Yes, harsh

Yes, harsh [2008-05-17]
Yes, it was harsh. Better to leave a blank than make a mistake. PS - I have been transcribing on and off for 10 years and I don't think I have ever typed ov - ever.

That's a little bit of a harsh assessment, IMO. [2008-01-09]
I'm no prima donna, either, but I think anybody with a clerical background would be surprised to get an offer for dishwashing, to say the least. I would have been shocked. Not insulted, just extremely surprised to be offered such a different position than the one I was qualified for. When I entered the workforce 20 years ago, I actually tried for a job like that and didn't get it; they said with what college I had, I was overqualified! I didn't care, I just wanted to work; but they wouldn't talk to me. The scenario the OP describes is so different from my experiences that I too would be shocked if it happened to me.

sorry, I did not mean that to sound so harsh... [2008-01-08]
I am just frustrated...

Please don't be harsh on me, but if you are so SM [2007-09-25]
concerned, why don't you work for MT company that provides health insurance? I realize that all health insurance options are not affordable, but you can try. Anything would be better than going without, espcially if you are older.

Wow that's kinda harsh- it seems to me its the opposite [2007-06-16]
from what I have seen it seems like the seasoned MTs resent the Newbies- I have seen no sign of it being the other way around, which I would actually even understand considering the nastiness they run into on this board. I don't think anyone thinks their having completed an MT course puts them on a par with someone who has been doing it for years- they simply want to be given a chance. So you were trained on the job- good for you. But thank God there are training courses out there now so that people come in with at least some knowledge. And there is nothing wrong with not wanting to work every single weekend and every single holiday. Where I work everyone has to work at least one weekend day, newbies and seasoned alike. There are only a couple who have been here so long that they have monday-friday days due to seniority. Everyone here has to work at least 12 hours of holidays a year,no matter who you are or how long you have worked here. I don't mind working holidays so that people with families can have them off. I don't see why someone should get stuck with all the scut work just because they are new.

Harsh. I guess in your book, quality inspectors [2007-03-22]
in widget factories don't have real jobs, either. I'm positive your QA people don't have any beef with you whatsoever as long as you are creating something real QUALITY. QA people are under just as much stress as the rest of the MT world.

I know this sounds harsh and probably will get slammed by this board, but I would tell him that if [2006-09-27]
he does not check into a formal rehab program that you are going to call Social Services and have them checkabout having his children removed. These kids are too young to be in the situation of taking care of daddy, and there could potentially be serious consequences. There could also be more serious complications with his head injury that may be surfacing along with his drinking.

No doesnt sound harsh [2006-09-27]
I agree with you to an extent about threatening with that, and I have informed family members that could be done if he does not get help and endangers them in some way. They of course say they know, I think they are trying to handle it without hurting the kids any further. He has not physically hurt them just scared them which is bad enough! Thanks

What a harsh thing to say.....it is sad for any mother to lose a child [2006-09-11]
x

sounds a little harsh [2006-09-02]
Study time can be a wonderful bonding time. If you take the time to sit down with a child/teen, it shows you are interested in their progress and you may give them study ideas they didn't think of. To just tell them to do it on their own I think is rather harsh and gives the impression that you aren't interested. When mine ask me questions, even if it's something I don't know anything about, like calculus, I'll tell them to pull up a chair and then research it and do my best to come up with an answer. It's just invaluable time you can spend with a child. Mine always had chores from the time they could walk, like putting up their clothes, and all 4 know how to cook, clean, do laundry, and each gets a specific job each day. Education has always been #1 - studying and learning before anything else but not made to be like a punishment. My third son, a senior now, had an assignment in physics. I rented physics videos from netflix and we watched those and discussed them and looked up stuff on the net and most importantly, we talked the whole time. They constantly come in to where I work and talk to me, about anything and everything, to share something they learned at school, something they found out on wikipedia, etc. If they come to you for help, take the time to give it, it's not just helping with homework, it's giving them a feeling that what they do matters.

kinda harsh?...it's downright ridiculous. [2006-07-21]
nm

Harsh and angry? No, I am sad and and distressed for them. [2006-07-02]
berate: Verb - censure severely or angrily. censure - harsh criticism. I accept them as one of God's precious creations, born with a sin nature, just like me. I never know when someone who rebukes me for gentle sharing of what Jesus has done for me may actually be saying that they wish somebody would take the time and interest in them to explain what they do not understand. For example, a person who has only seemed offended previously may one day turn to me and ask me if they have sinned too much for God to forgive them. And I can tell them how Jesus can save them. Sometimes it happens and then we rejoice.

