Poll: hardest and easiest work types. I enjoy...
Posted By: wc on 2006-01-23
In Reply to:
orthopedics and psychiatry. Do not like cardiology, oncology.
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Op reports by far are easiest for me - hardest is Oncology. nm
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Hardest: Dental surgery. Easiest: Cardiology, OPs. sm
Most interesting: Psych.
I think it's generally whatever you get the least of that you'll find the hardest. I used to hate OPs, GI procedures, and cardiology, but eventually got used to them and found they are repetitive (aka good money makers!).
Poll - what do you think the hardest accent is? I vote Hispanic. nm
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What about POLL? You seem to enjoy that word a lot.
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I think specialty work would be easiest..sm
With family practice, you could see a number of diseases from all specialties, so you need to know the terminology for all. In specialty work, you would see the same all the time. For example, if you took on an ortho doc, you'd see all ortho, so you learn the terminology for that specialty only. Once you have that down pat, you could branch out into a new one and so on, gaining experience with each.
You will have a more well-rounded experience going with family practice over specialty, but as a newbie getting own accounts, specialty would be easier, IMHO. I don't really recommend starting as a newbie at home with your own accounts, but that's just my opinion. It's a lot harder because you won't have QA - the doctor will be your QA, and they can be a lot harder to face than an online QA person. You have to take criticism well, since it will come from a doctor most times (or staff member) and some docs can be blunt and even condescending. Just being honest based on my own experience. Maybe you could try some of the small MTSOs rather than national companies, where you might only have 1-2 QA people and aren't as stringent about BOS rules, etc.
If you find a local doc willing to take a chance, go for it, but don't expect it to be any easier at first than a national or working for another person. There are pros and cons to each. It can be hard to get either job without experience, but a local doc desperate for help might be more willing to take a chance. Depends on what the MT market is like in your area. If small town, good chance finding a client. If larger town with lots of MTs available, it will be harder.
Have a hospital I work for and they consistently change work types and do line counts. (sm)
Management just doesn't understand in order to crank out the work you need to be proficient by typing the same accounts. Go figure, they just don't get it ??
i used to work for a company that divided the work types up and i loved it. sm
there were only 4 of us working a major teaching hospital. someone was assigned surgery, different assigned discharges, different admits, etc. we all had the backup work type in case the original assignee wasn't available and were cross trained. it made us much more efficient, ability to get used to dictators, set macros, and in the long run we were all much happier.
Work types
Has anyone ever quit a position because you get work types you were assured you would not have to do? I absolutely despise discharge summaries and was told upon hire that I would not have to do them, there were plenty of other reports I could do, now I get big chunks of DS throughout the day, I never have liked them, I lose about 75-100 lines/hour doing them. Does anyone else have this problem? I am not a newbie, I just do not like discharges and get a real mental block, I think mainly because I get so tired of sitting while the dictator is trying to figure out what to say.
Work types
Yes, they all have to get done but I used to work for a company that you were given a certain work type all day long, and it either rotated or if there was one person who liked ds or op, they were routed to them - the work got done, the MT had more production, thus the company benefitted also, why take an MT who can do 300+ lines on everything but DS and put them on DS when you have people who do 150 on everything, including DS
work types
Most won't allow that.. Especially the ones that pay well. The one I work for requires you to be skilled in all ares, even radiology.. It is a great job.. Have them for 20 years and 10 years in the MT department working from home. Hospitals are the way to go.
Actually, I enjoy doing MT work very much
most days. That has nothing to do with my vent. My vent was about ESLs who can't speak the English language coherently enough to be understood. The same goes for English-speaking physicians who haven't mastered the language either. If they don't know enough about the English to construct a proper sentence, then maybe they should hire someone else to do their dictating for them.
Realistically with all work types
and various dictators, I average about 17.5 minutes per hour at the end of the day. But the first few hours I'm still working with my coffee buzz, so it is a little more, maye 22-25. I get a lot of 10-15 minute reports with a lot of dead air time, then will get a 2-minute report that is two pages long. I could never go by minutes unless it is the same thing over and over again.
