Thank you for your tips, luv2type! That helps. (nm)
Posted By: clhmt on 2006-12-13
In Reply to: I would include....see inside - luv2type
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luv2type-yes its okay
I haven't received it yet though. :)
Luv your new avatar Luv2type
Can I join you under that beach umbrella? Oh how I love the ocean. My thoughts drift to a warm, sunny beach . . especially when it's -8 wind chill here in Upstate NY! 
patti or luv2type or anyone
how would you figure the going rate for the area where I live? Just trying to get some opinions here. any help would be greatly appreciated!
Well said luv2type! I am a great transcriptionist...
and could care less about line counts either. I produce quality work and I am not in this to make $$$, but to do what I love! I work my hours and then I am done. Life is too short to worry about speed, line counts, or $$$. There are some companies that do want quality over quantity no matter how much you can produce. JMHO.
Luv2type, what photo program are ya usin?
I might be able to help you figure out how to resize if you'd like :)
luv2type-line count in word
Thanks for your help! I'm in Ohio about 1 hour from pittsburgh. they're are a lot of docs here though. does it sound good to try and negotiate and start at a higher rate and then drop down a bit? Also does using your line count in word work pretty good for you. Do you not find the need to get a separate counter? Thanks so much for your help!
Thanks for the tips.
By the way, aren't little girls the best?
Thanks for the tips - you were right!
It was great. Cool air, all Ops reports, clear dictators. I realize now the other people on my accounts are getting started at 5:00 am and beating me to all the work. Little did I know!
I only worked for about 2 hours last night because it was a spur of the moment thing and I hadn't napped. I worry about the quality of my work when I'm tired, so I'm going to take a long snooze this afternoon and start work at about 9.
In the 2 hours I worked, I got 390 lines, which is excellent for me with no templates/normals. Woohoo! I'll be able to hit my line count for the day in about half the time it takes me during the day.
Thanks all!
My tips
From someone who goes twice a year. Definetely plan to go Super Bowel Weekend,you will have ZERO wait on rides and just run from ride to ride, it is great. Also the first two weeks in December are okay. The summer and spring break are disgusting, it will put you in such a bad mood after one day. Check out the website Mousesavers.com. They have so much information there about everything Disney. When we go for one night with two kids and Florida resident discount we spend at at $500 for hotel, food, etc, etc. We also get in the Disney mood and think that are made of money so do spend more than needed. I would say go to disney site Disneyworld.com and figure out your ticket prices and hotel and then add $60 for each person per day. That is $20 per meal with a little extra left over from each meal for drinks, snacks, etc. That will be the top amount you need, but it gives you somewhere to start. We try to eat breakfast in hotel, pop tarts, PB&J and then only have to pay for lunch and dinner. Or eat breakfast, skip lunch and eat early dinner. If you need any more tips let me know, I have learned a lot over the years of going.
btw thanks for the tips
You're right, sitting around waiting for the perfect job won't happen. Something about MT'ing made me feel so comfortable and cozy, now not so much. I'm in the beginning stages of stepping out and finding another career before the boat sails. I guess having a few ideas is a start.
Thanks everyone for your tips. I really appreciate all the help!!
Hopefully, I can become an ESL specialist:)
I used to cut the tips off
Where I used to work as they seemed to turn the heat waaaay down at night and on the weekends when there was no one else but me in the bldg. working! I had bought those cheap less than a buck stretchy kind and cut the finger tips off and that worked well for me.
thanks for all the tips !
tips
Do you have one of those old-fashioned grocery stores in your area that still take your groceries out to your car? Like a Piggly Wiggly for instance? Do you tip the baggers that take your groceries out? I seriously had never gave it a thought until a friend of mine went to one of those grocery stores with me and she said that she does. I've never noticed anyone doing that. I tip my beautician, at the car wash, and for a manicure/pedicure, but it had honestly never crossed my mind until she said that she did that. Now everytime I go I'm looking around to see if anyone else does and I still can't figure out if they are or not.
