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It's wise to dedicate one pc solely

Posted By: lynn on 2007-01-21
In Reply to: How much do I need to buy to get started as an MT? - newbieneedshelp

for work purposes, in addition to having a back-up pc available.  If you do not have a medica/pharma spellchecker download on your pc, it's a good idea to purchase it.  Depending on who you will be transcribing for you may need an unlimited long distance calling plan if you do not have it already.  A high speed connection is recommended and necessary by most companies.  Up-dated virus protection is a must. A printer may be required.  You are a step ahead of the game by already having purchased a desk and a comfortable chair, which are a must.  If you need to purchase a foot pedal, I would recommend buying a new one.  So, depending on what you already have, start-up costs can run anywhere from $100.00 to approximately 1,000.00, and while it may seem like a huge expense, you should recoup these expenses within 3 months of working.  Good luck to you and enjoy!


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Do you dedicate certain days to certain companies...sm
Because I know one company would probably want to know that you are available to them certain days and another company the same.
This is a wise, wise woman! nm
From a thankful gay guy who needed a word of encouragement tonight. God bless!
anyone get into this business solely to not

I think I did. Thats what attracted me to it the most.  Call that sad if you want, most people in my life think its sad.  But I seriously cannot deal with the average person.  I've always been somewhat of a misfit anyway, only because I'm not a gossiper, not a talker about someone behind ones back, and am generally just open to all kinds of people, but I find when I don't get that back, I get so oversensitive that I just want to hide.


I have started back at school, because I do want something more out of life.  I am in my mid 30s and let me tell you its so hard being in school with these young insensitive people with attitudes.  Case in point, my class last night, I ask a simple question of my class mate and before she could answer, she had to roll her eyes in the back of her head and sigh, like it was a big inconvenience to answer my one little question.  Of course making me feel like I did back in grade school...a misfit.  Things like that just burn me because it would never occur to me to do that to someone, so it makes me want to crawl back into my MT hole, put on my PJs, get my coco and just punch out lines, collect a pay check, and give the finger to everyone else.  Why be nice anymore???


I know this is totally off topic but maybe some of you have the same frustrations and maybe we chose this profession because of our sensitive dispositions?  Whats funny, i'm majoring in psychology so I can figure people out and myself, and i'm just starting out, but its the people who I come in contact now that make me want to give it up.  Just the overall fast paced and rudeness of the world has got me down today.  I used to hide in my house and I remember I was a lot more at peace when I did that.  Nobody to look at me sideways or whisper about me for absolutely no reason, other than I'm there or am different from them. 


Working as an IC solely FT, you should
have been paying quarterly taxes. If you were not, that is probably the cause of your penalities.
How many of you use a Laptop solely for work? nm
xx
Our third bedroom serves solely as an office. I love it! nm
x
Check with your tax person for certainty but I have a room solely used for my home office and I even
:)
You are wise do be so thorough in your
research before committing time and money to training. By the way, you've made a very good choice for your education. Andrews is the gold standard for MT education. For a different perspective on life on the job as an MT, visit www.mtchat.com, click on the "message center" tab, and start reading. Read all the sticky topics (especially at the top of the New MTs section), read the archives, read the Andrews forum on that site, read the messages posted on the MT Business board; in short, read everything. I think you will get a different perspective on the profession from the very professional and articulate folks who frequent that site. Good luck with your training and in your career.
Very wise, but even better. sm

Lovely elderly couple came into my old office.  Married for 68 years. Holding hands to boot.  I asked them what made their marriage work so long.  The elderly gentleman winked at me and said, "Well, it's simple.  I always get the last words . . . .'yes dear.' " 


 


Wise MT
I will certainly be praying for you.  I will pray that you can hang in there!  It has to be so hard. 
SE and IC mostly same tax-wise except...sm
As an IC, you must pay the self-employment tax, which is your FICA, but you get to deduct half of it. Schedule C stays the same. I've been both IC and SE before. DISCLAIMER: I am not a CPA or tax professional. For qualified tax advise, please contact a tax professional.
A WORD FROM THE WISE!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR POSTING. SOMETIMES IT IS NICE TO KNOW YOUR NOT ALONE! I THINK I PROBABLY WILL HAVE HAVE TO FILE FOR DISABILTY BUT IT JUST KILLS ME, NOT TO FEEL LIKE A FUNCTIONAL MEMBER OF SOCIETY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?  I STILL HOPE DEEP DOWN TO FIND THE RIGHT ONE TO GIVE ME A CHANCE IN A NEW CAREER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING.


ANGELA LEE


Actually the "three wise men"
that's how they knew to look for the star of Bethlehem and recognized the amazing event foretold by the stars.
Grow up? How about you wise up?
So, you mean to tell me that having 1 or 2 glasses of wine or beers is enough to call someone drunk? Come on and WISE UP!

Again, I didn't ask WHO GETS DRUNK AND TRANSCRIBES, I asked who has a few drinks while transcribing.

Being in the vicinity of MY OWN HOME having a drink or TWO and transcribing is no big deal to me. Some of you people are SO UPTIGHT and I think NEED TO DRINK!

