Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Yes, too many "games"....some things never change. sm

Posted By: Jewels on 2008-07-29
In Reply to: things have changed... - Sue

A leopard may shed, but never loses its spots!!




Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

As much as things change
there, yes it will change again, for better or worse, who knows, I sure don't.
Interesting how things never change.
did the same exact thing to me. The manager at that time was supposed to retire because she had breast cancer and her assistant was just as nasty. I had just started with them then and felt really bad about her having breast CA, but I caught on real fast and they did not like me asking questions at all. Guess they expected me to flounder for myself with their platform.
Things change quickly, I would look twice -sm
All Type has just done a major cut on their MTs pay rate - major.  At least 80% of their work is done outside of the country and more is being shipped every day.   You are being hired to keep their business moving because many are leaving with the pay cuts and they need you to work while they make the conversion to India complete.  They will need editors to cover the inadequacy of those reports but American MTs can wave so long to their jobs with All Type.  All Type should take down their American flag and fly the flag from the country they support - India.   
things can change very quickly sm
so be careful because you might change your tune!
I agree. That's the ONLY way things will ever change. nm
.
Things change - speaking up
I've been with SS for a little over a year. They have a good sound player. As for not being able to understand the doctors, every company has those ~ you get used to them. As for the ex-QA person ~ there is no man in charge that I know of. Old-MT ~ that man was gone not long after you posted that about your problem ~ replaced. I watched it all happen. Everyone has been very kind to me there. We occasionally get snappy Globals, but they are GLOBALS and so if someone takes it personally, that would be their problem, I would think. If it applies to you, you follow it. You can tell often that it's aimed at newer employees who haven't been following the instructions and need a heads up. I belong to a photography group and they have the same problem ~ they send out globals because it's a common problem and easier to do so than going by individuals.

People keep saying to look at the archives and I say that's not entirely good direction. There are always handfuls of people who want to bitch and moan. Things are not as they used to be, no. I was working for Transcriptions Ltd. when it went into MQ and making $20 to $30 an hour at times ~ paid $2 per page. Those days are gone .. but they also didn't offer benefits then either.

I still have alerts for here and MQ (where I worked for years until 2005) just from the days of when I was looking for work in this field again. That's the only reason I come in here from time to time.

As for the warm bodies that the QA person experienced .. I was one myself as I got back into this field and it was SoftScript that gave me a chance to do so. Getting used to new accounts is not always easy. I thought QA people were supposed to be helpful. I had been overseas and unable to work where I was for a few years. That's part of the job of QA, I would think. BTW .. QA people make mistakes too.

So ... there's a bit of a different slant ~
You are so right. I woke up this morning already a change in things
I thought I'd go back to MTing, after yesterday, but today lots of my things are selling in e bay and I am on way to being a power seller already. Plus, DH left me 50 bucks on the counter with a note saying for me to buy groceries to cook the things I like to. Now I know that sounds really old fashioned, but he has been doing all of the cooking since I work all the time and I have not eaten much in a while, because he is not very good at cooking. His way of trying to help I guess. He never said to go back to get a job, he was surprised that quiet little me made this move. So, you are right, I am going to see what happens and trust instincts. Maybe give myself permission that it was an okay move. At this point, I am making exactly the same amount off e bay as transcribing, and I have over 500 vintage items to sell so that will last a while. Even if just for a month or two, gives me time to regroup. Thanks for your support here. I thing we recovering MTs and people who are in the life (Mting) need a group like that around here. LOL.
Except - if things change with regard to offshoring,
hiring an American union member may be the most cost-effective way to go.

