There is no average. Fast typists, slow ones, newbies, software glitches, interruptions, etc. all ha
Posted By: impact on your production. NM on 2007-02-25
In Reply to: What is the average line/hour for a 65 character line with spaces? NM - Lisa
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Fast, set a line count per day to achieve, no interruptions and 98% at least.
NM
they can set how fast/slow the server is s/m
I talked to someone in tech support one night and told him that the server had to be clogged or something and asked if they could reset the server or something. I was only making 70 lph. He said well I can turn your speed up. I was like ?what? He said we turn everyone's down so they dont clog up the server to keep everyone running smoothly. I had to call every night for them to change it and I eventually just quit.
I thought that was just wrong. I never could get past my expected production.
Wouldn't it depend how fast/slow dr dictates,
x
The slow versus fast talked about numerous times regarding VR
I don’t have any idea where this ridiculous statement started from. Think probably from the haters who are probably going to be put on VR and digging their heels in to not have to do. Rather than rates, which I think probably are about the same, 4 cents per line, you should ask who has the best platform and go for a company that perhaps does not have a zillion employees. Being slow, being newbie, etc. would just work against a good person for VR.
Their software is extremely slow, the slowest
I have ever worked on. And their server is down a great deal of the time. If you need to make money, pay your bills, and feed yourself, Axolotl is not the place to work.
Prob is then you may get all fast fast fast talkers...not a fair way nm
x
Log keeping glitches
Sorry, I forgot to mention that notepad has to be used, not word pad. Also, note pad has to be the only program on your start menu that starts with the letter N.
ATTENTION TYPISTS!!!!
Back in the 1980s there was a doctor in California who used to start each dictation with the command, "ATTENTION TYPIST." He was a real peach. He had no friends in the transcription department, I can assure you. Later on, when I graduated from college and was an RN he had the gall to call up the nursing station and demand that one of us "girls" get over across the street to his office as one of the patients we had cared for in the hospital the previous week had gone over to his office for an "office visit" (that was because he was so pompous that he did not wish to see that poor patient in the hospital). The patient while in his office "defecated" on his carpet and he felt that was our "job" to clean up after incontinent patients even if they were in HIS office. I swear this is true. We told him he should call a cleaning service. He blew a gasket. I guess it could have been worse if we had the Chimpanzee guy. I think I would have knocked him in the head after I sued him for harassment. I saw down further where someone hoped he was a now a patient. Me too and I hope he is constipated and no one gives him a stool softener. I hope when he rides in the ambulance from the acute care to the rest home that he overhears the ambulance attendants refer to their call as a "lizard run." I hope someone puts cornflakes in his bed. I can't stand pomposity! I hope he is roommates with "Attention Typist" - they might actually understand each other.
If I remember correctly, I got it to work with a few glitches. SM
I think I was able to get it to play and rewind, but no fast forward. It's been several years since I used Express Scribe so I can't remember exactly, but I do think I got it to work.
While I agree we are "more" than typists, sm
I can feel your frustration. If you really want to do this, don't give up. I don't know if the company still owing you a paycheck is a local or national, but there is nothing to stop you from contacting local doctors, etc. to find out if you can do their overflow work. The worst they can say is no thanks. Don't limit yourself to doctors, either - think outside the box to physical/sports medicine (repetition so can be good pay), chiropractors, insurance agencies/detective agencies, etc. The more you get your name out there the better your chances of getting a phone call. There will always be people who don't sign on to nationals, but it's up to YOU to find them. Good luck and hope something happens for you soon.
I figure it is due to new typists just coming on
x
Love Dictaphone's ExText here, even with its occasional glitches. nm
s
Hey tampa typists - I'm moving back despite the storms and despite
how much I hate the lifestyle of Tampa, but what can you do - that is where I make $$$
interruptions
Wow..I could have written that! Had exactly the same problems. I first got caller ID so I wouldn't answer the phone unnecessarily, then got noise blocking head phones. I had always worked with stethoscope type, but thrilled with the head phones. They really cut down on noise distractions. It may take more for you. If so, I would think it would be worth moving to another room. I also made it very clear to friends and family that I couldn't talk on the phone. Some friends still called, but I just didn't answer (thanks to the caller ID) and let the recorder take it. They eventually got the message. Hope this helps. I know it's tough.
interruptions
I get the same thing. I thought I was the only one. My parents are the worst. My mom will call knowing I am working and when you say you are working she just keeps on talking. I just am going to have to quit answering. My dad will call sometimes too. And I get so fustrated. My friend does not answer the phone at all while she is working no matter who it is unless it is her husband or something. I believe I am going to have a new rule. If it isn't the school or my husband then I don't answer.
interruptions in your day
Hi all! I have been at this now for about 9-1/2 years and now that I have gotten serious  about trying to work it like a normal job, it seems EVERYTHING gets in the way!!! arrgh.
