Lisa/MT Student (see mssg)
Posted By: My 2 cents (per line?) on 2007-06-11
In Reply to:
I don't think you would have to pay to place an ad. See if there is a "Letters to the Editor" section. If not, it might have to be done the way the doctors do it: Their papers are submitted to JAMA for consideration of publication. Even though we MTs are not doctors, it is their work that we are transcribing. And sometimes (if we're lucky) we even get to transcribe those papers that they are submitting for publication! I don't think there is a single doctor or medical professor out there that would want their JAMA submission, book manuscript, etc. transcribed by an ESL MT.
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What would you do next? - see mssg.
 What would you do if you were in this position?
You're in your late 50's. You've been an MT since the mid-70s. You work at home and even if you work 7 days a week, your income is not paying the bills anymore. You think it's time to abandon the MT field and find something else. You only have 2 years of college, no business or computer courses. Going back to school at this stage of the game seems rather pointless, though is not out of the question. But earning a Bachelor's degree in anything is going to require going back and finishing some high school courses, just to get into a college program. So we're talking YEARS of night-school, because of course, you still have to keep working in the meantime.
One problem is that you are absolutely NOT a "people-person". So things like nursing, sales, customer service, management, human resources, etc. are pretty much out of the question. So what sort of field and/or education would you look into?
Nobody here seems to definately know answer Thanks see mssg
Coughing and sneezing have no affect/effect on it, and bowel and bladder functions have been normal.
I knew someone who had it - was out 3 months. (no mssg)
.
(PS) - I meant "see mssg" above, not
X
How I deal with cold hands... (see mssg)
My hands are cold a lot of the time, too. I find that in order for my hands to be the proper temperature for typing, my body actually has to be quite warm, sometimes even a little TOO warm. Unfortunately, the Thermostate Police at work always have the temp turned down way too low. What works best for me is to go into the restroom and run hot water on my hands for a few minutes to warm them up, then I put on a pair lightweight glvoes that I cut the fintertips out of, so I can type in them. It may look funny, but it makes my hands happy!
A question of gift etiquette.... (see mssg.)
Okay --- tell me what you think about this odd little experience!
A friend of mine, a woman who is very well-off -- far more so than I will ever be -- over the years has routinely given me bags of her college-student daughter's clothing that she no longer wants. Her daughter gets tired of stuff LONG before it even looks old, and I really like her particular taste in clothes. We're pretty much the same size, too! So I would always get this cool hand-me-down stuff to sort through, most of which I would keep.
Those I didn't keep were usually items that were a bit too small for me, usually skirts or pants. Usually I would just take those to the Goodwill, but I have another friend that is slightly smaller than I, and also a lot poorer. She's been unemployed much of the time I've known her, and really needed the clothes! Since she usually shopped at the Goodwill anyway, I knew that giving her the stuff I couldn't wear would save her even more money. That way all of my friend's daughter's clothing went to good use, and was enjoyed. A win-win situation. Or so I THOUGHT....
Unbeknownst to me, it turned out that the friend who gave me all these clothes could not STAND the friend that I was giving the too-small stuff to. I didn't know this until one time when I told her how great it was that the other friend was so grateful to have the clothing that I didn't want, because then none of it had to go to the Goodwill, all went to good use, etc. etc. WELL! Instead she emails me and tells me that she cannot STAND my other friend, and absolutely does NOT want me to give any of the clothing I don't want to her, because she "doesn't want to see her wearing it." (?????)
I emailed back and said that although I respect whatever reasons she has not to like my other friend, that I DID have a problem with being told what I could or could not do with cast-off clothing that was given to me, and therefore MINE to do with as I saw fit. I certainly didn't want to have to tell my other friend that I couldn't give her any more clothing because the person I received it from didn't like her and didn't want her to have it! So, since we all have the same large group of friends and see each other often, I decided that I would just no longer accept used clothing from my friend's daughter anymore. In order to try to keep the peace, I simply told her I "had no more room in my closets for any more stuff", though I'm sure she knows why I no longer want the clothes. But, because of her control-freakishness about who wears these clothes, now both my other friend and I have lost out on a good thing.
What's your take on that? Don't you think that once you GIVE something to someone as a gift, that it is THEIRS to do with as they please, regardless of how you may happen to feel about it? Does that sound odd to you?