Making offshoring undesirable and EXPENSIVE should also be on MTs' agendas, this coming year.
Nothing will change unless we make it change..SM
As long as we accept the exploitation that this MT profession has reduced us to, it will keep going on.  The top of this is the outsourcing.... well, get your legislators involved....better yet, the MEDIA.  How many patients know their private medical information is being outsourced to halfway around the world? The squeeky wheel gets the grease.  Do the patients know that their info won't be sold by some unscrupulous MT (halfway around the globe) to insurance companies, etc., making all this Medical records privacy a joke. It's not just our T-shirts being made in other countries; it's our most personal, private medical information, of which the public is not being made aware of.  Not to speak of undercutting out profession to the bare bone.  Granted, most US MTs are willing to work below market wage just to have a job, especially in economically-deprived areas, where outside jobs are scarce, and kids need to be fed and mortgages need to be paid.  MTSOs know this.  I'll bet they'll be the first to lobby against any action against outsourcing.  (Wouldn't you be...if you got people to work for pennies while you're raking in the big $$$'s ?  Still, notwithstanding the outsourcing problem, we're still going along with all the BS...working for pennies, whatever the client wants, he gets... ever notice how all of the MTSO flak seems to be re. unpaid work...mostly, demographic issues we're not even paid for... bec. It has to be done.. Part of the job... The client put the wrong info but we have to correct it...all unpaid work.  Just give me a job with nothing but straight transcription, w/o the unpaid/demo. flak..I'll take it even at the present, absurd pennies-per-line state of the profession.
No. Expect good things, and good things will come
x
MQ BIG CHANGE?
I just love these posters..gonna be a big change..well, what?  Dont post something like that and not explain.  It only causes anxiety and speculation in an already scarey field, with outsourcing, etc.  Big change, well, come on now..what is gonna be the big change and where did you get your information from?
Well, then maybe that should change.
Maybe they, too, should be paid based on what they produce, with a little bonus if the person stays a year.
Sometimes you just get in a rut and need a change. Sometimes you just
get burn-out in general and think it is the company/account.  I've left a position before because I thought the grass was greener, but it wasn't.  Had to learn new platform, new software program, new dictators with various new accents to figure out, new way to count lines, etc.   Even if the pay was a bit better I still figured I lost money and the grass wasn't greener.   No company is perfect, but there are some very good companies out there, but there can still be intermittent issues with any company.  Sometimes talking with management might resolve issues, sometimes taking a break will refresh you and make you see things in a different light.  List pros/cons of present account and compare that what a different company has to offer.  You may realize you are better off where you are and if not you can feel comfortable that you're making a change that really will be better for you.   If you do decide to leave current account just don't burn any bridges so you leave with the possibility of being able to return if new account/company doesn't work out. 
No. Currently, you can use your own. That may change
nm
I think so...I am not one for change tho....but there

To change
the subject somewhat.  Gastric bypass and lap banding scare me to death!  I personally know of five people who underwent the procedures, and all had complications, one being death.  They all had excellent surgeons, one being my surgeon.  Everyone responds differently I know, and that is the problem.  It is too much of a gamble for me.
change
Are we all in the same boat?  I work for the largest national in the country and am hoping to hear about another position with another company tomorrow or Wednesday.  Many of us have been MTs for years and make less now than then we started.  We get thrown into the national cesspool and may get 20 different states in 20 different reports.  Impossible to make a good line count this way.  I'm slow to change and always fearful, but I'm really at the end of my rope.  Anyone want to add to this conversation, please feel free.  Happy New Year everyone!  May 2008 bring us more MONEY and more CONTENTMENT!!
have to change dsl
well just talked to Vonage and everything was fine until they tried to transfer my line. Said I have to discontinue DSL through ATT for ATT to allow it, then vonage can transfer it...
So I will change to time warner for cable and then get the adapter from vonage. Yes it is a lot cheaper, but have to work out all the transfers.
I know... but I need a change... SM

It was a great benefit for me being an IC because I would work and get big paychecks and being a single mom, I would get the child credits and the earned income tax credits, and I would actually get money back, quite a bit.


But now that that is not going to happen anymore, I want some PTO and all those nice benefits!!!  Im just ready for a change...


Which companies actually hire employees and offer PTO, etc.?


:-)


Change in pay
Contact the Wage and Hour Department of the Federal Labor Commission. This is illegal.
Looking for change
Good luck! I hope you find what you are looking for. I might also add that Landmark is a good, honest company that does not offshore.
Do you know by any change the
system you will be using? Some are apparently much better than others.
I wonder if that will change with the new sm
employee handbook?  I briefly read it this morning and it seems that it boils down to **you owe us this, this and that and we don't owe you anything**.
That will all change.

I've been in the business 20 years too.  I worked for Transcend for 4 years and my honeymoon period with them lasted about 7 months.  Once the honeymoon was over, it was one of the worst job experiences I have ever had. 


What would you like me to change it to? (nm)
I don't like change that much. I started posting here when I was a newer TT'r, so why change?
that says a lot. You would change sm
your mind if you were the sole bread winner as a big majority of MTs are. You wouldn't care about weekends at that point. You do what you have to do to support your family.