I work for two companies, one with assigned doctors (not much work) and one with pool work. I am struggling to consistently work enough hours doing the pool work. The money is good and the lines are decent, but it seems I have a hard time committing to it.
With the assigned doctors, they have XX patients, and I know I do those patients and I am done. I can't seem to finish out my time with the pool work. It is just stupid.
Anyway, after giving it a bit of thought this weekend, I decided to work my schedule like this. I will say because I have done assigned docs for so long, I am geared towards having a schedule of XX patients to work through and I don't have that with the pool work.
6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
6-10 pool work, 10-12 assigned doc, 12-4 pool work.
The issue I am having is my phone is ringing or there are issues with the kids, etc. So already this morning, basically 4 hours today have been shot due to phone/kids (HUGE ordeal this morning - I still have two kids at home, 16 and 17 - the joy of parenthood hehe).
I just feel like I can't get anywhere. Currently I am doing the assigned doc and of course no one is calling, no drama, etc., so I will go right through his work with no problems.
How do those of you who do pool work schedule yourselves? I think if I could ever get myself on a schedule with the pool work, which there is plenty of, I would drop the assigned doctor. My thinking is December 31 
Maybe my brain is just stuck on checking off patients on a list instead of playing "beat the clock" doing the pool work
HELP!!!!!
What average line count do you type per pay period. what is considered above average and how long
Slow day for me. Typed two reports in two hours. Anyone else having unusually slow day?
dd
Normal interruptions?
I have that much in about 2 hours because I am not tending house, watching after a 4 year old, cooking dinner, washing, have the phone on answer so I don't have problems with "normal" interruptions.
how long, on average, average a knee replacement would one be on Oxycontin?(sm)
My DH recently had knee replacement surgery a month and a half ago. The doctor has been prescribing oxycontin 30 mg this entire time. Husband has been trying to wean off of it and is down to 10 mg. He asked the doctor if he could come off it completely and the doc said to "just keep taking it." His next visit is in two months. With all the discussion lately about pain medication addiction, is it normal to be on this medication for this long and for the doctor to say "just keep taking it?" How long should one be on this med?
depends how fast the MT is......No one would want to pay me by the hour because I'm fast.
nm
how fast you can type, has little to do with how fast you can transcribe
Let's face it, we can only type as fast as the doctors dictate... worse, we can only type as fast as we can *understand* the doctors. Given someone who slurs or has a heavy accent, someone who clears his throat constantly or shuffles through the paper, given an unfamiliar account or work type, or an area we don't have much experience in and have to look up words, etc., any and all of these things combine to make typing speed not really relative at all. I personally type 110, but not when I'm transcribing. I tell most folks who ask, if you type 65-75 wpm, you're solidly in the ballpark for doing medical transcription.
Family interruptions - how to stop them
My family works outside of the house, but if they want something done they call me to run an errand, or they stop by just to chat or want me to run an errand with them. They think I can do it because I'm home. Does that happen to you?
home office and interruptions
I work out of my home doing medical transcription and have for quite some time. I love it except for the interruptions! I can't seem to get into the "zone" because of it and my production is down. Here is an example of what I find hard to deal with: Phone calls, contractors working on the house (one-time thing but still..), husband running the microwave (can't hear my voice files), husband in an out of the house on his days off, husband mowing the lawn right outside my office window. You get the picture. I have thought of moving my office to an upstairs bedroom but I really don't know if I would be gaining that much for all the trouble. A sound proof room would be nice!
I'm very discouraged right now. I would like to earn more money but it seems like an uphill battle! I have a hard time concentrating as it is (probably menopausal) and after so many interruptions in a day I feel like throwing in the towel!
How can I set up boundaries and keep them in place?  Any suggestions would be welcomed!
Many phone call interruptions ...
these days, but I had one ESL today who was dictating fine, but when he was talking on the phone I couldn't understand him at all. I just wish I knew a keyboard command to speed him up and then slow him down again when he comes back to dictate. Oh, and when he came back from his phone call he knew exactly where he'd been with no pause. How'd he do that? :oD
I may even be able to proofread and catch spelling errors (interruptions)!
I love the night shift! No interruptions and more work on the system.
I agree with poster below - Power NAPs! I am a napper, need my nap about 30 minutes to 1 hour, before my shift and a pot of coffee sometimes 2 gets me through!
