assigned docs
Posted By: Kser on 2009-08-11
In Reply to: MTSOs - Why work pools? - sm - Just Another MT
On my account, I have one doc that I am assigned to. My main priority is his work for that day. If other MTs are out or busy, I can be asked to help them out. It is hit or miss. Last week I did 10,000 lines (my hands were killing me) just helping out for the MTs on vacation.
The other account I work on is a pool, so I go there when I am done with my assigned work. This week, my doc is out and I am only working in the pool. It is backed up and getting further behind, and it is mostly very short jobs (20 seconds), so I much prefer my other account.
I understand there are some new docs coming on, so hopefully this will pick up.
I love having a few assigned docs since I get to know their style and makes my job much easier.
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Can you say where you work if you get assigned docs/accts.? I'm tired of this pool garbage/left
s
A good mix. I don't mind ESL docs. I think that some U.S. docs are worse! nm
nm
I did not. My assigned account kept
running out of work, and I wasn't trained on a secondary
although I asked. I agree with giving notice, but the workload on the account was so minimal that I probably did them a favor. BTW, everyone was cool about it, and we went our separate ways without any drama.
No choice, it is assigned, & just happens to be less
presents itself, I sometimes cherry-pick as well. Especially if it's late, I'm tired, and my line count isn't what it should be.
assigned doctors
nm
assigned work
Any MTs out there been asked to do overtime on a specific account and told this was mandatory and then when the time came to do that account were given something else entirely? How frustrating is that especially on a Friday afternoon when you would rather not be working anyway! It is also bad enough that the account they do give you has the worst audio in the world and keeps breaking up. AHHH!!! Sorry, had to vent. I have pretty much had it!
Well, as an IC assigned work
That's one reason. Another reason is that its usually first in first out. If suzy Q is sick that day, who will do her work? All of the other employees have their assigned work to do, so where does that leave suzy Q's dictators? Just out of luck?
Who is the lucky one assigned
I work from a pool. I love it. I can pick and choose or I can sit all morning and take nothing; that's IC.
Now as an employee, assigned dictators could work but what if that dictator is on vacation for two weeks? Do you get someone else's lines and take work from them?
It should really be first in first out. I have my own accounts and I guess considered a small MTSO. I do the work myself though - no subs. If I had subs, I'd have them do first in first out even if that meant a different dictator every report. That would be fair for TAT.
If you want just one particular dictator and then the work runs out for that day, do you then start taking Suzy Q's work or do you sit and wait until tomorrow?
Do you see how this can get really hairy for an MTSO? They need the work done within TAT and can't spend that valuable time worrying about whether or not you are familiar, making the best lines for your pocket, etc. It's not in this business to worry about the MT, the MT worries about themselves and how good their skills are and can perform the job handed to them.
One of the reasons the hospital I worked for outsourced was because they were tired of the work getting backed up when one or the other of us lonely 2 transcriptionists God Forbid needed a vacation day or two or three or maybe a week or two.
I'm not trying to bash you, I just want you to think about their side of things and how no one would want the mumbler or the ESL, so how is that fair to that person who is assigned that ESL?
Don't you think it depends on which acct you are assigned to?
I have a couple accts but don't know if either is the notorious one that supposedly has all the demo screen work. One acct I have is definitely more involved in demos than the other, but overall not so bad. Just wondering if it's a case of which one you are stuck with? Just trying to think of some ideas of why some like it and some hate it. Also depends what you are used to before working for Amphion, since you can't help but compare it.
are you assigned specific jobs?
nm
If the work is not assigned to you, then someone is cherrypicking...nm
xx
assigned work followup
 I would not have cared so much had I not already worked a FULL month of overtime. Also, it was radiology which I cannot stand! If I wanted to do radiology I would have kept my other job. Not only are these short and do not give lines, they just stink. Just my opinion. Sorry all MTs who like doing them, I do not.
How does assigned work = employee?
I have my own clients. All that work would be considered assigned work; there is no one else to do it but me. And as for the MTSO I work for (and the individual docs, for that matter,) it does not matter what they assign me to do, they just cannot dictate how I get it done or the hours I work, right? I want to be totally clear on my understanding of this. Thanks.
You are assigned "x" amount of minutes every day, you work that out between the
two of you. IC status. Pay is on time every two weeks, but there is a long wait before you get your first check. After that, it's smooth sailing.
You must not be one of us who logs on their assigned shift only to be told...
to stay off the system as the work is too low. Nice thought though. I'd really LIKE to do my job when I am supposed to but I have no control over when they tell us ot stay off until the afternoon and you sit there prayer there will be work then.
With the KS ortho accounts, each doctor is assigned to an MT. sm
I have 3 doctors that I am responsible, some only have 1 if they are high volume. Easy system to use, great docs, great lead MT. Pay starts low at 0.08 but goes up after 90 days. There are no ESL on the ortho account I am on, which has around 40 doctors. The downside is the first week. The accounts are overwhelming with instructions at first, but once you have it all down, they are great!
