MT and medicine in general
Posted By: the "profit" makers moved in. on 2005-09-12
In Reply to: 20 years as an MT - now I am on strike...sm - on strike
The greedy guts smelled the ability to MAKE A PROFIT in the field of medicine
and "there went the neighborhood."
It used to be a sign of respect to be a doctor - now they just work for the company store and are running out the door with the nurses at quitting time - throwing any patient they may be seeing to the winds. One even told me to hurry up and make up my mind because she had to go pick up her kids at daycare!
And so has medical transcription - some guy in a tie said QUANTITY OF LINES COULD = MUCHO PROFIT...
Of course those people don't care if a few people die along the way because of errors. - well not at least until it's their leg that's amputated by mistake.
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Going into medicine. I have 2 MT friends
who are already in medical school. One MT I worked with at a large hospital is now an anesthesiologist making about $300K a year. Hahaha Should I hope to do so well. Hahaha
Know 1 who is a psychotherapist now. Know 1 who got her MBA and works in government contracting and 1 who got his MS and works for JCAHO.
Lots of things to do out there! It's much easier to decide what you want to do now that you're experienced in life and know what the real investments and rewards are. I'd go on to commercial flight school if I weren't going into medicine. I have a private license. Would LOVE to be Lear certified! Would love to fly a medical helicopter. You can get funding for those flight programs, too! Not a traditional classroom setup. If I don't get into med school, I may be doing that! Hahaha
Internal Medicine
 Are they hiring at all right now? Let me know. Am interested in part-time, evenings and weekends.
Unfortunately after paying $140.00 for the medicine (30 days) sm
after two weeks I broke out in hives and had to stop taking it.
"The Language of Medicine" sm
is a very good book and very thorough. I would recommend it highly.
Rehab medicine will include PT, OT, sm
speech therapy, etc.
MT is usually for medicine. Nursing is a different discipline.
X
Well, after all the doctors are only "Practicing" Medicine, right? nm
.
Perhaps, but there will also be no incentive to go into medicine for US docs, SM
when they get out of med school they have debt, will have to set up a practice, pay their staff, etc. What is the incentive if you can earn a limited income.
I say let the free market decide.
I don’t think he would just out of the blue suggest the medicine
Probably you made mention of having had the cervical cancer and that is where the dialogue started, right? As far as the x-ray, think that is being overplayed with that and fertility. Loads of children, females included, have x-rays when younger and do not lose their ability to have children. You sound like you are stressed out, mentioning this and that, xrays, miscarriages, sterility, etc., etc.
My wonderful MD is having to leave medicine sm
Because she can't afford to practice!!! The compensation for primary care docs SUX. The Blues owe her about $60K she can't collect on care she has already provided. The year I was her MT, her practice paid me $3000, it paid her $2500 FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. She literally didn't take home a paycheck all year and took the $2500 at the end when she didn't have to pay it out. In the end, that money went to pay a lawyer to try to collect from the Blues.
I have a very complicated medical history and still have many significant problems. The idea of changing doctors right now makes me sick. I won't have any more choice about that than my doctor has about leaving the profession. She is a wonderful doctor and has cared for me for 20 years. I am sick over this.
Muscle relaxants could help also. I am on migraine medicine too but...
if it is caused by your muscles trapping the occipital nerve, injections would help, both diagnostically and therapeutically. They would then know how to proceed with your next step in treatment. The stimulator was a miracle until the lead wires moved. If the injections do not help, it rules out one type of headache and on to the next. I use Cafergot for my migraines with aura (a whole different headache altogether), but that has been discontinued now. I really wish you luck!
OT: Changing face of veterinary medicine (sm)
Is it only me or has veterinary medicine changed quite a bit over the years to resemble care of humans? I have cats and absolutely love them but I'm becoming torn between necessary care, preventive care, and just down-right UN-necessary care. I remember back when animals went to the vet for shots and only when they got sick. If they were sick, diagnosis and prognosis dictated the next level of care. And in most cases back then there were no options other than to let nature take its course if something serious/chronic was found.
I'm now noticing that every time I take one of the cats to the vet's, the doc wants to do "baseline" blood work at least once a year and now wants to see my ten-year-old cat on a twice-yearly basis. My kitty is healthy as a horse and has had no health problems for ten years. Why all of a sudden does he need expensive BASELINE lab work and xrays as well as needing to be seen twice a year and have his teeth cleaned twice a year (not cheap)? It sounds like I'm complaining about the money end versus taking care of my kitty, and I suppose in a sense I am, because this adds up to a whole lot over the course of time. The doc mentioned the reasons for the lab work (diabetes, thyroid problems, anemia, cancer, etc.) I'm torn between having the work done and what I would do if anything chronic showed up on the tests. I love my kitty but don't know if spending lots of money on chronic meds/therapy would be an option when I would have to weigh other expenses against them.
