You still skirted the issue. Please answer the questions so you may have more newbies. Otherwise,

• Proficient Transcription - MTSO
  • Let me just go ahead and ask you straight out then... - sm
    • MTSO - Are you going to answer quick on this - one or what? nm
      • THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT! - nm
        • MTSO - What are you afraid of? - Answer the quesiton.
          • Wow! This is a sign to beware of her start up costs. - We just want to know what they are and
  • You still haven't addressed the issues brought up below . (sm) - anon
  • You have not been transcribing 10 years. Your resume reflects about 4 years tops. I am going to put - it out there, too. You are an MT with (sm)
    • Where will we be able to see the - resume? (nm)
      • You cant put someone's personal information out there like that. nm - Wrong
    • I think you have the wrong person or someone else's resume. I have been working for 10 years. I - MTSO
      • So, MTSO, are you going to address the issues - or not????
      • I have the right person and you are too quick to reply to posts. A professional - MTSO would just ignore. (sm)
        • Professional MT's would be too busy working to - MTSO
          • You still skirted the issue. Please answer the questions so you may have more newbies. Otherwise, - nm
            • I was not the one who wrote that above post signed by MTSO. I said what I had to say. sm - MTSO for Proficient
              • I think what the MTSO has and hasn't said speaks volumes - sm - anon
              • To any newbie considering Profiicient Transcription... sm - Honest Opinion
                • This all sounds nice, but newbies have to choose MTSOs wisely and this one is not a wise choice. - I speak from experience. If anyone wants to email
            • Otherwise you may have a decline in new hires. - sorry. nm
          • Gee, I was under the impression that this board WAS for professional MTs! - Way to put everyone down
            • AND for professional MTSO's! But post above states otherwise. nm - MTSO
            • What would give you that impression? - Certainly not this thread. lol

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu

I have new headphones too so I don't think it's a headphone issue here.  Unfortunately, the tape quality is so poor I don't think hearing from both sides will make much of a difference - at least for me anyway.  I just deal with it.  :)

lived overseas.  Many ads say no offshore MTs, but I don't know how they feel about an American that was overseas and if that would an issue for you or not. 

and have seen a definite trend afoot. Let me say I have over 20 years experience in health care and MT. I also own a transcription service. I spend a lot of time networking with other people in this field. This is what I see.

1) Nearly all the major transcription services have gone to Voice Recognition platforms.(See Company Board) When they did this, they chopped the wages in half, with the idea that you should be able to produce twice as much edited work as transcribed work. However, this penalizes the fast experienced transcriptionist. It was nothing to be able to make $30-$40 an hour if you were good. As an editor, you make approximately $12. It is very difficult to increase production as an Editor - there are just not many tricks.  In addition, they also have gone offshore, nearly 100% of the big companies. We are not talking small change here. We are talking about a major shift.

2) A significant number of medical offices are switching to electronic medical record systems (EMR) which often have a computerized charting component that would replace medical transcription. We definitely are seeing FREQUENT posts about people losing accounts to EMR.

3) Every year, the physicians coming out of medical school are more and more comfortable with technology.  They live and breath with their laptops. They pay their bills on-line, they get their music on line, they find houses, cars and dates on line. They can type faster than I can. They will certainly be even less resistant to technology.

4) The AAMT which could have been the unified voice among MT's to deal with these challenges, has sold out for getting more members overseas - an untapped market to buy books, training, and equipment. $Cha-Ching$! And they ditched us.

So, say you have 150,000 jobs in an industry and 1/3 are lost to off shore and 1/3 are lost to voice recognition and EMR. What kind of competition do you think is going to be left among the remaining 1/3?   Do you think you, as a newbie, are going to be able to compete? Do you think wages are going to go UP if there are more than enough transcriptionists, all competing for the same job?

So you can be scared and upset and deny it's happening...or you can adapt...Me? I enrolled in nursing school. When MT collapses, which I believe it is on the verge of, I will be ready.

http://www.lartechinc.com/home.html

Check on Google.Com they have many links to the company you are looking for.

Why don't you call Linda and discuss your concerns with her?  I'm sure she can put them into perspective better than I can, but I'll share that you won't need to use that website in your studies.  Nor do you need to participate in any social activity whatsoever.   In fact, should you wish to be completely invisible to all the other students, you won't have any problem doing so. 

My cyber-office masquerades as a pub, but I won't be teaching you, so you don't have to go there.  Even if I was teaching you, you wouldn't have to go there!  Many of my students interact with me only by email.   

Yes, our board is private.  That is because our students voted to have a private board and because the school administration feels that a private board is best for everyone.   That way, you can speak and participate freely, or not, without worrying about it coming back to haunt you some day. 

What's most important is that you choose the school that makes you feel the most "at home."   You need to be comfortable and happy, and you need to feel that the school meets your needs as far as is possible.   We want you to select the school that you feel is "your" school, and if it's not us, that's ok. 

I have been doing this job part time for 6 months now and absolutely love it. I am looking forward to the day when I can do this full time.  To answer your questions:

1.  There is no reason nor excuse to attach a resume when your prospective employer says to paste it.  When I applied I made sure I read everything and did everything that was asked.... because I wanted the job.

2.  There is no reason nor excuse to apply for a job where you do not have or are not willing to buy the equipment needed to do the job.  I made sure my software and foot pedal were compatible.  If a high speed internet connection is required, and you don't have one, then you can't do the job.

3.  When I applied for positions, I checked, checked and recheched my spelling and grammar to show that I did have a grasp of the English language... because I wanted the job.

4.  I did get the job, and now I rely heavily on the QA corrections that I receive.  I pull my reports to see the errors before I start my shift so I won't do the same mistakes again.  I want to learn the words and phrases of difficult docs, get the account specifics down, and improve my accuracy... because I want to KEEP my job.

This is just good business common sense.  I think feathers were ruffled because of the tone of the post, not the content, although I can certainly understand her frustration.  A MTSO owes a newbie nothing.  A newbie must prove themselves able to do the job, and a good first impression is a big step in doing that.

Just my take on it.

only cap medical Transcriptionist if it is a company name....I am an MTSO with my first name and surname coming before, i.e.,  [My Name Here] Medical Transcription Service

Instead of the traditional straight keyboard, they have a keyboard that is split down the middle so your hands can be at a more natural angle.  Its called an ergonomic keyboard.  I LOVE mine. 

If you go to this URL you will find the exact keyboard that I use. 

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=043

Has anyone heard back from "Jen" regarding the internship that her company is offering? If so, please email me with your thoughts and opinions of the offer.

Thanks!

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?

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.