Thanks, Lisa! (sm)
I was pretty sure it wasn't illegal, since I signed all this paperwork and they did a credit check and everything to issue me the overdraft protection insurance, but it's nice to hear it from someone "in the know". Thanks for the reply!
On a Halloween sugar high, back from Trick or Treating with the kiddos, back to work and hoping I actually get paid for it....
(Sending out about 12 resumes tomorrow....)
Yes, you can Lisa if you look :o]
For instance if you have applied to a smaller company and they've filled the spots, you can offer assistance in the future with a backlog or to cover vacations. Keeps ya' networked, plus gives you some extra cash. If I had anything that I needed help with that is what I would do. I don't see anything wrong with advertising for temp/vacation help. Why not? Sounds like a way to meet quality transcriptionists that you can count on. The other ideas posted here are good, too, but if you need a vacation then you just need a vacation. Taking work on vacation just doesn't seem like much fun to me. I wish more people would network in this fashion, but I think there are people out there that might try to steal your accounts, so you might want to be very careful. JMO. Thankfully, I have not had that happen. 
Hi Lisa
I do not think that this is the trend, but have seen a few companies who are doing this. In a way, it makes sense because then you are getting paid for airtime and all the BS like conversations with staff, etc. that you would normally have to listen to and not get paid for. Most folks that I've seen post here on the subject would not do it for less than $1.00 per minute, but it really is about how long it takes you to type it (obviously) and how much your time is worth to you. Since a general figure of how long it takes to type 60 minutes of dictation, from what I've heard and experienced, is about 3-4 hours, at 0.67 cpm that would work out to about 10.05 to 13.40 per hour of typing time. Of course, I've had work that I could fly through, and then I've had work that would take longer than the norm, so like everything in this biz, it all depends. Hope that wasn't TMI, since you asked only about the trend thing :)
I also hope you are not talking about losing the account with the flashdrives, as I know that would be really disappointing after what you have done for them.
Have a great night, and a Happy New Year!
MedQuist - Lisa
With your experience, I would have to say it depends on cpl they are willing to offer you. I know of many companies that are generous in cpl due to the number of years of experience. I agree with earlier posting about it depending on if you get a good supervisor. The raises are not much to be desired, you will have to fight for one in the far, far future. Again, with your experience, don't settle for anything less than what you feel is fair. Worse case scenario, if you don't like the job, move on to another company until you find a job you do like. I don't think anyone can answer this ? for you.
Lisa - subcontractor
There have been people here who would like just a little extra. If you get the account and once you are settled, why don't you put your need on the board. You might find some bites. Some people like to do a little extra. Of course if it is something digital you could even go away from your state. Just a thought. I happen to enjoy helping others when on vacation. It has worked for me in the past as well when I needed a vacation .
I would love to help if I can, Lisa....sm
I love to help newer MTs, because back when I first became an IC, I was so shaky, I had my first two babies at home, my husband was gone most of the time for work, and this ANGEL that I met on another message board happened to see one of my questions and since she lived in my state and my area, and she had been doing MT for many years, we hooked up....she was so wise, and so helpful, and we became really good friends until she had to move to Italy with her husband. Also, if you are doing IC independently, I found so much info from my local SBA (Small Business Administration), they will actually let you know the laws of the state regarding setting up business, tax laws, tips, and they will just mentor you along in growing a business. Anyway, please feel free to e-mail me anytime, I will help if I possibly can! You'll be great!
Lisa - your 1st post was so optimistic....sm
Lisa: Your first post was upbeat and optimistic/positive. Then in walked the panners of MQ.....outside of a few clear realistic posts. Now, this current post of yours saying something to the effect of *now MQ isn't lookin too good* is indicative that you HAVE, indeed, let the panners influence you.
Again, hopefully you'll get a GREAT supervisor....(not a given) - the supervisors can make it or break it for you...hopefully you get one with NO POWER OR EGO problems!! I always said, the day my PS leaves, I'm gone!! *lol* Good luck to you whichever way you choose!