Well, I have 25 years experience also in all work types
and only do acute care with a line rate of 10.5 cpl M-F and 11 cpl on the weekends.
You can negotiate it a little harder, and you will get it depending on their needs, I guess.
It is MDI-Maryland.
Not having standards hurts. Some work types just (sm)
don't add up line wise as quick as others. For me Ops are the best line count, consults and discharge summaries are killers.
It's healthy to enjoy some alone time. You'll adjust and enjoy it soon.
x
I've done all work types also and always find myself making more
doing radiology than any other work type.
I think it's mainly because it's more repetitive than the other work types.
With your three years experience, you should do fine jumping back into it.
Good luck.
all work types - 3000 lines a day @ 12 cpl 65 characters
18 cpl transcribed line - private hospital account. These are the only specifics I am willing to give.
Do not e-mail me and ask where or who - I will not reply!
I understand companies are paying 4 & 8 cpl edit/transcribed. I do not work for a company. I caught a hospital account using the platform at the right time and signed on quickly as an IC.
Hope this helps.
Unproductive work types continually, for me, DS with ESLs and residents. nm
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Do U keep playing with the ports and the types of foot pedals? An odd pedal might not work, like a
n
Work poll
 How's the work flow today. Back to normal from the holiday or same old same shortage?
Poll: Where you work
Do you work for:
--a national
--smaller MTSO
--hospital/clinic
--self-employed
Poll: What do you consider a good income for MT work currently?
You can answer in your subject line. Talking about gross annual income:
1) $20,000 to $30,000
2) $30,000 to $40,000
3) $40,000 to $45,000
4) $45,000 to $50,000
5) $50,000 and up
6) $60,000 and up
MT work - IC or employee or MTSO, even QA work could be included here.
1500-1600 doing acute, multiple, multiple work types. NM
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Hardest for me are the NE (i.e., RI, NJ and the like)
Shoot, I used to date a guy from NJ and almost fell over laughing when he asked me out of "cwaffee" LOL.
I'm a Texan too :-)
One of the hardest, IMO
Been doing oncology now for 17 years. One of the hardest parts is the drug regimens.. and they are ever changing, such as the protocols and study drugs. The next hardest for me is understanding the chromosome analyses. I've got some really good websites I could share with you if you would like. Best thing is to have good references and websites.Good luck in your decision and just post here if you need websites.
Whatever is easiest for you is the
most productive for you. I use ABCZ and then my own abbreviations that are easier for me to remember.
Yes it is one of the hardest things to do.
:(
I think this is sometimes the hardest part
of the job, that it is at home. I did it out of house and I enjoyed it more there, maybe I was a little less productive but I am a social person. I had to adapt and it has been hard. I am forcing myself out more but there are weeks when we are on cut off when I don't leave for 3 days, feel like Howard Hughes sometimes. hahahah.
The hardest is whatever you aren't
used to. Discharge summaries have a lot of drug names, but the good thing is that it is the last report dictated (ideally), and with with many systems you can see the earlier reports for drug names and other terms.
I would say some of the most slurred dictation happens during the physical exam section of the H&P, but if you can see the dictator's previous reports are viewable, you can make normals. Lots of times they say the same thing every time, so that's an opportunity to use a normal and save yourself keystrokes.
So these are some reasons there are no pat answers.
the easiest way to decide (sm)
Is to ask yourself how you would feel if the tables were turned... then you will have your answer. And also, the best piece of advice I ever got was "if you have to ask, you already know the answer".
One of the easiest ones I've ever done, wish I still had it!!! nm
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The easiest way would be to break into...sm
acute care for the same company you do clinic for if they have acute care available. If not it is going to be hard. The company you are currently with would be more likely to train you to do acute care because they know what your capabilities are.
You will want to sway the easiest way for you
If it is a one-doctor practice, you want to purchase the handheld.
Try www.transcriptiongear.com for options regarding either FTP or call-in system depending on the volume.
www.vancedigital.com offers an FTP site that is easy to use and you pay on usage; fairly inexpensive.
I would suggest for tapes that you give them a list of courier services because once you start to pick and drop off work and tapes you'll lose valuable time.
