Even the world's best MT leaves blanks on
Posted By: me on 2008-07-20
In Reply to: doctors speaking too fast - amy
occasion, and if they don't they should, because sometimes you just can't hear what is being said and guessing is worse than leaving a blank. I can't promise you that you'll get to where you can decipher it, but experience will get you better. When I first started doing ESLs I was majorly freaking, had a stress headache every day, yelling at my family constantly, crying because I was never going to be able to make enough money, etc. I still leave blanks, but I have become somewhat talented at being able to do ESLs.
Don't be afraid to leave a blank. I am surprised at all the blanks that QA leaves in my reports. Just do the best you can and then go back and relisten like I said before. Make samples of any dictator that gives you problems.
I had a job once where my very first day they gave me 100% ESLs. I was going to quit that day because I just could not do them. The MTSO told me I really did very well and to hang in there. When I got my corrections back and used them for the next time I could hear clearly when they were saying and got to where I could do them all day long with very little problem.
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Looking up blanks
You said "Another thing is that if I have a blank I look it up then so I don't have to go back."
I personally find it easier/faster to leave the blanks and move forward. There are many times that same word/phrase will come up later and I'll catch it the second time, so there is no time wasted searching for it.
You can leave blanks and some tests even have
instructions on how to notate a blank. I have 20 years of experience and I have only had one test in my career that I have had to leave a blank, but there are usually different levels of reports. One report may be very clearly dictated, clinic type work where there really isn't a lot of medical terminology. Another may be an acute care report, possibly an Op, and then one may be a report there the sound quality is bad, an ESL dictator, or a fast talking US dictator.
The company is trying to get an idea of your skill level. If you do very well on the first report but not so well on the second and horrible on the third, then they will probably offer you a clinic account and start you off at the bottom of the pay scale.
Leaving a blank wouldn't count against you as much as guessing at something and getting it wrong. I don't think leaving a blank will stop you from being offered a position, but excessive blanks would probably would.
Agree with below, leave blanks, don't guess
You should never guess. If you are not sure, leave a blank. I don't know for sure, but companies will most likely hold you to the same QA standards as everyone else, but they may be more understanding that you have to send more blanks to QA. Ask QA to send the corrections back to you so you can review them.
All the encouragement in the world
and all the positive thinking anyone can muster will not make up for a poor education or lack of skills. When people try to explain to folks who've made a poor choice of schools that they will have difficulty with finding and keeping a job, they're not being mean. They're trying to point out that long-term success and job security will require further investment in time and money for proper training. The truth is just the truth, it's not mean. Just because you don't hear what you want to hear ("don't worry, everything will be all right, just try really hard and be really positive and you can turn limited skills and a poor education into a high income working only one hour a day while your baby plays in your lap") doesn't mean that anyone is being unkind. The cruelty is in the unrealistic Pollyanna "advice", not in the truth.
In the real world
Your employer or clients will tell you how to format SOAP notes. There is no universal format law. Each practice determines its own format. One of my clients wants the name and account number on one line with the DOB and DOS on separate lines under that. Another client wants each item on a separate line. A thid client wants a different format altogether.
There is no point in worrying about various formats until you have a job or a client, at which time you will be told what they want.
ESL dictators are everywhere in the MT world.
If you can't do them, you are going to be severely limited.
world-wide capabilities
Yeah, we do send stuff offshore, it helps us pay more for American transcriptionists. But that really isn't what I meant when we said that -- we have transcriptionists in France, Argentina, Canada, we do a fair amount of translation work, Internet captioining. I do my best to make sure that no matter what happens, the transcriptionists I work with will have work. I've heard a lot about EMRS putting people out of work, and Voice Rec, and so on. So I try to keep lots of options open so we can all stay in business.
i thought this was for the new MT, not the MT who knows everything in the entire world..
oh brother.
Welcome to the world of medical transcription.
Leave a blank where you can't hear something. Complete the report and then go back again and relisten and see if you can fill in the blanks then. If you get any feedback on blanks save it for future reference. Some docs that have the same physical exam, or same operation talk really fast. Even with a correct copy you may or may not be able to hear each word.
World-wide capabilities just means they
offshore, without actually saying the offshore.
Welcome to the world of real medical transcription.
That's what a lot of doctors' dictation sounds like. You have to be able to handle it. That's why it's on the tests.
They've been around a while & their website is up to date. Also say they have world-wide
,
HIPAA is a joke. These reports go to third world countries. nm
:+
Not the profession. MTs in house at hourly pay do great. The world of the
s
I just started yesterday with World Direct Transcription...
I also was a little nervous accepting this position, mainly because after posting a question on this forum regarding anyone's knowledge of this company, I received NO responses! I am very happy with everything so far, the account I am on is great and my supervisor is very helpful! Good luck Sonnett with your test! Have you heard anything yet? 
TV commercials promoting their MT schools also misrepresent the true essence of the MT world. nm
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