I have worked exclusively on a laptop for nearly 6 years.
Posted By: Laptop owner on 2005-12-04
In Reply to: I wouldn't buy a laptop for ergonomic reasons...sm - Old MT
I have traveled through 34 states and Mexico and worked the whole time. I have sat by the pool many days while my children swam. I have sat out on my deck on a pretty day. When space allows I use an external keyboard, but it only takes me a few minutes to readjust to the laptop keyboard when needed. I obviously use a wav player for my work. I have a bus card, a foot pedal, my earphones plugged in and sometimes my keyboard and I don't notice a significant difference in the drain on my battery whether I have these attached or not. If your battery is running low that quickly you need a new battery. I do not have an external mouse but use a touch pad. I find that a mouse is necessary if you are using an external keyboard, becauase your computer will be elevated and it will create a strain on your wrist to use the touch pad.
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I have traveled and worked for several years. I worked for a company
where I could download work, work off-line and then send completed work, had a 6 hour TAT. That company went out of business and the company I have now supplies the computer and I have to be on-line to work, so short of taking their computer and having high-speed access, I am no longer able to travel/work. It can be a good thing though because sometimes you just have to have some down time.
I worked for probably 12 years with only one
computer, but I was the only one who pretty much used the computer. That was years ago before the internet became what it has and you weren't downloading music, uploading pictures, etc. I would make sure you have a good virus protection program. If you have a SO that likes to play on-line games or computer games or have kids who need the computer for research I wouldn't spend the funds for a second computer, especially if funds are tight.
I worked for 2 years on site before I went home, but that was just
the hospital I worked for. You technically had to do one year or so in the office, depending on how good you were. I didn't really want to go home at first, but they kind of forced the issue. I hear Medquist will hire right out of school to start at home. Good Luck!
I've worked on-line for 15+ years and never
had to take a timed typing tests. I've had to take terminology tests that were timed and I've had to transcribe some reports, but never a typing test.
I did 10 years ago and have worked at home doing acute care ever since! sm
They prepare you for the real world of working from home. It is worth every penny!
Have worked for two years part time straight out of school. sm
I have never worked "full time" since graduating from the VLC two years ago. I have always worked about 3-5 hours per day, five days per week. No weekends unless boss really needed to get things caught up, which I think was only once or twice. I have three kids and love spending my time with them as much as possible. I volunteer at their school for just about everything under the sun, so part time is what works for me. You shouldnt have any trouble finding part time as a newbie. Good luck!
You have not been transcribing 10 years. Your resume reflects about 4 years tops. I am going to put
very little MT experience and now you're pushing software that posters can get for free. There is a problem with that. You need to search YOUR heart ands ask yourself just how helpful you are really trying to be to new MTs or if your lining your own pocketbook because you don't know how to transcribe yourself.
Laptop ok to use?
I'm purchasing another computer system so I don't have to share with my kids. I'd like a laptop so I have some flexibility to move around (so I can work in my room when the kids are awake and dh is home, but work downstairs at night if dh is asleep).
How feasible is that? Is it comfortable? What accessories would you recommend to make it easier? Does anyone use a regular keyboard with it for comfort?
Or should I just get a desktop?
Thanks!
Dawn K.
MT on a laptop
I've been transcribing on a laptop for 5 years, and it's no different from doing anything else on a laptop. Going from desktop to laptop for all your tasks requires an adjustment period just because the keyboard is compact. The great thing is, you can take your work with you anywhere there is secure internet access. :)
Laptop
Hi,
I posted a note about laptops and thank you so much for all your help. My ? now is what exactly do you need on a laptop for Mt. What do you look for. I see on Tiger Direct they are several, someone said Lenovo xp was good. I never owned a laptop before thats why all the ?s.
Thanks you,
Barb
You want everything on a laptop that you
would want on a desk top. Most laptops know only have USB ports, no serial ports or game ports, but if you need those you can get adapters. You want a minimum of two high-speed USB connections, preferably 4. You can buy USB hubs rather cheaply if you need more than that. You want a bunch of RAM, not a Celeron processor. If you are just using for work you don't need a huge hard drive and anything you bought off the shelf would have plenty.
You want XP and not Vista.
laptop
I just bought one. It has Vista. The company I work for is compatable with Vista. If you are working for someone now ask them if it will work with Vista.
laptop
You may also want to find out from your employer what specifications are necessary to get the job done correctly. A lot of companies do not want Vista, MS Works or Word. I just bought a new desktop for my new job, and had to take off a lot of the softward that came with the computer becuase it was not compatible with the employer's software package. It may depend on a lot of things. Just ask for a list of specifications needed for a computer, and you may not have to pay as much if you can leave off certain software and packages off the computer.
