Need advice -long message
Posted By: Patti on 2005-10-13
In Reply to:
Some of you probably know me but I am small MTSO, 2 part-time IC's. One of mine does Psych Eval and I pick up tapes once a week usually, 2-3 tapes on Thurs or Friday. I deliver to her. Do not need the last one back until Weds a.m. I usually ask that if there are two, one back on Monday and one on Tues p.m. So the doc does get them all at once. They have to be out in the mail by Thurs from him, I send them to him and he prints and mails. Well this gal has been doing this account for over a year. She is always rushed and trying to get them done "faster" all the time to make that much more per hour. (I pay 0.8 per gross line with headers and footers counted). So there is usually 350 to 400 lines per account which she does in about an hour since I have set up so many templates. Good money I think. But she rushes so much that there are minor mistakes being made -- wit instead of with, or instead of on, bear essentials instead of bare essentials, not big ones but little. I feel that because he gives us so much time tht these reports should be 100% accurate with the typing and grammer -- am I wrong. I make very little on this account, 25% of the take at maximum. So I told her that if the reports came back PERFECT I would pay her 0.85 cents per line and she really got upset. Said that humans make mistakes, etc. Am I out of line? She really gets defensive on the corrections I send her and so I stopped sending them to her. Yea she used to be a friend. So how to you like to be told that you have errors? I try not to be too stern but when she attaches the incorrect letter to a psych eval that got me the other night. Give me some advice. I mainly just E-mail her back the corrections I have made but evidently I am too "harsh" and demanding too much perfection. Thanks. Patti
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
Please see message. I have three daughters with long, long hair.
I also have long hair down to my waist and my three girls have hair that long too. My daughter brought them home from school last year. I was devestated and grossed out!!!! I have never had to deal with lice. Anyway, we did the treatments and two of my girls broke out in a severe rash with the OTC stuff. Their little heads were so sore!! I thought I was being meticulous with eggs, only to find them hatching again down the road. A nurse at the pediatricians office suggested I try oil to suffocate them since my girls were allergic to the lice solution. I bought a huge bottle of veggie oil and dumped it on all three heads, plus my own. I then wrapped the heads in platic wrap and then a towel. I left this on for 30 minutes. It takes a while to wash out the oil, but we never, ever had the lice or eggs again!!! If you try this, make sure you put on an old shirt and put a towel around your shoulders. Obviously we were desperate, but we all have such long hair and very thick hair so I was willing to try anything. And I figured there was no chemicals involved so that was pretty safe. And it sure did help my littles ones since their scalps were pretty raw from the solution. Hope this helps and Good luck!
Need advice. See message.
I am a small MTSO and today I received an email from a client stating that they got a quote for 4 cents less than what I charge them and could I match it. This is a pretty big account and keeps a few of my transcriptionists pretty busy. I don't want to lose them, but I can't afford to pay good quality transcriptionists if I lower my price per line by 4 cents. Need advice on what I should do. Thanks.
Please see message for advice
I do suffer from eczema as do 2 of my kids. The BEST cream I discovered (through my dermatolgist in VANICARE. Look for it on Amazon to get good prices. This stuff is fantastic. All natural... you can even use it on an infant. I'm telling you, I tried oodles of products and the KEY with ezcema is PREVENTION. Have you child apply this cream daily to areas that are problematic. You can also do a search on Google and read wonderful reviews on this product. I highly recommend it. I buy the Largest jar (about 13.00) Good luck
Here's the story - long message
I have been using the product off and on for the last 7 years, but mostly since November 2002. Let me offer the short version of what’s involved:
1. You need a computer that has a CPU no less than 2 GHz with no less than 1 MB of memory, and it should not have a Cerelon processor.
2. The system requires a sound card that is not integrated into the motherboard. Here is a link for sound cards that work well with Dragon: http://support.scansoft.com/compatibility/default.asp
3. Don’t use the microphone that comes with the product. You need to order one separately. Here’s a link for quality brands: http://www.emicrophones.com/microphones/product_detail.asp?subcatID=1 (I’ve used both the Andrea-700 and VXI Talk Pro in the past, and they are suitable to the task. I currently I use the Sennheiser MD431 II handheld/desktop microphone (it’s worth every penny).
4. Learn the proper way to dictate: http://www.emicrophones.com/articles/index.asp (check all of the links on this page; Marty has a terrific web site). This can make or break the level of accuracy.
