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Good drug book vs. internet drug sites - Posted By: Kathy

I need to buy a new drug book. At a prior job, about a year ago, one of the supervisors told me she used the internet exclusively. What's the consensus and if you prefer the internet, which site or sites do you like. Thanks in advance.

Tax Preparation - Posted By: Hazel

I usually prepare my own taxes using the 1040 form. However, this year I have quite a few deductions, etc. and feel I might need some help. I checked with a local CPA and he charges $350 to prepare an individual's tax return. Is this a normal fee or is it outrageous? Does anyone know if H&R Block or any other national tax preparation company would be good to use? And what do they charge? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Good cardiology info site? - Posted By: Starving Artist

Need unlimited long distance..... any suggestions? - Posted By: Thanks! nm

nm

In-shoring jobs for MTs. - Posted By: article from Advance - nm

http://health-information.advanceweb.com:80/Editorial/Content/Editorial.aspx?CC=200503

Is 5 cpl for VR work good? - Posted By: MT

I was just offered a job from Transcend and have read that most of their work is VR. Is 5 cpl any good? I really want to learn VR because it looks like that is where the future is headed. I used to be offered 9 cpl for straight transcription, and now I have to beg for 8 cpl for clinic work.

document is a template - Posted By: Does anyone know how to get rid of the arrows and

I am using a different computer in my house because my main one crashed. I had new templates sent to me, but when I open them to use them they have all of these arrows and paragraph symbols everywhere! Thanks for any help

Veterinary MTs?! - Posted By: Donna

Is anyone out there a veterinary MT? I just read an interesting article about veterinary medical transcription. How fun would that be for us that are animal lovers? I did not know such a job existed.

Here is the article:

http://health-information.advanceweb.com/editorial/content/editorial.aspx?cc=98501&zz=0#AnchorPostComment

looking for help making soy candles see message - Posted By: Jan

I want to start making soy candles and would like to correspond a little bit with somebody who has experience making them. I have questions such as where is the cheapest place to get supplies, what problems I might encounter, what to do to rectify them. I'm looking to get started to make these as Christmas presents plus for myself at home. I would appreciate it very, very much if anybody could help ME that is not going to mind getting a few E-mails from me with questions.

Any way to clean up a BAD dss file?? - Posted By: Sheryl

Doctor dictated despite the fact that he had a tremendously BAD phone connection. I can only hear a word every few sentences, the rest is loud humming and static. I have a KOSS equalizer that didn't help at all. Anyone know of a miracle program or something that might salvage this recording, as he doesn't want to re-dictate it? THanks!

Anyone using online BOS? - Posted By: Sally

I'm wondering if anyone is using the online BOS 3rd edition and if you like it?

All comments appreciated. - P.S. The company I work for uses these rules so the info is pertinent ... and I have no former editions.

Thanks.

possible dental lab job? - Posted By: kris

Has anyone out there in MT land ever worked as, I guess you would call it, a dental lab person? I have a possible job opportunity to do this, making dental appliances, etc. It seems to have a high turnover, as the job ad in is the paper a couple of times a year. The ad always says, "someone who is good working with their hands, likes arts&crafts". Wondering what info someone might have who has done this? Evidently the pay is pretty good at this dentist office, although I think it is piecework $17-25/hour.

TRS - Posted By: DATKINS

does anyone out there work for TRS (transcription relief services) and if so, do you know if they are hiring and how one may get in touch with them.

I don't think I can do this any more. - Posted By: please light a fire under me

I've felt lousy all week with a headache, sore throat, stuffy nose, and slight upset stomach. Coffee and Motrin are not helping. I'm too hot, and I need a shower. Badly. I've already put in over 40 hours this week, not including today. Unpaid overtime, covering for vacations. There are dishes piled up in the sink, the bathroom's a mess, and the yard and garden are neglected. I've only cooked once this week. I need to pay bills and get to the post office today because I've put it off for a week. The neighbors are digging up a concrete foundation with a Bobcat 30 feet from my desk. I'm tired of looking op addresses and patient information. I'm tired of fixing lousy grammar. If you got this far into my whining, thanks for listening. That's all I wanted was to get it out of my system.

I need ideas for how to get kids to not ring the doorbell tonight after....sm - Posted By: Ms Manners

the light is off on the porch and it's getting late, i.e. after 9 p.m. It amazes me the # of kids .... and adults... who don't use good common sense about trick-or-treating and ignore the usual "lights on means ok to knock/ring, lights off means go away/no goodies" rules that have been around for decades.

I'm thinking about turning on the lawn sprinkler close to the front door - but some idiots would probably just run through it.

