Like someone else said, if you're trained only on "Ben Stein" dictation
Posted By: deb on 2009-06-13
In Reply to: excuse me, but what you say is crap., crap..sm - ()
you are in for a rude awakening when you get in the real MT world. Yes, you do have to be able to do a reasonably good job transcribing crap. What world do you live in, where all the dictators are slow, clear, precise, dictating in quiet places with no background noise, no accents, etc?
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You need to be trained sm
Sure, you may be able to learn easy things but who says your work is right? Have you had it checked by a CMT? Then you would know for sure if it is impeccable.
Do you know the 50 rules for comma usage--and not just when the doc says "comma" or when there is a pause? Do you know all the little rules like when saying "5 mL was instilled" is right over "5 mL were instilled" and things like that? Do you know periods basically always go inside the quotes and outside of parentheses? It is the little things that make the difference. How about when you say "I have 2 years experience." it is really "I have 2 years' experience."
I would say a nurse has a leg up, but you can't teach yourself to be a great MT. Anyone can type stuff, but they won't be typing it right.
You need to know the specifics about creating a medical document and grammar. I thought I knew grammar just fine until I went to school. I didn't realize (like I am sure you don't) all that I could have done wrong without schooling.
I know I won't change minds on here, but ask anyone trained and they will tell you--you can't possibly learn all this by yourself. At least not if you want to do acute care.
Got trained, got a job, and now I've got...
...pedal edema from sitting at the computer so much!!! (I am, however, proud and happy that I actually know what pedal edema is--thank you transcription training program!)  Has anyone else had this problem?? I know I need to get up and walk around periodically, but as a newbie my line counts are so low that I feel like I need to type all the time. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do while sitting--is there some kind of leg stretching or foot rotation that helps? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Go back to the school that trained you
and demand that they finish the job. They did not make you job-ready. Your English-language skills are too weak to make you employable in any position other than a dead-end, minimum-wage job. Bluntly speaking, if you do not improve your English communications skills, you will face disappointment in your job search.
QA says my work is right. The seasoned MTs who trained
me say my work is right. Yes, I know about commas. I also know that a lot of doctors don't know a flipping thing about grammar nor do they have a good command of the English language. That's why they have others do their transcription, so it will be correct. Yes, I know periods go inside the quotation marks. Yes, I know I still have a lot to learn. We all do. Things change, often on a daily basis. Yes, I know not everyone can go from nursing to transcription. However, I did and some others can, too. It all depends on how bad you want to learn and how willing you are to work at learning it.
"well-trained" is the important point here
Those who aren't are running out of job options. The employers won't hire or keep people who are not properly prepared. They are dumping the MT services who don't have high standards.
That's exactly how I learned. Trained by people who knew
*what the heck they were doing.*
It may "encompass" transcription, but it's not enough to qualify you as a trained MT. NM
X
will not - not if you're competent. If you're incompetent they will fire you anyway
x
Need to finish...don't buy something like this until you're positive it's job you're goi
s
You're not a "new MT" if you have no training, you're not an MT at all. nm
x
dictation
Approximately how many hours of transcription would it take if you have one hour of dictation and can type about 80 wpm. Thanks.
dictation help
What if the MD is dictating, you are a 1/4 of the way through, he is interrupted by a colleague, then comes back starting with the beginning again (prepped & draped, etc)then seems to go in a totally different direction and subject then where he left off? Do you continue to type what he is saying, even though it makes no sense to the first part of the report? Do you make a note of it for the editor? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, VERY NEW MT...
Help with dictation please
Hello,
I'm stumped on a sentence in a discharge summary I am working on. As part of the Laboratory Data section, the doctor says:
Chest x-ray showed no TECUTE PROCESSED. Well, at least it sounds like tecute processed but that obviously doesn't make sense! Any ideas?
Dictation tapes
Where can someone get dictation tapes for practicing? I am already set up at home and would like to keep practicing until I get a job. I would not like to invest alot of money into these tapes.
Dictation tapes
Thanks
Difficult dictation.....
I was hoping that someone could give me some advise for difficult doctors that dictate with a very strong acient!! I need help!! Any advise would be great! 
Thank you!
Try speeding up the dictation just a bit. sm.
Seriously, speeding it up just a little sometimes smooths it out. I got this tip from an MT with over 20 years experience. I wouldn't do it the first time through, but when you're listening again, try it.
