looking into a typing CD to increase speed before school...
Posted By: Anne on 2005-10-05
In Reply to:
I'm planning on learning online with either M-Tec or CS, but need to wait until January to do so. Meanwhile, I thought it would be wise to do two things: 1. learn my Mac computer inside and out (I only know enough to get around plus alittle extra. This includes Word) 2. increase my typing speed
I recently bought Mavis Beacon typing 16 deluxe (I think that's what it's called) to help w/ typing speed... should arrive soon. Did anyone else do something similar to "ramp up" for MT school? Was there a need? Did it help you? Anything else I could be doing between now and January to get ready to go back to school?! (I'm 44 w/ four teens at home. Been a full time mom, and am alittle "rusty" when it comes to studying! But I'm up to the challenge, and family is very supportive.)
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How do you increase typing speed?
I am a fairly new MT who can type approx 150-170 lines per hour. I work p/t approx 500-1200 lines per day but it seems like I work f/t hours because of my typing speed. I have kids at home so when I get an hour long report I tend to try to hurry and that means I make more errors and slows down my typing speed.
My problem is I am constantly working so I can't find the time to work on my typing. I have only been working for about 3 months and am at 150-170 lph. How long should I give myself to get up to 200-300 lph like many can type?
typing speed
So, what is the required typing speed for someone who is looking hired? Or should I say the minimum.
typing speed
I am starting school the end of this month and only type about 25 wpm just concerned and wondering if anyone else started out typing this slow and how it went for them and if school really help to pick-up their speed...or should
i just forget it and move on to something else.
Typing speed is no guarantee of success
as an MT. If you haven't had any MT training, you will fail rather spectacularly. Get some training. Get GOOD training, not some matchbook-cover school. Andrews, M-Tec, Career Step--those schools will provide the training that will get you a job. Don't try to cut corners with a cheap school. If you get the right training, and if you have the talent for the job, you will not lack for work.
Your grammer seems good, and with your typing speed.....
you should have no problem. Wish you were in California.
More important than typing speed I hope
you chose a good school. Doesn't matter how fast you type if you can't get a job because she chose a more "affordable" school that didn't give you the education you need to get a job.
Never heard of needing a speed test in school, and you certainly won't need
s
From my typing school days
I recall learning that a word consists of five characters, spaces, symbols, etc., so it seems to me that they are asking for a 65-character line rate.
re new mt speed
Hi Tomatoe! Remember, most important of all, hang in there. Secondly, if your company is complaining of too many blanks, with you being so new, you may want to find a different company with better mentoring. I've been at this for over 30 yr and there are a lot of variables to MT speed. But quality is way more important anyway; always make that your 1st priority. The best help towards building speed otherwise i can offer is building 'normals'. Try not to have to look up any same thing more than once. Use shortcuts for meds, ie, Tranxene might be trnx. Use shortcuts for phrases, ie, in satisfactory condition might be ins. Later, with some doctors who use the same phrases or same paragraphs or even whole reports, you can build these in your Expander and change any variables. Good luck. You'll do fine!
Your speed is probably fine according to your
email. You would be best to go and apply at some companies with your schooling that you have on hand. You will build speed as you do more work. Quality over quantity, but quantity equals money in this profession since it is production based.
picking up the speed
If you are using an Expander (which I hope you are) I agree with the other posts. Even after 15 years, I still find it helpful to me to put in every possible drug with an abbreviation so I don't have to look up if it is capitalized or generic. Also I do things like: asp8 which spells out aspirin 81 mg, asp3 = aspirin 325 mg, etc. If you know that the drug only is in a certain mg, put the number after it and let it expand the whole thing.
Nobody really cares about speed/wpm, only that you
know your terminology, grammar, punctuation, meds/dosages, etc. If you know your stuff, you'll be fine. :)
Dial-up vs. High Speed
Do all companies require High Speed Internet? I can only get dial-up where I live. Can't find a company that will hire without High Speed though. Any thoughts?
Co. that does not require DSL or high speed???
