My version of the Good Old Days
Posted By: MTinVA on 2005-08-03
In Reply to: What was it like? - kyradmt
My "old days" started in 1985 working for the first HMO I'd ever heard of. Yes, electric typewriters... hard copies, white-out...learning other aspects of medical records when MT work slowed down...knowing and seeing and being appreciated by and sometimes teased by the docs I transcribed for. Then on to a mom and pop company, highly appreciated for my work (the first computer/word processing for me). Then onto the first transcription service I'd ever heard of - I loved it. I worked in-house, was paid well, was regularly appreciated, got reviews AND raises. Line counts and pay all made sense.
The next larger service I worked for was even better, started working at home for them in 1991, same company since (well, bought out by a MQ).. back then, felt like so much of a team player, like what I did really mattered and counted. These were years of annual picnics, Christmas parties, review and raises, knowing who I worked with and for by name and face, meeting with other local MTs (this was encouraged!), getting cards or flowers from the owner for helping out on a brand new account. I too felt I could count on my job, my skills, no matter what.
The changes, the "good old days" becoming just that (old and no longer current!) have been coming on for a while now. I guess I'm finally taking my head out of the sand and, though I wish it wasn't this way, take some small comfort in finding I'm not alone.
I will always take pride in my work though, that won't change. Twenty years 20 years of MT work is hard to just throw away! Wish I could be more encouraging to those entering the field, as the "guts" of this career still fascinates me.
Hey, thanks for letting me have my say.
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My version of 12 days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my employer gave to me
A good paying job as an MT
On the second day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Two good accounts and a good paying job as an MT
On the third day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT
On the fourth day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Four calls to thank me, three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT
On the fifth day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Five paid holidays, four calls to thank me, three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT
On the sixth day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Six American doctors, five paid holidays, four calls to thank me, three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT.
On the seventh day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Seven brand new drug names, six American doctors, five paid holidays, four calls to thank me, three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT.
On the eighth day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Eight volumes of Stedman’s, seven brand new drug names, six American doctors, five paid holidays, four calls to thank me, three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT.
On the ninth day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Nine cents per gross line, eight volumes of Stedman’s, seven brand new drug names, six American doctors, five paid holidays, four calls to thank me, three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT.
On the tenth day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Ten days of vacation, nine cents per gross line, eight volumes of Stedman’s, seven brand new drug names, six American doctors, five paid holidays, four calls to thank me, three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Eleven reports not cherry picked, ten days of vacation, nine cents per gross line, eight volumes of Stedman’s, seven brand new drug names, six American doctors, five paid holidays, four calls to thank me, three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my employer gave to me
Twelve fresh red roses, eleven reports not cherry picked, ten days of vacation, nine cents per gross line, eight volumes of Stedman’s, seven brand new drug names, six American doctors, five paid holidays, four calls to thank me, three cents for overtime, two good accounts, and a good paying job as an MT.
Works ok, but you get what you pay for. I think there is a free trial version. Not nearly as good
x
Actually the good old days
were in the 70's and 80's when MT was first being outsourced. Then the companies who were pioneers in the field would kiss the back side of an MT or do anything else to get and keep them, provided, of course they produced quality and quantity. Editors and Q.A. hadn't been heard of, we were expected to edit and Q.A. ourselves. Many of the companies in the good old days provided full benefits and the pay was much, much better than working in house and much more than it is today.
This is from one who started MTing when it was a MINIMUM WAGE job in the clerical section of medical records located next door to the morgue in the hospital, rose to the peak in about the mid-80s just before the advent of computers and I guess everyone knows about the decline since. Guess it'll have made full circle in another 10 years or so.
Good old days
I worked for a mom-and-pop MT service who gave bonuses, Xmas parties and gifts, and were good people. We never worked holidays unless we asked to and a lot of us never worked weekends. There were no line count macros. DOS counted the lines. We were paid very good wages and were told we were appreciated. Hard to believe but true!!!!
Tell me about the good old days....
