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Do you think doctors are generally arrogant and make a lot of money and so inconsiderate of us?

Posted By: md-mt on 2006-01-16
In Reply to:

I had been listening to several breast onco dictations by the same female dictator who kept on yawning that it was so annoying...made me want to post a complaint to a forum of mother MDs (though I was not quite sure where I would post it) which I previously run into...

I then saw under the General Discussion board this thread:

http://www.mommd.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/1/t/000236/p/1

That made me feel like reaching out to the sleepy doctor who was probably not being paid for that time she takes to dictate about her patients (she apparently let them pile up before dictating) and just let her head rest on my lap (I am a female). Maybe she did not have enough sleep, or not even enough time to enjoy her family...


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No I don't think doctors are arrogant and inconsiderate as a whole.
Because they don't dictate the way we like isn't a personal thing against us. Some have skills with dictation that others don't. Like public speaking, some can, some can't. Doctors do have lives and problems and patients outside of trying to dictate patient records.
Not nearly as arrogant and inconsiderate and downright exploitative as most MT companies n/m
nm
Doctors are SO inconsiderate
Just need a moment to vent...why are doctors SO inconsiderate??? This one doctor, which I happen to have been working on ALL morning, is so inconsiderate. She mumbles, shuffles papers with the phone in her hand, and generally just cannot be still while she's dictating...and to top that off, she will not dictate in any reasonable order. She never indicates when she's changing from history to physical to assessment to plan....UUUHHH...I am literally !!!
Make money? I'm not making any money because of my decision. You read my reasoning
You can agree with me or not, but don't make false assumptions please.
You're working to make money, not to spend money.
These people should be ashamed of themselves taking advantage of people this way!
I also blew some money signing up with Quixtar... The only way to make any money is to bug everyone

you know into signing up.  I felt like a snake oil huckster.  I hated it.  I was flushing money down the toilet from the moment I handed over my money. 


RUN, do not walk away!  I do an entirely different side business now that I really love (in addition to my MTing, which I also love!)  Find something you're good at and that you truly love doing.  Then make a business out of it.  That's the best way to have a side business.  Selling discount toilet paper through Amway/Quixtar?  Not so much. 


Doctors nowadays are in it for the money and "superiority"...

It is my opinion that there are very few docs left that truly care about their patients.  In working with them and as a patient.  Having a sickly child, I have been through 6 peds in 11 years for one reason or other.  Only had one truly great ped, he saw sick children even on his day "off" and still saw them in the hospital and if he couldn't treat whatever, he wasn't afraid to send you to a specialist.  He saw patients until he died.  I believe he was in his 80s.


my opinion, when doctors controlled the money rathe than the insurance
companies (government) there much more money to go around, and in my experience the doctors shared it. their BUSINESS MANAGERS in their offices (women) were tighter than rubber bands, and unwilling to pay anyone what they were worth, but the actual doctors I have worked for, whether in the hospital setting or in private practice (doing transcription) were extremely generous...

I worked for one who was fighting quite actively in an organization to give doctors back control over their patients, but in the end, the insurance companies won and that who is controlling our profession and driving it.

they always claimed the doctors were getting too much money, but at least they shared it. now with the insurance companies controlling the money, who knows who gets it.

think about it...every hospital I know or have worked for, made major cuts in the last decade, many completing eliminating ancillary departments entirely, letting go full-time employees.

so, where did all that money go they saved? it certainly did not get passed-on to the patients, and even nurses are cut back.

seems to me the government (insurance companies) and administration is getting it.

before capitation came along, hospitals were in the business of healing the sick, and taking care of the POOR. now they are just businesses, like Walmart.

those of us in our 40s and 50s, it has been sad to see the decline in the way it used to be...I was always in awe when I would walk into the hospital to work in Med Records/Transcription. such a sense of amazement and 'security' within the walls...

the halls used to be bustling and FULL of doctors, students, nurses, office people....when I left a few years ago, the halls were silent and somehow kind of creepy. it saddened me a great deal.

rather than attend to patients in a selfless way, everyone is treated as an annoyance, if they need too much care, or if something goes wrong they are not DRG'd for! not even doctors can get your illness covered, it is all in the hands of the insurance companies/govt.

you might as well have dollar bills laying in the beds.
The changes are in the medical care area. Doctors want to make
They are cutting costs where ever they can. It makes sense to cut costs. But, human error can occur in a place where lawsuits are allowed. I think we will be a safety net for awhile, until a cap is placed on the amount of awards, anyway. I do EMR also. But, they still do dictation a little bit just so they remember who the patient is and can keep the referring physicians well informed.

