Yeah, well, satisfaction guaranteed did not mean that with me. nm

• Where to buy headphones, below the chin, small ear pieces - jus me
  • Small ear pieces - jgr
    • Alas. Those MP35's are extinct. SM - Blu
    • Could you share a link? I looked there and didn't see what you describe. - thanks
  • Check out transcriptiongear.com. Large selection, great service. nm - wanderer
    • Bad experience with them here. Looking elsewhere. - x
      • I've used them several times w/o any probs at all. nm - wanderer
        • Yeah, well, satisfaction guaranteed did not mean that with me. nm - I wasn't, too bad.

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hourly wage for the assignment, the terms of which should be made very clear between you and the agency.  I have worked for years doing just temp work, one of my temp jobs lasted almost 2 years.  I just wish the temp agencies were hiring MTs now. 

Two things to get straight up front: Your duties and your hourly wage. They'll usually give you a term on the assignment, i.e., 1 day, 1 week, indefinite (those are the best.. meaning the client wants someone long-term if they work out). They can't guarantee you the length of the assignment - of course, they want you on it as long as possible - they get about $1.00 for every $2.00 you earn.  The agency is your employer - they pay your taxes, issue your check, etc.

As far as testing, from my experience, the larger agencies will usually test you in their facility, which is probably the best, you test once with them, that's it.  The trend with some of the smaller ones which have crept up is this: Since they don't really have the facilities or invested in software to test your properly, and having said that, they can't vouch for your skills to the client - these small agencies are really nothing more than middlemen  -they will try to have you test with the client.

I (this a personal choice) will not "test" with a client on a temporary job - you may choose to do so, however.  I may spend half a day travel, half a day testing - on a job that may last only a half day - remember, with a temp job, you won't know if you'll even have a job tomorrow.  I figure the agency stands to make a lot of money if they place me (at least half of what I make) - they can darn well set up their testing at their office. 

hourly wage for the assignment, the terms of which should be made very clear between you and the agency.  I have worked for years doing just temp work, one of my temp jobs lasted almost 2 years.  I just wish the temp agencies were hiring MTs now. 

Two things to get straight up front: Your duties and your hourly wage. They'll usually give you a term on the assignment, i.e., 1 day, 1 week, indefinite (those are the best.. meaning the client wants someone long-term if they work out). They can't guarantee you the length of the assignment - of course, they want you on it as long as possible - they get about $1.00 for every $2.00 you earn.  The agency is your employer - they pay your taxes, issue your check, etc.

As far as testing, from my experience, the larger agencies will usually test you in their facility, which is probably the best, you test once with them, that's it.  The trend with some of the smaller ones which have crept up is this: Since they don't really have the facilities or invested in software to test your properly, and having said that, they can't vouch for your skills to the client - these small agencies are really nothing more than middlemen  -they will try to have you test with the client.

I (this a personal choice) will not "test" with a client on a temporary job - you may choose to do so, however.  I may spend half a day travel, half a day testing - on a job that may last only a half day - remember, with a temp job, you won't know if you'll even have a job tomorrow.  I figure the agency stands to make a lot of money if they place me (at least half of what I make) - they can darn well set up their testing at their office. 

It seems people everywhere are looking for positivity - especially in light of the Katrina disaster, on top of the 9/11 anniversary, the Iraq war, tensions in every aspect of our life.  I'm going to share a personal mantra of mine that has helped me in the past, is soothing me now, and will greatly benefit me in the future as well.

Fasting can be looked at in different ways.  Most of the time, we think of it purely toward food and most of the time associate it with religion.  Fasting, however, is really a drawing back, holding back, purposefully now allowing full satisfaction.  You can do this in any and all aspects of your life.  Fasting as a way of life can change your life -- it has mine.

By not allowing myself to fully satisfy whatever aspect I am engaging, I make room for personal growth and fulfillment from that innate resource of the soul.  I recognize God as my maker, my Father, my Savior.  Some recognize other forms of higher power.  I can speak from MY experience, my beliefs, that fasting in areas of your life as a way of living will grant Him room to give you satisfaction and fulfillment beyond what you could have achieved without it.

You can fast with money -- don't buy everything you want to with the last $5 in your hand, give it away.  Give it to some worthy cause.  Give it to church.  Buy diapers or food for a local shelter.  Don't take all your money for just yourself.

You can fast with time -- give 30 minutes a week to read stories to children at the library, to visit a nursing home and play checkers or just talk and hold the hands of people who have no control over their fate, or volunteer with CASA or a battered women's shelter, or even a school to help with room mothers or watch traffic at the high school, etc.  Don't take all your time for just yourself.