Hi all! I've only been doing the MT thing for about 9 months now......so I need to know: What were the good old days like for the MT business? Were you really able to make good money? Did companies really take care of their employees? Did you really have the feeling of family?
And, more importantly, how can we get things BACK to the good old days?
Good ole days?
Let me think back,,,,,back,,,,, back,,,,,,, I started about 6 years ago and have worked for 2 companies, a large national and a small national. My pay has gone down at each company, causing me to tell the large national that I didn't want to take a pay reduction at this stage of my career and I gave my two weeks notice. At the small one, couple of years ago I took a 50% pay cut because the company was just starting out and there was a chance it would have to close altogether. That pay has gone back up a little but certainly don't ever expect to be making what used to be made. Am figuring out ways to work smarter, since I can only edit and type efficiently and correctly at a certain speed, though I expect that to slowly get better. I am afraind we are at the tail end of the quickly vanishing "good ole days."
good old days
 Ah.... I remember them well. My first transcription job for a service was in 1983, owned by a local m.t. and had about 4 transcriptionists. She treated us well, the second year I was high producer and she took my husband and I to Las Vegas for 4 days (all expenses paid of course!). I worked for her for 5 years and then she moved away and quit the business. I think of her often. Wish there were more like her who knew us, we weren't just a #, and she didn't hesitate to tell us (and show us with extra $) how much she appreciated us. Those were the days!
good ole days
 Sadly enough, I do believe you are right! With very few exceptions, employers don't give a rip about their employees anymore (not just M.T.'s, but ALL employers). It's a shame. If we don't have integrity, there is not much incentive to do our best and do a great job. But we CAN and we DO!!! AND we can sleep at night!
These are the good old days....
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm still making darn good money. The trick is you have to know how to sell yourself and then make sure you deliver consistently good work. Now I'm talking IC, of course. Working for another company, I don't know. But MT is like all other jobs when you work for someone else. You get what THEY decide to pay YOU! And the sense of family? I think that probably all went out years ago, not just in MT but most fields, wouldn't you think?
GOOD OLE DAYS
yes - i had told the first doctor i worked for that i should have been a painter - i used so much white-out i would go home with my hands covered - used a selectric typewriter, and dictabelts. I swear I got hired for the sundress i was wearing - ahhh to be 18 again.......been doing this 30 years!!
the good old days
Oh Boy! Do I every identify with you! A selectric typewriter, 24 hour turn around, doing this in my garage! My then husband getting up at 4:00 a.m. to deliver and pick up work. One doc wanting me to transcribe his daughter's thesis! Two little boys, still asleep, three hours sleep for me. Eighteen docs! Fun, fun, fun! Bless your sweet heart, I was there too! Still doing it, but for a hospital, fantastic salary, boys raised, one a Gsgt. in the USMC, the other a Lt. in the USN! Divorced, thank almighty God. During those days I was working to pay his child support and alimony! I got skunked in the divorce, but nearly 70 and still going strong! The Lt. is getting married next month...the Marine is married to a stellar you woman and I have one adorable grandchild. My moto is, never stop, never give up, I have "mountains to climb and promises to keep", and believe me, I will!
GOOD OLE DAYS
A dictabelt is what came before the standard size cassettes.
Ahh yes...good ole days!
I began typing clinic notes on Avery sticky paper using a reel-to-reel machine and an Olivetti typewriter!! I used to get up at 4 a.m. and drive to LA to pick up and deliver tapes, too (I was 18 back then)!! I remember when I purchased my first Lanier word processor with great, big floppy disks to save and make normals on!! That thing was huge, 'bout 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep!! Now, I use a laptop and can transcribe anywhere, anytime and have my docs using a digital call-in system on a website! Thanks for the Internet..what would we do without it? 
the good ole days
I used to have a provider that every day he would start his tapes with a joke, usually pretty corny, and at the end of the tape would always say "i hope this wasn't as boring for you to type as it was for me to say, have a great night"....made me feel very appreciated :)
Good ole days.