When going from IC to employee I realize that you must keep an assigned schedule but
does that mean if you are scheduled, for example, 8 a.m. to noon, you cannot move away from your computer for any time at all? I am used to being able to get up and down when I have to and I am wondering if being roped in to certain hours will prevent me from doing this. Can anyone tell me how it works for them with having a certain period of time you are expected to work? TIA!
meaning that some accounts have assigned doctors...
nm
because C-phone accounts are cumbersome...and assigned
nm
The IT person will call you at the assigned time (sm)
and will do the install for you - there will be a link where you hand over control of your computer and they install and test everything so you're ready to go. Good luck to you!
I think she means she's the only one working on the accounts she assigned to - sm
I know I sure feel that way sometimes. Of course, everyone jumps on the last day or two of the pay period and now, (crickets)......
I work for Keystrokes and have assigned doctors. I'm very happy. sm
I believe you can get overflow work if your doctor does not dictate on any given day, if there is any overflow work on that day. My pay has always been on time. I highly recommend them.
They use ExText, min. of 500 lpd, you get assigned mins. of dictation, make your own
s
WEBMEDX- Assigned acct or pool and how is the platform?
ds
No experience, but was told that work is assigned, no pools, and it's still 8cpl as an IC. nm
s
I wasn't hired for 1 work type, but told them I like OPs so that is what I am assigned. When I r
out of ops, I usually stop unless we are out of TAT on other jobs because I do not want to take other people's work. I do not think I should get paid less for that.
Some accounts (ortho) have assigned doctors. I am sure that seniority plays a part in the process.
As a new person, you would expect to get the worst of the work, the worst shifts, etc in any other field, so why should MT be different. Rad techs start on 3rd shift, nurses move up to 1st shift, etc. The new guy never gets the best of the crop. That would not make sense.
Easy platform, assigned accounts, always plenty of work. Great OM and boss. nm
Could be because all they can get from the docs is 11 cpl....nm
x
ESL docs
Im having a very hard time with all the discussion that I see on the boards regarding ESL doctors -- I have been in this business 20+ years and it takes time to develop an ear to be able to understand ESL doctors -- if you have a friend who is an MT, have her on instant message and ASK what the doctor might be saying -- there have been times too, with her and my experience where she has played her stuck spot back and I heard as clear as a bell what the doctor was saying -- unfortunately, the schools with their training don't do ESL doctors and this is the reason that 99.9% of the companies wont hire without experience - PLEASE resign yourselves that ESL docs are going away unfortunately
with ESL docs, you just never know..sm
You could have great ESL dictators, and at .09/line, you would be paid at least close to what a good Transcriptionist is worth (still not enough as our wages are pitiful now). On the other hand, if you have really terrible ESL dictators, that .09 could easily become comparable to making .05/line if you have to slow down to understand the doctor. With ESL's, you really don't know until after you have made that commitment. However, as a previous MTSO, I would never give one person all of the crappy dictators. Rather, I tried to distribute the work evenly to give everyone a fair shot at a decent line count. Good luck in your decision. Try bargaining. Tell them you feel ESL doctors are worth the extra compensation because often times your hourly production is decreased because they do not dictate proper English sentences, mispronounce words etc, and tell them you believe the work is worth .10/line and you will strongly consider the position.
Docs
who eat, slurp, roll hard candy or lozenges in their mouth, sniffing their nose constantly all while speaking....especially the eating while dictating drives me CRAZY! It is just like having a rude person standing right next to your ear eating smacking his food. GRRRRRRRR
the docs may not NEED it but its sm
not for you to decide. If thats what they want and you do their work, then you do it or you don't work. I don't like it either, but they don't dictate their reports to suit the lifestyle of your or me. I don't understand why people can't see its the profession, you aren't going to change it. you need to get a new profession.
As far as the grocery clerks and weekends, etc. etc. They don't all call in sick and not work. Years ago when some of these supermarket chains were union, they made good money and those people worked their hind ends off, weekends, nights, holidays the whole bit. I know because my hubby is now drawing retirement from one of the chains. Seems to me we have a whole generation of younger folks that don't want to work but like the other poster said, they just want to p*ss and moan!
Rotten docs
Dear Doctor:
While I have a great deal of respect for what you do, you aggravate me.
Please, when you are addressing a letter be courteous enough to include the CITY and the STATE, and if you spell something don't spell ROAD for me, because, trust me, I learned how to spell road in the second grade!
Don't make me search for 15 minutes to find something your lazy ### could have read off the chart, because I only made 14 cents to type that letter, and my time and skill is worth more than 60 cents an hour.
And while I am venting, how about you say pheochromatoma, instead of feo, if that is what you mean. Don't be so lazy my job is 100 times harder.
If thats all they can get from the docs, get a different account!! There are more out there
I'm tired of these companies expecting IC work for 8 cpl, have a set schedule and thats even when I'm offering to do ops mainly!! Thats disgusting. I can just as easy do the basic 4, have a set schedule and not have to pay my own social security and taxes! Dont take it!
No ESL docs, no op notes (as far as I know) SM
They are mainly consults, soap notes, some radiology. You use their templates and get paid for headers/footers.
