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One thing that works for me is to speed them up just a bit,

Posted By: jus me on 2006-02-22
In Reply to: Is 11 cpl 65 characters good pay for - MT

for some reason makes it a bit easier to understand. Also, I'd ask for samples of past work to be able to see what are the common things they just fly through. Speed 'em up or slow 'em down, see if one of these makes it better for you. Best of luck.


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Typing speed is not the key thing
but how efficient the dictator is in dictating, the distractions, the platform, etc. If you get alot of air ("uh, um, duh...") it brings your line count down big time.

I usually manage 1000 lines (with no distractions) in 4 to 5 hours.
...future as you encountered the same thing again. Speed isn't
s
Well, the first thing you'll need is a high speed internet connection if you don't already hav

it.  You'll want to invest in a foot pedal that you can connect to your PC.  I'd check out the pedals on transcriptiongear.com or check out Ebay.  I've found a lot of useful MT equipment on ebay for really reasonable prices.  I have an Infinity USB pedal that works nicely and I bought it off of Ebay.  You'll need to download ExpressScribe or another program so you will be able to play back sound files using your pedal.  That will make it a lot easier for you to test with some of the national companies as they generally have .wav files that you'll need to transcribe and send back before they will make an offer.


Once you've landed a job, the bigger companies generally will provide you with whatever software required to do their work and some provide you with all the equipment you'll need.  However, some will require you to use your own PC and will want you to have the latest version of Word.


That should get you started.


It works if they say the same thing or SM
almost the same thing. I can attest to the fact C-sections are must saves. Usually orthopedic procedures are also good to save. Hernia repairs. Basically, depends on doctor, but would rather save, than not save.
Do you even know how this kind of thing works?
The governor of a state is responsible for assessing potential disasters, the amount of assistance that is immediately available and if it is not enough in his/her opinion he/she is to contact the federal government and request assistance. Kathleen Blanco did not do this, underestimated the storm and the amount of resources she had available to her in her area and dropped the ball.

She's no Rudy Guiliani, plain and simple.

Take a middle school Civics class and try to keep up.

The feds were warning those people to get out of there a week ago and they did not. If blame must be placed, Blanco dropped the ball and was unqualified for her job as governor, and the residents there are idiots for staying in the path of a Category 5 hurricane when they were warned to evacuate days before it hit.

I'm so sick of the "nobody likes me because I'm poor" attitude of helplessness that got those people poor and kept them that way in the first place.
Wow - I do the same thing! Works everytime. nm
x
Here is the only thing I have found that works sm

Get a full 8 hours of good sleep at night. 


Most people in the US, especially the female people in the US, do not get enough sleep.  We push, and push and push, and do for everyone...but not ourselves.  We stay up late trying to keep a nice house.  We cook meals, do the dishes and work.  Men don't get it.  ANY woman who works outside the home can tell you, we ALL work the second shift of housecleaning, childcare, cooking and laundry.  Men work one shift at the office and sit on their wide fat arses for the evening and complain about what they aren't getting.  Precious few will clean up in any way, shape or form.


OF COURSE you are tired and draggy at work.  Once I finally realized that I was overeating to compensate for being so very tired I looked at my fat behind and understood that sleep is more important than food.  I started insisting on 8 hours of sleep.  Guess what? I don't power nap at my desk anymore!  I have lost 40 lbs in a year and I am actually getting more done, at work and at home.


No amount of energy drink or caffeine makes up for sleep.


Love my Kirby G5 -- got it used for $500 - the thing is a tank and works great!- nm
x
It's always the first thing a computer person asks me...lol! And it works a lot of the time. nm
nm
increase speed 3, decrease speed 2...sm
increase backspace 9, decrease backspace 8. At least that's what mine does.
C-phone speed help! PLEASE! Speed key!
I am in tears - typing speedy gonzalez - a total knee replacement, not a standard, dictated in under 1 minute - FULL REPORT!  Can you imagine? I have a C-phone that is just hanging in there, but lost all its programming.  Isn't there a # key on the number part of the phone that reduces speed?  I need it way slooooooooooow!! I'm afraid to just start hitting numbers, though, cause I've lost reports that way!! Anybody have a # to hit for me???
Full Word is in the Works "Suite," not plain Works.
Works saves files in a different format, but you can open them in Word if you have the correct filter installed.
RIGHT!!! Someone who works 16 hours and someone who works 60 will have a HUGE difference. NM
.
Emdat works with Instant Text Por V - ony version that works with Emdat - nm
nm
Ebonics: Not a black thing or white thing. (sm)

I don't think there's any cause to get upset or defensive here.  Look it up on line...even colleges are offering courses in Ebonics!  ...well of course they are more sociology-type courses, but still, people are PAYING to learn about the why's and how's of this "other" language.


