quickly. And you can still use your old shortcuts with IT. Browse through the IT Commands forum on Productivity Talk for tricks you never thought you could do with a text expander.
6 years legal then switched to medical 17+ years ago. sm
I don't mind doing legal and will do it now from time to time, but be prepared to be totally bored out of your mind.
At least that's the way I feel. I love to transcribe, learned legal in college, went on to get my paralegal degree, etc., etc., but I did temp work when the kids were younger, which was about 90% medical and I would never go back to legal except for once in a while.
Booooooring.
I switched 2 years ago.
It was hard going from 6-1/2 hours a day 7/7 plus every holiday to 8 hours a day, but it just meant getting used to the longer days. My start time was the same, though. As I got used to it, it did get better, and now I'm happy because I'm making the same $$ I used to plus have benefits.
You just have to find THE right company.
I used A Fujitsu Life Book the first 4 years, and just switched
And pretty much my whole personal life is set up on my lap top, as well, and sometimes additional software for other services when I've worked part-time elsewhere. And I haven't begun to use nearly all the hard drive space. I have had one minor repair problem years ago, and it was a piece of cake to carry it to Best Buy, who flipped it open and fixed the problem on the spot. Lap tops rule!
I switched from Shorthand after 6 years to IT and wouldn't go back. nm
xx
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!
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. 
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.
I tried it a couple of years ago - sm
But I'm a hard stick and they won't do the back of the hand, so I was banned from donating. They did pay me $20 for my time, though, and I think they paid cash on the spot.
Apparently, the more you donate, the more they pay. The place I went to was crowded as heck and there seemed to be a lot of sitting and waiting involved so bring plenty of reading material.
I definitely would have done it on a regular basis had I not been a hard stick.
I did a couple years ago and it was of no help...just my experience..nm
.
Went BK a couple of years ago. It turned out
to be one of the best things ever. Since then, we only use cash and have been able to save and pay off our house. Unfortunately, the laws have changed and I think it is almost impossible to file a Chapter 7 now. Anyway, good luck to you either way!
We went to Maine a couple of years ago and it
was a MAJOR disappointment. It was nothing at all like you see on TV. We were in southern ME and people didn't keep up their yards, no one had a single flower in their yard, although there were a couple of hanging baskets and people were not very friendly. Went to Portland and couldn't get out of there fast enough. Everyone we met was rude and the place was just so dirty looking.
Same situation with me a couple years ago...
my ex-husband and I still remain friends to this day. We saw a mediator, who pretty much divided everything the way we wanted to. He bought out my half of the house, etc. and I even got spousal support for a 1-1/2 years (and we don't have children) and he paid my health insurance for a year. The mediator will tell you how to file your divorce papers, etc. Cost me about $350 - he just deducted it from what I was getting. Good luck!
I've used it for a couple of years now - sm
It's not really a typing program - Transnet is just the way to send the files over the Internet - you download the file, transcribe it, then sign it off. I do the downloading on one computer then type in Word on another computer. Works really well but has to have its own foot pedal (darn that Dictaphone!).
Yes. I made that my first couple of years.
Now it's at least twice that when I'm lucky enough to have a half-decent account. (Those are getting fewer and farther between.)
This happened to me a couple years ago
I worked for Golden Isle and they had the wrong state that I lived in. They submitted a revised form AFTER I filed my taxes. They had the state they were located and NOT where I lived. What a mess.
I used Tax Cut and put down document preparation or something similiar every year and never had a problem.
I heard this on the news a couple of years ago, or maybe it was
Paul Harvey. Graduates of the Naval Academy received diplomas with "Navel" Academy on them and they all had to be reprinted. You would think with something like that they would have someone proof and reproof before it went to final printing, and then proof again after printing.
Along with spelling errors that drive me nuts, bad grammar makes me cringe. When I hear someone say "I seen" it is like fingernails on the blackboard.
When I joined a couple of years ago it was something like $30 a month and you could either pay
monthly or have it deducted automatically from your account. If you elected to pay monthly, I think the membership went up about $5 to $10.