To Lisa - Going Rate in Area
I would try Career Builders and look for on-site MT jobs in your area and see what the hourly rate is and try to figure how many lines you would do in an hour for this account. I'm no expert, but that is probably what I would do. It seems strange to me though that the Nationals pay pretty much the same line rate to their MT's, yet they are all over the US. Will you have to pick-up/drop-off tapes? Do you have to print? If yes to these two questions, bid in the middle to higher range. If it is all digital and you only have to e-mail the reports back to the office, then maybe consider the low to mid range. I'm on the East Coast, and the cpl ranges from 10-15 cpl (65 characters with spaces) or anywhere from $13-17 per hour. I hear though in some other states such as Texas, the going hourly rate is $9-12 per hour, so this would reduce the cpl rate. I guess it would depend on the type of program you are using. I only use Word and the line count built in. I do not have a separate line counter. I hope Patti has ideas, and she very well may. I think she said she's in Oregon, so that would be considered West coast, so I'd be anxious to hear what her opinions are on the average rate. She's pretty knowledgable and from her posts "plays fair". With all that being said, I think either 13 cpl or 15 cpl depending on the program and method of retrieving dictation and sending back reports once they are transcribed. Hope this helps! I tend to get real chatty! Sorry! 
I hope it was okay to e-mail you Lisa.
NM
Lisa, the truth of the matter is ...
that there *are* actually MT's out there who are still happy in their jobs and who make good money still in this profession. In truth, I still love the *type* of work that I do; it's the rest of what's going on that I'm sick of as well as the downward trend in pay. What we're commenting on here is the *overall* mood, feel, and status of the industry right now ... and my personal belief is that it's not going to get better.
I say hold true to your dream. If you really want to be an MT keep looking for that company that's going to be a good fit for you. It's going to be hard with you being a newbie, but it's still possible. Don't put all your eggs in this one basket though as some of us have done. Keep a back-up job in another industry so that as things continue to degrade on the MT side you'll have a soft cushion to fall back on. Keep reading the boards with an open and critical mind and decide for yourself if the common challenges that you see MT's as a whole facing are of an ilk that you can tolerate.
I hope this helps.
Hi, Lisa. Have you added macros to SM
your Expander yet for many of the common VR changes--such as for backspacing over a comma, adding a period, and capping the first word of the new sentence? How do you drop common words like, say, "she" into a sentence on the run? I hit "k" and in it goes, but I'm off scanning the next line by then and don't actually see it. Do you constantly use your program's function for jumping the cursor to the point of dictation and vice versa (assuming it has one)? This is a big speeder-upper.
And a reality that's hard for some to run into: Editing skills and talents are different than transcribing skills and talents. Reading fast and accurate becomes big. Punctuating fast on the run was always desirable, but it's more significant now as the ability to simply get the letters on paper becomes less so. Are you one of those this work suits or one it doesn't? If yes, keep working on speed. If not, move on sooner rather than later.
Hi, Lisa. Just wondering how the meeting
Hope everything went well!
Hmmm, interesting theory on Lisa. Maybe so, huh?
x
Hey Lisa - I'm from Lyons - give me a shout!
X
Lisa B - my rates and a long message
Again, I am from the old school, old way of counting and have had my accounts for many, many years - some 18 years. I do the simplest and easiest for me which is just doing gross lines per Word -- which I know counts the spaces but that is how these accounts were started and when I inherited some of them was told to count top to bottom -- but with that in mind -- I keep my rates a little lower. I am from .11 to 12.5 cpl. The lowest is for my Psych accounts as they give me 3-5 days turn around and we insert a lot of templates. The others are internal medicine, surgery, surgical oncology, Plastic/Hand surgery and Dermatology. I do pick up delivery, print, envelopes, cut apart chart notes but I average $35 to $45 and sometimes over $50 an hour (depends on how many Op's and consults that I have) and cannot see raising my prices. So I am happy and content. My pick up and deliveries take me an hour each day (depending on how much I visit with the office staff and docs) and I usually stop at the store or something but it gets me out of the house and I really do not mind that at all. I figure this into my work day to get my average hourly rate and am still happy with it. I will probably raise my rates at the end of 2007 but it has been two years. So with all of that said -- again it depends on your variables -- pick up and delivery, printing, etc. But for a ballpark figure I would go for 12 cpl for digital and 12.5 to 13 for pick up and delivery knowing that it will take 3 to 6 months to get your average up there while getting to know your docs, etc. I have used Sylcount for another account and to me that was too cumbersome. I tell my accounts the simpler, less time consuming we keep it the more savings I can pass onto you. And yes, they do appreciate me, pay on time, Birthday cards are received, Christmas bonuses received, included in staff parties if I want and the doctors actually talk to me and treat me as a person with a name and joke with me. Nobody can really answer this question for you as only you know what the account entails, your experience and what you want to make. You can always raise in a year or after doing it for a while. Good luck, e-mail me if you need any other additional info. Patti
That's why this is a great Site! Congrats Lisa!