The little town I live in in Michigan offeres both DSL and high speed internet but not outside the town where I live which is 3.5 miles from town. No verizon internet either offered. Almost all the jobs I have applied for end up requiring DSL or high speed connections and I am having trouble finding any companies to apply for that don't require those. Anyone know of companies I can apply to that don't? I am looking for part-time MT work and am flexible in hours and days that I can work. Thanks for any help that can be offered.
I would not recommend it. Being a speed typist
isn't as important as being accurate, but if you have been typing "for years" and only type 55 wpm an MT course is not going to improve that. MT work can be very stressful. It is difficult for a newbie to get a position and the pay isn't very good even for experienced MTs who can work full-time. My MIL had MS and stress would make her muscles become rigid to the point she had to take some much Valium she was a zombie.
Speed comes with practice. A job for newbie
with no experience will pay tops 6 cpl, more likely 5 cpl. If you get a job in a local doctor's office/clinic you can expect $8 to $10/hour tops.
There is so much more to MT than typing. You need to know anatomy, terminology, how to research, be able to do different accents, etc.; though if you don't type fast you'll never make a living as an MT.
I took typing in 9th grade and I was horrible. If you had told me I'd make a living typing I would have laughed at you. I now type about 125 wpm.
What appeals so far? What's not boring? What gives you the most speed?
s
picking up speed - could use some tips!
Anyone have any tips on how to "pick up the pace" so to speak on
reports? I know I'm still not quite up to par or at least where I want
to be. I even consider myself a decent typist.
I will accept any and all advice. Thank you!
It's not really your speed that matters, it's your accuracy. sm
I have been an MT for over five years and have worked at many different MT jobs. Nobody every asked me, and definitely nobody ever tested to see how fast I typed.
Was there a time limit on the test? Was it a timed typing test, or a transcription test?
Typershark. It is fun and helps with speed/accuracy.
x
Companies that do not require high-speed
FutureNet does not require high-speed access. FutureNet Technologies Corporation
do all schools require a speed test
also,I know it is necessary to type very fast, but is their an actual speed typing test and so many WPM that you have to pass? What I lack some in speed, I make up for by making very few mistakes and when I listen to doctors talk (I have done transcriptions for a lady-in training) I can type twice as fast as when I have to look off of a paper and do a timed test. One school told me it didn't matter how fast you typed--if you could spell and was good at grammer, that mattered. The grammer and proofing and spelling is all very easy to me. Thanks
Typing on a lap top
I too type on a lap top. I use a wireless keyboard. I prefer it to a desk top.
most software applications require high speed. sm
problem with dial up is like using a little pipe to get water into your home. The pipe is too little to allow a big flow. Your program will crawl on dial up. Do a search for wireless internet and your nearest town. I cannot get cable or DSL here but found out there is a tower half mile from my house that is wireless. I didn't know it and they sure didn't tell me. So check around that way. Until you get high speed, most likely you will be unable to work unless you find a place that transfers .wav files from an FTP site.
typing programs
I used this website www.typingtutor.com and it was very helpful. You said you were using a MAC? I don't believe you will be able to use that once you are working, and I think that is a problem with training with M-Tec because of the software they use.You can check with them, but I'm pretty sure I saw that on their website.
typing lab values
Can someone please help with ponters on how to type lab values in H&Ps. Which ones are commonly dictated one way but meant to be typed using decimal point values? thx in advance for your help.
The typing program I have is .......
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, which I have had for years. It doesn't cost much and allows you to practice your typing and improve typing speed.
Also, used to get a lot of headaches sitting in front of the computer but since I bought a radiation shield/screen to hang in front of my monitor, that has relieved a lot of my eye strain and headaches. It tones down the brightness of the monitor, which I didn't realize was so bright and how it affected by eyes until I put the filter screen in front of it. But I also wear glasses now for nearsightedness as a result of sitting in front of computers for years in previous jobs.
Anyway, hope this helps.
$5....but what the heck are you typing about? :) nm
s
typing test?
I am testing for jobs, and they want a typing test sent to them. My comment... why? I type what I hear not what I read. The brain is trained in a different way. I can only type 60 wpm without my shortcuts and stedmans smart type. They want 80 wpm. I dont know if I should test or not?
typing tests
Don't understand the reason either.....I just take the test...
