e:poverty..opinion from the inside out
Posted By: MQ'r on 2005-09-12
In Reply to: Regarding poverty in America... A little survey - SM
I am one of 6 born to parents who (yes, the same for all 6) who were both born in the same low income area of town, little education past 6th grade, yet what attracted my parents to each other in the beginning was there committment to do better for themselves and get out. Yes, they started having us kids at a young age (hormones, lack of sex education, etc), but they raised us all with love, in the church and the strong faith that with hard work, we all could do better. It was'nt easy, going to school in hand me downs, not having the nicest things, but with love and committment, all of us kids got our education and all graduated from college, some 2yrs, some 4. My parents were so proud of us but as we got older and dared to speak up to daddy (very firm man), we kinda said...you demand the knowledge for us, then we demand the same for you. My parents did eventually get their GED's and you would have thought they graduated from Harvard.(I swear daddy did it as a challenge more to not let us kids down).just the same in our book that they even took the challenge. It has opened up such a world for them both, if we can't find mom, she's usually at the library lol.
As I got older I realized that yes, we did get help with food stamps when bills were high but both my parents worked long hours to make ends meet and we were loved and cared for, sometimes rebelling against the strictness, but looking back, I see why.
On the other hand, I can look at some of my aunts, uncles and cousins, the ones who kept believing my grandmother, who beat it into my dad and his siblings heads that they "won't mount to much, ya never gonna make it out here, so quit dreaming and just let the govrnment folk take care of you"! I love granny dearly but that is the mentality that She was raised with. The cycle broke with my Dad and one other Aunt, but ironically, that has caused an uneasy distance from the rest of the family, including granny who not once attended any of the graduations. We're the "high falooting book smart kin" who are too good to come home...not, we just would like to have them at our homes sometimes and it hurts. It hurts to see my extended family living in the lowest part of town, can't watch the news anymore because of all the shootings, drug busts, etc and we tend to hear from the cousins and their kids when they call from jail needing bail.
Thank God some of my cousins did come to live with us over the years and they are now educated, productive citizens, living a decent life who have broken that cycle of mentality & poverty. It's a struggle when you are born into nothing, are told you never will have anything, look around you and see nothing but the projects, drugs and poverty and see the programs that are offered but your parent or parents are suspicious of, therefore keeping the chains on. This coming from my cousins.
Ok, sorry, did not mean to ramble on and on, just wanting to answer from the inside that I've heard about growing up.
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My opinion... see inside
First of all, you should be charging them for any inquires. Get that contract written up and include the fees. Charge them for each phone call, e-mail, etc. Watch how fast they quit calling you. However, if your contract states a certain turnaround, then you must provide that or it is a breech of said contract.
Secondly, you should not have to tell them you are going out of town. Independent contractor means they cannot set your hours. Sure, they can try and call, but your response is not up to their discretion.
Your daughter is correct in that you should probably try to keep that until you find something else, but don't worry yourself too much about not getting back to them in a timely manner. They obviously like your work or they would find something else. There are plenty of options, and obviously you are the best/cheapest, whathaveyou, etc., etc. They would not get away with making inquires to an outside service and NOT being charged as such.
Lots of MTSOs seems like the best way to go for most physicians, but they nickel and dime them to death. Your time is just as valuable as their time, and until you realize this, you will struggle with this issue.
I had a supervisor that wanted more from me, and I told her that would require more $$ in my paycheck, and she said she had to go to a meeting, and I haven't talked to her since. That was 7 years ago. I left that department and have since left the entire place. Hang in there, as it sounds like you are definitely a team player, but somewhat of a pushover (like myself). Live and learn... 
poverty
neither!
Perpetual poverty.
.
Regarding poverty in America... A little survey
Do you believe that:
A: Poverty is mostly the result of poor choices in life, either by yourself or by your parents and grandparents before you, thereby setting up the vicious cycle. Early parenthood, out-of-wedlock births, no father in the home, recycled boyfriends in and out of a home, lack of early childhood stimulation with books/toys, lack of routine and academic expectations, etc.
OR
B: Poverty is societal. Poor people have no choices in America and no real opportunity or ability to raise themselves out of poverty. The way to end poverty is to increase social programs until people are not living in poverty anymore. Poverty is societies fault and the government's fault and therefore theirs to fix.