Dawn, regarding a laptop...
there has been a lot of discussion on the main board about laptops, if you do a search there you will find helpful information I'm sure.
I use a laptop for travel and it works for me. I use a wireless keyboard and mouse as I could never make any $$ using a laptop keyboard.
As for reference books and carrying them to different places in your home, I have all my reference books on CD and have them installed on both my desktop and my laptop. I very rarely use an actual book for reference anymore. Even the BOS II is on CD and, for me, it is much easier and faster to reference than paging through a book.
BUT, if you are an IC, for IRS purposes, you would have to have a designated office. If you are an employee, then it probably wouldn't matter except maybe to your company (some hospitals want to make sure an employee has an ergonomically correct work space and a hospital I once worked for went to the employee's home to check it out).
Good luck to you - where ever you end up working! 
laptop/Escription
I bought an old Toshiba Tecra 8100 from ebay for around $300 and had to purchase Word (got 2000 for $70). My foot pedal($15 Ebay) works fine as this is an old laptop and has the 9 pin serial port. Sometimes you have to buy the old stuff to get things to work. Everything now is Windows Vista and until our software catches up I am saving my money for the better equipment, maybe a year from now.
Transcribing on a laptop
Has anyone transcribed on a lap? Is it better or worse than desktop?
Thanks for your reply!
tt
working from laptop
You can either tether from your cell phone or get a wireless card that goes into your computer. This is secure. If you use the hotel wireless it might not be. The teathering is about 60 dollars a month and it is monthly. The lap top card is the same price but it requires a 2 year contract, at least that was the last time I checked. Tethering actually works the best for me. You can actually use it riding in a car at 80 miles per hour if you are in range of cell coverage whereas the laptop card drops the signal.
I take my laptop and work as I travel. nm
nm
What kind of Laptop is good to buy
Looking at a laptop on E-bay. What is the best choice?
Thanks,
Barb
Ideal laptop for transcribing?
Hi everyone,
I'm about to graduate and would like to get a laptop for transcribing. Does anyone know of a particular brand/make that would be good for a transcriptionist?
Thanks!!
I wouldn't buy a laptop for ergonomic reasons...sm
the keyboard is very small and it's almost impossible to get it set up at the correct height. Note their keyboards seem to be set forward into the laptop also and there's no wrist rest. If you are going to be putting in 6 hours a day, you better make darn sure you have all the ergonomics in place, including a really good chair. Otherwise, your body will pay. Also don't forget, you will have to either a C-phone hooked up where-ever you are working or more likely you will be using a .wav player. So are you planning to have the footpedal and headset plugged into your laptop too along with every thing else? That ought to drain your battery in no time. If you have the picture of typing poolside on a sunny day, forget it.
inputs on buying a laptop computer to use for work
I am a newbie and looking into buying a laptop computer to use for work. I would like to know if that is okay. The reason that I wanted a laptop computer for work is because I wanted to be still working wherever I maybe even if I am not at home. Is that possible? If it's okay, what laptop computers do you recommend?
Put the money towards good education, not an unnecessary laptop.
It should tell you something that a school offers a "free" laptop to get students to sign up. List how many good things and how many bad things you have heard about Andrews and M-TEC. Then make the same list for Allied and TRS. There's your answer.
Don't know about course, but I have worked for them.
It has been a while and things have changed since then, but if you go to the company board and read through the archives there isn't much good to say about working for the company. I don't think I have ever seen a post about the school.
They are training women in Trinidad and some other country to become MTs. Every time I post this it gets deleted, but it says it on their website so it isn't just gossip.
Any one worked for
A+ Scripts 'N More Corporation? I am thinking about doing their externship program to gain more experience (while I am currently working) and was wondering if any one has done it and how it went for them? Thanks.
I have worked VR
The hospital I work for has VR for everything but radiology. It takes too long to recognize and the we also have to edit it before it is sent back to the docs. Most of the doctors don't like VR where I work. Several asked to have their dictations typed by the inhouse transcribers.
But, it is VR is sorta alright now. I expect in the future, as most technology does, it will improve.
Has anyone worked for
Focus Infomatics Inc? I received an email from them saying they were interested in my resume. I just want to make sure they are legitimate. Thank you in advance.