I just got an account that I under bidded on. My competition one of the nationls (states with an S) but they wanted the work done close to home. Radiology.
As already said, expanders make multiple doctors easier. SM
Agree with everything said, including that you'll LOVE your Expander once you start using it. Treat yourself by starting with putting in all the stuff that especially aggravates you to type. That'll be the very last time you every do so. Like hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg p.o. b.i.d. My Keystrokes for that specific one are hyc25mpb and include a wrap code so the "25" always stays with the "mg" without my ever bothering over it again.

But the reason I chimed in was to point out that people who concentrate on building personal expander dictionaries can take their expansions to almost all employers (and woe the employer who can't accommodate the standard expanders) and apply them to thousands of dictators. They are not at the mercy of one particular employer and the availability of one particular pool of dictators, which is not a good position to be in in this very changeable world.
I was just thinking if I could be a mind reader, I could make a fortune. Doctors driving me crazy

How really do you make money?

I know I'm new but at least I have a job Right???


Anyway editing VR at 3 cents a line and not being quick is frustrating... I have been working for a week and I think I made maybe if I'm lucky 200.00, now I left a job making 500.00 a week after taxes... Boy I am stupid... So much for this great career working at home blah blah... I guess I'm totally frustrated considering no one will hire you new and when you get a job they say here is some chicken feed... I can't live off of this, does anyone have any suggestions... I will there is something to be said for getting paid by the hour


I don't make any money and I am

I am paid an hourly rate based on the number of lines I edit.  I'm trying to go back to being an MT.  I took a job for this company that pays $12/hr.  I am supposed to average 300 lines per hour.  I can only get a raise if my average is more than this for 6 months.


I don't know about anybody else, but I don't see that I will ever be able to edit more than 300 lines an hour because it takes time to provide feedback.


 


You cannot do it well and make money sm
by constantly stopping to work to attend to children, errands, family business.  If you want to make money, you have to treat it like what it is, a real job. 
i make my money on them.
they are easy and i rarely have to look up words.
you won't make any money

if you cann't understand what they are saying.  You will sit twiddling your thumbs, going ARHGGH!  7 cpl is not good either, but at least you could be making something compared to nothing with ESL.  Making < $5 an hour typing ESL  versus maybe $10 an hour at 7 cpl... Hard choice..


When did you make the most money?

Was your line rate higher when you started, halfway through, or now?


One year and you make decent money? What is decent money to you?
k
Needing to make some money.....
I just started a new job and really like it when I have work but the problem is that I do 2 or 3 reports and then it's gone for 20 or 30 minutes.  I can't make any money doing a report here and there....I've asked for a backup account but they are saying everything is low right now.  What do I do?  I don't want to switch companies again when I just started this one, but my bills aren't waiting simply because I don't have any work.  I didn't get to work Friday or Monday at all.  Yesterday, I finally did my minimum (I want to do a lot more than that) but it took me until 11:00 last night to do it because I had to work here and there all day long..........Just wondering if this is the case for a lot of people.  Guess I just needed to vent. 
How to make money MTing

I'm an occasional lurker and infrequent poster. I see so many posts regarding inability to make money that I thought I would post some ideas in the hope it might help someone. However, I don't expect my post to ever see the light of day as every time I do post, my post disappears faster than a snowball in the desert.


I believe anyone can still make money doing MT provided:


1. You take the time to thoroughly learn your terminology, not just words, but a thorough understanding. You will never make money if your fingers are flipping through books instead of being on the keyboard. Learning takes time and effort. IMHO learning can't be done with small children underfoot any more than you would take your children to a classroom and expect to learn. Once you are a seasoned MT and know your job the way you know the back of your hand, then, yes, you can work with the children (or a tornado) around you.


If you aren't willing to commit to #1 then there is no use reading on.


2. You MUST work for a company that isn't constantly running out of work. No work, no money, doesn't matter how much knowledge you have or how fast you type. If your company consistently runs out of work, do yourself a favor and move on. I would suggest keeping the old job until you try out the new company lest you find you have jumped from the frying pan into the fire.


3. Nevermind "how I've always done it." Right or wrong, your obligation is to the place that signs your paycheck. If you "can't remember" changes, make a macro that will remind you. Same with verbatim. Forget what you "have always done" and condition yourself, right or wrong, to type exactly what is dictated, no more, no less.


Now to increase your pay:


1. Really work at increasing your typing speed. There is something to be said for learning to type on an old standard Underwood typewriter and doing the exercises "the quick brown fox jumped over the hollow log" and "now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." It really works.