First you aren't typing 150 lph, you are
transcribing 150 lph - big difference. That lph isn't bad for being a newbie and you can't compare yourself to an MT with 10 years of experience.
You can make more macros, use more expansions. If you are trying to work around kids you probably aren't working as much as you think you are. There is a free program you can download called Time Stamp (I think) and you use it to clock in and out to show the time you are actually transcribing. You'll be surprised how much time you think you are working and how much you are actually working.
Try to get up early before kids and work 2 hours. If they are young enough to still take naps, work when they are napping, or give them at least an hour of quiet time in their rooms so you can work. Work after dinner when your husband can look after them.
Don't get on the internet unless you are researching and do your research and don't visit other websites or check your e-mail. If possible make a note about what you need to look up and save it for when you take a break and you can look up several at one time.
I've been doing this for 20 years. I'm not a fast typist, I can't transcribe with the speed ramped up. I know people who can turn out the lines, but I have also seen some of their work and it isn't a quality product - not saying that it isn't possible to do both, just that fast isn't always good.
You aren't going to be typing 60 wpm. You are going to have to
look up words, format, spellcheck, etc. so just because you can type 60 wpm doesn't mean a thing. You also have to figure it the difficulty of the account, how lines are counted .........
typing error
Who are you, the typing police? Do you get pleasure out of insulting people? Or are you the perfect typist who never makes any errors? Don't think so!!!!!!!!!
typing test
It was a timed typing test.
I was not fast or accurate enough to pass, but I am improving. Have you worked online without taking a typing test?
Typing tests
I've never seen a typing test, timed or untimed, as part of any medical transcription application process. Transcription tests, yes, but not TYPING tests.
If I had ever been asked to take one, I'm afraid I would have gotten up and walked out. I would have assumed that the employer didn't understand the nature of the work they were calling "medical transcription." If they didn't understand that, they wouldn't be likely to understand much else about it, either, and that would be unfortunate for everyone.
If you're applying to legitimate MT employers, I don't think they will ask you to take a typing test. I do not believe our students have reported having to take a typing test, either.
You might want to check what MT services actually require.
That being said, you should . . . of course . . . improve your keyboard speed. That isn't achieved by going faster, but by keying slowly enough that you don't make any typos, but just keep going on and on. Eventually, you'll speed up. Try keying medical reports and books. There are lots of them on the internet.
In order for you to work comfortably as an MT, you'll need to be able to keyboard a whole shift, or about 7 hours with a 10 minute break every hour and a half-hour to an hour break in the middle.
You can do this if you start now and work at it gradually and without causing yourself stress. :)
Typing Tests
I have applied to several online companies and I haven't found any that don't require a typing test. Do you know of any? Also, as a newbie with no working experience, it's extremely to get my foot in the door anywhere. Thanks.
typing test
I agree, when I first started radiology I had to look up every 30 seconds or so - and I'd been doing this for 10 years. If you want you can take a quick typing test at www.typingtest.com, It would be purely for your own knowledge but it is kind of cool to see your improvement.
I remember seeing a job posting that said (this job is not worthwhile unless you can type 75 WPM) which I thought was very stupid. But they pointed out this website and I was at 73 wpm - when I started 10 years ago I was only at 45 WPM.
WPM doesn't matter as much as your knowledge - this is true - so consider that before you apply for a job that even mentions WPM!!
If you need extra practice typing itself...
goodtyping.com
COOL!
I was typing 150lph my first week. sm
It certainly isn't impossible. No, it isn't great pay for someone who has a skill that is needed and is good at it, but you do need to start somewhere. I don't think companies are willing to start newbies out at 7-9cpl because they can and do hire experienced MTs at that rate. Why should they take a chance on someone unproven when they can get someone who has been in the industry 5+ years at the same rate? That doesn't happen in any profession that I know of.
