Not working so hard
Posted By: gourdpainter on 2009-06-19
In Reply to: Where are these low line rates? me again. - Not working quite so hard
I'm not about to bash you or call you a liar either. Each of us long time MTs have our own stories to tell. When we have our fellow MTs obviously hurting in this business and seemingly not knowing which way to turn, I for one would rather try to lift them up and make suggestions that might be practical and useful to them. Hearing your (or my) success story isn't likely to accomplish this.
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
So, you think it is okay for hard-working MTs to earn 7-8 cpl for their hard work?? nm
:{
Not working so hard
I'm not about to bash you or call you a liar either. Each of us long time MTs have our own stories to tell. When we have our fellow MTs obviously hurting in this business and seemingly not knowing which way to turn, I for one would rather try to lift them up and make suggestions that might be practical and useful to them. Hearing your (or my) success story isn't likely to accomplish this.
working at home is hard work
I have been working at home for 22 years. I used to get the same statements from people asking me what I did all day, until one Sunday in a local paper they compared 8 hours of sitting at a computer and typing to digging ditches 8 hours a day, not as physical but a lot of mental use, especially transcription. I do my housework early in the morning if I get a chance. If I have extra work at night, I have my family order pizza at night. My husband used to say to me what did you do all day and I would tell him, well I typed, did laundry, made beds, went to the grocery store, before I started typing, took kids to baseball practice. Now I am older and wiser and so is my husband and he does not dare ask me what I have done all day as he knows if I am working I am making money and if I have the time I will clean, but if I don't, then it can wait until tomorrow. Occasionally when people would ask me what I did all day (not husband), I would reply "nothing", just sat with my feet up all day lol. My feeling is this, if they don't like it, let them do the laundry, dishes, empty dishwasher, sweep the floor, vacuum, etc, and you know what they do and will. Don't let them get you down. Just because we work at home does not mean we have it made quite contrary, we work hard and just look at how our bodies fall apart because of it.........
Good for you. There is no reason any hard working MT should put up with that crap. nm
:)
Proving that working at home is HARD WORK
HELP!!!! How can we prove to our significant others that working at home is hard work and just because we are home, we are working and CANNOT always find extra time for laundry, dishes, cleaning, dinner, etc?????
I hear, "you work 6 hours a day, I work 10...I expect everything to be done if you have those extra 4 hours.... " Well, my 6 hours of working is actual sit at the computer and type my fingers to the bone....yes, I take breaks and do have extra time..but then I shower, chat with friends, catch the news..whatever....it is not excessive. I keep up on the house most of the time, juggle my schedule to pick kids up from school, etc.... so once in a while if I just don't feel like making sure everything around the house is done, i get "What did you do all day..." I AM SICK OF IT!!!!
My job is a full time job, I make more than I ever had working in an office 40 hours a week.....and I don't want to feel guilty for taking breaks and having some quality time for myself in between working...
Especially when he goes to work and talks to all his coworkers, brags about how easy his job is, sits around waiting for an assignment etc..... Just because he isn't home to do the laundry on his breaks, why should I?????
sorry this is so long...but I KNOW a lot of you can relate!!!!!
I agree...working at home with children is possible just very hard...
I have a 9-year-old and an 18-month-old and I wake up early in the morning before the kids wake up and work and then work some more during my daughter's nap...there are days I want to pull my hair out but my children don't suffer and neither does my job...thank goodness my company is flexible otherwise I couldn't do it...
What a terrible thing to call a hard-working MT.
Disgusting name to call someone who has worked very hard, probably gone to college to learn this, invested a lot of time and money, perhaps worked in a hospital, certainly worked very hard, to be called a slob!
Merry Christmas to all hard working guys & gals in the MT industry!
/
I totally agree. Them not paying is NOT hearsay. It is fact so why let them scam hard-working MTs.
SAY NO.. to their advertising. What a scam they have going.