5. I prefer Dragon Medical Suite over the Professional version. You want to have the latest version, which is version 8, since it has the highest level of accuracy (you upgrade further at no charge, but you need version 8 on your system). Previously, you could purchase version 6 or 7 off ebay for $250-300 and then upgrade to version 8 for under $200, but it seems that now the upgrade to version 8 is $450. So, you’re best option is to keep an eye on eBay and pounce when you see a good deal on DNS Medical Suite version 8. However, you *can* get by with DNS Professional if you have enough documents for the program to “read.” They say 30-50 MB is sufficient but I disagree. I do acute care and have close to 500 MB, and keep adding all of the time.
6. Will the product benefit you? I would recommend the product to someone who can say “yes” to any of the following: [a] you have physical problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis; [b] you don't have a great memory and cannot remember thousands of abbreviations, which means you’re typing things out at least 50% of the time (that includes being proficient at SmarType and Instant Text, which *still* boils down to memorization).
7. You need to put the time and effort into preparing and training the product. You cannot just install it and “Away we go!!!” However, if you’re diligent about the training process (which is continual), you can probably average 350-400 lines per hour with 98-99% accuracy after three to four months of training. This product is not for everyone. Some will do better than others. Success or failure lies in the user, not the product.
8. The more you learn about the product, the higher your level of production. That goes for any product. There are three web sites out there which are dedicated to the product and can answer anyone question you’ve got.
9. Is proofing necessary? Yes, no matter how accurate you think the product is. But, the more you train it, the faster the proofing process. With proofing, I average 350 lph. So, if someone did the proofing for me I would probably dictate 450+ lph.
I think I've covered the initial bases on this. If you want to discuss things further, just email me. 
Discount - sorry long message
I do offer my docs a 1% discount if they pay within 3 days and especially if their account does go over $1000 I get my check the next day. One of my newest accounts did not apply their discount to their second bill and I was told "You work hard, the work is returned on time, good quality, Dr. C______ is not the easiest person to work for and I did not take off your discount because you deserve every penny of your invoice." He is a dermatologist, has lots of Op notes, good gross line count and he is really not that hard to do, lots of shortcuts but he does have an irritating habit of clearing his throat about every 5th line but you get used to it. But again I have been luck, all accounts pay within 3 days at the longest, never a bounced check and never a question on my line counts. But along my 15 to 18 years of doing this, I have had my share of poor ones but for the past 7-8 years I cannot complain. I have older docs who will probably retire in the next 10 years but then so will I. They are stand alone, 1-2 in a practice and so don't know if they will ever go EMR or even digital but will continue as I have. The accounts are out there you just have to look and perhaps go through several before you find one that appreciates you.
balance...sm (long message)
just wanted to encourage you. i suffer from burnout too (30+ years in this industry would burn out anyone!) =) ...but I have found ways to overcome it.
i would suggest that you NOT change companies. often when we're really stressed, making major changes is the LAST thing we should do.
for me, i find if i lower my MT expectations and quit being as perfectionistic as i want to be, i decrease the stress load. if you have the ESL from h*ll leave the allowed amounts of blanks or let QA deal with them and move on! you have nothing to prove to these difficult dictators...i try not to take it personally that they don't give a rip that they make our job nearly impossible....
i also need to keep my work life and home/personal/creative/school/community/family roles in balance. i work 2 jobs (1 MT, 1 not, go to school--online, and am a single mom raising 2 kids--older now) IT CAN BE DONE! And burnout can be BEAT!
if you need some moral support let me know--i'll give you my email addy.
ALSO, as far as the CTS, for YEARS I've had to wear typing gloves...best ones I've found are "MouseMitts" http://www.mousemitt.com/wrist.html
i have no affiliation with them...just passing on a good product that's saved me from having to have surgery...
hang in there...there is a creative solution to your burnout...
now, back to MT work for me!!!
=)
First, you are not alone. Most of us have been there. We understand. Long message. sm
1. You will never make your husband or his family understand your job. To them you will always have a "work in your spare time" pud job. They aren't capable of understanding, so don't waste your time. Concentrate on helping yourself succeed, for your own satisfaction.
2. Not being judgemental, but it sounds like you either need to look for a new job, or streamline your work process. There are a lot of tips on increasing production from the more experienced MTs, I have learned a lot. Just ask, and you'll receive all kinds of suggestions for building speed.
