Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

So what is it that you do that you're so successful at, & how much do you make? (nm)

Posted By: Yada on 2006-06-19
In Reply to: that's what all unsuccessful resentful people say - nm

x


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

You're going to have to make a change.

If you can try to work an hour or so earlier or later to get in some lines when her son is sleeping.  I find that if my children/DH are awake I want to be with them, even if just watching TV, so I'm more productive when they are sleeping.  If you think this new account situation is just a temporary thing and in a month or so you won't have to work so much then just have a talk with son and explain the situation and make an effort to spend some quality time with him.   Starting with any new account is takes a while to get productive, but if this new account is too difficult, ask to try another account or change companies.  


I gave way too much to my job and not enough to my family, even though I had to work, I wished I could do it all differently.  My son has seen pictures and home videos of me hold him in my lap and reading to him and he can't believe I used to do that.  I allowed my work to take priority.  I can't go back and undue the past, but I've learned from my mistakes and working hard to correct things now. 


and, you're an IC, so you make a little more because of your taxes.
nm
Maybe if you're fast and make 9 cpl

The way I figured it, to make $60k a year at 40 hours a week you have to type at least 300 lph and make 9 cpl.   Not many 9 cpl offers these days and only experienced, long-term MTs can do 300 lph on a regular basis.


Bet they didn't put that in the ad.


A lot of us here still don't make $10 an hour. You're lucky. nm
,
That's IF you're lucky enough to be able to make 200 lph. Many accts are
s
well, of course you make more with your own accounts cuz you're not employee
nm
we're all humans here and we all make mistakes
nm
In our house, we're all allowed to make suggestions. sm
and a lot of the time we do the shopping together. We try to make sure that the majority of us like something before we decide on it for dinner. And we're always trying new things and have found many new favorites that way. However, if there's something we're planning on having that one of us doesn't like, I'll make a simple alternative to it (like maybe fish, etc.)

I certainly can't criticize the kids for not liking everything we like, or tell them to go without if they don't like it, because half of the time it's ME who doesn't like the planned dinner. For example, they all love steak and I can't stand red meat.

We try to include enough of a variety so that everyone's happy. If one person isn't crazy about the main dish, then more than likely they're going to eat more salad and veggies or maybe a sandwich with it. It all works out. :)
Ask for samples, make some templates, and Go! You're blessed to have this
s
Make sure there aren't other taxes that you're overlooking.

Some communities/counties have occupational privilege tax, 911 tax. Some sales require you to collect a sales tax on your service. The best advice is to check with a tax preparer AND visit your state's revenue website to make sure you're not missing anything.


You're welcome! Start dealing with some lawyers, and they make MQ look nice!


Make you request. The worse they can say is NO. I doubt they would say, NO and you're fired.
:+
Well, ya can't make $50k a year unless you're willing to give up your life and be chained to S

you PC 12+ hours a day.  I can't recommend any particular school as I didn't go to one of the "online" schools.  I learned in an actual classroom which I recommend over any of these online schools.  Another thing I recommend is working in an office for at least six months, but more like a year, because there is a gigantic learning curve once you actually get a job.  There are just things that schools can't or don't teach, things that can only be learned on the job from other MTs who have been doing it longer than you.


Don't get me wrong.  It's great to be able to work from home.  Personally, I don't think newbies should be allowed to work at home right out of the gait.  There is some much they don't know.  They need help.  They need to be able to ask questions and one of the best things about working in the office as a newbie, is being able to ask the seasoned MT next to you to listen to something for you.


Having said all that, I think MT is slowly dying.  It's become difficult to make a decent living in this profession.  I'm one of the few lucky ones.  I work at-home for a hospital.  I get paid hourly, get incentive, and have all the benefits of being a FT employee.  Oh, and they can't take my benefits away if I don't make my quota.