Easy to blame it on poverty
I grew up in poverty, much like Loretta Lynn in Coal Miners Daughter. I mean poverty.....pair of shoes a year, you name it, yet I never murdered anyone, nobody in my family murdered anyone, we didn't rob the local gas station, we didn't murder tourists. We also didn't hang around on the street corner selling drugs. We worked, all of us, doing whatever it took to survive and not a one of us ever collected public assistance. In fact I had never heard of public assistance until I was in my 20s and had moved out of state to Texas and saw somebody using food stamps and didn't know what they were! I thought Texas had a special colored money different from the "green" I was used to seeing.
Education doesn't cost a dime. I don't care if you have to wear clothes with holes in them, it's your MIND that matters, not what you wear to school. College is just about free for anybody who wants to go with special programs especially for single mothers, minorities, and those under certain income levels. I loved learning from a very young age and with my own children, school comes first above and beyond all other activities. They work for what they want, both inside the home and out. I have four, not one has ever been in trouble, not one drinks or smokes. So saying poverty breeds violence is an excuse. What people need are parents with responsibility, and having 5 or more children out of wedlock by different fathers is not responsible. Not working is not being responsible. Not setting boundaries for your children is not responsible. I know many all-white absolutely destitute areas in coal country and you can drive through there without getting shot, mugged, or having your car stolen. I knew many nurses in the New Orleans area who grew up in the projects, went to college and decided they wouldn't raise their children like that. That's responsibility. Not letting your pre teen and teen children run the streets at all hours, that's responsibility. Working and showing your children you can succeed with schooling and working, that's responsibility. Not showing up at school yelling prejudice because your child smacked a teacher and got expelled, that's responsibility.
I did a quick search for crime stats and found this:
http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?city=New+Orleans&state=LA
Also, my ex is in the national guard in Texas and was there when people were relocated to help keep order. He saw people dragging in televisions, designer clothes and shoes, etc., all with the vouchers they were given to find housing. Texas welcomed people with open arms and a small percentage did find housing and went back to work, but the larger majority wasted the money and then were extremely upset that there was no more. These were people of all races. One businessman offered his home to a white family of 7 and told them they didn't have to pay until they went to work. Four months later they still weren't working and when he went in the house to do a repair they requested, the house had been ruined, totally. Carpets burned and stained, holes in the walls, absolute filth. The home was worth 256,000 when he provided it to them, and after the finally got them out it took him just under 100,000 to redo the destruction. Once again, poverty is no excuse! They should have taken the opportunity to look for work and been happy they were in a great neighborhood outside of Houston with good schools and good churches, full community support. I have an illness that will kill me and I'm in pain daily, but I work and I'll keep working until I drop. I couldn't anymore support my family on Disability than sprout wings and fly. It all depends on mindset and determination and nobody told me when I was born that I should expect our government to just hand me everything and I can sit back and do nothing.
India jobs and poverty
I agree with mag's post! Mag, you must live in Ohio like me. We are a very impoverished state right now, #1 in bankruptcy and #1 or close to it in foreclosures in the U.S. President Bush has DONE NOTHING for our state. . . many, many jobs have been lost. I quit doing transcription this year because like many other posters on this board, I'm not going to work for 8 cpl with over 35+ years' experience. I might as well work at Wendy's or McDonald's. At least you get the minimum wage and your food at reduced prices or free. . . . which is more than I can say for most transcription jobs. It was a struggle and a very hard decision for me to reach because I loved transcription but the money just isn't there any longer. For the few who say they make a decent living, they must type 20 hours a day to do so. The only reason these jobs are outsourced, whether to India, Pakistan or Mexico, is to SAVE MONEY! Bottom line! Money!
I just listed some items on E-Bay and made more in one week than I made in a month doing transcription. So why bother any longer?
I agree, ten years from now we will probably be a third world country.
Poverty in India versus America
Honey, why do you think they work for 4 cents a line on average. If you have never been there, you do not even know what you are talking about.
k, that is your opinion, i stated mine. poor quality in my opinion shows bad work ethics if they do
;
ABSOLUTELY. Poverty doesn't just happen. The programs
shouldn't just pay you to sit on your butt and do nothing. People need to be working for what they get. I wouldn't care if they shoveled public sidewalks in the winter here, just make them earn what they get instead of just giving a handout. After a while, they'd want a better job than what they could get for what they consider "free money" and they'd work to find a job. Pay for training if we must, but compel them to GET A JOB or do the work that the government needs done. Why pay a Dept. of Public Works person $15+ per hour to shovel sidewalks when we could give they welfare patron a shovel and make them earn it???
Will you share what you think poverty wages means, i.e. pay scale? nm
x
INDIA WILL CONTINUE LEADING US-BEEN OVERSEAS AND SEEN POVERTY!!!!!