3. Don't waste time on street names, unknown company names, etc. If you can't find them on one or two good websites, leave a blank or spell them the best you can, depending on the directions for your account. I have one account I blank a doctor's name, one I leave a ? after the best spelling I can get. I check three good websites for doctor's names, maybe four if the hospital is on a state line. I never waste more than 5 minutes looking for things that aren't pertinent to the account (doctor's names are, but the rest aren't).
4. If you are getting 60 minutes of work and it only works out to about 400 lines, you might want to get another account. In my experience, 60 minutes should give you between 500 and 600 lines, depending on what kind of work you're doing. If it is discharge summaries, you may never build up your speed. Sometimes clinic work is faster, you use more canned text. Op reports are good money makers if you have the experience. Use Expanders for everything. Every Expander you put in will make you money in the long run. Also, if the work isn't coming in when it is supposed to, let them know you need it by a certain time. You can't sit at the computer 12 hours a day to do an 8-hour job and maintain a life. It isn't humanly possible.
5. TAKE your days off, do something YOU enjoy occasionally, not always what your family wants. Be good to yourself. This is where burnout comes from. If your husband can afford to pay all the bills, use your money to hire a sitter for your daughter 1-2 days a month, and spend the day with friends. Hire someone to clean your house regularly. Learn to streamline everything you can. Without being selfish, you have to take care of you, no one else is going to.
I too went into medical transcription because I hated working for a company that made bombs. This is much more worthwhile. But it is very hard. You have to approach it as a profession to succeed, and you'll have to do that for yourself, because families rarely understand that sitting at home working is probably the hardest thing you'll ever do, besides raising your children. Best of luck to you.
I'm an IC for a long-term client; need advice pls SM
They have implemented a new ftp server that I cannot access through my work computer (Windows 98); however, I juggled around with newer operating systems (Windows 2000 and XP) and can access the ftp server. We are supposed to send completed files to this ftp server (which is a great idea and one we should have been doing all along).
My problem - I have been in nearly weekly contact with this MTSO about not being able to access the ftp site with my work computer. They told me to disable my firewall (which I am not about to do) and frankly the reason they haven't corrected my situation is because I am the only MT who is having this access problem (I am not - I talk to a couple other MTs with this MTSO and they are having the same exact problem). My Internet Explorer is the most current version (I have a cable modem) so that wasn't the problem either (another of their suggestions).
Today I get an e-mail from the office manager of the MTSO. They're going to start docking my paycheck (did I mention I am an IC?) if I don't start using this ftp site. What do I do? I am not making THAT much money that I can go out and spend $500 for a new work computer just to access this ftp. It really fries me that I have e-mailed, phoned, etc. and nothing is happening...it's just "my fault." So any suggestions? Great way to start the weekend, I tell ya!
disagree with you - long message but 50K+ can be made
I disagree. I just picked up another account today. You just need to go where the money is, do a little extra and pick up your own accounts. In the past six months I have picked up two accounts that total an income of close to 1200 a month if not more. This is on top of the accounts that I have that already generate 50K a month. No I do not charge 15 to 17 cpl, no I do not work 60 hours a week and yes the majority of the transcribing I do. I pick uo the single doctors that no one else wants, I pick up and deliver, print, fax, get to know the staff and low and behold I make a good living. With these two accounts I still will be working less than 40 hours even with pick up and deivery and probably closer to 32. I may have my IC's help if they want to pick up more lines than they do with their psych accounts but if not, well I will do it. Again, look for the smaller clinics and go for it, the money is there and sometimes yea you have to put out a little bit of personal contact and customer service but again it is worth it. Though my accounts are not perfect, they are dependable, pay on time, and work with me when I have problems. And these are older doctors who do not want EMR and do not want to type and so we have all decided that we will all retire at the same time. In fact, I cut my thumb the other day trying to cut my new carpet to make if fit and my hand surgeon stiched up my thumb for free. Anyway, to me the money is there but you might not be in your pj's all the time typing and need to get up and out and deliver and pick up. Good luck to all of you. My life is good.