Tips sm
Wouldn't it be nice if we got a "tip" for every time we saved someone by taking extra time with their dictation? Just a dream, of course! I too give my hairdresser a $20 tip for full highlight, etc., but I find now for just a cut alone to give her $5 is enough as it doesn't take that long. Perhaps I'm cheap, but I think the prices are so riduculous unless you go to SuperCuts, etc., that it's figured into the price. A hairdresser once told me he paid $3.00 for a $45.00 perm solution, of course, no one gets "perms" anymore, but there's a big markup. I try to go according to how long the stylist spends on me, if she gives me extra time and attention, I go higher. Sometimes some of them put on an "act" for you if they're not busy. You have to know the circumstances. My "regular" hairdresser pays for her space, so she has to make her rent and pay a babysitter. I like her, so I'm willing to spend more.
A few other tips, sm
A local noon TV show gave similar tips that have appeared here, but here are a few more:
Keep your money with you, i.e. wear a fanny pack rather than having it in a box or something.
Sometimes people ask to use your bathroom. Don't let them in your house, let them know of a store or gas station nearby with restroom facilities.
If it is a hot day and you have access to a child who is old enough, have them sell ice-cold lemonade. People will buy. Or, just keep a pitcher of ice cold water and paper cups, just to help them cool off.
Set a time and cut prices in half the last couple of hours on the second day, if you really want to sell your stuff.
If you don't want to move the unsold stuff back into the house, consider donating it to Good Will, Salvation Army, etc. Just pack it in your car and drive it over.
Have fun!
Thanks for those tips. (sm)
Those are really some great ideas.
My youngest has 2 more years until he is off to Kindergarten. As much as I hate to wish away the years where my kids are concerned, I know that things will be much easier for me when I have a "full" day to be able to devote to work with no interruptions. Then I will just have to worry about family and friends interruptions, which should be easier to handle!
I did sit down with my daughter yesterday and told her that I was desperate for some help this summer, oferring a small raise in her weekly allowance if she would give me a hand with the boys. She has been spending her days running around way too much. She agreed, so we will see how that goes.
It definitely is not easy to work at home when you have children. I can't even count the number of times I have thought to myself that I need to start looking for an in-house job. Then I remind myself of the benefits of being home for my kids. I think they do outweight the disadvantages in the long run.
Thank you everyone for your tips!
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Any tips
I am looking to get back into the field after a 12 year break to raise my kids. Any advice on how to get my foot in the door or who might hire me? I have over 10 years experience in out-patient radiology.
Thanks.
Thanks for the tips!
nm
My tips here...
"With my tapes, I could type the entire day's dictation for the day in one word document."
Why can't you do that now? I type all my files in one Word document, them chop them up into separate files when done proofreading.
"It takes much longer to download the file, create the new documents, save, and upload than it does to type it."
Well, how long did it take you to get in the car and drive to get your tapes and return them?
I'm not sure what your problem is. I can tell you how I do it....maybe that will help.
I download all my digital files at once, then start transcribing them all in one Word document.
If you can't download them all at once, download the first one and transcribe it while you're downloading the second one, etc.
Thanks for tips
Thank you for the tips.
I just recenty started to use the Expander more for the basic parts of the sentence. It seems as time goes on, more things occur to me. I will check out the links posted too (thanks!).
I need to come up with a good system for labs. I can see that is slowing me down ... and vitals. I am very slow on the number row.
Anyway, I appreciate the ideas posted and will welcome any others that you all might think of.
Here are a few tips (sm)
Have your own "word list" (I use Lil Red Notebook) so once you look up a word and verify it, it will be faster to find it next time.
Also get a good Expander and learn how to use it, not just for individual words but for whole phrases (and even paragraphs) depending on what kind of work you are doing.
Stedman's medical spellchecker.
Try to just work during work hours, and surf only when you are not supposed to be working. This is the hardest thing for me! Sometimes even when looking things up online I get distracted, following links and reading things I don't really need to read when I've already found my answer.
Good luck to you. I have heard nothing but good things about an M-Tec education!
Thank you for all your tips
I am going to look into everyone's suggestions. I take it IT means Instant Text? How do you separate your dictionaries with doctors?
