Excellent post and info...a must read.nm
Posted By: gto on 2005-11-25
In Reply to: To Proud Member of AAMT: I think it's just as - depressing for newbies to see the changes in MT
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Haven't had it, never heard of it, but after I read your post I googled it, and lots of info avai
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Excellent info
Thank you for responding. Your specific information is very helpful.
Excellent info also!
Thank you. This information is very helpful. Thank you for sharing. It is excellent to get feedback and prior experiences. I do believe I will have a keeper! You make excellent points.
EXCELLENT.. EVERYONE SHOULD READ!
I am very humbled by your post. It was a great, amazing, optimistic and hopeful one and at my age, that is exactly what I needed to hear!
And how right you are!!!
Excellent post! I copied this post and...
am going to show it to my shrink so he can understand my frustration with my new "profession!" By the way, how much you wanna bet he pulls in 300$ an hour and has two years of schooling on me! Hmmmmmmm. Okay, you flamers, don't tell me to go back to school...I am thinking about it. Hmmmm
Yes, I read your post, and I just re-read it, and I've copied and pasted for you in case
you've forgotten your own words! Your post above is 100% different "flavor" to it, now all positive and cheery! Your first post was 100% doom and gloom every which way, including "raining on your parade", and "if you want to go forward"...God, sounds like she's talking about jumping into oncoming traffic! Here is your quote:
My first boss (the one who hired me as a new grad) gave me some words of wisdom that I haven't forgotten. She said that transcribing at home with small children NEVER works under any circumstance. Either the work will suffer or the parenting will suffer.
****
How can the word "NEVER" in caps be interpreted in any positive way? You took about 8 paragraphs to cover every aspect and completely dash this poor woman's dream. I'm not blind, I'm not talking about day care at all, I'm talking about the total negativity of your original post! You know exactly what I'm talking about, cause you added some sugar to your second version! And that's much nicer than the first!
Thanks for the excellent post!
d
EXCELLENT POST QA
Thanks so much for posting. Believe it or not, your post made me feel good. I am new, and am lucky enough to have mostly good dictators and only a few really bad ones. (But the account with the SKIPPING-TAPE-THING GOING ON IS DRIVING ME NUTS!!) Anyway, I know QA can understand about the skipping tape thing. I proofread every single report (so you know I am not making much money), but I rarely hear from QA, so I must be doing something right. It is just nice to finally hear from someone from QA on this board and to know they appreciate a job well done. I have e-mailed QA back, thanking them for the help, but lately have not, thinking that I might be annoying them - taking time away from their work, but now I know that e-mail might be appreciated instead. Now...we will probably get some slams from people having a bad day, but I thank you for writing. You should post more often, and we all would LOVE to hear some of the funnier "bloopers"
Excellent post! Well said!
My kids belonged to a bowling league..my oldest boys being in public school. The youth director confided in me that their 'homeschool league' kids were SO much more respectful and better behaved and an absolute pleasure to work with than the 'regular leagues.'
You are correct. Homeschool does not mean isolation whatsoever, unless, of course, you are way out in the sticks without a car, etc!
I homeschooled my daugter for 5 of her school years. If there was a sociability contest, she would WIN hands down! Everyone says so!! Her very best feature!
Excellent post!
I totally agree with you. This is the most intelligent post I have see in a long time. I have always felt that it was the large services and MTSOs who stir the pot to keep MTs at each other's throats. It's a lot easier to manipulate us one on one. If we were united and had someone to "get our backs" they wouldn't be able to get away with the cheap slave labor they are trying to pass off these days. I would really, really like to see some real union amongst MTs. The only way we can fight what is happening to our industry is to fight it together as a group! AAMT has been a HUGE disappointment to us. We need something better. I think one of the main reasons we see so much bickering and back stabbing on here is that there is no job satisfaction anymore. There is nothing to feel proud of. We get beat down on all sides. It would be great to be able to look forward to going to work every day again. I know we need a union, but have no idea how to go about starting one. Where is Norma Rae when you need her?
