Sounds line 11 years of no transcription that you might start with
Posted By: my 2 cents on 2005-09-29
In Reply to: ???about equipment and working at home???? - Rediredbug
some refresher tapes that you buy to help you get readjusted. It's like riding a bike, right? Then I wouldn't buy anything else until you get a job. You could spend tons of money on things that you might not need. I bought Microsoft Word, spellchecker, expander, etc, just to find out that company supplied and I didn't need.
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Medical transcription is not cheap to start up
Besides acquiring a good education (not a 6-month program over the Internet), you will need to purchase a lot of expensive equipment, hire a computer tech most likely, going through a learning curve where you are not making enough money to even pay overhead for quite some time (that is if you can find someone willing to hire a newbie), and then when you are up and running and have spent several thousands of dollars, have that account go offshore or EMR where they are generating their own reports. Did I mention our wages have fallen at least 50% just in the last two years. Then there are the doctors who dictate next to an ambulance with the sirens running and the EMTs shouting, eating, putting their recorder in their pocket instead of next to their mouth, dictating in a noisy room or cafeteria, or worse, on a cell phone with a lousy connection. This field is not something you just buy a computer and go straight to work, making $50,000 a year from the start as advertised. Please do some research first.
Shhh.... sounds like something that AAMT would start....sm
charging for if they can figure out a way to do it!
Gearplayer, Cyberplayer, ExpressScribe,Transcription Buddy, Stop/Start questions
When you work for yourself which voice player do you prefer? I have tried all of the above players and all of them seem to distort the voice when you slow it down. Why can't these players slow down files like the platforms MTSOs use?
Average pay to start with a company after being an MT for 5+ years FT?
I am new to the job marked (have worked on my own for 5 years) and am looking at some of the MT positions. Can anyone tell me (I realize all places pay differently) on an average your best guess at what a decent 65 character line rate would be to start? I had been offered 7.5 cents at one place and I thought that was pretty low. Would appreciate any opinions. Thank you!
Re: 9 cents/line, the keywords here are * to START* - (sm)
as even that is not nearly enough. I'm currently at roughly 9-9.5 cpl, and nowadays that just doesn't cut it. How anyone can get by on less than that is beyond me! The average pay for a good MT should be closer to 12-15 cpl (what most hospitals are getting charged.) The MT co's should charge the docs & hospitals more than that so that they can pay their MTs a living wage. Look at what hospsital charge for a single x-ray. Or a tampon. Or an aspirin. Look at what the docs get paid just to sit on their butts and dictate. Charge 'em more, they can afford it.
Just wait until you start racking up some more years experience
You will be just as bitter as all the rest of us MTs who've been in this business for 10, 20, 30 years. It will happen to you, too. Slowly but surely, 7 cents a line will become the prime pay for experienced MTs. Forget about 8 cents, forget about 9 cents and 10 cents will be nowhere to be found let alone more. You may even be forced into VR and then only receive 2 to 4 cents a line for all your experience and knowledge of MT. It's not pretty. It hasn't been for quite a while. When you're new, it seems like it's a good choice and you're making good money. That will change, mark my words. Sorry but it's true.
Signed,
Debbie Downer
Sounds cute! It's a street in Transcription City, USA
nm
In the 17 years I have been doing transcription...
I have never just sat and waited on work. If my shift starts with no work, then I check it later and if I am still out of work, then I do what I want to. If I have not typed a single word during my scheduled shift due to their being no work, then I don't worry about it. If they blow the lines up after my scheduled quitting time, then that is not my problem. If I want to make up my work, I do, and if I don't, then I don't. And I have never been an IC, always an employee, and have never had a problem doing it like that.
sounds like me in 20 years :)
I don't feel like I do anything well EXCEPT transcription. And I KNOW I'm good at it and that feels good, but to not have anyone else (like the employers) know that is just sooooo upsetting! I don't like to cook, im AWFUL at math, and i despise school! well i guess i have to suck it up at some point because I won't have a choice much longer. I actually took a real estate class last semester because i LOVE LOVE LOVE houses... HOWEVER i only lasted about 8 weeks in that class and i was bored to tears. I guess I just have to get over it. Good luck to you im sure we will all find something :)
I did legal transcription for about 10 years. The
divorce or something like that). I just finished CareerStep's course in February, and I already have a job. I do recommend taking some kind of medica transcription course. While you may have developed your "ear" for transcription in general, there's a LOT you need to learn about medical language and procedures.
Good luck to you!
Well, let's see 15 years ago I completed a transcription...SM
program. Not an "online" program. I actually went to a college and attended classes which include A&P I and II, Medical Terminology Greek and Latin, and Pharmacology in addition to a number of computer courses. That's in addition to my Bachelor's degree in English.
