A Newbie with Questions

I am very interested in working at home for an MT company but have a few questions regarding doing so and would appreciate any help and advice anyone can give.

If hired to work part time, say four hours a day, do they have to be consecutive hours or any time, so long as four hours are worked during the day? What about full time hours? What is a good production amount for both? Also, if hired to work four hours a day and you finish the work in three hours, can you "sign off" early?

I realize that some companies provide equipment; what equipment would that be and does that include the word processing software? Which is preferred: WordPerfect or MS Word? What would you recommend as the absolute "must haves" for starting out as an MT? Does the company provide report templates to base your work on?

Which company would be the best to start out with? I've only noticed Spheris takes MT's with only one year experience; are there others that are better? Are there companies that hire brand-new MT's; what are they?

I realize that some of the questions seem rather silly, but I am trying to convince my husband that, with a little bit of help with the kids, I can have a lucrative career with benefits and the added bonus of staying at home. Any advice is greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance.

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I'm just finishing school with At-Home Professions (doing my final now) and have 2-3 job possiblities. One is working for 2 physical therapists and I will find out more about it today or this week. The other is the one I am leaning towards and would like your input on; It is working in Neurology Surgery (very specialized) and at first it is working for a very good friend at a lower pay scale just until I get the confidence to do it on my own. What do you think of this option? There is a chance I can get a job with my friends boss, however I thought it might be good starting off to just work for her, that way I can have someone editing my work etc. After I have the confidence and a little experience I can work for the my friends boss.

By the way, all the newbies looking for work-all of these job possiblities have just been from friends and asking my husbands cardiologist about who he uses.

I am a recent MT graduate. I am needing advice on which USB foot pedal would be the best one to purchase. And I have noticed that a lot of the classified on this website say that you need a medical spell checker and some even suggest getting a word Expander program. Which ones would be the best one to purchase?

And another question. Do the online companies furnish you with the transcription program for you to use or do you need to purchase one for yourself? While I was attending school, I just used MS Word to type all of my reports into.

I am just needing some advice or suggestions about the above questions.

Thanks,

Melissa

Hi, thank you for taking my question(s).  I have Windows Vista on my PC, came with it. and I am about to begin MT School online, I have asked the school, but alittle confused.  The software I will need, will it be compatible, with Vista, or is there conversions I might can buy, or download for free.

The school is in La.  and the program is Career Steps.   ANY info will be greatly appreciated.  ~Leslie in NWF

hi, all.  didn't want to hijack "not sure's" thread...

i know what to ask when interviewing for a nursing position; the from-home MT thing is going to be a new one for me.  i've searched before asking this (maybe didn't use the right key-words).  any suggestions for what to ask a company? 

here's what i've jotted down:

1.  CPL;

2.  percentage of ESLs (not terribly huge, as i've worked with lots of foreign docs, both as a nurse and as MT);

3.  soft-/hardware used;

4.  TAT (if not stated in the offer/job-description);

5.  not sure how to phrase this...what the company considers "a line" (as in "how many characters);

6.  whether the rate includes spaces.

any other ideas?

BTW:  you guys are terrific.  thank you!

I just received a position as an IC. I have never been one before so how do I figure taxes and such? Also, I have been told that I would be able to deduct a lot of things since I do this out of my home.  What are some things that I can deduct? I was guess internet service but couldn't figure out anything else.

Thanks for the help.

I wouldn't say you got the best MT education to be had.  I also don't see where you have interest in doing for yourself (that Stedman's Work At Home issue).  While you are looking at your insular little world, you haven't been around the past, well, even 10 years, to see the changes that have brought down this industry.  Ten years is not even considered one generation.  There will be need for GOOD MTs still for many years to come, but those positions will be held by the very best MTs to be had and who are still willing to work for the pay that goes down over time.  Many other positions that are now MTs will transition into something different, something still with a living to be offered but different just the same.

