Stuck at 600-800 lines a day.

I am not a fast typer.  I usually get 600 to 800 lines a day, but I need to double that to pay the bills.  Not sure what my problem is.  I have Expanders and add to them everyday.  I do not have the same doctors all day so maybe that is the problem.  Any thoughts or tips would be very appreciated.  Thanks

• Stuck at 600-800 lines a day. - How can I improve this?
  • Or how about macros - Happy MT Robin
    • expanders - rodawn
  • improving line counts - RM

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Raquel, you can borrow up to $30,000 per year as an undergraduate to get through college; I know that you could get through in 3 if you aren't working another job. If you go into an area with a real shortage of teachers (usually math, science) then you might be able to get some assistance with paying your loans back.

Just thought I'd throw that out in case you start feeling locked in.  There are actually a lot of 2-year degrees that you can get that pay more than teaching with a 4-year degree.

Hello MTs

Is anyone else out there still stuck with dialup?  I am getting so frustrated with the long loading times.  I live in a rural area, and I cannot get DSL or cable.  Anyone have any other alternatives to slow internet?

Thanks.

Lynn

I'm wanting to buy a house. I have 3 kids, 1, 2, and 16. I live with my Not-So-Darling-BF, 2 youngest are his. I have a purchase offer on this house and can get financing. The payment is 200 more than I wanted to spend. House is 5 years old, in town, right by my 16 y/o school. I have CC debt (about 9500), a student loan, a couple other small (less than 1000 bills).

I posted my dilemna on MSN Money message board. They all think I should rent, pay off debt, get a roommate, that I should build my emergency fund, save for the house, blah, blah.

Obviously I'm an MT, make 42k a year with 3 parttime MT jobs, one going full-time hopefully in the next year, and child support from 16 y/o which I will lose if she does not continue school after graduating.

I may have a renter, my brother, who would be good for about $350 a month, incl. heat, etc.

I feel so emotionally drained. My "BF" can be prone to violence, never hurting me or kids, but breaking the "house", he thinks he is "Mr. Wonderful" and always has that attitude...I could go on..I wanted to leave at 3 months of knowing him but got pregnant...to make a long story short...and I stayed "cause of the kids."

I'm not sure why I'm posting but I feel my next step is the psych ward. Financially I guess I can't leave and emotionally I can't stay as I'm going nuts.

I need advice or words of encouragment or something, anything....

because someone spilled Kool Aid and didn't bother to wipe it up.

Red Kool Aid.

a day when I switched from clinic (through an MTSO)  to hospital work. Not only was the clinic work easier with more macros (and less providers to learn, 12 vs 300+), but I was typing in straight Word (as opposed to Softmed/Chart Script).  So you see, it really varies depending upon the type of work as well as the platform used. That said, I am so much happier typing the 1800 lines per day (I make over $15 per hour plus an incentive for any lines in excess of 1200 per day) plus a great health package/benefits, AND approximately 5 weeks of paid time off per year.  In my opinion, hospitals really are the best employers WHEN they appreciate the work we do.

My advice for you is not to judge a job by any one criterion but rather the entire picture. The 'extra's can really add up.

Good luck in your job!

I have always charged or been paid by 65 or 60 character lines or per letter or space typed, but have never been paid or charged per gross line.

What is the advantage of this?  If I were to charge 11 cents per 65-character line including spaces, what does this figure out to for an average line rate and how do you do this calculation? 

I'm wondering if it is financially beneficial for me to bill by gross line or to keep it the way I have it.  I do know some accounts will only pay per 65-character line, as this was the deal my first own account I recently acquired.  They were adamant on a 65-character line, but didn't specify with or without spaces and I personally would never not charge for spaces.

Thanks for explaining this.  I appreciate it and hope everyone has a speedy day.

I have been flamed many times about my production, rate and how much I make.  I think it is great for you.   But there are those 10 hour days sometimes but I like the fact that I have my own business, and get paid for the hard work.  One account that I have is surgeons and with their consults have hit close to 600 lines per hour but with my IM's, and their chart notes can only get up to 350 to 400 or so.   It is hard when I switch to my clinic account where I sometimes go in and get paid hourly as I feel like I am not working fast enough on their electronic charts.  Again, I have said it many times, it may take a while but if you want to work hard the money is there to be made in this field.

Well you see, you stated right in your post that you can't possibly cherry pick...so what do you know about what is going on with the rest of us out here who DO have to deal with cherry pickers. 

Ma'am, I have 25 years in this business, 15 of it in a nest of the worst cherrypickers you have ever seen, at the largest hospital in my state. I was the supervisor for 5 years and I would have fired somebody on the spot if they'd done that, but they all knew it. Had no problems.

Don't know what you make per line but getting about 666 lines per hour is quite astounding.  I'm sure you must be quite happy where you are and with no cherry pickers! 

I work for 3 hospitals, doing operative notes. They are assigned to me by someone 6 states away. I go down the list. There's no way to get anything other than what I get. And yes, I am completely happy where I am.

Good for you.  I've been an acute care MT for over 30 years and am rated as one of the best as far as QA and quantity and have NEVER, EVER in my life been able to come close to your line count.  Maybe you are from another planet and have powers beyond us or maybe you have some special secret you could share.  Or maybe, we should just ignore your statement of getting that kind of line count, especially when you are not dealing with cherry pickers.  

I don't deal with cherrypickers because I won't work where there are any. I get that kind of line count every single day, because that is what is assigned to me and I have to do it and turn it in on a deadline.

It is all in where you work and what you are able to put up with. I happen to have the freedom to work where I please and working there pleases me.

It's unfortunate that you have 30 years' experience and you are stuck where you are.

I have gotten 500 lines but I should not count as I do clinical notes for two surgeons that do the same consults for most breast CA, hernias, cysts, etc.  I just whipped out between the two almost 700 lines in about 75 minutes but I have been doing them for so long  and have so much saved that I type perhaps on a general inguinal hernia consult and letter, 30% of the actual consult.  Sometimes more.  On regular chart notes, I average around 300 to 350 but again have had the same docs for 5 and 7 years.    And when you read closely, you will see that is how we do it. But if you are with a national and new docs all the time, I would be luck to get 200 lines an hour. So it is sometimes like comparing oranges to apples as they say.