Then, of course, there is my 13 years experience as an MT before I decided to move into QA.
30 years' experience of transcription
Have transcribed for 30+ years in internal medicine, cardiology, orthopedics and pulmonary
LOL that sounds like a line from a
x
I did legal transcription for 10 years befor MT. sm
I like them both. Depends on what part of legal you do. For example, I hated doing probate work. Booring! Loved civil, criminal and domestic stuff though.
But court reports sound really great. That's something I could really enjoy. Good luck.
Great!! I have years of experience as a transcription
x
What is the average going rate for by the line transcription sm
and how about radiology by the report? I have searched the archives and am just getting more and more confused. I have worked in house for 15 years and do all the big four and radiology. I made $15.67 per hour until we were eliminated on Friday. What is the average? I am medium fast, about 200 lines an hour or 15 radiology reports an hour.
Can anyone just give me an idea? It seems that the services are all over the place in terms of rates.
Any companies pay 9 cents a line or more for transcription?
Been doing this for 10 years for a company - now am an editor, but the pay is worse than an MT typically makes. Thinking of going back to typing if I can make more money - which would mean making at least 9 cents a line (like I used to). Anybody know any good companies?
It is all about the bottom line. One of the largest transcription sm
companies is Cbay and they are pricing everyone else out.
I have spoken to several doctors and many other people about this issue and no one, and I mean no one, gives a hoot who types the report up.
This is about dollars and cents and it is not going away.
Honestly, that sounds too low. I was getting $5 per page 10 years ago
nm
In 5 years there won't be any transcription departments in any hospital. All will be outsourced.
Same thing happened to me and if those HIM hags who control our destiny think it's a good thing they are so WRONG. Life has been hard since having to work at a service, and I refused to work for the Monster MTSO that took my job as a matter of principle. I think we should all write to Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Amy Klobuchar (the MT in MN can write to her), etc., and express our strong needs to have MT jobs and American information STAY in America with American MTs.
Sounds terrible. Wonder what the line count was
back then in proportion to the pay scale..I personally would never make it (in the business for 9 years) How much $$ did you make?
Anyone been able to figure out yet about the MQ line counter being Transcription QC QA and Clerical
 and no Correction. Maybe we are all going to QA each others work to save money for Frank so he can take someone to Hawaii or type his letters. Maybe.
sounds like a great career move...30 years ago!
I'm glad they screened you well and did not notice you had already paid your dues, so to speak (and I'm not talking about AAMT dues). :)
Webmedx 10 cents a line sounds good!
Do they have lots of work and not run out a lot? Can you have a more "flexible" schedule as an IC? Last but not least - the tax issue: Is it difficult doing your own taxes when an IC? Thanks for any help you can give.
10 cents a line, 350 lph sounds pretty good to me!
I've got 30 years experience and I've not found to setup you have..Be very careful about changing. I've been looking for over a year and not found anything close to what you say you have. I've also worked for a company for over a year now and still get doctors whom I have never transcribed before.. almost on a nightly basis!
Business line with Talk America, $49.95/month unlimited for transcription
x
Lost account of 28 years to Dictaphone because hospital believes it will eliminate all transcription
Curious if any of you are working for Dictaphone or Infomatics and doing an account out of Miami with mainly ESL dictators? I was convinced I would not lose the account after a few days with VR. However Dictaphone is not using VR right away and will transcribe reports the regular way until they have a database. I am certain this hospital will never be done by VR. I posted a job on here about a year ago offering 18 cents per line to help with this account and not one person accepted after hearing the ESL doctors we have. They are that bad. Anyone else have this happen to them? Losing to Dictaphone And we have had to do most of the work for over a month since they supposedly took over because their system is not working.
my line counts have always been right in 7 years,
x
How many MTs made more per line 10 years
nm
The line rate sounds pretty good compared to other places - by "punch the clock", you mean
it really is not a flexible schedule, even for an IC? That's what I need the most.
Please tell me you are not working for .07-.08 per line with 15+ years experience. SM
Sweetie, I would rather work at Walmart than settle for this. Not sure if you were referring to yourself; however, this is what is driving our payscale down. Speaking for myself only, I will not even consider working for a national who pays under .10 line (bare minimum). I have many years of experience and truly appreciate and understand the need to have a job in this field, but there is a fine line to draw. Let's avoid desperation and take back our pride.
I make 0.725 cents per line after 5 years with the same company - nm
I make 0.725 cents per line after 5 years with the same company - NM 
Absolutely OPs only! Great pay and line count - been doing only Ops for 12 years now! nm
x
I didn't increase my line rate for over 10 years!
