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Hang in there!  You can overcome a chronic illness and empower yourself.  It ain't easy, but doable.  Been that way for 12 years now.

Just make sure you file the disability with a disability attorney. SS is very well known for denying claims usually twice, then court before they grant it.  This waste many many months and tires us that are already tired, out.  You need all your energy to fight the disease, not for your rights to supplemental income you've paid for all these years. 

Your children will also receive dependent benefits until they reach 18, so again, get an experienced dis. atty.  Hang in there

Everything that I find in the archives is old.  I have already been offered a position with 1 and waiting on an interview with the other.  I have chosen IC status for both because I just cannot comply with the strict schedules that these companies have now.  I have tried being an employee but after 10 years of being an IC and working when I want, schedules are tough.  Does anyone have any advice please?

I just finished school back in Nov. of 2005. I've been looking and looking for a job online and still have had no luck. The only response I seem to get bac from anyone is that I don't have enough experience. Does anyone have any pointers on what I should I do, or how I should approach this field? Please help me!!! I don't know what to do anymore!!

I graduated this year from a community college which used the Career Step program in addition to some other courses.  It was all done online.  I have been working for 3 months, and have learned almost as much from working as from school so far.  The difference is that you are doing 800-1200 lines a day so you are exposed to a lot more information.  However, I don't believe I would have passed the entrance exams without everything I did pick up with the schooling. 

I would definitely encourage formal training of some sort because it is such a competitive industry.  I honestly don't think you could get hired from home, or pass an entrance exam without a good deal of training.  The 98% accuracy they are looking for on their tests is tough to hit without very strong grammar, med terminology, and AAMT/AHDI standards knowledge.  I am not making much money now, but I know within a year it will be different.  I am home and that is invaluable to me!

Good luck! 

not because I am egocentric and feel I need to be at the top, but because I just don't want to have to scroll down and look for it every time I have something to add.  So, it's not arrogance, it's convenience.  Also I would just like to add that I posted my "credentials" so to speak because I was asked to defend my position with what made me qualified to talk about poor MTs.

Anyway, I don't know if I could be classified as an old-timer as I've not had to transcribe on manual typewriters from belts, but I did start out in transcription in the late 80s, right before the internet boom.  So I did start out in an office with other MTs who could lend me an ear and give me advice, but most of them were old-timers who felt lost when the internet did hit and changed our profession forever.  So all of my computer skills, internet skills, and researching skills are self-taught out of necessity.  Because I took the time and made the effort to hone my internet and research skills, I moved up the transcription food chain and moved passed a lot of the old-timers who trained me.  I guess I just have no patience for "old-timers" who wear their years of experience like a badge of honor, but then use those same years as an excuse for not using the internet efficiently.

I am more than willing to educate or mentor an MT, whatever it takes, but the MT has to want and accept constructive criticism gracefully instead huffing and puffing about how mean and evil QA is.  Most of the time MTs ignore their feedback and make the same mistake again and again.  I can quote chapter and verse out of the BOS to an MT trying to illustrate why they are wrong and it will not matter.  They see "QA" on an email in their inbox and automatically hit delete without a passing glance.

I am not the enemy in this war called transcription.  MTs and QA should be allies against offshoring and we should be trying to elevate our status in health information chain, but we can't be allies and we can't accomplish anything if MTs are constantly paranoid that QA is "out to get them."  The sad truth is that eventually we QA people are going to have no other options except unemployment or educating the Indian MTs and ironically the Indian MTs will welcome any feedback that will help them get more work from American MTs.

To all those who posted that I have a big head and have launched personal attacks, I would say you the ones who are arrogant and big headed if you can't just accept that you are wrong sometimes and you can always learn something new and maybe you can learn that something new from me, the QA person who has proven her skills, passed a harder employment test, to get the QA job I have today.

You can call me names and insult me, but the truth hurts and obviously those who are defensive have reason to be.

Two decades of hospital experience here.  Applied at about 6 different large companies.  Some of the pay was atrocious (.07), some was fair (.08).  One offered .085 but had to work the hours precisely as they demanded as an IC with no flexibility and told me up front it was an extremely difficult and high ESL account.  (Now I realize that someone has to type those hard dictators, but would prefer that they be mixed in with an easier account -- been there and done that as far as an 80 percent HARD ESL account).

Of course I didn't take any of them and now I wish I had told them the pay was too low and that it was insulting.  I was not tempted to accept any of those jobs.  The recruiters for the most part acted as if I should be honored to be offered such a cruddy job with them!!  These were all companies who advertise heavily on the MT boards and perhaps that is why they are constantly advertising.

I took a job with a very small company who has decent accounts and were eager to pay me a better wage so I know they are out there.  I had interaction with 2 such smaller companies who offered good pay.

I really hate to see to see good transcriptionists take jobs that offer so little in return for our services as it hurts us all in the long run.

there is the thread about podiatry, posts about companies, posts about cherry picking,  ESLs taking over, this company is the best.     How many hundreds of us are on these boards???   Its a good thing we are all individuals - and there is so much work out there because one type of person could not do all the types of work.  Not everyone wants to work for big corporation  - not everyone wants to run their own MT service.