EXCELLENT post! Here's something else....(sm)
A very similar job to MT, with only a slightly different twist to it, is COURT-REPORTING. Back in 1975, I (stupidly!) decided at the same time my friend was going to school for court-reporting, to instead to go school for medical transcription. At the time, both paid about the same, court-reporting being slightly higher. But that made sense, as she had to stay in school longer.
So here we are, 30 years later, and MT has become a crummy sweatshop job with what adds up to less than minimum wage in many instances. I live hand-to-mouth, and will never be able to own a home, or most likely even to retire. My friend, on the other hand, is paid a top salary, owns a home on the California coast, works when & if she wants to, and has tons of work. You never hear about court reporting going offshore, because it's a legal docoment that is being typed, and I guess a recording of the court proceedings won't cut it - it has to be transcribed live for it to be considered evidence. Same with taking depositions.
MTs are every bit as literate, highly trained and professional as court reporters, and we, too type medicolegal documents. At any time, any report we type could end up as evidence if that particular patient or doctor were to end up in court.
So it sure seems to me that if transcribed medical reports are going to be used within the American judicial system for any reason, then they should certainly be considered important enough to be typed by American CITIZENS who live within our own borders. NOT by people with green cards, NOT by illega aliens, and most certainly NOT by non-residents.
If our profession is compared side-by-side with court-reporting, it may be a bit like comparing apples & oranges in some respects, but in other respects they are still very similar, and are both FRUITS of the American labor force. Yet one is a high-paying, respectable career and the other is considered by many to not even be a "real job!
That has come about because of corporate greed, and by people in other countries looking to make quick, easy money.
Of course, the reason this has happened to MT and not court-reporting is mainly due to one thing: Our ability to work on PCs at home. If court reporters could sit at home and listen to court proceedings on a recording or over a live connection, they would have found themselves facing the same loss of respect and income that we have had to deal with.
excellent post. nm
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That is an excellent post.
s
Excellent post!
Good insight into the complexity of trade, competition, and lower salary workers.
What an excellent post!
Thank you, thank you! I am a bit depressed reading the post above yours. This is exactly the kind of attitude that enables these companies to lower their rates.
I think you spoke for a lot of us.
Excellent post.
Excellent post.
nm
A most excellent post
I think sometimes, in our zeal to get hired, we throw everything into the pot. We declare that we possess every skill that might help us to make the cut over other applicants. We're a nurse, we transcribe, we can make coffee, can get grease spots out of a Brooks Brothers suit, drop his kids at day care on the way to work - no! it's no trouble at all, really! - whatever. In this case, having your office nurse also be your Transcriptionist probably seemed an attractive prospect, until the doctor's wife figured they were paying twice for what she thought they should be paying for only once. Now these very skills have been turned against the worker. So your points 1, 2 and 3 are particularly valid.
I have seen ads for MTs in local papers and the description of duties sometimes says, 'medical transcription, reception duties, appointments, filing, other duties as needed.' Then I know I don't even want to apply for the position, as I have no idea how I could be MT as well as receptionist. How frustrating it would be to have my concentration constantly interrupted! This practice wants a secretary/receptionist they can make transcribe as well. Lots of luck getting someone who can do both well.
Any professional should balk at being told that a salary covers 'anything the boss expects' them to do. Especially if this throws out an established arrangement and doubles someone's work load. While we all like to be team players, if only the owner gets a tropy this diminishes our team spirit considerably.
I'm of two minds on this. I would either agree and simply not bust my butt getting the transcription done until it was piled so high SOMETHING had to change. Certainly there is a limit to how backed up this practice will allow its reports to become? Meanwhile I'd be looking for new employment. Of course, as the reports piled up, you have to know the office manager would be timing your trips to the bathroom with a stop watch and accusing you of wasting time on her dime (as seems to be her nature) but I'm sure you could perform all your usual nursing duties with just a bit less alacrity in order not to appear idle. Or I would simply call their bluff and refuse to go along (which might be shooting myself in the foot unless I had another job to go to. )
Excellent post and viewpoint
nm
What an excellent post you wrote! (sm)
Everything is a hit-the-nail-on-the-head ACCURATE description of the mess the MT industry has become today. If the doctors & hospitals truly don't care about such gross mistakes in their dictated LEGAL documents, I wonder why they even bother at all.