Lisa B - my rates and a long message
Again, I am from the old school, old way of counting and have had my accounts for many, many years - some 18 years. I do the simplest and easiest for me which is just doing gross lines per Word -- which I know counts the spaces but that is how these accounts were started and when I inherited some of them was told to count top to bottom -- but with that in mind -- I keep my rates a little lower. I am from .11 to 12.5 cpl. The lowest is for my Psych accounts as they give me 3-5 days turn around and we insert a lot of templates. The others are internal medicine, surgery, surgical oncology, Plastic/Hand surgery and Dermatology. I do pick up delivery, print, envelopes, cut apart chart notes but I average $35 to $45 and sometimes over $50 an hour (depends on how many Op's and consults that I have) and cannot see raising my prices. So I am happy and content. My pick up and deliveries take me an hour each day (depending on how much I visit with the office staff and docs) and I usually stop at the store or something but it gets me out of the house and I really do not mind that at all. I figure this into my work day to get my average hourly rate and am still happy with it. I will probably raise my rates at the end of 2007 but it has been two years. So with all of that said -- again it depends on your variables -- pick up and delivery, printing, etc. But for a ballpark figure I would go for 12 cpl for digital and 12.5 to 13 for pick up and delivery knowing that it will take 3 to 6 months to get your average up there while getting to know your docs, etc. I have used Sylcount for another account and to me that was too cumbersome. I tell my accounts the simpler, less time consuming we keep it the more savings I can pass onto you. And yes, they do appreciate me, pay on time, Birthday cards are received, Christmas bonuses received, included in staff parties if I want and the doctors actually talk to me and treat me as a person with a name and joke with me. Nobody can really answer this question for you as only you know what the account entails, your experience and what you want to make. You can always raise in a year or after doing it for a while. Good luck, e-mail me if you need any other additional info. Patti
Unlimited long distance in Maine. Please see message.
Hi all! There was a thread not far down on this board about unlimited long distance, and a few companies were mentioned, like Verizon, etc. I found out today that not all of these services are offered in Maine, where I live.
Does anyone know of any unlimited long distance services at reasonable prices in Maine?
ALSO, I know we have AT&T unlimited long distance here in Maine. Does anyone know if AT&T is one of the "good" companies? That is, can I use a C-phone with them and not be penalized?
Thanks so much for any help anyone can give!
see inside for link and article from Bill Gates...lm (long message)
Bill Gates bets $84M on corn power
Investment in ethanol manufacturer by Microsoft founder shakes up industry.
December 13, 2005: 6:41 PM EST
|
NEW YORK (Reuters) - When the richest man in the world invests $84 million in a company, you can be sure Wall Street notices.
That's why Neil Koehler, president and chief executive of Pacific Ethanol Inc. (Research), was looking as if he had won the Powerball jackpot on Tuesday.
"It gave us instant credibility and the equity financing to be very credible and real with our (business) plan," he said of the investment by Bill Gates, the Microsoft Corp. (Research) founder, whose personal fortune of $46.5 billion topped Forbes magazine's list of the world's richest again this year.
"It really differentiated us from the pack," Koehler said. Gates' investment firm, Cascade Investment, agreed last month to buy 5.25 million preferred shares in Pacific Ethanol, a producer of the corn-based fuel hailed by environmentalists as an answer to the earth's dwindling supply of petroleum.
The financing, in which the preferred shares will be converted into common stock, is expected to close in January and will net the Fresno, California-based company $84 million.
The Gates ripple effect
In an interview at Reuters' Times Square offices, Koehler said Gates' investment was a sign that ethanol can be a viable alternative to oil at a time of see-sawing gasoline prices and concerns about global warming and climate change.
"It's all coalescing and, obviously, a smart investor like Bill Gates sees that," said Koehler, who was in New York to attract institutional investors.
Gates' money will help Pacific Ethanol proceed with its plan to initially build five plants on the West Coast to process Midwestern corn into ethanol, he said.
"It's not only had a huge impact on our operations, but it's had a huge ripple effect on the whole industry. It has really caused a stir in the ethanol industry that Bill Gates has stepped up and said: 'I believe in ethanol.'"
The company went public in March and the $84 million will help finance the plant construction.
"This was very much our strategy and they very much synched up and helped us make it more real," he said. "They had decided they wanted to get into ethanol and had looked at many companies before they found us."
Despite the investment, Koehler has not met Gates, who is also known as a philanthropist.
"He's pretty hands-off," he said.
But just the name is enough to attract attention from Wall Street and oil companies, said Koehler.
"With Bill Gates and that whole left-wing, progressive position that he has and the philanthropic thing, it reinforces ethanol's green stamp," he added.
Ethanol versus oil
With crude oil at $50+ per barrel, Koehler sees the market for ethanol-burning vehicles growing. Already, U.S. gasoline contains about 10 percent ethanol and Ford (Research) and General Motors (Research) are developing cars to run on 80 percent ethanol.