Some of us hate short little clinic notes, some hate long operative reports.  Some love radiology, others want to type IMEs. Never work for a company that IMs you all day vs  this company never gives feedback.

Where I  recently worked - we always used to leave behind certain reports for the late shift person, stuff we all thought she loved until one day she complained - how come I HAVE TO DO ALL the _____ studies..  Its kinda funny- you might think someone is cherrypicking all the CT's and they think they are doing you a favor by leaving short reports. 

Of course NO ONE likes the really awful individual dictators, whether it is ESL or chewers, the accounts that have a million details or QA that keeps changing. I think most of us know you have to take some bad with the good and when you TRY to do the tuff stuff, the good stuff becomes easier.

So  when someone comes to vent - cut them some slack - who cares about typos here - we all know that when we are working, we use our spellchecks and pay attention to details. 

When I take time to answer on this board, it is never with judgement - I always try to say "in MY experience, psych reports are bad because ..."  or when I worked for  XYZ company, they did not count lines correctly.  You cannot make generalities about  a profession as varied as this one. 

I come here for information AND entertainment - it does take a certain type of person to do this work -  that has nothing to do with the skills involved - and I think we share an understanding of each other, even as we argue over everything.    We all saw a part of ourselves in the recently posted "You Might Be a Transcriptionist If..." and we all laughed as we shook our heads. 

Sad to say I am about to make the decision to try a career change - I cannot push myself anymore (after almost 30 years) to produce enough lines to make the money I need - thats not to say it can't be done these days, just that I don't want to/can't  work that hard anymore. 

wildlife cam and people didn't want others posting about it - is the same thing as saying "I demand you entertain me by posting what *I* want to hear about."

What are everybody's thoughts on the show tonight regarding House and Stacy.  Do you think he told her no because:

A:  He feels he is not good enough for her.

B:  He does not want to hurt Mark after Mark came to see him.

C:  He feeds off his misery and can't give that up. 

What a great show, great lines tonight.

that is going to VR and dropping the rate from 10cpl to 3cpl MDI-MD?  I am dying to know what they are going to be paying for VR.  If they are dropping the rate that much, with their stellar reputation for caring about their transcriptionists, perhaps all hope is lost. 

Can somebody please spill the beans!

Although I am married and it doesn't pertain to me...

The financial aid officer told all the parents there that if their child is 22, living with them or not, their finances will be looked at and considered when the kid goes to college.  So if you boot your kid out the door at 22, consider the fact that if you make too much money, your kid may not be able to afford to go to college without your help because their student loans, scholarships, etc. will be based on both the student's income and the parents.  If they are married or have children parent's income is not a factor, only the student.

that you wouldn't mind sharing.  I heard that they used to drop your pay based on how many reports you send to be QA'd.  Is it really that way?  Just want to know before I would consider applying.

I read this just last night, as I too have been researching and gleaning information regarding the future of MT and pondering making any career changes.

http://govhealthit.com/Articles/2009/01/07/Spending-on-health-IT-would-generate-212105-jobs.aspx

EXCERPT:

The analysis found that a $10 billion health IT stimulus program would create or retain 43,410 jobs directly, most of them in areas such as software and hardware sales and system installation. Another 115,670 jobs would be created or retained indirectly, in areas such as sales of trucks and food to those holding the new jobs.

And the availability of new and improved networks and information would create 53,025 jobs, the foundation reported.

Stephen Ezell, a senior analyst at ITIF, said in answer to a reporter’s question that the analysis did not take into account the potential loss of jobs in areas such as medical records management and transcription of physicians’ notes.

Quite a few posters who have been MTs for a number of years (myself included) have come under attack recently for comments posted here  -- what those of us who have done this for years are seeing is "I only want to work certain hours, won't do weekends, don't want to be on call so on and so forth"  Guess what?  I got an email from my supervisor on Monday asking me to cover a certain work type while that person was on vacation  -- I did it!!! -- She also called me today (Sunday and asked me to do 3 STATS  -- I cover STATS on Wednesday)  -- however, I did it because it it my JOB  -- since I started this job in October, I have NEVER run ouf of work  -- if the work type that I do runs out, I do to a differnt work type, it is similar to learning a new account which I have done in the past as well.  All I want to say, is be grateful right now that you have a job and if the "work does not fit YOUR FAMILY SCHEDULE" then learn to adjust  -- think PRIORITIES

Everyone is playing the blame game.  It doesn't matter who did what or did not do now.  What matters now is to go on with life and reach in our hearts (Although some of you do not seem to have one) and give to the less fortunate.  This disaster will not only effect those in the coastal areas.  This will effect the whole United States and the world in some form or another.  Louisiana had a population estimated at 4 million.  More than a 1/4 of that population is without homes.  Can you imagine the indignity they indure living in shelters?  As a Louisiana resident, I would like to point out that the victims in the media are not the only victims.  They are the poorest of poor.  They do have many families and individuals that are displaced, living with relative, hotel rooms, no jobs.  Other states have taken in many of the victims but there are small rural communities and cities all over Louisiana itself that have taken in these people.  In the small high school in my community, enrollment went up by 200 students almost doubling the student body.  The small Catholic school my son attends took in over 40 students. Grocery stores running out of food because the extra people and trucks being delayed.  The list of changes and difficulties go on. 

