There are so many variables involved that you
Posted By: me on 2008-11-07
In Reply to: Does anyone on here think... - Just Me
really can't compare things. A lot of the people making that money have their own accounts or are working many hours. You don't know if the person making 60,000 is an IC and has to pay their own taxes. IC positions generally pay better than an employee position. One acccount may not pay for spaces or headers. You might actually be doing the same amount of lines, but they aren't being counted.
At one time it wasn't that difficult for someone to make that amount of money if all the variables were favorable. These days it is harder because line rates are overall lower and companies are always reconfiguring how to count lines in their favor.
If you are pleased with the amount of $$ you are making that is all that really matters and I would not feel that you are inadequate.
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Because of all the variables involved, sm
I think it's ridiculous that your team leader would post such a thing. Every MT's situation is different--different accounts, shifts, work types, hours, etc.--and a team leader should know that. As far as working for a national goes, I feel less "communication" is better. Why stir things up? These companies ought to just let us transcribe and keep their silly emails to themselves. Don't they know the old saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt?" Maybe your team leader needs more real work to do. Don't let it bother you. Just do your part and forget about it.
One time I told a national bigwig (because my opinion was requested) that if I were asked to draw a cartoon which described this company's relationship with its MTs, I would draw the MT in a cage, sitting at her computer, with a (particular) "suit" poking the MT with a big stick, saying "They produce more when they're angry."
Fortunately now I am a happy IC with a very nice company that treats its MTs with respect. Ya have to kiss a lot of toads in this life, ya know?
Variables. sm
It probably varies. In my situation, she gets a sufficient retirement check, not rich by a long shot, just barely adequate enough to get by. We get no aid what so ever. She has been on a waiting list for over 3 years to have house cleaning help. There is transportation to and from doctors available almost anywhere, but they essentially "dump" them out with no help. My parent cannot see, she just cannot be dumped out and left to do on her own.
Too many variables
Basically because there are too many variables and can only give you a range of cpl. Depends on your experience, what type of service you will provide -- digital or tapes with pick up, printing and delivery, etc. Are you talking gross, or 65 character per line, font, margins, spaces, headers, footers. Without all the information it is hard to answer a question. But I would figure a guess in the range of 12 to 14 cpl for clinic notes. But that is a range only, your area could be higher.
Variables
There are so many variables that it is hard to "point you in the right direction". Each of my account works somewhat different. You have to decide how to count your lines for your accounts and what you will charge, will it be gross or cpl? As for software that also depends on each account. Know the HIPPA guidelines. Also if you are just starting out -- at least I felt this way and still do -- you have to be ready to accept any and all accounts if you want your foot in the door - so that means having the capability of doing tapes, picking up and delivering, digital, etc. If you limit yourself your chance of failure goes up. Again my opinion. As for contracts a lot do not agree with me but after so many years with the same accounts I do not work with one. But when I did, I simply wrote up stating what I would provide and what the client would provide, outling turn around time, rate per line, etc. But even with a contract they can quit your service at anytime stating "poor quality" or something like that. There are no big secrets of getting your own accounts and no book to go by, you simple go out and hand out or mail out brochures/flyers, etc. letting people know that you are available and what service you will provide. But if you want someone to hold your hand step by step you will have to go out and hire a consulting marketing firm to do that for you. You do need to see if your city needs you to have a business license, see if you need to file your name with the State, etc. I keep mine as simple and uncomplicated as possible and all my clients seem to appareciate that. They give me the tapes, I type and return back in an agreed upon TAT at a agreed upon price. Good luck.