Working full time at home with small children is hard but part time works great
is almost impossible. You will either have to work when your spouse is home or for only a few hours during the day and then more when they are asleep. I work part time at home and my kids (2&5 now) have done very, very well. They are great kids, very well behaved, don't get into much. I stop working to check on them/give them some attention every hour or so while I work (5 hours each afternoon or so) and they get all my attention in the morning and at night. It has worked out beautifully for us.
If it rains hard, the wind blows hard and there are trees
nearby, it snows heavily it will mess up the signal. The speed is not constant, sometimes as slow as dial-up, but at least still connected. Many companies will not allow satellite.
You get more working the evening or night shifts and working w/o benefits. And producing like a mad
,
Ditto....granted I am not working much these days, but am currently trying out a new way of working
when I do work which seems to be helping. I am timing myself and keeping a log of how long it takes to to type however many minutes. I am averaging anywhere from 13-18 minutes of dictation an hour now doing this. Granted the time fluctuates between who I am typing, and if I have to look up names, addresses, etc., just depends on the division I am doing at the time. But work that used to take me 3 hours to do is now taking me under 2 hours, I am also trying to put in more macros as I go along, which slows me down initially but pays off in the long run of course. I was working "all the time" before but took forever to get done since I was not applying myself. This new "attitude" has helped me a lot. My goal, in the Fall, is to do 90 minutes a day consistently at 6 hours, and then maybe get up to 120 minutes a day at 8 hours, still while having at least half of the day free (do 60 minutes at night, and the other 60 by Noon). Thereby doing 1200-1400 lines a day. I have never really buckled down and done more than 8000 lines per pay period, so it will be a nice change. Maybe you can do something like that and have a specific knock off time as was suggested below. 
Working holidays? Out shopping in stores where someone IS working
that holiday you refuse to work? Grocery stores, food joints & seems any store is open on holidays and you expect them to be fully staffed, so why shouldn't we?
Yes, I took off for the first time on Christmas day, in 18 years and it was great, but I worked Christmas eve and this whole past weekend.
Someone has to do it!
working IN A HOSPITAL is different than working at home.
Someone can steal you identity from the internet if they want to. Why would you go to the time and trouble to jeopardize a job that requires some level of skill to steal someone's identity or medical records? You could get a job as a retail clerk and get info easier than going through the testing required to become an MT.
Somehow working at home translates into not really working
My in-laws are the worst. Whenever they plan something last minute and my husband says that I had to work, they say, "but she works at home!". When I one time mentioned I had a "schedule" and basically punch a clock and work full time, I don't think they believed me. They will sometimes call mid-day during the week if they are in the area to see if I want to go for lunch, etc! The best is, my husband doesn't make all that much money, so where is it coming from, the money fairy? I am ready to strangle someone! So I know how you feel and I'm sorry it upset you. You are not alone.
I daydream about NOT working while I'm working.
There are so many other things I need and want to get done. I've been working way too hard lately, and summer is just slipping by again. Well, I'm outty.
It is hard but only at first...
I have 2 children and did it with both of them. I am also a nurse but after trying part-time out of the house work combined with MT-ing to stay home with kids as much as possible, I ended up strictly at home 2 years ago.
It's not the easiest when the children are infants - but it's worth it once you get past that phase. I actually used to type with my daughter breastfeeding in my lap! I had some crazy, crazy days and nights. Don't expect to get 3-4 hours straight - be ready to get an hour or 2 when you can throughout the day. It can be frustrating, but once they reach a certain age and are sleeping well you can work at night and during naps. (My kids did not take to naps too well, so the night was my time.)
Now my kids are 8-1/2 and 4-1/2 and it's wonderful. I'm finally past the crazy hours and grabbing an hour whenever I can - never at the same time. (I am fortunate to work for a company that does not require set hours.) I type while they are at school and then on occasion after they go to bed at night. I volunteer at their schools once a week, coach my daughter's cheerleading team, and am baseball, soccer and football mom. I had an RN office job part-time about 2 years ago that I loved, but I just couldn't take not being able to be there for their school activities, after-school stuff, etc. Nothing beats the flexibility of MT-ing.
