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The norm is 3:1 or even 4:1. Personally, I transcribe 2:1. nm

Posted By: MTExperienced on 2006-07-26
In Reply to: dication min to transcription min - sue

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Not the norm
Well, you are not the norm. All you have to do is turn on the TV to see that. Jeeez, wake up.
But isn't that the norm everywhere now?
xx
is this the norm ?

I began p/t IC work for a local MT company and they're driving me crazy.  THey look at every single word I type and send me HARD COPIES in the mail of my corrections, format changes, etc. 


I have 15 years of MT experience - so this is crazy!  It's all illegible - and I'm starting to go crazy!  They pointed out "40mg"  instead of "40 mg" ... all little stuff like that.  Is this what I'll have to look forward to ?   Thanks, MT-NY


I'm sure that's far from the norm
Michael Moore has been pretty good at twisting facts in the past. Not saying it didn't happen, just saying I'm sure it's not the norm in our country. I'll still take the USA any day.
8 cpl is the norm?
So, can I assume 8 cpl is about average?  If I take a typical 48000 character file, there's about $3.80 difference.  That looks small, but mulitply that by at least 2 times a day, 5-6 days a week, and in the long run it would make a big difference for me.
You are right, it is not the norm at first, but including myself and many others that I know
personally, we do make around 100 or more per day working for a national. It is very possible! You just gottah look.
I still don't understand how someone can have so many years experience, be on the same system, and make less than 175 lines per hour. I don't understand.

Maybe they are not typing fast enough or know enough terms, is all I can think of.

I've switched jobs in the past few months and started off slow, but now up to approximately 200 lph - came from a job where I did 350 lph on WP5.1 and now on an internet platform. I don't kill myself everyday working either.


It is about the norm around here in my neck of the USA. nm
x
I would say it absolutely is the norm for
Rad to be paid by the report. I have only worked for 1 company by line and didn't stay long. The company I work for now I get $1.50 a report. The lowest I have been paid is $1.10 a report. Unless the account is heavy in MRIs, CTs, etc. there is no way I would work for line.

If you have been doing this for over 12 years then I would say you are cheating yourself out of some good money. I average 180-200 reports a day, or $2700 a pay period -- can you say the same?
That is the norm from what I have experienced - sm
this gives the bride and groom time for pictures, etc. between the wedding and the reception. Every wedding I have ever been too, it's been about 90 minutes between the 2 events. Unless the reception is at the same place as the wedding, I'd expect some sort of gap between the two.
Have no idea if this is the norm or not but -sm
it seems like a sensible thing to do. I had to fast starting 24-hours before the colonoscopy, but I could drink certain things and have certain colored ice-pops/water ice (up until midnight), then about 15 hours before the procedure had to take 4 Duculax, then 2 hours later start drinking a 1/2 gallon of NuLYTELY (yuck, totally gross). Needless to say I am very glad I don't have to do it again for 10 years! I'm only 40 so I am 10 years too early for it as it is....but unfortunately had to have it done.
this is not the norm, dump them
Really now... nobody checks my work.
98% is the norm for accuracy
and most companies have their own QA system of assigning point deductions per error divided by line count. If you have a way to review your reports after they go through QA you should be able to see what your percentage is. If not, ask QA.
I have worked for a lot (too many) of companies, and this is the norm. nm
nm
No, it is NOT the norm. You shouldn't be docked for that! QA
s
If the account specifies that is different. If they don't specify isn't 2 then the norm? nm
nm
Anything more than a week for a norm delivery is too much, sm
C-section - I would say 2 weeks max. Anything more than this is "milking it."
I wish I was that fast!---the norm is 3 to 5 minutes - sm
per dictated minute. I only do the 2:1 ratio when I am doing edits.
Not the norm, organic baby greens
with tofu, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, organic corn pasta salad with tofu dill dressing
It does make one wonder how long this is going to go on or is this just the norm now? Terribly sad
I lost my QA job 3 weeks ago because a US company bought the offshore company my original company was using and now brought in their own QA people. Apparently they hope to get these MTs off QA here real soon.... I just gotta laugh... I've been QAing the work for over 2 years and it is the same mistakes day in and day out... they just don't get it and don't care to 'get it'... they get paid no matter what so what is the incentive to learn? These MTs actually argued with me about contractions, etc., like I had no idea what I was doing.... I know you are venting and I hear you and totally understand... it's a sad place MT has gotten to over the last 5-7 years or so in my mind
Timed test the norm for IC job hunting?
I had a response to a job that had a specified time frame for testing. It had to be done withing 2hrs of getting the passcoded from them via email.  I got the email 30 after they sent it and it took forever to do it becuase you couldn't use express scribe/foot pedal. I had to go between word and media player.....and in doing so went over the 2hr limit.  Is this normal for them to do this? 
What will happen to us when Electronic Medical Redords become the norm?