A quote from one of the sites I found:

"UT-Austin's "Introduction to the Study of African American English," teaches students that the sentence, "Nobody didn't leave" is not "mainstream English with mistakes," but rather a legitimate English dialect. "Ebonics: Myth and Facts" and "African-American English" are both offered at Harvard. Penn and UCLA also promote Ebonics as a legitimate dialect in, "Introduction to African American and Latino English" and "Afro-American Sociolinguistics: Black English," respectively."


Here's the link: http://www.academia.org/campus_reports/2002/september_2002_2.html


 


Shorthand works with every program, it works outside the program you use, does not interfere.
nm
Speed when it comes to DSL

I would love to cut my bills, with my DSL carrier have to have land phone in order to have internet. I do both VR and straight typing, mostly VR. Has anyone had any issues with similar, using the fastest DSL (which costs more) and then going to the lower rate (which costs less). I might be interested if I can find is there really that much difference in your speed?


Probably will! Maybe we could speed it along - sm
by sending the link to our local TV stations!
speed
your processor is what adds speed or diminishes speed. being as that your computer is 4-5 years old, your processor probably just cannot keep up with the expectations you have of it. With increased files and using an online platform, you probably need an updated processor. Also depends on how much you have *open* at the time of working on the online platform.
Speed

Definitely have to have a split keyboard.  My wpm went up considerably with the split keyboard plus your hands don't get as tired because it is in a more natural position. 


Speed

I have found that timing myself with a stopwatch makes me get more done.  Otherwise, I take my time and then I do less work.  I make a limit for each transcription, and then I try to beat that time. 


Abby


Speed
what speed do you all keep your dictations on? normal or chipmunk style?
I did this, what did it say your speed was?
It said mine averaged 180.
speed it up
I am in the same situation. My computer is fine, just slow, and I don't want to buy a new one, especially not with Vista. I bought 1GB of RAM from an ebay seller (new) for $35, watched a YouTube video on how to install it (super quick and easy), and now it is running a lot faster. I also ran a Scan Disk and Defragmenter to clean it up. I had hundreds of thousands temporary internet files that got cleared out.
MT'ing isn't all about speed, although...

of course it helps to type fairly fast.  However, there is sooooo much more to it than just typing speed.


That being said, my own speed without using any text expansions isn't nearly as great as some mention here.  I tested using expansions recently and hit well over 200 wpm.  Thankfully, I am able to use a text Expander while working . . . otherwise I might starve to death. 


how to test for speed ?
is there an online test we can take? I'd love to take one nowadays ... it's been a while since I have !

JoJo
How long does it take to get up to speed at a new job?
Also, which is better, acute or clinic?  I can't seem to get my production up to where it used to be.  The reports are super short, about a minute or less.  The header info is a tedious process of checking this, checking that, verifying everything.  I don't know if this is going to work out, but I can't afford to be changing jobs again this close to Christmas.  The work itself is super easy.
Had a speed-demon doc whose
nurse, whom I could hear in the background, asked him, "Geez, how can they understand you when you talk so fast?", and he replied, "Oh that's they way they like it!"  Wonder where he got that idea?  At least he talked to her so she could understand him...LOL.
speed typing
Okay, ladies.  I have been working for 8 months now as an MT and my typing accuracy still is lacking quite a bit.  I have the typer shark program that I use sometimes.  I type about 50 WPM.  Not good enough for me.  I was hoping that somebody could give me suggestions or hope that it will come with time.  I seem to be a little bit better lately, but I keep hearing about MTs who type 300+ lines per hour.  It takes me a couple hours or more to do that.  Depending on the dictator, of course.  One woman said she used to type the news and that seemed to help her.  I just need some encouragement that I will get better, or maybe some people don't. 
speed typing
I also use IT, as it is through the company I work for. I am still getting to know the program. I tried Mavis. I found her to be cute, but annoying. I think am just being impatient. I really like the typer shark program. It's actually fun. I think I will take the time to work on understanding IT, so I can get it to work for me.

Thanks your input. It did make me feel hopeful!
speed typing
Will do! Thank you for the encouragement.
Speed was an issue for me....
Hi, Sandi - If you've been working with a dial-up at home and haven't had a problem, I'll bet you won't have one with the PC card. My problem is that I am spoiled - in my home office I have the fastest DSL we can get in our area - 7 mbps. So, when I use my laptop remotely, the Verizon service almost seems like dial-up to me. Just to give you an idea, the last time I used it remotely, I downloaded 20 discharge summary dictations, most of them around 5 minutes long, and it took about 45 minutes for all of the audio to download. Of course, I was camping in an area where the cell phone signal wasn't that great, so that might have been a factor.

If I were you, I'd try out your card for a few days before you dump your other service, just to compare.... It's all what you are used to, I guess....
playback speed
Thank you, I will check on this. You all have been so helpful. Thank you very much!
Can you get high speed?
That's VERY expensive for dial up.  Most high speed services cost about that.
VR - speed and training

Honestly, how fast will VR type the dictation. I read somewhere about 160?  Is that all?  I don't understand how a Transcriptionist can train the program when it is the doctor that is dictating.  Can someone explain.  I am trying to figure out if this is something I want - whether it be to save my wrists for the future/ or if it will type the work faster than I do.  I am generally about 200 now, depending on the work, sometimes better, sometimes worse. TIA.


