Needed this big-time today...thank you! :)

• Fun things to do next time you are in an elevator... - MI-MT
  • very funny...nm - I hate elevators!
  • Funny.....thanks for posting! nm - LOL
  • That's good. Thanks! - LOL!
  • Way too funny. Thanks! I got over elevator phobia by - omt
  • Needed this big-time today...thank you! :) - JoH

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu

I'd like anyone's opinion on getting started as a new full time MT. 

I am a new stay at home mom with two small children, one 3mo old and a 7yr old.  Until recently, I worked in a hospital/clinic setting for 10+ years.  Having gotten most of my MT experience on the job, I am now looking to trade in corporate america for working full time out of my home. 

I see a lot of job listings that require roughly a 6000 line count weekly quota and they also ask about your preferrd shift.  Currently my level is at half that much, as I was only doing IC work partime for a friend.  Also, when doing IC work, I am used to working around my schedule and not a consecutive 8 hour workshift. 

My questions are (1.) Is 6000 lines/wk the norm for what is out there or are there more flexible companies out there? (2.) Given my current work level of 1500 lines per week, am I doomed to be unemployed if I don't increase my productivity to what I have been seeing lately which is 6000 or if I can't work "shift" work?

and work on building your expander, macros, etc. you could get your line count up faster.  Don't know if you have a line per day committment or hourly committment, but if you have lines you can get them finished quicker with a better expander and have more time to play or do whatever.  I am NOT a morning person, but I feel so much better when I do make myself get up and then by 9:00 I've made my line committment and I've got the rest of the day to do what I want/need to do and if I need more lines I can work an hour or two after dinner.   I almost feel like I have a 3-day weekend because I'm finished so early that on Friday I'm done early, my DH has an early day at work and is home by 10 usually so we have an almost full day to play.  

Reassess your situation.  What were your reasons for coming home to work?  If you didn't have to work at all, would you spend all day sitting in front of the TV watching all that mindless garbage and letting the housework go?  Maybe you're burned out or depressed.  Maybe you just lack self-discipline as somewhat else suggested and you really need structure.

Just some things to think about.  Working at home isn't the fairly tale that most people think it is. 

I feel like I am the only on working today, as the Boscov's parade is on TV, my two teens are sleeping, my husband is working OT and here I am working also.  Gotta cover my account today, at least until this afternoon, when I have to cook for my little family. 

Just wanted to see if anyone else is out there today! 

my ShortHand would type only the first letter of an expansion and then take all the letters away!  I checked and the Type It button is grayed out!  I have restarted the computer and looked on the Shorthand Help menu but can find nothing that applies.  Can anyone please help me ASAP?  I am lost without it!  TIA

But this article states it would only affect new customers right now.  So I am upset over nothing.  I went through heck with BellSouth when they charged me a surcharge of an extra 50 a month and then would write a letter saying I had to switch to a long distance service and pay by the minute because of my "excessive" use. They told me the unlimited charge was for an average of an hour a day not somebody who worked out of their home and I needed to switch a business plan at over 200 a month charge.  I switched over to cable because of that and then to read that cable was going to charging on a per use fee and not a flat monthly fee it upset me.  It is the nature of our work, VR, only paying for VBC, having headers and footers taken away, now being charged for being on line, etc.  It just seems that everything is done to keep to insure less money.

I work at a clinic part-time typing into EMR's as well as running my own company.  But now they are loading Stedman's spell check and work expanders onto Word so that I can type in word and then transfer the info over to the electronic chart.  I type faster in word.  They found that it is faster for the doc to dictate rather than type into the chart and not only that, insurances were questioning the "standardization" of the chart notes.   Too similar.  So I do make sure that even though I use expanders, and macros, I do make some minor changes to "standard exams" so it does not all look the same, but this is with the approval of the docs.  But they can see at least 4-6 additonal patients and dictate all the notes rather than type then and are able go home at 5 o'clock instead of 7.   Also the TAT is 48 hours and not weeks as the docs would never finish the notes.   So we will still be here just typing under a different format.

x

Because I will probably get a Dell laptop pretty soon.

Thanks again for the help

It was much good of yous to care!  Thank you so much for pointing that out. 

I don't spellcheck or audit what I type for postings on the internet.  Maybe I should?  After all, I am posting this for myself, not my employer, but you are right, I should care enough. 

I think the MTs that Crabby was talking about in her post ought to care too.  I am burnt out from working 14 hours a day to make up for the $$ that I am not making because we all haven't had a raise since 1988 and I believe that MTs with poor skills are part of the reason why all MTs are not getting paid what they deserve.  Are we the only profession that has not had a cost of living raise in practically forever?  

I have worked as an IC and employee.  For every some companies, you need WORD 2003.  I could not understand why 2007 would not work, but they swear that it would not work with eScription.  Some people told me that they spoke directly with eScription who said it would; needless to say, I had to purchase a very outdated copy from Amazon.com for about $200.  I was also told that it had to be the full version of WORD.  If you are working with eScription, I am sure that part is correct. 

You will have to get a foot pedal, and I was told by last two companies that I was working for (simultaneously) that I had to have a 9-pin foot pedal with a USB adapter which is different somehow than USB alone. 

If you are working from a C-Phone then you can rent this equipment from the company.  This would require the unlimited long distance.

Most require highspeed internet.

The other important thing to know is preparing for self-employment taxes.  That is the big one.

I had the hardest time finding good headphones (which you may already have) but finally found the best ever and VERY inexpensive at dictaionwarehouse .com. The salesman was great help and talked me into the less expensive set which was their best seller.  I had already planned on spending $200 for a good set and only spent $25. (Spectra-RA twin speaker headset).  They have these in digital w/USB, stereo, Dictaphone and many other types of connections.  I am now an employee for a specialty clinic and had to go back to tapes and needed mono-headphones, but I am sure the others would be great also and again VERY inexpensive, but the salesman will be honest and tell you for sure.  I just had to share this after the long drawn out hunt.   

Thank you. I appareciate any help you can give me.

I have been told by attorneys and accountants it is  not needed.  The doc signs off on what he dictates and if he does not, I put in "Dictated but not read".  It is his responsibility not ours.   Been at this for over 25 years and never been questioned on if what I typed was what the doc dictated.  

 I was offered a home-based MT job as a direct employee of the hospital with an extremely good per-line-rate.   But yes, it was too good to be true!  Apparently on further consideration, the administrator now says it is too costly (technically) for home set-up; mentioned something about the Lanier DVI desktop and how costly etc. etc.  and some other MT has the license (?what's that about?); also mentioned "Cquence" transcription software program.   They already have 5 other off-site MTs.   Anybody out there with opinions and/or constructive advice...please.