want to take the time to mention how hopeful I feel...
Posted By: banshee on 2008-09-03
In Reply to:
reading a lot of the posts regarding the AHDI issue I see so many impressive, educated, eloquent posts that I am feeling confident again that our profession can be saved from being swallowed up like so many other professions that have fallen away. We need more people like you to stand up for the little guy (no offense intended).
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Please add me to your list of hopeful buyers...sm
you may contact me by email if you wish. If you could provide a brief list of your terms, as well, I would appreciate it. I am truly interested and I have the finances to purchase.
this makes MT future sounds more hopeful
Thanks, just trying to get a feel if it is worth my time or not.
Some platforms are money makers, and others are not. This one may not be.
Don't feel bad. For the first time in 2 years,
I didn't get my lines or hours. Work has been low lately. I've usually been way above the required production.
I feel like I work all the time too and my kids- sm
are always asking me if I have to work (usually I do). Lately though I have started trying to go to bed by 10 and get up at 3, work from 3am-6:30am, get them off to school, then I have all day from 8-3:30 available to work. Then be free for them after school and work again after they go to bed if necessary. I am still not disciplined enough though and work more than I should, i.e. surf the internet, come here, etc. Waste time in other words. So if I can "stay" on my butt and work consistently I can average 16 minutes of dictation an hour, which is good for me. All I can say is try to set up a schedule adn stick to it. I keep meaning to write one up, but have not as yet myself (did this for college and hung it on my wall), so maybe your post will inspire me. Good luck.
Bravo! I guarantee you will feel better in time
NM
I feel your pain! This is the time of year sm
when I take advantage of my Netflix subscription, having movies delivered to my home. Also, there is PLENTY of great entertaining, informative stuff on the "cable" channels (I have a dish). I'm hooked on HGTV and DIY. The Food channel makes me way too hungry so I avoid that one. You can take a "mini vacation" just by watching the Travel Channel. Even the Weather Channel has some interesting shows.
Don't feel ill - it look me a very long time to find it and you can too.
Search, search and search some more. You will be surprised what you can find. It takes time, but those accounts are out there. How do you think MTSO and large MT companies get accounts? A little research and many phone calls.
i feel disbelief/wonder. been at it a long time
x
You have some issues...if you feel YOUR time is being wasted then don't reply
GEESH!
anyone feel weird working at home all the time?
Who smiles at everyone way too much and tries too hard to make conversation?
that is pretty much how I feel, just wondered if I was wasting time. nm
.
Do you ever feel as though this job takes over your life and you have to work all the time in case
 there wont be work and you just keeping working and you cant get away from it and it gets to be no fun anymore. I am having a problem with that. Is it from working at home or just getting obsessed or what. I hate this. I feel like I am losing my life to it.
Fill in the blank time! Today I feel ______ (for me it's good)...sm
Good work day so far, kids will be home from school in a couple of hours and the weather is nice outside.
if you feel like that after 12 years, and I feel like that after six months
what hope is there?
I feel people who feel like this post
needs to a) either be a stay at home mother and not work or b) realize that she is no queen bee and I could care less about a degree. What company out here that you know of compensates for having a degree? Means nothing to them. Your working and being there when they assign/need/require/whatever is what you should do IF YOU WANT A JOB in this field, otherwise get out and do something else or become that babysitter.
not to mention
Wages are going down and difficult dictators on the rise, bad quality on the rise. Does anyone know of any other profession where the starting pay is as exactly as it was 10 years ago, maybe less? I started out at 7 cpl and they are STILL offering that as starting pay today!! Doing this 10+ years and every report that comes up is worse than the last. Fight hand fatigue and pain as well. Its very depressing, this business.
Not to mention
Destruction of the barrier islands that could have reduced the damage, the poorly maintained levies and all the national gaurd troops die for lies in Iraq instead of providing services to the States.
I should also mention...
that I didn't think women called OTHER WOMEN that! WOW 
Please, please, mention this..
when you set up your appointment next week. I feel your fear and I cried a bit for you as I was praying. Take care. Let us know what happens.
not to mention--sm
being wery wewiabow, too. jeez.
why not mention it?
nm
not to mention...
that what a person prefers to speak at home or with family/friends is completely different than what language someone should be speaking PROFESSIONALLY! I'll speak Korean all day long at home but once I start working or leave the house, it's English only. I hate it when people come to this country them demand that signs be put up in THIER language (HEAR ME MIAMI???) or that we accomodate them because they're just to darn lazy to learn the national language and use it properly. In my mind, it's a lack of respect for the USA. Believe me...you can't go to Germany and then expect them to accomodate you because you can't speak German. They expect outsiders to learn their langauge and if they have any in English, it's a gesture of courtesy and not because they feel like they should.
What you did not mention, however, is that
she is NOT following the client's specific instructions.
Should also mention - sm
My musical preferences tend to change depending on my mood.
