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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Listening to a cell phone conversation

Posted By: everydaymt on 2006-07-16
In Reply to:

My doc left his recorder on again. LOL


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I have a pay as you go cell phone
I got one for emergencies only that I pay as I go.  There are several different kinds out there, you just have to keep your eyes open and watch what you get and for what price.  I got mine at Radio Shack and re-up my minutes every other month for $30.  They have discontinued that particular program for new people though.  You can get Trac (sp) phones at places like K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and I think you can buy a year's worth of minutes on that one for about $99.  Keep an eye on commercials, too.  I saw one on MSNBC yesterday that I had never seen before. 
Cell phone
Tracfone.  Its on the web, if you want to check the specifics.  www.tracfone.com
Unless you only use your cell phone
and internet for work, you cannot take a full deduction, only a percentage.
I don't even own a cell phone..sm
I used one that belonged to a family member and they are pretty fast and reliable. But, when I called to try and get one, because of my "not so good" credit, they wanted like a $700 deposit.

Also, I am afraid if I go over the allowable amount....as I tend do a Lot of movies on my computer.

I will go with the Satellite, people in the area do not have problems with it, I will just have dial up for backup when the clouds do come in. LOL....

I am not going to worry myself over it much longer.....I tend to slowly wean away from MT once I move anyway. :)
A cell phone is not secure, so using it to

listen to dictation is not viable.  I have downloaded digital files via cell phone in a pinch, like during storms when I lose land-line.  If you got dictation via cell, you would have to re-record because there is no way to start/stop the dictation to transcribe live.  The quality of the dictation would not be as good as a land line or digital or whatever.   When you have unlimited service, it usually doesn't include unlimited data transfer so would not be feasible for downloading consistently.  


Just not a good idea any way you look at it, especially if this is your primary source of obtaining work. 


Tracfone cell phone
This is a place where I value your opinions, so here goes on a non-MT question:  I recently bought a Tracfone because I truly only need a cell phone for emergencies and thought prepaid was the way to go.  After the first time I reloaded minutes, I got "No service" message; then 1-1/2 hours later with customer service, I was informed they would send a new SIM card.  I installed the new SIM card and still no service.  Next I tried calling customer service back and found out they are down for maintenance.  Ditto for website. Anyone else had a similar experience?  Which prepaid should I go with next time if this is not resolved?  BTW, I am thinking of forming a militant branch of SHHH--the society for hand-held hushing!!
Cell Phone Laws
Here in NYS there's a law that you can't be on your cell phone unless you have a headset. The police rarely enforce the law. Every day I see someone on their cell phone. I wish they'd catch these people before they kill someone. I'm sorry your son had to go through the accident because of someone's stupidity.
can't you get her number off his cell phone?
I don't blame you for being mad but I wouldn't call the friend's wife and tell her b/c its not good to get involved in marital disputes and it is technically not your business. BUT your husband is another story! First off, why won't he give you her phone number?? And secondly, if it were me, I would most definately call her & tell her NOT to involve your husband in their affair!
OT: Amp'd Cell Phone Service
I am looking for a new cell phone service, preferably pay-as-you-go or something really cheap because I barely even use 100 minutes a month most months. Has anyone tried this new Amp'd broadband cell service? What'd ya think?

Thanks!

Shelby
you can get a net service through cell phone. sm
i have altel and their plan in the south is $25/mo for unlimited use. it picks up anywhere you would get a cell signal. software was around $99 i think. it isn't as fast as DSL or cable, but would work if desperate. you plug your phone into your laptop via the software/cable and it uses your phone as the modem to dial in and connect. downfall is you can't receive phone calls while using it, calls go to voicemail. do you have to continually download voice files so that you couldn't download before you left? not sure a VPN connection would work with cell if you used that for national.
can also use your cell phone but it's rare
If you have bluetooth technology on your cell phone, you can get a cheap bluetooth plug-in for your laptop and use the cell phone as sort of a modem. Good luck trying to do it, though :*( I have Verizon and have everything I need but they have some double-knot top secret spy access phone number that they don't give out. If you can somehow get that number, you can connect anywhere you can get phone service. (and if you can get it, PUHLEEEEASE let me know it! LOL) I think that most, if not all, of the major cell phone providers have this same capability.
Barring that, you can get a card from your laptop maker (i.e., Dell).
Here's a link to Sprint's mobile broadband card. Through 6/17/07, they have a promotion going and the card itself is free after a $49.99 mail-in rebate. You have to sign up for their service, which is $59.99/month if you have their voice service (i.e., you have a Sprint cell phone and calling service) or $79.99/month if you don't.
http://mobilebusiness.sprint.com/px500/?id12=SHOP_Promo3_UHP_060207_PX500
Verizon has several mobile broadband cards (you want one that is 'Rev A' compatible/capable). Here's a link to a page with all of them and their prices ($9.99-$179.99) which are 2-year contract prices.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneOverviewByDevice&deviceType=Wireless%20PC%20Cards
They have 2 plans: National Access $59.99/month & Broadband Access $79.99/month.