Good luck. There will be smooth days and not so smooth ones - keep in mind how lucky you will be to be able to attend everything you want to with your child - to not have to call in sick when they are, to not have to ask permission to run that lunchbox to school when they leave it in the car, etc., etc.!
hard to say - sm
I sure hope not. I don't want to think that God would punish many for the actions of few like this either. Probably purely coincidental.
The sad thing is that those who demanded that these religious monuments be removed are probably not even from the south but chose that area because of the spirituality and religious folks that make the south their home.
I personally find the removal of these markings truly abominable. They are a simple reminder of what this country was founded on, faith, hope, and freedom.
Southerners are devote and proud. They will get through this with time and help from the rest of us. This is what American grit really is. Help from others or no, we have to stick together and pull ourselves up from the muck.
I really would like to know why it is so hard
to let someone ask a question if they want. You do not have to read it, think about it, address it, whatever.....what difference does it make that the topic was brought up at some past time? This board is for communication and nobody is forcing you to read redundant posts.
Just PLEASE stop making folks feel stupid. Go onto the next post or start one yourself.
You are being to hard on
Not stop it - you are just looking at your own reflection in your monitor! You really shouldn't be so hard on yourself!
How hard is it to get a job?
I'm considering getting a Medical Transcriptionist Certificate at a local college. I was wondering how hard it is to get a job after graduating? I've noticed on the Job Seekers Board that most of the jobs require experience. Any advice?
Having a hard day
I'm having the hardest time working today. My best friend is having surgery at the Cleveland Clinic today. She is only 28 and has grade III anaplastic astrocytoma. She was only diagnosed three months ago after she had a seizure and this is now her second surgery. She is so far away (we live in Kentucky) and I really want to be there. To those who are reading this, I am asking for your prayers for my friend, Jenny, and her husband and two young children, that they may all be together this Christmas. Please also pray for me to have the strength to help her and her family through this terrible time and difficult road ahead. Thank you all.
don't be hard on yourself for the
decisions that you've made. we all want to believe what our spouces tell us and hope that things will change but in the end it never does and in the meantime you're raising your kids in an environment that will effect them the rest of their lives. i've been through a lot of what you're going through and there's no good or easy answer to help anyone through it. I used to be very confident, strong and able to do anything and now I don't have the confidence to make the most simple decisions because my x was so abusive. my family didn't believe me about the things that would happen and I was too humiliated to tell my friends. when I finally got the courage to make him move out I was recovering from neck surgery, couldn't ambulate by myself, didn't have a full time job, had a 1 year old, and he had wiped out the savings. it's been 2.5 yrs and I'm almost back on my feet. there are state systems that can help you but be prepared for a battle there too because you will have to nag and nag to get help in a somewhat timely manner, just don't give up. start checking into things as quickly as possible because I found out that it's usually first-come first-served type of thing. call you local police department and ask what they can offer and what steps you need to take to keep yourself and kids safe. what I finally realized was that I didn't want my son growing up in an environment that was unhealthy and unsafe not to mention I didn't want him to think that it was ok to treat people, especially women, in the way he was seeing at home. I'm a firm believer that God gives you what you can handle and you will be a better person once you've overcome his challenges. I also believe that it's my job as a mother to do anything I can to protect my son for as long as I can. no parent, not even a step-parent, should ever be jealous of their child for any reason especially health reasons and needing more attention. I know I'm on my soapbox but I believe that you can find the confidence to do what is right for you and to be stronge for your kids. try to remember that abusers never change. (feel free to email me anytime you need to.) there's lots of us out there that can relate to what you're going through and although there's nothing to make it easier it helps to have people just to vent to. my prayers go out to you and your family
Most MT's tell me it's hard to get 9 to 10 cpl now...nm
x
Not hard at all
I set up my Linksys wireless router myself and it was pretty much self explanatory. The Linksys help line is pretty good too, in case you run into trouble. Might have to wait a bit on the phone depending on what time you call.
