Personally I don't charge for tabs and hard returns - sm
Posted By: XXX on 2006-02-10
In Reply to: line counter user too - sm
but then again it would not make a big difference for me. I just went over my last invoice and re-did it including spaces, tabs and hard returns, my invoice went up a whole $1.70. I will live w/o the extra $3.40 a month. On another point, I try not to put 2 spaces after my last period of each report (mine are just single block paragraphs on each patient) so I don't "pad" the invoice that way either. Now if I did a lot of reports with tabs and returns then I probably would bill for them, as it is a keystroke. As for how to phrase it, I thought you have already put it quite well, but I think asking for a cent raise might be too much, .005 would probably more than compensate you for your "loss" if you don't count the tabs/returns anymore. Run an invoice and see what the $$$ would be with .005 and .01 raises. Good luck.
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Hard for me to charge $60+ hr
I think it is great that you can do this and hats off, but it is hard for me to charge that much, over $60 an hour. Not knocking you or your experience, have my own clients also but just feel guilty at anything above $35 to 40 an hour. But again, good for you and it can be done and I could if I raised my cpl up as it is quite low and perhaps now I will.
i use the tabs
i set up my machine to always keep 3-4 tabs open (tools, internet options, tabs). rather than alt-tab, i mouse to the other tab and look up whatever. i can leave that one on a page i keep returning to, and have yet another one open for other searchess. works good for me. don't need that much ram to do it either.
check your old tax returns
to see what your status was checked. If "nonemployee compensation" was checked, then you were an independent contractor and owe the money. If it was not checked, then the IRS is in error.
See last years returns
A lot depends on your status -- are married? If so, your husband can overwithold and you can pay that way. If not, look at last year's return and see what your income was, how much you paid and compare that to what you will be making as an IC this year. See what your tax liability was last year. You might have more deductions as an IC for your net income on which you will base your SS and tax liability -- all get paid into the same place. You can divide that by 4, go onto the IRS web page and print out Quarterly coupons and send in that amount if you do not want to have your husband overwithold. If you don't owe much the penalty is not that much. But as I have said before, for the first year or two as an IC I suggest people seek out an accountant to help them get started. It is hard to give advice without seeing the entire financial picture. But first place to start is your last years return compare to this year's earnings and go from there. Again, though if you have a husband working or have a second job as an employee just overwithold from either as it is easier than trying to save and pay quarterlies. Good luck. IRS page has a lot of good advice. Patti
IRS is not processing ANY tax returns sm
until at least Feb 11, when the new software is in place. You may be talking about and H.R. Block type place that figures you return, for a price, then cuts you a check. But IRS not sending checks or processing until Feb 11.
Ibuprofen, 3 tabs every 4 to 6 sm
hours with food, faithfully for a few days. You may need a short oral steroid pack to calm things down. Cranky Beach is right about keeping your wrists absolutely straight. Try raising your chair or sitting on a big book. Use a chair without arm rests. The problem most likely is in your elbow or shoulder and not just your wrist. I spent a lot of time with neurologists, orthopedists, and physical therapy. I finally went to a chiropractor who did a few manipulations and taught me some stretching exercises which helped a lot. I go once a month and lay on a nice heated roller bed. I have bad insurance and the chiro. just charges me a flat rate. My sympathies go out to you.
And some places DO keep tabs on who keeps rejecting jobs. Best to just do what comes along.
,
I'll bet she meant that's how long the lines are before it returns. nm
x
Look through the Help section in it and just start opening up all the tabs and playing
s
Set up your tabs first - then use the hanging indent command Ctrl+T
xx
Charge what the credit card companies charge when they don't get paid on time!!!!
Audio hour charge - what is fair rate to charge company?
Doubt you can charge 15 cpl for VR work to the docs - you can't even charge them 12 for straight
x
you don't have to charge $60/HR - all you have to do is charge a good rate and then..
work smart, not hard. If you have a great dictator, charge him 14 cpl on a 65 char gross line, then set up your templates and word expanders, you can make $80/hr. But you need all three to work together, otherwise you might only be making $60/hr. Some people are just really good at what they do - shouldn't they make more if they are more productive?
