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I noticed an ad for an MTSO above the messages on this site for a company that offers to do MT for clients for 9 cpl?   I make that as an employee, and can barely survive on it.  I wonder what it's employees have to work for?   Oh, let me guess -- 2 cpl perhaps?  It says it's a "US-based company", but I'll bet all it's employees are slumdogs that are anything BUT millionaires.

I have one account not through my MTSO that still uses microcassette tapes. It is 1 doctor (who's near retirement age, not quite yet but he's no spring chicken!) and dictates literally about 200 lines or less per day, often much less. But his office manager would like to get him to do digital files where I don't have to print and deliver. But I look at call in systems (if that's even the right thing?) and there several thousand dollars! I told the O.M. I'd help and see how doc's dictate to wav files and the whole FTP system works. I guess I don't even know if that's what he needs or if there's something relatively inexpensive to dictate to, that I can grab off the internet and send back electronically.

Any direction would help...I don't mind doing the research, I just don't even know what direction I'm going. Thanks so much!

After hearing about it for years, I finally did my first VR work a few days ago.  My fellow MTs, I think we have nothing to fear from this technology.  It will take years, probably a generation, before it is perfected enough to replace us.   I actually found it rather entertaining to edit - it just prints out exactly what it hears phonetically, including the instructions - "Go back up and add...."  

I think they should show some Voc Rec printouts and transcribed reports of the same dictations at all Medical Staff Meetings so  dictators can see just what we do in our job. 

i glanced at the main responses to your post, not all of them.  But i disagree to an extent with what you've been told.  I have 30 yr experience, for however much weight you want to ascribe to that.

You've heard that practice makes perfect.  That is not really true.  Practicing things CORRECTLY "makes perfect".  You can do something over and over and over, but if it's done wrong, you are not improving your game.

Depending on how much the paycheck is an issue, you may wish to find another job before quitting this one.  But the longer you do things wrong, the more disservice you are doing to yourself.  It's also hard to break established habits.

This is all said assuming you are sure you are being steered in the wrong direction, ie, these directions go against good MT training and/or against the BOS in important ways. 

I have no doubt that some companies hire poor or inexperienced QA personnel, contrary to another posters comment. 

My suggestion is to look for another job.  It may take a little time and be a little frustrating, but what you gain by starting off with good QA and building a good foundation, cannot be found in the situation you describe.  Part of the good foundation is on-the-job experience.

Believe in yourself, make sure your premise is correct, and then do what is right for the long-term.   e/m me if you wish.

s/l straight valentine clamp on the perimetrium

1.  What are your monthly earnings -- just you (no spousal income) -- doesn't matter how many jobs....monthly earnings?

2.   Do you work more than one job?

3.  What is your base line rate?  If you have more than 1 job, list all base rates.

4.   Now what is the minimum bring-home pay you need to survive each month?  This is your housing, energy, transportation, insurances, food -- what you have to have to make it. 

5.   What's the difference?  Are you in the hole?  Got surplus?  Breaking even?

My answers:

1.   About $3100 each month.

2.   One job.

3.   $0.095 cpl plus some incentive bonus each month.

4.   $2287 gets everything paid.  Savings and pocket money not included in that figure.

5.   Surplus but not much.  Trying to save as much as possible and have a few greenbacks in my wallet each week. 

I have been asked to bid a hospital HIM/RIS account in Florida, which is outside my home state. Does anyone have an idea about the Transcriptionist compensation in Florida and/or the rate for transcription work there? I am in the mid West and know there is a difference.

Thanks,   looking for business

I am copying this from the MQ board and feel it is so important that it belongs here!  We may have some new muscle here.  At least there is hope....

"I found out about this by reading an MT blog written by Jay Vance, CMT. This newly formed organization is addressing off-shoring of transcription work. Membership dues for the first 500 members is free. American Transcription Association. Check it out here:

http://www.ataus.org/

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???

Is this a good deal?

going rate currently is, but more interested in what everyone thinks it should be.  I know that it is 7 cpl to 9 cpl, depending on experience, but personally I feel that an experienced and quality MT should make more than 9 cpl especially when the seasoned MTs get stuck with all ESLs and difficult dictators. 

And shouldn't editors be making more than MTs?  It stands to reason that if you are an editor, someone qualified to check and make corrections to other people's work, then you should and probably would have more experience and education than the people you are grading.  Therefore, you should be paid more than the person you are grading, true?

And why do we put up with all this garbage?!?!?  I am so sick of working for peanuts, working 10 hour days or more just to make ends meet.  I started looking for in-office MT jobs and they are not out there anymore because the hospitals outsource to the services and the services are outsourcing to India or offering me next to nothing to type the hardest stuff out there.

I guess I just needed a little rant today. 

I am working for one company.  Got the offer to train at a higher rate with another one.  One of the managers called me yesterday.  She said the trainer and software guy would be contacting me, but did not give me a time frame.  I emailed her asking her for a time frame.  This was yesterday.  How laid back should I be about this?  I would like training to start this week if they can do it, as I need to know asap whether this job will work out or not.  Is it proper to email her today, wait until Wednesday, email the big boss, etc. 

What is a good game plan? 

If you want to save an area of text to Shorthand, how do you do this without having to type it directly in the program?  In other words, can I highlight the text I want to add from Word and press some sort of shortcut key for this?

Thanks for all your help!!!

I had unexpected expenses and had to get a small one from HSBC.  Here are the questions I was asked:

Do you have medical insurance?  If so, what are the deductibles for hospital stays, office visits.

