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I'm thinking about taking the CMT test and have a few questions...sm

Posted By: KJ on 2006-05-16
In Reply to:

How did you study? Did you take a course? How much did you pay for the course/test? Was the test hard? Did it help you with your job (ie raise)?


I have 6 years experience in acute care (with Medquist). My DH has been pushing me to take the test for years, but I'm a big chicken! I was a nurse before becoming a medical Transcriptionist and I just keep thinking how rough my nursing boards were. Major stressor for me!!




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taking test
I was just downloaded a WAV file to transcribe. I don't know how to get it to start and stop or go backwards. Are there special keys? Foot pedal doesn't work on it. Thanks.
Help with taking test with media player
Hi there....I have to take a test using Windows Media Player and I can't figure out how to type in Word and still be able to use the keyboard keys (no foot pedal yet).  If anyone could help it would be much appreciated.
when taking Teletrak Test Simply
Download Express Scribe for free and put the reports in there. I was able to use the foot pedal to do all 10 reports. Once you download reports, right click on them and it asks you if would like to do them in Express Scribe. Worked for me.
You cannot ask test questions here (sm)

It is not appropriate to do so.  The company is asking you to complete their test in order to determine your skill level.  If you cannot complete the test on your own, then you may not be qualified for that position.


Moderator


Sure, that makes sense, but this person was obviously taking a test. It's not that any of us
seasoned MTs "know it all" as you put it...but can see an obvious cheater when the questions are glaringly test questions.  See both sides of the coin.
You don't get certified taking a program. You test & pass your
s
Seems obvious that she is thinking about taking an offer from another company
???
Keyboard Kelly - Many thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions.

I really do appreciate it. 


DixieKaye



I agree 100%. Test questions on formatting or
anything else should not be asked on a forum of any kind. You need to research and find the answers for yourself on a test and not rely on people here to do the work for you.
Have your medical dictionary handy while taking the multiple choice part of the test.(nm)
x
It's a test in progress to measure what MTs know and what type of test to give for the SM
different levels of MTs.  It's over $90.  That's a lot of money to pay to someone who is giving these tests for research as to what type of testing should be done for the different levels of MT.  The AAMT will probably take the results and make a test that they can give in India or the Phillipines or some other foreign country. 
tuning fork test: Is it about a hearing test? .See inside
A whisper is about 20 dB
Loud music (some concerts) is around 80 to 120 dB
A jet engine is about 140 to 180 dB

Hope I could help
Speaking of Kenny Chesney, is anyone thinking what I am thinking? see message
When I hear the words, "annulment" and "fraud" in the same sentence, I can only think of one thing.  Anybody else thinking the same thing?
Meditech questions and Cerner questions. Any input is appreciated. SM

I just recently went back to work in the office at a local hospital. We type in both Meditech and Cerner, depending on what you are typing, i.e. Medical Records reports versus Radiology.  We are currently typing blindly in Meditech, meaning we do not have access to our line counts and must depend on management to give us our totals.  In Cerner, we are able to run a line count report and print out a hard copy of our line counts at the end of the day.

We are finding that 800 lines in Cerner equals about 500 lines in Meditech.  We are not paid per line nor do we have an incentive plan, but we have a new HIM Director who would like to institute an incentive plan and the administrator over our department has laid down the law and decreed that all transcriptionists not making minimum in the department will be written up.  Problem is according to Meditech line totals that we have been given, that would be about half the department.

The transcription supervisor has taken our concerns to the new director who told the MT Supervisor to hold off on writing people and has taken home all the line counts from the last month and she is going over them with a fine tooth comb this weekend.

I am not a very trusting soul by nature, so I am doing a little research on my own.  I've been in this business for about 15 years.  I started out in a hospital and have worked for a few services at home and am now back in the hospital setting.  So I know a few things about line count and I consider myself to be pretty well informed on trends and technology in the industry.   I would like to walk into our next department meeting armed with as much knowledge as possible.  So I have come up with some questions that I would like some fellow MTs to answer, give opinions, and maybe even direct me to websites or individuals who could give me a better understanding of Meditech and Cerner.  Here are my questions:

 


  1. Is it possible for an MT to have access to her line count in Meditech or is strictly a management function?  Any MTs that work in Meditech on this board, do you currently have access to your line counts and if so, how do you check them?  Is it an option on the main menu after you log into Meditech?

