Lots of other factors too. They might need MTs with specific specialties or high-speed only or FT o
Posted By: Mmmmm on 2007-07-30
In Reply to: Majority of time, no MTs. Right now..sm - MTSO
It seems to go in waves. Lots of radiology jobs, then none. Lots of operative note jobs, then none. Lots of oncology jobs, then none. Then lots of openings again.
I just got high-speed in my subdivision; I think this will open a lot of doors for me that were not open previously. Dial-up only hurt me pretty bad in terms of who would hire me. Could not get flat fee long distance either, so I was a recruiter's nightmare. I was ready to move. Now I can get both through Comcast. Doing the happy dance in MN!!!
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
Speed, experience, specialties, programs. Go with
s
Speed results from multiple factors....
1. Experience: As you yourself suggest, time "in the driver's seat" will play a big role as you find yourself doing fewer and fewer "look-ups" - whether for terminology, physician names, etc.
2. Self-monitoring. Just keeping close tabs on your production will help. Try playing a little game with yourself to do just a bit better this hour than you did the last hour.
3. Make full use of your expander. WARNING: Many people actually overuse their Expanders and wind up with a jillion shortcuts that they rarely use or can't even remember. Create shortcuts when they make a difference, and use a good naming system.
4. Set up the proper auto backspace for your footpedal that will allow you to establish a rhythm in which what you are transcribing is "bracketed" by the next little bit and the previous little bit of dictation. In other words, you are always slightly listening ahead, transcribing and (when you lift your foot up and back down) reviewing the last bit. This "cycle" keeps what you are transcribing in context with what has gone before and what is coming next.
5. Pay CLOSE attention to the "story" being told - in other words, the context of what you are transcribing. Context is the transcriptionist's best friend as far as resolving ambiguous or difficult words and phrases, alerting you to omitted dictation, and alerting you to possible errors in what thought you had just heard.
6. Proofread as you go to minimize proofreading after the report is completed.
7. Spend only a reasonable amount of time on lookups, especially early in the report. You will often hear the confusing word or phrase more clearly later...provided you remember the blank you had earlier!
8. Discover "the zone". The zone is a mental state in which you are utterly focused on the dictation, almost like a trance state. Human beings are NOT MULTI-TASKERS! You cannot think about a million other things while you're transcribing and hope to achieve either quality or quantity. When you transcribe, transcribe and forget your personal problems. When you're dealing with your personal life, forget transcription.
9. Relative to #8, try to crate a physical space for transcription in which you are dealing with minimal outside distractions.
10. Use a GOOD PROFESSIONAL HEADSET. Most transcription companies distribute garbage earphones. Try a good noise cancelling headset such as the Kensingtons sold on Amazon.com for about $30...and don't let the price fool you. They're great.
BONUS TIP - POWER SESSIONS: If your scheduling permits, you will be more productive in four 2-hour sessions separated by a significant break period than in fewer longer ones.
I discovered power sessions when I was transcribing and attending college. It happened one semester that I had a class in the AM, one in the afternoon and one in the evening - that's the only times they were offered. So, I transcribed early AM, mid-AM, early afternoon and early evening, 2 hours each. I was never so productive in my life. Why? Less fatigue factor and a fresher mind. I really whomped the daylights out of the work for 2 hours at a crack, and then I got up and went to class, completely concentrating on something else. Then, on returning for another power session, it's almost like starting a new day.
The point is, 15- and even 30-minute breaks do not give you this fresh-start advantage.
A number of the people I supervise have improved their productivity dramatically simply by implementing the secret of power sessions.
Good luck!
There are lots of factors involved. Do you
use an expander/macros, are you able to be disciplined and work and not up and down or on-line frequently, do you have good quality sound files, do you have good dictators, how does the company count lines, etc. Most companies require 1200 lpd for FT, so use that figure as a minimum and do the math.
There are lots of factors involved.
How easy is the platform, how are lines counted, do you have reference books or do you use Google to do all your research? Do you have lots of normals/macros, do you use an expander, do you spend too much time on-line or are you up and down frequently?
I make $40,000/year working 5 to 6 hour days/5 days a week. I have an easy platform, lots of macros, an expander, multiple reference books. I do work for a national, but I am also an employee and get paid by gross line, so my $40,000+/year is better than an IC making $40,000/year.
I guess I was blessed. In my entire 20+ year carrier I've only worked for 3 companies and each one has been better than the previous one.