Yeah, you're right. Who cares who licenses your software? Heck, I use all pirated software anyw
why pay for anything, right?
Except that is AGAINST THE LAW!!!
PLEASE see my question regarding daily interruptions, phone calls, drop in guests/COMPANY BOARD
A friend of mine got one and she is finding that some of her software, specifically her ISP software
x
If u need server software, try guild ftp. If just user software
then try cuteftp, coffeecupftp, or wsftp. They don't charge a line rate and I believe guildftp server software is still free.
Another big factor is software. If the software isn't
transcription friendly, it can really hurt your bottom line.
Otherwise, $1.20 per report is a pretty decent rate for radiology.
Good luck - hope it works out for you.
newbies
I applaud your attitude towards mentoring (especially since I'm a student and crave that!). To hold employees that are worth having the employer would only benefit by training the way he/she wants the employee to work.
As a baby boomer, I think the majority of us will work well past the retirement age set forth by the powers that be. I don't see that my retirement funds will pay for me to live another third of my life unemployed. Not to mention, the need to feel productive that many of us have. MT is the answer, allowing many to work at home (or in our RV's - not that I'll get one, not my thing).
As far as education goes, some schools are most likely sub-par, in it for the money only. Some are developing, some are downright outstanding. However, even a student attending one of the 'lesser' schools might be worth mentoring. Perhaps they attend that school because of fund shortages (I know that's why I am), that does not mean the student is sub-par. Yes, I agree some are looking for an easy buck, but some are looking for a CAREER, not a dollar. I know that's my goal.
ok - I'm getting off my soapbox, and hoping someone someday will give me the chance to work and help others too, when I get enough experience!
Newbies
Good luck in a field where our pay goes down each year, and our business costs soar. I received an e-mail that offered to transcribe my overflow for 3 cents a line. How can we compete with that? It seems the doctors just care about cheap labor instead of quality work....
It isn't that most of us have anything against newbies. sm
Just as in any field, when people have trained and worked hard to get where they are, they expect to be rewarded. Forlorn hope. As newer people come in, they are eager to learn, willing to take less money while they train. That means those of us that have been at it so long (18 years here) have to sometimes cut our prices to compete for the jobs. I won't even mention the off-shoring. Eighteen years experience means little to a company that only asks for two years. We do get bitter, not necessarily at the new people, but at the situation we're in.
People in all professions find this. New people come into teaching making as much as people that have been there 15 years. In other professions, a long-timer is replaced by someone new who works for much less. Do you think there isn't bitterness over this? The list goes on.
We all feel cheated, even those of us making a decent living, like me. Yes, I can make $16 an hour, but have to buy my own equipment, software, insurance, pay employment taxes, income taxes, Medicare tax, internet, long distance, etc. I'm lucky if I really make $8 an hour. Not much above working at WalMart, when you look at it like that.
Don't take it personally, most of us understand being new. But the money was easier to make then, and the competition wasn't so stiff. We're sympathetic with you, but we're also worried about our families. Ten years from now, when you're fighting to make what you make today, and utilities have tripled in that time, maybe you'll understand better. Good luck.
newbies
It's because so many newbies want to work M-F, at their own chosen hours and want to make $50K a year to begin with. They think because they took a course, they know everything and have nothing to learn. They resent established MTs who learned on the job.
I'm from the days when MTs were hired because of their good spelling and typing skills. They trained us on the job. We had very few resources, about 5 good reference books to use, but we were able to get feedback from the doctors, who actually respected us and what we did for them.
Now, too many newbies think that an online course or a couple semesters at the local community college put them on the same level as an MT with 10+ years of experience. Not true. There is no substitute for experience.
To the newbies who think they are too good to work holidays and weekends, I just say, why on earth did you take a job in healthcare, which is 24/7 365 days a year, if you want a 9-5, M-F job? Go to work for an insurance company or an accounting firm.
If you can't raise your family and hold down a job at the same time, then quit and let someone else have the opportunity.
There are so many newbies who cannot get a job and would
probably take that and not think twice. Twenty years ago I was making 6 cpl/gross line.
The newbies always do.....
d
Newbies.......
I have been in this field for 17 years and on 'another board' I was ridiculed beyond reason for posting a problem I had with a vendor who advertised on that site. Little did I know I was a site where there were cliques present, you know like high school. HEY we were all new at one time or another and how do you lean if you don't ask questions? Compassion, patience and understanding goes a long way.
we were all newbies once...
so what's with the vets vs. newbies attitude that has taken over this thread?