Do you have life insurance and if so, how much?

Do you have disability ins and if so, how much?

What is your home owner's insurance deductible?

What is car insurance deductible?

Who are your insurance carriers?

I do not recall these types of questions.  I ended up buying 10/mo insurance coverage which includes disability and life insurance...for $2600.  I am 48.

Is this new? 

Does anybody have trouble with a sore left thumb from doing speech recognition in ExText? I have been doing it now for 5 months and have constant pain in my thumb. Just wondered if there was a better way of doing it.

MTSTARS MT WEEK GIFT GIVEAWAY!

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$10.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO TVPS
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GIVEN COURTESY OF:

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
Executive Communication Systems has Dictation/Transcription Equipment and Accessories - New, Demo, Certified Pre-Owned, Digital or Analog
Digital Dictation Systems, C-Phones, Superstations, Footpedals, Headsets
www.tvps.com

GOOD LUCK!!!

I was shocked (very pleasantly surprised) to get an e-mail from my boss this weekend stating because I've mastered new skills and am always offering to work extra to keep our accounts in TAT, they are giving me a raise that will be effective on my next check for the last 2 weeks.  Wow!  I was trying to work up the courage to ask for a raise in June (1 year anniversary), but they offered me a raise first!  I've NEVER had a national offer me a raise in the past.  Cool, huh? :) 

:) Chickadee

/

FOR THE PERSON ASKING ABOUT HUGHES NET, SO FAR I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS.  FRAN

I was on it for generalized anxiety disorder and it worked great.  I felt like me minus the anxiety.  No side effects at all.  But I did some research about weight gain and so I stopped taking it.  I was only on it for one month and the weight gain supposedly starts to appear after a few months to a year.  And we arent just talking 5 pounds or so.  People are reported 30-50 pounds.

I would like to go back on it but I have been really good with my exercise routine and am really looking forward to fitting nicely into that bikini this summer.  I am torn. 

Anyone out there who takes Lexapro and has not gained weight????

I hope this is okay to post here.

I cannot send my files. I changed my sending options like I was told to a couple of days ago. Would anyone be willing to email me the sending options they have so I can see if that will work? Thanks.

Can anyone shed light on this company's line count process.  Can it be set up with the same parameters that one would for Sylcount?  And if so, how does a typist know what the parameters are except for what is told by the MTSO that orders the parameters?  You can PM me if necessary.

Thanks.

Has anyone switched to cable phone with this company? I currently have Verizon and am thinking of switching.  Apparently I will save a good amount of money. Does it work just like a regular phone - other than having no phone service when the power goes out? Does it work well with Dictaphone, Lanier, etc?  Pros/cons? Thanks in advance for any info!

Has anyone had any issues; good, bad or indifferent, on Word 2007.

Thanks

Well, she is trying her best to put weight on her hind legs.  I have been beside myself with worry and can actually tell she is scared as well. 

Will let her rest.  The procedure was stressful for her and I wish I had not had it done now.  She held firm when they came for her; they had to pick her up and carry her - that in itself should have made me think that she was not up to it.

I just want her to be with me for a few more years if possible.  The lipoma had grown so fast I was afraid it would continue to grow (it was size of egg, on her chest, by breast.)

Thank you very much for your posts.  I thought you guys would think I was ridiculous to try to preserve my old girl.  Was sure I'd come on today with people telling me to put her down.  Thank you so much.  She is my family.

A friend of my daughter's got married in early February.  They have been friends since kindergarten and through the girls we met the other girl's parents and became friends with them.  They moved a couple of years ago to the same metropolitan area but not as fast, easy and convenient to get to (they used to just live a few blocks away), so we haven't seen them as much the last couple of years but have seen each other from time to time.

Well, DD and I went to a personal shower for the bride a week before the wedding and spent $50 on a gown from Victoria's Secret.  Then our whole family went to the wedding and we gave the bride and groom $50 as a wedding gift.  We have not heard from them since and have not gotten a thank you card or anything.

I have been one in the past to criticize others who were miffed about not getting a thank you or acknowledgement of a gift because I figure I give a gift because I WANT to, not expecting anything in return.  So I'm not sure why this bothers me so much because I still believe a gift is something you give from the heart and that you shouldn't give it expecting something in return.  But it DOES bother me.

I think maybe it bothers me because money was really tight at the time that we spent that $100 on the shower/wedding gift but we didn't want to give nothing and in fact wanted to be generous since she and the family have been friends for so long.  Since money was so tight DH and I talked about waiting and giving them a gift later but then decided we'd go ahead and give it and we'd just get by the best we could till we got paid.  Basically we had to go a weekend eating omelettes, egg sandwiches, Ramen noodles, grilled cheese, etc.  Which isn't the bride's fault - we did that because we wanted to go ahead and give her the gifts instead of waiting.  I'm sure she doesn't realize that the money we spent on her made things very tight for us.

I just keep thinking that if it were friends of our family I would make SURE my daughter sent out thank yous.

I'm not getting all freaky about it or anything and it won't hurt the friendship, I guess I just feel that what we did was unappreciated.

The patient has recently had a hard time controlling her bowels, most noticeably when she eats and she is out.  She had an accident in the past month and would like further evaluation.

Thanks in advance.

Would anyone know where I can get an express scribe patch for windows vista.  Oh and FYI... anyone buying a new comp, get it built where you have the option to get XP... Vista is nothing but a HUGE compatability issue.

Thanks for your help!!