With 150 billion gallons of gasoline sold in the United States each year, that represents some 15 billion gallons of ethanol.
"We could do what Brazil's done and have 30, 40 percent of our transportation fuel renewable," he said.
Brazil, which makes ethanol from sugar cane, and the United States are the two largest ethanol-producing countries, he added.
"It's a common fact, we are running out of oil and there is only one commercially-viable liquid fuel alternative," Koehler said.
But historically low gas prices and powerful big oil companies combined to stunt the ethanol industry for years.
"Because of the politics of the oil industry, ethanol has always been viewed as raining on their parade, interfering with their business model," said Koehler.
However, the situation has changed and oil companies now look more favorably on ethanol than other transportation power sources, such as electricity, fuel cells or hydrogen.
In addition, President Bush's energy bill included renewable fuel standards and starting on Jan. 1, it requires a virtual doubling of ethanol fuel use from the current 4 billion gallons to 7-1/2 billion gallons by 2012.
"With $50 oil and up, ethanol is very attractive from a price standpoint," said Koehler.
Ethanol receives a 51 cent per gallon incentive from the U.S. government and today it is selling wholesale for roughly $2 a gallon.
"The actual cost to a refiner is roughly $1.50 and wholesale gasoline is roughly $1.70 or $1.80 today," said Koehler.
And in another sign of the future, he said that, starting next year, the Indy Racing League is converting all Indy racing cars to run on the high-octane alternative.
"Ethanol is racing fuel," he added. |
Advice to YOU..1st learn to spell before insulting poster and trying to give advice...sm
Venting-why do people keep putting nm and THEN writing a message?? nm means no message - sm
Please put sm if you have a message and NM if there is no message other than your subject line. It makes it easier when reading these messages. thanks so much and have a nice day everyone.
Sound advice from a fellow MT if you want advice or support (sm)
I have been an MT for over 10 years. I also am getting burnt out, tired of my job, day in day. However, I do love transcription and make excellent money at it, have grossed over $50,000 per year the last 5 years. I decided to go back to nursing school and am very happy with my choice. However, over these 10 years of transcription I have had my ups and downs. My biggest issue with being at home working is lack of socialization, being home day in and day out with just the kids and the animals really gets to a person, sure hubby is home at night and thinks working from home is the easy life, thus the return to school and boy has my overall enjoyment of life changed once I realized I was the problem, not everyone else and I needed to find myself again.
Anyway, my biggest advice to you three-fold:
1. Get into counseling for yourself, find out who you are and what your needs are, whether or not you think you need to, I sense you are feeling overwhelmed and need someone other than your family to talk to that can be nonjudgmental to your feelings and needs.
2. If you're only making $100 after you pay preschool you can either keep doing it and be miserable, or quit because you are lucky enough to have a husband who can support the family without your income. (See how fast his mind changes just by losing the income you do have as to whether your job means anything.) Or look for a different company or office that you like more and are more productive if you really want to do transcription (lots of fish in the sea as far as companies).
3. Find a local "mom's" group where you can get out and socialize. MOPS (mother's of preschoolers) is an excellent one that is nationwide, they have a website. Also Mom2Mom is in a lot of areas. They provide a once a week time for moms with kids the same age to get together, socialize, (some offer spirtual guidance some don't) and each week a different mom takes a turn watching everyone else's children at the facility that hosts it so the other moms can talk about things they have in common. Every stay-at-home and work-from-home mom needs to socialize with adults, without their kids, or they will have a nervous breakdown eventually no matter how much they love their kids.
Sorry so long but it does get better but you have to take the first step at making yourself happy.
I hate Instant Text. It is expensive, long long learning
curve, and too much distraction for me.
How long should I wait after applying for a position before I follow-up. It has been as long as two
without hearing from some. Just wondering if I should send an e-mail to follow-up to see if they received my resume or not. I don't want to offend anyone but feel two weeks should be long enough for someone to at least acknowledge my resume and that I have applied for a position. Right now I would accept anything even a note saying no thanks. Any advice would be appreciated. I haven't had to apply for a job for the past 10 years so I am a bit rusty at this. Thanks again for any advice.
small message. nm means no message
see?
Flame=200 views, sm=see message, nm=no message
x
Congrats! How long have you been a MLS and how long did you study for the test!