There are a lot of variables to consider
I would say 500 lines on an account you know and in Word (I do not work on MT platforms) would take say 4 hours tops, but it all depends on how much experience you have as an MT and also how well you know your accounts.
many variables
Farther on down there are some comments/replies to this question. It depends on whether or not you are doing digital, picking up tapes and delivering back hard copies, etc. Also your experience. As much as everyone thinks that we MTSO's rake in the big bucks by subcontracting our work -- we are lucky to make 10% after the cost of gas, if we deliver and pick-up, the non-billable hours of invoicing, QA the account, the marketing, the customer service to the account, etc. Also be prepared that you will be the one to cover when that IC decides not to work -- as an IC they have that choice, call in sick, or whatever and if that happens with 2 out of 4 you are up all night typing. That is why I have cut back to have enough for mainly myself and one I/C that works a very small account and if something happens I can cover easily. Also think about who will cover for you and the administrative part of the job when you go on vacation or get sick. But all that aside, start small with one account for yourself and charge what you feel you need to make a decent hourly rate, .11 to .13 cpl either gross or character count seems to be a good starting point if that is what the going price is in your area. Pay your IC's .08 to .09 cpl so that they can make a "decent living" that they want. I am not trying to tell you not to just pointing out some of the pittfalls and to start off smaller with just one account for yourself, get used to the "business" aspect of it as well as the medical and then in a while if all goes well grow. Also remember that just as easily you get that new account, you can lose one and then you will have to lay off your IC's as you yourself will need the work. Also remember that when those docs are on vacation, around holidays or the summer the workload goes down and that is usually when the IC is clammering for more work and wondering where is the work. Remember to keep enough money is reserve to pay your IC's on time so that when the clinic runs 30 to 45 days late in payment, you can pay them and not yourself or your bills. Even though they are a business also, they want their money whether or not the account pays. Have enough work on hand to keep the accounts happy with 24 TAT and those "emergencies" of being one person short but not too many so that your help runs out of work and especially when the account decides not to dictate for 3 days and then you get it all at once. There are accounts out there but you have to probably send out 100 to 200 flyers/contacts made to land one and if you are willing to put in the time -- go for it. It is not as easy as everything thinks but for those with the determination and drive it is there for you. Good luck. Patti
Too many variables
Depends on what rate per line they pay. This is gross line which is good but if itis 5 to 6 cpl per gross line versus 9 cpl for 65 characater probably not. Also is it clinic notes, same docs, Basic 4 or what. too many variables here, not enough information. Only you can tell by what your paycheck shows.
variables
With all due respect, there are many more variables from the side of the MT than you have mentioned. I admire you for giving the information in your ad that you say you give, and I am sure you have had more than your fair share of MTs with little to no work ethic or those desperate for a job who will say they can do it just to get their foot in the door and be given an opportunity to try hoping it will work out--and for some of them, it doesn't. I can appreciate the bind this places you in.
But if you are dealing with ICs, then maybe they are not necessarily hiding from your calls and e-mails but just working the hours they choose to work. ICs are not employees as you know. I am an IC and the company I work for expects "employee" status from me in many ways and they are wrong to treat me as an employee and not give me the benefits of being one. This has me thinking more and more of going elsewhere. Perhaps, just perhaps some MTs perceive your company as being like this and they get frustrated and quit. Just perhaps.
Also, no MT knows what a job is going to be like until they actually do it for a while. Listening to some voice files and seeing templates helps, but there is so much more. Until you work the platform, until you see how many lines you can do for a particular dictator per hour, until you have done this for a few days, you cannot judge whether this particular employer is for you or not. In my present job, I get feast or famine with the same TAT expected. Feast can burn out an MT. Famine can scare one off. And when I get good speed on an account, they take me off of it and give me a new client because they say I am good and they want me to do the client's work so the client will stay. Very flatering to me, but not necessarily financially the best thing for me. Constant change slows production--more variables from which an MT must decide to stay or not. This may not be your situation, but this another variable we MTs must consider.
I've done other types of secretarial work and it is much like MTing -- you don't know the job until you've been there and tried it. All either side can do -- you and the MT -- is try to find the best fit and see if it works out to the advantage of you both. I don't think either side wants to waste their own or the other's time.