Just this year, my employer restructured its pay scale so that in order to make the same cpl, I had to produce an additional 4000 lines per month.  If I didn't, I suffered a pay cut of 1 cpl.  Obviously this has not happened to you.  I've been at it much longer than I suspect you've been an adult.  I do not plan to leave the industry although my alternate education is already in place.  I'm lucky because my skill set is very much in demand.  I am a high, accurate producer with flexibility and if I'm making money, my employer makes much more.

But I didn't get there by patting myself on the back and asking questions that some research would help with and save myself the embarrasment of my peers for not having done the research.

As to what school to go to, read the writing on the wall and take one of the top 3.  This industry has changed just in a few short years and if you don't know everything that everyone is doing, someone without education from the top 3 will have a more difficult time getting placement after schooling.

JMHO, which is free, and you're welcome to do with it what you will.

I just got an account with a local doctor doing clinic notes part time.  Will I be considered an MTSO since there is no middleman?  Is .11 cents a line reasonable for 24 hour turn around?  How long do you stay at that rate?  The only transcribing experience I have is from Career Step where I graduated two years ago.  I am in the southern Illiniois area.  Is it recommended to charge more for consult notes?  I have seen examples of $2 per page and .6 cents per line. 

Also, is anyone aware of the HIPPA requirements for emaling transcription files back to the doctor?  He sends them in WAV files and I send them back password protected.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

1.  Why is it such a shock to newbies that the field is so hard to break into?

2. Why aren't the people who sell these MT training programs telling newbies that it is so?

Hello Everyone! first of all, I want to say thank you for all of the great information I have found so far from these boards.  I am very seriously considering being an MT.  I currently work full-time as a Transcriptionist in a Psychologist's office and I really enjoy it.  However, I believe I would enjoy the medical field more.  I have a few questions that I would really appreciate you guys answering...

Can you make a decent living as an MT working for an online company? (i.e. Spheris, Focus or accuscribe?) Currently, I would need to make at least 25k a year to suppliment my husbands income for our family, and I do not mind working full-time. 

I believe I am going to being training with CareerStep... will companies like that consider hiring me if I test and score high enough, even without prior MT experience?

Thank you so much for your help!

I am looking into becoming a MT, can anyone tell if there are any other references or templates available for formatting a medical transcription document or is formatting info only outlined in the AAMT Book of Style? Also, are there different formats for different reports?

What types of special software would I need to work at home as an IC? This is for a school project.

Thanks!

Firewall, Security Suite, Medical Spell Check, Line Count, etc. Anything eles anyone can add to this list?

I am a new MT and very proud of my achievemnt. I have just been approved to enter an apprenticeship program with Focus Infomatics. Is there anyone here that has had some experience (good or bad) with this company?

Thanks for any input!

Hi,

I want to go back to school to be a MT.  Could any one answer a few questions

for me?

1. What company do you work for?

2. How long have you worked in the field?

3. What are the duties and responsibilities of your position?

4. Did you receive on the job training in your position?

5. Are there opportunities for advancement in your position?

6. What do you enjoy the most about your job?

7. What do you enjoy least about your job?

8. If you were starting again, what would you do differently?

9. How is your job different from how you expected it to be?

10. What is the current starting wage?

11. What are the working conditions of your position?

12. Can you refer me to anyone else I should talk to?

If you would like you can add any other info.

Thank you,

Debra

Canada

Hi everyone - I graduated from US Career Institute earlier this year.  Since that time I have moved out of state and am new to my area.  I have put together a marketing packet including a letter of introduction, a flyer describing my service, a business card, a reference letter from my school and a coupon for one free report to try my services. 

I have a list of 65 doctors that I will methodically start marketing but what if someone actually gives me an opportunity??  AAK!  I was told to get a Start/Stop pedal as it is the best, but I see that the Infinity USB-1 is much cheaper.  Also should I get a microcasette transcriber too?  Anything else I should have?

