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Having a mammo and ultrasound tomorrow for palpable lump discovered last week.  Never had one before and am wondering if the techs will tip you off in some fashion if the results look favorable.  Also have appt with surgical oncologist later in the week, but I am on pins and needles mostly because I am a self-supporting single mom and can't afford substantial downtime as well as other issues with DD.

I'm also a little concerned about the speed with which all of this has been arranged.  Hopefully it's just out of an abundance of caution.  TIA.  Hope this didn't post twice.  I don't know what happened to the first one in the email verification process!

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an increase in pay because you're concerned you'll price yourself right out of a job?

I make 9 cents a line IC.  I get my line count pumped up to where I want by hard work on the accounts I'm working.  I get pretty efficient in that account and then I get pushed to different work where I have to start all over again and work really hard to make a decent line count.  It's seemed to happen again, so I'm thinking about requesting a pay increase but then I start thinking that I'm already at a "better than most" pay from what I've seen posted here and elsewhere.  What do you think?  I'm interested in opinions if anyone will share.  Thanks.

Sounds like a really good package deal, anyone using it?  I am thinking of using the digital recorder and buying the gear player package.

TIA,

Sunny

Has anyone heard of Meridian? I know someone who is kicked around by them and was wondering if anyone know's anything about them??

I need some help here please.  I have been thinking of taking the CMT test but cannot decide.  The company that I work for will pay extra for the certification but is it really worth it?  I have been doing this job for almost 25 years, however, I worked for a local multispecialty clinic that did not have any idea about BOS, we simply typed what the doctor said and the format depended on each doctor.  They phased out our department several years ago and I have worked for a few services so I have definitely grown in all areas and learned BOS.  Can anyone give me the pros and cons of taking the test?  Is it as intimidating as it seems?  To me, one of the pros would be, after doing this job for so long, feeling like I really accomplished something in my field.  Any opinions, pros, cons, etc., would be greatly appreciated!!!

TIA 

Is there anyone else, besides me, who's very hesitant on giving out your social security # to new contracts?    Am I better off trying to get a Federal Tax ID # and using that instead?   

I am really troubled by eye strain ... got new computer glasses from eye doc but still not happy ... a number of people have said I should swap my CRT monitor out for a flat screen LCD.  I'm game to do it, but have been reading reviews until I'm brain-dead!  Thought maybe you folks here might share what brand of LCD you are using, and if you are happy with it for word processing.  I hear some are better for text than others, and I don't want to shell out the bucks without looking into it.  TIA!

Is anyone still up/online that can help me out with IT?  It seems that the longer I use this thing the Slower I am getting.  I recently had to start over with my glossaries because I just got everything so bogged down that I couldnt find anything any more.  Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.  I will be here for a while and can be reached either by email or im on Y with the same name!

TIA

Lisa

For those typing on acute care (I am only on summaries, HPs, and consults), how long does it take you to get 1000 lines?

Thanks in advance.

other MTs do when a prospective employer requests that you provide your salary requirements?  If you're like me, you do not want to go too high and not get the job, but also do not want to quote too low when you could have gotten a higher rate if you had just asked.  So, what do you do?  In the past, I have always avoided applying if a company asked for salary requirements, but in this case the question was not asked until after I sent my resume, and I am interested in following this through to the testing/job offer.  I am wondering if I answer in a vague, flexible way whether that would be a good thing or bad thing.  

Any input from you guys would really be appreciated. 

TIA! 

I have a problem with my personal computer.  I have it set up on a wireless network in a part of the house away from the router.  It worked fine for a while, but then it started telling me that "this page cannot be displayed" whenever I would try to access the internet from it.  It started as an intermittent thing but now has become constant, so that kind of leads me to believe that there was something that was slowly going out over time.  This could be coincedental, but it began having problems when my son was trying to set up a MySpace account (started intermittently then and then became permanent).  I have no problem accessing the internet from my other computer that is connected to the router.  Any idea what is wrong or what I should do? 

Thanks!

Hi!

Can anyone tell me how to go about re-recording from a C-phone onto a microcassette player?  Is this possible?

TIA!

I got offered a job in a small neurology office starting at $17/hr with a raise in a few months.  No working weekends or holidays and lots of vacation days.  Low stress.

I currently work at home for a pretty decent company with a pretty decent line rate, but am starting to feel pressure to produce more...my average pay at home is between $13 and $15 an hour.  It also adds stress when there is little to know work available and I am having to alter my schedule to "make up" time.