It's been a long, long time since I've used a C-phone, sm
but I do think jobs can be paused.
I had a problem with this for a long, long time sm
I have always worked days, like from 6-3. Over the last few years, it didn't matter how much sleep I got, I became real groggy between 7 and 11. Really shoots the day. Talked to my doctor and he said my blood pressure pills were the culprit but he refused to change me to another brand or dosage since I have multiple aneurysms (2 in the brain). My BP has been stable for a long time and he wants to "keep it on the low side". I tried taking them before I went to bed instead of early in the morning, but then I had headaches all day. So, I am changing to a night shift for a few months so I can sleep when those pills kick in and so far it is working pretty good. I stay mostly awake during my shift and die when I hit the bed from 6 am to 10 am, then I lay down again later in the afternoon for 2-3 hours. I still get 6-7 hours of sleep, it's just split up during the day, plus I am mostly awake now when I sit down to type. I don't have to deal with the heat in my office, either. It tends to warm up real fast in here with the south sun on the house and 2 pc's running all day, even with the air conditioner on.
Way back when, a long, long time
ago and in a galaxy far, far away, I had my own accounts also and some years cleared $75,000. Yes it can be done, but you need to have your own accounts. Also lots of delivery, and other duties involved. I work for a large national now and make much less, but I got tired of accountants, having to deal with hardware problems, deadlines, driving deliveries, printing, printers, etc. So I decided to simplify my taxes and stay home and just type. Don't have to worry about computers either, because the company will just send me a new one.
Long, long files. Seemed like they'd never end! I'd never go back to VA again. nm
s
I've been doing this a long, long time...
I used to make $70,000 and up a year and did so for most of the late 80s and 90s (one girl used to make six figures a year working 7 days a week!) Because we were making more money than the supervisors and Medical Records Directors in hospitals, they began to switch to transcription services which were sprouting up all over the place. Plus AAMT came into existence and even though in the beginning it claimed it was to fight for transcriptionists (although assured us it was NOT a union), they eventually morphed into an organization that was more management friendly. They developed the "guidelines" and the 65-char line. That was the beginning of the end for those high-end wages. Then all those mickey mouse transcription schools popped up, and now outsourcing overseas. YES, we're complaining.
Been in this biz a long, long time, 30+ years and....sm
I love/loved MTing. However, things have changed so much during these years. The job definitely gets easier; don't have to look up much, can decipher ESLs much easier, in other words, you get pretty comfortable with things and you have confidence in yourself. The more experience you have the easier the job, but....
I actually made more money 10 years ago!! We didn't have speech recognition and you actually got paid for headers/footers, demographics, carbon copies, etc., you got paid for what you did fairly; today, I am not so sure.
You will feel burned out at times, but that passes and you find you like your job again.
Good luck to you!!
sm, see (or short) message, nm is no message.
x
sm-see message, nm-no message, ks-I think it's someone's initials.
nm
or no message, small message - whatever SM
any indication there is no need to waste time opening the post.
it is irritating also when people type through the subject line as well as the name line and then do not indicate if it is worth pursuing.
sm is see message not small message. I almost always
put NM or nt if there is no message, but quite a lot of people still open the posts as evidenced by the number of views.
A long, long time ago, I was going thru
a really bad time emotionally and physically. I was suffering, and my transcribing suffered. I assure you - if you are to the point of not paying your rent, literally, and needing food stamps, there is something else going on in your life than current transcription rates. We are all in this industry and many are thriving, most getting along comfortably. If you are literally to the point of food stamps, you honestly would be a fool to continue. I blamed it on my job, on my line rate, on everything but the honest truth that I was ill and was NOT working as I should or could. It is a really sad thing that you keep spreading this propaganda that MTs in our culture are doomed and now destined for food stamps. Food stamps are not something to toss around lightly, as you would know if you ever had to use them. Please let's not be quite so dramatic. Again, if you are really in those dire straits, you really need to face that MTing is not the fit for you, personally, and do something about it rather than blame our industry. You dwell on the past, but we can't do that. While you may have made other wages 20 years ago, may I remind you that we were pounding away on IBM Selectrics using layers of paper and bottles of white out, going crazy trying to rewind tapes over and over to get that dang word, with no idea what an Expander was. Technology is fantastic. Things have changed, but things are still great in this industry, and in this world. Those who change and can adapt will be fine, but you need to recognize that most of us are not ready for food stamps.
