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This is for all of us poor MTs that are still stuck with dial up as our only option.  Satelite is just too darn expensive for what we get paid  and moving is even more expensive.  So....are there any tips or tricks to making our dial up connections any faster so we can download those dictation files faster and not time out anymore? 

Please do not mention an accelerator.  I have that and it is only good for a webpage pop up faster and for opening email.  It has nothing to do with dictation files. 

Is there something that were can do as far as the kind of phone cord we use, the length of it, or something like that? 

What about our modems?  Is there something we can do to our modems to jack up our speeds?

And whats with software like Escription advertising on their website that dial up will work when it does not.  That info has to be to the dictators who have dial up and not to the MTs with dial up.

There has to be hope for us becaue after 10 years of MT work I will be darned if I give up being home with my kids just because of my internet connection speed!!!!

Thanks letting me vent

Very frustated dial up MT

What's the deal with changing the way we get our e-mail?? I got the memo about opening a browser and typing

mail.medquistmail.com

but I can't get that to work any way, shape, or form.  My helpful CSC said "Call Atlanta."  I have been on hold for over 1/2 hour, listening to their hideous Muzak.   Can anyone tell me how to access my e-mail???

I AM INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR A POSITION WITH KEYSTROKES.  CAN ANYONE PROVIDE ME WITH SOME INFORMATION ON KEYSTROKES?  DO THEY HAVE STEADY RADIOLOGY ACCOUNTS AND HOW IS THE STAFF?

THANKS FOR ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE!!!-

Sometimes don't you wonder if they should take this test before they begin dictating???

I just finished a long total knee arthroplasty and it sounds like this doc had a few cocktails before he began dictating.  Slurring his words and changing his mind several hundred times.  Don't ya just hate that?

Just had to vent cause I have him again.  I am ready for a cocktail or 2 myself now.

I need some help with my Transtech Extext program.  Having trouble getting a new work type selected and sound.   

of a VERY difficult dictator... yet you get no QA back... I left at least 7-8 blanks and have not gotten any corrections back from QA (which is the usual process) for me to look over and listen back over report. Does it mean that they don't know either? I notice this happens to me quite a bit when I get something difficult and am anxious to get QA back to see what I can learn.

Anybody ever having trouble downloading EditScript on initial setup?   I get so far and the templates will load but the next part that lists the providers won't and I get kicked off my provider (VZ wireless air card).  I have been told that they do use this for the laptops, so that shouldn't be an issue.  Just didn't know if anyone had any possible suggestions.  TIA!

Do you have a favorite you went to?  I'd like this to be a positive thread, fond memories, that sort of thing.

I worked for a very large hospital for about 4 years.  Every year at Christmas, the company party was in the cafeteria (a huge, monstrous cafeteria and half of it was curtained/walled off for our party).  The party was during an entire 24-hour period on 2 different days.  We could sign up for 4 hours time (paid) to go in groups to the party during our shifts.  When we got down there, after showing our badge, the CEO would hand us a crisp new 100-dollar bill.  They would have tables and tables of all kinds of fantastic snack/finger foods and desserts.  The TVs were showing videos that were scanning the crowd the whole time.  There was a band that played some and upper management would put on silly plays, sometimes children's groups would come sing.  We really had a good time.  Everyone got to enjoy the party.  We went home with an extra $100 in our pockets.  Enjoyed good food and entertainment and got paid for it!  Then we were worthless the rest of the day in the office, hahaha, while we continued to snack on all the dozens of goodies that clinics and offices had sent to the us, the transcription department.  :)

Now, we don't get THAT working from home, huh?!  Hahahaa 

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.

Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone had any good/bad info on this company. I can't seem to find much information on them. Thanks.

Jen

Okay, I am ready to give up on these transcriber units, or whatever they're called! I recently bought a used Pearlcoder Olympus unit to play microcassettes.  Its used, but supposed to "work perfectly".  Well, it came with no instruction manual, so I am hopeful that I haven't been "duped", and that maybe its just me! When I stop while transcribing and try to rewind a second with the footpedal, it freezes, doesn't rewind and "beeps" in a really high beeeeeeeeeeeeeep!  It does NOT rewind, only once in a blue moon! Can't see any rhyme or reason to the BEEEEEEEEPP lock up. Try throwing salt over my shoulder, have my lucky charms, but no help! I have to either turn the power of the unit off and on, and then it MIGHT rewind, or else I have to hit "eject", let the little tape door open, shut it again, and then it rewinds - one time. So I basically can never go back and relisten!!   IS THIS ME?  I think I know the answer, but wanted to double check...Something I'm missing? At least this piece of garbage was $50.