2. Use your word expander to the max. I first use all the accepted medical abbreviations. I then go to what I can easily remember as my abbreviations. For instance I use ASHD2 to spell out when dicitated. I use the first 2 letters of each word in a 2 word phrase i.e. stco (stable condition). Pay attention to anything a given physician dictates consistently and put it in your word expander. Most people can edit faster than they type.


3. Learn to proof as you go. It can be done. My kids used to laugh at me because they said my mouth was constantly moving when I was typing. Still does. That's because I'm also reading as I'm typing. Train yourself to do this and you won't have to waste time going back and proofing.


4. Learn to be an accurate typist. You will be surprised how much time you spend backing up to correct typing errors. That is what spellcheck is for but that also wastes time. Don't waste time backing up to correct typos, wait for spellcheck and remember that the seconds you spend correcting typos, even with spellcheck, makes a big difference at the end of the day.


5. Take your job seriously. If your fingers aren't on the keyboard, you aren't making money. My routine is that I work as hard as I can until I reach 1/2 of my daily goal, which is twice the minimum that is required. Once I have reached that point I allow myself to do other things. Like I will type 2 or 3 reports, do a load of laundry or whatever. I also DO NOT answer the phone until I have reached the 1/2 mark. That includes visiting this or any other board. I've already reached my 1/2 point today and I'm feeling a little bored, it being Friday and all. Even then, I am mindful that time is money and I limit the time I spend on doing other things.


6. Get over the excuse that you are constantly changing accounts. You're paid to do whatever comes across your screen. Teach yourself to "file" account specifics in your brain so they automatically come up with the account...it can be done. Don't be afraid of new accounts or new dictators. Remember it's all the same WORDS just spoken by different voices.


It doesn't matter how much I make because that doesn't help any of you. Let's just say it's up there with the highest producers who post here and I am also an "old dog". I've been MTing probably about as long as most of you have been on this earth and believe it or not, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. :)


Hope this little bit of info will help someone and I hope it stays up long enough to do so.


Can one make money at etransplus?

Hi,


I am pleased with the benefit package and the line rate for insurance, but I was astounded by style they prefer.  It is just so much.  Can one make money there? 


and, i didn't make THAT much money nm
nm
Most of the men I know in this field make more money than
I think they do less bonding with coworkers and seem to focus better.
I do PT and make tons of money...sm
very easy work. Few ESL in that field and they are very agreeable to working with you. Lots of word Expander phrases, hardly any drugs, no labs. Love it. Make more money in PT with less cpl than any of my other accounts just because I can crank it out.
You make more money doing MT than in journalism?
I have been an MTSO/had my own accounts and made LOTS of money in MT.  BUT, my friend who has a degree in journalism is doing so much better than I am.  She has a home in Marietta, Georgia that I only WISH were mine.  And then she has a second home and the SECOND home was $300,000.  That home is just for them to stay in when they go to another state and visit relatives.  It is nowhwere near as nice as their home in Atlanta.
Does anybody make money VR editing?
I am considering taking a position doing this and I wonder if you can make a living at it. A poster below said that if you are a fast typist you will lose money, but if you are a 150-200 lph typist can you break even? I would like to hear from anyone who actually does VR editing either full-time or part-time. What's the scoop?
And what do you consider "a ton of money" ? What do you make weekly? nm
x
That's definitely good money. I wish I could make that much.
I'm making about $1,400 a MONTH working 25-30 hours per week. ESLs, run out of work often, lousy platform. What's the point any more? I definitely need to pick up some local accounts and never work for another national.
Oh man....that is NOT good...how do you make any money?

What else could you do and make this kind of money? sm
If you still make great money in it, at least 50K per year, as I do, then it is still hot.  if not, it is not hot.
keep daycare. you can't do everything and make money.
i know...tried it.
Four. And they make very good money.
But I get your point. But you asked!
No, if you cannot produce enough to make the money you need,
It's not the industry's fault some do not have the aptitude to make what they want.


I am, but not because of pay. I make decent money, more than I would

make in most fields today that don't require a degree or experience.   I'm just burned out with the monotony of it.  Type, type, type and then type some more because the account is behind and others aren't pulling their weight, so type, type, type, go to bed without spending time with family, exhausted, kitchen not cleaned up, and get up the next day and do the same thing all over again.  You have no control over your paycheck because you are paid by production.  If you have one of those days where you get the worst dictators or the sound quality is really bad you don't make your lines.  If you don't feel well you don't make your lines.   