Hope this all helps!
BJ :D
cell phone telemarketers
This is a SCAM. It was originated by internet thieves to get our email addresses. I used to fall for these kinds of emails all the time. Now, I always check www.snopes.com before I ever forward anything to anyone. And probably 99% of them are scams. This particular hoax has been in circulation for years. Also, when I DO forward an email, I send it to everyone as a blind copy (Bcc). Most email programs have this option. If they don't, then I wouldn't forward it.
Turn off that &%*@* Cell Phone...sm

I know docs need to remain available but give us a break!  When it rings, please either turn it off or turn off the dictation machine and tend to your call.  I dont need their ------g phone blasting high volume in my ear, often while some inconsiderate jerk is trying to dictate over the loud ringing.  I had one clown the other day who actually left his cell ringing the entire 5 to 6 minutes during his dictation.  I felt almost deaf by the time he finished. 


I was told to have 2 phone lines, one can be cell. But (sm)
The one time I needed to use modem for backup, it was virtually impossible to type, so having the second line is useless. Having a second HSI connection would do the trick in the event some castrophe took place and the HSI co. went out for a day or so.


Think of WiFi as a cell phone signal.
Have you ever had a call dropped, or the signal go from 5 bars to 1?  WiFi speed depends on the amount of traffic, weather, interference from construction, etc.    I think it is always wise to have some form of backup available just in case.   I have Earthlink cable, but I also get 20 hours of dial-up with that.  I have a laptop, so if my power goes out at least I can download and continue to work with a dial-up connection. 
I am wondering too. I have cell phone for back up
if cable service goes down so that is not a concern any more. Want to discontinue SBC (now AT&T) and get the cheapest possible second phone line I can.

In fact, I am considering just having a cell phone for phone service and that is it. Does anyone do this?
Thanks!
I have her on my quick dial on my cell phone
but I wouldn't share it without permission.  She is Editor of one of Elsevier's MT publications so visit their web site and you may be able to find an email address for her.  She still frequents another MT web site and you could put out an SOS call for her there.  Good luck.
How did SHE get YOUR husband's cell phone number? nm
nm
I have had cell phone for 2 years, newbie but
yesterday had 2 text messages (I do not do those myself) from my cell carrier. Never before had I gotten the first thing like this.
He also listed his cell phone number. (no msg)
xx
Cell phone & modem reception can be very different sm
I have very iffy cell phone service with Sprint but have been using a USB modem through them for the past month with an external antenna and amplifier. I get up to 1200 kbps download speeds without the antenna being installed outside yet (it's sitting in my window until we get a lightning protector). 3gstore.com is where I bought my equipment, and they can answer any questions you have. In fact, the tech person I spoke with has actually written transcription programs, so he definitely knows what is involved.
If you don't get your wireless through cell phone signal,
I haven't heard of any other way to get wireless broadband other than through the cell phone companies.
Does anyone use a cell phone for their long distance to transcribe? I am just
wondering if this would work since a lot of plans have free long distance now. I'm assuming there must be some kind of adapter out there to connect your cell phone to your PC or laptop. I am wondering if anyone has tried this and how it worked out. Thanks!
is there such a thing as a cell phone with pre-paid minutes,
and no monthly bill?  A couple years ago i heard one was being developed, and yet, at least here in the middle of the country, have yet to see such.   I would like to have a cell phone for emergencies or very occasional use, but can't go for the monthly bill...
LOL. That's funny. I like the retro cell phone headset. nm
nm
If you have a cell phone, why not use that for your LD calls and CX the LD on the land line?
.
The hospital where I work took down the no cell phone signs
last year. Apparently they aren't as much of a problem as they once were. Also, I was an inpatient last year and was allowed to use my cell phone in my room.

It seems like I was told that they have machines that block the phones from getting a signal in areas of the hospital where they may cause interference with equipment.
I transfer my calls to cell phone during work. nm
nm
Cell phone dictation in the middle of the night
First, they are inaudible, and they are so tired that they forget where they are at and backtrack or forget parts of the surgery. Then you have to figure out what they are saying when yawning and everything else. Also, I hate it when there are screaming kids or a bunch of people in the background that are louder than the dictators, and the dog is barking like crazy. Ambulances: Why do doctors dictate in front of ambulances when the siren is going?
Also got rid of our house phone because we all had cell phones and that saves me about 75.00 a month
or so.
That's an idea -- does it matter that my cell phone won't work from the house??
It rings but then cuts you off as soon as you answer. I think we are too far from a tower.
Does anyone use laptop & cell phone/Internet Card for work?