Is $40,000 what you think you s/b be making based on the TV commercials say you can make or is that what you need to be making? If you don't need that much money to live on then don't worry about it. You have to look at pros and cons of what you are doing versus working in an office and you might come out even by the time you factor in clothing, food, gas, etc. (I'm assuming you work at home.)
Not necessarily. There are lots of other factors
involved that could contribute to a large return, such as losses in the stock market, medical expenses, etc. Generally speaking though it is because you have claimed too many dependents or claimed single when you are married, but there are lots of people who are not able to save money so a little extra each month contributes to a large refund later and then they have the funds to pay off debt or do home repairs, pay college tuition, etc. Now if they put a little away in savings they'd have more to show at the end of the year, but with interest rates so low it wouldn't be a significant amount.
This situation might not be ideal for you, but it may be for someone else. It is their money, it doesn't affect my paycheck or my tax return so I figure it is none of my business.
Can you get high speed?
That's VERY expensive for dial up. Most high speed services cost about that.
My speed is really high but this job is not what
it was years ago. With being an engineer, it would seem that the money should really be good there. I have done this now for over 30 years and if I had to do now and raise a family, I would have to work more than 1 job, possibly 3-4. It is really not the money maker it was once, not at all. The work is not easy, not just a typist job, in fact after all these years I still am always trying to make sure my QA is not lacking, otherwise your job is lacking as in gone. My speed is around 140 wpm but the speed is not what is really important. I found it extremely difficult starting out and trained for over a year inhouse before I ever earned production. This would not be a job I would recommend now unless you just want to stay at home with a child, do part time, retired, in other words where you want to put in time and really don't need to make a living doing it.
High speed internet
If you have an internet-based platform, you don't need to use a phone line with high speed internet. I managed to get rid of a second phone line that way. The company pays for the intenet.
High speed internet
My high speed internet is received via a small satellite dish mounted on my house. It is pointed toward a tower where the signal is sent. It does not require a phone line at all. It works on the same principle as a satellite dish, only for internet.
high speed internet
I have satellite and thought it couldn't be used for MT work at home....do you use it for MTing? Thanks for reply!
high speed cable
Hi, I work for Medquist and they pay up to 50$ a month for high speed cable (DocQscribe platform).
Aced out no high speed
I think I am going to get aced out of my job because I do not have access to high-speed internet. Are there any companies out there that allow satellite? Any suggestions?
I only have dial up too - no high speed is available either - sm
for those of us in the boonies it is unfortunate we are limited in this way. Believe me if I could get DSL I would.
Yes, way too much! Try high-speed cable.
I use Comcast cable - introductory is 19.99 per month for the first 6 months, then 49.95 after that.
High-speed DSL or cable
I am posting for a friend and wanted to see if anybody else has run into this problem. We live in a very remote area where we are unable to get high-speed DSL or cable. My friend, who has a lot of experience and would be an asset to any company(over 15 years experience), cannot find a company that does not require high-speed cable or DSL. Also unfortunately because of our location, she really is unable to pick up tapes, especially as high as gas prices are - but that is another issue!! Fortunately for me, because of the location of my home in conjunction with a "main road" (in country terms), I was able to get high-speed cable, but because of how far her home sits off the road, she cannot. Any suggestions?
I doubt my speed would be as high as it is now, despite not having
a light touch keyboard....I'm from the old school -- learned on a typewriter many, many years where ago one had to pound the keys to get the text to show up. I'm not concerned about my keyboards not lasting long; they cost under $20.00.
Does your son have high speed internet???
If so get vonage for your long distance. I just unplug my Vonage and take my router and I have my own phone line anywhere I have high speed internet.
I have high-speed now, but only got it 2 years ago. Before that I
worked with dial-up and my company still allows dial-up. They aren't hiring though.
if you have high speed internet
you shouldn't have any problems - I typically download a 43 minute file in about 2 minutes ... the bonus is the file is always there waiting for me so I can take a quick bathroom break, I can "rewind" to hear problems again, etc. To me, downloading files is MUCH easier than doing Dictaphone but JMO.
With Vonage you need high-speed
internet so if that is not available to you then Vonage, voip another digital phone provider would not be an option for you.
If you buy a calling card at Wal-Mart it is 4 cents/minute and I think Sam's Club may be 3.5 cents. I couldn't afford to work if I had to pay 7 cents/minute.
High-speed conversion
see link.
