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Recently Viewed Messages: (An archive of over 1 million messages related to medical transcription industry)
Anybody started their 2005 taxes yet? How many W-2s or 1099s -
Posted By: get 'er done!
will you be getting? Seven for me. I hope they're all here within a reasonable amount of time. My taxes are going to be difficult to do this year as we have a lot of itemized deductions we can take.
What are good Medical Transcription Schools? -
Posted By: Hunter
The response I got when asking about the credibility of MTAtHome.com wasn't very good. So now I'm wondering, what are some good Medical Transcription schools that you can do online. I'm looking for an online program. Can anyone send me in the right direction? I definately don't want to be jipped by a school that is not credible, which will then affect whether I get employment or not. Thanks for your responses.
-Hunter DuRant
about the checks from MQ... -
Posted By: curiousMT
...mine was for $14 and some odd cents - now the question is, they actually took out all taxes and it comes to $3.63.
Pardon me for not knowing the law, but I always thought you could not take out taxes under a certain dollar amount. Anyone know if that is a law, or at the employer's discretion?
I appreciate the moneys owed; however, there is no 'real' explanation. Since I no longer work for MQ, and the check is only for $3+ dollars, I think I will hold on to it and wait to see what is going on.
Thanks.
poll: Would you forgive your husband if he cheated? -
Posted By: MT58
Assuming you have children and assumming he seems remorseful, would you save the marriage?
did everyone graduate MQs "Code fo Conduct" course? -- what a crock -
Posted By: MadamX
that's like you stealing my purse and then sending me to class on how not to steal purses....
low cost easy digital software -
Posted By: Amy
After 10 years of working for somebody else, I am looking into starting up my own transcription business. Does anyone have any information on low-cost, easy start-up digital software? Thanks!
Help for a -
Posted By: headache
Unrelenting headache today. I have fibromyalgia but not on any medication. For achiness I just take over-the-counter naproxen sodium which works well. I have a headache today on top of the aches which is not going away. Can you take Advil with naproxen sodium?
need some opinions, please -
Posted By: Meghan
I applied at 2 companies on Friday evening - heard back from both of them the same day - one wanted a questionnaire filled out, the other said they were very interested in talking to me and asked me when I was available to speak to them M-W of this week - I wrote back and gave times, etc. Haven't heard anything yet. If I don't hear by this evening, should I call them? I'm very anxious to get another job!
Needing to vent..... -
Posted By: Summergirl
I have to say I consider myself still fairly new. I have been a Transcriptionist now for just almost a couple of years. I am a little upset because I have at least 99.6 QA score each month. I work on several different accounts and we are always told to push, push, push the reports and get them out. Because if we don't meet our standard line count amount then you will get canned. But, my question is this, on the accounts I work on, it is hard to make normals for all of them, which does save time. So, when you are flying through your documents and trying to proofread as you go, you are sure to miss a few MINOR mistakes. I do not understand this field and sometimes I wish I would have never spent the money to get into it, because we are yelled at if we don't get our minimum line counts and get yelled and told to slow down if you make a few small mistakes---nothing that would put the life of a patient at risk. So, please tell me where the happy medium is. Again, my QA score is never below 99.5.
Seriously thinking about getting into a different profession. Thank you for listening.
Pedal question -
Posted By: Sue
I just got an Infinity pedal for my MTEC course and it is working great. My question is....for my current job I needed to get a pedal to play files from a CD and when I insert the CD it will play these files, but it doesn't start and stop with the pedal. Once the CD starts it will just play the whole thing.