So, I would be making a bit more money, but I will have to have child care for the summers and for after school, so I don't know if it is worth it. 

Can someone give me some insight as to whether they were faced with this decision...what they decided and why?  I would really appreciate it. 

there wouldn't be such a problem with the quality of pay for MT's.  An independent contractor does NOT need to accept 5-6-7 cpl for their work and does not have to abide by MTSO's demands for overtime, etc.  An IC tells THEM what she/he will do and how much she/he will charge the MTSO for their services.  It's your business and you set the rules.  I know this won't happen on a large scale now because too many people are desperate for the work and will agree to work for next to nothing.  Too bad, because if all IC's set their pay scale like they should have in the beginning, the MTSO's would have to pay it in order to get their work done and would have to charge their clients enough to cover the costs. 

I lost all my reference books in a fire and I can't afford to replace them all at once.  I am buying a couple of books each pay check and I've been trying to decide what I need the most.  So far I have gotten a Dorland's Medical Dictionary, Surgical Word Book, and Radiology Word Book because I do radiology a couple of times a week. 

So to all you acute care MTs out there, what books do you find yourself using on a daily basis?

I've never bought a drug book on CD/ROM but I'd like to try it.  I'm guessing it would be quicker than looking everything up in a book.  I'm trying to get away from looking things up online because everytime I stop and look something up online I end up checking email, ebay, all the boards, etc., and not focusing on my work.  They're so much temptation on the internet! 

I've bought one book (QLDB) back in 2000 so I need an update!  They sell the Saunders Drake & Drake Pharmaceutical Word Book  on CD/ROM and in the book form as a package or you can buy them separately.  I'm wondering why someone would buy both. 

Any advice before I buy would be appreciated.

First of all, let me explain that I work not from dictation but a handwritten template that I fill in--typewritten "transcription" in turn.   The physician fills out the form while in the treatment room, circles correct choice from a list, etc.; sometimes the nurse does this.  I've been instructed for the third time to "type as written" when I've questioned meds or inconsistencies.  This goes against my training and principles (if that sounds sanctimonious, so be it)--when I can't reference things. I've had as much as half with questions and blanks where information was simply skipped. I don't have the patient charts to consult--just a stack of forms.  I have respect for the doctor professionally; her patients, many of whom have been coming to her for years, seem to love her.  Never had this experience before, either with transcription or as a secretary.  Most of the time my supervisors have been happy that I caught errors.  Please let me say these aren't nitpicky things--it is misspelled drugs like Demedex rather than Demadex!

The last time I said I wouldn't put my initials on the reports I questioned and was told I must put my initials "to tell who to return work to," even though I'm the only one doing transcription.  Furthermore, the office manager told me the doctor takes ultimate responsibility because it's her signature on the notes.  I'm going to comply while looking for other work, because this is one of many things we just don't see eye-to-eye on!  What do you all think?  How to deal with this?  TIA!

you have one doctor that you have every day unless he's on vacation, the doctor uses a lot of the same phrases constantly, usually does 900 or so lines a day, and it only takes you about 3 hours to do his work?  I have one like this.  He's an ESL and does have an accent but I understand him perfectly.

Also have another account, same situation but instead of clinic notes is an endocrine doctor dictating letters to referring physicians.  Again ESL but I can understand him perfectly.  I have to put in addresses but I just make macros for all of them so after a while I have most of the addresses he uses.  Again, 8 cpl and I average 250 to 300 lph.  Usually 900 to 1000 lpd.  Is that so bad?

I guess it would be different if you had a bunch of different doctors but doing the some ones every day you get used to them.

X-rays of the cervical spine reviewed by me reveal no definite acute fractures.  There was a small _____ density seen just posterior to the tip of the spinous process of C7, which appears old.

Thank you, Busy MT, for the article validating exactly my point!  American MT's are being forced to compete with those who are happy,excited, willing to give up their professional careers as physicians, dentists, professors, etc. to make $5000 a year.  That's not enough for most of us to pay our taxes!  Like I said earlier, my MTSO friends have been underbid time and time again.  I came back to this business a year ago because I LOVE doing it.  That doesn't mean I want to do it for free, I cannot afford to. 