This is hard for me to believe
I guess I am stumped as I do 180 to 220 minutes per day. To me 60 minutes means I am hardly working. I am not trying to put this down but this is definitely part-time and so you should be able to do it unless they make you do it at specific times and you like to make your own time to work. You just need to work toward goals and reward yourself for every 20 minutes you do. But if this is an account you will be on all the time, you should be able to whip out 60 minutes in less than 2.5 to 3 hours. You can do it. How many minutes/lines do you do a day now? You must not need to make money to pay bills, that is my biggest incentitive -- no money - no food or ability to pay bills. Patti
It is so hard
I feel so bad for you. I had to do the recently. I still shudder when I think of that horrible day. I don't know how I got the courage to do it, just knew I had to.
Was that so hard?
THAT is more along the lines of what I was trying to find out - not getting bashed just because I already have a great career and make pretty good money.
I never said I was looking to swich careers. In fact, I specifically stated that I already have a very fulfilling one and was just looking at MT as a part time thing. My husband and I recently had our first child and all of a sudden I find myself at home ALL THE TIME. She's a great baby, and I have quite a bit of free time on my hands at home and thought maybe I could fill it with this after a co-worked suggested it.
After sifting through all the available information online I couldn't make a clear deduction on whether I wanted to invest money in training, and if I did invest what kind of training is best.
I love having an office and getting out of the house to work every day and am not looking to change that. I am on a computer pretty much all the time and wondered if I could turn that into some cash - nothing else was intended from my initial post!
Are Ops hard to do?
It seems some MTs love to do them, but why do they seem so ominous? Are some harder than others? I've heard of MTs making normals out of them, thus, good money. They've just always scared me for some reason.
Thanks!
Hard to say
If you are getting way too much, it could be a sign your skills are poor. Seriously. But on the other hand, some of these QA people are totally anal and frankly a little power goes a long way...
You ask them: Am I receiving an unusually high amount of QA?
I have 20 years in the business and for some companies who completely change the "rules" (style, etc.) I can get a lot of QA trying to get me to do things "wrong" which ya gotta do for the paycheck!
Conversely, other accounts don't seem to monitor closely enough...
What kind of errors are you getting corrected? Minor picky stuff or major (dropped words, wrong words, etc.)?
It Would be Hard...
You'd be completely starting from scratch like the first time touching a keyboard, basically. Think of how long it took you to learn QWERTY and times that by a few :o). I guess you wouldn't be starting from scratch but worse; you'd be forcing yourself to throw away something that is 2nd nature to you by now.
Of course, it's possible :o). I'd love to learn, too, but I seriously doubt I have the patience and determination to do so! If you go for it, good luck!!
it's hard
It's hard to get any acute care experience without working inhouse. It is also very helpful to have other MTs there for assistance, cuz like you said acute care IS A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.
very well said...It can be done but it is very hard...
definitely have to manage time wisely for sure...
It will be a while. Don't be hard on yourself. Take
xx
It is possible but hard to get - sm
you have to file a claim and your employer the files their side of things and they usually win 9/10 times. My SIL was "fired", wrongly, filed, her former employer fought it and won. Of course if you can prove you were fired for no reason or they had no grounds then you have a better chance at getting it, but it is still hard. It is basically for people who get laid off or otherwise lose their job through no fault of their own.
It's so hard to lose a pet
I'm sorry for your loss. My own old girl Tildy died on April 21 and I miss her so much. Last week, I finally adopted another dog, and we are going to be great friends I know, but I still miss Tildy. I probably would have put off adopting a new dog longer, but a friend of mine sent me a *comic strip* called "Shelter Stories" - it shows this dog lying there with his eyes closed thinking "I'm afraid to open my eyes. I'm afraid yesterday was ALL a dream and I'll wake up and still be in the shelter. "Sigh, okay, I've got to open them. Here goes...one, two, three! it's a picture of this dog lying there on a nice soft bed and when he opens his eyes, there's a person there too, just smiling at him.