Any suggestions? Should this work?
asking questions -
Posted By: just a guess
I get the feeling that many MTSO do not liked to be asked questions. If I am looking to make a switch I am just looking out for myself. Mind you, I send in the resume and THEY call me. While I may get some that offer 3 insights to the job right off the bat, if I ask if there is a chance to make more of a base pay I either don't hear from them or they think I should look into something else. I have run across 1 company that was very very informative without me asking too much, but they didn't have direct deposit, and they were on the other side of the country from where I am and was just not too keen on the thought of a check by mail. I guess I'm just kind of feeling not to happy right now with all of this. Thanks for listening.
help on word board please! -
Posted By: nm
nm
Regarding Petition Post -
Posted By: ERMT/Oncology MT2
 I wrote to an official in office, a few days ago, about out-sourcing. Trust me there are many concerned people who do not know about personal information going off United States soil. Anyway, here is the response I received back just today. MTs, we have to stick together and stay strong on this one! There may be hope yet.
Greetings, Thanks for taking the time to contact me regarding your concerns about out-sourcing medical records beyond our country's borders. I appreciate you bringing this important issue to my attention. I will forward your very valid concerns for consideration. We have a responsibility to protect personal information and medical records. So many loopholes!!!!! Thank you again and have a Happy and Holy Easter Season. Mauree G.
She also sent me a second E-mail asking that we keep this topic alive in our field. We can do this. Yes we can! Write to your state representatives. Trust me they don't know what is going on, but they do listen. I pointed out that if we work from home in the U.S. that we also save our earth. We are not using gas to travel to other jobs, ect. There are many, many valid issues here. Just take a few minutes and type out a quick note to your representatives.
up all night? -
Posted By: fingersonfire
Has anyone ever pulled an all-nighter and typed through the night after your shift during the day? Please tell me how you did it! A strong pot of coffee is a given and some carbs are probably a given.
Also, those of you who work the midnight shift, do you have any tips for staying alert when the house is quiet and the neighborhood is fast asleep?
Thanks in advance!
Adding Expansions -
Posted By: slooowMT
I was wondering how you build your expansion list, meaning, about how many words do you put in day? A few, 20, 50? And do you review them daily so you know what you have? I tend to create them and then forget I have them and then do not use them. What are you tips? Thanks in advance!
Secret Santa Question -
Posted By: MTPockets
Is the secret post usually on the Main board or one of the ones above the ------------ line? I tried searching this morning, but don't have time to puruse all of the different boards. I was just wondering if you could narrow it down a bit. It's okay if you can't just thought I'd ask. Thanks!
Lanier LX-219 question -
Posted By: TiredOBuying equipment
Okay, probably a silly question, but do you need the VTI flat box which I've seen sold sometimes with the Lanier LX to transcribe....I've seen the unit for sale on ebay but hate to pour money I don't have into equipment only to find out I need something extra to go with it. Do I need the VTI to transcribe as well as the unit, that octopus appearing cord pack with all those wires, don't even know if I could figure out what goes where. Anyone tell me exactly what I need to work. Thanks in advance.
To Dog's Day Puppy MT - please read my post below! Creepy flowers. -
Posted By: MTPet
I didn't want it to get buried in the old thread below, because I'm really worried about you. It must have just been me, but when I read that you found the flowers on your steps, and from your own garden, it just gave me the creeps. Don't know why, but it sure did. She (someone?) been's sneaking around your yard, and though it looks like a good intention, I still find it unnerving. PLEASE be careful! I'm not the paranoid type, but something just doesn't sit right with me about those flowers...
EMDAT down? -
Posted By: typingnot
Is EMDAT presently down? 12:30 CST. Can't log on and had new deal put on computer yesterday but have typed all day, but can't get on now. ?
Selling plasma sm -
Posted By: anonymouse
Has anyone tried this as a way of making extra money?
I really need to find an additional source of income and the local plasma center is paying out about $200 a month for plasma. Can't work a second job outside the home because of mom with Alzheimer and 2 teenage boys that would likely kill each other before I could get home. 