Dictation volume
Hi all, I was just wondering if anyone else was having problems with the level of dictation available to transcribe. I work for Eagle's Landing and I'm finding that the dictation is very sporadic. When I first started it wasn't that way but ever since Hurricane Katrina the dictation has been low. Right after Hurricane Katrina there would be days with no dictation because the docs were gone to New Orleans to help out. Now the doctors are back but there is still the same problem. I am actually going to be set up on a second account so that should help me but I'm not sure when they are going to do that for me. I've heard that we are getting several new clients soon so maybe that will help. What I've started doing basically is actually keeping up with the amount of work per hour (low, medium, high volume, comp issues, etc)on an excel spreadsheet for each day of the week, I'm going to continue doing that for each week of the month, so eventually I will have several months I can look over and see if this is a chronic problem or an acute problem. I'm really hoping that this is just a temporary slow period of time. I think my frustration has also been compounded by the fact that I've had computer problems myself, the system at Eagle's Landing goes down sometimes for maintanence, and just being a new MT.
I really do plan to stick it out but I don't believe that the service would be honest with me if this is a problem that is going to be ongoing so I feel I need to keep my own records. Right now I'm living at home with my mom but eventually, in a year or so, I want to be able to move out and support myself so I need to see if this job has some stability. I understand there will be less stability than other jobs because that is how this industry is but I need enough stability to know that I can support myself atleast. As I said before in one of my earlier posts, I only started 3 months ago,(back in July) so I definitely know that the early frustrations just take time and experience to work through so I do plan on sticking it out. I guess my concern with lack of dictation is that it is something I cannot control, my speed is something I can control, I can work really hard and get better at that, but this is something I cannot. The problems with the sporadic dictation I would say have been going on since the middle of August, it does not seem like very long but it seems like forever when I'm trying to build up my speed and when I'm new at this. Anyway, I would appreciate some feedback on this from new MTs and more experienced MTs. Oh, also another thing I've noticed just from reading this message board and others is that a lot of MTs keep up with their line counts on a spread sheet. What I tend to do is watch my production based on the number of minutes I type. Should I be looking more at line count than minutes and also keeping track of that more closely? I have noticed that I do not follow my life count as diligently as others. And finally I want to thank everyone for the input I've already gotten from this board, it has been very helpful to me, and I have definitely taken the advice to heart and used it.
You don't record the dictation (see msg)
with the c-phone you dial in, and plug a foot pedal and headset into the phone itself and transcribe that way rather than hearing through your computer speakers. (I assume voicewriter is similar)
Practice Dictation
I'm looking for free practice dictation in oncology/hematology. I'm coming up with nothing on Google. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I've got a job lined up, but I need more practice before I start. TIA for help!
Practice Dictation
I am starting the practice dictation portion of my training. The first examples were someone from the school that I chose doing the dictation and then I moved on to actual doctor reports.
My question: How common is it for doctors to talk like they have a mouthful of marbles? The first one was awful and there was no way I could decipher what he was saying. I had my husband listen to it and he looked at me like WTH?
The practice is on CD ... does that make any difference? Are the files that are received better in clarity?
This is really disheartening. I feel lost and am beginning to wonder if I can even do this.
I loaded the first 20 practice files and about half are understandable. The rest is a just a garbled mess.
Any input is sincerely appreciated.
Unfamiliar and foreign dictation (sm)
I'm sorry you had that experience! It's frustrating, but it's part and parcel of MT.
Everything "new" you encounter in MT will sound ghastly until you've gotten over the initial shock of it. Whether it's a new dictator, a new specialty, or a new accent, it will sound impossible. The trick to dealing with it lies in controlling your anxiety and frustration long enough that you can become used to it. This sounds easier than it is.
If it's a specialty you haven't done before, you need to get some training materials and work on them. That will give you the fundamentals you need, so that you can make some headway.
Learning to understand different accents is much like learning different languages. What sounds thick as mud to you at first will become clear as you learn the pronunciations typical of those speakers.
If you're encountering work that is "new" to you because it's an unfamiliar specialty AND a new and unfamiliar dictator with a different accent, you have a double or triple problem.
If you can't do a variety of clinical specialties and accents, you will have trouble until you build up your skills. You might consider doing the SUM program materials. They have a variety of specialties and include different accents.
Another thing you can do with the accents is to get samples of that dictator's reports from the service. They say the same things all the time, as you know. By comparing what you hear with the samples, you can figure out what they're saying and how they say it.
C-Phone/Dial-in Dictation?
Can someone explain to me how a C-phone works. Currently, I am working for a company that uses the WinScribe dictation platform via the internet. Prior to this, I had only transcribed via microcassette tapes. I look forward to an answer as I am clueless about this. Phyllis
10,000+ dictation minutes in 6 months.