VR tips
I work on Edit Script and the average pay for most companies seems to be .04 cpl. I get .0425. Your production really depends on the account you have, the dicator and you learining the shortcut keys. I still have a hard time not using the mouse! But on the other hand, I am not a stong typist, so I prefer VR over typing. If I had to do straight typing I probably would not make it in this business, so VR is the way for me. I had to switch companies because my first one had difficult dictators and I was not making much money. Things are better now, but still a work in progress. One suggestion I will make is that you use the Escription forum for productivity tips and also there is a link that will tell you of your progress if you log into it. The system can read your skills as you use it and give you a report on your progress. It will tell you if you are using the mouse too much, etc. It really is a great system with a lot of great tools for MTs.
Hang in there---Sue
Tips for you ... sm
I travel quite a bit with this work. Here's my suggestions:
1. Great laptop
2. AT&T Wireless Internet card
3. AVG security package
4. Bank account with a large national bank .. NO DEBIT CARDS. Use credit card for everything then pay as soon as it appears on your online statement. NO interest is paid. If you pay with a debit card, you have no consumer protection plus your funds could be wiped out. With a credit card, you have a barrier, can dispute the payment, recover lost/stolen funds, get warranties on purchases, etc.
Enjoy.
Tips
Will you please share some tips on what you do to maintain your income level, i.e., the type of Expander you use, how you stay focused, whatever it is that keeps you at the top? I would very much appreciate it. Thank you.
Tips
I definitely would not say I'm at the top. I get distracted like many with surfing, chatting, etc during my work time. Honestly, if my work ethic was more strict, I could make another 20-30,000 a year.
I use IT as my expander. I am not an Expander queen. I use them and add all the time but I'm not obsessed with it - but it definitely saves me time and worth every penny 10 fold. I use my Stedman's Elec Dictionary - another total must have for this job.
You're going to make more money if you know your specialty and your doctors. I try to get work where I can do the same doctors regularly. I would not take a position where there is a huge pool of doctors. I make the money on my single doctor accounts where I can get regulars and build up speed the fastest. Even accounts with 4 to 5 doctors you can easily build up speed on.
Don't settle for cr*p jobs. As I said earlier, there are better paying companies out there. Makes me extremely irritated to see companies posting for slave wages wanting so much experience and basically offering nothing in return but the chance to make $5 an hour. I won't even test until I know what the rate will be. And honestly, the best companies have the shortest or no test.
Keystrokes and MDI may look good compared to most bigger companies, but I personally wouldn't work for them. There are better places, but you have to be willing to do some research and go beyond what everyone else does.
tips
I am looking for tips to make my typing faster. For example, auto corrects, quick cut and pastes, etc. Any ideas?
VR Tips
Okay, since so many of us are being transitioned into VR, I thought it might be helpful to start a thread discussing helpful tips on how to be more productive with VR.
For some dictators (the ones that have the "good" VR come through), I have found that reading through the report and changing it to go more with accounts specifics gets me through it faster than trying to change while listening.
I also like to use ctrl + lft arrow key to skip by words instead of by letters.
Other than that . . . I really suck at VR, which is why I am hoping to see if anyone has tips or suggestions on how to help make all MTs more productive on VR.
TIA.
OJ is what helps me
I think it is the sugar in the juice because no one tells you that smoking digests food quicker (read that somewhere) so it will take longer for a person who stopped smoking to feel better after eating... So when I feel low I drink some juice... hope this helps
Thank you so much - yes that helps! nm
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If this helps,
My Stedman's spell check accepts antiinflammatory. I read somewhere that we are we are not supposed to hyphenate unless the nonhyphenated word form is another separate word. I do not remember the examples they gave, but it did make sense.
What helps me...
I know it's a long list, but I have it hanging right next to my computer, and I review it every day, especially if I'm having an especially tough one.
