Just stating, "I'm a medical language specialist" usually stumps them (nm)

• Okay, I need a really astounding, intelligent remark for a quick - comback for people who ask what I do, something us
  • reply - Deb
  • you could always tell them you sm - long time Mqr
  • How about (sm) - Lori
    • Oh, such ostentatious sesquipedalian declamatin'. - Me likes! :) (nm)
    • or in layman's terms - sm
  • Just stating, "I'm a medical language specialist" usually stumps them (nm) - MadamX
  • tell them to go to hell, its none of their bees wax - what you do for a living... sm
    • That's good! Have used it myself on occasion sm - mlstoo
  • I mean comeback using long words nobody knows the meaning of, he-he nm - kd
    • stump 'em - DLMinONT

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That is our title, Medical Language Specialist, which really throws people.  When asked to define what that is, tell them you translate medical dictation to document form, be it hard copy document or electronic docment, to provide pertinent medical information for patients, physicians and hospital staff.  See their reaction.   

Of course when they say "all you do is type," ask them to spell esophagogastroduodenoscopy as an example of the terminology you use.  That usually shuts them up.  (Smile)

There are products you can buy that provide microorganisms to the stump that will start the deterioration process and the stump will rot naturally. 

You can have the stump ground out.  You'll get a variety of prices.  If you decide to go this route, please make sure the company you choose is insured and bonded and licensed. 

If you decide to try to burn the stump out, you could find it takes a LOT longer that you ever imagined.  Also, once you begin to burn the stump, it will make it almost impossible to grind the stump after that if you change your mind about methods of removal.  The fire and heat applied to the stump make it extremely dry and hard and.

I had a tree and some big limbs fall due to the past hurricanes in Florida and thought I was going to have to have the stump ground out.  I had to call a tree service to trim the other trees in my yard and while there, I had them look at the stump.  They were actually able to "bump" the stump out of the ground in less than a minute with a small Bobcat they had brought.

Just be sure to investigate all your options before making your decision.  Good luck!  :)

I have a friend that feels the same way.  She loves them.  She copies most of the notes, attaches the surgeon's name to it and a brief description and saves them.  She says they dictate the same (practically) and she reuses a good portion of the note.  Does this make sense.

Kathy

If the company is advertising for "shifts" meaning 7 a to 3 p, then that is an employee that they need, not an IC. 

ICs choose their own hours; yes they do.  Anything dictated by an MTSO for shifts meaning the MT must be accountable for those hours equals EMPLOYEE, not IC.

The OP is absolutely correct.  These MTSOs take advantage by instituting a shift or schedule.  As an employee, that's great.  The reason behind the MTSO doing this is that they feel they can just not hire the employees which cost more money and get away with not paying the taxes.  So many MTs fall for this scheme. 

This is the whole reason you see posts about companies that hire ICs and then ICs are on here complaining of no/low work and there is nothing they can do about it. 

Such a shame not all of us are smart enough to see this racket, which is what it is a "racket."

Kudos to MTSOs who hire employees.  Bah Humbug to MTSOs who hire ICs and then dictate the hours or shifts to that IC.  When in fact an IC equals self-employed which means I make my own hours. 

They may or may not decide to keep you.  You don't really "ask" as an IC.  You "state" as an IC.  You will risk them finding cheaper services.  So, you need to ask yourself if it is worth losing the account for a few more cents per line.  The only other thing you could do is attach an "administrative fee" to each bill and let them know it is for tasks not related to the actual production; this would be a little raise.

The bottom line is that raises are nonexistent as an IC.  Normally what quote you've given them in the start of the work is what they expect to pay or they'll find someone cheaper like an offshore company.  I wouldn't stir the waters if I was you, but that's just me. 

I tried to barter with one account over a raise and the doctor met me halfway.  I was being paid per page.  I had to drop him though because once I raised the rate, he quit paying me on time.  I guess I was last on the list.  He switched to me doing handwritten note dictation (no dictation).  It was hard on the neck and eyes, so I quit.

and Tessier's The Surgical Word Book, 3rd edition.  Books you could buy used I would say would be Stedman's Pathology and Lab Medicine and Cardiology/Pulmonary word book.  These are all the books I use the most during my day.  You could buy other speciality word books as you need them and could probably go used with those.

I wouldn't bother with buying a drug book, new editions come out every year and I just stick to the FDA website and RXList as my drug references.

Also FYI, not a book, but I use my Stedman's Electronic Medical Dictationary a lot.  It's easier to open the program than it is to pick up a huge 30-pound dictionary.

wide open and landing accounts with no contacts was an easy thing to do, I'd tell the OP to go for it and good luck.  But I know from experience what is true.  I have plenty of accounts and ALL of them came my way via connections.  First I worked as an MT in a hospital for many years and I left there to start my own business and from my hospital connections accounts came my way.  Then my clients referred accounts to me.  Not one of my clients has come from advertising or cold calling or sending letters of introduction or flyers.  Not one.

AAMT.  Look at the medical transcription industry, what exactly has the AAMT done to improve it?  Wages have not gotten better over time, they have gotten worse.  That right there is a big indicator that their association has done nothing for medical transcription.  They do for themselves.

My grudge aside, I am being supportive to CS by telling her to forget about the AAMT and move forward in her career.  She doesn't need the CMT credentials, none of us do. 

As far as her problems with studying the weekend before the test, I hate to sound harsh - but if she were truly an experienced MT, one noisy weekend should not have affected her test scores to the point of failing.  However, the CMT examination isn't truly a test of medical transcription.  It is a test of how well you've memorized the BOS rules and regs. 

CS is probably a very good MT and if she were tested on MT skills alone, her in-laws visiting her right before the test wouldn't have made that big of a difference.  The fact is she had to memorize the BOS and that is probably where she failed.  In my OPINION, that's not really failing.

Hence my initial comments that her only disappointment should be that she shelled out $298 bucks - not because she failed and is out the money, but because she shelled out her money for credentials that mean nothing.  In my book, she was wasting her money pass or fail.