Atkins was too harsh for me, but SouthBeach was really good. [2006-05-03]
if you are one who has problems tolerating Atkins. I got severe migraines and had to quite for a while, but then I started SouthBeach and did much better on it. Best of luck whichever way you decide to go! Jojo

wow, that's harsh...this is some truth (sm) [2006-03-31]
to this, but I personally love my job with MW. Yes, sometimes there are problems but that is true everywhere. I have a very supportive team leader and enjoy sitting down to work every day, and make a very good living doing it.

That's harsh. Hardly anybody is paid hourly in this field [2006-01-01]
It's all production pay. It's not theft to get your line quota in and knock off for the day. Why should the fast ones be penalized for being good? Why should they have to do more work than the others? You can't fire somebody for meeting their contracted production in a timely manner.

Wow! That's harsh! What did any of them ever [2005-09-07]
do to you? I hope you never lose your home,neighborhood,possessions, friends, family, and everything else these people no longer have. Why do you think they're losers? Is it because they lost everything? Or is it because you're a racist and a snob?

Good luck, but you'll need your CMT... [2008-11-21]
The only other way possible I can think of, and someone above already mentioned it, is have another Transcriptionist train you. That's how I got into this field. However, most transcriptionists aren't in the situation to train to nor do they probably want to. If you do choose to do online courses, I would personally recommend CareerStep... just stay away from PCDI! I have two friends going through CareerStep and they both are enjoying the course. Otherwise, this isn't a job you can just walk up to and start without any knowledge. If you want an easy job like that where you need no training, or training on the job, try a gas station or fast food restaurant. Sorry, I'm not trying to sound harsh, just truthful. You need a lot of training before working as an MT, as another poster said, it really is like a second language! You have to learn terminology, pharmaceuticals, anatomy, etc. However, I wish you the best of luck. If you *really* want to become an MT, then you can do it!

Background color on typing screen [2008-11-15]
I just got a new pc from the company and want to restore the aqua background color on my typing screen. Theblack on white is too harsh for my eyes. I have lost the instructions. Can anyone help, please? Thanks so much.

Thanks... [2008-10-25]
Those are my sentiments almost exactly. Some of the posters here (or perhaps it's just one poster using multiple IDs) go out of their way to post unwarranted attacks on anyone who sounds REMOTELY happy with their job or their life. I realize times are difficult for many, many people right now, not just MTs but EVERYONE. I make a very decent living doing MT work and, more importantly, I ENJOY it. Sure, I'm never going to become a millionaire or even remotely close to one being an MT, but it pays the bills and allows me to treat myself to some of the finer things in life on occasion, too. I'm trying not to judge too harshly here, but I truly believe some of the posters on here who find it necessary to spew venom all over the posts of anyone who seems to be happy (or has something positive to contribute) seriously need therapy and/or medication. Only someone very unhappy with their lives would find it necessary to tear down others in order to feel a fleeting thrill of happiness. Depression isn't a joke and it doesn't cure itself, and it's becoming painfully obvious that at least a few posters here are clinically, acutely depressed and really should seek professional help. It's not normal by any extent of the imagination to feel such hostility toward everything in one's life. Again, I don't post this to be mean or rude or harsh or start a flame war, but for your own sake, if you honestly are that miserable, PLEASE seek help and try to find some happiness for yourselves in SOME aspect of your lives. Life's just too short and too wonderful to waste any time bathing in negativity.

Asheville! [2008-09-13]
We are looking to move to Asheville to get away from our harsh winters. North Carolina sounds perfect weatherwise, in the mountain area anyway. Getting my CMT is something I personally am glad I did, and though it did not give me any financial reward yet, having been stuck in one place for a long time, I have it in my pocket for when I move on. That feels like security.

Mom [2008-05-28]
Hi Dottie: I was wondering if you could maybe make a date to meet your mom for lunch, say once every other week (or once a week if you can). I would give anything to have had a mom who wanted to do things with me! I am not trying to be harsh or mean, and I have certainly been through the whole you don't really work because you are at home thing.

Yes, harsh [2008-05-17]
Yes, it was harsh. Better to leave a blank than make a mistake. PS - I have been transcribing on and off for 10 years and I don't think I have ever typed ov - ever.

My experience with new co...sm [2008-05-16]
I started with a new company this week. It is doing general practice clinic notes. It is editscript VR. I have only been an MT for a year. My year of exp has been with general surgery clinic notes. So I amdoing general practice now part time too. Well I have a new specialty, new platform, new dictators. Everything. Igot a dictator thatwas not agood dictator.Well I didn't do so good on the report I sent to QA which was the owner.The otherreportsshe said werevery good. OK so I do this one not so good and she sends me an email and says if I don'tdo better thenwe will have to consider other options, ie get rid of me basically. Ok is itjust me or is that a little harsh? One of the things I missed wasov. Not the letters o-v but the word ov. I didn't know what ov meant. I looked inbooks but I didn't know so I left a blank well I got crawled for that. It was office visit. I didn'tknow.Isn't that why they call it training? Because you are learning the account.