I like to get out during the week so I do deliver but the pay is awesome and I can't bring myself to not pick up, plus it allows me to network.
Sticky notes a great idea. I was actually thinking a pen with my business name on it, but haven't gone that route as of yet.
Good luck to you.
I agree, that's the easiest &
cheapest way to go, partition the HD. You could even have separate HDs if you wanted to. I have had both setups over the years. Of course, I'm married to my "tech person" - lol.
first night of each week will be hardest
The first night of the week you work is always the hardest, especially if you have slept a normal night. Try to get a nap that first night before you start your 3 days. I always kept caffiene pills (like No-Doze) handy. I didn't take them often but once in a while they would come in handy just to get me through the night. Also, take a shower before you start as if you are starting a regular day. If you get enough sleep during the day after your shifts, you shouldn't have too much of a problem. My problem was I neve was able to get very much sleep, which is why I had to rely on the caffiene pills at times. For some odd reason when you work third shift you don't seem to need as much sleep either. Good Luck.
Hardest lessons to find out after BK
I thought health insurance was too expensive when I changed from employee to IC. I had emergency surgery and afterwards lost everything when I could not pay the bills.
First, sit down with every debt you owe and categorize everything - credit cards/loan companies/nonsignature debt/mortgage/car/medical/taxes, etc. Each type of debt has a different relief route typically. These are things to expect: Whether you enter a credit counseling program or BK, credit score will be damaged for years - how bad is relative to what you attempt to obtain credit for in the future. With BK in particular, depending on what state you live in, most major insurance companies will not sell you a home owner's policy until BK is discharged in 7+ years. You may also have increased car insurance rates. Depending on your personal circumstance, you need to check with your insurance companies. For instance, Nationwide will not sell the homeowner policy until after discharge. You need to ask whether your state uses credit for car/home insurance rating. Earlier posts are correct - student loans, Federal and State taxes are exempt from BK laws - if these are part of your debt from past years, you need to talk to both your state and the Fed about your options which might include an offer in compromise. If your student loans are just coming due, you need to talk to the company about options. If you have older student loans, most can be deferred with added interest and penalties. Some employers are now running credit checks in the application process - yes they can and will use that information in the hiring process.
The "new" BK laws mean that your debt will be reviewed and if you can pay back a portion, you will be required to do so - but this is major legal mumbojumbo, so my ultimate advice - do your homework and find the best BK or debt relief attorney and pay a consult fee before you make any drastic moves. They may try to 'sell' you a BK filing (obviously, that's how they make their money) but you need to pick their bones for all the info they can give you relevant to your state.
Lastly, 35k of debt with 35k of income is doable but you would have to knock your school time down to nominal or put it on hold altogether for a while to avoid BK and not assume any further debt. Whatever happens, do not let your medical insurance slide or any other policy which safeguards long-term- it may seem worth it up front but I can tell you it is the single worst decision you can electively make. Best of luck to you.
Think oncology is one of the hardest specialities.
vv
Agree...Hispanic is the hardest!
I've done everything from Indian to Asian and never had a problem with those...but Hispanic accents always throw me for a loop. For instance, I have one MD now that pronounces "violation" as vee-o-lit-on. Took me forever to figure out what she was saying not to mention her grammar was horrendous!
Oncology - by far is the hardest for me. New protocols every day to learn. nm
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which accent do you find the hardest to transcribe?
I do okay with Oriental, Greek, Indian, most European accents. However for some reason when it comes to Spanish docs, forget it !  It just sounds like gibberish to me.
I love the Asians, because they TRY the hardest, and it usually comes out funny. nm
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Hardest thing was marker keys
But after about a week, I got the hang of them. Actually, that is THE thing that makes IT worthwhile for all the other features. Just choose keys that are easy for you to use.
Also, I used the expansions I had at the time from the old Expander and created a glossary from those, so my familiar expansions were already there. Once I got the hang of the marker keys, then I started utilizing more of the features.
I love my IT!
My hardest was a woman from Spain - very, very fast! NM
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Unfortunately, CS seems to be the easiest debt to skip out on
You'll get into more trouble if you bounce a $25 check. I have used one of those private agencies because my ex had moved out of state and once that happens, if the ex doesn't want to pay and moves around in jobs, you can pretty much forget about getting anything.