Hear you! Been there and done that and times have certainly changed. The hospital I worked at didn't outsource too much but they let go the long-time manager of 30 years and hired a CEO right out of college, no experience and tripled his income. Then they became real picky as to whom they wanted on their payroll.It was great for the chosen few but not for some of us who had been there 25+ years. Sadly, it was the final curtain but most of us were ready to move on after the change in management.
the good ole days
I remember at MRC when we were going to have clients or upper crust visiting, a sign would go up on the bulletin board to please wear a bra and shoes to work when we had visitors.
Those were the days!
oh i remember the good ol days
I could never stand working with people a straight eight hours a day, i'm not an "on" type of person and not gossipy either. Just not my thing. A lot of backbiting went on and you could just feel the negativity in the air. At home I don't have that. My dog/cat never talk behind my back nor are they fake. They really and truly like me. Just kidding. But I remember those days well, couldnt get out fast enough.
My good old days were great..SM
worked full time for a local hospital from home, making 14 cpl, 1 month off a year to start, full health insurance, short-term, long-term disability, all equipment and phone lines supplied. Those 2 years I made more $ than ever and haven't been able to reach that level since. They outsourced.
The good days started unraveling when
The nationals started buying up the mom and pop MT businesses that started cropping up in most cities in the late-1980's and early 1990's. Most of these were small businesses with a few local doctor's office accounts and hospitals, had a guy who ran back and forth picking up and delivering tapes, and everyone got along fine for the most part aside from the expected competition between local companies. Then came Medquist, Transcend, etc. who swooped in and started scooping up these companies by the handful, and pretty soon we had what we have today. It happens. What started out as a good thing (computer networking) making us able to leave the offices and work from home, continued to evolve into what this business is today. Now it's taking off in another direction with voice rec and overseas MT's who work for peanuts. I've seen this business evolve from the IBM Selectric, a tape player, and a bottle of white-out to what it is today, and it's amazing what changes there have been in the last 27 years. Who would have known!
1200 to 1600 on good days (nm)
x
Do you guys ever feel like just a number? Remember the good old days...
When if you had a problem, you could go straight to the manager and they'd take care of it right away, making you feel secure in your position and important? When I talk to my supervisor, I feel like her main focus is to get off the phone with me asap, being very short with me, and quick to say she will get right on something when in fact she never does. I just feel so remote and always worry about how long i'm going to have a job in the MT field because of how uncaring the supervisors are, not knowing us personally, not having a face to go along with the person, being able to yank us off an account we're comfortable with onto some ungodly thing where our line count goes down to zilch, and having NO control over it. I was never one to work around people because of all the backstabbing that goes on with women in the office, but I would love to have a home office to report to periodically throughout the year, and maybe work in-house a couple times a month, just to put a face with people and not feel like a number that would be easy to dispose of.
The good old days were not so good for me. sm
Transcribing from tapes on a Selectric typewriter with 3 or 4 carbons and white out, no spellcheck, no expansion program, no internet for research.
They're still at version 7 and version 8 is supposed to come out this Fall, which may be compatib
This is why I uploaded the 4.15 version. It's a previous version
/
Works is a dumbed down version of Word and Excel. You get the full version of Word in the Suite.
The Works Suite is a cheaper way of getting a full version of Word if you don't want or need the other applications in Office.
30 hours divided by four days equals seven-hour days. Most of us have to work pretty much every day
.
Working 6/hour days, 5 days/week I make
$42,000.00, but the work is there to make more if I want to. I'm in the southeast.
2000 low days, 4000 busy days
Did 43,000 lines last month. 6 doctors.
You can "make a living" if you work 16-hr days, 7 days
and if you rarely buy anything but food and the barest essentials in clothing. My balancing act is so precarious that all it'll take is one of life's little disasters (rent increase, sick pet, major car repair) to pull the rug out from under me. Not a good feeling at all.
If it's a retail version you can. If it's an OEM version, you can't.