You can fast with your intellect -- give an hour a week to work on changing a problem in your community, your state, your local government, your school district, this nation, this world.  Use your mind and determine a value really close to your heart and then use your intellect to understand where you can help and do so.  Don't take all your intellectual energy for just yourself.

You can fast spiritually -- give an hour or two a week in prayer for simply thanks.  It takes the focus off YOU.  It puts it on OTHERS.  It directs your attention away from what you are inundated with all the time.  Don't take all your prayer time for just yourself.

Of course, you can fast with food as well.  Wednesdays are the middle of the work week and perhaps you could do a juice fast (only juice/water) for the day, or fast from something you usually indulge in, or just simply decide to always leave food uneaten on your plate every meal.  Do it with the remembrance of the millions who die every single day from not having food to eat.  Do it to recognize that we have it all right here in our own backyard.  Do it to recognize the choice you have of whether you WANT to eat, what you want to eat, how much you want, etc.  Maybe you will fast a meal and send the makings of one to a shelter or to a family in need.  Don't take all the food just for yourself.

The list can go on and on and on.  It truly works.  You can start really really small and if you want to increase what you are enjoying, you've a base to start on.  Start with $5 a payperiod to invest in others; 30 minutes a week to give to others; 30 minutes a week studying and working toward resolution of a problem in your world somewhere; 30 minutes a week of prayer for others; a meal a week for others. 

Trust me, it is a different type of sacrifice.  One that only offers positive results and they are guaranteed for everyone. 

Here is another poll. I would like to hear from anybody with MT experience, but I am especially interested to hear from MTs with 10+ years experience.

If you had to do it over again, would you still have gotten into the field of MT?

I feel like I really have to push myself to get the work done.  I hate the feast and famine of the work.  I hate working weekends and holidays with no incentives.  I feel unappreciated and isolated with this job.  People act like this career is a joke and I must have plenty of time on my hands, so why don't I just drive to their house tonite?  The only reason I'm keeping the job I have is because of the pay and haven't found the same pay anywhere else!  There aren't a lot of choices anymore and not much medical work in this area so...would have to work for a national and I not only hate working for a national, I hate the pay!

Good luck with what you decide.  There are many things you can do without spending a lifetime in school.  Start checking the papers.  There are other jobs where you can work at home also.

I understand where you're coming from.  The respect is just not there anymore.  Everyone in this business has heard for years about how voice recognition and EMRs are going to replace us all, which I just don't buy.  I work for a national on a difficult account with many ESLs, and it generates lots of work.  Every summer we have problems keeping up with turnaround but the management has yet to come up with a solution that actually works consistently.  I suspect it's a combination of MTs having kids home from school during the day now, vacations being taken, and people not working their schedules,  but most of all I think it's just plain burnout - we deserve to enjoy the summer too.  Last summer I worked so much to the point that I think I did substantial damage, and my body just cannot take it anymore (been at it for about 20 years, the last 10 years of it steady).  The powers that be fail to understand that we are not machines! 

Uh-huh

That makes complete sense (not).

It's called MT stars, as in medical transcription, so post regarding medical transcription - as in the profession......understand that?

You want Regis and whatsername?  Post on that board.

You want Romper Room?  They have their board, too......   Get the message honey bun?

Account instruction#1 says bold and CAPITALIZE allergies, list medications in number form regardless of what dictator says. Do NOT abbreviate in HPI, but you can abbreviate in Assessment if the doc does.  Don't use degree sign unless doctor dictates it.  List assessment in number form, even if there's only one item.

Account instruction #2 says bold headings but never bold or capitalize allergies.  Only expand abbreviations in Assessment but nowhere else in document.  Be sure to use degree sign when typing temperatures.  If there is more than one item in the assessment, use number form in listing them.

Account instruction #3 says never bold or capitalize allergies, don't abbreviate anything.  Never number medications, even if dictated by physician.  Can use the degree symbol if Drs. A, B, and C dictate such.  If Dr. D dictates patient's name in body of report and uses words that don't exist in the English language, be sure to type what he says since it's a verbatim account, and he complains all the  time that he doesn't want his report to sound so *formal* by using *the patient* instead of the name.   For all other reports, use *the patient.*  If Dr. E dictates the patient's sister, Sara, do NOT use the name Sara and just type *the patient's sister," regardless of what he really says. Dr. F might not dictated a numbered assessment list, but that's what he means.  Dr. G prefers to see the text of H&Ps on the same line as the heading, but on his consults, he thinks it looks better if there's a hard return, with the text starting on the next line.

As an Editor for multiple accounts, are you sure that YOU'RE paying attention to all the little idiosyncrasies contained in the sometimes 20-30 PAGES of account instructions for any given account? If so, I doubt you would find it so easy.

live in Bush's world.  Must be nice there! 

I would go for the scrubbing toilets... at least you get more  respect!