The private agency works a lot faster, but the contracts are very complicated and you are pretty much signing up for the life of the CS obligation; otherwise there has be nonpayment of CS for a year before you can end the contract. And yes they take a big chunk of money but at the time I thought it was better than getting nothing at all.
But in the end, once payments have been established, the private agency ends up filtering the payment through your local CSEA anyway.
I think your best bet is to use some kind of locator service and if you can get a good address provide that to your local CSEA.
I wish they had an "America's Most Wanted" for deadbeat dads/moms. It's amazing to me that it is seemingly so easy to stop paying, change jobs, and just not be found.
Easiest and fastest way is to Google sm
once found, click on the manufacturer's website. That way you will always have the correct spelling, etc.
Easiest guacamole recipe
I just mash the avocadoes, open a jar of my favorite salsa, pour off the excess liquid without squeezing the veggies, add lemon or lime juice, a little salt and pepper and done.... It's always the 1st thing gone whenever I bring it somewhere.
Easiest digital method
Hello everyone
I currently have one of my own accounts with 2 physicians. They use digital hand-held recorders and we email files back and forth, encrypted of course. Anyway, is there an easier way for their office staff? Something where the doctor could talk right into the computer and it would be sent to me without using the office staff? I am trying to take some of the burden off of them.
Thanks.
Lynn
The easiest answer would be use Explorer. sm
More information would be helpful. Is this an Olympus recorder? Is there software that came with the recorder that is needed in order to download?
As an example, my OMs download dictation to their computer using Microsoft Explorer (not Internet Explorer, IE).
Easiest way is by the minute/seconds ...(sm)
At $60 per audio hour (60 minutes) is $1.00 per minute.
$1.00 x 33.31 = $33.31
(sorry, I emailed you by accident, and meant to post!)
In all fairness, it is a known fact that English is the hardest to learn sm
How many Americans say BP was 120 SLASH 80. Slash? How about over?
With ESLs we have no idea what their native language is like unless we speak it. It may be 120 by 80 for them and they are translating.
I don't know about you, but growing up my plan was to be a translator for the UN. To that end, I took Latin, Spanish, French, German and some Russian. I was a straight A student in these, but I have to tell you, it was not easy. All of them have "gender" to every noun which in turn governs the formation of adjectives and pronouns and even such things as "a" or "an" take gender. Sometimes even verbs take gender. English only has remnants of gender (a boat is a she, as an example).
There are also plenty of ESLs who speak more than two languages and English is only one of them. That adds to the confusion for them because gender isn't consistent. One language may have a male moon and a female sun, while the other is the opposite. In German, the verb needs to be the second word in the sentence and comes before adverb. The above languages frown on more than two adjectives for a noun, whereas English doesn't care. In English you can string together many adjectives if you want to, but this would be considered linguistically incorrect in other languages. Verbs have declensions and by and large, the cases stay the same across the board. English just think of eat, eaten and ate as an example of an exception and we have many such exceptions.
I catch myself saying that English is spoken just as it is spelled...well sometimes, but laugh isn't spelled laff.
Oh and you gotta love UK doctors...eeestroh gen spelled oestrogen comes to my mind.
ESLs can be incredibly frustrating. I know this, I have recently worked on an account with 80+% ESLs, most of whom were rather poor as they go. The fact remains, you have to either find yourself a job where there are no ESLs, which is becoming increasingly difficult, or learn to live with them. Some of my very favorite dictators of all time have been ESLs, partly because I struggled with them and when it just "popped" in my head they were easier than most Americans, and oh so redundant, they made me a lot of money with normals.
I will say that I believe that more money should be paid to MTs when the account is very heavily ESLs because they take a lot more time.
The most & easiest money I ever made typin'
was for a hospital that had all these kickass "normals" for OP notes. The docs would say, "Please use my _____ template" and that was it. Some ortho templates were an instant 100+ lines and they took mere seconds to zap in! Those days are long gone for me but I remember them fondly.
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