Pricey. Maybe there's a cheaper one out there. Guess it would depend how much of this kind of work you'll be doing.
d
Use high speed internet. No offense taken. nm
x
If they want that access, they would have to pay for the computer, the high-speed and the
portion of electric. Just my opinion. I own and run a national service and think this is ridiculous and a HUGE invasion of privacy. If worried about trust, how can they trust you with patient information. Refuse.
I am not yet networked, but I just download via high speed
and then disconnect and take my laptop where ever it is I want to work. When I get through with my work I go back in and upload.
In the mountains you might have problem with any type of wireless signal, but if you have high-speed internet there and you are using a wireless router and network card it shouldn't affect the signal as long as you are within range of the router. By wireless if you are thinking something like Clearwire which operates much the same as a cell phone then you'll probably have trouble, or if you are using an air card you might have issues too, provided there is even service in your area. A lot of people say wireless and they are using a router and network card and others think wireless is like the air card. No sure which you are thinking about.
Turn off - especially if you are on high-speed internet
This will prevent you from contracting various illnesses on your computer.
I'm having the same problem, have high speed DSL and it has been crawlinggggg....
*
Thanks for your response. I do, however, have high-speed cable. nm
x
question about wireless high speed
When a job says high speed internet is a must but no satellite, should I apply if I’m using wireless high speed through a cell phone carrier?
We have direct TV and directway internet for high speed and luv it!!!! nm
x
I agree - high-speed cable is great....
I use Adelphia and am very pleased. They offer an introductory rate of $26.95/mo. for first 6 months, and were recently also offering a $50 Visa gift card for "joining". The fee after that is $44/mo., I believe, but you can group it with a digital cable package and save more money. I have been very pleased with their reliability thus far. I went with them literally from day one when they came to my area, and at first the outages were frustrating, but now it is extremely rare for them to go out at all (knock on wood!!!!).
Vonages requires high speed internet...
so you would need either DSL/cable or broadband. I have broadband and hooked up to Vonage for 2 months for C-phone use. The audio quality was frequently poor and I would have to reboot. Some days I would just hook up to my home phone line to avoid the hassle. The kicker was when I went to disconnect this month, they charged me $97 TO CANCEL! Its all in the fine print, apparently.
My audio problems may well have had to do with broadband/satellite service more than anything. If you have cable/DSL it may be worth a shot, but know that if you cancel after their 30-day trial you are going to pay! 
just some information for MTs in rural areas where high speed is not available
Hi all,
Was just on the Sprint website a little bit ago and checking out wireless cards for my laptop since I will be moving to an area that doesn't even have landline service available yet. Sprint is now offering a wireless card that is a USB card and apparently will work with both a laptop and a desktop as long as you have an available USB port on your computer. Might be something to think about 
Any experience using Embarq high-speed internet?
Hi, wondering if anyone has experience with Embarq for phone/high-speed internet access. They merged/absorbed Sprint a while back, apparently. They are the only provider for a nearby small town and I'm wondering if it's even a good idea to move there...
Thanks!
My high speed internet is through our local t.v. cable company. nm.
x
Well, the first thing you'll need is a high speed internet connection if you don't already hav
it. You'll want to invest in a foot pedal that you can connect to your PC. I'd check out the pedals on transcriptiongear.com or check out Ebay. I've found a lot of useful MT equipment on ebay for really reasonable prices. I have an Infinity USB pedal that works nicely and I bought it off of Ebay. You'll need to download ExpressScribe or another program so you will be able to play back sound files using your pedal. That will make it a lot easier for you to test with some of the national companies as they generally have .wav files that you'll need to transcribe and send back before they will make an offer.
Once you've landed a job, the bigger companies generally will provide you with whatever software required to do their work and some provide you with all the equipment you'll need. However, some will require you to use your own PC and will want you to have the latest version of Word.
That should get you started.
Anyone on the high speed internet that has found it just crawling along for some reason. All of a
sudden my just goes into web sites at a crawl and my computer is fine and modem seems fine. No clue what is going on.
I have a KVM switch and using cable for my high-speed internet so what i needed ... SM
to connect my second computer to the internet was simply the ethernet cord along with the KVM switch box. I actually work with a router, but it was simple to set up and works like a charm.
VOIP - If I am not mistaken VOIP requires a high speed connection.