There wasn't any high pressure sales. I basically called them and asked could I come in a check it out and they give you like a week trial or two weeks (my memory is sooo bad!). Then if you decide to become a member, you fill out the paperwork and they weigh and measure you (fun, fun) and file it all away. And then periodically they will ask if you want to be weighed and measured to see how much you've lost.
They are really encouraging there (at mine anyway). They gave way prizes for different things like if you came a certain amount of times in like three months, you got a T-shirt. And then there are prizes for when you lose 10, 20, etc pounds. And at mine everyone had a little paper doll that started out at 0 and when you lost weight you moved your little paper doll around on the wall. It was kind of fun.
Well, I've just convinced myself! 
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.
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 saw Meatloaf a couple years ago on a news show and...
he looked GREAT. I guess he had had a heart attack and had lost tons of weight and was taking care of himself. Apparently he's back on the McDonalds because he looked very heavy and not well at all. Too bad. He used to have a great sound back in the day.
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!
Best advice - work in-house a couple of years
You really do need hands-on experience in order to be able to do this at home. You will run into terms that you will have no idea how to look up - like "booj aw boo" would you know to look under bougie au boule? Or "terry onal craniotomy" would you know it is "pterional" or would you spends loads of time looking for "T" words? If you work face to face with experienced MTs, they can help you when you run into similar situations. I'm not being snooty, I am only pointing out real situations that you will be faced with and the reasons MTSOs insist that before an MT can work independently at home they have at least 2 years experience. I believe that most of us have worked in-house in the beginning to get to the point where we can do this efficiently at home. Once you do get that experience, though, stand back, the MTSOs will be beating down your door with job offers. Good luck and hang in there! Remember we all had to start somewhere. Best of luck to you!
I've had Bellsouth for a couple years now. Reliable and no problems. nm
xxx
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.
WP51 help
Can anyone tell me what key I am hitting? - Sometimes in WP51 I accidentally hit some key that locks my keyboard and the only way to get it to work again is to shut down, then I lose anything I have not saved, seems to be happening more and more, are t here any WP51 gurus out there who know what I am doing?
Thanks
WP51 help
Many new keyboards assign new functions to the F1 through F12 keys that conflict with WP51. On Logitech keyboards, the "F Mode" key will swich between the original functions that WP51 expects and the new functions. On Microsoft keyboards, the "F Lock" key does the same thing. If the F1 through F12 keys are using the new functions, none of the WP51 functions such as F7, F10, F8, etc. will work until you press that F Lock or F Mode key.
WP51
WP51 and PRD would be my favorite, but unfortunately with Windows XP you can't do that.
WP51
I'm giving my age away, also. I'm 62 and up to 1 1/2 years ago I was still using it.
WP51 PRD
I know exactly what you mean. Until 1 1/2 years ago I was using it. Everyone laughed at me. Some people said what is DOS?
WP51 and PDR - sm
So glad to find someone who also believes in WP5.1 and PDR - after much prodding from new partners I am now using MSWord and have gone digital. I am not doing a better job, my work is not getting done any faster or better, and I have more things that can go wrong. It's called progress I think.
WP51/FF/PRD/SMARTTYPE ETC
Yeh, loved those good ole' days... How about that one started First _______? that was a good program...Or.. am I giving my age away....I don't care I am 68......
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 can't think of a function in WP51 that will go with autocorrect (sm)
unless you are talking about converting autocorrect list to PRD+ ShortHand program? Or maybe you are talking about a later version of WordPerfect...?
As far as transcribing it, could you transcribe it in Word, save as a WordPerfect file then count, then reconvert?
I still use WP51 and PRD+ for my local accounts ..
I actually found a laser printer 2 years ago with a driver that will still work with WP! (a Brother)
I honestly don't know that I will EVER get the speed in any windows-based application that I get with WP and PRD!
You should see the computer techs laugh when I mention I still use DOS and WP51 ..
:p
wp51 - dos .. local accounts .. love it!
I still use wp51 for dos with PRD Plus ... for me .. it is just plain faster ... LOL
you are not alone ...
Asking you to spell a word correctly after 10 years is being nitpicky? Shame on them..