OV/owner [2008-05-16]
I have 15 years experience and when I first read your note, even I had to stop and scratch my head for a second for what OV meant, (LOL) but I have it in my expander. I agree with the other post in that the owner should be glad you left a blank than to guess at something. I like to think that would be the mark of a good Transcriptionist to leave a blank rather than gamble at making a mistake. Also, when we learn new things, it can be stressful because you are trying to do a good job in areas where we are all new and perhaps learning new things and words. I say, keep up the good work and we all learn from our blanks whether we are new in the business or not. She was really harsh to make that comment.

MT Desk clan? More like... [2008-03-07]
...be prepared to do your own searching for the answers. MT Desk participants will offer you thinking and researching ideas, but they will not toss you the answers as easily as it is done here or other MT sites. It is managed very differently than other MT sites and the participants adhere to the teach them to fish rule. MTs, especially those of us that work at home, should be able to be self-reliant in this field and possess decent researching skills. As you've all just experienced last week, what happensin the future if both MTStars.com/netjust *poof* from web again? Who willgive you the answers, when you are so used tohaving someone else do the researchingfor you? Surely there's been exchanging ofharsh words now and again, but I've seen the same thing happen here on this site and others. Major difference is, on THIS site, you can't tell who is making the comments, because on this site, you can hide who you are by changing your namefor each post you make, whereas on MTDesk, each person has 1 identity for everypost they make.So yes, on MT Desk you WILL see the same folks replying on 'hot' topics as they do not have as much flexibility to name change between posts as is so easily done here. Clan? I think not. I see it as a group of folkshelping other MTs hone their researching and thinking skills, helping you to hopefully become a self-reliant MT. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with MT Desk.

I won't lose any sleep over you thinking I'm a crook. [2008-02-26]
I teach my kids that we live in a world where sometimes you have to fight for what is rightfully yours. I teach my kids to not trust the government to treat them fairly or to do right by them at all. The only person that will look out for their best interests is them and of course me -- their mom. But beyond that, make sure you cover yourself. Help out your neighbor when you can, give back to your community when you can, and only rely on God and yourself (and your mom ). This isn't a fairy tale. We live in a harsh reality. Wake up! The government is allowing our jobs to be send to India. It's just plain ignorant to be outraged when someone has devised a way to pay less and get more!

Word "lines" divided by 65 [2008-01-31]
Of course you made out good, you're taking lines that aren't 65 characters long and giving yourself credit for 65 characters. I don't want to sound harsh, but that's cheating. If you use Word to count the LINES in a document, as one poster mentioned, you get a count of all the lines -- include blank lines, including Dear Dr. SoandSo, Sincerely, -- all those things are counted as lines. They're usually referred to as gross lines because it's just the gross number of lines in a document. But if you calculate Sincerely, as a 65-character line, I don't want to sound harsh, but that's just cheating. The word Sincerely, is not 65-characters long. Your company counts the characters and divides by 65 to come up with the number of 65-character lines. Eggs come in different-sized cartons. If the store told you a carton of 6 eggs and a carton of 12 eggs was 2 dozen eggs, they'be cheating you. You certainly wouldn't want to pay for 2 dozen eggs, you're only getting 18. So 2 cartons of eggs is not necessarily 2 dozen eggs. You see what I mean?

You're welcome sm [2008-01-20]
As you can see, I can be pretty anal about getting to the bottom of things. So many people who know me say I should have been a lawyer, which I think is a backhanded compliment? lol. So I have to apologize to you and others for my very harsh posts earlier in the week and making generalizationsmyself of posters here. I loveto argue a point, sorry,and, yes, a chord was struckand I overreacted, but hopefully, it helped to see others' points of view too.

References on resume sm [2008-01-10]
Our local colleges and resume critiques suggest references on resumesare not acceptable. Also, a reference should never be offered without first asking permission from the person or company one uses as a reference. It's an honor and privilege to have these people offer to serve. However, I have seen many brochures for services which list the names of clients and sometimes quotes from clients as to the greatness of their service. I think brochures are in a different category. I would caution against this without a signed okay. I have been taught never to list a reference on a resume but to show up with them on a separate sheet either at time of interview or upon request from those you are seeking employment from or perhaps an IC position. I hope this helps. It sounds harsh, but I think it is being respectful of those who would offer to serve as a reference and you don't want them being bothered by too many inquiries. Hope this helps. Good luck (although luck has nothing to do with it) and hope you do well!