What you may consider is a good account may be horrible to the MT after he/she has done it for a week or so. You may think your platform is top of the line but maybe the MT finds it cumbersome, slow, a time-waster. He/she moves on because there are bills to pay. Even your line rate, good as it sounds, cannot salvage a bad fit. I'd rather work at a lesser rate and speed right along and produce tons of lines than struggle every day for a high rate. Now I'm not suggesting you lower your rates LOL!!! Goodness, we NEED rates like that!! I'm just saying if the MT for whatever reason decides he/she cannot make good money with you--a good hourly rate of production, good lines--they will move on.
They might have been totally honest with you on their resume but when confronted with all the variables of the job, they found it just did not work for them. And you, as an MTSO, have no way of knowing whether someone is being truthful or not, or of knowing if they will be pleased once they begin to work for you, or if you have someone who is careless and misrepresenting themselves and just biding their time until something else comes along at which point they abandon your ship.
You sound like a fair, honest person who has been burned too many times. But MTs get burned too and I guess at this point in our profession we are suspicious of one another and the low wages overall makes the MTs quick to move on if it looks like the job won't give them what they need. We can't afford to wait it out and see if it gets better with this or that company. If it does not work from the beginning, we have to move on because our time is precious too.
Some of the actions from MTs which you describe are NOT right and those MTs pull this profession down to a lower level of respect. But this, for many, is today's work ethic unfortunately no matter what business you are in. I've seen it in corporations and in healthcare settings. It's like people just don't care anymore about their job. And for that, I have no answer to give you as it leaves me amazed too.
Everybody is different and every day is different. Too many variables. SM
What I earn depends on work type, staying focused, concentration, etc. I have been through 5 jobs this year due to lack of work. I currently have 2 but my motivation is lacking, trying to get my mojo back. Good luck. Don't judge yourself on what other people earn. I personally know a lot of MTs who make fantastic money. I made in the mid 30s.
variables
There's a lot of variables involved - your typing speed, your Expander software, the platform you will be typing on, etc. When I first started out as a brand new MT, I was lucky to do 100 lph. Now that I've been doing this a little bit more, and have good Expanders and shortcuts set up, I can do 250 lph. My goal is to get up to 350 lph - I've talked to a lot of people who say it can be done.
If you're just getting back into it, I would say figure 150 lph as a good base, and then once you get back into the swing of things, you'll increase from there. Don't plan on that right off the bat, though. I just started a new job on Monday and I'm working very closely with QA. I'll be lucky to make $100 by the end of the pay period, but that's the way it works at the very beginning sometimes.
There are lots of variables there....
It took me approximately two weeks to really get the specifics down on the account I am currently working on. That is just the account specs. The DO's and DONT'S. It is about 75 pages long. I still am not used to all of the doctors yet because I have not had the opportunity to transcribe for all of them enough to be able to get used to them. I work for a national, but my account is for a large hospital, so there are doctors there that I have not even come across yet. I have been on this particular account now for 3 months. I have the specifics down cold, and like I said, that only took a couple of weeks to get.
I have had other accounts that only took a few days to get used to because they were smaller and didn't have that many specifics.
The bottom line is that it depends on the account itself. The client is going to be the one that will determine how long it will take you to get used to an account based on how many instructions, etc. they dish out for their accounts. Each and every account will be different. You may notice a pattern at some point, but you can't really count on a set amount of time or categorize it into a specific time frame.
Just my opinion.
There are too many variables. It depends
on how many lines you can produce, how company counts lines and if it is hard to get lines due to their system, do you have lots of bad dictators that slow you down, how hard you are willing to work, how smart you work (macros, expanders), what shift you work and if there is a shift differential, etc.
There are many MTs that make $20,000.00 or less and many that make $40,000.00+ based on past postings to that same question.
Agree with you -too many variables.