I would love to hear everyones 2 cents about Electronic Medical Records....How soon will this be a problem for us? What will we do after they are in most doctors exam rooms?


Let me know what you guys think...Do MT's have a future? or did I just go thru schooling for nothing ...


Well, it seems the norm to me! I've tested with at least 4 co's in the past few years and

the tests were not dictations that I do on an everyday basis.  I know they pick and choose carefully what they will test you on because there are always kinks in there where the doc either stumbles, mumbles, or you know you would have to be a genius to figure out what they are saying.


 



Those credentials for teachers in public school are NOT the norm...
At my daughter's school when she was in 3rd grade she showed me her final spelling test.  The list contained the words:  You, me, and two, among other similar ones.  My daughter was in the gifted program, and those were her final spelling words in preparation for 4th grade!!  We do NOT have public school teachers with PhD degrees in anything.  They're lucky they have a Bachelor's.  I have a Bachelor's and consider myself quite capable of teaching.  Believe me - all schools are NOT created equal.
I wish you were the norm! Can't find 8.5 cpl for experience out here anymore. You're VERY luck
,
You're probably doing nothing wrong, employee status seems to be the norm with IC status primaril
SE status instead of IC? For me,SE status is heaven -with part of taxes paid and flexibility in my schedule. Have you ever applied to MDI-MD? They only accept qualified, experienced MTs and stress quality in their transcription. From what I read of your qualifications, it sure would be worth contacting them.

Per "see mssgs" comment regarding age discrimination later on in this discussion, I'm 64 - no problem getting hired at a line rate higher than average. Age is not a factor with MDI-MD - knowledge and quality is !!!
Personally, I would not do it.
It's bad enough changing to nights when you are a "day person" but to have to keep switching back and forth, week by week?  (if that is what you meant).  I bet they will not continue this, though, because a day person is not productive at night, and a person who is used to working nights is usually not productive in the day.  I think they will find that they could hire someone who WANTS to work nights, rather than all the switching around.  JMO, of course.
Personally I think since 9/11/01
EVERYONE in the USA is making less money.  It's all relative.
I know for me, personally,
When I am feeling like you just described, I am usually feeling very guilty that my house is a mess, I'm not accomplishing anything and so on. It is the voice of your consciousness that is beating you up. You need to be kinder to yourself and things will start working a lot easier. You are being hard on yourself. Start making lists of things that you have accomplished today. It is a great feeling when you realize you are actually accomplishing a lot of stuff. Those good feelings then give way to the energy that you need to get more done. The way you are feeling is taking your energy too, so you have to force yourself to do everything that you do get done probably. Try accepting that the house didn't get cleaned but you did get a lot of other things done today. Then tomorrow you will have more energy to possibly get more things done. I'm serious, I am real hard on myself and trying to learn to talk nicer to myself, accept that I'm not able to do everything and it will be there when I do get time for it. You'll be amazed how much better you feel after making lists of what you've done and talking nicer to yourself! I hope this helps.
Personally I know that
mttest.com to do their testing there are instructions on the mttest site on how to use your own foot pedal and ExpressScribe. I know because I have done it. Also, if the company has a link to the dictation, you can right click on it and choose "save file as" then save the file somewhere...I usually would just put it in My Doucuments. Then open ExpressScribe and load the document from there. The instructions on the mttest website say basically the same thing. :-)
I get it now!! Well, I know personally I have
never been able to move expansions from DQS anywhere. To my knowledge, they are coded and unmovable save to another DQS computer. If the DQS is from a certain company that starts with M, I know there was another company, a competitor, who actually tried to lure M employees by saying their tech people would help them copy their DQS expansions. I have tried to copy DQS to Word, and was not successful. I do know how to do it from computer with DQS to computer with DQS, so I'm not totally illiterate. Personally, I have never known anyone to succeed, but maybe someone else out here can help you!! But I have always been told DQS Expander is not compatible with any other platforms, which would make sense, as its a copyrighted product, etc. But good luck! I always just spent a day or 2 making a new expander on Word on my own, and have been very happy. Maybe change your subject line and repost!
Did you know her personally? sm
I'm curious and wonder if some of these folks have others working for them, or have a spouse who knows MT filling in at times.
not personally, but...sm

