Sorry, an "MT" should never make such basic mistakes,

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu

I have almost 9 years' of experience.  I still make mistakes and always will.  There are many things that I still do not know.  I still come across things I have never heard of.  I still get corrections here and there from my QA. 

However, I think that is a good thing, QA.  I like getting corrections back when I have made an error.  That alerts me to the problem.  That makes me a better MT.  Also, I take some comfort in the fact that something I overlooked may be caught by another.  It is supposed to be team work.  The MT and QA are supposed to work together to produce a perfect report. 

It is all in how you look at it.  It is very easy to get your feathers in a ruffle when given a correction.  I believe that reaction is soley out of embarrassment over making the mistake in the first place.  That is silly, however, seeing that we all do make mistakes and no one knows everything. 

let's? 

nm

at one time.  It's normal that you feel you will "never get it down."  I'm an oldster so I learned the "old" way and I've taught...."the old way."  There are ways to make learning much easier.  Could you post where your problem areas are and I, for one, will do my best to give you suggestions?  Better yet, if you'll give me an email address, I'll offer to be your mentor and I'll tell you honestly after a very few days whether you should consider another career choice.  AND before I get flamed,  I offer this for free simply because I love MT wantabees!

 Many years ago I trained my daughter in MT.  She would just cry in frustration and tell me "I'll never be able to do this."  She was so excited the first time she typed 10 pages in an 8 hour day.  Today she is one of those MT's who honestly make in the neighborhood of $60,000-70,000 and she works about 48 hours per week AND for a big player national.  And NO she is not a "cherry picker," I taught her better than that.

In any event, my advice rule #1 is to grit your teeth and dig in and DO NOT GIVE UP, HANG WITH IT.  I've always told everyone I trained to expect it to take 5 years to become really proficient.  I said "proficient," that doesn't mean that it will take 5 years to make a living.  :)

This is who we're losing our jobs to?!?!

Can anyone tell me what Basic 4 MTs is?

THanks

I am a bit confused... I thought that the basic 4 included (Op, DS, H&P, and ER) But I've read that it entails (Op, DS, H&P and Consults). Is this correct?  If so, how do  I go about finding ER work as an IC?  Thanks!

I used to make .10 cpl but have been bumped down to 9 cpl and with new platform just implemented, I have totalled it to be a 40% reduction in pay.  I'm  bummed...

Any advice?  

I know I am of the "old school" but I think that you do need to have some basic equipment on hand when you are advertising to do transcription.  You don't have to have everything but a basic microcassette is not that much money.  Any account that I have gotten -- though it was years ago -- asked me what equipment I had and if I did not have what they needed --they searched elsewhere.  That is why I invested in my transcribers starting with the micro, then standard and then mini.  All accounts had me start within a week of talking with them.   Last year when I was thinking of expanding and had a couple of inquiries when they found out that I was not immediately set up to do digital -- though I told them I would buy the equipment and get set up -- did not hear back from them.  So I think you need the basics so that you are ready to go when they ask.  Since she has been working for a national already, she has her foot pedal and can do digital, just get a transcriber for the tapes --most of the smaller offices still go with the tapes.  But again, I am of the old school and have not looked for new clients for a while.  But I sure would not advertise or attempt to get accounts without the equipment and being ready to go at a minute's notice since they might use me for overflow and I could get my foot in the door.  A client does not like to hear,  I will be set up in a week for you or ten days.   Though they can say it, when they want your service and you are solicting for the business you had better be ready to do it.  Just me.

Could someone please explain the major differences between acute care basic 4 and multispecialty clinic transcription?   It seems that the job ads usually specify which one and how much experience is needed with each of these categories, but I am curious to know the differences and why someone with several years of multispecialty clinic experience may not do well with acute care hospital transcription.

TIA for any info provided!

A lot of hospitals have their med rec dept MTs (or MTSO) do ERs, as well.  Those reports are usually sort of a combination H&P, OP (minor procedures) and/or DS--more detailed than clinic SOAPs. 

the market will pay whatever the market will bear. You say "if all IC's set their pay scale like they should have in the beginning, the MTSO's would have to pay it in order to get their work done and would have to charge their clients enough to cover the costs." What you don't understand is that MTSO's don't set their pay scale either. The physicians decide what they are willing to pay and if you can't bid into that range, you don't get the work. When India came in to the picture, the entire pay scale dropped. Therefore, MTSO's must charge less if they want the work. Therefore IC's must accept less if THEY want the work... and so on down the food chain.