 So many of us do not know what it is like to live in poverty. India is still divided between the rich and poor. Consequently, that leaves the so many of the poor to work like dogs just to support themselves and their extended family members. I am tired of everyone talking about the Indian MTs. We need to be in their shoes also. All and all, AMERICA IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE!!!!! THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY!!!!
Open your eyes. Poverty is very much alive in our own country.
Why not? I have a right to an opinion and it is what it is. (nm)
x
Ah, of course, an OPINION. Uh-huh.
You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. However, the statement "it is what it is" indicates that you don't truly consider it your opinion. You have decided that's the way it is and your mind is closed.
I strongly object to the sweeping across-the-board statements from you and the OP that MTs working for large national companies are either clueless or gutless.
There are many MTs working for large national companies that are paid well, treated well, and have no complaints. That does not make us "gutless." That makes us productive members of society.
What do YOU suggest? What are you doing to show YOUR guts? What is your plan for change? Where do you think all these MTs should go to work? You and the OP are very quick to say what YOU would do instead - but that's a solution YOU find acceptable and/or workable. Personally, I would NEVER work as a telemarketer again unless I was truly desperate.
Working outside the home also isn't a feasible option for me and many others. What is your solution in that situation? Stop working altogether?
My opinion.........sm
I believe many MTs stay with these Nazi-like companies* because their self-confidance has been pummeled into the ground by the abusive, demoralizing treatment they are subjected to every day. It's like the well known pattern of an abused child who clings to the abusive parent. What they don't realize, or refuse to see is that more and more MTs are putting their foot down and refusing to stay with companies that offshore, cut our pay, treat us like dogs, and then have the audacity to use us to help them achieve their ultimate goal of eradicating our profession. Why is VR technology becoming more and more sophisticated with each passing day? Because we're helping them do it!! Kind of like digging your own grave.
I truly believe that if enough of us take matters into our own hands by showing them that "We're mad as hell, and we're not taking this anymore" we can together turn the tables on these money hungry vermin. Do the math. We are "still" the backbone of the industry. We need to take action NOW while we still have the power.
* No ethnically based offense intended. Just trying to make a point.
opinion
Figure out your pros and cons to keeping your current job and the pros and cons to having a home-based job -- consider your need for medical insurance, gas money, clothing allowance for work outside of the home, eating out for lunch, not having to deal with co-workers on their crabby days, et cetera. Most likely you will not start at $15/hour but with saving money elsewhere while being home-based it might make it worth the loss of a few bucks to be home. I do have two children (7 & 10) whom are very active in extracurricular activities and it is a huge bonus to be able to split my shift when needed with no questions asked. My employer is very flexible. When school is out for the summer, it does slow down my production...but children aren't home forever...so I'll deal with it. There are a lot of jobs available but only half of them are worth the time...be choosy and check them out thoroughly before deciding. Good luck with your decision.
So your opinion is okay,
but no one else can give theirs. Yeah. Wrong. 
Want my opinion - here it is anyway
You wany my opinion, either way, here it is. Yes, for all of those that CONSTANTLY, AND I MEAN CONSTANTLY bash Medquist - find another hobby. You have already done and beat the darn horse dead - let it alone. Personally, I cannot wait for the phone call to tell me what changes they have made. Already the bashers are criticizing their plan and yet no one knows what it is. On the other hand, if there was no plan established, the complainers would be at it again - COMPLAINING THAT THERE IS NO PLAN. What is it going to take for you unhappy MTs to just quit already - I mean both quit your job and your complaining?
To all you complainers take my advice and "just zip it already"
I am always right and here is my opinion
Why, Dr. Phil here. Is there a problem. These people are living life to the fullest, something we ALL need to do. If you die tomorrow, can you say your last day on earth was spent having fun - probably not. GO HAVE FUN AND LOVE LIFE AND LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST.
I say HOORAY to these nasty posters for having fun!
My opinion
I apologize to you then MQx4 if all these posts were not yours. It is very difficult to determine who is who anymore.
Although, in those crazy people's defense, I actually did find those posters rather hillarious! I am just your average MT and no I am not disturbed in any way, just enjoy a raw sense of humor now and then. Please don't bash me for saying that, it is just my opinion. A raw sense of humor is not grounds for being in the psyhiatric ward. A good laugh every now and then does wonders for the body (burns lots and lots of calories you know). With that being said, we should welcome everyone here and as long as I am personally not being threatened, then I really am up for any conversation and/or jokes or whatever.