Way to go Lisa
The 1st giveaway had 92 entries with Lisa I. of CA as the winner.
Directly after announcing the first winner, the second hunt began. There is indeed an I FOUND IT message posted and will be awarded over the weekend.
GOOD LUCK!
Lisa, you make a very good point. sm
I guess I should have been a little more specific. If ALL MTs were to go on "strike" and not accept the low wages these MTSO's are offering, they eventually would HAVE to offer a decent wage we can live on. But, the other side of the coin is, if the MTS WOULD STRIKE, then the MTSO's would no doubt just hire those non-U.S. MTs anyway, because that is the reason in the first place they are paying so little. The U.S. MTs have no support, that's for sure. (and I apologize for the misspelling of a word in my previous post.)
N-n-noooooooooooo!!! Not Kev! Did you see how crushed Lisa Tucker looked
because she didn't get the boot? As she walked over to the host, she looked very unhappy. Then as soon as she went by Ryan she put on a weak smile to walk back over to the other contestants. She wants to go home.
Congratulations! Lisa I. of California on winning the first dinner!
Email to admin@mtstars.com with your full mailing address and your choice of restaurant and we will send out your gift card immediately.
Thank you for playing MTStars Fall Scavenger Hunt!
Administrator
MTStars
CONGRATS to Lisa R. of Wolcott, NY on winning the $10 gift certificate
/
Are you a new MT or a student? sm
Your first post said you were a new MT, the last post you said you were a student. If you are indeed a new MT then finding someone to help you with some of the dictation might be beneficial. However, if you are a student and you need help transcribing reports, you definitely don't need to be paying someone to do them for you. Transcribe the reports, leave blanks for what you are unable to understand or for things you cannot document. Submit the reports and await the feedback. That's how you learn. The first and foremost thing is to take some thing that you can understand and research that. You will be amazed at what you find when you look for it.
50 yo F TX (student STILL!) nm
x
She is a student you know, she might believe you.
I understand that last question and mine is heck no, no one really to ask = QA does not sit and wait for calls, takes too long to get back from MTstars, finished with report by then, just have to suck it up and hope for the best.
As a student MT I can tell you
that in my program we have learned generic meds are to be in lowercase.
If you're not already looking the meds up through a drug reference website, it might be quicker than a book. Most often I only check the book when I'm really stumped.
StudentMT
As a student also....
I think what she is saying is rather out there. Whomever said that some people will never listen, was absolutely correct. IMHO. I wouldn't say anything at all to her. Heck, I will be happy if I make even a few dollars at first! I hope that I can do this from home to start with but everything tells me that I will have to work inhouse first. I still pray for the latter, however. :) Anyway, that was just what I thought. I think it is nice of you to try and help us just getting into the field. I for one am thankful. :)
Student vs Resident
I think you guys are confusing a 4th year medical student with a 4th year resident - only the resident is a doctor.
To MT Student - Listen
Ms. Student, please don't stick with the MT program just because there is an Illinois MT who makes $22 and hour at a hospital. You should realize that, even tho God Bless this Illiniois MT and that's GREAT for her, almost NOBODY makes anywhere near $22/hour in a hospital setting with full benefits anymore. This is a M-I-N-O-R-I-T-Y position with realistically less than 10% of the medical transcription population at large making this kind of money, so don't start drooling. (Entities like MedQuist, etc., have seen to it that our jobs went to pasture from the hospital, FYI. We just love MedQuist. They are fine folk. ) Anyway, it is incredibly hard to get the money you deserve and you only get it after putting in at least a DECADE or more of doing this job, and it just isn't worth it. Check out another field. This one is way out in Left.
med trans student
Please consider starting with something ultra-stodgy and respectable... like a large teaching hospital or a university. the larger, the better. You will need this kind of atmosphere for learing, and exchange of ideas. Once you've been there a few years, you will know your field better, and the +/- situations around you about other companies. You will know a WHOLE lot more about what you want to do with your time, and your career. Let them pay you, teach you, give you days off and benefits, and then from tht position of SECURITY, you make better decisions.