CS worked for me
I did Career Step, not M-Tec, so I can't comment on the differences, although I have read repeatedly that Andrews and M-Tec are much better. Maybe they are, but I felt that I was prepared with the Career Step course, and I also did the Spheris Training Track and got hired on immediately after graduating, which is a wonderful way to bypass the whole first job issue. That being said, I studied the Career Step program like a madwoman, looking everything up, going slowly, and typing every report in their FOMS section (even though it is not required). If you feel comfortable learning on your own and don't need a lot of feedback, then Career Step can work for you. I don't think the 4 month time frame is realistic....give it a good 8 months to a year. I have had great QA scores since the beginning, and I don't regret doing their course. JMHO!!
I just bought a laptop Dell E1505. Your biggest obstacle is the foot pedal as it's a 9-pin serial
port and NO newer computers have them anymore, especially laptops. Also, Escription is not compatible with Windows Vista which also most newer computers come with. I needed a laptop with Windows XP so I went onto Dell and they can "customize" one for you with the XP on it or you can do what I did and 400 dollars cheaper and get it from Ebay. The only thing I noticed was that the new one I got on ebay didnt have Word on it and I had to purchase Word 2003 for that as Word 2007 also is not compatible. Over the last 3 years, I have tried multiple adapters to get the foot pedal to work and finally used one that Escription recommends ..the Dynex DB9 model. I also got it on Ebay for $10 or they can be bought at like Best Buy but they are around $35 I think. There are a few obstacles with Escription and laptops etc.but since I like to travel, I finally got it worked out. I also plug in another keyboard as the laptop one is hard to type on and I like my ergonometer one. Good luck
No, it's not your job - when I worked in a hospital (sm)
I was paid hourly with bonus for production. Therefore, we could occasionally do other work (like the charting) if the clerk was off, answering phone, etc.; but being strictly on production, I would say, no it is not your job.
I worked inhouse and got little or no help from anyone
Everybody seemed angry and competitive. I guess they may have been angry because they weren't allowed to work from home. They were not friendly and certainly not helpful. Working from home with someone to contact when I needed help was ideal for me.
This was the same time I worked for her (sm)
I didn't work very long with her because I couldn't ever log into the site. She said there was "system failure"... right, a system failure for a week. What it sounded like to me was she didn't pay the fee for the website, just my opinion of course.
I never received my foot pedal either. I repeatedly asked her what the hold up was and she either told me she would check on it or just not reply to my emails. Finally, after I stopped working for her, she told me that she had a receipt where FedEx tried to deliver the foot pedal and no one was home. This I know to be false, the FedEx driver for my area is a personal friend and knows what to do with our packages if no one is home. I receive packages fairly often and this has been the only one I have ever had problems with. She told me when she "sold" the foot pedal she would send me the money for it. I won't hold my breath waiting for it.
As for the paycheck, same thing. I never received it. She said she would check and see if it had been cashed and if not, reissue one. This was at the end of July and I have still to receive anything from her.
As for what is going with her now, all I can say is she got what she deserved. The only thing that bothers me is the number of people that she scammed.
I worked for Focus
for about 6 months. It was my first job. I really liked the account I was on, and my team manager was very nice. The only reason I quit was because I couldn't get fast enough to make any money on voice recognition. I was not in the apprenticeship program though. It was kind of hard understanding the technician that got my software downloaded because he had a very thick accent. If I didn't understand him, I would just ask him to repeat himself. He was very friendly and even laughed sometimes when I asked him say something again. Overall, I had a very good experience with them. Some people weren't so lucky. Good luck!
I also worked for Focus
It was also my first job. I only lasted a few months only because there was no work. There were days that I only got 5 jobs....I'm sure this is not the case anymore. The guy who trained me also had a very thick accent and that was frustrating at times. At that time I had to purchase a $40 foot pedal that is NOT compatible with anything but there system. It was also difficult for me to make any $ editing VR because the reports were so bad I ended up re-typing them...for .4 cpl. Not a great experience for me.
I have heard of them, but have never worked for them.
I would check the archives and see what posters have said about them.
Good luck!
Has anyone worked for Meditec?
If so, can you make any decent money with them? Do they have good accounts, support and platforms? I'm thinking about applying. I'm so tired of working long hours for less than minimum wage.
I just recently worked with someone - sm
who "graduated" from there. They were lousy to say the least. They were let go as far as I know; did not learn from their mistakes and took forever to QA, had to go over everything with a fine tooth comb. They received thorough QA back but they either did not read it, or just did not learn not to make the same mistake over and over again. If they had learned from their mistakes though they probably wouldn't have been let go. It was a very frustrating experience.
Hours you worked
Starting as an IC, did that mean you were able to determine the hours you worked in a day? For example, I would like to work early morning part-time and finish in later evening and night. Is that something that was common to do as an IC, or do you have to give them a detail of the hours you are working?