Today my mood is rockin. I am listening to Beck, Emigrate, Alice Cooper, The Fashion, Bangkok Five, Ride The Boogie, AM Radio, Bryan Adams, Poststardom Depression, Brad Sucks, Fischerspooner, Northern Mississippi Allstars, Cowboy Mouth, the list goes on ... quite a mix.
Whatever keeps me groovin right?
Should probably mention . . .
I have only ever had 2 jobs as an MT. First job was with a local hospital for almost 5 years, and now I have only been working for an MTSO for 9+ months, so haven't quite gotten comfortable yet.
You don't mention where he's from
but maybe it's a place where bargaining and haggling for everything is expected. He may figure that your 'final offer' may be a whole lot lower than what he's been paying. You already proved that by reducing your price to 9 cents, and now he doesn't believe you're worth even that. You gave him a 10% discount, now he wants 50%. Soon you'd be paying HIM for the privilege of working for him.
I also would have charged him some kind of accounting fee for the time it took me to recaluclate the line count for billing. What? You should work for free to do this? If he did not understand that 65 characters equal a line, no matter on which line they appear, then he is definitely not bright enough to be a doctor. I think he was just yanking your chain on this so see how much he could get away with.
I'd let him leave and go with the new company. When the honeymoon is over, their ESL MTs can't understand his ESL dictation and they don't meet TAT and their quality is crummy maybe he'll be willing to pay the 10 cents. At that point, if he contacted me to take over again, I'd ask for 12 and settle for 11.... maybe.
No need to feel badly for me - feel badly for an adult who has no control of his/her own life!
I hope these people didn't produce any daughters! Bad, bad example!
Forgot to mention...
Also how many lines you average per day and hours per day. I'm at about 9 hours and 1400 lines. I used to do 1200 in five hours, go figure
I think the only reason it does not mention
SE is because it is for employee status only. Call your supervisor, they might know.
Forgot to mention
my hat is off to you for that. I know that you do a lot of extra work with the pick-up/deliveries, printing, and just "account maintenance". That IS the toughest part of our environment.
funny you should mention that...
one of my friends recommended the same, so i remebered that i bought one for my mom for something..and called her,...she sold it on ebay...thanks mom....lol
Just leave it off, and don't mention it
in an interview. You weren't there long enough for it to matter. In addition, if you're looking for a Transcriptionist job, you weren't doing that there, so it doesn't apply. Sometimes you just have to move on. Good luck to you.
Forgot to mention ......(sm)
That the insurance plan I chose is not even the cheapest one they have to choose from. Really, check them out. I think you'll like them.
Forgot to mention...sm
I was allergic to the wax. Broke out in hives, so that didn't work for me. I still think the Vaniqa is better anyway because it is constant and don't have to let the hair grow back between waxings.
oh, and I forgot to mention--sm
that one of the persons who took their own life was the father of my three children, who are still trying desperately to deal with his death, much less the way he did it, or the reason why. Perhaps some empathy on your part would be more in order before you make those kinds of remarks about a computer problem.
So funny you should mention that...
Cause my kids were off the wall last night and I asked my husband if it was a full moon...I can definitely tell a difference when there is a full moon; it's like people can't drive when the moon is full! That's funny !!!
Forgot to mention
that I have been an MT for a year now. I did not start off with that type of line count. In the beginning I was struggling just to keep my goal of 1200 lines per day but that would take me about 10 hours to do. Now that I know my account, the same account and same doctors, that I have been working on for this year it helps me to be faster as well. Just hang in there and set a goal for yourself everyday. THere are so many things you can do depending on your software program that you use. My company uses Editscript and there are a lot of shortcut keys to doing things and this helps my line count as well.
Try doing split shifts. This will probably help your production as well if you work during your highest production hours. For me afternoons are impossible for me because I am so tired by that time. I am lucky if I get 300 lines during the afternoon.
I know the teachers mention the
standardized tests they will be taking in the spring, but I don't think it is emphasized as strongly as in your area. A month before they come on strong...
and...once the tests are over the school might as well be because it seems the teachers don't want to do anything after that.
Funny you should mention
We are also thinking of relocating there. Some friends moved there from Rockingham, NC (I would not recommended anyone move here and that is where I am). We just visited them and it was beautiful and will be even more so in the coming weeks with leaves changing. Have contacted a realtor though it will probably be a year before we move. Like being close to the mountains and close to a few big lakes as hubby loves to fish and the biggest thing is it is more like home to us as we are originally from the Midwest and we do not want to go back there for various reasons, #1 being the cold, snowy winters. We are looking for somewhere to retire to as we age that is more like home and it seems to be the right fit with many small towns one right after the other in this area, people all friendly and looking for an area with less crime. Good luck.