Sometimes we're all each other has. I hope your heart feels better soon.
Thanks guys! It's just hard. . .sm
Very small neighborhood. Houses are very close together. We've lived here almost 7 years and we all know each other and chat and the neighbors help each other out, no matter what.
These people just scare me because everything is drawn up tight and the "skinny" woman of the house seems very nervous. I've only seen her "husband" once and he looks as if he may be the thing that makes her afraid.
I have gotten to the point, however, where I will make some phone calls. The poor dog finally stopped barking, but my daughter went out back with her friends to swim in the pool (behind an 8 foot stockade fence) and all you can hear is "yap, yap, yap."
Geeeeeesh.
verbatim is hard for me too
It is very hard for me to deliberately type wrong words, phrases, etc. It makes me think someday someone is going to read that document and say "gads where did they get that transcrptionist!" not knowing we have to type it as dictated.
I'm sorry, but I find this hard to believe sm
 You actually expect us to believe that you work part-time and still do 16,000 per pay period at MQ. How? What's your secret? You must be superwoman or something! Cause I work full time and can't do that many lines! Boy, am I jealous!
I still find it really hard to believe.
There are hundreds of thousands of people who will be just throwing their TVs away because they'll refuse to pay for cable or dish. What about all the elderly people? No way are they going to pay for something that's been free since it was invented. I do have basic cable, but it's mostly smut and garbage on there. I only keep it for PBS and Disney channel right now, but we've been seriously considering cutting it off. Every time we try to watch something on TV, the ads for other programs are just not something we like to expose our children to. If we cancel cable, I guess we'll just watch DVDs and not have TV at all any more. (Or watch it through the Internet like we listen to the radio now.)
If it is very hard to get your lines at SS, which is
happening with everyone as SS seems to be stealing their lines, you'd be better off with Accustat.
It is a hard thing.....
But I started my son out in life by telling him I would support him in anything he did and any decision he made as long as it was good, was lega and didn't hurt anyone else!! I feel you must trust you son in this. Perhaps something happened that he is not yet willing to share with you. Putting pressure on him now regarding that scholarship could be a very bad thing. Sounds to me like you have raised a good and responsible son. I don't think you should question him too strongly? I know, money may be short and it may be his only way into a good college but what is more important?
It is a hard thing; we parents only want the best but so often we tend to see the end of the "dream", (is it our dream or your child's dream?), without seeing all the ramifications that the child endures. Trust in your son. Of course, speak with him occasionally, try to find out what may have happened to cause this change....I would think something apparently did happen. You may never know....he might not even be able to pin point it himself. Again, trust in the fact that you have raised a good son and that he will do well in whatever he endeavors. Let him lead his life; just keep the reins tight enough that he does not stray.
I only say these things because I've been through it.....teenagers are a real challenge, (the terrible 2's are nothing!!). They are growing into men and/or women and becoming the people that they will be forever. Please give him the chance to find himself and to be the person HE wants to be. Don't cry, take pride, you are a good mom and he is a good son.
Is the testing hard?
/
How many of you ICs have to work really hard to
make double your money in one week in order to take a vacation for one week. I'm forever finding myself wanting to go on vacation, working doubly hard to make up any money I will lose while I'm off either before I leave or when I come back. Is this the way everyone takes a vacation or is it just me? I can't seem to give myself a break and just take off any time without making up my money that I'll lose. GRRRR. I think I need a break!
 
sorry you are having such a hard time...
but I honestly do not know what you mean. may I ask who are you talking about.
at some point, people have to stand up for themselves, that is, in my opinion, what
"this country is based upon." thank heavens some people felt they were worth more than just working for the government, and left to start a new life here.
if you are upset about the postings regarding MT profession disintegrating, then I disagree with you.
we do perform a very important service, one that helps our 'fellow man' every single day, in the over-50 reports we probably transcribe each and every day while people wait to have surgeries or need emergency care.
we are typing those reports to create a legal document with our names attached to them as well.
this is not "pissing and moaning" but active dialogue with the hopes something good can come out of it. sorry you feel that way, and I am sincerely sorry you are being touched by those problems because of a natural disaster...
