Reality bites doesn't it?

Sorry you don't seem to be able to deal with the reality of MT world as it is in 2005.  You are the one with false illusions that somehow there is a code of ethics in any company or these MTs would unite to fight ??? uhh what's the fight and where is it at.  Might as well try to get a herd of cats together to fight an undefined battle for you once you figure out who your enemy is.

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When I worked in-house, our production level was less because we had to answer the phone and the door.  Even working at home for a hospital, we were only required to do approximately 110 lines per hour.  Of course, it was easy to do more.

It sounds like they're jerking you around in regard to your pregnancy.  That could be illegal.  Understandably, it is difficult to work and care for a child at the same time.  Do you have anything in writing about the daily production levels?  As for the routing, you might even have a larger pool of dictators if you work for a national.  For the most part, routing and carbon copies are all listed in your account specs to refer back to, however.

Do you use a word expander?  I wonder if that would help you out.  Maybe that's why they keep raising the production level is because some of the MTs are using Expanders and really knocking out the lines.

I think you'd be happier working at home with your baby.  I wish I had done it sooner because I wasted so much time working outside the home, being resentful, feeling guilty over leaving my kids at daycare, and going to college to find a bigger, better paycheck.  I started out slow in MT because I only had to make around $700 gross per month to equal what I would have made after daycare at my old job.

Well, you don't worry about any of this right now.  Taking care of yourself and that baby are your first priorities.  You didn't mention a significant other, but don't let anybody tell you that you have to work fulltime.  I always thought I had to work fulltime to be a productive member of society because it was drilled into my head by my family.  Being a good mother is a fulltime job in itself.  No stressing.  Everything always works out in the end.

Was turkey hunting in central Texas and was bitten numberous times over the course of the weekend.  Still unsure if it was done in the field or in the motel room at night.

The bites look exactly like the ones described in the original note on this thread.  Center blisters with big red welts under them (half to silver dollar size).  They break and scab and become very dark and then start to decrease in size after about 10 days.  My doctor gave me a cortisione steroid to take orally for 6 days and an anti-biotic to stop any possible infection.  My friends and I are all outdoorsman but have not seen this type of bite before.  Everything points towards spider but typically spider bites are defensive and they will bite once and leave.  I was bitten 11 times in 3 days.  As far as a recluse is concerned, the odds are slim as they are definetly a "one and run" type of spider and with as many times as I was bitten, I would've been very sick.  If you have many of these bites and are not very ill, chances are it was not a brown recluse.

For an entire month maybe once or twice a week, I have been bitten by some unknown sneaky bug that leaves a center water blister and a huge red swollen area around the blister, maybe  the size of a half dollar coin.  I have been putting neosporin on it but would love to know what is biting me.  I woke up this morning with 3 extra bites.  I knew about the one on my wrist which has already started to blister.  I am thinking of going to the doctor but don't want to look like a wacko going in for nothing.  However, I absolutely hate insects and they seem to love me with the bites.

The itching  seems to happen when I am in the backyard (lots of trees and bushes).  So, might be getting bit there first then the bites get worse as time goes by.  They leave scabby cicular scars.  The skin looks healed but very dark.

Anyone else with this experience or should I just head to the doctor.  Can't really afford it but tired of the bites and the scars they are leaving.  Thanks.

You're looking for a minimum of 10 per line as a subcontractor????   

Don't you realize that docs are such notorious cheapskates, and the vast majority of MTSOs are charging that amount, perhaps a cent or two more if they're lucky, so how is it YOU expect to be paid a minimum of 10 per line????? 

I had to totally laugh out loud when I read your post.  I mean, you DO feel it's okay if the MTSO makes a LITTLE bit of profit, don't you?  Or do you expect them to sweat blood and tears in this business for their health and give you the whole shebang? 

It always irritates me to no end when I read a post such as yours.  If you're looking for a full line rate, get it from obtaining your own accounts!!  Don't expect an MTSO to give you 99.9% of the pie dear!!!  Really, I've had such a belly full of SCs with the attitude of gimme, gimme, gimme I could just scream!!!  

With the deaths of three people that I grew up with on TV, and now with what I hard yesterday from  Dr. Phil yesterday he reminded us that if we have 20 years left in our life it -- and that sounds like a long time, but that equals out to only 1040 weeks which then makes you realize as the weeks go by so fasssssssssssssssst that it is not very long and we need to make the best of those weeks as we can.  So that made me stop and realize what is really important and what is not and what is worth fighting about and what is not.  This may not stay with me but I am going to keep thinking about those weeks instead of years and hopefully it will make me enjoy the weeks that I am here. 

I did not attack you,  and if you believe I did it's your own insecurities. I'm just telling you how it is.     And by the way, I'm not looking to be employed as a SC as I'm an MTSO, dear and have been for many, many moons!  Thanks for the offer anyway!