  2. How is a line defined in Meditech?  (i.e. 65 cpl, with spaces, without spaces)

  3. How is a line defined in Cerner?

  4. What abbreviation Expanders work with both Meditech and Cerner?

  5. Examples of incentive plans (if anyone would like to share that with me that would be great, if not I completely understand).

  6. Measuring productivity by minutes of dictation versus typed lines.


    1. What would be the minimum minutes required for an 8-hour day?

    2. How would one structure an incentive program based on minutes?

I was thinking of presenting the idea that we keep track of productivity using minutes instead of lines since there is such a discrepancy in Meditech.  I also worry that if an incentive plan is put into place and we are still typing blind into Meditech, what's to keep management from shaving off a few lines here and there?


Feel free to email me or post here any responses.  Either is fine.  I really appreciate any input, comments, or just plain old supportive posts would be nice too! 




Not a medical typing test but this website can test you..

It's called www.typingtest.com


Atleast it will give you an idea.. Sadly, I had to take it twice before I passed it LOL


Why would they do a microalbumin test when she has the period? A lot of test s will come out wrong
Why would they do a microalbumin test when she has the period? A lot of tests will come out wrong.
Neer's test is a shoulder impingement test

Don't think that has to do with the knee.  How about "bucket handle tear" of the knee?  Never heard of Neer having anything to do with the knee. 


happens quite often i would test again or go see your GYN for blood test which is more accurate
nm
Yeah a 30 minute test---work for free, he gets enough to test, his work is done - nm
x
Or maybe that in itself IS the test! It's really an ethics test, LOL. nm
R
LOL Thank you for taking that well -- I think
after I posted that I realized it might have sounded uptight. LOLOLOL

I just meant it to be a little more information than what the other person was giving -- which really gives an unfair picture!

Thanks!
Why are they taking anything? nm
:]
Yes, I will be taking him to the Dr.
tomorrow. He still has a couple more warts on his foot that the burning didn't seem to do anything to. I'm sure the doc will want to go ahead and remove them now. As for his toe, I'm sure it will have to heal before they can do anything to treat the wart..if it still remains. I want to make sure that the wound that was caused gets the proper treatment as I am quite concerned about infection at this point. Thank you for your advice. He's a real winner, eh?
I am taking out 20% of my pay
This is my first year being an IC. My accountant told me this should be enough based on what my husband's salary is. I will find out at the end of the year if I need to take more, less or the same. Good Luck.
What are you taking
Whatever it is, I want to ask my doctor about getting some. Its hard to be optimistic when you have to work so darn hard to make a living. I currently work two of these jobs just to make one decent living. Companies make it awfully hard to make more than 15.00/hr. I can't make it on that.
Could you try just taking on one to see how you like it?
Maybe do the part time vet so the work load wouldn't be too bad right away. I think it sounds like a great change of pace!
When I was still taking my course...

we only had one computer so I did all my practice reports on that one.  I had made up a few shortcuts in word and one was *be* for barium enema.  Didn't give it a thought until I was reading a paper my son had written and gotten back from the teacher and the phrase *barium enema* caught my eye.  No remarks from the teacher, so I don't know if she caught it or not.  BTW, the paper was on torture in the Middle Ages, so maybe the whole thing wasn't so far fetched!


not taking job seriously
I guess we all must have that problem. You know what is bad? When your husband doesn't even take your job seriously. My husband makes me feel like this isn't a real job. I am called lazy on a regular basis because all I do is sit at a computer and type all the time. That isn't work according to him. Well I told him you sit there for hours and type and see if you don't get tired. Plus not only do I do the MT work but all the housework because my husband thinks my job is so easy that he shouldn't have to help with anything. So tell me how some of your husbands take your job?
who's taking over?

I wonder if that is what the Native People said when the white man came and took over their country. 


Taking job no
So if we announce the name, dozens of people apply to our company.  Our company overhires (mine does).  Then we are all fighting for work, there's not enough to go around, and I can't make money there any more.  We are sabotaging ourselves when we announce where the work is.
I did not say they were taking MTs to
I said they only hire QA from within the company. Therefore, QA candidates are hired to work MT then promoted once their skills are proven. Just because you have years of Quality Assurance experience with one company or even multiple companies, it does not automatically make you a good QA person. It could just mean that you are the best they could find at time that they had a position to fill.
I have seen people that held QA positions at nationals make atrocious mistakes because they had no concept of context or proper grammar or were lacking research skills.