Sure did...you been around for a long, long year
A gross line IS a gross line regardless if it's 90 characters long or 1 character long... SM
I'm very sorry that your lines are 90 characters line and you get paid by gross lines. You are cheating yourself - that's not my fault. You cannot change the definition of a gross line. So I gues I'm not understanding what you are trying to say. Now if you are trying to say that your line equals 90 characters and that's how you figure your lines, than you are not using gross lines. You have defined a line to be 90 characters, whereas most MTSOs define a line as 65 characters. If that is the case, then I must say again, you are cheating yourself.
So which is it, do you get paid by gross lines or by a 90 character line?
my advice
would be to get an MT job that pays by the hour until your experience and accuracy come together well.
I believe that MQ will pay by the hour until you reach "production" -- but i am not sure if there is a time limit on that. I believe i've seen where other companies do this also.
I admire your refusal to quit -- i believe that is one of the essential traits of a transcriptionist. Hang in there. Very little worth attaining comes easy, you'll make it.
Need some advice
I know this isn't MT-related, but it has gotten me so upset that I can't work, so maybe it is MT-related after all. Anyway, if anyone has been in this situation, can you please tell me how you successfully handled it? My son wanted to go away for the weekend and asked to use my credit card to secure a hotel room. We went online to Hotels.com and found a nice place. I put in my credit card number and was given a room confirmation. I then received an e-mail from the hotel telling me there were no rooms available. I called the hotel and they told me I would have to address it with Hotels.com since they were the ones with my credit card information. I called Hotels.com and they told me that my card had been swept for the entire amount of the stay ($276.00!) but since there were no rooms available, the money would be credited back to my account. I got my credit card statement yesterday and they only credited back $71.00 of my money, causing me to incur and over-the -limit fee of another $29.00. I don't know where to turn to get this problem resolved. Do I call Hotels.com and ask them to reimburse my over the limit fee? Do I call my credit card company and tell them that it was Hotel.com's fault for hitting my account for the whole amount when they said they weren't going to? If anyone has been through this kind of thing before, I would really appreciate your input. Needless to say, I will NEVER use Hotels.com ever again!! Thanks in advance for your help!
Well said! I will take that advice.
Here's some advice from another old MT
Give Medquist a try. I know there's a lot of controversy surrounding MQ, but there is a lot positive about the company, too. The transcription platform is very, very easy to learn and quite MT friendly. Set your boundaries about the number of accounts you are willing to do right from the beginning.
You will never have to worry about not getting paid on time. If you need no benefits, go with the statutory employee status. There's flexibility with that.
There are apparently many MQ haters on this board, but there are many more who are happy with MQ. They just don't happen to spend a lot of time posting here.
Whereever you land next, may it be a great fit for you. :)
Need advice, please --
My 15-year-old niece has confided that she has met a boy through an over 21 chat room and has been emailing him (supposedly, he is 18). He has been to her house, and her parents have met him and they think he is a nice boy, but they have no idea how they really met. I have serious reservations about this and feel I should tell her parents, because even if this one is very nice, he is still too old for her, and what about the next one?
Advice
Learning a secondary account can be challenging but it also makes you a more well-rounded transcriptionist. The more accounts, the more doctors you work on, the better off you are in the long run. If its hard at first, work that much harder to learn it. You can't have to much experience!
Need advice
I just wanted to see if anyone had any advice to give.....I have been debating changing jobs. I currently make $15 an hour doing transcription in office. The delima I am having is that the whole reason I started doing transcription was so that I could work from home. I have been doing transcription for 4 years and my job is really easy and I am happy with the money, there are however other down falls with the company and I am not able to have the flexability of working at home, therefore dealing with the stress of not being able to always be there for "home" things. I have three school age kids, and they are all very active. My question is....Do I have a chance of finding anything else working at home or do I just try and suck it up where I am at??? I really have not started looking, so I am not sure what is actually out there. I hate changing jobs, but I also don't want to settle.
Just need some outside help and opinions! Thanks, KL
RE: Need advice
Don't forget your taxes. You can really wind up in a mess if you don't get on top of that right away.
Need Advice! What would you do?
Want opinions about something which has come up at work and need some advice. I am the lead Transcriptionist in a department with three other people.
Last year, one of our physicians in the practice was fired and rejoined another practice in town. He currently has a lawsuit against the company about the firing.
Today, I saw letters typed by one of the girls in the my department for this particular doctor. (because this patient switched physician groups). Apparently she has been working for him on the side since October of 2004. I am not sure if she is still typing for him or not.