It's nice to know who you are talking with, so MQx4 thanks for being consistent with your name. Sorry if I addressed some of those posts to you!
Opinion of what
UH OH - Just watched FOX News and they indicate that Rita may become a category 4 or perhaps even a 5 once she hits the warm waters. From what I heard, it is heading for Texas - how awful considering that there are hundreds of thousands of evacuees already there from Katrina. Any thoughts or has anyone heard anything different of what could or might happen in the upcoming days?
Share your thoughts with us.
My opinion
To me, it is like watching a good movie, however we have no video to go with the audio. I am not so much for the swearing, but c'mon it is hillarious to hear people's reactions and comebacks.
my opinion
In my opinion, if you do not need to make a certain amount of money each week and you have another source of income, i.e. spouse, then going the IC route may be for you.
But if you depend on the benefits, certain pay amount, dependability in that pay, etc., then stay at the hospital. All the MTSOs can tell you "oh we have benefits and plenty of work, blah blah blah..." but guess what?? You do not know what is going to happen to that account you start out on. You could end up sharing it with 10 other MTs, then all of a sudden, 10 more MTs jump on that account because the MTSO lost a particular account or has no work on other accounts, etc. That changes your pay. I could go on and on about the ups and downs of working full time for an MTSO, but I would be here all day typing.
But one thing is this - very rarely do you get to "set your own hours" as a full time MT with an MTSO.
My opinion.....
If you want to be proficient in MT'g, you can't unless you know business English inside and out. Check out your local community college. It will be time and $$$ well spent, and remember, knowlege is power.
Also remember, grammar is very important in this business. A simple hyphen can completely change the meaning of a sentence.....
Case in point:
I saw a man eating shark.
I saw a man-eating shark.
See what I mean?
My opinion...
What your step-father is doing is horrible, but I don't understand your reaction towards your mother.
You expect your mother to "see" what is going on without directly telling her. If she has no idea what's going on, how could she possibly understand why you are treating him the way you are?
Do you think it is fair to end your relationship with your mother over something that she has no idea about? If you are going to end your relationship with her, she at least has the right to know why. You are not "saving her the embarrassment." You are taking the easy way out. I think it is mean to do this to her.
It is not fair how your step-father is treating you. It is wrong. But 10% of life is what happens to you and 90% is how you respond to it. Do the right thing. Tell your mother and everyone else what is going on. Keeping silent only protects him.
Personally, if my daughter ever told me what you just said about someone I was with, he'd get the boot right out the door. I don't think I would even wait for an explanation from him. Give your mother an opportunity to do just that.
My opinion is....
Go for it, just say you were wondering if they got your email, as you haven't heard back from them. That gives you the excuse to get one on the phone, then maybe you could get down to the nitty gritty of what positions they have open, what shifts, what are they willing or planning to pay, etc.
Please help! Really REALLY need your opinion SM
I have been asked to transcribe some training material for my brother-in-law. He puts together training manuals for addiction medicine counselors and has a lot of things that he needs transcribed into Word. (They are on tapes, VHS, DVD, etc., but he is going to put them all in a wav file format for me to transcribe.) He wants to pay me the normal going rate.
He wants to know how I would charge (word, line, job, etc.). I have decided to do 65 character lines including spaces, but need to know how much per line would be appropriate.
I don't know if this makes a difference, but he's in Minnesota. I am leaning toward 14 cents per line, but wonder if that is too much?
Please let me know what you think.
Chickadee
I did it, here's my opinion.
I was in QA/QA management for many years. I lost touch with what being an MT was about. It happens.
I regret many things I corrected while in QA because, quite frankly, being an MT is a very hard job and QA shouldn't sweat the small stuff. Anyway, I went back into transcription part time and felt as if the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders. I enjoyed working again.
Now I have the fun of laughing over the tiny **** that QA finds to pick on in order to find errors on a review (hyphens, commas). Heck, I got a major error for not putting a capital letter in the middle of a drug name! Yikes! Did the patient die? No! But it's a major error. lol.....
I hope that someday the person who is QAing me will have the same "a-ha!" moment I did, but in the meantime I'll just smile and be grateful I'm not in her shoes. Or working for the manager who insists on such silly scoring.
I've gone back to transcribing full time with a hospital (yes!), and I'm making more money than I ever have in my life--even more than as a QA manager.
Do it! Go back to your roots, your first love, and enjoy the PEACE that transcribing brings.