My sister won tickets to the tour this year and I'm trying to win some! Should be a good show, I think...


 VOTE FOR TAYLOR


I personally believe, yes, I am.
And I have been. I truly believe we should 'honor our Mother and our Father.' My parents gave and sacrificed all their lives to give me everything I needed and often, what I wanted. It's because of them that I have the values and traits that I do. My parents are treasures. Unfortunately, both of them have passed away. I'm only in the my mid 30s and I've already dealt with this question. For me, it was never a question of if I should. It was a natural role for me and my siblings and even my husband to step into. My mother died suddenly but my father passed away more recently and it was a slow death from an illness. We cared for him in his home, both with a wonderful person we hired to be with him some days since we all work. I took a computer and my work to his house so I could be there more and still have an income. I was there when he passed away and I consider it a privilege that he even wanted me to care for him. I would do it again. I miss them terribly and some of the most precious memories are of when I stayed nights caring for him. Even in the quiet of the night when I would listen and hold my breath praying for him to take his next breath. I think we need to do whatever we can to care for them. It put us in a real financial bind more than once to care for my Dad, but I don't regret a bit of it. Money was beside the point. FYI, even when he was well we lived with and cared for him as he was alone, and before he fell ill and we moved into our own home, we were trying to figure out how to add-on to accommodate him coming to live with us. I didn't read all the posts but this is my personal belief and experience. Disclaimer: I didn't proofread, LOL!
I personally would not,...

not right now, but that's just my opinion.  I just left an in-house job to come back home.  I have been transcribing for 17 years, most of them at home.  The couple of years I spent in-house were in some ways really good--steady, not as stressed sometimes, but I spent way more time away from home than just 40 hours.  There's money spent on food, clothes, and then the various functions that occur at work--holidays, showers, etc. 


I love being home!  But you have to do what's right for YOU!


Personally I would take it

Give it some time, like 6 months, and if it doesn't work out go back to MT/QA.  After all the guy that started it left his full-time job to pursue his dream, so you should too provided it makes sense financially, etc.  Obviously you have spent the time researching and really thinking about this.  You do have a career to fall back on, and I would jump at it. 


Me, personally.
If you're talking about something like, "the x-rays were interpreted by me, personally."
Personally, more with OPs but (sm)

I'm sure there are so many variables.  I wail on OP notes because I do them all the time and most are incredibly similar so I can use my Expander and crank.  I hardly ever do clinic notes, so those are a little slower going for me.


Another typist told me it's just the opposite for her, so it all depends. 


Try not to take it personally...
Don't feel bad. When I was looking for a job earlier this year, I signed on with Transcription Matchmakers. I was told I failed the test. I have been a Transcriptionist for almost 25 years and am experienced in various specialties. In fact, I managed a transcription department in my last in-office job. I, too, was told I was not good enough for them. I now work for a great company and am, in fact, a lead person on my account. I hope this makes you feel better. I just shrugged it off as their loss and went on with my life. Hang in there! All tests are different, and all transcriptionists have varied knowledge, none bad, just different.
Not unless you know someone personally and can
s
I never had one personally
but my husband did, and although he's not an MT, he had double hernia surgery, and he was out for a little over a week. His job is mostly standing though. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Personally if it were me

Considering it's a macro or template and not something dictated I would have to agree with your feelings because I also take great pride in my work.  I would probably make a corrected copy of their template/macro and send it back to them as a suggestion, especially since part of it is spelling.  You may get a good response and a thank you and you may get told to leave it be, but at least you'll know you tried. 