In the past I've put the dog out on her tie-out in the front yard and that scares some away, but the people that my dog knows get by her by just petting her because she knows them.

What are your plans/recommendations?

? on sum program - Posted By: mt

Sorry not sure which board to put this ? on but I have sum program with 12 tapes side a and b, machine and answer key and have no idea of what kind of a price to put on this. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

I can't find the old thread on schools that mentor into a job - Posted By: need info

can anyone help me?

Wireless Headphones - Posted By: Tired of being tethered!

Does anyone use these? Can you recommend a good brand?

Clickety-Clack split keyboards?? - Posted By: MaryL

Just wondered if anybody had any of the "old" flat clickety-clack split keyboards. I loved that thing, and did my best work on it, but cannot find them, even on E-bay. Thought someone might have one in a closet some where and want to get rid of it.

CMT exam question...sm - Posted By: ??

First of all, I don't want to hear how the CMT is not worth the paper it's written on, it's a waste of money, etc etc. I've read all those posts.

I just signed up to take the test and I just want to know if there is anyone who didn't pass the first time and if anyone has any last minute advice. TIA!

Shorthand program question - Posted By: Just Looking

I am using the trial version of the ShortHand program from pcshorthand.com. I have some long entries in there and it seems to take forever for it to go into my report. I sit and watch each sentence come onto the screen. Is there a better shorthand program? Where it just instantly pastes the entire text "BAM" instantly without having to stop and wait?

Also, maybe it just does it like this because it is a trial version????

Thanks!!!

Computer crashed, cannot work for two days. - Posted By: No income!

How do you prepare for something like this??? I wonder if the big "S" has compensation for this type of thing. Hard drive needed replaced. Egads. And I cannot work off my schedule as I would be, you know, cheating. This is a major financial hit.

Dollar - Posted By: Rickey

With the dollar depreciating against all major currecies including Asian currencies is it true that outsourcing will slow down and ultimately stop as the cost advantage is becoming a ?

NEED TO SOUND OFF!! - Posted By: KATRINA FRUSTRATIONS

First, please don't think that I don't believe in helping others because I DO. What I can't stand is for those you try to help to just take with no appreciation and then turn around and harm those in our community who try to help them.

Just before Christmas while watching the news the top story was of an elderly man who worked doing custodial work at a local hotel. He was severely beaten and left for dead one night by 4 young males just because he asked them to quit tearing down the hotel's Christmas decorations. Now when I say left for dead, I mean left for dead. This man is still in the hospital and is still unrecognizable. His doctors have said that he will need countless surgeries to rebuild his face ENTIRELY and will need 50 or more screws to hold it together. Last night it broke that 2 of them were in custody (turned in by family members) and they picked the other 2 up today. What is do disturbing is at least 1 of the 4 males is a Hurricane Katrina evacuee that had come to our city for shelter and assistance.

It is acts like this that make us weary about who we help and how we do it. The beating of an elderly man is bad enough by itself but then to tell us it was someone who came to us for shelter and help responsible is just appauling.

I apologize for any typos but it is late and I am tired. I just needed to sound off before I try to sleep.

Does anyone have the website for Monthly Prescribing Reference? Thanks. nm - Posted By: Jeri

xx

Earlier Poster with Keyboard Lag Problem (sm) - Posted By: TechSupport

I've been thinking about your problem and recommended some possible answers, but something else has been nagging at the back of my mind. There is also the possibility of a keystroke logger that is intercepting your Keystrokes before passing them along to the screen.

A keystroke logger can be a physical device placed between your keyboard and your computer, or it can be even be installed inside the keyboard. It can also be a bit of software that intercepts and records keystrokes. Sometimes this is a commercial application (like parents use to watch what their kids are doing online), but it can also come surreptitiously in the form of malware called a "rootkit" - which you can think of as a "supervirus" on your computer.

I suppose it's also possible that a spybot (another form of malware) could also be doing this.

Bottom line: Be sure you're using good antivirus and antispyware software, keep them updated, open NOTHING that comes in your email that you don't specifically recognize, and don't follow links that come in emails you don't trust, no matter how "official" they appear to be (like, from your bank or credit card company).

California MT's - Posted By: rand_man

Does anyone know why companies are unwilling to hire people who live in the state of California?

Could people in the Amherst office tell me - Posted By: MT in UT

whether the accounts they work for are local to their area, or do you do accounts that are across the country? The particular account I work on, I trained with all the ladies on it a couple of months ago on DQS (we all worked on it in another office w/o DQS), and so far, we have a lot of work.