My opinion is that you should
Go visit the family and come back. I think this is a great opportunity for you to be able, somewhere down the line, to have a lot of freedom in your life. When you finally get the house and aren't taking care of this person anymore, you will have the freedom to go visit them whenever you want and even stay there for long periods of time and still have the peace of mind that you have a home to live in that is paid for and that is a major expense that you won't have. Lets face it, not a lot of us have a retirement and most of us will work until die just trying to keep up the house payment. That is a real load lifter you've been offered.
My opinion
I know that what's one man's poison is another man's feast, but I wouldn't give you two cents for the Bahamas - the natives are ruder than heck and everything is priced beyond belief. UGH! If I'm going to see water and beaches, I want to go where it's worth looking at; i.e., the Pacific Ocean - The Oregon Coast and/or Southern California! Now THAT's a BEACH, and the food? Oooh LA la!
it is my opinion that you are very ill....sm
do you need any one of us to make an appointment with the nearest psych MD? Maybe we can book you a room in Bellevue Hospital.....
just my opinion
First off, let me say how sorry I am that you and your children are going through this horrible experience. I completely understand your range of emotions. I left an abusive alcoholic many years ago with 4 children under the age of 9. At that time I did not have any means of income, so I went on welfare. After the kids and I settled into being a "family" without a father figure, I got three jobs and went to college to be a paralegal. Let me tell you it was far from easy, but well worth it! I refused to allow my children to think that his way of "love" of normal or appropiate. I also did not have family or friends to lean on, I only had myself and my children. You need to find the strength and resove in yourself to do what you know is right (if you didn't think leaving was right, you wouldn't have posted). You need to lay out a plan, and then outline steps needed to fulfill this plan (make a real budget, find housing, etc..) Also you need the abuse documented in case child custody is an issue. Next file for FULL custody and child support. Please go talk to an attorney, many offer first consults free. I wish you courage through this.
Just my opinion, but
it sounds like you are bragging.
my opinion
really ask yourself how badly you want to do this. Read this board carefully and know where the MT field is headed and all the pros and cons- then decide.
my personal thought is go back to school to do something else
I would like to add - those asking for it, in my opinion,
are lazy and don't want to do the footwork themselves. No time for those who sit back and want things handed to them!
Just an opinion
Does anyone else think that all dictators should have to listen to their own dictation once in a while - I am so tired already this morning of dictators on cell phones that are so muffled you cannot understand them, horns blowing in the background and the dictation coming and going because of losing the signal. I think the physicians should periodically have to listen to some of their own dictation.
Need opinion...
I am currently a newbie doing transcription for a very high volume acute care hospital. I am having a hard time meeting production, and they are opening a position with a psych hospital. To be honest, I am bored with what I am doing now. I am wondering if I decide to take the psych position that maybe it might give me a chance to improve on my production and mix up my day a little better. Since I have such a wide range of doctors right now and such a wide range of reports, it is hard for me to make any templates or anything that can help with my production. Any advice would be much appreciated.
opinion
I would think that if you are bored with your current job, getting a different one would be the thing to do. I am a newbie to,working for one specialty, and I am very glad that I started this way first - not quite as overwhelming as to take on so many terms at once.
My opinion...
Find one that will work with you and treat you good!!
A small MTSO is what works best for me personally for those very same reasons!
Let us know what your opinion is!
nm
My opinion
Chris rocks the house and is soooo consistent week after week. However, I enjoy Kellie Pickler and Paris as well.
Personally, I think this is the toughest season yet....in other words, lots of excellent singers and performers.
I enjoy listening to Taylor, but I have to say that looking at him just throws me for a loop. So darn hard to believe he is only 29 years old. Even his demeanor and personality seems more like 40s.
I just hope Kevin goes home tonight. If not Kevin, then Ace!
My opinion...
Love is a choice. We choose to make the effort, and it goes both ways. He is obviously not making much effort. The fact that he is willing to go to counseling is a good sign though. Be sure and tell your counselor the reality of it all.
Would and could you get a housekeeper? That would take a lot of stress off of you - even though he really should help.
This is not much in the way of advice. Just hang in there. I am sorry you are going through this. You must feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.
My opinion
It is impossible to "spot reduce" one area of your body, but doing resistance training and building muscle helps to burn fat more quickly than aerobic exercise alone.
I need your opinion, please.