I also wonder how long MTSO's really think they are going to get the most experienced MTs out there by continuing to chip away at their pay and benefits. I'm expected to turn out perfect medical reports, which means, even with 30+ years of experience, that when doing difficult accounts, I can't blast away at Mach II on my reports - I have to spend a little more time looking up state-of-the-art treatments, drugs, etc., and then extra time proofreading each report afterward (which is difficult when you're proofing your own work). And yet in order to earn what would normally constitute 8 hrs. worth of pay, I often end up working 12-hour days. And yet my rent (which is way below-market, I might add) still consumes more than half of my income each month. (I went to school for WHAT??)
WOW!! Excellent eloquent post!
You covered everything and did it so well that there's not much to add.
I will say, though, that I have been in a profession in which I was in a union. I have plenty of gripes about the union, but it'd be nice to have that protection here. It'll never happen, though, because of the other shortcoming that plagues this industry: Offshoring. It used to be that, if you worked hard and were good at your job, you had some leeway because you just *knew* that your company wouldn't let you go because they valued you so much. Not so these days, at least not the company I work for, and not from many others if what I read on these boards is true. Most of the companies have a virtually endless supply of maleable workers who will work for little to nothing. I get the very distinct feeling that if I said I was quitting tomorrow, they'd almost be happy for it. After all, they can now just backfill my position with one of those nameless, faceless people in India, the Philippines, Viet Nam, or any of the various other 'offshore' places.
A friend who works for SPi and is very good at what she does, when she told her supervisor that she had gotten another job offer, was actually told by that supervisor her advice was to take it! Back in 'the day' and not too very long ago, the response would've been 'how can we keep you?' Every single QA or Editor that I know is actively searching for a new job, some in this same declining industry, others in completely other fields.
After working so hard for so many years, I now feel just extremely tired - body and soul, completely demoralized, struggling to have any pride in my work any more. It's bad now and getting worse. I only hope the above poster is correct and things will make a turn-around, but frankly, I'm having a really hard time seeing it or even mustering the optimism to envision it. :'(
Excellent informative post!
You have given us all something to think about because you are right. We are not the only field this is happening to.
Lydia - I think your post was excellent however
I would like to bring up the new technology of VR where the use of word Expanders no longer has the impact that they have with straight typing.
I am doing editing and when I talk to others they were doing 300-400 lines with straight typing and word expanders. Now they are editing that same work and perhaps doing an average of 400 lph and yet making half as much money. It is an entirely different skill set learning to navigate quickly and get the work edited for speed, something which I am struggling with. I would love it if editors would share their speed tips but usually all the posts I get go something like this: I do 500 lines and hour and make more money editing OR I had to take a pay cut editing but no specifics as to why or how to build speed. So that is not really helpful as to why there is more or less $ with editing. I use my keyboar and not my mouse. I am working as hard as I can but I only can do maybe 100 more lines tops with editing than I can with straight typing but my pay has dropped by 50%. I don't see editing going away so to that end it seems as if the pay is dropping in transcription. Does anyone else see where I am coming from????
Thank you for an excellent post. I wish we had our own board. nm
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Here's an excellent link to a post for suggestions
Here's a link to an excellent post at Productivity Talk by Tonks. I'm trying this out right now. If it works, I'm going to send her a big thank you.
http://www.productivitytalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3683
Excellent post. I totally agree.
nm
Excellent post! There are still people with passion out there - that is great to know...
Sometimes everyone sounds so harsh and cold about all of this.
Best wishes to you, and good for you for finding another way of making a living.
Hopefully, those of us over 45 will have luck finding jobs...
I should research what happened years ago when the steel mills shut down, or when automation took over. People must have had some kind of help when they got their pink splips...
Post not EXCELLENT, but completely out of touch with reality
like you think the MT's control the pay in the MT world? Either you need the job and you take it for the pay or you have another option. MT's without another option will take the job at 6 cpl, or 4 cpl or whatever. When working at McDonald's becomes an option that is equivalent to MT work, then MT's will choose McDonald's.