Food/medicine caught in throat
This very thing happened to me while eating pizza one day - I ended up in the ER because I could not get it out or to go down. The ER doc ordered a chest x-ray (do not know why) and then sent me home with some Prilosec saying that I had esophagitis. It was a rainy day - two dogs chased my car home and I was afraid to get out - plus I had my sister's four children that week, besides my own two. I took a Prilosec and then had to have my husband rush to the pharmacy for some Benadryl - I was allergic to the dye - then, and I don't recommend this, I got a long-handled teaspoon - bent it and stuck it down my throat - retrieving the pizza dough. I still had esophagitis because my throat was now inflamed from the pizza and the spoon handle - I put the chewed up dough in a ziploc and returned it to the ER for an explanation - of course they thought I was crazy - but you do what you have to do. I have found that many doctors are either incompetent or on drugs (cocaine, meth, and others that they either sniff or smoke). That is why there is such a high malpractice rate (but that's another story). In fact, I see a doctor now who is a drug-abuser - but he prescribes what me or my family needs when we go to see him and we get well - but boy is he high - nice, though. That's my take on the ibuprofen in your throat.
We come in contact daily with much more true medicine sm
medical problems, diagnoses, treatment, that nurses do. I question my nurse practitioner, constantly, about why she is prescribing certain medications for me. She seems to have a lot less knowledge of these medications than I do. (btw, she resents it).
It is JCAHO. The most misspelled acronym in medicine! nm
x
Nope. Many years working at the School of Medicine. SM
An MS4 is a med student till June graduation. He's "Mister So-and-So" then in June when he graduates, he's "Doctor So-and-So."
A 4th year resident is something else entirely. He is an R4 (or that's what they call them here). HE is an MD. The MS4 is not an MD.
Normal x-rays, CT scans, nuclear medicine
scans, nuclear medicine procedures and tests, etc. Anything procedure associated with radiology, which can include op reports dictated by the radiology interventionists.
Kids certainly not the reason for me, I loved the field of medicine
I had started working in hospital settings about 10 years before I ever knew about transcribing. Working at a hospital in another section my boss told me since I typed fast she had a friend who worked in MTing at the hospital, they had an opening and you could make extra money the more you typed, the more you could make. Being as my speed was 130-140, thought perfect job for me. I think loving the actual work rather than just doing to stay home is the main reason I have done as long as I have, no burn out for this person.
Oh good grief! No way. The only Dixie I know of is a forensic medicine person...
not a former bank manager. Maybe there are 2 of them.
In general
All caps and no abbreviations. Headings for PE and ROS underneath. Account specifics may differ.
In General....
An employer cannot set a specific schedule for an IC. This link addresses the issue here :
http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/1179.html
An excerpt fron the site above notes :
"According to the IRS, workers are employees if they must comply with the employer's instructions about their work, receive training or direction from the employer, provide services that integrate into the employer's business, render their services personally (can't subcontract), have a continuing working relationship with the employer, must follow set hours of work, work full-time for the employer..."
As is noted in the site linked above , the consequences for the employer are quite severe if the IRS determines that the company actually was treating you as an employee rather than an IC.
In general,
in a given occupational group the upward pressure that unions place on wages and benefits has the net effect of raising the income and standard of living of poor folk up to the level of middle class folk while the absence of unions tends to drag the income and standard of living of middle class folk down to the level of poor folk. That upward pressure on wages and benefits not only helps union members but everybody else working in that occupational group. Without the organized upward pressure, wages will sink like a rock.
attorney general
good idea. I have contacted an attorney already (I am a corp by myself so I have access to an attorney) and he states that legally there is nothing right now that I can do. I can possibly sue them later down the road, but they have not done anything illegal. He suggested to try and "sugar" them into paying me. I will contact the attorney general's office. The company and I are in the same state, so that helps tremendously.
Go to Dollar General. sm
I'm amazed what i can find there for $1. You never know what you're going to find, but cleaning supplies, household stuff, things that are definitely more than $1 even at Wal-Mart...as long as you're willing to not be picky. When the hurricanes were looming, I got mutli pack of name -brand batteries for $1, tons of candles, etc. You just have to search the whole store, but definitely worth it.