Experienced MTs, please see New MT/Student
.
You're welcome! Are you really an mt student,
knowledgeable and I think you will do great in this field!
MT Student Has Question
Hi,
I am a medical transcription student at Sinclair Community College in Ohio and I am taking a business communications class that requires me to interview a medical transcriptionist. I don't know any MTs personally so I was wondering if anyone here could possibly answer 10 questions for me. I would really appreciate it!
Thanks in advance!! The questions are below.
1. How long have you worked as a medical transcriptionist?
2. What certification have you received?
3. What attracted you to pursuing a career in medical transcription?
4. What type of environment do you work in (i.e. from home, physician’s office, hospital, other).
5. What do you think are the most important skills a medical Transcriptionist should have?
6. Did some skills come naturally to you, while others required more practice?
7. In addition to transcribing medical reports, do you engage in other forms of business writing while on the job (such as memos, proposals, or progress reports, etc.) to clients, coworkers, or supervisors? Please explain.
8. What do you think is the most difficult aspect of medical transcription?
9. What do you find to be the easiest aspect of medical transcription?
10. As a medical transcriptionist, do you often need to collaborate with others to ensure that all the information in your reports is correct?
THANK YOU!!!
when the student is ready, the teacher will come
.
To all you parents of student athletes - sm
My son came to me today to tell me he is quitting football. A sport he has played since he was in the 3rd grade. He is now a junior in high school. He is an awesome offensive linesman - scholarship bound this year with academics with it. He has a 4.0 GPA, takes AP courses and could have a scholarship coming his way.
Regardless of all of that, I am just heartbroken to see this young talented man just walk away from the game he once loved. I have been crying all morning.
He tells me, "it just is not fun anymore. " He does not want to play. He wants to concentrate on his academics.
This is halfway through his camp, and games start next week. He started on the varsity team as a Freshman.
I am so upset, but I won't let him see it. I do not want him to play a sport to please me or anyone else, but himself. I have to hold all of this in and it is killing me. This is his decision, and I have talked to him over the past few days about, trying to not let him know how disappointed I would be if he quit. Well, today, he went to camp and told his coaches he is not playing, handed his equipment in, and so forth.
Any advice from any of you parents out there for me as to how to handle it from a loving mother point of view! I hide in the bathroom and cry so he doesn't see me. For the simple reason, if he sees me crying, he will continue to play just for me. I really don't want that. He needs to play for himself.
Needless to say, the coach called this morning after he handed in his equipment to talk to him. I am sure there are more calls to come. His teammates will be over this afternoon after camp, I am sure of it. How do I handle this - better yet, how do I help him handle this?
P.S. If he feels like he is letting his teammates down, he will give in and play just for them or for me -
To all you parents of student athletes - sm
This has happened to my daughter this year as well. Her reason was that her coach was a jerk and it wasn't fun anymore. She was a great fastpitch pitcher and he tried to change her mechanics and messed her all up. She didn't want to disrespect him by "telling on him" but it finally came out. When she was pitching it just wasn't her. She was not having any fun any more.
I would suggest finding out "why it is not fun any more." Then if it turns out to be the coaches, find another team he can play on. That is what we did. HTH!
Hope
Ck the New MT/Student board for schools. nm
x
yep, c'est moi... pic was from when I was an exchange student
in Cairo through the University of California. Long time ago. I was with YOG, then stayed on after Medquist bought us out.
No thanks. I don't want to be 70 years old and have a college student.
There's a time and place for everything. Mid-40's is no time to be having babies. It's unfair to us and to them.
No, a 4th year medical student is just that, a
student who has received a Bachelor's degree and is in medical school studying to become a doctor. He/she does not become a doctor until completion of medical school. He then becomes an intern/resident and has earned the title of Dr.
Check New MT/Student board
nm
Check the New MT/Student Board
nm
student doctor, not transcriptionist
Oh well, lost in translation I guess.
Good post, MT student!
You're right about the wages for other medical field positions. My daughter is a RECEPTIONIST in a surgeon's office and makes $18 an hour! While I am happy for her, of course, I do not like the fact that we MTs have become so devalued.
What version is it? Student and Home?
I thought Student and Home version did not work for most companies???
I went through FASFA and student loans where I cosigned
for my son. Banks offer student loans also. My son is going to Morehouse but the bank Bank of America) only had student loan if his major was medicine.
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