HICCUP, pardon me!
Yes, that is a wise decision. (nm)
dd
Wise move.
I've been an IC with many companies and an employee with a few others. I've found that many if not most of the supervisors and managers at these places are dead weight authoritarians who get high and justify their existence by puking on people who work for a living. I left at least one place precisely because they tried to hold me responsible for mistakes made by the dictator. Happens all the time.

I wouldn't wish a future in MT on anyone.
My Mom, who was a very wise woman, would tell you...
to love her anyway just the way she is and realize that "everyone is doing the best they can with what they have to work with."  Plus, life's 2 short and life is fragile.
I don't think that optometrically wise buying off the
c
well darn. I thought I was being wise
in getting rid of credit cards - just down to 1 bank card and 1 store card that I only use when having a sale and we need new clothes and that I have 90 days to pay off without interest. 
I don't think it would be wise to quit over half a mil
that's not gonna last you a lifetime! I think you should be reasonable. What about health insurance? Are you married? Do you have a lot of debt? There are a lot of factors inolved.
Oops..why not wise.. long day. NM

Very wise post. Didnt look at it this way before.
x
I do much better $ wise with clinic notes
I have local office accounts and also work part-time for a national. The repetitive nature of doing the same dictator day in and day out increases my production at least 30-50%; more expanders, more normals, familiar terminology, etc.

Right now I am averaging $25.00+ an hour on my local notes, and less than $12.00 with my national acute care. I do have more taxes and such with my locals as it is 1099 income but I still come out much better on clinic notes.

good luck!
Already did. They are outrageous cost-wise

I have to pay $60 a month for LOCAL service only.They don't have DSL where I live. They keep saying they are going to get it here, but it's been 4 years since that statement was made..


Thanks for the suggestion, though. It seems that these companies think everybody lives in a progressive area and make a lot of money. I live in a rural area and the phone company has no interest in being #1 where I live. I have a choice of Comcast or Direct TV and that's it.


Another wise woman with good taste! SM
I think BBT is the bee's knees. You have very good taste.
BTW, what R some good companies 4 radiology pay-wise? nm

Regarding AAMT, is it wise to join? Opinions please...

have been an MT for almost four years but have not joined as of yet.  Would like to hear pros and cons.  TIA.


you're welcome. You made a wise choice--sm
but also realize that our words are not just for us, they are for everyone reading this, who may be in the same situation and who do not have the courage to make a change in their lives. What we say to each other may just give someone else the courage to live a good decent life, without the need for drugs or alcohol, or someone in our lives who uses them. I am happy for you. I am happy for me. We are free. Good luck to you.
Word to the wise.....never send any money until ...
you are absolutely positive the school is reputable. I had a friend who lost $350.
P.S. - I'm alot stronger cardio-wise also
NM
You are wise to hold off on a major purchase until sm
you see how the system is going to pay. Eight years ago our hospital outsourced their department and I went with the account to a large national. I went from making $24-26 an hour to making $8-10 an hour. It has taken me 8 years to get back up to $16-18 an hour. One of the girls that I worked with had just built a new house. I'm not positive, but I believe she lost it.

This change may not affect you much, so I wouldn't worry about it. Just wait until you see how it turns out. It may not make much difference at all to your salary. But you can always look for a house when you're sure of your financial situation. Good luck.
Penny wise and pound foolish
Cheap ones don't save in voice files. They're hard to use so most likely your doc will not bother to pause or rewind for dictation. You may save some money now but you will end up wasting more time to decipher the recording. The best one is Olympus DS5000... every word can be heard clearly with that.
You're in the minority pay-wise, but hey, as long
as you're making your money, screw everyone else.
You would think this office would wise up but guess not until it is too late. I am from Amherst and
I guarantee you I am looking. I pity anyone who gets hired by MQ for Amherst. That all situation is an absolute joke. They need to get rid of the people up there responsible for these problems.
My head is not in the sand - I am a very wise and "shrewd" individual
as far as jobs go. You are entitled to your opinion; however, Dictaphone is not the best VR software out there. I work on the best, and believe me, the hospitals will need MT/editors for a long time. Maybe not 30 years, but I make enough money to put at least 4K away a month, so by the time I can retire, I will have a hefty savings account to live on.

I am getting while the getting is good!

Good luck with your nursing career!
Still doesn't make sense content-wise.
A flax is gonna take care of the patient? I'm not comfortable that is correct.
well it's really down to the nitty gritty pay issue. everything is relative pressure-wise
I mean if you get paid enough for the pressure it makes it a little more worthwhile than the feast or famine world of the MT. You know what I mean?
Good for you. You're a wise woman. Take care of your health first. nm
x
stage fright solution? I knew a wise older man once who
said the key was to think about the people you r speaking to, instead of yourself. Think about how much they need you, the positive effect you can have on their lives, the gift you are giving them in your education, how much they need the human contact, the kindness, the discipline, the "touch" of your voice and smile. Once the focus is off of YOU, and on THEM, it becomes much easier. Takes practice, tho.
"Very wise post" meant for "company handled
x
Good thinking Wise MT about the blanket. I use fingerless gloves for the hands. NM. Thank you for

My uneducated but street-wise father had a term for people like that--"Smart Dummy"
nm