Any positive feedback is appreciated.

your instructor could answer better than anyone here could.  In general, when to edit for grammar, what format to use, and how to decode mumblers are all things that you will get better at with more and more practice, so don't get too discouraged.    For those hard to understand dictations, try playing at different speeds (even faster) and going back to the difficult parts after you have transcribed the entire report.  As you do more and more reports, you can look back through them to figure out what a dictator might be most likely to say at that point, which may give you a clue.  Another trick is to put key phrases around the part you can't understand in Google and see if you come up with something.  You can put an asterisk for the part you can't understand and put the key phrase in quotes and sometimes that will help, for example "* prostatic hypertrophy." 

I posted below about the ad I saw in our paper and whether it seemed legit. I discovered that it was placed by a small MTSO in our town and he is calling me today to discuss the position. He has seen my resume and responded positively to it.  I don't have specific MT training (just nursing and allied health education background) but he is wanting to train the new employees and as I am trying to figure out if I want to go to a good MT school and make a career out of this, this would be a good testing ground for me, since he seems willing to work with complete newbies. 

I am not ready to work 40 hrs/wk as an MT for many reasons (most important of which is I am not trained to be one and 40 hours would kill me I would bet!). I am hoping there is the possibility of working PT 10-15 hrs per week either as an employee or contractor.  As a matter of fact, I have decided the only way I would take the job if offered is if I could work nights and weekends from home (when kids are asleep) so I don't have to worry yet about daycare costs or the hassle of school breaks cutting in on when I am supposed to be working.

I have my list of standard questions ready but am not sure what is usually expected of an IC, and what I need to consider. I know my FICA/Medicare tax will double (from about 9% to about 18%) - are there other tax considerations to take into account when figuring out pay and what is acceptable?  Do ICs usually write up their own contract or does the employer make it out?  Do ICs usually provide their own equipment?  I am hoping since he is new, he is digital and I would just have to get a wav pedal and not have to run tapes and reports back and forth across town every day.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Hello to the board! Glad I found it. There's a wealth of information here and on the Main Board.

I have a few questions about what I've been researching about MT. Any replies would be appreciated.

1. Is the general feeling among MTs that if a person doesn't do a program thru one of the "Big 3" MT schools, they cannot get hired at all?

2. Or is the feeling among MTs that if the Big 3 schools aren't used, the person can't get hired at a good place?

3. If a student doesn't go thru one of the Big 3, then they can't get hired ANYWHERE and thus can't get that magic "two years' experience?"

I was really burned thru a sonography school. If you don't go thru an accredited program, you simply cannot be hired. Anywhere legit at all. No matter how great your skills are. GOT to have the certification that can only be gained thru an accredited school (can't sit for the test w/o this). I was told the accreditation of the school would be retroactive and cover us (the first students to attend the new program) but that was WRONG. And this was thru a community college!!!

I don't want to go thru a program and then find out that only Andrews, M-Tec, and CS are considered valid for any employment chance.

Many thanks for any help in clearing up the ability to get hired w/o one of the 3 programs mentioned. I find it odd because AHDI "approves" other places as well, not just those 3. 

One last question: DOES A STUDENT HAVE TO COMPLETE AN EXTERNSHIP to get hired? Because I live in Podunkville USA so to speak and there is nothing here for 300 miles in any direction...

THANKS!!!

How much info goes on second page depends on the document itself. It is highly unprofessional to have only two lines only or two lines and then a signature. If that's the case, change your margins and put it on one page or push more of it over to the second page. Only two lines in a paragraph or on a page is considered orphan or widow lines; there is not enough information to know for sure that the information on the other page really does go with those two lines--it leaves room for the possibility of confusion or switching of documents--which is way bad.

Left justify should be on your toolbar across the top of Word and looks like several lines which are even at the left side and uneven along the right side. The center key will be the next one and the left justify will be next, then--if it is on your toolbar with be left and right justify. This key looks like several lines, which are perfectly even along the right and left sides (like the newspaper).

Hope this helps.