I am not real computer literate but am wondering if I couldn't get unlimited Internet with a cell phone plan and use that for my on-line job/Internet connection exclusively. I have found plans for around $70/month.


If so, I was thinking too I could possibly give up my land line phone, Callwave, my dial-up ISP (as that is all we have available where live) and actually save a little money by doing so. I don't make/receive a lot of land line calls and I have a TracFone cell phone that I don't use much now. I get excellent reception with that where I live. We have a huge tower within walking distance of where I live but we live out in the "sticks". :D I know my connection would be dependent on the reception where I live and the cell phone service I would use. I am not sure which one truly has the best coverage and/or who may be using the tower by our home but TracFone apparently does. :)


TIA. 


not sure about cell phone, but you can sign up for free efax messenger. sm
you can get a free efax messenger as long as you don't care what number they assign you. then you can have them fax to that number and it will come into your email inbox and you can print from there.
c-phone from cell phone
I believe if you check with your cell phone carrier they have an adapter that you can use to plug into your cell phone from the c-phone. Not sure about this but I think I had a friend tell me she had to do this but it was a year or so ago. Hope this helps.
I think the same conversation is going on at
company board, not too far from type. Look for the blonde comments, sadly. I still have no clue which one is better, but I think some posters get into more detail. I personally would always go with spaces, 65 character line including spaces, but that's just me!
This whole conversation seems to have gone off in - sm
the direction of whether or not QA is "needed" or not, or whether or not they are up to doing their jobs correctly.

I'm not saying either of those things, but what I DID say was that all too often, both inhouse and at home, I've been having to deal with QA-ers who make changes where they should NOT be making them. I even had one take out an entire sentence that was CORRECT, and VERBATIM, and insert something that the doctor never even said, and which didn't belong with that patient's diagnosis.

That is SO unethical!
I just had a nasty conversation with a
telephone rep from India who informed me that all Americans were uneducated, stupid, and "farmers" and that India was getting all the jobs because they were all educated. She shut her fat mouth when I asked if that is why India still practices putting female infants on the hillsides to be eaten by wolves, why so many of their people are starving to death, and why disease is so rampant. They are getting to be the most arrogant bunch of people I have ever seen.
I have to say I am unsettled by this conversation. sm
I wouldn't dream of drinking while I am working.  I don't believe that is a "perk" of being at home and like several have said, I don't care who you are, alcohol impairs you.  I can't imagine saying anyone saying this is okay.  And, much as Endiqua said, using the everyone does it scenario is not only wrong, it's immature.  I hope we are more professional than that!
don't join in the conversation if you sm
don't want to but don't censor others from doing so!
But that wasn't conversation....
that was criticizing the original poster for "assuming" that others celebrate Easter.  I don't think she assumed that at all; she was just asking what others were serving.  I think she would assume that those who don't celebrate wouldn't answer because the question wouldn't apply to them.
I had a telephone conversation come through once -
It may have been a walkie - I am pretty sure I saw the guy drive down the street in front of me talking on something - it was very brief, I think probably when he was in very direct range.  It was wierd!
But I'd rather listen to a side conversation than
erase and retype nearly every line.  Three times the effort for 1/3 the pay when he does that.  Back up.  Change that.  After it's already been typed.
Bizarre conversation on dictation
This obstetrician was talking to patient and her mother on a dictation this morning. The doctor and the patient's mother were trying to convince her to bring her dog into the office through the back door to have the doc do an ultrasound.  He said, "I know where the uterus is, I'll just take a look to see what's going on in there".  The patient had just given birth herself.  It was so very strange.  After about five minutes, he began to dictate. 
WOW - I just read your link to a conversation with -sm
AHDI, and I KF's answers to your questions are so vague, so filled with upper management doublespeak, that they basically say nothing at all. Except there is one thing she has constantly sidestepped answering, and that is - What is AHDI doing for UNITED STATES MT's. Her non-answer says it all: NOTHING.

You should send a copy of that conversation, and copies of other posts on this board, to our California Congress & Senate representatives.

There is SO MUCH anger on this board, and if we could just consolidate all of that, and direct it towards our elected officials, who might be able to do something about it legislation-wise, it might go a long way towards helping American MTs.