You can't support a family on 7 or 8 cpl or even 9 cpl when the dictation is the crap they won't send to India.  I would suggest finding another profession.  The trend in medical coding is that all coders will be working from home soon what with everyone going to the Electronic Medical Record.  I would go into coding.  You may end up working in the office for a while, but I don't see coding being outsourced to India any time soon.  


Good Luck.


You're likely to make more money on the lower rate because easier to understand and can probably
faster and need less time to look things up, etc. Just my 2 cents.
This CAN be successful! This is the best way - (sm)
there is, through a "viral" internet e-mail campaign, to let everyone in this country know what's been happening to their personal records. I signed it and sent it to every single person on my email list.

I think periodically you should renew this post so that it doesn't fall down to the bottom of the page.

If we all keep pushing on this, as a coalition of many thousands of MTs in the US, we can bring this to the attention of the lawmakers in this country, and hopefully get this practice to STOP.
Successful, nah, not now
I years ago made a decent living in this business but the salary has fell so much that it is not what it was once. I work part-time now because I only want to work that much - do not plan on retirement because I want to be able to work and double dip from social security and get full pay so that ought to be nice- like in the past when I really had to work 2 jobs to make the really big $$$$. I am really glad I am at a time in my life where no kids to bring up, only the monthly bills (not home nor car) as hubby pays for those so have it fairly easy. I could never raise children on the salary most are earning now.
I am a successful MT with ADD sm
I manage it. Some days I have I can't sit still-itis and it is VERY DIFFICULT. I have compensated by being extremely fast, detail oriented in shorter spans and I simply let myself take breaks. I have to work at not taking internet surfing breaks, but if I can manage that, I get a lot of lines. This week I have 7500 at one job and 2000 at another. I don't work more than about 1-1/2 hours without getting up at least once, and no, I only have one 16-18 hour day each week. The rest are 10 and under.
Yes, happy and successful. :-)

I don't know what to tell you except Walmart is successful and some of
the supermarkets are going down because of it. The people who are shopping there are not uneducated people and it is in high-end financial growing part of town. I only shopped in a Walmart Superstore once and it was packed in the middle of the day. In spite of all the bad publicity, Walmart keeps growing and people like shopping there.


My sister was successful sm
She went to Curves and lost about 20 pounds (didn't have much to lose). She loved it. They have an eating plan that she went on and she liked that too. If you're not used to doing exercise, this is the place to start. If you already exercise, it might be too slow for you. Can you do a trial? Good luck!!
I am not sure you would say I was "highly successful," but...
I do all the stuff the others do. I use the platform Expander and I will take a day every few weeks and really pay attention like for the first hour of the morning that day and enter Expanders for EVERYTHING that looks like it will work...single words, phrases, endings, etc. If you transcribe every day, you sometimes overlook words and phrases you could be adding to your expander so you can type faster.

I also don't do the mundane during work hours. I dont answer the phone unless it is my kids. I don't "throw in a load of laundry." I don't answer the doorbell. I limit my net surfing. Few email readings...maybe a quick look at lunch. I work 4 tens and never take lunch. I break only to stretch, get coffee, make a salad, answer my kids' phone calls.

I also do a power hour, usually mid afternoon when I start to fade. One hour of typing as hard and fast as I can. Believe me, that hour flies.

Also, I know it is an old trick but worth mentioning. Any easy words commonly transposed I put in my expander teh for the, ND for and, etc., so you do not have to wait for a spell checker to do it at the end. I also add on. tp = the patient; tpss = the patient states; tpsd = the patient stated and so on.

Hope that helps...nothing new but it does work...
Need to hear from successful MTs at Webmedx
I heard about their incentive program.  It is really that good?  Can you make a lot of $$ there?  Do they run out of work?
If you have been successful at encouraging your child
My son, almost 19, has wanted to be in law enforcement since he was about 5. Lately, though, his motivation has been waning.  Of course, he has a girlfriend, who incidentally *hates to work*.  We really want him to consider joining the Air Force, get his college and training, finish his tour, and come home to work at the sheriff's department (I know, I'm probably dreaming right...).  If you've been successful at encouraging your child this way, please share your experience and advice. 
Have you tried Accupuncture. I have a friend and this was successful for her.
I personally do not have experience with this, but it has helped a friend of mine.

