Does anyone use Steno for MT work?

• Does anyone use Steno for MT work? - C-C
  • Steno for MT - mqt
  • My experience (somewhat lengthy) - Julie
    • steno for mt - Lorraine
  • Steno - MIMT

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Well, learning machine ShortHand isn't the easiet thing in the world.  I think it is what you make of your practice time.  I'm returning to an online school for this in the near future.

Good luck!

 Yes, it is definitely possible to use a steno machine and do transcription.  I have done so for over 10 years.  I never could pass all my tests to be a court reporter, so finally decided to use that skill in medical transcription and has worked out great for me.

But when I started I used tapes and a selectric typewriter with 3 carbon copies.  We used to use a scapel blade to correct the carbon copies and then slide a little piece of carbon paper in to re-type the correction. 

I think it started going downhill when the  MTSO's started showing up more and more.  Only because, they cut the wages because after all, you got to stay at home, didn't have to pay for work clothes, transportation, meals, etc.  And you could write off part of your house mortgate, utilities, etc. as long as you had a room that used only as an office.  Everyone bought into it saying they wanted to work at home and thus they bought into the little less in wages that they offered.  I still think there is a distinct advantage to knowing the doc's you are transcribing for.  Working in a clinic or a hospital and getting to know the doc's make it alot easier to look at them and tell them they sound like they are gargling with peanut butter, they acutally laugh, and listen and I found they would make a bigger effort to be a better dictator because of it.  Better dictators = easier to type = faster TAT = less errors = less need for as much editing.  We used to transcribe all day and our work never went to QA (what was QA) QA was the doc complaining about our work which = counseling from your supervisor = getting written up = out the door if you didn't fix the problem.  That was what it was like when I first started 30 years ago.  I didn't have google, I had little notes taped all over  my workstation for those words I had never heard before until they came naturally to me, then that piece of paper was replaced by another one.  I had what I called my "bible" of phrases, etc. certain doctor's always said, no short cuts or expanders, we typed it all out.  That was real transcription.

I keep remembering how much faster you said it is than typing and I am wondering how one would go about learning how to use one?  Is it something that can be self-taught with a book?  Would I likely be able to find a good used machine?  Also, will they work with any transcribing software?

I am a slow MT and need all the help I can get!    Thanks for any further information you can give me.

Junior League was like a full-time job sometimes, but I loved it. Now that I have to work, even though it is from home, I still volunteer through my son's school.  I am a school teacher in my previous (pre-MT) life, so I volunteer my tutoring services for children who need the help beyond what the schools are able to provide but whose parents cannot afford to pay for private tutoring. I also know how you felt about being afraid.  I was strangely afraid before I joined the Junior League.  It was just the unknown. But I was SO blessed by being able to help.  Honestly, I am sure that it helped me just as much, if not more, than I helped others.  Go for it.  You won't be sorry.  (Just remember that you have to say NO when you have to say no, okay?  Remember that and you will be richly blessed by the experience!)

the office manager (who does not normally transcribe) dishes out the work, so some days are easy, others are a mix.  So no cherrypicking is possible.  You type up what is given to you, period.  She will alternate the tough one's out so no one person gets him/her all the time unless they want him/her and are used to that doc, or everyone gets a little piece, etc. There are days when I ask for easy work (tired, chemo day, Jen sick, or a lot going on, etc.) but not often, generally I get a mix but they all get easier the more you do them.  I am not working as much as I should be of course, every week is different here so I adjust my limited work schedule accordingly, so sometimes it hard to get better at certain docs.  I used to have a lot of blanks with the Trauma ER unit, but I have been doing that a lot lately and now and very good at it, still a time consuming account but at least I am improving. -----------------------  But I believe the OP was stating she did it to clear out the log, not to make more lines, and only when she was asked to do so.  At an old job I had #s meant everything, everyday we would get report (2=4 x a day) of the backlog, and emails pleading us to work, work, work.  The QA rules sucked  (MQ probably is basing their new plan loosly on this one), however we did not get penalized, just chewed out if you sent in too much work to QA (over 5%, and was 80% ESL), I would imagine eventually fired if you continued to do it. They were a great place to work for until they re-organized....it all went downhill from there.  This is why I prefer smaller MTSOs, it's not all about the #s, yes, they want production too but at least it's not so cut-throat. 

SEs are doing it.  She also told me that it is written in MQ policies

that MQ can let go EMPLOYEES without notice (I'm not saying statutory employees here, I'm saying employees).