Wondering if the problem with lack of work just depends on which accounts you work on and not necessarily a problem as a whole.

Reality check - Posted By: mt55

I have been in this business for over 30 years -- the BIGGEST issue that is going on is with a "new generation" who has only voted MAYBE 2 times -- and NO, this post is "not political" HOWEVER, what some of what is being proposed is NOT the end of the rainbow -- I JUST had Fox news on, and there is a proposal to "give free housing to the mentally ill, drug addicts, etc" -- we're griping about our life and this is what the PRESS wants to report -- -- we're peons and no one seems to care -- and as an aside including my SO who is sooooooo concerned now with "Teddys" brain tumor and the fact that the press has reported that its connected to his cell phone -- good grief, I lost a mother to cancer, a husband to cancer and a grandfather to a stroke -- bottom line -- we are going to die, when it is our time to do so -- sorry had to vent

re starving - Posted By: stressed

thanks for the replies ladies. appreciate the help. dial-up is on 24.8, so no precyse. will look into others named. co. that i work for now is getting worse by the day. i read the board and they have soooo many bad posts. looks like the numbers may be growing also. have a good day and god bless each of us hardworking, unappreciated transc.

ACCUSTAT EMR - Posted By: newbie

Does anyone have info on this company (South Carolina).

Can Someone Help This Electronically Challenged Boomer? - Posted By: Esme

I was looking on the job board a few weeks ago and decided to check out one of the jobs and they had a list of what you needed to work for them. Talk about being out in left field! I have worked for TL/MQ since the 80's and everything as far as a computer has always been fixed for us so we don't have to do anything but type. I had no clue what they were talking about ...

They said you have to have a sound card - doesn't that come with a computer?

You have to have a game port for a 15-pin foot pedal? I have no clue what a game port is and don't know anything about foot pedals. *deep sigh*

I don't know what a Windows XP Pro Service pack 1 or newer is - I just know I have Windows XP on my computer.

I sent a resume to a company (sounded like a nice and easy job) and they sent me an email with attachments. One had some kind of audio files on it - didn't know how to get them, another had some kind of test where I was supposed to fill in the blanks - again, clueless how to get that test to where I could type on it. Needless to say, I thanked them for looking at my resume and knew I had to find these things out.

Can someone please help me????

Want to get paid for headers, footers and spaces? - Posted By: Want us to type them or not?

Just in a silly mood....

BOS on CD question - Posted By: sandy

I can open this with adobe when the CD is in the drive. Does anyone know if I can install this on my computer so that I don't have to use the CD everytime I want to use it? Thanks

What is the difference - Posted By: MT TEXAS

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between an LX-219 and an LX-219-1. Also what is the difference between a "Basic digital station with backlight" and a "Enhanced digital station with backlight"? Thanks!

WOW! Great Hourly Rate For Editors - Over $14 to Start!!!! - Posted By: New To Soft Script

I just started working for Soft Script in Calif. as an editor for 0.05 per line. I found this was not enough money for me (even though I accepted it to get my foot in the door) and talked to the senior vice-president Joann who gave me a great hourly rate. They must do this for all their editors. Today QA, tomorrow the rest of the company!!!! Can anyone tell me more good things about Soft Script and your experiences???? I am jazzed and enthused to learn more about this comapny and look forward to hearing from you all.

Health insurance - HELP?!! - Posted By: Sharon

Does anyone know of any health insurance I can get? 55-year-old MT (good health)& asking through web and/or phone is a nightmare. Does anyone have GOOD health insur. for a nominal cost? (& dental/vision if have). A few yrs ago I heard of some "upcoming" health ins. for MTs for 1-200/mth (!!?) but never heard again. I really need health insurance. Please help if you can; am sick of brokers & agents who do nothing but give the runaround. Currently in San Diego but may go back to KY next year (home). Thx again!

Amphion OT - Posted By: just typing

Anyone else getting tired of the mandatory 1 hour every day. It is getting to be a bit much. I do not want to get burned out again this summer. Have to start thinking of other options I guess. We need a break. I know I should not complain as there are some of you out there with no work but every single day. Last year it was 4 months in a row. I refuse to do that again.

going digital ... a question - Posted By: Bonnie

My clients are still using tapes. I am in the process of getting them switched over to digital (just need to find the time, have all the equipment). I am wondering, has anyone had any problems with dictated reports that have gone "missing" in the uploading process from the end of the physician's office, i.e., does the doctor say he has dictated reports but they never made it to you or the office can't find them on his machine? Just wondering if it is going to be a problem with dictations that got lost in the mysterious black hole ...