You can say what you want, but you have some off as self-righteous and definitely a slap in the face to all of us hard-working full-time MTs
exactly to change this???

x


What you are not getting is the change.
If you've always been used to it, fine...you have worked it out with the mortgage company, car payment, insurance, etc. You've got auto payment set up for your internet or your phone bill. So all those things have to be realigned. That will take some time to readjust both the inflow of money and the getting the autopayments changed.

And, some of you folks really don't seem to have any feeling for those that literally go paycheck to paycheck. I work two jobs. The only time I can take any length of time away from my desk is on Saturday evening and Sundays. Which works out great if I'm getting paid on Fridays. Not so good when it's falling through the week....so you're waiting extra days waiting for payday anyway and then you've got to wait longer before you can get out and do anything with it.

I'm glad your life is so stable that that waiting three extra 3 days doesn't impact you in any way. But having been there myself, and still almost there, I can certainly expend a little sympathy and try to understand how it might be problematic for someone else.
Why don't you change your hours?

I thought you were allowed to choose your own hours.


Times change. It's not about YOU, it's about

what the reality is today, not four months ago.


Congratulations on your windfall, though.


If you have doubts, email or call the person who hired you and they'll verify this.


 


Good or bad change?
What do you think is going to happen?
MQ big change? Hmmm maybe

Big changes a coming...


she's talking about that we will have to volunteer xxx amount of lines to the legal fund


put in for PTO 3 yrs in advance


 be required to have state of the art systems (say the ones for 2 grand)


 pay are own and 10 of our neighbors DSl bills (because MQ may have a stake in that company


commit to not only real chains to the chair but also go on ankle monitors, so that MQ management can tell when we stray farther than 2 ft from our puter's...say to go to the potty


have to go through our supe's, area managers, district higher up's then finally corporate to sign off for the shift or to notify them of our own deaths


not only be able to understand our loving ESL's but to also be able to transcribe in their native languages if they so desire


be ready, willing and able to put up during training all the offshores who so desire to come to the US to train...kinda like a foreign exchange transcriptionist


Last but not least, to have the common sense to duck when that sky falls


 i love those the end is near posts.....geez


Hang on it will change
I am surprised to hear that FOCUS ICs are without jobs!!! I work for another company that provides services for them and we have so many jobs from FOCUS that we are asked to work extended shifts. I know that they have some accounts that are supposed to be VR editing but everyone working on them is mostly doing MT work until the VRE kicks in. We hear it is about 30-60 days from 90% VRE.
worrying does not change anything
Two hospitals that I worked at..rumor was they were going to oursource.  We were told no way, dont worry about your jobs.  One hospital was reassuring us on Monday, Thursday we had a meeting and were told we were let go, pick up our purses and leave.  The other hospital was reassuring us in the morning and by 11am we were called down to Human Resources and let go.  Corporate is not gonna tell us what they are deciding as they dont want to scare the transcriptionists away and then they wouldnt have transcriptionists.  Plus the management are only workers like us.  Whatever they know, if they tell, they will lose their jobs.  Corporate looks out for making a profit for their stock holders.  I have heard the rumors about MQ also, some from office workers themselves.  If you are a good transcriptionist, dont worry.  MQ isnt gonna get rid of the transcriptionists.  It is the offices they are merging.  The transcriptionists will just have to call in to a different office.  Also, there are many transcription companies out there.  Nothing you can do about corporate decisions.  If you worry so much, you will make yourself sick. Used to be when I first started working, there was loyalty between employer and employee.  That isnt how the American workplace is any more.  Just remember, transcriptionists are in demand.  You will do fine.
subject to change..lol
I worked for a large national for an entire week, getting only one report per day, but one of them was really really bad. The patient had allergies listed and then the same medications listed in "medications." The family history had the father 2 different ages and dying of 2 different disorders, and it went on and on. I sent it to QA with a description of all of the obvious and potentially dangerous errors and was told "it is verbatim and not our problem." Scuse me...that could be somebody's grandma laying there about to be given a medication that could or could not be deadly due to an allergy!!
I wonder if there was a change in management...
...to account for your different experience.  Something for potentials to consider.
Is Webmedx going to change all their
accounts to VR like Transcend is doing? I work for Transcend and am going to find another job due to that fact. It's a pity cause I liked my job until that happened. Webmedx sounds good, but if they are gonna do the same thing, I won't go there.
No. That's SLAVE CHANGE.
.
yes, pay rate does change, but...
you know prior to the new month beginning what your pay rate is going to be for the next month. Everyone receives a report card that shows how the pay rate is added up. It does not change until the next month.