I've done this nearly 20 years, about 19 more than I ever thought I would, but I'm tired, I don't enjoy my job, and I want to do something different.  My problem is that I need to be home 5 more years and I don't know what I can do and make the money I need to make. 


 


Do Radiology MTs make more money?

New to profession, and wondering if radiology MTs make most of the money ?  I heard that they usually do because it is so repetitive.


It is NOT an easy way to make money
and most companies advertising at-home training and promising the moon are out for your money. Medical transcription is a CAREER and not a JOB. Stick with engineering and do some crafting on the side to make "extra money."
Oh, but I make really good money
so I did not understand where this was coming from. You see, I have no children at home, only 2 of us, no bills, I only work part because that is all I want but still bring home about $1500.00 every 2 weeks, so no need to feel sorry. I said I type fast.
The only way to make money now is typing SM
in shorthand, using ShortHand or some other word expander. I don't type anything out unless I have to. Not only long words, but words like "what", "been", "the", (of course). There are websites you can visit or books you can buy on the topic. The above way to make "expansions" are quite cumbersome and not effective.
Some of us are IT people who make more money
doing MT. I've found that I know more about computers than the so-called IT people working for MT services. However, I would never recommend PC Doctor. AVG Free is the best free antivirus software out there. And you're not an id-iot. It's also tough to know which programs will cause a software conflict until you actually try them. Hope things go better for you.
I agree with you, and this is why we don't make more money too sm
Seems like, if you don't have a magic wand dangling between your legs, you don't count for much. This is still the 21st Century...kinda sad isn't it?
I make decent money at my
I just feel like a cog in a machine,  unappreciated, unnoticed. I work for a hospital. I have also felt this way working for large services. I would like to feel that my time and services are valuable and appreciated, but I just don't seem to feel that way.
Do CMTs make more money?

I have perceived this as a scam by the AAMT.  Am I wrong?


I don't think so. AAMT will use that to make more money...sm
Maybe AAMT will make the unions pay dues to them..wouldn't that be something.

No, really, if everyone needs certification, than the union will be working with AAMT and that is not good for all MTs.

Although I am not against all unions, I am not for a MT union. They do exist. If you want to join one, look them up. Some are probably taking new members. Get out your wallets.....
I used to make really good money.
Anywhere from $28-50 per hour. Same few dictators, lots of templates and Expander usage, pay averaged out to be $.12 per line. I only wanted to work part-time, but the company would have worked me full-time. One particular doctor was so easy, I could do 400+ lph for him. He only had maybe an hour of work per day. Voice recognition has my job now. I've been unemployed for the past six months. But 537 lph consistently? I don't know about that. It would have to be the same pool of dictators and the MT's expander stats would have to be HIGH!
I would please like to know how you make good money at it.

Would you care to share your cents-per-line and lines-per-hour with us?  Roughly?


It would help alleviate the anxiety about it for some of us if we can hear from the horse's mouth (no insult intended) how this can be a good living for us.  Especially when there are so many things to slow us down like ESLs and poor dictators and bad sound. 


Thank you.


just another way for the company to make money..nm
x
You CAN make great money
... if you are good and have a decent line rate. I made just under $70k last year working at home in my 2nd full year as a transcriptionist.
I need suggestions to make money - Please!

I've had it as of today. Because of low work, I have half my lines necessary for this week. I'm tired of working 7 days a week just to get my lines. I need to get out. I need to earm at least $2500 net a month to keep my head above water, and I'm certainly not making that lately.


I've been working from home in different jobs before MT'g, and don't want to go back into the cruel world with backstabbing employees again (been there, done that).  All I know is working at a computer since ྔ, at home, outside the home. Love the computer. I'm no youngster, either, so that cuts my chances at most jobs even if I would apply at outside jobs.


I'm not very artistic, so can't do into crafts. I can't sell either; been there, done that. The worse thing is I'm not very people-oriented lately. I'm almost agoraphobic since I had taken care of my mom.


I've worked in accounting, medical billing, inventory control, all outside the home while working part-time at home with a secretarial service typing manuscripts, and various other clientele, which I gave up because almost everyone has their own computer now and can do that work at their own place.


I've been throwing ideas around in my head for months now and the cons always seem to outweigh the pros.


Any suggestions?  Please don't flame, I'm serious. 


That was so well said. That is what it takes to make money, and that you will do well if you follow
those rules. Great post.
There is no piracy going on...they just realized that they can make MORE money.
I threatened them with lawsuit and am still gathering names of people who have been done over by them. I have about 4 so far.
Me, too. Can't make money if you can't put lines on the page. nm
n