Is that the one for a general transcriptionist?
c
In general no, but your client may need you to
nm
dogs in general
As a pet owner, I can understand the devestating feelings that you have regarding the horrible death of your dog/child. (I say child because my 2-year-old Weimaraner is like one of my kids) Please remember that any dog can be made to be vicious, there are no vicious dogs by nature. Dogs are a direct result of the environment that they live in and if they are mistreated then they are going to be mean and unsafe. My brother had what is called a Mastif bulldog and it was the biggest baby I have ever see at 100 pounds. Neighbors were okay with this dog in the neighborhood (all their kids loved him) until a picture of his breed was put on the cover of Time magazine. In this picture, the dog was snarling and looked very vicous. My brother ended up having to get rid of the dog because so many people were then afraid, even though before they loved the animal before. There is "prejudice" when it comes to dogs, just as there is "prejudice" when it comes to people.
too general a question - please be.....nm
General Transcriptionist
Im trying to begin my career in MT. I've ordered a at home study course and im waiting for it to arrive but in the mean time i heard that general transcription is the route to go until you become efficient enough to begin in MT. Does anyone know of how I need to get started in this and what I need to do to begin?
Thanks
Jodie
as a general rule...
I use an "f" after any abbreviation that I want to expand. I just use the standard abbreviation plus f, so I do not forget what they are. My ShortHand is full of things like this.
ex: cbcf tcpf tshf
Works for me!
General Dissatisfaction
I read all these board and it seems that overall no one is happy where they are. Is it because this is the most God awful boring profession possibly? I am so bored that to keep me occupied I find things that could be done better or quicker. I just switched companies because I couldn't stand same old same old another minute. Just the new platform and dictators make for a better day. Am I alone in this thought process? No, changing jobs is not an option right now kids at home and raising them comes before me..Just a theory
Your question is too general...
You need to post on the company board for a specific company. We cannot answer your question as currently presented!
General MT questions
Recently, I was asked the following questions by a friend who is helping to revamp a medical transcription course. These questions are also asked by individuals who might be interested in medical transcription and are posed at seminars.
I would appreciate your input if you would be so kind. Also, what is the industry-wide expectation on required number of lines per day and number of minutes per day (8-hour day).
1. On average, how long does it take a medical Transcriptionist to produce 1 hour of dictation?
2. Besides Word, is it essential for transcriptionists to purchase any of the transcription software that’s available?
3. Is it common for doctors to transcribe into templates, which eliminates the need for medical transcriptionists?
4. How many lines an hour should an average MT be typing?
Thanks I appreciate any and all input.
what general area are you in
A gal I know up in a western metropolitan area got 14 cpl 5 YEARS ago, but she says the prices up there are like that. I wonder what they get in New York?
General discussions here say should get AT
x
It seems that the general consensus is that it
is inappropriate, regardless of the sexual orientation of the employee.
If you did not give your expressed permission to use your company name, logo, or otherwise, it could be considered a copyright infringement.
Ask her to take it down because you did not give your permission for her to put it up.
Wages in general
In looking over *** jobs, under the pay/compensation it seems everyone is putting "competive wage/compension". Can anyone give me some idea of what that means....I am currently getting 8.5-10 cents for IC work. I have 10+ years and made it at Healthscribe for 5+ years, which was definitely the worst work ever. Can I do better? I had my CMT and let it expire years ago.
I was always told as a general rule
it was double. Most of the time, however, I think it is slightly over that.
Bachelors of General Studies
Summa cum laude, thank you very much.
Long, complicated story. Basically, I'm a clinical year short of a Clinical Laboratory Science degree, but I won't go back and pursue it barring losing my husband. Also, if I'd have thought more carefully when I switched out of the CLS program, I was only 3 or 4 classes short of a B.A. in psychology. Oh, well. What I ended up with is essentially a liberal arts degree with lots and lots of science classes and lots of psychology classes and a smattering of language studies.
Like some of the other posters, my ultimate goal is to get into P.A. school once my youngest kiddos are school age. I think I'm too old for med school now, but it raises my hopes to see the post below. Being a transcriptionist pays the bills, but some days I do kinda get upset with myself. Here I am doing the same thing I went to school not to do any more. Sigh...
MTing is not bad, but I just don't get enough people contact, and it certainly doesn't have a lot of money or prestige associated with it. Sigh.. again. Ah, well. It works for my family right now.
That is the general premise though it seems more and more "require"
what they are trying to do is obviously have a good idea of what your daily committment/lines will be so they can keep the work covered and done in TAT. It makes sense for them to do this though I do not like having a set schedule as that is hard for me personally...maybe 2 out of 5 weekdays I could actually work a schedule. As for "requiring" you to work a holiday, if it is in your contract, yes, if not but it is your normal scheduled work day and they say nothing about you having it off, they I would think they "expect" you to work it. Work though at the holiday's does slack off some, the doctors don't want to work either. I am an IC but don't have to work a schedule luckily, and I get off the days the hospital I do work for does (all major holidays) though I may have work at home to do in my box, I choose when to do it, as long as it is in for my deadline they don't care. Seems to me those types of jobs are getting harder to find though.