N O T ! !
Yes, it does. My hosp is typing in MOX, we lost Word many years ago due to cost.
Good luck!
The Dorland's Cardiology Word Book is good, too. Might find books at half.com even if a few years
s
that's how I did it, that's why I switched to
employee status (one of the reasons)
When you were switched over to VR, did they - sm
continue to pay you the same amount per line, or was that lowered? If I could do more lines per day and get the same pay, that would probably be okay (if boring!), but if they cut the pay back, then you're still working just as hard, for less money.
So, did you keep your same per-line pay scale?
I know this company. They switched sm
me from employee to IC status. I was told it was 30% off for headers/footers. It certainly is a rip-off. Cardiology MT myself.
I just switched to digital and it has been a big
headache! Just got another one of those heart-stopping calls .... um, the dictaphone isn't showing the dictation ... Yikes, where is it then!?! LOL
I'd still be doing tapes -- they are easy and no headaches like digital has been so far -- but for the past 12 years I've been driving three hours three days a week to pick up my clients' work and it was killing me. (I moved away from my town where my docs were to marry my DH - he was worth it ;) )
As for digital, for me I'm glad it was an option, but high fives to those of you doing tapes. Ain't nothing wrong with that! Money is money and around here there's more tape than digital to be had :)
I switched but still learning,too
I used SH for a year. To me, it was like AutoCorrect, which I used to love, but IT does so much more. I've been using IT for about a year. There are so many things you can do with it that you can't do with SH.
As the other poster said, check out the productivity website and you will fiind zillions of ideas.
Not an MT company, but I switched
job that I had for 15+ years. You would be surprised how receptive your old position and/or company can be to the fact that "the grass really was green where you were". There is no harm at all in trying to get your old position back. It's going back with your tail between your legs, but you may be happier. If I were you, I'd give it a try.
MTs switched to billing/coding?
Curious whether there are any MTs out there, or anyone who knows info, on going into billing and coding...
I'm considering training for that in my spare time now, so that I have the opportunity later, if I decide to pursue that. Are there a fair amount of work-at-home positions in billing and coding? After my newbie days, I've never had trouble finding MT work with good companies, so I wondered if billing was as widespread, at home. I haven't found nearly as much info out there on at-home billing, other than get-rich-quick scheming. Anyone know if the pay is on a similar scale? Opportunity for PT and FT, like MT? Similarities and differences (not on the actual job, but work issues like benefits, flexibility, etc.)
Thanks for any help!
Were you baited with one account and switched to another?
I worked on account and there was never anyone on line to IM for problems with my account and then there are so many chiefs in that organization and really the chiefs are pretty useless if they aren't around to help out. I was very disappointed with the company. The software was filled with glitches too and instead of instant help, you had to wait for sometimes days until someone could help you.
yes, i have asked to be switched to other accts
and they have accommodated me. With a previous office, they drug their feet awhile (needing to get other coverage)...but yes, ask!
I started with a second company once that also used DQS. Their tech support was able to give me instructions to retrieve all my shortcuts from my main job and put them into my files with company-B. No problem.
98-99% of the time my offices have worked with me very well -- don't hesitate to communicate your frustrations/needs and see if they won't work with you. Good luck.
actually i was in your shoes and I switched jobs. sm
I am a single mother and was not at all happy about where I was and no I didnt come on here and complain about it. Yes I did find another job, had to do without insurance for about a month, and glad I made the switch. I even accepted the job at the very same pay.
I think you are just scared to take that leap. i do have compassion, but when you arent happy about something, you should try to do something.
Whether it is to go to the proper channels with MQ and complain to them or find another job. It isnt doing anyone any good to come here. Nothing will change.
That is all I am saying.
It just gets everyone in an uproar and solves nothing.
You and only you have control over your life as I do mine.
I have one. I switched back to regular but still have the old one.
email me if you need it.
Has anyone switched to Verizon isp for faster
I have dial up and that is all I can get. Has anyone switched to Verizon and gotten a faster dial up speed than the ISP they had before switching?
How can I get a faster speed on dial up?
MT NEEDS HELP
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