``
550-650 lph on average. Some days more, some days less. It all depends. nm
x
How? By working 12-hr days 7 days/week?
;LKJ
What version of IT are you using?
And what application are you using IT with?
You may want to email IT tech support directly.
Kind regards,
Kristen
What version of IT are you using?
What version of Instant Text V Pro are you using? Do you have your linking options established?
To find out what version you are using, double-click on the blue title-bar in Instant Text and then go to Help and About Instant Text. There you will see the exact version and built date that you are using. If you are using Instant Text V Pro but do not have a built date of October 2005, I would suggest downloading the latest revision from our website so you are using the most up-to-date version.
If you are using a previous version of IT, such as IT 3.0 or IT 3.5, I would recommend upgrading to version V Pro.
Also, please leave a message when you call so we can help you. If you do not get a tech on the phone, it is because we are on the other line helping other IT users. You can always email us directly if you need help as well.
Kind regards,
Kristen
Maybe my version is too old
My Stedmans Spellchecker the is 2004 so maybe it is too old. I sent an email to Stedman support and they sent one back stating that they do not guarantee that their programs will work with Vista. My electronic Stedman dictionary works though. Thanks for your help
What version?
xx
Version 4.16
I agree. I also have the newer version (4.16) and it plays dss files just fine for me, too.
the version of CS I use does NOT
use my version of Word. It is it's own separate platform and my autocorrect entries do not work in it. I will either use ShortHand or just copy and paste into my Word.
try this version
There was a similar discussion Friday, and someone provided a link to an older version of ES. I think this link takes you to that message.
http://forum.mtstars.com/main/v/1/98415.html
Maybe on your version
But on mine, which is Microsoft Word 2002, it is squares, not circles.
Well, gosh... I guess everyone might not have the same thing!
same version
I have the same version.
thanks for the information...We just started using this a few months ago, but it just seems like there is no communication anymore with this job other than what work is avaialble and the mistakes you make...but I'm just going to start asking more questions. My supervisor told me we are absolutely not allowed to type in Word...I tried it with one account that they said I could, and then she said to stop because it was messing things up. So, I don't know what's up with that.
Have a good night...and thanks again!
which version? sm
we had Meditech magic and used Instant Text abbreviation expander. How about canned text? I had a lot of full routines in canned text that really helped.
Version 3
version 3. Thanks for your help. I type directly into Meditech.
what version?
We were on 4.6 and you entered R and the date and then hit look up, the best I can remember. but we were inhouse and could also go under drafts or signed under order entry if we could not remember the name. Circumstances were probably different for us.
yes, not sure what version you are but sm
Under Tools click on customize, then click on keyboard. Then choose Format under the category window, then in the command window, find Format Bullets and Numbering. Now choose your keyboard command (like CTL X)and make sure you are not already using that for something important! Then put your new command in the press new shortcut key window, then click assign. Hope this helps!
I believe I am using version 7.0.
I know when I started on ASR, I had to call Dictaphone and have them download an upgrade or patch to my current program.
Version 7.5
We have 7.5, and I am fortunate that the function works; alt , changes the case of the next letter to a small letter. Wishing there were a blog board or somewhat to share experiences. I feel lost out here with this system in trying to boost productivity.
Which version of Word are you using?
If you are using Word 2003, I HIGHLY recommend you disable autocorrect and anything that would automatically insert anything based on an expansion system within Word. There is a known problem (on MS-Word's end) that these 2 programs compete for expansions and Word can lock up, causing you to lose up to your entire report. I've been in touch with several people trying to resolve this issue but it is on Microsoft's end, not Smartype. Any prior version of MS-Word does not have this issue. Just be sure you don't have the same expansions set up for both Word and Smartype. I loved my ST with Word 2000. I'm on a platform where I can no longer use ST but I am slowly importing all my entries into a different expansion program.
d~
What version of Word is it? (nm)
x
yeah - but WHICH version? There are so many! nm
x
Is there a demo version of
x
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