I pay my IC's 8 cpl for my psych work as it has a long Turn Around Time and all they do is type, I pick up, print, QA, deliver, etc. to the psychologists. But even at that, they can average one report of 400 to 500 lines in 60 minutes, depending on the tests, done, etc. but I made so many templates when I was doing the account that it is very easy to do and very good money. But then if you compare that with one of my clinics that has a very nice doctor but talks 220 words per minute and it slows down to only 200 to 250 lines per hour. So there is a difference there. You can only assume the lines you would be typing in a day and times it by 8 cents and then times how many days you are working a week, etc. Too many variables -- what if there is no work?
Patti
Probably would depend on a lot of variables.
what I would do. I would have to be in the situation, I guess.
Lots of variables
There are a lot of variables to what you are asking. It also depends on what your definition of good money is. I have a FT job and a PT job, both of which pay 8.75 cpl. I average about 200 to 220 lph, so it's a good living for me. I don't have any credit cards, my car is paid off and my mortgage is fairly low. I also don't have a family - just lots of cats. I should qualify that the FT job doesn't start until January. I had a FT job in-house at an Oncology practice up to about a week ago making $14 an hour.
I work for Landmark part time (and I've been VERY pleased with my association with them so far) and the new FT job is with Probity. I've read mixed reviews of them so far on this board, but my dealings with them so far have been very good and extremely professional.
Lots of variables
There's a lot of variables that go along with that, primarily on how good your Expander is and how much you have in it. I happen to know from the last couple of days that I am more than twice as fast with an expander. I've been typing without it because of a software glitch. The company I work for wants every abbreviation expanded and I do mean everything. I had to type percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy tube out at least 6 times for a 25 minute discharge summary.
The problem is they are trying to standardize that which has too many variables.
Important details in documentation are going to be left out. Patient care is going to suffer. Forget about our jobs, we should worry about the medical treatment we will receive from doctors who do not have our full and complete histories.
But there would be variables at ANY line rate. (nm)
s
Wow. I don't know that there is "an average". So many variables here.
Depends on if it is known accounts or new accounts/dictators; familiar specialties, etc.
My overall average line count in transcription is about 275 lph. This would include HPs, Ops, Dis, Cons, ERs, clinic notes sometimes and anything else that might pop up here and there like a procedure note, etc.
I know as many MTs (or are we considered MLS's now? lol) who average much more and those who cannot make that.
Guess I didn't help much, huh?!
I agree with Patti . . . too many variables
Here's a link to an article I found some time ago, which suggests multiplying gross line count by .70 to attain an estimation of an equivalent 65-character count line (or 30% less, as Patti also suggested). It really just depends on too many factors though.
http://www.mtworld.com/tools_resources/line_counts.html
There is a reason they are called variables.
The most lucrative setting is where you get paid a better than average line rate to produce reports dictated by clear-speaking doctors who say the exact same thing for each work type and never backtrack while you work on a platform that has no headers, footers, or demographic entry that you don't get compensated for.
However, that is hard to come by so you will have to decide for yourself what suits you best from the options available to you.
There are lots of variables. How fast you
type, do you use an expander, do you have good dictators or lots of ESLs and crappy dictators, is the platform user friendly, are you doing acute care of clinic, do you have lots of normal/templates, do you get paid/counted for spaces, gross line versus 65 character line.
You really can't compare yourself to anyone else. A lot of people (not all) care about producing lines and don't care about quality of the product. They refuse to proof reports, say that is what QA is for. Some people just seem to have a talent for MT, have lots and lots of expansions/templates, have an extensive knowledge base so they don't have to look up much. If you do clinic you tend to have one speciality and only a handful of dictators so you can make lots of normals so you can produce more lines.
I can do 2000 lines/day on occasion, but can't do it every day. I've done 3000 lines before, but that is rare.