To add insult to injury, I bought a "refurbished" Sony transcriber which is GREAT, as long as you don't stop for more than 30 seconds and/or take your foot off the footpedal.  It, too, locks in place, and BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPS the same lovely pitch when you try to just even go forward, let alone backwards! There is no cure to that - unplugging, punching, praying, sobbing, begging - it just unfreezes itself when it darn well feels like it, and then I type til I have to take my foot off the pedal!!

HELP!! Double duped? Double brainless as I'm doing something wrong??? How complicated can this be, right??? 

Its a nice little doc's office that uses tapes, easy $$, as long as one can get the STUPID little machine to play the tapes!!

Thanks for your help!

I just bought & installed WP X3.  My office requires that all documents are password protected.  As I save my documents, I can 'see' the password protect box, but the program does not allow me to check the box & give a password.

Is there something in X3 that I need to go to that will allow me to use passwords?  I can't find it anywhere in the program & I've used Help, etc.

Thanks!

When staying in a hotel with a desk and internet connection to work, where do you put your keyboard?  Anyone have any suggestion for a portable table to use that is the right level.  The desks are too high.

Thanks!

I am looking for a school that provides refresher courses for medical transcriptionists who have not worked at this type work for long periods of time.  I do not feel that someone who has done this type work in the past for several years and is still working in a hospital doing administrative or clerical work should need to take a complete course.  Replies will be appreciated.

I noticed that several companies are charging their employees rental fees for equipment/software. If one was in-house, they would not have to pay a rental fee. How are these companies getting away with this? Why would you, an employee, agree to pay for their equipment? The only time you should pay a rental fee is if you are an independent contractor. As an employee, you do not pay to work for the employer, they pay you!

I am just amazed that companies are actually charging their employees to work for them!

Okay I give up. How do ya'll do it, those doing this for 30 and 40 years. I'm going on 15 and so bored out of my mind I am now looking into other fields. I have done every report type that exists and every accent around and even have had many different positions. I don't find it the least bit challening anymore but extremely boring. So is there a secret to keeping an interest in this humdrum and monotonous line of work? Maybe it is just me?

Medicaid is making me take my foster child to for a second opinion to ask them if their office is in an office park as it's an area that has a lot of office parks.   I received an answering service that was manned by probably someone overseas because the woman couldn't understand me.  I asked her 3 times if the office was in an office park and she had no idea what I was saying - just kept saying " I can give you the address.  It is ....." and gave me the information I already had.  I then asked if I could talk to her supervisor and the idiot said "I can give you the office address it is...." and gave me the doctors office address again.   I hung up and called back 3 times and still got the same idiot.

Rest assured that when we see this doctor today he's going to get a piece of my mind about using someone to answer his phones that can't understand basic English!!! 

for line numbering?  It keeps indenting 1-2-3,etc. to the first tab and I need the numbers along the left margin.  I went to <format>, <bullets and numbering>, <customize>, and changed the number position and alignment, and it lines everything up on the left margin. 

However, if I have another numbered section in the report, it goes back to the default setting, indenting to the first tab. 

Is there a way to change the default, or do I have to go through these steps for each numbered list? 

Thanks!

Radiology patients, so reports are short most often.  We have to log two several digit numbers, the types of exams (chest/abdomen) dates.  We have sheets to do this on but am thinking I should keep Wordpad open and type in there.

Any ideas on how I can do this and not lose momentum or time?  I do about 100 exams a day.

Thanks!

Hey All,

I have been putting off surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, and am wondering if any of you have had carpal tunnel surgery.  How long was it before you could return to full-time transcription?  How much releif did the surgery give?  I also have developed a nodule on the inside of my right thumb,  right where it hits the spacebar and am having to hold my wrists up higher, like I am playing the piano, so I don't hit that spot on my thumb, and that makes my arms get numb faster than they usually do.  What a mess!

I just can't keep going much longer, but I am scared of the financial loss of not working for any period of time

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give!

I am getting ready to start a new radiology account and I was wondering about the going rate for MTs who do radiology any ideas would be great. I have not done radiology in quite a number of years, let alone pay anyone to help me and I want to make sure that I offer a decent line rate to the MTs. I don't want to take advantage of anyone and I am not sure what the going rate is right now. It will be a 65 character line count with spaces. TIA for your suggestions.