Yes, the steel business is gone.  Soon radiologists will be out of work since they're sending the imaging studies to be read overseas as well.  Do you know that many of the large accounting firm are sending out our taxes to be done overseas?  They take our info, scan the material and send it to chartered accountants who have the american tax info and our finished reports are sent back!  I found that out from my accountant who was offered a job by a large CPA firm to bring in the work, organize it, and then send it on to you know where.  My CPA said no, and does it in front of us!  Yes, it takes more time and he can do fewer returns in a day.  But I'm happy to pay a few dollars more and know that my SS# and personal information stays on his desk and not someone thousands of miles away. 

Why and I telling you this?  Why have I been posting this information here?  Because I am trying to instigate some activity by as many MT's as possible, to draw a line in the sand (so to speak)!  Yes, ask any physician to whom you go where their medical records are transcribed, who has access to your health records and why!  BUT, that's not enough!  We need to bring this to the attention of the American pubic at large.  CPA's need to bring it to the attention of the American public.  Yes, the way things are going we will have no jobs left here!  And, yes, a college degree (Bachelor's) means nothing today!  We will all need advanced degrees to even start out in a career (and then watch that career be outsourced to someone who can work for pennies).  It is happening to computer engineers, MT's, radiologists, accountants, any job that requires an education and can be sent electronically to another country. 

We need to bring to the attention of our congress and senate.  While they may pooh-pooh a few of us, if we can bring our plight (and we can get the computer engineers, radiologists, accountants, etc. to do the same) to their attention and underline the fact that there will not be any careers for their children, there will not be any income to pay taxes on, maybe then we can get some action on a national referendum to stop the outsourcing. 

Yes, we will all have to pay a bit more for the services (like I do to my accountant).  But, the hospitals need to watch their pennies and see where  they can cut back.  Start at the top!  Physicians need to prioritize as well. 

Keep talking about it and see what kind of interest we can build on to make it go national.

Please help me with the wording of this letter that I am seriously considering sending to one of my offices:

Please inform Dr. XXX that in the future any dictations that are done in the swimming pool area, karate room, cafeteria or other public venues will not be transcribed by this service.  This decision has been made due to the fact that the dictation is difficult to hear and understand because of the amount of background noise.

Additionally, I believe this to be a breech of the confidentiality of patient records that are mandated by HIPAA and I do not agree to be a part of such violation.

Any future dictations that are submitted by this physician which have been done in the above-named situations will not be transcribed by this service and will be immediately discarded.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Sincerely,

(end)

There is a new doctor in one of the practices with small children and she's one of those who is trying to be supermom. (That's a whole other issue.) I have transcribed for two other (male) doctors in this practice for over 15 years without anything like this. I have twice now asked the office manager to tell her about this situation and it improved for a short while but today I had 18 minutes of very loud swim practice in the background. Her solution appears to be talk louder and I've got one HUGE headache after listening to her. I don't understand why she has to be right there instead of even finding a quiet spot to do this while the kids are occupied but she apparently thinks they can't be out of her sight. (I know they're unsupervised, either; I can hear the coach shouting.) Among the reasons listed above, I really want to say that I think this is just flat out disrepectful of both patients and myself but I don't think it is wise to get that personal. I really don't want to lose this practice but I honestly am not willing to put up with this nonsense from her anymore, either.

Thanks in advance for any HELPFUL suggestions you might have. If you're not willing to help, that's fine, too, but please keep the mean stuff to yourself.

I responded to an ad in my local paper for a PT poss. FT Transcriptionist for GI group.  I've been MTing for about 4 mos now with a smaller national (not one of the better ones).  My accuracy is good but I find it hard to get any decent lines with the crap dictation I always get, not to mention the crappy newbie cpl I make.  Have also been hired by a big national but have been in limbo in their onboarding process for way too long.  While I don't need big money to survive, I'm going broke pretty fast between low cpl and crap work.  Forget about benefits.

I do need benefits (was hoping to get them with the big national).  While I love working at home, it seems like it's always going to be the chasing lines game and also having your benefits contingent on making lines.  This may all be moot once I call the GI practice back and see what the deal is, but does anyone have anyone have any pointers as to what to look out for in a practice?  I'm just wondering if there would be too much work for 1 person or if the job would seque into some kind of secretarial thing, which I really don't want.

On the other hand, I'm also thinking if I took an inhouse job now, that would ruin me for future acute care work for nationals, if I really needed to work at home again.

Comments and advice appreciated.  Thanks.

As a statuatory employee (not IC), does anyone know approximately how much to set aside for state and federal taxes?

TIA!