I'd still charge by line, just charge a lower
rate, like maybe 8 cpl. Do you have to pickup and deliver work? You could also setup a one-month contract until you see how it goes and then you can figure out the best way to charge and go from there. You could also charge a flat rate per page and keep it fairly low.
One office I charge .12, another I charge $2.25 page--nm
//
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.
Our tax returns are outsourced. Our credit history is outsourced. Our employers know everything
our age, our residence, our credit (if they want it), any criminal activity, etc. What is new here? You apply for health insurance and your employee knows your health background. What is new here? Privacy is long gone.
So, you think it is okay for hard-working MTs to earn 7-8 cpl for their hard work?? nm
:{
Personally, I would not do it.
It's bad enough changing to nights when you are a "day person" but to have to keep switching back and forth, week by week? (if that is what you meant). I bet they will not continue this, though, because a day person is not productive at night, and a person who is used to working nights is usually not productive in the day. I think they will find that they could hire someone who WANTS to work nights, rather than all the switching around. JMO, of course.
Personally I think since 9/11/01
EVERYONE in the USA is making less money. It's all relative.
I know for me, personally,
When I am feeling like you just described, I am usually feeling very guilty that my house is a mess, I'm not accomplishing anything and so on. It is the voice of your consciousness that is beating you up. You need to be kinder to yourself and things will start working a lot easier. You are being hard on yourself. Start making lists of things that you have accomplished today. It is a great feeling when you realize you are actually accomplishing a lot of stuff. Those good feelings then give way to the energy that you need to get more done. The way you are feeling is taking your energy too, so you have to force yourself to do everything that you do get done probably. Try accepting that the house didn't get cleaned but you did get a lot of other things done today. Then tomorrow you will have more energy to possibly get more things done. I'm serious, I am real hard on myself and trying to learn to talk nicer to myself, accept that I'm not able to do everything and it will be there when I do get time for it. You'll be amazed how much better you feel after making lists of what you've done and talking nicer to yourself! I hope this helps.
Personally I know that
mttest.com to do their testing there are instructions on the mttest site on how to use your own foot pedal and ExpressScribe. I know because I have done it. Also, if the company has a link to the dictation, you can right click on it and choose "save file as" then save the file somewhere...I usually would just put it in My Doucuments. Then open ExpressScribe and load the document from there. The instructions on the mttest website say basically the same thing. :-)
I get it now!! Well, I know personally I have
never been able to move expansions from DQS anywhere. To my knowledge, they are coded and unmovable save to another DQS computer. If the DQS is from a certain company that starts with M, I know there was another company, a competitor, who actually tried to lure M employees by saying their tech people would help them copy their DQS expansions. I have tried to copy DQS to Word, and was not successful. I do know how to do it from computer with DQS to computer with DQS, so I'm not totally illiterate. Personally, I have never known anyone to succeed, but maybe someone else out here can help you!! But I have always been told DQS Expander is not compatible with any other platforms, which would make sense, as its a copyrighted product, etc. But good luck! I always just spent a day or 2 making a new expander on Word on my own, and have been very happy. Maybe change your subject line and repost!
Did you know her personally? sm
I'm curious and wonder if some of these folks have others working for them, or have a spouse who knows MT filling in at times.
not personally, but...sm
My sister won tickets to the tour this year and I'm trying to win some! Should be a good show, I think...
 VOTE FOR TAYLOR
I personally believe, yes, I am.
And I have been. I truly believe we should 'honor our Mother and our Father.' My parents gave and sacrificed all their lives to give me everything I needed and often, what I wanted. It's because of them that I have the values and traits that I do. My parents are treasures. Unfortunately, both of them have passed away. I'm only in the my mid 30s and I've already dealt with this question. For me, it was never a question of if I should. It was a natural role for me and my siblings and even my husband to step into. My mother died suddenly but my father passed away more recently and it was a slow death from an illness. We cared for him in his home, both with a wonderful person we hired to be with him some days since we all work. I took a computer and my work to his house so I could be there more and still have an income. I was there when he passed away and I consider it a privilege that he even wanted me to care for him. I would do it again. I miss them terribly and some of the most precious memories are of when I stayed nights caring for him. Even in the quiet of the night when I would listen and hold my breath praying for him to take his next breath. I think we need to do whatever we can to care for them. It put us in a real financial bind more than once to care for my Dad, but I don't regret a bit of it. Money was beside the point. FYI, even when he was well we lived with and cared for him as he was alone, and before he fell ill and we moved into our own home, we were trying to figure out how to add-on to accommodate him coming to live with us. I didn't read all the posts but this is my personal belief and experience. Disclaimer: I didn't proofread, LOL!