What you expect to receive line-rate-wise is laughable!  Now, you ARE aware of the economy and the current climate of the MT profession, are you not?  If you're not, allow me to throw a few clues your way in order to help bring you back to reality so that you realize the line rate you expect is WAY out of line:  

 India, Pakistan, Canada, VR, EMR, Bush (as in Bush trying to wipe out the middle class/middle-class jobs and so far brilliantly succeeding!), undercutting, and newbies who'll practically work for free, just to name a few!

See, it doesn't matter how many years of experience you have.   You could have 100 plus for all most MTSOs could care.  The bottom line is what are the docs paying - now subtract the MTSO costs - now add MTSO profit (yes, surprise - they are entitled to make one!!  ) - and you'll see the line rate you expect is outrageous.

Don't believe me?  Then I refer you back to the clues above. Go Google on all of them and find out for yourself!!

/

WE should "get out" if we don't like the relationship between the two? 

How can we produce a high quality report when we are too busy sweating the small stuff or trying to remember all the rules and the exceptions to the rules and wondering which QA tyrant is going to be checking our work today so we can make sure to remember their rules in additiont to everything else.  And on top of all that, we have to produce, produce, produce.

Something's gotta give and it can't be the MTs cause we've given enough already!  We've given in our pay, we've forfeited our better judgment and our education and intelligence when we've typed verbatim instead what is correct just because we are told to do so.  We've given in our time.  We've even started losing our jobs to overseas outsourcing even though we produce a better product simply because we think and question the status quo, where as the India MTs do as their told without question for 2 cpl.

Personally, I would like to see reformation in the MT industry.  I would like to see uniformity across the board as far as style, format, rules and regs.  I would like to see an organization that represents the MT and not the MTSOs.  I would like to see QA departments adopt a set of rules and that's that.  I would like the MTSO to treat MTs like they have a brain in their heads and can make judgment calls without being penalized for not typing verbatim that incoherent jibberish Dr. Alibaba dictated.

So instead of leaving the industry, I'm staying to effect change.  I'm in the midst of going back to school to prepare for my RHIT credentials and by golly, I'm going beat 'em at their own game and change transcription once I move up that ladder.

If you don't like the us vs. them reality, YOU get out.  You're probably contributing to the problem as it is!

A good English course may help with your test scores judging from your posts. Even with verbatim accounts, you still need to be proficient with grammer usage and have a good grasp of the English language. All companies look at this, and score on this.You cannot slack on this if you want to be able to keep a job in this industry. When you are new to a company, they will audit (QA) every single report you type for a while, looking at grammer, terminology, etc. Remember, you will be typing for a lot of ESL (English as a Second Language) dictators who do not have a good knowlege of English and you have to be able to recognize and correct their errors.

Verbatim does not mean you do not have to edit. Every verbatim account has its own rules, but many of them require that you correct such things as subject/verb agreement, a versus an, he/she discrepancies, plurals, etc., much of which many ESL dictators (and even English as a First Language dictators) have no concept of. In my opinion, a verbatim account is a bad place for a newbie to start as you will pick up a lot of bad habits that will haunt you later on should you need to work on non-verbatim accounts later on, but just my opinion.

Getting out into the *real world* can be rough at first and a real reality check, but work on your English skills on top of terminology and I am sure you will do fine. I don't know what course you are taking, but there are only a few who truly prepare you for the real world of transcription and that is a shame. Start testing now for companies (many have online testing on their websites) to learn what you need to work on before you finish your course, it is a great tool for newbies.

I wish you the best of luck.

I came up with this great idea for a new reality show called American MT: 

YOU'LL LAUGH when you see the MT struggling to understand English speaking MDs who can barely put a sentence together, foreigners who can barely speak English, food chewers, side talkers, paper shufflers, sneezers, nose blowers, coughers, chokers and the like.

YOU'LL CRY when the American MT is faced with dire consequences such as eviction and malnutrition from the incredible shrinking paycheck and the amazing dwindling workload.

YOU'LL GASP IN HORROR as vital medical records are outsourced to strange lands to be typed by people who barely comprehend, write or speak the English language.

Coming this fall to a TV near you! American MT! You'll have to see it to believe it!

What do you think? Sometimes I kill me!

Kinda nice to get lost and just veg with my Law & Order and CSI addictions :)

Obviously, I'm in the minority since they seem to come up with more and more reality shows .... I admit to watching the Biggest Loser a couple of times, but I can't imagine being "hooked" and watching it all of the time, sitting on the edge of my seat. 

wide open and landing accounts with no contacts was an easy thing to do, I'd tell the OP to go for it and good luck.  But I know from experience what is true.  I have plenty of accounts and ALL of them came my way via connections.  First I worked as an MT in a hospital for many years and I left there to start my own business and from my hospital connections accounts came my way.  Then my clients referred accounts to me.  Not one of my clients has come from advertising or cold calling or sending letters of introduction or flyers.  Not one.