This is very true. They are not responsible [2008-01-09]
I know it sounds harsh. Late checks and no checks at all are two different stories. I've learned the hard way with direct deposit as well. This is not a sure thing either. Sometimes due to holidays or weekend days, it can go in late.

Grain of salt [2008-01-02]
I've been in thisfield for just under a decade. I have to say in all my years as an MT, I've never had that much animosity towards a QA person reviewing my work, whether it's being done at random or for help with a blank. Iappreciate a few QA people I have, as my accounts are mainly very tough ESLs. One QA in particular e-mails feedback on every little blank there is, even if it was only for a *duhh moment* for the word the. She is not a friendly soul, pays no attention to the greetings I send along with notationof my attempts to figure out that blank and my thanks for her assist, but I certainly do learn from her input and appreciate her backing me up at times when my ears fail me.I find this QA personinvaluable. She's all business, and that is just fine by me. When I first started with this company, her comments to me were harshfor a formaterror. She is the one who released me from QA after a couple of days on the job, she is the manager of this particular account. Work I produceis a reflection on her ability asQA and manager. Flipside on a different account, same company, QA person is nonexistent. She can't be bothered to advise of a blank, answer a question, even with my being new to the account and learning the doctors andall the account specs. I have absolutely no idea how my work is, e-mailed weeks ago,received no reply. I would rather receive some kind of input, whether bad or good,than feel as if I am left to drown in a sea of doubt. Sorry you dislike your QA, try notto think of them as the enemy.

My opinion is that [2007-12-29]
it sounds a little harsh. I do not feel that you are participating in HIPAA violations by transcribing these dictations, so it kinda sounds like trying to have an official reason for declining, when the background noise should stand on its own as reason enough to refuse these. JMO, but I would be really, really nice about it if I wanted to hang on to the account.

My name says it all...here is my opinion.. [2007-12-29]
My two teenage daughters, now almost 20 and 19 came out a year or so ago. Talk about double whammy..ironically, the almost 20-year-old is mine from a previous marriage and the almost 19-year-old is from my husband's previous marriage. Last year, they both had boyfriends and this year they became lesbians. I was not surprised nor shocked but my husband was...you know, the male denial thing. He still thinks it is a phase that they will grow out of and believes the rainbow stuff our kids flaunted was because all kids love rainbows LOL. In any event, I had a family myspace page that I use tokeep connected to all of my siblings and their families etc..Well, soon my daughter's my space pages were littered withso much lesbian stuff I could not even believe it...and it was for all of the world to see,including relatives, friends, you name it. Was I embarrassed, not so much, although Istill amunable to understand why two beautiful girlschose to splash pictures of them with girls who looked like nonattractive boys, I will never know. That may sound harsh but I have learned to laugh at it or I'd be hysterical and cry every minute of every day. Inany event, at the time, one of my daughters worked with me at my doctor's office part-time and she proudly displayedthe name of our clinic. The way I explained it to her was...I love you for who you are but we still live in a world where you will be judged. Especially in our clinic, we dealt with elderly people etc. I just asked her to beaware when she is in public that people do judge and they are offended and to keep that in mind. She thought her last job cut her hours when they found out she was gay, and I politely told her that no that was not the reason. It may have been due to her girlfriend who looked like a boy showed up at her job constanty and she had hickeys all over her neck. That was NOT professional. Bottom line is that no matter how we feel abouthomosexually, we still have tobe considerate tothosewho do not believe in it and whom are offended. It's called respect and putting up your company's name is not respecting them.

Um, I'd guess she presumed because - sm [2007-11-21]
you said your lines were VR and straight. Dragon is a VR system and some MTs use it themselves to dictate the transcripts. I think she was presuming you were generating the VR, not editing it. Reasonable assumption, IMO. I don't want to get into a medical reasons competition with you either, but gee whiz, just because somebody can't physically sit for 8 hours per day doesn't mean they're flitting the day away, that's a bit harsh. I know two MTs, former line powerhouses, who are battling with lupus-like immune disorders and I personally believe it's because they pushed their bodies too hard for too many years. Being tough is not something I want to brag about from my wheelchair.