My question is this, would this be something you would bring to the manager's attention, talk to my coworker, or just let it go.
On one hand I feel she is being dishonest and not loyal to our current company. I do not know if she is saying anything about our practice to the other doctor or not. Also at looking at the letters, she set them up exactly the same way we do. Isn't this considered a conflict of interest?
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!
Re: Advice - sm
My question - is she using YOUR company's equipment to do this typing? Is she doing it on YOUR company's time? THAT would be a NO-NO to me, along with the other points you mentioned, it doesn't seem quite the kosher thing to do.
Thanks for the advice!!! nm
nm
Thanks for the advice!
That does sound reasonable. Anything to get my foot in the door would be helpful.
need advice
I worked for a multispecialty medical center for 6 years that shut down and sent all transcription out to a service. I got a job with spheris. I love the company itself, they are great. But the problem is money. This is my first experience with production pay. To make what I made by the hour, I would have to produce 1500 lines a day. I am now producing about 1000 a day more or less, depending on how much research I need to do, if my cable or power goes out or if their server goes down or is slow.-- I do ER, consults, admit and discharge summaries, no operative reports. Cant really use a lot of expansions, only for simple phrases or individual words, no macros, mostly straight typing. I figured once I got used to their system and compiled all my provider samples and got my Expander glossaries pretty much built I would improve, which I have, but I really cant see myself ever doing much more than 1200 a day, and that would be with no "P" breaks. I am still having to stop multiple times during the day to enter drug names in my drug glossary so I dont have to look them up all the time to see if they are generic or brand names-their spell-check doesnt have automatic caps, which is another problem for me because I am having a hard time training myself to hit that shift key, I am constantly entering text into my expander. The terminology is not a problem for me.
I am reading that a lot of you guys are doing 400 lines an hour.!!! My previous job didnt have a word expander, so I know I need to utilize that better. How do you do it, what am I doing wrong, what can I do to improve, do I need to just forget it and apply at Home Depot? I LOVE transcription!!!!
Looking for advice
Hey, anyone in the Portland/Beaverton area I could speak to about the "real deal" in MT work in the current environment? I'd really appreciate it. Off line at moosefeather at msn dot com :)
My advice to you
You are doing just fine. Trust me, having kids makes it more difficult to get more work done, but you will soon find a good schedule that works for you. I work for Medquist as an SE and am able to work WHENEVER I want which makes it much easier for me, considering I have 3 kids, ages 7, 3, and 2. Your average of 500-700 lines a day is really good for just starting in July. Don't fret, this is one job that you only get better with in time because you become more used to the doctors and type faster, and don't forget to keep adding to your word expanders.
Another tip I can give is to only work when your child is sleeping, otherwise it becomes too much of a distraction to have your child awake and running around while you try to concentrate on your work. Not to mention, it could also be dangerous if you can't see or hear them like you should.
I appreciate your advice and will certainly
take it to heart.
Just wanted you to know though that I already know the information you posted. I had an MT business for 5 years. I've done MT work for 25 years.
I may be new with MQ but I'm no where near new with MT work. This isn't my first time to do IC/SE work either.
My rainy day money isn't going to the govt. It goes for what I want it to. I've been self-employed for a few years now. I know what I'm doing.
Thank you for your advice though!
Advice to MQ.
This advice is given too late, but for future reference...
When you have a new program, just send the information out.
Telling people a month in advance that you are going to send the information out is just upsetting. Calling people on the phone to tell them they will get information next month but you cannot answer any questions just makes everyone more agitated.
If you think you were offering a teaser to get people excited, I am sorry to say that it backfired. As you can see from reading this board, everyone is just nervous and upset. Some people are out looking for other jobs because they think they are going to lose their SE position.
Big mistake......
advice
I quit over 3 years ago. I decided that I couldn't just slack off or use something to help me, I just set a date and totally stopped forever that day. You feel really bizarre for a few days and I still wanted one for probably a year or more, but that was the only way for me. Just stop. Also I chewed lots of gum all the time. I think I probably did gain weight but I got pregnant right after that so who knows what the weight is from.
But it really does make you feel better in the long run and I have a friend in her early 20s whose parents are both already dead because of lung CA (she still smokes, not a big lesson learner).
Anyway, good luck and just stop!! Just make your mind up right now!! Just buy your last pack and don't buy anymore!
|