I went to Career Step so that is all I can compare it to. According to the eSmartMed site, Career Step has 1320 dictated minutes to transcribe (not sure if that is accurate as it has been so long since I went through the program, but it is probably close). It took me 7 months to get through Career Step doing those 1320 minutes, so I don't see how it is possible for a student to do 10,000+ in 6 months. If I had had to 10,000+, it would have taken me years to complete the course, not months.
Format/Dictation Issues
Hey there, everybody! I'm currently training to be an MT through an online school and I'm having some trouble in specific areas.
First, Everything I'm studying and learning keeps telling me to type verbatim what I hear so I do that and then receive points off of my submitted assignments for not "editing for grammar." However, when I do decide to edit for grammar, I get points off for not typing what I hear verbatim. Are there any tips I can get on doing this? When do I know to edit for grammar?
Second, formats! I have a ton of reference books but I'm still having a little trouble knowing which formats to use. My current assignment I'm working on is a discharge summary but it doesn't really match the examples I have. How do I know which one to use so I meet the standards of my school and pass the assignments?
Third, I'm having some trouble with dictation quality. What would be suggested for the really fuzzy dictations that sometimes mumble words?
Thanks :)
Does anyone know how much actual dictation Gatlin offers? (sm)
It appears to be only a very small amount.
Anyone know for sure?
To clarify, the dictation is likely recorded at a hospital...
and all the C-phone or Lanier does is access that system. Any hospital that uses a Dictaphone system can be accessed by a c-phone. Seems to me there are some electronic units on the market that can be either Lanier-compatible or C-phone compatible though you would have to ask around about that. Yes, their only purpose is to access dictation that is stored somewhere else...though you could use the C-phone as a regular phone, if you wanted :>) So there are two types of data format nowadays, .wav files (or .dss files) which the file can be transferred via internet and dictaphone/Lanier format which the file has to go through a phone line. And perhaps a few microcasettes are still kicking around. Any other old-timers have anything to add?
I have been paid by the dictation minute, I prefer it ...
for the reasons you mentioned. On a couple of occasions, the recording "continued" for about 15 to 20 minutes after the dictation was done, and because I had to continue to listen, I got PAID for those minutes!
A specialty usually refers to the type of dictation
For example, cardiology, neurology, GI, hem/onc..... I have seen where some MTs just transcribe ER or just OPs, so I guess that application you filled out is strictly acute care and are looking for actually your preference amongst those particular choices.
Method of sending/receiving dictation: DEP
What does DEP stand for?
Thanks
You're new and you're already frustrated?
You better find a new profession because doctors have always been lousy dictators and they always will be. It comes with the job. Nobody will ever say anything to the doctors about lousy dictating. They bring in the money to the hospitals. They can do anything they want. Get used to it.
But that 1 hour of dictation could take you 3-8 hrs to do depending on clarity, the setup, etc. nm
s
Mostly inpatient hospital dictation - H&P, DS, Consults, Ops, some include ER
and progress notes. Acute care is usually inpatient dictation from hospitals.
Hope this helps.
expect a 1 to 4 ratio of dictation minutes to transcription time
do you really expect low level QA when someone's life may hang in the balance? I could go on but.....
you have to call the hospital/clinic line to connect with the dictation machine on their end
so you get a dial tone, that means it is working. Next you dial the number of the dictation system, and it says something like "welcome to bla-bla hospital. Please enter your user ID followed by the pound sign." Then you enter your ID and it starts giving you work in your queue or asks for job type or whatever.
That simple, easy, clear dictation practice is what the crappy schools use.
Then the person graduates, thinks they know what they're doing, and are totally shocked when they start trying to do REAL MT work. One of many reasons these cheap, crappy, found-out-about-it-on-a-matchbook-cover schools AREN'T recommended.
Hearing actual dictation files versus professionally read ones was a major plus
s
You're not alone!
I'm so with you! After my recent work shifts I am more convinced than ever of the need to find something less stressful than nursing. I love the medical field but I really can't continue to endure the nursing world. It's going to hell-in-a-handbasket and I'm sure you know what I mean. I hurt my back last nite responding to a seizure! The guy was in a pool of blood and cyanotic. Found out later he's Hep C+. Great...and now my back is tweaked. Keep me posted on your plans!