The Transcriptionist is just ONE cog in the wheel of the whole industry. If people continue to look at only the MT's part, they miss the big picture. If all it took were people saying Let's all stand up together and demand better wages, then why couldn't the cashiers at the grocery stores across the US do the same thing? They can't. Because it they don't cashier for $8 an hour, there's somebody else who will. Same thing has happened with transcription. If you don't take the job at 6 cpl, somebody else will. It might be somebody from India (which you so quickly discounted) but I'll let you in on a little secret. The people from India who are doing MT typically have 2 master's degrees. They are hungry for work. They are intelligent, competent individuals, willing to work hard. They might have a little bit of a quality issue right now because of the language barrier, but it won't be long before you have lots and lots of Indian MT's with 2 years experience, who have learned from their mistakes, who have learned American idioms... and then you are really going to see the bottom drop of out the market.
Thanks for this info! I'm going to read up on it and watch the job boards! nm
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I have questions, please read ok? You have info I dreadfully
Thanks a lot for responding.
What is "gross line count"?
What do you mean by "your own version of Word" Where do I get that? Does it come on my computer? I can't believe I'm so uneducated, but I have always typed on another company's program and never had to go from scratch, so to speak, before, LOL.
Does someone go out and "buy" Word and have it loaded? Is that what you did? I have a HP Windows 98 and that's about all I know. Please tell me where I would look to see if I have WINDOWS on here.
Again, thanks. They want to pay 13/cents a line. Does that sound decent if they are providing the paper and the tapes? I'm thinking I will probably just take them the floppy also, that way they have a backup incase they lose something and also a copy for reference.
Yes, companies do read here. It's a wealth of info
Especially when some use the same name at all message boards or even in their email address. Certainly helps to weed out the resumes.
Posting info from other websites: EVERYONE READ
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Goldbird
Adding some info to this post...
Here is an interesting bit: http://law-wire.blogspot.com/2008/02/india-to-adopt-data-privacy-rules.html
Also, you may want to look into the Information Technology Act (India).
Where do I post if I am not a new MT but can't get a job and need info on getting local accounts?
I have applied to so many companies that I have lost track of who I have applied to! I have been out of MT for only a year but it seems like I am starting all over again with understanding even the American dictators. So I am thinking of going back to doing local doctors using tapes. I totally lucked out on the first account(s) I had and I don't know how to get local accounts. Any suggestions?
any bit of info is good to know; ignore the post below
nm
Did you read my post?
First of all there was tear gas canisters thrown by the guardsmen into the crowds and they were thrown back at the guardsmen. That is documented in articles, (look on line) and by first hand eye witnesses that were there.
Anyway, my post was not about what exactly went on at Kent State. I was using that as an example of how your child could go to college and find themselves in a position of danger. Serial killers, rapists, what have you. It was in response to a post about how Natalee went to Aruba and found trouble but that probably wouldnt be likely at a college. OKAY????? I never said people didnt have the right to protest or that war was good OR that the gov was responsible or not.
I am all for protesting and exercising our rights as private citizens of this free country. But somewhere along the way from my original post, someone got off on a completely different subject. this was about natalee.
Did you even READ my post?
It's been a great, lucrative career for me. I've loved it from the start and still do. I've mentored and encouraged many along the way. I'm a QA specialist, college instructor and a consultant. I'll exceed 50K this year and have a very flexible schedule. No weekends, no evenings, and take off when I want. Additionally, I've been at home with my kids all this time. I've worked my way to the top and I'm good at what I do. No gloom and doom here. The point I made (that you somehow missed) was that times have changed. It's much more difficult than it used to be and sometimes it's nearly impossible to get a break. I'll repeat myself--I work for a private college. We trained many great MTs. We were FORCED to drop our program because of job market for new graduates is so poor. It's not too difficult to place a graduate in an in-house position (I teach in a large metropolitan area), but few women enter this profession with working in-house as their goal. Tuition at a private college (students could earn a certificate or an associate's degree) is very, very expenstive. No, you don't HAVE to spend thousands and thousands, but many students do. Then when they graduate, many are faced with harsh reality. I'm not SPECULATING on this; I've seen it happen time and time again.
The daycare issue is a personal choice and has been argued into the ground. We all know it's difficult for an MT to be productive and accurate with a 2-year-old whining in our ear. Some of us make it work; others can't. Making an informed decision requires hearing stories from ALL sides.