I May Get a Radiology Customer and Need Advice - Posted By: David

Can anyone advise me on radiology transcription. I've never done it. (I have a small MT service and would try to find someone to do this work)... I'm looking for advice on:

-- Pricing, I understand you usually charge by the page and not the line.

-- Is it advisable to pursue this, since I have never done it. I hear Radiology is "a different animal" - Good/Bad idea as owner of a small service to pursue this?

Thank you,

Dave

DO NOT WORK FOR SEAN MEDITRANS-THEY DONT PAY - Posted By: Ex-SMT MT

NM

A couple questions to ones that have their own business� - Posted By: SV MT

First, do you carry error and omissions insurance or a clause in your contract? Second, when you do your billing--do you find it easier to bill twice monthly (1st and 15th) or once monthly?

Do U MySpace? - Posted By: MySpaceJunkie

I'm addicted!

NASTY prima donna QA people ... - Posted By: Disgusted

Guys, help me with something because obviously I'm missing a crucial piece of the QA puzzle somewhere. How is it that QA folks who are PAID both more money than us and also sometimes on an hourly basis (and justifiablly so because of their presumed higher skill level) to fill in blanks GRIPE and COMPLAIN when they are called upon to do so? I simply don't understand, especially when there are obvious issues with the dictation, i.e. bad sound file, low voice volume, ESL's, etc. (I'm not talking about a situation where an MT may not have given his/her best effort to the dictation [which I don't think at all is as prevalant as some of the prima donnas would have us believe]). What did they think, that they were going to continue to do the same job as the rest of us but get paid a premium just because they are who they are?

And I'm not at all speaking in reference to those QA folks who are a blessing to the industry in terms of their talent, the nature of their feedback, and their mentoring capacity. I'm sure, though, that many of you recognize the kind that I am speaking of.

A clue: If you don't have the patience to fill in blanks and give constructive feedback, then please ... DO US ALL A FAVOR and stay an MT. The majority of us give the best that we have to each and every one of our dictations, but sometimes we reach an impasse with a particular chart that requires only a second listen to put together a quality final product and get it back to the facility. We don't need the stress of your nasty, superior attitude and sometimes not-at-all-helpful feedback.

New independent, need information - Posted By: Tina

Started this year as independent. Tried to reach tax person, not there. Now when I send in my federal taxes, are social security taxes paid out of that or am I supposed to send those somewhere else? Thanks.

You CAN work in bed on a laptop - Posted By: comfyMT

Okay, so maybe I'm the last laptop MT out there who just discovered this but I've figured out how to work from bed on days when I'm struggling physically (I have RA). I have propped my foot pedal on a pillow under my elbow/forearm, and gently lean on it while I type. MUCH better! Just wanted to pass that wisdom on in case there was anyone else out there that could be helped by this.

Is Hurricane Dennis affecting anyone's work today? - Posted By: My account is in Florida - no work of course

nm

Curosity- I am curious if I am making the normal amount of money weekly for MT. Would anyone care - Posted By: Becca

to share their weekly amount of pay?

What brand of LCD monitor to buy? sm - Posted By: tired-eyes MT

I am really troubled by eye strain ... got new computer glasses from eye doc but still not happy ... a number of people have said I should swap my CRT monitor out for a flat screen LCD. I'm game to do it, but have been reading reviews until I'm brain-dead! Thought maybe you folks here might share what brand of LCD you are using, and if you are happy with it for word processing. I hear some are better for text than others, and I don't want to shell out the bucks without looking into it. TIA!

Husband interferes with my work - Posted By: Maria

I am working out of my home transcribing for a medical practice located in another state. Currently my work station is in my bedroom, just outside of my living room. My husband is only in his early 40's and out on disability due to his morbid obesity (500 lbs+) and complications from this. He has a very smothering-controlling and manipulative personality to boot. (which surfaced after we got married last year) Every morning I try to get up very early while he is still sleeping to knock out what I can before he gets up. I never know what each day in going to bring once he gets up. Mostly, though, he is wanting me to stop typing to make him breakfast, or hand him this item or that item. He rarely gets up from the couch to be self-sufficient because of his size.

If he isn't watching T.V. the majority of the day so loud that you'd think you were in a movie theater (and I am in the next room trying to type), he wants to go out at some part of the day to either run errands, go out to eat, etc. Every day there are different road blocks that he creates that pull me away from what I am doing and at EVERY juncture I have to explain to him that I have responsibilities to my employer, as if he is just hearing it for the first time. When I answer him back in a frustrating tone then I have "an attitude problem", according to him. He wants the added income coming in to the household, but he shows no respect for what I do and my responsibilities.