My speed is really high but this job is not what
it was years ago. With being an engineer, it would seem that the money should really be good there. I have done this now for over 30 years and if I had to do now and raise a family, I would have to work more than 1 job, possibly 3-4. It is really not the money maker it was once, not at all. The work is not easy, not just a typist job, in fact after all these years I still am always trying to make sure my QA is not lacking, otherwise your job is lacking as in gone. My speed is around 140 wpm but the speed is not what is really important. I found it extremely difficult starting out and trained for over a year inhouse before I ever earned production. This would not be a job I would recommend now unless you just want to stay at home with a child, do part time, retired, in other words where you want to put in time and really don't need to make a living doing it.
Speed Type
Has a utility available that will convert your present files to ST for a $15 fee .. well worth it from my little chair!! Also, Betsy works with people to make sure they are on the right track with ST and has a toll free number and she is the help desk and not overseas, which should indicate that she does not have heavy volume of technical calls. It is a great program.
I did downgrade from 5.0 speed sm

to 1.5 speed and I notice no difference. I have done both VR and straight typing on Extext and notice really no difference. Saved me a bundle of money. Sprint DSL.


With your experience and speed.....
I don't know why others are telling you to try production-based before going home. With a typing speed of what you say you can do, you would well exceed 18.00 an hour. I don't think my typing speed is much over 100-110, but I average 25.00-28.00 an hour. Good luck in whatever you decide.
Exactly what I was talking about, if not for speed
and I mean my typing, nothing else, I would not be able to make what I want to make. I have to absolutely without any doubt keep all my attention on my work for the straight full 8 hours, no breaks, no lunch, dinner, hardly bathroom breaks until I finish. I could have break and/or food but then would just have to work later on in the evening. If not for the fast speed and having my dictation set as fast as it will go and my keeping up with most times, I could not stay in this business. Like I said, in 80s almost 60thous, in the 90s 40thous and now in the 20thous. Next 10 years I will be paying to work for them, I guess!!!
I speed them up every chance I get!

What is your typing speed? - sm
Though most of being a great MT involves excellent listening skills, to make the most of production, IMHO, you have type like the wind and use macros, including macro sentences rather than words only.  Just a thought - when was the last time you took a typing test?  I think there is a free Web based typing test...
Doubling Speed

I am pretty new at transcription and only typing approximately 100 lph.  Any good tips on ways to help me double this?  - I do use word Expanders (constantly making new and revamping as see fit).


I suppose practice, practice, practice is the main way; but I am guessing many of you who are experienced have discovered some helpful things along the way.


Really need to pay my bills, so I am willing to give any ideas a shot!


Thanks,


Kristy


doubling speed
One neat trick a fellow MT said was to push the dictator speed up just as fast as you can to still understand them. It really makes you perk up and pay attention, and keeps it going. Slowing down to understand them clearly seems to d-r-a-g you down. Hope it helps. :^)
I wish you could control the speed with
a keystroke. That would make it much more efficient IMO, instead of having to use the mouse.

Be sure you go into the spell-check settings and allow it to spell check capitals, especially if your account has you put allergies in caps (but even headings benefit from spell-checking).

Unfortunately it will then spell check patient names. Wish they could tell it not to spell-check the demographics.

Other than these quirks I think ExText works pretty well.
Maybe just me, but your speed is slow
at 70 wpm. I have been tested at 130-140 and getting the lines just not an effort- I think it has everything to do with the 70 wpm. You really need to build your Expanders and abbreviation list- that would help you tremendously.
I do VR, have my speed as fast as I can get and
I only average about 357 lph. There is no way I could get 1000 - my speed would not even go that fast.
Typing Speed

Is there an easy way to calculate word-per-minute typing speed using the lines per hour I can do?  -Thanks.


In a word? SPEED sm
and you can email and I'll even send you my glossary for ST with 20,000 shortcuts in it.

I have used ST with MedRiteXL and it runs fine. You need to set ST to open when Word launches and not turn it off if you can help it. It doesn't crap up the MedRite, but it just works better. Also, if you use ST, have them turn off the built in Expander or you'll have problems, like the sentence not wrapping to the next line and/or an expansion at the end of a line spewing out garbage as it wraps.
Typing Speed
I type about 70wpm with about a 98% accuracy rate.  Per a couple online typing tests I took this week.  I'm curious what speed accomplished MTs type?  Is 70wpm fast enough?  If not, are there any work at home classes or software packages to improve typing speed?  Are there any you know work or recommend?  Thanks in advance for your help.
Increase speed
Crank up the speed of the dictator as high as you can while still understanding it. Learn all the keyboard shortcuts and don't touch the mouse. If you hover your mouse over the buttons, you'll see the shortcut.