Line rates can also be regional. Too many variables to
give somebody else hope that they might someday get the same rate. If you don't like the rate an employer offers, don't take it -- that's the only way to make them listen. It's not the baloney you seem to think it is.
neither slow, nor stupid, but I think there are lots of variables that need to be addressed..
such as all the crap some companies want you to put into headers, cc's, etc., and make sure you know every word in the client's profile and check every day to see if anything changed - (of course, they don't PAY for time spent researching client profiles) - it's like "who's on first?"
There are so many variables at play that it's dangerous to compare to others along these lines. s
I know that there have been occasions when I've had a run of one of my more familiar docs -- one for whom I have a lot of canned text and who tends to dictate with a great deal of regularity, and quickly -- and I've been able to break the 500 lph barrier, but only briefly. Otherwise, working a large hospital account as I do, with dozens of regular docs and a hundred or so others who just crop up now and then, I can't conceive of anyone averaging anything close to that ... I'm luckly to average above 250-275 lph on a typical day, and some days -- when it's resident and ESL heavy -- that can go down to 150-200.
But, again, it's really pretty silly to compare lph between different MTs unless the variables are the same.
variables: clinic v. acute, employee (benefits) v. IC (pay taxes);
nm
I am involved, but that
has never kept me from seeing all sides of any issue. Getting a CMT may not be for you, but it is worthwhile if you feel you want to do it. I think that the nastys you see here are only an opinion and that people should research the issue .. whatever it might be .. and make an informed decision. Having a CMT has worked for me and I know as many MTs who are very proficient at what they do who do not have one for whatever reason they chose not to test. I do not get in their faces about it nor do I expect them to get in mine. Some days I think we forget to respect each other as professionals.
Try 12 cpl and no sweating involved. LOL
I'm happy.
I'm not allowing myself to be taken advantage of at all.
What a sucka** attitude you have.
I don't think much talking is involved, if ya know what I mean.
 Skank-o-rama
hi, i'm not involved in this argument, not trying to be mean
in? Congrats on getting a degree, I think thats wonderful! A lot of hard work.
There is no equipment involved.
I use my own computer. I don't use any of their stuff.
I wish I could, but it would implicate others who don't want to be involved
nm
Ok, she was a parent when she got involved w/ a
asdf
There are several factors involved
I believe the average line rate is anywhere from 100 to 200 lines an hour. The software platform you are using, what type of report you are typing, whether you have templates you can use, whether you have an expander, all factor into this. If you type letters only and have no expanders, for example, expect the lower range. Those with many standard templates and heavy use of Expanders can expect to type much more than that.
The other poster is correct in that a lot of the national companies expect 150 lines an hour.
Get him involved in either a hobby, or doing
volunteer work. Let him do for those less fortunate and maybe his life will seem pretty good. If he feels needed that may change his whole attitude and everything else with just fall into place.
He might also need some adjustments in his meds. It s/l there is some depression involved, but it could just be situational and the counseling will help with that. Meds could possibly diminish his libido and it would be worth talking to his doctor to see if that could be the case in his situation.
Maybe you could make him a list of little things to do to help out, or plan the meals and have recipes on index cards so that he can actually prepare the meal. If he is home all day he needs to at least be doing the daily chores.
Just what would be involved in copywriting our
p
LOL There is alcohol involved in that
message. Lucky girl.
There is a lot of training involved.
I'm not sure a 16-year-old would want to go through that much training. I know I wouldn't have. Are you a transcriptionist? I could be way off base here, so please don't be offended if I am, but I'm wondering if you believe some of the hype that a person can just sit down and do medical transcription. If you've been misled that way, I apologize, as it is much more difficult than that. It's a very common misconception that it's an easy job.
the wifey involved is always, always
and I mean it. Every time I've had contact with an office and the wife works there, things are not as they should be. They like to hole the money up as if they'll miss a shopping spree they could take on that cash or something! It's sooo true!
These physicians are loaded, and the wives don't take kindly to the money flying out of the window or at least that is their perception.
I'd leave that sucker like he was yesterday's trash.... He deserves nothing and didn't even deserve the cut in rate.. what a jerk!