Trying to find the way out? It's not THAT hard...
get another job! GET ANOTHER JOB! GGGEEETTT ANNOOOTHHHERRR JOOOBB!!!! ROFL
OMG, you really can't be serious with that line, can you?! Trying to figure it out? TRYING?
You apply...you interview...you accept another position...you work both jobs until you're up and running with the 2nd one and then you QUIT MQ!
And since no one at MQ seems to have any work except MY office, then that should be a real breeze for ya!! You're obviously not working anyway! OMG how many brain cells are you actually utilizing to stay where you have no work or they crap all over you like you claim?!
Oh, that is SOOOOOO hilarious!!!!!!! I do appreciate the humor, people! Really, I do!!!!!
Here it is, some is hard to read.
MTStars
MTStars.com began its journey through cyberspace on December 8, 2001 offering Medical Transcriptionists a place to network by offering the Main and Job boards, free dictionary download, and quiz test. In less than 3 years, it's amazing how we have grown to over 8,000 members and 5 million visits per month!
MTStars, although initially foreign owned, was purchased on May 1, 2003 to become 100% American owned and operated. MTStars is staunchly against the offshoring of American Private Health Information.
MTStars provides this site, free of charge, to all American MTs and those holding other related positions in the healthcare industry. We believe that an open forum with a minimum of deletion is paramount to successful networking across the nation, and we are confident that this is why MTStars is the success it is today!
MTStars offers a wealth of information for medical transcription industry in the form of 25 discussion forums, Jobs and Resume Bank, Word Help, MTStars Online Store, MTAuctions, an Online Physician, MTStars Chat, Healthcare Editorial, Polls, FTP Hosting, TASP Hosting, Toll Free Call In Solutions, Web Design and Hosting, Newsletter Subscription, MTBreaking News, MTCrawler Healthcare Search Engine, Products For Sale, and much more.
MTStars takes this opportunity to thank our many sponsors and volunteers. Without you, MTStars would not be a reality.
Sheri Steadman
President
MTStars
http://www.mtstars.com/
do not take this the wrong way, but yes, it is hard to get a job, HOWEVER, - sm
There are a couple of companies that will hire newbies without any experience IF THEY ARE GOOD. TransRelief or Transcription Relief Services (I forget the name of the company - but it's something like that) will hire newbies if they are GOOD!
The absolute positively best experience you can get and possibly the best chance of working at home would be to work for a local hospital right after the course, do your three months inhouse, and then work at home.
ESLs are hard enough for exp MTs...sm
I was wondering if you had a QA department to rely on (tell them you are sending a report with blanks and ask them to send it back to you when corrected), or if you had a leader you could have told that the ESL was just too hard, and you needed some help. I think, and hope, that QA would not mind helping in this kind of situation.
When I have a troublesome doc, I do my best to finish the report leaving blanks throughout, then I go back through the report and fill in what I can, and then send to QA or supervisor. Unfortunately, the last 2 nationals I have worked for did not look kindly on that, and one national ignored my request and never sent it back for me to learn from. (I've been transcribing for 24 years, and getting the corrected report back and being able to relisten is great way to learn, I think).
I really feel for you, and we're not garbage (new or old). Most of us have been there, done that, so please don't let this keep you down. Keep applying; you will find a job where they will support you.
I hate to recommend a national that I left because I felt so taken and the work dwindled down to nothing, but I have heard Medquist accepts new MTs. Don't work for free, but you may have to work for a reduced rate, I'm not sure. Keep your chin up fellow MT, you will find your place!
I've tried this before but it was WAY too hard for me.
Yeah, it sounded too good to be true. I wonder if the doctor has to train the software or if a Transcriptionist can train it.
|