Sheesh people - it doesn't matter how many years we've been doing this - we're all in the same boat here. Just because some of us have more experience than others, that doesn't mean we're any better or that our opinions are more important.
I have to take back what I said earlier about having not seen any nastiness here because now I have - and it's right here in this thread.
Newbies
Like you, I had a mentor in a former R.N. who started a small transcription company. I knew some medical terms but not much. I did have the advantage, however, of being a very fast typist at that point. But I had never worked with any type of dictation equipment. I started when I was 26 and more or less retired at the age of 67. To say that this profession is on life support is probably the most accurate and honest statement I've heard in a long time. I was able to work at home with young children and it was a God-send at that time. For years I worked full-time for a large group as a salaried employee plus worked several nights a week at a local hospital because they had new computerized equipment and I wanted to learn that. I still love the medical profession and all that it entails and am truly sorry that now all the bits and pieces stored in my brain won't be used any longer for transcription. I still try to read about medicine and get on this site frequently just to "keep up" but, again, the profession as we oldies knew it is dead in the water. My own family physician has already switched to EMR. In fact, he types his own notes as he sees the patient. He said the group could not afford to hire a transcriptionist. To put it mildly, transcription "ain't" what it used to be, that's for sure. So sad, really.
Newbies
Hi! Where does a newbie get started? I am working at a large local hospital in the Transcription Dept. and have been here a year. I transcribe 2 days and I do tech work. I just finished my internship and I have my MT certificate. :) I do not know where to start to find MT work as a newbie. Anyone have any advice? I am able to get 2 days transcribing at my current job but I want a second job transcribing. Any adivce is greatly appreciated! :)
I think 100 may be a lot for brand new newbies. nm
nm
Message for newbies
Please go to www.careerbuilder.com. On the left hand side, enter into 'keyword' box, 'transcription work from home'. Do not enter a city or state or category. Now click on 'search'. There are several jobs her for transcriptionists with little experience. Some of them require that you live in a certain area. Many of them do not. When you call to inquire about these positions, make sure that it's not some sort of school thing that requires you to pay a fee. I hope this is helpful.
I think the newbies who are just getting into the business sm
need to hear the truth about this organization before they get taken in by them.
No, why do you ask? They are very good with newbies (nm)
a
Taking on newbies.
The company I worked for took on newbies who had completed an MT course or had experience in an associated field. They were hired on at a slightly lower rate. Some were raised up in about a month when they proved to be good transcriptionists, and went on to become excellent employees. Some realized very soon that they could not cut it, and usually quit on their own. They were given only as much work as they could complete, and only were let go if their quality was awful and they did not improve over a few weeks time. It can be done and is often very much worth the money and time spent.
I know of svl newbies who get offered what I get now with 13+ yrs in!! Sad..and
s
Well, I will tell you newbies make
the same as you! That's pretty sad considering how long you have been doing it, but I made that right out of school
Why do you accept low pay for newbies?
I said it below but trascribing is a higher skill than alphabetizing.
The low pay for new MTs is unacceptable. Even after the huge discussion I do not understand the idea that putting in your time = working for low wages. I don't expect a new MT to make as much as an experienced one but they still should earn more than a file clerk or housekeeper.
Hospitals pay for *months* of training when a floor nurse goes to the OR. The floor nurse requires one on one training in the OR. They also pay for months of training for OR/"scrub" and anesthesia techs before they are considered productive. I don't understand why a new MT should work for $9/hour when a file clerk earns more than that. I understand the file clerk is productive after a few hours but the hosptial pays training time for other positions.
I am honestly asking this. I do not want a MT strike, MTs to type their initials on screwed up reports or a MT sit in at the medical director's office. Why is it accepted in the transcription community for a new MT to earn less than anyone else in the doctor's office?
Most newbies ARE screwed.
I personally know two people, one of whom I mentored through her training program, who could get jobs in the field. No one would let them get a foot in the door. So I understand that frustration from that point of view, because these people have had to count their training money as a loss and go on to other things. I was so sad for them, and angry at the penny-pinching MT profession as it is today, which has few opportunities for in-house training for new people to learn what they need to know to succeed.
I think a lot of the bitterness you sense is really toward the big companies and the direction that the profession has taken. There is no place anymore for newbies to learn and "pay their dues" the way many of us had to do it.
I also agree with the poster below who said this is something that is in EVERY profession nowadays. My own father was pretty well forced into retirement, and yet they had the nerve to call him afterwards trying to pick his brain because his successor, half his age, couldn't figure something out. (He informed them of his consultant rate, take it or leave it.) As the other poster said, you find it in teaching and other professions, as well.
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