I don't know if everyone makes the same, but I make 8 cpl (55 characters per line) without spaces. I compared it to the normal 65 characters per line with spaces, and it is equivalent to 8 cents per line with spaces. So, not too bad...just average I guess.
But the dictators are really clear and there are a lot of samples. I think the work is pretty easy. I think it makes a really good p.r.n. position.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :)
Chickadee
You need to realize that about 80 pc of the docs sm
practicing acute care in this country are ESL. It is what it is.
I like them a lot better than the native English speakers, who slur words, like to play with the language. ESLs learn one way to say it, and they say it that way every time. You just have to get used to it.
TransTech and ESL Docs
Well, you know...ANYONE who wants to continue to be a Transcriptionist had better become proficient in ESL docs. They are here to stay. If you had YOUR own business you would take the accounts to. I can do them. I moan a lot of times when I see a particular doctor's name come up for me to transcribe for, but it's all just part of the job. Like I said, better get used to it as there are more and more foreign doctors every day. I transcribe and I get paid and I don't feel cheated ONE bit.
All the decent docs have
TransTech did a big hiring blitz back in October last year for a new account, but the account almost immediately started going to VR, so the doable dictators left in a hurry!
The jobs that get sifted towards the MT's out of VR machine, thus, are the very difficult dictators that should be warned about their dictation habits.
The ExSpeech (editing platform) is very awkward and time consuming, so it is a catch 22 for the MT's. ExText has a good spell check and is easy platform to learn.
TransTech does not allow the MT's to check/verify our lines in the manner in which, in my opinion, we should be able to do. The CTRL I function does not give even a close line count and our pay stubs do not show it either -- just the word *piecework*. We can go to iChart; however, it does not show an immediate line count nor the jobs or line count per report -- only a total line count for a period of time per TransTech's counting method. It is a lot of trouble to go to iChart to get an immediate line count each time you choose to check your pace. We should be able to do this right from the platform/software that we are working in, IMO.
It seems our lines have been much harder to obtain in the past several months -- I suppose more to the dictators shuffled our way from VR, than anything that Transtech is doing with the line counts. I can't imagine them messing with our line counts in any form or fashion, as some companies have been accused of doing.
VR is the way of the future in order for the companies to be more profitable for themselves, so this is what we have to look forward to -- those of us who remain in the MT profession.
They use their own software. You get docs
s
all those horrible docs got you
Schizophrenic? You're like one of those people who sit in a bus & just starts telling and calling people names with no thought. All bark, no bite.
Number of docs
Are there any companies that assign a certain number of doctors? I have too many to EVER make a good line count.
Docs using PC's instead of charts sm
The younger docs are now carrying laptops into the examining room, no more charts. My husband and I had extensive, large charts (which we earned through serious stuff) and now they have been replaced by the young staff coming in with a laptop, no more charts. I was not brave enough to ask at my last visit but I will this visit, Where are our huge charts? Mine used to make comments about the large chart and too many papers. I wanted to say, Do you ever read any of those reports? Very curt, very non-caring attitude, told me last time had had input all my allergies (which are serious) into his computer. I am really worried as my husband and I have been through a lot. I think they could very easily print a H&P from there if you went into a hospital. Two of my clients used to do open heart surgery and they would ask me to print out a H&P from the chart just before the surgery. Some of those people they had not seen in years. I explained that I would not do that as the patient could have developed an illness since last seen. You gotta thank computers for replacing us. Between outsourcing and electronic medical record, we are becoming distinct as the dinosaur. Just IMHO from this area anyway.
When I was inhouse the rad docs liked it
And at that hospital those same docs were pushing for VR. Most of 'em liked to goof off for hours wandering the halls telling jokes, then wanted to read like mad when our MT staff was down to a couple night people, and whine that we didn't get it all typed for them to sign off before they went home. So I think its fitting its going to bite them in the butt.
There is pretty much an even mix, but my ESLs are better than the US docs.
I am very happy with my account, my pay and the way I am treated.
Exams is what I mean. Docs are stretching
reports/exams out so long, I wish I was being paid by line.
Spheris is paying between 1.35
and 1.45 per exam.
Was getting 11 cent a line before but home-based hospital
employee. Much better.
I am PT. I do 600 lines/day. I share one of my two docs with
another person and it works out well. Key advice: Let your lead know if it is too much. They would rather know early than miss deadlines. I learned the hard way but now with sharing the one doc it is perfect.
NEVER whined about the hard docs...
I was offered by them when there were a lot of certain docs up they would assign me some different ones to break them up, but...I have not asked them to do that. So don't assume....
If a lot of MTs, hosp. personnel, & docs are on all
s
If you hear docs discussing it,
I'd be very cautious to work for them. Chances are, they're going to fly through that dictation faster than a speeding bullet. You might be better off with an MTSO that pays by the minute rather than a private office.
If docs would spend 5 seconds...sm
spelling another doctor's name, which they believe we're automatically supposed to know how to spell, it would save a lot of grief. But MTSOs are quiescent about this, even though they know it's a hardship on us...what the heck, it's not THEIR time. Don't want to spell a doc's name... their 5 seconds is worth more than 10 minutes of my time looking it up. Tough!! Blanks are in. Let THEM fill it in.
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