I've been a working MT now for just under a year and can type 300 lph doing acute care and more if I am doing podiatry. Even at 6-7 cpl I can make a decent amount of money. I'd love to be getting more money, but that just isn't happening. Look at the job boards, most companies are advertising for 3-5 years experience starting at 7-9cpl, any higher than that is not the norm. Is it fair? Probably not, but it is the reality of this industry. Those who don't love their work, are not good at it, or are only in it for the money will be getting out and finding another profession. That will leave less competition and eventually the wages will begin to go up again.
I think there has just been a huge surge in new people entering MT in the last few years because of all the 'get rich quick' ads out there, but people are starting to realize this isn't an easy job.
Who knows, maybe I'm just too optomistic.
what type of reports are you typing?
I do alot of psyche and some of my reports range from 150-450 lines per report. So when you look at it like that it is not bad. On the other had if you are doing radiology that would be totally different. Again some of mines average from 15-30 lines. That is with a 65 character line.
There are several free typing sites online.
goodtyping.com is one of them I know. It uses a series of typing tests to improve on quality and speed. It helped me.
Does speech recognition really give you less typing?
TTS, LLC says that you really only have to proofread. Does anyone know if this is true?
You typing on downloaded templates or something? Sounds like someone
s
Plenty of jobs out there w/o typing tests. Haven't
s
Agree with an outside school, but I went to a business & tech school. Great experience, better
s
You CAN get a job at home, right out of school, but it has to be a GOOD school.
You should enroll in Andrews School or M-TEC. I know you don't want to spend more money, but at least you WILL be able to get a job. If you thought At Home Professions was a good course, you will be totally amazed at what you DIDN'T learn in that course that you WILL learn at the two good schools. There is no "required" curriculum for MT, anybody can open up a school, charge what they want, and teach what they want. Companies will waive the 2-years' experience requirement for graduates of Andrews School and M-TEC, but NOT for the other schools.
School?
Has anyone graduated from Thomson Education Direct and got hired anywhere?
Just wondering about choosing the right school for medical transcription course.
MT school
I attend the Andrews School. It has a very good reputation among national services--some will even waive the minimum 2-year experience requirement and allow you to test for them if you are an Andrews graduate. I have heard good things about M-Tec as well. I would suggest that you contact hospitals, nationals, etc. that you might want to work for and ask them which schools they suggest as far as turning out job-ready graduates. Good luck!
$ for MT school
No, I don't. We have debt out of our ears but you can make payments or charge it or whatever it takes. I've always had to spend money to make money. I just want to make sure I can make it back fairly soon. When I do the math it seems like you have to be pretty darn fast at transcription to earn a living. I admire the people out there doing it!
School and $$$
Hey, sorry about your ankle. Sounds like this could be a perfect time to study for MT. I'm sure I saw scholarship information that was based on financial need on one of the "3" schools...Andrews, MTEC or Career Step. Go to their websites and see! All the best to you! 
What to look for in a school
There are three things to look at in choosing a school and neither of them is money.
The first is whether national services already hire their grads and keep them longer than 6 months.
The second is what percentage of the grads score adequately on the employer's test.
The third is how many students complete the course with a grade of 95% or better on the first try.
Even if an employer is willing to hire from a school, if few grads pass his test and qualify to be hired, then the school isn't so hot. If the employer hires, but the grads can't keep the job for even 6 months, then the school isn't so hot. If the school has a high drop-out rate and many students (sometimes "most") don't make it to graduation, then the school isn't so hot. If it takes students several tries to pass, then the school isn't so hot.
You can see that just examining whether an employer will hire a grad isn't such a good measure. You also have to look at how many students get to graduation, how they got there, how many of them passed the test, and how many of those didn't get fired or quit in frustration.
You want a school whose grads are almost uniformly hired by nationals and which graduates nearly all students (all have drops, but you want a low level of those) on the first try.
Considering all that, you have two options: M-Tec and Andrews. And Andrews has a pre-admission test you'll need to pass to get in.
In your case, you should not go for a school which will allow you to skip any courses. You don't know anatomy and terminology like you'll need it for MT--what you know is what you need for billing, and that is different. Unless you hold a PhD in anatomy, you need to refresh your memory. Any school that lets you get away with not doing that does not have your best interests in mind.
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