I use disc for eyes and disk for ortho/neuro but

• Disc or disk-- - Confused
  • I use disc for eyes and disk for ortho/neuro but - Client preference comes first! nm
  • Actually, throw out the BOS and use the physician's preference. - not worth arguing over
  • A neuroradiologist that I worked for...SM - HomeMT
  • by BOS - disk is preferred

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I don't know who wrote this, but I found it online long ago.  Since I was told I was spelling "disc" wrong by other MTs (never by a doctor), I decided to research this matter and found this at http://www.stedmans.com/MTFeaturePrint.cfm/1324.

disc vs disk

 a 4-letter word

To what extent should one research the spelling of a word when there is more than one way to spell it? I suppose the answer would depend on a number of things, not the least of which is how much time one has to invest in word research. Productivity and therefore one’s pay suffers when ears, hands, and feet leave their transcription mode for any period of time.

If the word in question is a mere 4-letter word, it seems reasonable to believe that any one of respected resources would provide an appropriate spelling, so why bother with much research. Let’s face it, four-letter-word vocabularies are usually subject to more creative spellings than misspellings. However, because I was working on a special project, I decided to put to rest, once and for all time, the correct spelling of disc/disk as used in surgical dictation for a lumbar discectomy/diskectomy. Four hours and several resources later, I was sure I had my answer.

Au contraire.

I began my search in Stedman’s Medical 27^th Edition. It is after all my medical dictionary of choice. Clearly the preference for disc/disk when referring to the spine is “disc.” I disagreed. My preferred spelling was “disk” for all things spinal, so I checked the AMA Manual Style. To my delight, they agreed with me. In fact, it clearly states that one should use “disc” for ophthalmologic terms and “disk” for the remainder of the anatomy.

Dr. Dirckx, noted medical language expert, explained disc/disk it in an article that appears in the January 2002 issue of JAAMT. His article begins, “As you have no doubt discovered, reference works show a striking lack of consistency in the spelling of this term.” Amen to that!

I almost always use Vera Pyle’s book for confirmation, she being the all-time guru and grande dame of medical vocabulary. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She directs that one use “disk” when transcribing ophthalmologic dictation and “disc” for the remainder of the anatomy.

All right, the gloves came off. Next stop, the revered AAMT Book of Style. “We recommend the spelling disk for all anatomic and surgical references …” I was satisfied and feeling pretty smug, so I declared the victory to a member of Stedman’s staff and suggested that the Stedman’s Dictionary team look into changing “disc” preference to “disk” in their new edition.

It is a good feeling to be right, and I was feeling real good. That is, until the S27 research team took my suggestion and consulted the world experts in medical terminology. Who are they? “They” are the Federative International Committee on Anatomical Terminology, and “they” are the final word. Chairman Ian Whitmore states that Latin is the basis for the world's official terminology as found in Terminologia Anatomica (TA). Want to know more about TA? It is explained in S27 and makes interesting reading.

And just what do the world experts say about disk/disc? Disc is in for all things medical; disk is out. Why? Because Latin terms have official status and, though the origin of the word is from the Greek term “diskos, the Latin derivation is “discus.”

So, my fellow word junkies, if you have always used “disk” as your preferred spelling in all things anatomical, today is the day to change because “disc” is correct in the eyes of the world.

NM

11 cpl sounds ok if you're a newbie IF you can keep up with the ESL and the terminology....if not, I'd lower that price.  I charge 12 CPL privately but I've been in the business 27 years.  If you are in the biz a long time, then 11 or 12 CPL (which is under the national's fees) seems fair.  I have a friend who is CMT and she does charge 13 and 14 CPL.  I'm not CMT.

Best of luck whichever way you go!! 

I worked for was around $25,000 a year (in 2000) , but the neurosurgeon in the next office paid almost a half million dollars in malpractice insurance yearly.

How's that for expenses?

Keep in mind the state of the art equipment that the hospitals now have to save people that they didn't have back in even the 1990's.  Unfortunately, everyone has to pay their share for upkeep I suppose.  I got a bill for almost $500 for a quick care appointment for an eye irritation that turned out to be nothing.  Insurance paid $98.00 of it.

I wouldn't have bothered, but as you all know, it isn't easy doing MT work with one eye shut.

but not brain surgeries.  But I know the anatomy.  Maybe I can help. 

Thanks

from it's owner to transfer the voice files from the handheld to the computer. 

I have company issued computer with IT.  I would like to know if I could move IT to a CD or disk so that I can put it on my personal computer.  I have greatly expanded the glossary to cover my area of expertise over the last one year and do not want to lose this.  In fact, I think I would break down and cry if I did.  Plus, am thinking of taking on a PT job and would like to utilize this IT on my other computer.

Thank you.

For copyright protection, IT restricts itself from being able to be copied onto a disk and installed onto another computer. The only way to install it is to use the installation disk.

The glossaries, however, can be backed up onto a seperate disk, just not the actual program itself.

Technically, the hospital owns the license so installing it on a personal computer would violate the license agreement. If you would like to have it on your own computer, it is recommended to purchase your own copy so you don't have to worry about anything with the license agreement.