When quitting a company... -
Posted By: justwondering
do you usually have to send back their equipment at your cost? I was hired on as an employee, received the equipment at no charge, and now have quit (after giving the appropriate 2 weeks notice) and they are asking me to send back the equipment at my cost and my last paycheck will be held until it is received by them. Just wondering if this is normal. I have worked for other companies that provided shipping labels to send their equipment back, so I'm not sure which is the norm.
Macros - MSWord -
Posted By: Barb
When I do clinic notes I need to make a log, so have been copying the heading over to another document.
However, someone told me that in WP8 there is a macro that can do this automatically. If true, is there such a thing in Word?
If anyone keeps a separate log, can you tell me how you do it.
Thank you.
Any MT's out there thinking about -
Posted By: training as an ultrasound tech? -(S/M)
I've got to get out of MT one way or another. Only have 2 years of college, majoring in English. What qualifications skill-wise are needed to do medical ultrasounds? Would this suit an ex-MT well?
I'm 58, would have to keep working full-time and going to school just part-time, so it would take a while. If I started now, I'd probably be in my early 60's when I got certified as a tech. Can a more "mature" person do this job, or is it only for young people? Any ideas what this kind of an education might cost?
I'm also interested in court-reporting, but I'm concerned about working at it for years, and never achieving the speed required to become a CR. Also, most CR's are independent contractors, I'd rather be a salaried employee.
Any feedback? 
graveyard shift questions? HELP!! sm -
Posted By: txmwmt
for those of you who work the graveyard shift, when you initially started how did you get your sleep pattern to adjust? i did this for 2 nights and loved it!! i got sooo much work done without any interruptions and it was wonderful so i have decided that i would prefer to work at nighttime but i am having a hard time staying awake now through the night and by 1ish i am falling asleep. how did you get ahead on your sleep well enough to get you past the initial getting used to it? and do you keep that same schedule even on weekends or when you aren't working as far as sleep routine?
Dontcha just love the way the ads are related to the topic in the posts? -
Posted By: how do they do that?
Freaky. I have AOL with an animated character. When I am in an IM, the dog actually reacts with sad cry when I type the word "sad," and happy reaction with "lol." All the rest of the emotions coincide with my typewritten text. I find that to be rather unsettling. They basically are reading what we are typing out there, somewhere.
10 yrs MT experience, lost job, now what? -
Posted By: Dawn Ruschmeier
I've worked at home part-time for 10 years doing history and physicals for a doctor who only paid me $5/report, no matter the length of the report. I continued working for him because it was easy work and convenient. The doctor's company has now folded and I'm out of a job for the first time in 10 years!
I've only done history and physicals, so while I've been doing this a long time, I don't know if I'm considered having a variety of experience. I'd like to start off on my own, however, I have no idea where to start or what to charge. I live in Indiana. Any ideas or suggestions?
Need techie advice about Express Scribe and FTP -
Posted By: Eric
OK. So, I set up Express Scribe to automatically import new dictation files from an FTP server. Now it seems there are these strange ".sta" files popping up in my work folder. I assume these are safe to delete? Does this happen for anyone else, and if so, is there a way I can get Express Scribe to stop doing that? Thanks!
I have copied and pasted from IRS -
Posted By: More IC info
guidelines. If URL does not work, the link is also included so you can paste and copy in your browser.
If you hire an electrician, a painter, or a roofer (as examples of independent contractors), you do not tell them HOW to do their work or WHEN to do their work. Just try doing so and see how many contractors you can obtain.
Today, we have these large companies not only telling us how to do the work for which we have been trained, but when to do the work (specifically, what days of the week and what hours). Certainly, the quality of the end product must meet the client's approval or the contract can be cancelled. It cannot be cancelled on the grounds of not working specific days or hours each day to fulfill that contract. If you sign a contract specifying you will produce 1000 or 1200 or 1600 lines per day and you meet that production, a client (the MTSO) cannot fault you if you produce the agreed upon lines in 4 hours, 6 hours, 3 days, 2 days, etc. When requiring you to work a specified schedule of x number of hours producinig x number of lines, then it becomes employee-employer status, not one of client-independent contractor status.