:(
I was hired for a specific account/specific
work type. I've learned the dictators, done the macros, now they need to hire new MTs because the workload has increased, so they switch me to a very difficult account, doing everything but my normal work type. Does this make sense? I'm productive on my original account, not productive on new account, plus I'm majorly stressed. I do ESL 90% of the time but the new account is really horrible, not only ESL but they mumble and the quality of the dictation is bad. If you took a new hire and put them on this account and they stuck it out, maybe they wouldn't think these dictators would be so bad. I've talked with the MTSO and they say they'll switch me back and that lasts 2 weeks and then back to this horrible account. It would be different if they called and said we need you to do this account for a couple of weeks, but it doesn't pay enough for me to do from now on.
I understand this is the way the business is and my griping probably isn't going to help anything, but I just had to get it out.
Specialties
My specialties are Oncology, Oncology research, and emergency room (I have been an EMT for 15 years--old habits are hard to break!!).
mt specialties
Do you think there are MT specialties that are more in demand, such as acute care? If so what might they be?
My two favorite specialties...
...radiology and op reports. In speaking with MTs, people who like one tend to like the other. I think it's because they both are fairly technical and have "flow." You're moving through a procedure or a test, and when you're done, your done.
I got into radiology without knowing anything about it and was the team leader within months. Just make sure you have a good reference or two, know your bones, muscles, and physiology, be willing to look up names of isotopes, machines, etc., and you'll do great!
Per Line for Other Specialties?
Hi! I'm new to the forum and was wondering if any of you experts are familiar with the rates for specialties other than medical? I've been approached to do some court work and general transcription, but they need a 65-character line rate and I have no clue what the going rate - or a fair rate - is for subs. Any suggestions? Thanks bunches!
Have a blessed Sunday,
Faith
RE: so many docs/specialties
The national I contract with has me on one account in one specialty. I was doing another specialty as a second, but there wasn't enough work. Is there any way you can request doing just one practice or specialty, or am I misunderstanding how other companies do things? This is the first MT job I've had, so I'm not familiar with the norms of the field. I can imagine if each doctor has different formatting how it would further complicate things, too.
accounts/specialties
I've been an MT for 2 years. My experience is mainly in orthopaedics. I'm looking to get on with a new company, but I'm worried about the difficulty factor of making that leap. Obviously I don't have the unrealistic expectation that the new company would assign me just an orthopaedics account, and I wouldn't want that because I want to learn something new. I would say give me cardiology, GI, GU, but don't give me cardiology, GI, GU, obstetrics, psychiatry, ophthalmology, neurology, oncology, and on and on. So I'd like to take on more than just orthopaedics but not too much either. Question for you all, how many accounts are you typically assigned to and how many specialties are you expected to know? Thanks.
A possibility. You might want to try some of the SUM tapes on various specialties, you to sm
bone up/refresh on them. I have them, if you are interested.
so many factors to consider
I had to do this when my last child was born and it was very difficult. I think so much depends though on what kind of a baby you have. Unfortunately, my last one was very needy, cried a lot, and wanted to be held a great deal which meant that I basically was unable to work at all when he was awake. He didn't take good naps either, so I ended up doing all of my work late at night and early morning hours and needless to say, there was little time for sleep. I did it almost the first year of his life and I was one tired puppy.
I'm told from friends who have done it though that it can be done and particularly if you have a good baby who sleeps for long periods of time. Good luck to you!
As you said, it depends on a lot of factors.
I can get 200-250 lph with two of my dictators. There are others that I only get 125 lph due to the platform. I'd say anywhere from 8-16 hours for me.
There are several factors involved
I believe the average line rate is anywhere from 100 to 200 lines an hour. The software platform you are using, what type of report you are typing, whether you have templates you can use, whether you have an expander, all factor into this. If you type letters only and have no expanders, for example, expect the lower range. Those with many standard templates and heavy use of Expanders can expect to type much more than that.
The other poster is correct in that a lot of the national companies expect 150 lines an hour.
Depends on 2 factors.
1. Your line rate. As a recruiter, if you are on a clinic account, you'd be paid between 0.06 and 0.07 cpl. Acute care, 0.07 and 0.075....maybe.
2. Your production.
After that, it's entirely in your hands.
this depends on many factors.....sm
Privately if one is typing in a DOS program with very familiar MDs/work, you can do 300-400 LPH. If, however, one works for a national transcription company, you can slash that about in half if you have to type through the internet and use all the F keys and the alt-cont-shift keys and all that stuff which slows one down tremendously.
Just my nickel's worth. *S* And I know this because I do 400 LPH privately and about 175 LPH for a national.
|
