Thank you ladies for taking the time to (sm)

• Anyone experienced with ExText? (sm) - barbv
  • Re your normals: keep a list handy, name them with short names..sm - Hope this helps with normals.
  • Thank you ladies for taking the time to (sm) - barbv
  • Not on dial-up, but use ExText. I just keep my own Shorthand program open and minimized and use it - along w/ExText. Don't use the ESP. nm
  • Unfortunately no key function to stop it. sm - ExTexter2
  • i use extext - ER MT
  • For the first one... - mz
    • If you're talking about the ESP file... - Missy
      • Thank you both - these are exactly the things (sm) - barbv
        • Alt + Shift will toggle the esp off for a quick pause in expanding... - SM
        • My trick for stopping expansions from expanding....SM - Gatrans

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to share such good tips with all of us. 

a kind word and encouragement.  I know there are others much worse off and I know too I'll get through this.  This time of year has always been tough for me since my parents died and I've really been working on putting on a happy face for my family despite how I feel, but just couldn't do it today. 

That is good advice, but I don't know if I can give them 30 days notice because another 30 days of them and I'll end up in a padded cell.  I'm thinking more like two weeks, which to me seems fair, especially considering if they found someone else to do the work for less, they wouldn't even give me a day's notice, right?

Thanks again!

I think too many times IC's are treated like employees.  The OP is an IC and has a set schedule?   If you have a set schedule (no freedom), you should be deemed an employee and given PTO days, etc.  IC's should not be made to let anyone know anything.    Two weeks is an extended amount of time and out of courtesy she should let her "client" even if that is an MTSO know in advance that she will not be available to work those two weeks.  As for toting a laptop on vacation, not me!  The whole idea of a vacation is to relax and not have to worry about typing.  Most physicians do understand that you need a vacation.  They will cut you some slack.  Not sure about a two week period though.  Someone with their own accounts that wants to take off extended periods of time (more than one week) should probably find someone to "cover".    I have also found in this profession that transcriptionists do not trust others as they could try to steal their accounts if they were to take time off leaving the account in someone else's hands literally.  All the more reason to network and find someone trustworthy who will scratch your back and you in turn scratch their back when needed.  Tit for TAT so to speak but at a fair price.

I am so burnt out that I am seriously contemplating just taking the summer off.  Does anyone have any opinions on how this would hurt me come fall and job searching.  I have a job at the present time working IC that I absolutely am not enjoying.  I have tried to give it some time but it has been since November and I have not fallen in love with the job yet. 

I am wondering how will look on a resume in the fall to have a 3- or 4-month gap in my resume.  I have 8 years experience and I am sure I would have no trouble getting back in to it, perhaps with a refreshed attitude?  Has anyone done this, and how was the job search afterwards?

Thanks for any advice. 

I really do appreciate it. 

DixieKaye

IF MQ did away with quarterly bonuses, not that they are, only a question she threw out as in IF

First off, let's get something straight:  It doesn't matter HOW I spell words in my posts because you are NOT paying me for my posts, okay?

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'm giving you MY experiences - like them or not, and I don't care if you do because you weren't the one who lost $$$ coming out of the word work because of it and had a bunch of sleepless nights.  

I didn't like the experiences I've had with subcontractors I've used - I give and give and give and can't get decent work back.  Those are the cold, hard facts, like them or not.  I didn't like them!  That's why I do it all myself now.  I personally just don't have time to babysit SCs who are supposed to know how to do their jobs but for some strange reason, refuse to do it.  It was the mentality of pure slop - type it up as fast as you can and hope no one reads it!

It's a good thing I'm a nice person because I tell you, some of these SC's got me SO irritated with the slop quality of their work that I should have strangled their little necks with my own bare hands!

If the MTSO is getting, say, 12 cents a line from the client, do you REALLY expect to get paid more than 8 or 9 a line subcontracting?  I mean, after all, isn't the MTSO entitled to make SOME profit, or do you believe the MTSO is in it just for the joy of it all?

I get a little irritated listening to these SCs who expect a line rate equivalent to what an IC/MTSO is getting.  If you want those line rates, then please.....find your OWN accounts, ya know???  In the interim, please get with reality and understand that when you work for someone,you're just NOT going to get pay like you would if you worked for yourself!!!

beef tenderloin, mushroom gravy, noodles, salad and some fruit.  Then, a whole pot coffee while I work.

I wanted to have a serious discussion about the value of taking the test compared to the value of the profession at this point and where it's headed in the future.  I do take a lot of pride in my work, but taking the test and maintaining my certification are something that will put a strain on my already strained budget.  I'm wondering what good or if it will do any good at all to spend the money to get a 1 cpl increase and still come up short after a 55% line cut due to VR.

I keep reading posts that say if you're not happy get out, there's other jobs. And posts that say VR is the future for MT, so get used to it.  When hearing all this, it makes me wonder if I'm smart to invest to secure my future or just get out now before I invest all this and be obsolete in 10 years.

Jodi and ta-shi--you both have done an amazing job!  My hat's off to you two!  PLEASE make sure you CHANGE THE LOCKS.  Once he's out of the house for, I think it's 48 hours, he can't legally come back.  So don't let him muscle his way back in!!

Congrats!!

I thought I was the only one who couldn't obtain a high line count and my ego has been crushed .  I have often wondered - am I just stupid?  I am glad someone else has this problem, makes me feel a little more normal.  (Not that I wish this on anyone) 

I have been an MT for 7 years and have never made a high line count (I do maintain a 99% accuracy score).  I believe the main reason is that the majority of MTSO do not give you dedicated accounts so that you have the same doctors over and over and over.  This is the only way to get speed (for me anyway).  I am on 2 accounts.  My primary is an ER account.  I know what the doctors are going to say before they even say it, but rarely do I have enough for a full day's work.  On the occasions when I do have my primary for a full day I can make 1200 lines easily.  But, normally I have to alternate between primary and secondary accounts on most days.  The secondary account has 300-400 doctors.  My primary has maybe 25.  That's just too many doctors. 

Another thing that has ruined dictation is the portable dictation devices that enables doctors to drive and dictate, run here and there while mumbling into them. At my very first job I was connected directly into the hospital system where doctors sat at a dictation station and dictated in a timely, orderly manner.   The voice quality was so clear it was like they were in the same room I was in. 

Then, on top of that, MTSOs  want to not pay for spaces, and instead of paying more for IC status to offset the lack of insurance they want to pay you less!  And it's not only the MTSOs, doctors and hospitals don’t want to pay anymore.  THEY can drive around in luxurious cars, live in fancy houses but they are too cheap to pay an MT.  So the MTs have to struggle to even buy groceries.   Do they realize where they would be if all the MTs just quit?  Well, that's my gripe for the day.

I wish the best to all of you who are struggling with lines counts....I understand cuz I am in the same boat.