Also note the evalutation system below. I would saying doing QA in evaluating a contractor's performance is an evaluation system. Would you? What about being put on probation or fined (as some companies are now doing)? Does that point to employee status? Can you put a roofing contractor on probabtion or issue a fine?
And...just read the section on training. An eyeopener for certain.
Below are the guidelines. I say we ICs start filling out the misclassified workers form. If we are treated as employees, then we need tax relief. If MTSOs provide employee status in some states and not others, AS WELL AS hiring ICs, then an IC cannot be required to adhere to the policies and procedures that their employees are required to adhere, and that includes WHEN the work will be performed and HOW it will be performed. The guidelines are clear.
I'm not afraid of broaching this subject for fear jobs will go to a third world country. They are going there at a rate faster than the speed of lightning anyway, and nothing we as ICs or employees can do will stop it. They are going there because it is a cheap, cheap way of doing business.
***************
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html
Independent Contractor
The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if (the person for whom the services are performed) has the right to control or direct only the result of the work, and not what will be done and how it will be done or method of accomplishing the result.
People such as lawyers, contractors, subcontractors, public stenographers, and auctioneers who follow an independent trade, business, or profession in which they offer their services to the public, are generally not employees. However, whether such people are employees or independent contractors depends on the facts in each case. The earnings of a person who is working as an independent contractor are subject to Self-Employment (SE) tax.
Evaluation System
If an evaluation system measures the details of how the work is performed, then these factors would point to an employee.
If the evaluation system measures just the end result, then this can point to either an independent contractor or an employee.
Training
If the business provides the worker with training on how to do the job, this indicates that the business wants the job done in a particular way. This is strong evidence that the worker is an employee. Periodic or on-going training about procedures and methods is even stronger evidence of an employer-employee relationship. However, independent contractors ordinarily use their own methods.
Misclassified Workers Can File Social Security Tax Form
Workers who believe they have been improperly classified as independent contractors by an employer can use Form 8919, Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages to figure and report the employee’s share of uncollected Social Security and Medicare taxes due on their compensation. See the full article Misclassified Workers to File New Social Security Tax Form for more information.
express scribe? -
Posted By: dg
Can anyone tell me if they think express scribe is the best to use? I know it's free and all, but I've had a few problems lately...is there anything else out there that's "better" or worth buying?
Anyone use -
Posted By: MT4eight
a Comfort Keyboard? I just called them and they recommended the Comfort Keyboard, but it's $279. Just wanted anyone's opinion on this. I wanted to make sure it's a good thing and they're not just trying to sell me their most expensive keyboard.
Average QA rate? -
Posted By: PMB
What's the average rate for a QA? After 5 years of being an MT, I've been offered a QA position and they are offering $1.85 per report. Obviously it depends on the length of the report, but she says it'll average about $0.03 per line. Is this about average for a QA? What about the per report thing? Is it normal to pay that way? I think I would rather get paid per line....
Thoughts?
Any tips for MTing on the road? -
Posted By: academia
I am packing up my laptop and heading out soon for week away. Plan to work part of the time from the hotel. Any tips from those who have done the mobile thing before? My biggest concern is that I won't be able to take my books and only I have a couple of electronic Stedman's.
two jobs in one company, is it legally possible? sm -
Posted By: Luke S.
is it possible to work in a company with two jobs at different shifts? like for example, I work as a Transcriptionist in the surgery dept and then there's an opening for a different position in a different department. can i apply for that job without jeopardizing the other? Can they accept me if I applied for that job? need advices. thanks a lot! 