If you were given the option of either working at home on a schedule with a little flexibility for production with benefits or working outside the home on an hourly rate which is reasonable with benefits, which would you choose and why? Please give feedback as to why you would choose one over the other, pros and cons. I really need your opinions as you all know what is involved in this type of job. You may think of something I haven't already thought of and I value your opinions. Do you prefer to know your doctors personally so that you can get personal feedback from them or are you comfortable just knowing them as a "voice" and getting feedback from QA? Thanks in advance for your responses.
In my opinion....
..I think they are pretty good to work for. They don't really bother you, so you're just left to work in peace. They have several platforms, so what platform you use will be dependent on what account you're assigned to. The people are very nice. Pay is pretty decent and always on time. They can come across as a little disorganized in the beginning, but all-in-all I'm happy with them.
Hope this helps! 
In my opinion......
It sounds like arthritis.
Here's my opinion....sm
- They support off-shore transcription.
- A lot of employers don't pay a CMT differential, and if they do it's generally not enough to cover the costs of being certified or keeping it, much less the yearly membership.
- If you like to meet and talk with other transcriptionists then you might like it.
- A lot of their meetings are held on Saturdays, so you'd need to plan for that if you joined.
my opinion
I like both of them, but I am a CY fan myself. CR was awesome last night for sure! I think that both will end up with contracts, but I do think CY will win it. I didn't really care for MM or NJ, but I sure couldn't believe NJ lasted longer!
Just my opinion, but.......
I have worked out of my home for over 20 years as an MT. Of course, I had to attend to my children, school, outside activities, etc., but when we get home, they would know that after playtime, homework, dinner, baths, etc., mom may have more work to do. Most I would do while they are at school, but if extracurricular activities took me out, I had to make it up when I got back in. They understood this, but the clincher a lot of times is the hubby.
Unfortunately, mine seemed to think if he was done for the day, everyone else should be too. And, if the other parent doesn't make any comments to the children such as "mom is really busy right now", "please play quietly for a little while", and by the way, that means him making an effort to not play with the dog LOUDLY, decide to play a harmonica LOUDLY, move something in the attic LOUDLY, turn the TV up loud enough to be heard throughout the entire house, etc., then what does that really tell the children....if dad doesn't show respect for mom's job, why should they?
I truly believe if dad is in the home, his responsibility is to also convey to the children how important mother's job is, not just his. I've heard this same complaint from many friends who do this work at home...they feel as if their own husband doesn't think what they do is a "real job" and, therefore, doesn't deserve true respect, though hubby doesn't complain when the paycheck comes in and pays the bills, kid's activities, car notes, vacations, etc.
Some of my own family members, after all these years, still think what I do is just "type" at home, and call whenever they want (especially mother) for 1-2 hours, as if I can just make it up some other time. Heck, I have a niece who works 3 days a week cleaning teeth, no children to come home and take care of, no other responsibilities, and you would think, according to mother, she works hard labor and is "exhausted". I just can't make sense of it.
Long story short, you need to set the boundaries and keep them. I told my husband if there couldn't be quiet once in a while, there will be no paycheck and he can bring home ALL the bacon. That got his attention. Sometimes I wonder if we bring this on ourselves by not putting our foot down earlier on, setting boundaries, and making sure they are understood.
In my opinion...
It would benefit you greatly to take a course in medical transcription. You may be able to find a hospital or clinic in your area that is willing to train you from scratch, but these are few and far between. MT is very difficult when first starting out. It is not just about sitting and typing what is said. You have to know anatomy and physiology of the human body as well as tons and tons of medical terms as well as what they mean and how to spell them correctly. Add that to a list of 20 medications you have never heard of before being dictated by a doctor who is foreign (ESL) or talks 100 miles an hour (they love to do that) or dictates while eating, mumbling, whispering, shuffling papers, driving, or even using the restroom!! I love my job very much and was very fortunate when I started out to land a good job making a decent line count with a national company so I could work from home. I went to my local community college to get my MT education and was able to take almost all of my courses online. The money that you could potentially make varies widely in this industry. Please don't put too much stock in those ads that say you can make $40.00/hour. I have personally never heard anyone say they make that much, and if there are people out there that make that then they are rare.
My opinion
Congrats on the new account!
But keep it all business; i.e., the doc says he prefers to pay by the page. Well, when you go see this doc, do you tell him how you prefer to pay or does he tell you? When a plumber comes to your home to fix something, do you tell him how you prefer to pay or does he tell you? See what I mean?
My advice would be to charge however you like, but if it were me, it would be by the line - gross line - more profitable to you. I would never charge by the page, but that's just me...
Good luck on the account, and do let us know when you're taking us all out for a group dinner after you get your first check! (hahah!)
Best wishes.....
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