Yes,, I know that there is no 'plastic' involved!
Geez!
Are you a naive blonde?
I meant 'plastic' is short for 'plastic surgery'.
BTW in this 'face lift' the sutures with the 'hooks' are left in place.
It is very seldom that the surgery or lift or whatever the expected results are achieved.
Either no results are seen at all or it is so obvious that one can spot the 'plastic' miles away.
I would NEVER do it.
Are you so desperate to improve your looks?
My job for the past 18 months involved this sm
Worked in a local office for one doctor and took a laptop with me into the room and documented the encounter while he and the patient talked, etc. I learned a lot and I LOVED that job. I had to quit due to babysitting issues at the end of May. He then bought the Dragon Nat. Speaking and told me he was very impressed with it. I heard this week that he now has an ad in the paper for an MT......LOL. The DNS slows him down and he hates to type so having an MT in the room with him was faster. I think there is a chance this type of thing will really start becoming the norm. Every doctor's office here is already using some type of EMR. Most of the time it's the nurses that do the typing from what I've seen. I'd love to go back to that job because I always felt I was working in the future of MT. I still have a hard time thinking that it will work in a hospital setting though. I can't see a doc there taking the time to sit down and log in and do all that, but then if you think about it they're already having to stop and dictate, so who knows.......
You think there are no responsibilities involved in driving a bus? sm
What about all the lives they are responsible for in the bus and on the ground? Most bus drivers are considered "professional" drivers. They must study for, pass tests (written and driving), and maintain a CDL license (commercial driver), pass regular physicals. This also entails no drinking, etc., on time off work as they are subject to random testing. Very insulting. That is the pay scale in NYC, everybody there makes more money.
Maybe get one of your local TV channels involved?
:+
There are lots of factors involved. Do you
use an expander/macros, are you able to be disciplined and work and not up and down or on-line frequently, do you have good quality sound files, do you have good dictators, how does the company count lines, etc. Most companies require 1200 lpd for FT, so use that figure as a minimum and do the math.
Has anyone ever done steno transcription? What is involved? Is it
most importantly, are there jobs out there available? Toni
There are lots of factors involved.
How easy is the platform, how are lines counted, do you have reference books or do you use Google to do all your research? Do you have lots of normals/macros, do you use an expander, do you spend too much time on-line or are you up and down frequently?
I make $40,000/year working 5 to 6 hour days/5 days a week. I have an easy platform, lots of macros, an expander, multiple reference books. I do work for a national, but I am also an employee and get paid by gross line, so my $40,000+/year is better than an IC making $40,000/year.
I guess I was blessed. In my entire 20+ year carrier I've only worked for 3 companies and each one has been better than the previous one.
Is $40,000 what you think you s/b be making based on the TV commercials say you can make or is that what you need to be making? If you don't need that much money to live on then don't worry about it. You have to look at pros and cons of what you are doing versus working in an office and you might come out even by the time you factor in clothing, food, gas, etc. (I'm assuming you work at home.)
Doubt this board would become involved sm
Anything negative usually gets deleted. I'm surprised your post stayed on this long. I don't think they would offend the service people who place ads here. We shall see!
Gotta love the attitude. Wonder if it would be the same if it involved
Most likely not.
where did you get the idea we were involved in patient care?
We are typists with a specialized vocabulary. If we were doing this for NASA, it would not make us rocket scientists.
I am neither advocating, nor participating in, low quality - I do the very best I can with the experience, knowledge, and tools that I have. The fact that employers do not want to pay me enough to survive, thus making my trips through *QA* a little more thorough, ensures that I will get through reports as absolutely expeditiously as possible.
My bottom line is MY survival. Good luck with altruism - it doesn't buy much at Safeway.
I see thru that big ole elephant and around it as do the people involved in lawsuits and SEC.
Very upbeat about MQ being FORCED to comply by law enforcement.
That is awful. Anyway the police can get involved? These kids need
ss
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