Our QA department is exemplary with virtually no turnover, and I believe it is because they evaluate the knowledge of the prospective candidate through practical experience prior to placing them in a QA position.
You're taking this way, way too personally.
If you don't like it, ignore it.  People always criticize the mother.  Hey, at least she's not some bug-eyed  psycho broad lying to the authorities about being kidnapped by Hispanics. 
Thank you for taking the time....

to share such good tips with all of us. 


Do it anyway. I have not had a break either, but am taking off 18-23 - sm
my mental health is more important than $. Going up to my dad's for a few days to celebrate Jen's last chemo (8/17), have her rest by the pool at his house, visit the Herr's plant, go to Dutch Wonderland, Philly zoo, etc. Just me and my 2 girls to have a little fun together...and for me to see my dad and my friends up in PA. Shouldn't be doing it money-wise, but tough, I know I deserve it and my kids too. We couldn't take a formal vacation due to Jen's chemo and some restrictions, so this is the next best thing. -- If you feel you can't take 5+ days off then do 2-3 and go out and do something. It will make you feel better.
Thank you for taking the time to do that!
That is hilarious. These girls go into so much detail in their posts. I could read their stuff all night instead of watching TV. I don't know how they make this stuff up. This is great!
thanks for taking the time
For these tips.  I really need to buckle down and get my lines up, there IS money to be made but being at home and having the pain makes me slack lately.    But if you're doing as much as you are, then it makes me think its possible. Thanks again!  have a good night
Try taking Fish oil
Try taking fish oil but make sure it molecularly distilled to get all the impurities out of it like mercury. That really does a lot for depression and anxiety and try to cut caffeine and sugar out of your diet. I notice a huge difference with it. It's hard to believe but its true.
You'd be better off just taking most of the "stuff" to

Goodwill or similar store and taking a tax deduction.  I spent 2 days sorting, cleaning, and pricing items, had name brand children's clothes in like new condition and I made a total of $6.00.   If I paid myself minimum wage for my time I came about about $100.00 in the whole, plus my DH and children helped some.    I have one box that I allow myself for e-bay items, the rest I take to a charity resale store and take a tax credit.  I don't have to sort, price, and it is gone, gone, gone and I feel so much better.   We still have so much clutter in my house and it makes it much harder to clean.  I don't let anyone in my house and I have put off having some repairs done because I have such much clutter.  I'm getting there and not adding to the clutter, but I'm not at the point yet that I can make a definitive decision about some items.  I have several boxes that I label, a trash box, a pieces box for all those game pieces and legos in hopes of trying to complete them, a charity box, a keep box, and the I can't decide box.   I still have way too much stuff that goes in the keep box and the I can't decide box.  I do sort through them again eventually and narrow stuff down, but still can't find a place for some of the things/paperwork and end up throwing them back in the box until next go round.  


I don't do Flylady because I don't have time for all those e-mails and I can't work with shoes on, but I do feel much better when my bed is made and my sink is shiny.   Once a week I have everyone take 15 minutes and go through their rooms with a trash bag, but my DH is the absolute worst and he puts everything in a bag and sticks it in the closest, under the bed, on the bookcase, etc. and never gets rid of anything.   We have VHS movies that he taped junk off TV that is nearly 20 years old.   He has restaurant receipts that are probably 5 years old.   He wants me to just throw all my stuff away, but he isn't willing to throw anything away. 


 


You guys are actually taking this???????
nm
Decision on taking a job

I took 3 documents in Word and the program calculated the amount of characters with spaces and without spaces.  I divided the character counts by 65 to get a line count.  I then multiplied the line count with spaces by 8 cents per line and the one without spaces by 9 cents per line.  In all 3 cases, you are better off taking the job at the lower rate counting spaces. 


Example:  1 document 4339 characters without spaces, 5179 with spaces.  Divide each by 65 comes out to be 67 lines without spaces, 80 lines with spaces. 


65 lines x 9 cents = $6.03


80 lines x 8 cents = $6.40


The others came out with a discrepancy of 78 cents and $2.16. 


I did other size documents and none of them came out where you were getting a better deal by being paid the higher line rate with no spaces.


I hope this helps.