You're welcome, Dee
I'm glad I was of help to you. :-) Good luck with your endeavour!
but you're not getting it!...sm
Oh, just relax...Of course I want MT's with experience - and as long as there continues to be MT's with experience that want work at a certain rate, they will be hired in front of a newbie. In the work place it is all about what the market will bear. Nursing shortage? Nurse pay goes up. Until Filipino nurses flood the market. Then nurse pay goes down (just as an example). All I'm saying is as long as there are experienced MT's who are willing to work for 6-7 cpl (and I get plenty of them asking for work all the time at that rate), then a newbie can't be worth the same. It's all about what the market will bear. Therefore, you have to give the employer something to make hiring you more attractive than the next person....which is what? I'm always surprised that a newbie doesn't take an internship or something- whatever it takes- to get that experience. Without the experience, your chances of being hired go waaaaaay down.
My own suspicion is that it's the MT schools who keep telling newbies to go out and try to get jobs at 6 cpl - sometimes I even get resumes asking for 8 or 10! If the MT schools were honest about how difficult it was to break into the field - would people sign up and pay the money? No. But they take the money, train 'em and don't tell them that training isn't enough. Then the boards are full of postings from newbies complaining about how hard it is to break into the field. Well, for crying out loud - I would rather work for free for six months and then be marketable than to get 0 work at 6 cpl for years and years, holding out for that one chance in a thousand that someone would be willing to take me on
You're probably right lol...
I guess I should have said "Someone who knows what the heck they are doing." Or I could use a name of a great MT, but she'd probably hurt me for putting her in this conversation.
So you're saying..
...that I can't go and apply to a GI Clinic to perform colonoscopies since I know them in and out (pun intended)? That's not very encouraging.
Geesh Kat. You're a big meanie, but boy that was easy to have someone else prove your point for you.
The above posters who can't find a job did it for me, as well as the smart one who said if she could do it over she would go to SCHOOL.
I guess our work here is done.
You're Welcome - nm
You're certainly welcome.
I have trained a few MTs in the past myself, and made friends with all of them and still keep in touch. Which is why it makes me really angry to see scam artists try and take advantages of "newbies."
You're right
And I recognize that. However, when my employer reviewed my first few batches of reports, he was quite impressed and surprised at the quality given that I was just getting started.
So, I ask again- what is it that makes AHP an inferior education to other schools like Andrews and M-Tec? Do they not provide enough anatomy/medical terminology instruction? Are they deficient in practice report experience?
The only thing I felt under-prepared for was how quickly the doctor's dictate in real life versus what I was used to in practicing. Other than that, doing real transcribing was actually easier than the practice tapes I was doing because AHP uses a good deal of difficult foreign accents on their practice tapes. The account that I work on now has no foreign doctors (which is probably unusual), but some of them are ridiculously fast and incoherent.
I'm really not trying to stir up anything here or argue that anyone is wrong. I truly am just curious to know why AHP is not a good school. I have many people ask me about what I do and where I got my training, and when I tell them that I've read online that the quality of an AHP education is questionable, I have no reason to give. Thanks!
You're not alone...
I graduated from Penn Foster with a 95% and have run into the same situation. I did find out I passed the test given by one national company, and now I'm on a waiting list for additional, unpaid training.
Hopefully this is just a slow time of year and things will work out for all of us! javascript:editor_insertHTML('text','');
You're not alone...
I graduated about a month ago and haven't been able to find a job yet either. The biggest hurdle has been trying to find a company willing to hire a "newbie". I've passed tests, then been turned down because I don't have two years of experience.
Let's just hope the economy improves soon and more jobs become available for new graduates.
If you're just learning...
Why are you giving advice?
You're just beginning training. Where have you had marketing experience?
Also #1 priority in transcription and "landing" a job, be able to spell.
You're kind!
appreciate the support ... this is harder than i ever imagined it would be (as a seasoned clerical for many, many years). i don't see how any of you make a living at this.
though i was told it was hard before i started, i didn't believe it could be that hard. famous last words!
surprisingly, most of my challenges come from the simpler things like hearing "a" instead of "the" (or where there isn't either).
how on earth did you get through this? my hat's off to all of you seasoned MTs.
you're doing it correctly *the pt* until they..sm
tell you differently. I have a surgeon who gave me lip about it, until I gave him specific copies of the HIPAA laws and showed him that not only was I protecting myself but I was also protecting him from any future lawsuit.
The thing is this....many medical records are used as examples in studies..., blind studies, and the like. In today's world, as long as no patient name is mentioned in the medical record, well that record could be used in a study. If the patient's name is mentioned in body of report, the people conducting the study(ies) CAN be sued down the road for exposing a patient name......being possibly sued by the patient whose name was exposed.
There usually is a method to most madness.....*lol*
You're absolutely right!
I think it really depends on the individual.
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