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Doesn't FirstChoice pay gross lines? If so, then

Posted By: flutter on 2008-05-21
In Reply to: absurd jobs - typist

6 or 7 cpl gross would be equivalent to about 8-9. Not very good, but could be worse.


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7-8 gross is great. That is equivalent to 10-12 65 character lines, as a gross
line is about 35% lower than a 65 character line. Will you share who is paying this>
gross lines
 I know that this has been posted numerous times but I have never paid much attention to it until now...seems like lines must be 100 characters long or something. Anyway, what is that formula for checking gross lines against the 65-character line? Thanks.
gross lines
Gross lines means anything that is on a line, i.e. signature on a letter, date, etc., is a line - usually the standard for gross lines is Courier 12 with one inch margins.  There is a formula that will give you a pretty good estimate of gross lines versus other line counts, but essentially if you multiply gross lines x 1.44, you get a pretty good estimate of the pay per line you would need with a 65 char line to equal a gross line.  For example, if you are being paid 8 cpl gross lines, you would need to make roughly 11.5 cpl on a 65 char line to approximate the same rate of pay.  That depends, of course, on lots of factors and is just an estimate (actual gross line pay is usually even more, depending on if you have a lot of short lines, etc.)  I know companies that charge their clients by the gross line, then PAY their MTs on a 65 char line - VERY bad business if you ask me.  As a rule, you get a better deal with gross lines any way you slice it - just make sure they mean gross lines with 1 margins and Courier 12 font.
If the pay is REALLY on gross lines
I'd snag it at 6 cpl and be danged glad to get it.  Haven't heard of anyone paying on gross lines in probably 15 years so I kind of have to wonder if there isn't something a little fishy.
Gross lines unless it is a line of 72+
characters or more, then you can really get cheated. Once company that has someone plugging for them on MTChat pays gross lines, but those lines are up to 84-104 characters in some parts of the report, so you really get taken to the cleaners with the gross count.
What companies still pay gross lines?
nm
can DQS be set up to count gross lines? nm
x
Gross or character lines
In word, under properties they do not count headers that occur on every page.  You have to add that in by the numer of pages, i.e. if you are doing a long psych report that is 9 to 15 pages and have a headed on every page.  I could be wrong and if so let me know.   I just did a count with a header and those lines were not counted.   But if you are doing a cpl you can count characters with and without spaces.  But again in word they do not count extra characters for capitalization, bold, underline, etc where as in line counting program, Sylcount, they do.  So will you be using your program or theirs to count lines?  Gross or per 65 cpl. 
55 is better. After gross lines, companies
went to 55 character lines, and now 65 character lines.

With the 55-char line, you only have to type 55 characters to get your line rather than 65.
Gross lines versus 65 character
What is 7 or 8 cpl gross equivalent to in 65 character
Meditech usually pays by gross lines so I find
that it works out about the same, maybe even a little more per hour.  That has just been my experience, though.
Sometimes a gross line can equate to more than 65 counted character lines
I know one company whose lines are in very tiny font with very wide margins. The line length for those gross lines is 104-120 characters. This is almost double a 65 counted character line.

You can make a comparison of which is better by making a copy of your report (use cut/paste or lift into an expander, then copy into blank document) and run it thru a line count program set at 65.

Your definition of gross line is correct, but your equating it to pay is only good if the line length for gross lines is maximum 65 characters. MTSOs are learning how to make this gross line sound wonderful but in reality are robbing you blind.
DQS doesn't cheat on lines (sm)
which you can easily verify by cut/pasting your report into Word or that MedPen word counting program (freeware) or something. DQS just doesn't pay for demographics, dates of admission/discharge, referring physician names, courtesy copies, and all the other stuff you're used to, even if you have to enter the data by hand, but who does anymore?

I know of 2 other companies that use DQS, both somewhere in the south. Accuscribe originally tested the program for the software company that came up with it, but many people have told me they don't pay for spaces and are otherwise "difficult." Dunno, never worked for them. Dictation Services Group is a very nice company, now part of VoiceWorks. www.dsg-inc.net. I did 1500 lines my second day with that company, only left because I had too many private accounts to do to give them enough time.

Instant Text's newest revision automatically imports DQS AutoCorrect glossaries!
keystrokes vs. lines doesn't really matter
If they stick to a standard 65 character line and include each keystroke as part of a line it won't make a difference. I made a mere 7.5 per line at a previous job (counted headers and footers) and made much better money because I was put on good accounts and kept on them. I've read some companies do not pay for spaces. My thoughts on that is fine, Iwouldn'ttypethem.

If it's not a trick line then counting by lines is okay.
60 min doesn't equal 600 lines imnsho..sm

I've done a whooollleee lot of research on this on my own transcription and I have never had 60 minutes equal less than at least 750 lines. Every time. So whoever first said that their 130 minutes is around 1800 to 1900 lines is a lot closer than the 60 minutes equals 600 lines, in my not so humble opinion.


And I don't even do MT, which I know has faster dictators than what I do. Think about how fast those docs go through their dictation trying to hurry and get it done. They are not speaking in a normal speaking voice, so heck it's possible 140 minutes could equal 2000 lines easy given that consideration.


But the one who said it is going to differ day to day is correct too unless you're typing the same dictator every day, then it's pretty standard. If you're using a platform where you can't count your own lines, is there a way to copy and paste into Word to get an idea for your normal daily dictation? Even DoquScribe has a way to copy into Word, so maybe you could do that.


Someone on this thread talked about 10 second dictations. If you could get your line count from something like that, then just multiply it times 360, then you have your line count for an hour's worth.


 


Anyway, just my two cents' worth. You're going to get different answers from everyone because everyone has different dictators. But I would still say at least 1700 lines for 140 minutes.