Thanks for your excellent post, and for taking the time to pull off part of KF's sheep-suit, so we can all see what's underneath.
This conversation was on the company board, but I think
about line counts and how we might be suspicious. Don't know, but checking your lines anytime and knowing exactly how they are calculated are apples and oranges. I for one would like to know exactly the formula, and I would like to know when it changes. If the calculation changes so should my original offer letter. That is IMHO.
good choice. mr. ed provides transportation and conversation.
but isn't he dead? 
Has anyone had a conversation with the people at Amherst about this situation. I am not sure where

to go after them to get any results. I would appreciate any recommendations you may have on this because it needs to be addressed.


Wrong - if you had gone to college you wouldn't be having this conversation.
Ever consider that maybe your lack of ambition is the problem and that your own set of choices have put you in a position you're not happy with? Of course not. It's always someone else's fault.
Had this exact same conversation here in 2005 - see message
Here is the original posting. I'm still doing MT but now on my terms. I don't make as much money as I did even 10 years ago but I get to pick and choose what I want to do. I still don't feel appreciated. And, once again, I blame the AAMT as well as the changes in business ethics that I see EVERYWHERE today. Let's not even get into the subject of the CEO's and their insane remuneration packages! Anyway, my only recommendation is to find something you love (MT or billing, or something else) and do it to the best of your ability and on YOUR OWN TERMS. That helps to mitigate the frustration, somewhat!




20 years as an MT - now I am on strike...sm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Posted By: on strike on 2005-09-12



After 20+ years as an IC I have seen my salary go down, down, down! Not because my speed has decreased, no, it has in fact increased dramatically due to the availability of ShortHand programs. No, my salary has gone since the inception of AAMT and their "standards" and practices. The organization that was going to help MT's become more respected has done the opposite. Yes, there were doctors out there who initially thought of me as a "typist" but I quickly showed them the difference between a typist and a "medical transcriptionist" (medical language specialist). Some of them were unwilling to pay for the difference, but most were pleased to pay a bit more for someone who knew when he was making a mistake and was willing to call and get it right. Today, however, the large MT companies have driven the IC out of business. They offer 4-hour turn around at ridiculously low rates. Many of these companies outsource to India, Pakistan, the Philippines, etc. Some of the outsourced work is done perfectly. Most is not. I am hearing this from office managers who cannot convince the business owners that it is "cheaper" to have the transcription done correctly the first time rather than have more time (money) spent doing QA.



Most of my work has been for large radiology clinics. Conglomerates that own upwards of 100 to 200 radiology clinics across the country own these clinics. The bottom line with management is the "bottom line". Their bonuses and hefty salaries are dependent on keeping costs down...therefore cheap transcription is a "must".



Finally, the reason for the steady decrease in salaries for MT's is the availability of cheap foreign and (yes!) American labor. MT's in this country are becoming more desperate and accepting the lower line rates. Yes, of course you need to in order to pay for food, etc. However, if ever there was a time for us to organize a "strike" this is the time. It will never happen, however, because we are too busy just getting by. And where has the AAMT been during this time (in particular the last ten years when salaries have been eroding the fastest)? They have been telling us the "proper" way to do transcription. In the "good old days" if we did not transcribe correctly we were fired. If we used poor grammar, we were fired. That simple! Meanwhile this group (AAMT) purporting to be working to benefit MT's has instead been working to benefit themselves. They benefit themselves by touting their CE courses and the need for us all to become CMT's, that we can only do through their courses and their tests. None of which are free.



No, I am not an AAMT hater. I hate the hypocrisy of the AAMT. I hate the fact that experience counts for naught in this field. I hate the fact that the moment corporate America realized that medical transcription was an income producing product mostly male executives realized that they could take over with large companies, offer work at a much lower price than an individual could, and force the medical Transcriptionist to work at the prices they foist on us. That is what I have seen over the past twenty years.



Don't bother flaming me for telling you what I have seen. Most of the flamers will be from large corporations or IC's who have accepted their fate. Yes, you are making good money typing thousands of lines a day at a few pennies each line. Yes, you pay your bills doing so. I am not putting you down for doing so. What I am saying is that over the past 20 years the medical transcription field has changed (been hijacked by large corporations) and as such the bottom line is "how cheap can we get the transcription done". Such is corporate America. Get it done cheap or someone else will get the contract.



So, what am I suggesting? I don't know for sure. Perhaps there is no answer for most transcriptionists other than to accept their fate. As for me, I am lucky enough to have an income so that I can go on "strike" until I find a job that pays me what I am worth. Or, until I go back to school to find another career! Which is the most likely course of action a lot of us will be taking no matter how much we love what we were doing.



If you have any useful insights I would love to hear them. Flamers will be ignored.




listening while listening?
You can listen to music while listening to dictation simulatniously? Or am I missing something? I used to listen to music at my old data entry job, but I didn't have to hear anything back then.

Great to see somebody else listening to Alice Cooper, though, great taste :D.
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