I have worked at home since day 1 of graduation from M-TEC
I had multiple job offers when I graduated. I make excellent money now, after getting out of the learning curve of new accounts, etc. You might contact them and see if some of your training already received can be credited. Just an idea. I called around before I even went to school. All the employers told me to choose Andrews or M-Tec if I wanted marketability.
I work for a national but I have worked...sm
for MTSOs. I am actually waiting to start work with a national for the first time. I am not sure how different this is going to be compared to working for a MTSO.
Worked for Spheris for 6 months.
there are better places to work for that pay much better. For the new MT, they have a great training program and mentoring, but I did not stay there longterm as the pay was very low and the benefits were awful. I only wanted to be an employee for the medical benefits, but their medical was more expensive than if I purchased it on my own. The account I was on was also horrible (mostly ESLs). I was stressed day after day trying to make my line count. Since being away from Spheris, I have never had an issue with meeting line counts and actually do 2x the amount of lines each week working 10 hours less. I don't know what it was about there, but I just couldn't get over 120 lph. I would never go back there, but I did learn a lot while I was there.
I worked for a bank that did the same thing
and laid off about 3000 US customer service reps (3 call centers in 3 states). I was a CSR on the phone and luckily left less than a year before that happened. It was WaMu (and look how great they are doing with their home loans too. I hope they go down the tubes).
She didn't say she worked in another state. That's why I asked WHY?
x
Everywhere I have worked, coders made more money than MTs.
nm
I love the work. If I worked at Wal-Mart
I would hate every minute of it. I am not really a people person and need an intellectual challenge to be happy. I learn new things all the time with MT, so it is always interesting. Also, I love being available at a moment's notice if my kids get sick at school, being able to change my schedule easily if they have a field trip, etc. Money isn't everything, and this is the right career for me at the moment.
Indian company with base here in USA..stay away..I worked for them once.
I would rather work a lemonade stand before I would work for them again. When you first get the job, you might possibly speak to an American voice. After that you will be dealing with Indian Team Leaders, Indian QA..Indian everything. Not to mention the fact that the Indian QA will tell you that you are wrong on something when you are right. Also, once I had a team leader (Indian, of course)who questioned me on whether or not I knew what headings when into a physical examination...I was transcribing surgery notes. Nonsense like this happened all the time because I would point out the error that QA would make (usually Stedman's to back me).
There are great companies out there who are strictly USA workers, and they are posting on here all the time on the job seeker's board..you just have to keep looking.
Hope that helps! Have a wonderful day!
Most people lucky enough to be paid hourly worked on-site first.
Otherwise those jobs are very rare.
I took their course 5 years ago - sm
I was quite happy with it and the price, cost a little bit more now but still reasonable. If you do all you are supposed to it does prepare you well enough, though I skipped a couple things (learning the abbreviations); and I skimmed on the actual practice dictation which was a big mistake but I wanted to graduate and get working. But I still passed the final, though not as well as I would have if I had practiced more in advance. Took me 2 months to land a job, another 2 to actually start that particular job though; in the meantime I cold-called and landed a job with a small local MTSO and started that one first, then the other fell into place about 6 weeks later (acute care where I was thrown to the wolves basically). Nothing beats learning on the job though and I learned lots while testing my butt off to land that first job. There are plenty of CAI grads, just many look down on them though the program is very good and you come out adequately prepared though I think no school can prepare you for the real deal, it can at least give you the tools and knowledge to deal with reality.
They have been saying that for years, but...
from what I gather, MT's will always be needed, even to just proof the voice recognition. I will say, however, that I am a recent grad, and am finding out that it doesn't pay very much unless you get perfect dictators, which is very slim to none in this business! Good luck with whatever you choose, but I would look into something else as far as medical to do.
MT for 5 years sm
My advice to you is to do as much research when looking for a job as possible. I did not do this and until I came to MTStars I thought the 0.7 cents per line was what everyone was making. I did not realize I was making almost the lowest rate in the business. I have been doing this parttime for 5 years and there are jobs out there, just make sure you do the research into the companies like you seem to be, and as others have said make sure you go to one of the reputable schools that companies will look for. Do not get discouraged, this can be a wonderful and lucrative business if you make sure to take your time before jumping.
With almost ten years of MT, I would say...
If 'q.d.' follows a medication as part of a medication sig, you must type 'q.d.' If 'q.d.' is dictated within context as a "short cut" for the doctor, you must type "daily".
These edits are required to produce more professional medical/legal document...and we all know that some dictators need all the help that we can give them.
IMO...
-Jade
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