I personally would not,...
not right now, but that's just my opinion. I just left an in-house job to come back home. I have been transcribing for 17 years, most of them at home. The couple of years I spent in-house were in some ways really good--steady, not as stressed sometimes, but I spent way more time away from home than just 40 hours. There's money spent on food, clothes, and then the various functions that occur at work--holidays, showers, etc.
I love being home! But you have to do what's right for YOU!
Personally I would take it
Give it some time, like 6 months, and if it doesn't work out go back to MT/QA. After all the guy that started it left his full-time job to pursue his dream, so you should too provided it makes sense financially, etc. Obviously you have spent the time researching and really thinking about this. You do have a career to fall back on, and I would jump at it.
Me, personally.
If you're talking about something like, "the x-rays were interpreted by me, personally."
Personally, more with OPs but (sm)
I'm sure there are so many variables. I wail on OP notes because I do them all the time and most are incredibly similar so I can use my Expander and crank. I hardly ever do clinic notes, so those are a little slower going for me.
Another typist told me it's just the opposite for her, so it all depends.
Try not to take it personally...
Don't feel bad. When I was looking for a job earlier this year, I signed on with Transcription Matchmakers. I was told I failed the test. I have been a Transcriptionist for almost 25 years and am experienced in various specialties. In fact, I managed a transcription department in my last in-office job. I, too, was told I was not good enough for them. I now work for a great company and am, in fact, a lead person on my account. I hope this makes you feel better. I just shrugged it off as their loss and went on with my life. Hang in there! All tests are different, and all transcriptionists have varied knowledge, none bad, just different.
Not unless you know someone personally and can
s
I never had one personally
but my husband did, and although he's not an MT, he had double hernia surgery, and he was out for a little over a week. His job is mostly standing though. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Personally if it were me
Considering it's a macro or template and not something dictated I would have to agree with your feelings because I also take great pride in my work. I would probably make a corrected copy of their template/macro and send it back to them as a suggestion, especially since part of it is spelling. You may get a good response and a thank you and you may get told to leave it be, but at least you'll know you tried.
Don't take QA personally sm
You remember when the parenting books used to tell us to distinguish your love for your child from what they do? I love you, but I didn't like what you DID.
It is the same thing with QA. You have to listen, you have to try harder, you WILL figure this out. Just remember, it is about what you DID not who you ARE. It took me many years to get this straight in my mind. Oddly enough, once I did, my accuracy went up. It is less pressurizing when you understand that we are all human and we all make mistakes, but it doesn't follow that we are somehow less worthwhile when we make them.
I think perhaps your nerves are getting the best of you. Having worked for a lot of companies, every switch is an adjustment. They all have different rules and ideas about how the work should be done. It takes some time to get that all down, and it isn't necessarily all about your work. Be patient with yourself because you deserve it.
Personally, I think
she's full of sh....... you know.
I personally think anything less than 9 cpl
for employee and 10.5-11 cpl for IC is a slap in the face. Unless they have awesome benefits, I need to make at least 9 cpl and really 10 at a minimum. I wouldn't even consider less than 9 at this point.
I personally don't know about this, but
there has been talk about doing other transcription, such as legal. You might want to check that out. Just Google and see what comes up. I am a recent grad, and finding it is not that easy. There is work out there, but the question is: What type of company will you end up at? It all depends on getting good dictators, little or no ESLs, how many hours do you spend looking things up, etc? Companies don't pay for this. It's not like you are getting paid hourly, unless you're lucky enough to work in a hospital. 7 or 8 cpl isn't much for all the researching, change this, change that, what did he say?, etc. things that we do. I wish I had gone into something else, but I am here now, and trying to make the best of it. It is nice, I have to say, being able to work from home. I can take a break when I want, I can take and pick my kids up from school, etc. I am very fortunate to have a good husband, with a good job, that lets me pretty much do what I have to, to be there for our kids and still make some money. I don't know your situation, but if you are okay with just making extra money, or chancing who you may work for, then go for it. Just from my research and looking around, it seems the quality companies to work for are less and less. Good luck with whatever you decide.
