Medical Transcription Discussion Forums:

• Main Board
• Job Seekers Board
• Company Board
• Word Help Board
• Classifieds
• Medquist
• New MTs / Students

General Discussion Forums:

• Gab Board
• Politics Board

Hello MTs

Is anyone else out there still stuck with dialup?  I am getting so frustrated with the long loading times.  I live in a rural area, and I cannot get DSL or cable.  Anyone have any other alternatives to slow internet?

Thanks.

Lynn

What is the shortest time you have worked for an MT company and why did you leave? I have found that I can predict the first day if the company is going to work out for me. Other experiences?

For those of you who have acquired accts through cold calling, what do you suggesting saying?  I did get one account this way, but cant remember how I managed.  Any tips appreciated!

Thanks,

Florida girl!

Does anyone know where I can get hold of some temporary/overflow work?  I am between jobs and applying but this takes time, as we all know. 

I need to work in MS Word and with high-speed, business-grade satellite.  We have no land line (cell phones only).  I am able to pick up voice files from a secure server, transcribe them in MS Word on my computer, and send transcription back via the secure server. 

I did find some temporary/backlog work but now it's all caught up, so I need more. 

I have 20 years' experience in everything from acute-care hospital to clinic notes. 

I would appreciate any help anyone can give me here.  Thanks! 

I have 30 years experience in MT work and for the last few years have been able to do exclusively operative notes which is what I love.  I have been very happy with current company but have to start my work day early in the a.m. and now my account has been overstaffed to the point there is no work in the morning.  While there is plenty of work late in the day, there is nothing in the morning and so I feel I must look for another company for at least part time op work initially and if it works out I could go full time.  I have left my email address so please feel free to contact me.  Thank you very much for any help you can offer. 

Hello,

What are the kind of incentives provided for non-exempt employees paid by the hour - is it by number of reports or length (minutes) of reports edited?

Thanks,

Blue

Okay first of all I updated to XP from ME, lost my Microsoft Office so had to reinstall it. I use Express Scribe to play dss files.  Before my update I updated ES to version 4.16.  Found out that does not play dss files so uninstalled that and reinstalled v. 4.15 and it worked.  After the upgrade, I reinstalled version 4.15 and it does the same think at 4.16 did.  WIll not load dss files.  They appear in the file list but with a duration of 0 seconds.  I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling, restarting and everything I can think of.  Even with the extra dss .exe that the website said I needed.  Is there a possibility that XP doesn't not run with ES or dss files or do I need to install another component to make my files play on XP? 

Please help, I am getting backlogged and starting to freakout. 

Stretching out my arm and picking up a reference book is agony.  An easy solution is to move all my books to my right side, but is this caused by MTing or sleeping on it (I almost always sleep on my left side with that arm folded under my pillow) or combo of the two?  I've typed about "elbow cradles"...do they help?  Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Chickadee

I keep seeing people say get an Expander you will get more lines.  I currently just use what is provided on the DQS (the Ctrl+E function).  Forgive my ignorance, but is this a separate program that you can use with DQS?  If so, tell me what it is and where to get it, PLEASE.  I am to the point of throwing my hands up and working at McDonald's.  I am so frustrated.  I normally typed close to 2,000 lines per shift before DQS, now I am getting no where near that.  I have been on this for over a year.   

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? 

It has been about two months since my last cig.  But dang, I am porky now.  At 47, this is NOT a good time to put on extra weight.  I know i should go for walks, eat carrots and drink water.  I guess the motivation isn't there. 

It is hard to believe I gained 20 lb in two months but my oh my I have.  You should see my face!  Chipmunk cheeks.  and my clothes, even the baggy ones, don't fit any longer.  I bought a new outfit last month and it doesn't fit any more. 

HELP!!!

Do you bill monthly, twice monthly, or bi-weekly?  I have work from a hospital coming soon and wondered how most people bill.  Also, while I'm in the process of making up a contract, what would you say is the norm in terms of the percentage you would charge if they were late in paying you?  About how long after you send the bill do you expect to be paid?  I know all of these things are negotiable, I would just like some feedback on what others are doing as this will be my first contract.

Thanks a lot! 

Some people are hard on keyboards -- I tend the blow the contacts on the left side of the board really fast, knocking out the Ctrl, Alt and left side of the spacebar. Charlie Stross's keyboards lose their lettering in mere months, and my pal Seth Schoen types like a machinegun, but I've never noticed any particular wear on his keyboards.

Does anybody know anything good or bad about this company?  I am looking for a good MT employment position, and I have been burned before (by Voice Systems--they don't pay!). 

Precyse Solutions
Contact: Kim Larrimore, Recruiting Mgr.
1750 Founders Pkwy, Ste. 154, Alpharetta, Georgia 30004
klarrimore@precysesolutions.com
Telephone: (800) 319-0558, Fax: (800) 349-5772

Has anyone out there had trouble with Maxell microcasettes popping from the spool.  For some reason, our office has gotten a batch of tapes that continues to pop from the spool when the physician dictates to the end of side A and then onto side B.  Tapes are popping left and right.  At first, it was just one particular physician's tapes, so we thought it was the machine.  However, now they are all popping, but only if dictated to side B.  Has anyone had better luck with other brands?  Need some help.  The physicians don't want to redictate, so I am losing $ and they are wasting time dictating only to have the tape pop.

Hi people :)

When MT gets very boring (which is most days for me), I have a few things I'll do to keep producing. Will you please share any games you play with yourself to crank out some extra lines (something more than "I need to meet the bills, and that keeps me in the chair").

Here's mine. I hope these will help. Please share yours!

• Try to get the % keystrokes saved in Shorthand higher than the last time I worked.


• Keep a timer with me - transcribe 20 minutes, clean home for 10, transcribe 20, clean for 10. Not a very productive way, but I use this when I am truly climbing the walls and nothing else works. Sometimes if I'm on a roll and the 20 minutes are up, I'll just hit the timer again and go for another 20 before the cleaning break. The break gets my house in order (amazing what can be done in 10 minutes - folded laundry and dishes running and so on), gives my wrists a break, gets the blood flowing.


• I find the times I have the worst trouble sitting there and working are the times when it's been a while since I've been out of the house. Getting out regularly helps working go much easier.


• Sometimes set a goal of a specific amount 300 lines or whatever is a slight stretch but can possibly be reached in an hour, and aim for that.


• A walk to the mailbox or other light exercise can help.


• I haven't tried a regular exercise break in the middle of the day (say a 1-hour break to reenergize and really get a good workout in), but if that helps you I hope you'll share.


• Try to get to half of my line count by noon.


• Get done for the day in time to watch Dr. Phil as a reward. :)

Okay, I have a total non-work related problem that I need some feed back on.

I am 1 day late on my period, (my periods are usually right on time), and I took a home pregnancy test and there was a very faint line. So, I went to the store to get one of the digital ones, because they tell you "PREGNANT" or "NOT PREGNANT".  Well, it says "not pregnant", but then I ejected the stick out and there is a pretty bright, while still a little faint, blue line. The ClearBlue Easy website says if there is any line at all, faint or not, then you are pregnant.

I am just confused. We have been trying for months now and I just want to know. I guess I will find out sooner or later, but if anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it!!

THANKS!!

is there a way to make a * hard hypen * in Word?

TIA for any help.