As you probably know, you may be experiencing some rebound headaches from the RX you are taking.

My own personal opinion and experience, I would try weaning off everything and start from scratch to see what helps and what doesn't. You may even have seasonal allergies contributing to your headaches.

I have done this and it was successful - however, I did it under the guidance of my MD.

Maybe it is time to see your primary care physician and see if you agrees with this approach.
What traits do successful supervisors have?

I want to know what I can do to become the best supervisor possible. Personally, I have had only one great supervisor in all my years and what I found is that she displayed, fairness, objectivity, a sense of humor, consistency.  Can you tell me what your idea of the perfect supervisor is? 


ASR isn't successful? Its like 100% a complete success! Are you kidding?

MQs speech rec technology is sweeping the industry. Just run a Google, dear poster, and get your facts even remotely straight before you post!  Radiology speech rec is a HUGE success, as well as their acute care. What planet have you been living on? It needed perfecting, and, well....Its nearly there! Post facts if you must - much better than completely false ignorant claims.


To be SUCCESSFUL at MT, you'll need more than 1 class in transcribing. sm
However, you are off to a good start having had A&P and terminology and being a coder. Unfortunately, personal experience and family history don't give you all that much preparation for a career in MT, nor does just working in a medical office. But, if you are a successful coder, you do have a better base to build on. Coding and MT are very different, but you do have exposure and familiarity with more medical terms than the average person would. To be truly prepared for a career in MT, and I stress that it is a career, I have to suggest a full MT program, preferably one that includes a practicum/internship in its curriculum. If you continue to work in a medical office, I would look into who currently does their transcription, and see if you can practice on old tapes that they may have, see how you do on your first attempt at transcribing. Of course you won't be great right away, but it will at least give you a realistic vision into the actual work.
and you resent successful white people
,
Yes, spotted off and on through 2 successful pregnancies plus had ectopics...sm

would have to say spotting is NOT a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. The bleeding from an ectopic is all internal. You will have stomach pains, pain around your rectum or worse if it actually ruptures.  But an ectopic is pretty easy to see on an ultrasound so if you have concerns about that, just get an ultrasound and have them track quantitative HCG's, as they are...


Best of luck and try not to worry, though I know I worried myself sick


OSI and their mentoring program, maybe? Can anyone comment on how successful it is? nm
s
Secrets of Highly Successful MTs? Please share!

I'd really be interested to learn if there are any tips you 40k&up folks could share with those of us who are... more financially challenged.  What is your schedule like?  Do you log off every time you get up to get a cup of coffee, etc?  Obviously you don't spend your work days on message boards; do you have any tips for how to Stay Focused? 


Sorry if I sound ignorant; I have been doing this for many many years and still struggle with the same self-discipline issues I had way back when.  I'd love to hear from those who have actually made good money at this how they did it.  Thanks!


Anyone successful with full screen monitor sm
hooked connected to a laptop and how did you get it to work.  I have been trying to get my monitor and laptop to interact with one another, but no such look.  Can anyone help me with this?  I do not think I can look at this laptop screen all day.  Thanks!!
worse yet, Spheris most successful in India for 10 yr.
x
they are jealous and hateful of anyone, family or friends who are successful.
They think they don't have to work too hard or follow the rules of society. Sometimes they embellish the truth or tell lies of ommission to have people feel sorry for them. There are lots of signs relative to how other people think that this person is way off base. Sometimes all they do is want to sleep. Other times they are on the phone for hours at a time. Something is off.
We will only be successful in unionizing when everyone realizes all American MTs are being short SM

changed.  My attitude should be everybody's attitude.  We should ALL feel fed up with the way we are treated.  We are the work horses in this industry.  Without us, MTSOs don't get paid, and at the hospitals, the charts won't be complete, coders can't code, billers can't bill, and nobody makes any money.