Question about taking HRT. sm

I had a TVH/BSO in Sept and was put on a HRT patch.  I now do not have insurance for 90 days and am going to have to discontinue the patch until I get my insurance back.  It was a $40 co-pay when I did have insurance, and there's no telling what it will be without coverage.  Can anyone tell me what effects this will have on me?  Will I just maybe get hot flashes?  I'm thinking that will be all, or maybe mood swings, and it won't hurt me just for this temporary basis.


Along the same lines, the doctor really did not discuss this with me at all, and I'm confused about what I read.  Does the HRT protect me against osteoporosis and heart disease, or does it contribute to it? 


Thanks all! 


Well then, you will be an IC. Are they taking away your benefits? nm
x
Sometimes - and taking a class
Maybe a computer class a little more advance than you are used to or a pick up one of the classes meant for LPNs or RNs (maybe just to sit in), a lecture from someone in the field, etc.
not *taking up for her* quote - just....sm

stating facts, she is 19 and she is an adult and it is her body and ultimately her decision.  Those 4 things happen to be factual (reality).  Can you not face reality?


Nobody is *taking up for her* as you so stated......


 


taking the bad with the good sm

I see a lot of posts complaining about hospitals with many specialties and many different dictators and not wanting to do ESLs etc.  I have got to voice my opinion about this.


While most folks don't like to do ESLs/bad dictators (myself included) it is a PART of the job!  If you have many different departments/specialties/ESLs you are probably doing a teaching hospital.  If you are doing a large teaching hospital usually that is the "bread and butter" of the company that you work for.  Being in this business for so many years, I hear MTs, new and long time MTs, complain about their accounts.  When I get complaints about large teaching hospitals, if possible I take that person off that account, BUT I also warn them that while I can NEVER guarantee the workload it makes it harder when folks don't want to do certain accounts or certain dictators.  It is a part of the job.  Most of the ti these same people are the ones who are screaming first if the work is slow.


After almost 30 years, there are dictators I despise just like anybody else, but I take the good with the bad.  My opinon is that any MT should make it their plan to learn how to do every type of MT, not just certain kinds of reports or dictators.  It saddens me when I hear folks who do not know how to do operative reports or some other kind of dictation and don't want to learn.  You will never be a successful MT or feel completely comfortable if you are not willing to learn everything you can.  Besides if you are willing to learn everything and can do any type of transcription you make yourself a more valuable MT!  To do that it takes years of experience.


MT is a continuous learning experience.  No one EVER knows EVERYTHING  about this profession as medicine changes at an unbelievable rate.  MTs should be continuously learning.  In my opinion, a good MT always wants to be learning.


This is my opinion and I hope I didn't get anyone ticked off.


 


 


Taking on newbies.
The company I worked for took on newbies who had completed an MT course or had experience in an associated field. They were hired on at a slightly lower rate.  Some were raised up in about a month when they proved to be good transcriptionists, and went on to become excellent employees.  Some realized very soon that they could not cut it, and usually quit on their own.  They were given only as much work as they could complete, and only were let go if their quality was awful and they did not improve over a few weeks time.  It can be done and is often very much worth the money and time spent. 
Kudos to you for taking her in and
caring for her and her babies! And kudos for having them all spayed when the time is right!
just our way of not taking the Lord's...sm

A way of not taking the Lord's name in vain.........My religious studies raised us this way.  It's done merely out of respect.


 Hope that answers your question. 


I just started taking....
Detoxatrim that has hoodia in it.  It seems to help as an appetite suppressant, but like I said, I just started taking it. 
I appreciate you taking the time here
I do know that not everyone involved with the church is a hypocrite, and that according to the faith all of us are sinners (I try to bear that in mind through my struggle in learning and understanding the religion). I just feel like for many people church is nothing more than a social event on their calendar, not to be thought of throughout the rest of the week. I believe that it would be more in line with Christianity to focus on God and what he does/would want all the time, and that not going to church does not disqualify one from being a Christian. Not saying it is not good to go to church either, just that you don't have to attend to be a true Christian.

Thanks again, I do appreciate insight from those who share it.
What do you wish you had asked before taking your job?
Hindsight is 20/20. We all know the basic questions about line rate and so on. Now that you're in your current job, what questions do you REALLY wish you had asked before taking it? (please, I'm looking for some serious specifics about numbers and hours and ASR-related questions).

I know nothing about ASR and am wondering what questions are important to ask a recruiter. So please share!

One important question I've learned to ask is whether I'm switched to part time status if I can't meet the line requirement. That's a biggie!

Thanks, :)