As for the critical error of typing an instead of and, there are things about that, that just don't make sense. I just can't believe they would dock someone's pay for something like that. Maybe since the report was obviously an extremely long report, good chance there were more errors than just that one.

I really don't know anything about the Trinidad thing. I just know that I have plenty of work, and have never run out, and have been there almost a year.

I should say this, when I first was offered this job, I was discouraged about the pay rate, as it was less than I was making with my current company at that time. After taking a long time to decide, I took the plunge, and I actually make at least double what I was bringing home with my other company. Lines seem to add up so quickly.
That will change - once you start
producing consistently and making money, you'll be switched to ESLs, mumblers, stumblers and speed talkers.  That is a guarantee in this business.  But congratulations on your increase.
Wow, that's a major change.
They used to pay $10.00 per hour for the first 90 days and then put you on production. Yikes.
They were upfront when this change was
made and have never denied the fact that they are owned by Transcend. But they operate separately and on most accounts with different platforms. Always amazes me that people who do not (and many times have not) worked for a company try to create doubting Thomas attitude and the only reason I can think of for this is that this is a competing company representative or you were there and just did not fit in.
Don't think so. They're trying to change the name and take out
They're causing a huge rift in the organization by doing that.
I agree that we don't like change, but

it seems to me that not liking change and distrustfulness gets more people in trouble as being trusting.  I don't think to be trusting is to be naive.  Yes, MTSOs, even small ones, are in business, not friendship.  But if you are a good employee, and a good MT, you don't have to necessarily fear change, and an MTSO is not going to willingly let the good transcriptionists go.  It's the ones who insulate themselves or think that they're better MTs than what they are who get mad when change happens or whose accounts are cut off because they do crap work and then go and spread nasty rumors trying to make trouble.  I've been on both sides of the issue multiple times in 18 years, both remote MT and middle management, and I've worked for a company that sold out.  It wasn't the end of the world, though some of my coworkers tended to make it out to be.  You can be friends with your employer and yet still realize that they're not going to leave you their company when they die.  You don't have to cut yourself off of all emotions, you just have to be realistic and realize if you don't do good work, you're going to be out of a job, friend or not. 


color change

Does anyone know in word how to change the background color and get it to stick?  Everytime I change and exit out it goes back to white.


 


Thanks


The reason there is a change in pay

between IC and employee is because as an employee they pay part of your taxes.  I prefer to have company pay taxes rather than dealing with having to pay quarterly taxes.    There may be a line rate difference and your net will be lower, but you don't have to worry about socking money away to pay quarterly taxes.  I haven't run the numbers, but I don't think there is a difference in pay. 


 


 


cool change--sm
I sat back all day yesterday and watched the *backlash* you had wanted to start. It is unbelievable the twists and turns a post can take. Interesting! but entertaining, to say the least..thanks!
I hate change, too.... (sm)
w/regards to your ?'s

*I don't know
*I was hired as an employee a couple years ago
*The rad rate I know is 8 cpl, don't know about range
*I don't know about the work volume but there's more radiology than I can do...

And yeah, I hear you on change. It royally stinks. Good luck to you in your search.
I need to know as well, making a change soon
TIA
I don't think you need drugs, you need a change
I'm not saying they don't work but the environment sounds just awful. Good luck.
Change and MTing

This is no longer the once respected career where one is paid for their knowledge and many years of experience.  I urge everyone to pay very close attention to who they are voting for in the presidential race and what they stand for.  Back the candidate who says no more tax breaks for businesses that are sending our jobs overseas.  It not only applies to our jobs but those throughout the country.  How many times do you call a customer service line and get someone on the line you cannot even understand??? This is an outrage!!! While people here in the US struggle to find jobs or see their $$$ go down and still have to work under sweatshop conditions.  Bottom line, back the person who is going to help us the most at risk for losing our job to some offshore company.  Companies will say they will never do it.  Believe me, if its going to increase their bottom line they will do it.  Most of all do vote, every single vote can make a difference.