I personally do not think VR will ever be
perfected enough to be a threat to medical transcriptionists. There will always be a need to correct/verify the information that VR spits out, which is nowhere near perfect and probably never will be.
I haven't heard of anyone getting laid off because of VR. I think they mostly quit because most companies tell them their production will increase with VR hence they lower their pay when in reality it doesn't increase enough (if at all), so their pay basically drops. JMO
Everyone is different. Personally, I
type while listening and then if dictation is too far ahead I stop until I catch up and then start listening again. I do not listen, stop, and then type. It all depends on the doctor and the rate of speed at which you are listening to the dictation. I listen at a normal speed the majority of the time. For fast dictators, I sometimes slow it down, sometimes speed it up if they are slow.
Just do it the way it is the most comfortable and easiest for you.
Do you know someone personally-SM
Do you personally know someone from one of these countries with national health care? well I do, we have family friends who live in Holland and they and most of their friends and family HATE their healthcare system-long waits for appointments, longer waits for specialists and surgeries and the older you get the longer the wait so unless you know someone personally in these countries you don't know what you're talking about.
You're taking this way, way too personally.
If you don't like it, ignore it. People always criticize the mother. Hey, at least she's not some bug-eyed  psycho broad lying to the authorities about being kidnapped by Hispanics.
okay, but I meant, what if you use it personally?
...you know, on your own, without telling your employer. That is what my friend meant, too. Say I am transcribing for a company, and on my own I use the speech recognition and set it up to type my reports for me.
That is how I thought some people were getting these huge, incredible line counts. Not so with this poster, she already told me she is not using it, but I do know there are some who do.
Where I used to work, they were always praising these mass producers, too, in newsletters and E-mails, letting everyone the phenomenonal line counts, and I would think, hey, I can not even get work, was always running out, doing 4, 5, 6 accounts and struggling through the specs and accents continually...
That is why I brought it up, I wondered if perhaps some MTs were going that route to get ahead...
Thanks for your post - I am GLAD to hear you think it is more troublesome than anything...(except good for lowering our pay, huh?)
Ah, so you know her personally? What I sense from you is
Take a cold shower, Billie Jean! 
That's good. Personally, I'd have to
be dying before someone cuts into my alimenary canal. Seems like a lot of borderline people are getting it nowadays.
Personally, I think it's not worth anything . . .
Sure, there a few companies that will pay slightly more for the CMT designation, but, in my experience, the majority of doctors, hospitals and employers either never heard of AAMT or don't care. They want capable MTs, and if you can do the job they're happy.
Also, the other poster is so right about AAMT supporting offshore MTs. That seems so wrong in so many ways, and I just don't buy the "MT shortage" garbage.
Honesty, where the AAMT gets off setting MT standards is beyond me. I don't see that they truly represent the vast majority of MTs either.
A very small percentage of MTs are member of the AAMT. That says something in itself, doesn't it? I would not be at all surprised to see the organization fold in the near future.
I was not directing that at you personally.
I realize no one was called a liar. I just wanted to warn this poor lady. Seems like every time I post or try to question some elses bad experience there are 2 or 3 people that attack. I did not mean you. Please forgive me if you got that impression. I also work for them and have for the past 8 years. Again, sorry.
Personally, I would blank it. You should
the spelling and for other reasons, i.e. privacy, I think it would be a good idea. Some tests I've taken have asked me to put in three underscores __ __ __ when items bleeped for confidentiality. Even if not asked to, I think that's the way to go IMHO ...
I have not personally heard, either.
However, I do know someone who was severely injured by lightening when talking on the phone. Our ear phones are receivers. Particularly, if we are using the phone line, I would think it would be the same difference.
I personally love IT
Unless you really don't mind memorizing your abbrevations, I would highly recommend IT. It will go through all your files in a flash and create glossaries with words and phrases that you would probably never be able to do on your own in years. You don't have to memorize anything (unless you happen to name a norm a particular name, etc, that you use often). As you type, the words/phrases appear below your document on the screen. There is a learning curve but well worth it I feel.
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