If we continue to accept the status quo, we can count on making less money.  It's about time for everyone to be outraged and turn our backs on those MTSOs that don't offer a fair wage or who outsource our jobs to third world countries! 


I need the money just as much as the next MT, but I made my sacrifices to get the job I have now.  I worked in the office (oh the horror), paid for daycare (even more horror), and commuted into the city every day because I refused to take another sucky job with an MTSO paying 8 cpl and giving me the bottom of the barrel to type.  I FINALLY found a decent paying job that allows me to work from home, gives me decent dictators, offers me benefits, and doesn't cheat me out of lines.  More importantly, they treat me with respect and appreciate the job I do.


So don't tell me my attitude is wrong.  You're attitude is wrong.  You simply want to stir the pot, but not make a real difference.  Sure I put my family above everything else and sure I worry about my pocketbook before I worry about yours, but you know what, I cared enough about my profession to say I'm not going to put up with it anymore.  I cared enough about my profession that I worked in the office rather than take a wage that was a slap in the face to my years of experience.  I cared enough about my profession to hold out until I found the one good job.


And now I care enough about my profession to say to you are worth every penny of the 7 cpl you're probably earning and 7 cents won't even get you a piece of bubble gum.  Most of here are worth much much more.


Most of the country despises and resents successful white people
x
On 2nd thought, if you're NOT a good Italian style cook, make something you ARE good at. Leave th
s
You're working to make money, not to spend money.
These people should be ashamed of themselves taking advantage of people this way!
You spending 3K in gasoline to make 4K plus all that time on the road?That doesn't make sense Pat




How nice that the world revolves around what you make and no one else could possibly make more. sm

Marla in So. California pays 11 cpl for a 55 ccl, Oracle pays 9-1/2 cpl, MDI-MD 11 cpl, JLG 10 cpl for gross line, etc.


Of course, these are rates negotiated and paid to qualified MTs.


For Pete's sake, you're not terminating a pregnancy, you're just typing a report after the
It's already been done before you even hear about it, and NOTHING changes regardless of whether you or someone else types it. Sheesh.
It's not funny when you're on a board where language is one skill you're selling.
.
Hope you're gonna have a glass of wine while you're relaxing

in your spa goodies. Congrats!


When I see mistakes I repeatedly make, I make a quickcorrect for it (sm)
for example if I type we plant o instead of "plan to" I have a quick corrct so that if I type plant o, it replaces it with plan to, etc. It is hard - I was with the same company for 8 years. I do not work for anyone with an accuracy requirement though.
Well, you're all complaining that accounts are current and work is low, so, gee, maybe they're
focusing on WORK, as in CLIENT and transcribing, as maybe half of you should be focusing on!!
If you're experienced, try for 9cpl or higher, and you're lucky to get that! nm
s
Skip it. No one cares. Either you're good on the test or you're not.
x
You're probably right. Plus we're losing our percentage of good people by .... (sm)
allowing every loser from every 3rd world country on the planet to just stroll on into our country, some legally, most illegally, and take advantage of the social services all us hard working little gerbils pay for by having money taken out of our pay every month. But I don't think we're all lazy. Just the ones on permanent welfare driving around town in brand-new Cadillac Escalades. Saw one just today on the Bayshore Fwy. Brand-new black Escalade with expensive spinner wheels, with 5 or 6 Mexicans in it. Well, who knows - maybe they stole it and it was on its way to a chop-shop. Smart-and-hungry people aren't always hard-working and honest.
You're not going to find a word expander for free. You're going to have to pay
g
You're forgetting all the stuff you can't buy when you're UNEMPLOYED!
Unemployed people have a hard time buying anything, including cheaply made offshore products. How many will have to end up depending on public assistance? That means more tax dollars being eaten up - besides the taxes NOT being collected from the overseas workers. In the long run, are you really enjoying a lower price?
If you're on the job, ask for samples to do it how they want it. If you're testing, separate o
s