Your biggest problem will be with OP Notes.

I would buy the newest editions of Stedman's Surgical Word Book, Stedman's Medical Equipment Word Book, and Tessier's Surgical Word Book.  Those three books will be your best friends in hospital transcription.

I would also invest in Stedman's Lab and Pathology Word Book too because you'll run across a lot of lab tests you've never heard of and would probably never hear about in the clinic setting.

• New to hospital transcription - Amanda
  • DEFINITELY BUY BOOKS...(sm) - cbmt
    • Not talking about Googling - sm
  • The main difference is more in-depth information. - see message
  • Don't buy books. Use the internet for research. - There are tons of websites to use. The day
    • Nooo... books are impt especially when you are new... - curious cat
    • Using the internet is fine if you - have excellent research skills and (sm)
    • You can't always trust websites. I have - see message
    • Buy books. - MSMT
      • I agree...buy books - Christina
        • Yup, buy the books! SM - RockinMT
          • Plus, w/books you come across other things that you'll remember seeing later on when needed. - nm
  • I have a few Stedman's word books that I plan to sell, sm - nm
  • Your biggest problem will be with OP Notes. - SM
  • Get a good set of speciality - see message
    • Don't fret! - Anna
    • Reply to get a good set of specialty books - Amanda
      • They have a book for every speciality, i.e. - see message
      • All different word books, surgical - term books. sm
  • been there..... - zoe
    • Not true - Anon
      • Well said! I went from clinic to hospital. sm - Old and Wise

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As long as I get the work done, I can do it when I want to without being chained to my computer. 

Plus, I don't know why you think ICs net 50% less than if they work on an employee basis.  I've worked as both an IC and employee and, although I don't have benefits, I make much more as an IC.

to watch cars go round and round and round and round for hours, days, weeks, months, years.......I get the gambling side of NASCAR but I don't get that it truly is (and IT TRULY IS!!!) the biggest spectator sport out there.

I volunteer for a local food back through United Methodist Open Door.  They do not provide money for rent or anything, but they will give you some food and a referral to other agencies that provide assistance. They do ask for proof of income, but if you are experiencing a short-term situation, they will help you.  They never turn anyone away hungry.  I am sure there are such things in your area as well.

I hope you find some help.  I am sure it is very scary right now.  I will keep yo in my prayers.  Good luck to you.  Hope you heal quickly.

I've been at this a couple of years now and still too slow.  Aside from my own issuse of looking things up, getting my Expanders accumulated, etc., I am wondering how to sort out some of the technical issues.

I hear a lot of talk about platforms, but I think the one I am using is ok (what excactly should I be looking for to determine that?).  Also, I noticed the computer seems fairly slow in general.  I use the Internet for searches, but it seems it takes longer than it should if I put a word into the dictionary search or acronym search, and so on.  (I have some books but just as slow with them and need different glasses right now so have trouble reading them.)

I am certain we need more RAM, but it also seems our connection has slowed down as well.  Connecting to the server takes longer than it used to and the e-mail opens up more slowly.

On top of all that, the data screen slows me down.  There is always something that causes trouble, like, if they don't say a certain thing, then delete something else and check a box ... Or, they will enter a doc's name, but it needs to go in a different field, so we have to move it.

Any thoughts on these things and tips on how to work around it the best I can?  Thanks a bunch!! 

This is my biggest problem.. Every mother within a 20-mile radius thinks I am their emergency backup babysitter.  I lost a friend over this.  She asked me to babysit, I said no, she showed up at my door anyway and begged me to take her kid, and I refused.  She hasn't spoken to me since.  Several other mothers have expected the same thing, some that I don't even really know, and I have had to be very firm and stand my ground. 

is the use of Pull-Ups.  Ever since they came out with absorbent (and now humungous sized) disposable diapers and Pull-Ups, kids are training later and later.  What discomfort do they have to endure wearing these wonderful dry feeling comfortable garments?  No more Pull-Ups and no more diapers.  Tell him that the law is that they won't sell diapers to people who don't have children under the age of 3.  That takes care of the visual of diapers in the store. 

Just go cold turkey.  Put him in underwear (and not thick absorbent training pants either) and get ready to do a lot of laundry for a while.  Take him out for some really cute underwear with the character of his choice on them, and just be positive.  If he has an accident just say "uh oh, you forgot to go to the bathroom" and just hand him clean dry clothing to change into.  He'll get REAL TIRED of all the changing after about 2 days.  There is no way on earth that a child of 3-1/2 has no physical control over their toileting, unless there's something wrong with them physically.  So it's just a matter of him taking the initiative.  Good luck.

the dreaded words "obese female" and "looks older than stated age!"  UGH!!!!

with the majority of the blanks being unnecessary and due to just plain laziness.  They don't want to pick up a reference book or they don't own any reference books and they are too lazy to Google it. 

It's almost as if I've transcribed the entire report myself!

His piercings and tattoes are somewhat distracting but........ he's okay.  Bruce?  Back in the day.

Don't worry.  It has been my experience being a Transcriptionist for a huge hospital that I loved the ER notes the most.  They are really pretty much abbreviated H&P's and are sometimes the most interesting reports of all.  Not nearly as difficult as some surgeries or discharges notes can be.  Simple and brief and sometimes a really good story.

I do two internal medicine Docs, SOAP notes only and minor procedures and love it  I also did other specialities, but all that was lost to outsourcing to INDIA!

I love doing OP notes. They are so interesting. Anyway there is a website that I use now and then and it is

www.mt911.com it also has samples.com on it and has alot of different samples.

Also a good reference book is The surgical word book by Saunders.

Hope this helps.

Any good sites for OP notes?

thanks Lori

Does anybody have any tips on the best places to specialize in op notes?   I need a place where I can do heavy volume ops -- not interested in basic 4 stuff.

Thanks.