I am an IC and have one office of three physicians as well as work for a smaller MTSO and have to totally agree with what MTSO said. You have to take into consideration so many things. Do we deserve a raise, you betcha - I think most of us do. However, if you are making good money, love the accounts, and things are working well for both sides, are you willing to jeopardize them shopping elsewhere? I haven't been, but due to the increase in gas prices which are now going to be reflected in many other ways in our cost of living, I find I really need to increase my rate and I did. I sent a memo and simply stated that in 30 days the billing would reflect a 1 cent/line rate increase. Yes, I held my breath waiting for the phone to ring or the OM asking to speak to me in her office but so far I have not heard anything. I am not sure if this is good or bad but I think they have had a great deal for 10 years and I deserve a raise and I need to increase my rate just due to cost of living.
12 cents line enjoy it. makin less now than 10 years ago
MTs used to be able to make $. Right now I make less than I ever had. Glad I make 9 cpl. Don't expect raises. Been there along with your mom. OUTSOURCED. Right now I pay over $500 month for benefits - single mom. Cost of living is a joke. Go with the flow and grab your 12 cpl while you can, don't be shocked by a reduction, hope it never happens to you but it has to me.
Just got a check for a supposed miscalculation of line on DQS for the last 2 years. Guess they
figure they werent going to win that lawsuit. Wonder what else they are going to do. They reduce ASR, they load the accounts with tons of MTs and we need either tons of backups or just a few and then have no work, what next.
The above poster is right. Sadly, I've been on Escription for four years and my line counts
were going down. Apparently, the hospital decided we were being overpaid so they manipulated the way were paid i.e. footers, headers etc. They could change it to whatever they wanted and the MTSO did nothing as they wanted to keep the contract. So we had to suck up and take the reduction, along with the fact that all of our work was/is being sent to India so it's slim pickens most days unless you want the crappy accounts. I would ask a lot of questions, but as a whole, Escription accounts and the companies who have it rarely like to pay a decent livable cpl. JMO
A gross line is anything on a line is a line. A line set at 65 characters means it sm
has 1-inch margins on each side. The maximum number of characters on that line would be 65 and that includes spaces. If there is 1 character on that line it is a line.
A standard 65-character line usually consists of 65 characters with spaces unless, of course, the employer does not pay for spaces and then it would be 65-characters without spaces.
Agree, verbatim transcription equals poor quality transcription.
x
Anything on the line makes up a line even if just one letter or number. Every line of print is a
s
Gross line = each line on page counts as a line, even if it's only 1 word. nm
x
Well then, don't start at the beginning, start in
x
Know AIM transcription system, never heard of Hull transcription. Are you sure
you are not thinking about DHull who is a recruiter for MDI-FL? They use the AIM system.
Gross line means anything on a line is counted as a line.
You can get an idea in the difference using documents you have already created, assuming you're working in Word. Simply open a document and check the properties. Click on the statistics tab and you will see the number of lines as well as characters with and without spaces. If you're currently getting paid by the line and a line is 65-characters with spaces, do the math and see how that number of lines compares with the number of lines in your stats.
One thing to keep in mind: if you have a blank line between paragraphs, instead of hitting the enter key twice, format your document to give the appearance of blank lines between paragraphs.
Gross line, also including blank lines because my line rate is so low. It all works out in the wash.
x
58, AHP/self-taught, trained at hospital 5 years, now with 2 of my own accounts for 10 years, employ
Also worn out 2 keyboards in 4 years. I will never retire. DH will come home some day from work and I'll be slumped over my keyboard. I put in 14 hours a day 7 days a week.
$.06 gross line / .70 = approximately $.0857 cents per 65 character line.
A gross line is anything on a line versus 65 gross characters per net line the other way. You make more money working for the gross line than for the 65 gross character line, as long as the line rate's OK.
A gross line is any line with typewritten characters on it - no matter how long or SM
how short. So your gross lines may be longer than 65 characters, but you get credit even for a line as short as "Sincerely,". If your gross lines are not being counted that way, then you are not being counted on gross lines and are probably getting screwed. I'd look into that if I were you.
Yes if gross line or 65 character line with spaces....Good Deal!!! nm
x
Pack years = packs smoked per day x years of smoking - sm
25 pack-years = 25 years of 1 pack a day, or 12-1/2 years of 2 packs a day.
I don't think pack-years applies to someone who smokes only cigars. But I don't know for sure.
I worked for Cbay for 3 years. I was also part of their lay off back many years ago. sm
Even though I got stuck in a lay off era, I still love the company. They paid well then. The people were nice (exception of 1 person) and if I had the opportunity I would go back again. Fortunately (or unfortunately - depending on how u look at it), I have a great paying job right now, so I am not looking for a change. I do know that at one time, they asked management to accept late paychecks, but never sure of the reason why. My check was never late.
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