Enterprise doesn't show lines

Which is a different issue entirely, IMO.  Ever since they put the counter on Enterprise, there has been the 0 from midnight to 1 am glitch.  My lines during that time ARE counted on the timeclock summary page, but they will never show on the on-screen counter.  Why?  Who knows.  Never once can they uprgrade Enterprise without a bunch of glitches, and will usually only fix them if there is a huge outcry from the MTs.  The programmers are a bunch of airheads, which has always made me nervous and unconfident our IT department (along with the dubious help I may or may not get from the help desk).  I often wonder if they have any criteria at all for hiring IT personnel, or just take anybody off the street...


Spaces are not taken into account with gross lines....a line is a line...sm

if there seven words on a line.


or two


one


or a full line of typing...all of the companies that I have worked for define a gross line as 1 inch margins, 12 pt courier font....does not matter what we type in margins or font.....we convert all reports to the 1 inch margins and courier 12 font and then count the lines.  not the blank spaces between the lines.


Hope this helps.


Beyond Text doesn't work long enough to allow you to get any lines. nm
nm
ETrans doesn't hit 9 cpl until you're at 1400 lines a day. nm
s
But it doesn't address the problem of shorting of lines?
x
That doesn't explain black and white lines.

If not employed there we can't as a supervisor, but if the recruiter says black and white lines wouldn't that be just the black characters on a white page?  No spaces.


Medware's IT dept. obviously doesn't work weekends.No lines count for 2 days. nm
not surprised
A gross line is not based on characters. A gross line is
anything on the line constitutes a line, so if you only have 1 word on a line it is still counted as a line.   A gross line at 8 cpl roughly translates to 10 cpl/65 character. 
Doesn't apply if your OSI account doesn't use Ichart.
It is the Ichart only for OSi where you are cheated.
TT doesn't pay for spaces or ExText doesn't
nm
1800 lines is easily achieved. I average 300-340 lines per hour. nm
x
10 lines per minute = 1500 lines for 150 minutes - average. nm
x
I average 1200-1400 lines per day with a national, and am only getting around 600-800 lines per day.
It's been this way since the day before Thanksgiving. I've been doing this for almost 30 years now, and more often than from Thanksgiving until the new year is the slowest time of the year. I have some months where I am swamped with up to 2000 lines per day. I stash that little extra money, and take advantage of a handful of extremely slow days this time of the year to actually cook dinner, decorate for Christmas, or do Christmas shopping. I actually anticipate this slow time every year and have grown to enjoy the breathing time. Any time I have attempted to pick up extra work with another company to supplement these slow times, the minute I get adjusted to the new accounts, etc. I have no time to finish all of my work because my full time job with national gets slammed again. Hang in there if you can, and hopefully your work will pick up significantly around New Years.
They work with you to make sure you get the lines required or the amount of lines you want...
I have never had a problem getting more work
Ew! How gross!!
A company sends you equipment and it's full of random hairs and is busted?  That is just nasty!! 
They used to pay 10-11 cpl....not gross
xx
Gross or net?

And yes that was a gross
exaggeration to make a point.
Minimum lines for FT used to be 60,000 keystrokes a day, about 925 lines. Pay was good. Just not a
s
Yes it is possible to double your lines. I cant type 460 lines an hour but I can get those with VR
x
gross line pay

If using Meditech, getting paid 8 cents/gross line is equivalent to what in getting paid per 65 cpl?    TIA


gross line pay
Sorry, that question doesn't make any sense.  What I meant basically is this:  Is 8 cents/gross line in Meditech's system good pay?  I was typing in Fusion and getting 7 cents/gross line at one time and it equalled far less lines than 7 cpl at a 65 char. line.  Does this make sense to anyone?  Thanks.
You would have to gross over $400 a day M-F. How exactly do you manage this?
x
It is sad is what it is....used to be that per GROSS line.
x
They did not say if it was gross line
or 65 ch, but I think that they feel that because it is part time, that is all that is deserved. Part time or not, an acceptable pay should be required. I doubt they will get many applications, except maybe a newbie looking for experience and does not have to pay rent, etc.
Gross line pay is almost ALWAYS better
depending on the rate of gross pay. For instance, I just did a sample line count in MPTools. I compared one document and counted a gross line - anything with writing on it and a 65-char line (spaces included) and I compared the rates at .10/65char and .055/gross and for the SAME REPORT it showed: $96.06 for the 65-char line and for the gross Line it was $119.96. Still more money that way. And it adds up.

For the most part, from what I have seen, .10/65-char line is about what most companies TOP OUT at, so you are still better off with a gross line, at least from what I can see in the comparison.
Is that per gross line?....
nm
7 years ago - $45K/yr. Now, $28K gross, and after
Welcome to the land of the working poor.
Of course the gross line is more, but what is

the percentage of ESL, how easy is the platform, are there any benefits, can you be flexible with your schedule  ....


I don't know anything about either company.  I would search the boards and read everything you can find and make you a list of pros and cons. 


GROSS LINE PAY

Are there any companies left that still pay the hard-working medical transcriber by the gross line?


A gross line is a gross line, however, if
the gross line is 75 characters long, instead of the usual 65, and you have long paragraphs, then you are making less money than if you were on a 65 character count.
6 cpl per gross line

6 cpl gross does not equate to 9.25/65.
Like the other poster said it is more around 8 cpl, maybe 8.25 cpl.  In 1990 I was making 6 cpl/gross. 
Yes, it really is gross line as you described. nm

It's 6 cpl per gross line. Nothing to

gross line, it's going to come out to the average pay for 65 character - about .085, maybe 0.09 cpl 


gross line
so disappointed, those were the old ole' days.