Most MTs are very busy people. I have answered your questions OP sm [2007-11-19]
You didn't get my number, I am definitely too busy to talk to ANYONE, except my boss, when I am trying to work. I work more than one IC contract and I am working 15 and 16 hour days. I don't talk to my family or my friends...let alone you or any other MT who wants questions over the phone. I have to say, since I have seen these questions...I rolled my eyes when I saw what was being asked, frequently the same question over and over again. I couldn't be bothered to render an opinion or tell you where to stick your commas. As others have posted, you need training. If you can't tell where to put a comma, that training is probably high school English. Asking the opinions of several MTs is phishing for a phight. I cannot see what you hope to gain by it, but I won't be enticed to waste my time. If you are a newbie MT and you have just completed training, go ask your teacher(s) or go to your QA manager. If you feel your QA manager is wrong, go to her boss, but you had better have your facts straight and an AAMT BOS in your hand when you do and it would be a good idea if you could quote the errors out of the BOS. Then again, if you had the newest AAMT BOS and if you knew how research things you would not need these silly questions answered. Yup I am being harsh.

Tell me something I don't know.... [2007-11-13]
I agree with what you are saying. Much of what the OP said was very harsh, i.e. low class, etc. However, I really believe she just had a bad day like we all have had and needed to vent. She just chose some of the wrong words to express herself, especially on an internet message board. Yes, I realize that America is a melting pot. My family came over on a boat straight from Ireland about 150 years ago. Their last name was spelled O'Sulivan. My Irish ancestors could not find work just because they were Irish. So, my great-great-great grandfather actually had to change the spelling of his/our last name to Sullivan and work on his accent just to survive. I know all about racism. It would no different for me or you if we chose to move to another country. We would have no choice but to learn their language in order to find employment and there. The inability to communicate is a huge handicap. We don't see that as much here because America accommodates foreigners. Other countries do not...most anyway. When in Rome, do like the Romans. I don't have a problem with ESLs that at least try to be articulate and clear. The worst dictators I've had have actually been American PAs and nurse practitioners.

anger [2007-10-04]
That was a little harsh wouldn't you say? Unless you've been there then don't judge!

Some have a different learning curve than others [2007-09-21]
I had an in-house job for 3 years, hired in off the street, no experience. Three months later, another girl hired in, same situation. Paid hourly, no ESL, and we had the opportunity to talk to the doctors in person about any issue. By the time I left, I was the highest producer in the office. She was still struggling with the simplest words and phrases, still asking the same questions she asked the week she hired in, still needing help from somebody else all day long.She would cry from frustration because she couldn't get her act together. Other people that hired in after her got the hang of it much faster and were soon helping her too. I askedmanagement on many occasions why they just didn't show her the door, and they said I was being harsh and that some people just couldn't learn as fast as others. I wonder why she didn't just go find a different kind of job instead of hanging around driving herself and everyone else nuts.

fair [2007-09-20]
I think that your employer is being harsh, but I do believe that by the end of a year 1200 lines a day should be possible, especially with your background. Of course, if you are working with extremely difficult doctors that may be different. I have what I consider to be a very good account with few ESL and most doctors are very clear, and was able to produce up to 1600 lines a day with relative ease if I actually typed 8 full hours at about 6-8 months. I had no medical experience, but I did have writing and editing experience, along with two college degrees. In part, I think it's the ability to use Expanders as tools efficiently that makes that possible. Are you able to use online resources well? Do you have a good drug reference on your computer with a flexible search tool? Do you have an Expander that you are using to advantage? In order to be productive at the rates people expect these days, I think all of the above are a necessity. I also think that even with experience as a medical secretary some training is needed in order to get up to speed as an MT. In fairness, it sounds like you just jumped right into the job, and that must be difficult. Good luck!

Trying to leave MT.... [2007-09-20]
Thanks for answering my question. I do use Auto Correct, as we have MS Word as the software we use for documents and I am building my list up. Itis good for some words, terms or phrases..I'm not sure how much it has helped boost my line count. I just honestly wanted to know what is fair for a newbie MT doing this for one year. I am lucky that we do not have hardly any ESL docs. You are right about my employer being harsh--my asst manager assigned me orthopedics last month and she said to me a few days ago that I should have had Ortho down by now!! I tell you, these people have never heard of a learning curve! After taxes, I make about 16,000/year and that's based on a full-time 40 hour work week. They don't pay me enough for the stress, so I'm looking for something else now. the job market in this area is pretty lousy, but I keeping hope!

Medware [2007-07-25]
Ihad beenwith another company for nearly six years when I switched to Medware. Ilove Medware! They're like any other company wherein benefits are available, but you are required to work 40 hours a week and produce your required line count. Isn't that just the same as other companies? QAs are quarterly, the pay is fair, and I have had great supervisors...just the best!!!I think some of the comments I have seen about Medware are harsh. I've worked for the worst and feel Medware is one of the very best!!!