You forgot to mention in your
an independent contractor you cannot make more than 50% of your income from one company, but I guess you were not properly informed of that little piece of information. I personally do not use an accountant. I use a tax professional, not turbo tax or anything else that I do myself. Therefore, all of these years if I were to be audited, I have back-up with a knowledgable person that knows what needs to be provided to the IRS. There are also claims being made that the 1099 does not match the income given, so how would you answer that? The bottom line is an employee is one thing and an independent contractor is another, and there are markers that the IRS uses to delineate the two. If the company you are working for is crossing those lines defined by the IRS, then they should be employing you and not defining you as an independent contractor. 
mention it to the doctor
then you don't have the burden alone.
forgot to mention
that each day I thank God for the two services I subcontract for.
If you read the boards, you realize I am in the small minority. It is a blessing that I found myself in this position.
Forgot to mention...
...I live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area, where costs are higher than average. I've been doing this type of transcription for just over two years now and have had to turn down requests for this service (lack of time). I am also an MT and, IMHO, meeting transcription is more challenging, overall. But I have found it is easier to obtain my own meeting trans. accounts than MT accounts. Check out RFPs (requests for proposals) for city, state and federal government.
I would just mention in your letter that your
you are willing to work together to come to a better way for you to provide services as you are and to enhance an already great relationship if ya' know what I mean. Be sure to mention that you have respect for him and would like to come to an agreement of sorts.... blazzay, blazzay.... JMO. I once had to do this, but it is funny because the doc compromised. He stated that I did a great job, but he gave me 50 cents less per page than what I had asked, which was a terrific compromise, and I did get a raise in essence. I gained respect for him, and he gained respect for me. Good luck.
You did not mention if this account was yours--sm
or through an MTSO. If it is your account, you should be able to determine how much you are requesting for payment, salary or per line. If you are doing the account through an MTSO, well, good luck, because they are not too forthcoming in the raise department..at least by my experience. I have been working for the same MTSO for over three years now and I have had one raise, which was one year after my start. That entailed a whole 0.025 cpl, which is one-quarter of one cent. I was also told that it was not negotiable. I have not seen another raise since and honestly feel that I deserve it, considering I can do over 3000 gross lines a day and do 15 different doctors on different accounts every single day. Apparently they don't think I deserve it, however, as anytime it is mentioned, the subject is avoided all together and in fact, the MTSO has changed the templates we use to expand the margins, changed to font to TNR 10 from CN 12, making it much harder to get any decent line counts, and *hidden* the headers and footers so that my line counter does not pick them up any longer, not to mention taking away the paragraph header of such things like PAST MEDICAL HISTORY, etc. saying they are no longer needed, etc. I feel as they are doing everything in their power to reduce our line counts in every way possible, but still keeping the profits to themselves.
I wish you luck in your desire for a raise. Life does not seem fair, at times, but I surely know you most likely deserve a raise.
Should also mention a few other things.
As an IC, you can deduct so many things that you can't deduct if you're an employee. I would say best advice is to check with a tax professional because I think you'll come out on the short end if you become an employee. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that if they're paying some taxes for you, you're an employee, but the IRS is the one who makes that final determination.
I forgot to mention, once I put it in there I use it sm
Especially at first so I get it in my brain that it's there. I will even go back and "undo" what I'm typing if I realize I have a shortcut and didn't use it and then use the shortcut...I figure I'm reinforcing it more or something. Whatever...it works most of the time.
Forgot to mention (sm)
I work 60-80 hours a week, PT at a hospital and FT+ at home, so need more help around the house (than usual). Anyway, you get the point :)
Forgot to mention
Keep yourself hydrated, stop pounding on the keyboard (if you do), get a GOOD chair (not a cheapie), set yourself up with proper ergonomics (arms at 45 degree angle to keyboard (google ergonomics). Those mouse mitts that another poster mentioned are very helpful too (keeps the muscles/ligaments warmed up kind of like leg warminings for dancer's legs). Good luck!
Forgot to also mention, SM
It's extremely important that your dictionary belong to you and that, if you work for a company on their equipment and especially in their offices, you be in a position to walk out with a copy. It should be backed up frequently and a copy kept at home.
Word's AutoCorrect/AutoText functions are a poor substitute for a good word Expander program, but they can be used if you can back them up on a disk and take it home. I've always used those functions just to store templates and report text specific to accounts I would have no reason to take with me anyway. They're extremely good for that.
Ideally, although more employers are supplying expander programs, your program should be your own property, and in any case it should be clearly understood that the dictionaries you develop are your own property. Mine are worth tens of thousands of dollars to me each year and would cost thousands to replace, if I didn't just give up in horror start selling herbs instead. :)
I've put more emphasis on this owning your expanions than I intended to, but I see a lot of posts from people who have worked for one institution for years, are very unhappy and worried with the changes that have occurred, but are staying and suffering them not only because of loyalty and resistance to change but because they lack the independence that would make moving to a new job easy and likely immediately financially beneficial.
Although the way to make good money is to stay with one employer, hopefully for years, and be very good at your accounts, sometimes you have to go looking for that good employer. A skilled home Transcriptionist with a good resume can change employers in a day and start out running. That sort of independence is something to be worked for.
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