Oh my!! I think we should all NOT read the new post at the top! Looks like another
flamer to me! Now its gonna spin into birth control issues and world over population! I'm not mad at anyone! I am happy! Please be happy, too!! I will try warm milk, but just in about 6 hours when I'm hitting the hay!
Are you the OP? Yes, I read your post.
I didn't even say anything about "correcting their wrong crap." (Nice structure, by the way.)
The question was "Why go to MT School." I answered it.
1. It gives you more flexibility/choices in employment.
2. You learn relevant aspects of medical terminology. I didn't learn "perineal" vs. "peroneal" in K-12, nor did I learn that 125 mg of Synthroid is an incorrect dose.
3. You get experience in hearing what was said and transcribing it accurately. Many MTs lacking an adequate MT education have difficulty separating "what they hear" from "what they said."
I read your post below, thank you and....
As for above I should say people do need "protein" in their diet, NOT meat, especially not like this. I've also been trying to slowly get it out of my diet the past few years and after seeing the images, knowing and hearing those sounds I don't think I could physically eat it. Its unbelievable to me. We need people like you out there spreading the word, these animals have no voice so they need us. Do you know if putting pressure on them by PETA has brought about any changes??
Do you have ADD? Did you read my post? sm
I have work now that pays me well and it's more than 10 cents a line (which is considered an "excellent line rate.") I do not need to "start my own company."
However, if some companies can charge 18 to 20 cpl (which I have read on this board), why can't they pay quality MTs more than they pay newbies?
This is a MUST READ post, the 20 yr exp...etc. nm
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Of course I read your post.
I can comprehend that you are a WEE bit prone to exaggeration and apparently it is making your life miserable. If you look through this website you will quickly see that many posts do not concern MQ.
My take on this is that right now there are many more MQ posts because of the looming change in our jobs/status/benefits and it's got many of us worried.
If you want an edited MT forum to your liking I suggest you open your own site. Otherwise live and let live, please.
when I read your post...
I get angry that as transcriptionists we have somehow found ourselves in a no-win situation. There should be no reason you are having to work yourself to death to learn a new job. Only in our profession does one NOT get paid to learn. Any other job you go to, you are paid while training for the job...no matter how much you know the work, places are different and everyone has to learn the routine. And in transcription, this can be VERY, VERY hard to learn a new company and all their account specifics, rules and guidelines and systems! I feel for you. I understand your feelings about your son. I raised my son alone on my sole salary and worked from sun up to sundown ... but I did stop long enough in between to take care of him. I went to ballgames, I went to school functions, I helped with homework and projects, etc. and when he went to bed at night, I started working again.... well into the night. It was not easy, but I got to be with my son and participate in his school and curricular activities while he was growing up. I would not take ANYTHING for that time and wish I had more of it now. I did what I had to do. Thank goodness in your situation, you have a husband who can share some of this responsibility with you. It's a matter of prioritizing... and it's not easy. It means giving up certain things. I sacrificed a lot over the years .. I don't drive fancy cars, I don't live in a fancy house and I have a very functional wardrobe. I don't compare myself to others. I find that I am much happier than others I work around now who have all those things. My son is much more well adjusted than many of their children also.I am very blessed. We have our children for such a short time, it's not until we get older that we realize exactly how precious every single minute of it was! I wish for you the best and hope you can make the right decision for you and your family. May God Bless you.
I did read the post
I think she means the virtual money that the MTSO would be pocketing if they had no QA. The money they would not need to be paying to QA if all of their MTs were "up to par" and did their jobs, or the "reality" of a company needing fewer QA personnel when they have more MTs that need less/no QA.
Do you really think that MTs who send work to QA to save themselves time rather than looking it up and finding it on their own deserve to be paid the same as the MTs who take pride in their work and ensure quality work is sent in by them rather than having someone else complete the job?