The most destructive habit ..................... Worry
The greatest joy .................................... Giving
The greatest loss ................................... Loss of Self-Respect
The most satisfying work ......................... Helping Others
The ugliest personality trait ...................... Selfishness
The most endangered trait ........................ Dedicated Leaders
Our greatest natural resource .................... Our Youth
The greatest "shot in the arm"..................... Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome ............... Fear
The most effective sleeping pill .................... Peace of Mind
The most crippling failure disease ................ Excuses
The most powerful force in life ...................... Love
The most dangerous pariah .......................... A Gossiper
The world's most incredible computer ............ The Brain
The worst thing to be without ........................ Hope
The deadliest weapon .................................. The Tongue
The two most power-filled words .................... "I Can"
The greatest asset ........................................ Faith
The most worthless emotion ........................... Self Pity
The most beautiful attire .................................. A SMILE
The most prized possession ............................ Integrity
The most powerful channel of communication ...... Prayer
The most contagious spirit .................................. Enthusiasm
see if this helps you
http://health-information.advanceweb.com/common/editorial/editorial.aspx?CC=63718
Yes, that helps, thanks.
Not sure if this helps
Perhaps they gave you a generic contract or info sheet, you need to ask if you are to print and return or send back and they print. Also call in services charge per minute of dictation anywhere from 0.18 to 0.10 per minute of dictation. So more than how many lines, you need to know minute as if they are stuttering a lot or going through a chart and not dictating you will be charged for the minutes that they use whether dictating or not. What city/state are you in, will you be contracting out, and again find out if you have to print or they print. Sometimes the contracts that they send our are generic and do not specify which services you will be providing and you need to clarify that. So you need to ask a few more questions, also see if they deduct or penalize if you do not meet your TAT. But without know the above, to me it would be like throwing a dart at a dart board trying to make a bullseye.
Patti
thank you that helps...nm
nm
Thanks, that helps!!
This helps me........sm
I get up and wrap my arms around myself in a big bear hug as tight as I can to stretch out the back muscles. I bend over and let my arms dangle until my fingers eventually touch the ground, if you're one like me who cannot flat palm the floor with straight legs (my MIL at 70 could!). This really stretches out everything. I get a lot of relief in the neck by doing chin tucks to the chest and relaxing there for a couple of minutes.
This is a trick a PT told me...while sitting in a chair with your legs a foot or so apart, bend over with your arms inside the leg area and grab for the floor...this really stretches out the upper back.
I know what you mean though -my muscles will burn in my arms and shoot pains through to my hands. Hope this helps!
That helps a lot.
Thank you so much.
yes it helps a lot --
but do you plug Lanier into a phone line? I am not familiar with Lanier.
Not that it helps but...
Not sure if this is being used in word? However and FYI for those who might need it, if you type LEE and it expands, do ALT E and enter, which is for unedit and it will return to the abbreviated text.
yes, that helps
That seems like it would be very time consuming! I'm using a pedal now and can't imagine controlling my dictations without it. Doesn't that take away from a lot of typing time?
See if this helps
http://www.pcshorthand.com/sh10dnload.html#docs
Thanks, that helps. nm
no message
what helps me
Black-out drapes purchased at K-mart and a black sleep mask ($3 from a catalog) have been a tremendous help in getting/staying asleep when you have to sleep during the day.
Hopefully this helps! (sm)
Turn on or off automatic bulleted or numbered lists:
On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options, and then click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
Under Apply as you type, select or clear the Automatic bulleted lists or Automatic numbered lists check box.
helps very much
and i just asked for a raise so im sitting here twiddling my thumbs... so nervous!!
i live on the west coast, so things are NOT so cheap here... but im thinking of moving to the south to be able to pay off my credit cards...
i really appreciate your honesty and help!
and go to the doc anyway if something is wrong!! :)
See if this helps
This is a VA account? The VA pretty much expects contractors to pay their workers. If you're not working for this woman any longer, you might try complaining to the facility that you have not been paid. Try calling purchasing and contracting, as well as the chief of HIM. You can get the main phone numbers on the VA website--just Google it.
See if this helps you
This is a site I find helpful and turn to often.
http://medicaltranscriptionwordhelp.googlepages.com
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