About MQ-A great place to be -
Posted By: Transforlife
I worked for MQ for 7 years and then left to work for another MT Company, thinking I would be better off. To make a long story short, after 3 months I am back with MQ and very happy to be back where I belong. The grass always looks greener, as they say, and when I compare my experience of the last 3 months to my 7 years with MQ, there is no comparison. I have seen messages about no work in certain offices, especially Amherst, but our office seems to be doing well. They are also organized and very considerate to deal with. You can be sure that problems exists with any of these services. Some MTs are hired and then never hear another word from the company. A friend of mine was told she would have a job when the equipment was updated and that was 4 months ago. They are still giving her the run around. So, let's not assume that MQ is the only one with problems; in this business they exist all over. As for me, I am very happy with MQ and hope to be there at least 7 more years.
Computer hardware question..sm -
Posted By: Bitterrooter
I want to start working on my laptop and I currently work on ExText. The operating system requirements I was told I needed to work on my laptop is to have 800 Mhz processor. My laptop (brand new Dell with dual processors) says it has 667 Mhz. Does this mean I can't work on it? Or will it just be super slow?
Thanks
tip for banana bread lovers. sm -
Posted By: mt cook
I just disovered (thru a friend) that very ripe bananas can be frozen (in their skin) no freezer bag required to make banana bread on a future date. I tried this, and it does work! It is great!. I love making banana bread for my family, but find that many times, the bananas are ripening too quick for my busy schedule.
MedQuist is simply... -
Posted By: kyradmt
 The greatest medical transcription company on the planet.
newbie -
Posted By: knittngranny
Just wanted to know if there are any services that will hire anyone without experience. Just completed a course at the local community college and itching to get started.
Love the snow flakes falling on this page! -
Posted By: wvmtwvmt
x
Did you know there's a David Letterman Sign? LOL look it up!!! -
Posted By: Learn something new all the time.
Medware -
Posted By: Ready4change
Can anyone tell me how long it took to get hired with this company? I spoke with a recruiter last week, who acted like everything was all set and haven't heard from him since. I did send himi an e-mail, but got no reply. I didn't want to call and be a pester either, but I would like to know something. I was just curious if this length of time was normal or not....Thanks
Quicken or Microsoft Money -
Posted By: MslaMT
Which one do you like better?
Question on pain meds -
Posted By: LHMT
I have never heard of any of these and can't seem to find the correct spelling. NP states they are being prescribed for pain. Has anyone heard of any of these? Voltaren(?), ferrogen(?), Lembrol?
Thanks!
Question regarding small claims and ex-employer.TIA -
Posted By: MI-MT
Has anybody ever filed a small claims suit against an employer that was in a different state? I need to file small claims suit for wages that are owed, but I am in a different state as the company. Does anybody know how to go about this?
Head manager, middle manager, lower manager question -
Posted By: April
Ok, maybe someone is having this same issue as me. A couple of weeks ago I made mistake and the person on call for the weekend not there, tried to contact them. I He contacted me about this after my shift was over. Instead of stopping there, he in turn told the higher boss up on the chain and then I was contacted again by them. Does this happen in most cases- the 1 you talk with then goes higher and you get slapped on the wrists from both sides? Does 1 person calling it to your attention just not work?
Tips on job searching -
Posted By: Caitlin
I have been doing MT for a little over 6 years. I have experience in several different specialties. I currently work in an ENT office and am looking for part time work to do at home. My only problem is that I never went to school and am not certified which makes it difficult to find a job. I have only had on-the-job training but I feel that I am very good at what I do and have learned quickly in my experience as an MT. Does anyone have any tips on how or where to find a job?
Thanks
Been away for a bit.... -
Posted By: Silly Sally
What do I need, absolutely positively need to get brushed up on? Tell me where to go to get the info I will require. New rules, etc.
Was typing fine and now my words are coming out red w/line through them. How do you get rid of that? -
Posted By: Word 2000. thanks!
x
POLL: Productivity gain using your expander and what expander you use. -
Posted By: Only 42% w/ InstantText
Guess I need to make it work harder.
How do I get rid of these darn popup ads? nm -
Posted By: Amanda
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