Wow! I have read every post, actually, all day. While
I did truly feel sorry for you, by night's end I am honestly thinking that you are needing to step back and calm down. This morning you were more "owning" your part in it - that you were late several times, had warnings, etc - by now you are going on and on about contacting the doctor, about some other lady who did so, yadda, yadda. I feel your pain - been there done that - most of us old MTs have, but you need to calm down, still own your part, and be rational. If you want to freak and contact the doctor, then just do it, but I believe every single one of us who posted have advised against it, and given you valid reasons to support our opinions. You ASKED for opinions - that's why you are posting, so though you don't like what I have to say, it is my right as well. Again, your tone has done a huge turn around from your original post, and I can now honestly say I empathize with the MTSO who does not want to keep communicating with you, whether via email or IM. It happens - we get fired. Why not look at it that she gave you another week to earn some $$ - I don't know. Again, you admitted your part in this earlier, and you have been advised many times how unprofessional it is for you to contact HER clients. You did NOT work for the doctor(s) - you worked for the MTSO, like it or not. And never believe what some other fired MT tells you she/he did - I don't know 1 single doctor who would give a hoot about a fired MT, nor who would want to get involved with a 10 foot pole. That's why the doctors use MTSOs - they don't want the bother. So while you may think you are going to get sympathy, and/or revenge, it will most likely backfire on you. Good night! Its late, and I am out of here!
You should read your own post over again...
You were the one who attacked me and yes, I got on here for support and advice so I came looking for it. I am not saying that I am going to contact the doctor, only that I feel that angry to do it. I have had my own accounts before, typing directly for doctors, I know what that is like. I have also helped other MT's to try to learn the business and for you to get on here and post that I am obsessed and that you are passing judgment without even konwing a person, wow, you have some problems. This forum is for support and yes, opinions too. Why don't you quit worrying about how many times I am posting? I can post as many times as I would like, on any board that will allow posting. By the way, doctors don't just use MTSO's, there are also doctors who use MT's and have contracts with them. Not all of them hire big companies, I think there are still a few MT's around who have their own accounts. I know I did. I wanted the opportunity to not have to drive around and print and have my work more readily available, so I decided to work for an MTSO. Excuse me for not getting my work in on time a few times, due to a storm or two knocking out my power, a sick child to take to the doctor, a death in the family. Whatever the case may be, let me bow down to the MTSO and beg for forgiveness, is that what you want? I have stated my situation here and you have turned it into your own power trip. What a shame. Who asked for the MTSO to KEEP communicating anyway? They never communicated to begin with!! Would you feel upset if your paycheck were taken away? I guess not. Maybe you have a lot of friends you can call or family you can talk to and get support from. Excuse me for looking for some fellow MT's for venting. Sorry to have upset you!! Are you an MT? I highly doubt it.
Please read ALL of my post
I stated that I intend to work as an MT in the evenings and do real estate during the day.
read my above post....you are right...sm
You nailed it....and to Itsy Bitsy's post.....if this woman does something horrible to herself, it's not the OP's fault. Seems to me her neighbor has a long history of this crud......this manipulation, this attention seeking behavior.
So, if something horrible does happen....to the OP - not your responsibility, not your fault - do not take her problems on your shoulders. We are neighbors, there to help.....but not with the bogus. I'm not saying the neighbor doesn't have head/emotional problems, I'm merely saying her problems DO NOT BELONG TO THE OP......you, JD.
Go on about your life and live it to the fullest. We are not responsible for neighbor's who cannot pull it together and it's interesting that she can pull it together to go on a *fancy cruise* - so it seems to me her problems are used SELECTIVELY by her.
*steps off soapbox*
Read the post!
She said she was behind on her mortage. 
Unless she's got a very low mortgage, I seriously doubt holding a garage sale and making $500.00 is going to make a dent. She probably needs to talk to her mortgage lender. They have all types of programs now a days for people behind in the mortage to help them get caught up so they won't lose their home. The last thing a mortgage lender wants is a foreclosure on their hands!
At first, when I read your post...
I thought maybe you were overreacting but now I'm not so sure. I guess I would play it cool for now but I don't get why your husband wouldn't give you this woman's number? And why would this woman need your husband's cell phone number? To get a hold of his friend? How would your husband be better able to get of him than she would? And, why is he hanging out with this so-called friend who's involving you both in this situation? That is no friend. I say dump the chump. You know too much already, and it could only get worse. Believe me, I've been there.
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