Like 9/11, this disaster will forever change America.  Not all of the changes will be bad although it seems that way now.  This is the time people should stick together and focus on the good things that are happening, not the few people that take advantage of the situation or the people who have no souls and think of themselves.  Take an active roll in helping these people, you are not only helping them, you are also helping yourself and the whole country.  I have visited the shelters and I have close friends who have actually gone to help with the rescue.  Again, this did not just happen to the gulf coast. 

I will continue to say an extra prayer for all victims, and especially those of you who seem not to have a heart or soul where others are concerned.

"Oh, you should get a job at the school district.  They need cafeteria workers and it would work great with your kids' schedules."

I don't think so!  They pay $7 an hour to feed and clean up after other peoples' munchkins!  If I *ever* decided to work outside the home again, it'd be something that uses my education and pays way more.  Hubby butted in and said that I make at least three times what they do in a year by working at home.  That started the, "Oh, really?  I've always thought about doing that.  Where do you work?"

Just for some other information.  When Hurricane Rita hit in Texas, i.e. Jasper, Beaumont area, these people were not prepared.  They were not prepared because hurricanes do not come in that far inland.  The Jasper area is one of the areas where most hurricane victims evacuate too.  There are people in that area that are still without power including elderly people and children.  Most of the surrounding areas (Pineland, Rosevine, Hemphill) are retirement areas.  These are also low income areas as well.  These people definitely would not have expected the hurricane to effect them in the way that it did, but it did.

Also, people in Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas were effected from it as well.  Again, a hurricane never has come close to these areas and these areas are also where evacuees come.  During the time we had evacuees from Galveston, Beaumont, Houston, and still the ones we had from Louisiana drained the resources that we did have here (not saying anything negative by this – just a statement).  None of the businesses could get trucks in to deliver gas, food, ice, water, etc.  When we did get gas delivered, the lines were so long that people were waiting 9-10 hours to get gas and of course by the time most got up there, it was gone again.  This went on for several days.  Even the Wal-Mart here and in Nacogdoches was only able to be open a few hours a day and for the first few days after the hurricane because of the amount of extra people in these areas, they finally had to limit the number of people they were allowing in the store at a time.

Some of you say, people should be prepared.  I do agree and especially more so if you live in a coastal area.  However, these people affected in the areas I mentioned above do not live on the coast; however, were heavily impacted by this natural disaster.  You are saying these people don't deserver help?!  Well let me tell you this.  When we had a lot of LA evacuees here, FEMA stepped in and for a lot (not all of course) they received $2000.00 for help with housing, another $600.00 for food, and there $400.00 for something else (honestly do not remember what it was).

However, my mother and father-in-law who are elderly went 14 days without power, lost everything in the freezer and refrigerator, and they are also raising 2 of their grandchildren (both young teenagers).  They were unable to get FEMA to help with anything. 

I guess the point is this.  Before spouting off about who needs to do what or who the government does or does not need to help (or where you tax monies go), you might want to think about the fact that this was a natural disaster and therefore, no one can ever really be prepared for one.  I hope none of you ever have to deal with anything like this.  It is not a pretty site in this area right now.  Clean up is still going on.  There are still trees down on houses and cars.  How would you feel if this were you? 

By the way, yes I do feel that my family was very lucky to come through it unscathed; however, some were not so lucky.

Just my 2 cents.

/

 and other distracting Internet surfing, neglected art projects on the desk behind me, sunny outside, new powder on ski hill, new German Shepherd pup....

In reading the news release posted below about Nuance buying escription, I was wondering how different SR platforms are working for us MTs.  I do ASR on DQS and have found that on my main account the ASR is pretty good, so I don't have to make tons of changes. 

I tend to like doing the speech recognition and here is why I think that is so in my case: 

If I get my primary account it recognizes pretty well and I don't get much junk to have to change. 

Also, I can usually turn the speed to the fastest whereas straight transcription is usually about the halfway point for me, so I think I am getting it done faster. 

Another thing is that I never did get into the habit of really tweaking my Expander the way a lot of other MTs have.  I have seen some say they put anything that takes more than 3 characters into an expander.  I am getting better about this but not to that degree, so I think SR is faster for me. 

I think I have some carpal tunnel issues starting up so I can't transcribe for as long a stretch as I can edit. 

All that being said, about 25% of my work still comes through as straight transcription and it is a good thing because that significantly affects my hourly rate for the better, so I am not losing lots of $, although I have lost some.

So my question is two-fold:  If you do SR, what system are you using?  What has things specifically have made it better/worse for you?