 


Don't take QA personally sm

You remember when the parenting books used to tell us to distinguish your love for your child from what they do?  I love you, but I didn't like what you DID.


It is the same thing with QA.  You have to listen, you have to try harder, you WILL figure this out.  Just remember, it is about what you DID not who you ARE.  It took me many years to get this straight in my mind.  Oddly enough, once I did, my accuracy went up.  It is less pressurizing when you understand that we are all human and we all make mistakes, but it doesn't follow that we are somehow less worthwhile when we make them.


I think perhaps your nerves are getting the best of you.  Having worked for a lot of companies, every switch is an adjustment.  They all have different rules and ideas about how the work should be done.  It takes some time to get that all down, and it isn't necessarily all about your work.  Be patient with yourself because you deserve it.


Personally, I think
she's full of sh....... you know.
I personally think anything less than 9 cpl
for employee and 10.5-11 cpl for IC is a slap in the face. Unless they have awesome benefits, I need to make at least 9 cpl and really 10 at a minimum. I wouldn't even consider less than 9 at this point.
I personally don't know about this, but
there has been talk about doing other transcription, such as legal. You might want to check that out. Just Google and see what comes up. I am a recent grad, and finding it is not that easy. There is work out there, but the question is: What type of company will you end up at? It all depends on getting good dictators, little or no ESLs, how many hours do you spend looking things up, etc? Companies don't pay for this. It's not like you are getting paid hourly, unless you're lucky enough to work in a hospital. 7 or 8 cpl isn't much for all the researching, change this, change that, what did he say?, etc. things that we do. I wish I had gone into something else, but I am here now, and trying to make the best of it. It is nice, I have to say, being able to work from home. I can take a break when I want, I can take and pick my kids up from school, etc. I am very fortunate to have a good husband, with a good job, that lets me pretty much do what I have to, to be there for our kids and still make some money. I don't know your situation, but if you are okay with just making extra money, or chancing who you may work for, then go for it. Just from my research and looking around, it seems the quality companies to work for are less and less. Good luck with whatever you decide.
I personally do not think VR will ever be
perfected enough to be a threat to medical transcriptionists. There will always be a need to correct/verify the information that VR spits out, which is nowhere near perfect and probably never will be.

I haven't heard of anyone getting laid off because of VR. I think they mostly quit because most companies tell them their production will increase with VR hence they lower their pay when in reality it doesn't increase enough (if at all), so their pay basically drops. JMO
Everyone is different. Personally, I
type while listening and then if dictation is too far ahead I stop until I catch up and then start listening again. I do not listen, stop, and then type. It all depends on the doctor and the rate of speed at which you are listening to the dictation. I listen at a normal speed the majority of the time. For fast dictators, I sometimes slow it down, sometimes speed it up if they are slow.

Just do it the way it is the most comfortable and easiest for you.
Do you know someone personally-SM
Do you personally know someone from one of these countries with national health care?  well I do, we have family friends who live in Holland and they and most of their friends and family HATE their healthcare system-long waits for appointments, longer waits for specialists and surgeries and the older you get the longer the wait so unless you know someone personally in these countries you don't know what you're talking about. 
The norm is 1 minute = 10 lines; 10 min = 100 lines - sm
granted this varies per dictator. More lines if a fast talker, less if a slow talker.
You're taking this way, way too personally.
If you don't like it, ignore it.  People always criticize the mother.  Hey, at least she's not some bug-eyed  psycho broad lying to the authorities about being kidnapped by Hispanics. 
okay, but I meant, what if you use it personally?
...you know, on your own, without telling your employer.  That is what my friend meant, too.  Say I am transcribing for a company, and on my own I use the speech recognition and set it up to type my reports for me. 

That is how I thought some people were getting these huge, incredible line counts.  Not so with this poster, she already told me she is not using it, but I do know there are some who do. 

Where I used to work, they were always praising these mass producers, too, in newsletters and E-mails, letting everyone the phenomenonal line counts, and I would think, hey, I can not even get work, was always running out, doing 4, 5, 6 accounts and struggling through the specs and accents continually...

That is why I brought it up, I wondered if perhaps some MTs were going that route to get ahead...

Thanks for your post - I am GLAD to hear you think it is more troublesome than anything...(except good for lowering our pay, huh?)