Former owner of MDI, now General Manager
Wow - I most definitely do work at MDI.
If you worked for MDI you would know how extremely busy we are. I sent out a mass email on Wednesday asking for extra help.
I try to NEVER overhire, as I am a Transcriptionist myself and I realize that my MT's need the job and the money coming in on a regular basis. So I do take great offense at your post. AND YES, I really work at MDI.
Please give me a call.
Thanks,
Liz
Can anyone point me in the general direction
of making templates? I have no idea what I am doing or where to start. I have looked in the archives, but keep finding posts related to jobs that pay for templates, etc. Thanks in advance 
Also, is it possible to really use templates when doing a very large acute care hospital?
I wasn't asking for your address, just general
location. Like East Coast, West Coast, Midwest .. big city, small town. Your unwillingness to respond to any of the questions pretty much gives me my answers.
Why does everyone here always just automatically assume the worst? Sheesh. It's like a rampant disease. Yes, I was asking for your address so I can come find you and stalk you. As if I would actually care. I was trying to make a point as to regional rates, that's all. When someone like you pipes up saying that 9 cpl is an "India" wage, then the good people who are surviving quite well on 9 cpl won't want to speak up for fear of being bashed. I run ads for help often for my transcription service and get plenty of responses from Indian MTs and most of them are only asking for 3-4 cpl. The only way I could ever see companies paying 9 cpl to MTs overseas would be if MTs here were asking 20 cpl. Otherwise, it just wouldn't be advantageous since many US MTs are more than willing to work at 9 cpl with (usually) much better quality and fewer training expenses.
All I can say to the OP is that you should decide what rate works best for you. Will 9 cpl pay your bills? Cost of living is different in different places so 9 cpl may work for one MT but not another. Are you being started at 9 cpl with the knowledge that you can move up from that rate once they've QA'd your work for a few months? While some MTs in some areas may be able to demand a rate of 16 cpl, that is not typical in all locales. Asking that rate in a smaller town would put you out of business since there would be too many others more than happy to accept the 9 cpl.
Finally, I hope this is not the only message board you use to seek answers to your questions. I find this board to be the least beneficial with the most negativity and bickering getting in the way of any good information it provides. Check out some other MT sites as well. And please remember that people hiding behind anonymity will often exaggerate or just plain not tell the truth so take it with a grain of salt. Do the math and see if the rate will work for YOU. It doesn't have to be good for anyone else. :)
how about esthetics field in general
I don't want to spend 7k and get out and have no business.
Paid by report or cpl - Which is better in general? nm
nm
Right click My Computer....should be under general tab. nm
xx
Did you try going to the general escription forums?
Is it Willie that moderates it? Anyhoo, someone in there asked about getting a USB adapter a while back. Maybe one of the techs can help you. I would LOVE to be able to use my laptop with a pedal.
What general search engine do you use? (sm)
Does anyone use anything but Google for a general search engine? Google seems to be down today (is google down for anyone else?), and I'm trying to find another one that is as good for my general searches.
Thanks!
General rule is 3-5% a year. sm
If you currently get 8 cpl, ask for a raise up to 8.25 or 8.5 cpl, that almost covers cost of living and inflation.
Generic numbers here to show the math based on the 8 cpl with the raises:
200 lph at 8.00 cpl = $16 hourly/$33,280 yearly
200 lph at 8.25 cpl = $16.50 hourly/$34,320 yearly
200 lph at 8.50 cpl = $17.00 hourly/$35,360 yearly
When you ask for a raise, provide them with verifiable data to prove you DESERVE a raise. Say you are 99% accurate, remind them. If you type 250 lph or more, remind them. If you work OT on days off, remind them. If you come at them with your homework done and good reason to give you more, they will be more apt to say yes. (I have never been turned down for a raise, once even got more than I actually was looking for because I didn't specify how much of a raise I was wanting.)
There's general, insurance, police, others. nm
s
Companies in general, true. ICs could be
added in, but obviously there are laws from the labor board regarding employees, versus IC where it would be a contract.
However, I just was wondering how far a supervisor can go as long as people work their hours (allowable by law 8 scheduled) and as long as people get their agreed on minimum line count. Wondering about no breaks between reports, and working every minute being monitored and that would be with a company or any employer paying your benefits. Also, wondering if this were mentioned at the interview, would a person take the job. Guess that is a more rhetorical wondering. But it is true, up to the employee to do something about it. I agree. If the employee does not want to stand for it, could either leave, or make an issue out of it, which brings us to another conversation then.
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