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Thank you, that is certainly constructive. How about 17 years, you want me to just change to accomm

Posted By: digging in on 2008-09-29
In Reply to: the same is true for MTSOs as MTs - cjyt

nm


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My only change would have been doing it sooner than 25 years ago. nm
x
Well, with 8 years at the same company I was up to 11 and some change.
I always thought it was a terrible wage.
There was a huge change 30-40 years ago - you must have missed it.
They dropped the periods in abbreviations such as IRS, FBI, etc.   Things do change and while you might not agree with the BOS - it is right in this instance.  Forty years ago the IRS was referred to as the I.R.S.!!!
Even 4.5 is too low. doctors do not change - they still hem and haw, change, change stuff along wit
It is just not enough for the work. Speech is great on the wrists but you are not just reading what is typed, you are making a lot of changes. I have a hard time doubling a lot of days with all the changes I have to make. Just my opinion.
Constructive
No one likes being corrected, even in a nice way, especially if doing the same thing the same way for years. Us QAs out here are just like you, employed by a company, we are not the almighty rulers of the world. We are employed to do a job which is not easy and many feelings get hurt along the way. Many MTs just want to be left alone to do their work even if it is incorrect. Thats not an option these days, the work must be correct and quality is mandatory, not an option.
Can anyone please tell me what constructive
I have been following the discussion below about impolite QA and some of you have mentioned receiving constructive feedback from QA and/or mentors. Would someone please tell me what this constructive feedback looks like? Where I work they just fill in the blanks, but I never receive any comments. I often ask questions but receive no response. What am I missing? I hope for some sort of feedback from the QA people and/or my manager but it never happens. Maybe I have been spared the rudeness that some of you experience because they never comment. Which companies offer feedback, tips, constructive criticism? What does the feedback/mentoring look like? Thank you for your responses and help.
If you have nothing constructive to say, then
xx
The answers have been constructive. sm

What I don't understand is why you think they're not. People are stating the truth--the employer calls the shots, not the employee. Just because the truth isn't as comfortably "warm and fuzzy" as you want it to be, doesn't make it less true. It seems that this point is missed very frequently on this board and to try to convince this person that it is the employee who decides the working terms is both cruel and non-constructive. (There are so many cliches that I could use right now I'm not even going to start.)


There have been several posters who lament the loss of jobs to overseas competition but instead of laying blame at the feet of workers who want to call the shots, they instead try to blame the people who are hungry for jobs and are willing to work at getting and keeping jobs that are "too demanding", "too demaning", "not family-friendly" for US workers. Employers are also to blame when their biggest concern is the bottom line and not upholding the society that allowed them to become employers in the first place.


A very good book to read for more on this subject is The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman. It is a long book but if you're really interested in understanding what is going on in the world today and being prepared for the reality of tomorrow, it's worth the read. Of course, it also requires a mind willing to see the problems that both workers and employers have created.


Constructive feedback is ...

providing commentary and suggestions on improving the MT's work process (i.e. 'hearing' ESL's better or maybe a more refined search process, etc.) in a professionally worded fashion.  Most times when an MT leaves a minefield of blanks in a report it's because he/she because of their lack of experience wasn't able to 'hear' what the dictator was saying. 


A true QA person of excellence can recall their own journey on the road of transcription, remember that type of frustration and lack of experience, and translate solutions and suggestions to the MT in a manner that the MT can draw upon that experience and going forward incorporate the QA's suggestions into their work process, correcting any deficiencies they may have in putting out a quality document without a lot of blanks.  


In the case of where you work, sometimes constructive feedback is as simple as just filling in the blanks.  You can use the document that's been returned to you as a sample for training your ear to better hear what that particular dictator is saying when you get him/her again.  In this way, you continue to improve and are more autonomous in the work that you do. 


I hope this helps. 


EXACTLY! Constructive input is always welcome;
nm
First of all, you did not come here looking for constructive advice. SM

You came here to whine and moan about QA and you wanted people to pat you on your head and said "poor little MT, you were right."  When you didn't get that, you started throwing a tantrum and telling everyone what big 'ol meanies they are.


By your own admission, you have been an MT for three years.  You are in no way qualified to tell QA or the QA supervisor that you like or dislike changes made, account specs, or anything of the sort.  Your job is to type according to the account specs and according to whatever other BOS rules QA imposes.  Like it or not, this is the job!  MTs are called upon to be flexible.  Personally, I abhor the BOS, but I like money, I need money to live and feed my kids, so if my employer says do by the BOS book, then that's what I'm gonna do.


I going to go out on a limb here and guess that since you said some of the mistakes you made were "stupid mistakes" you shouldn't have made, then you probably look inexperienced to QA and aren't going to be taken seriously when you complain.  When you've become a seasoned MT who makes very few mistakes and then want to complain, you might be taken a bit more seriously.


I have 20 years under my belt.  My last QA score (which happened to be yesterday) was 99.5% and that is my consistent score.  If one day I get a QA score say below 98%, then I may question it diplomatically.  I probably have more experience than the QA person proofing my work, but being condescending is not the way to go.  Here you are 3 years experience and you are condescending and go above your QA's head to her boss.  Good thing you're starting a new job, sounds like you're going to need it.


That's my 2 cents.


Constructive remarks in message
I have a couple of constructive things to say.  First take it to a blog where you can whine to someone who cares.  Where you can all wallow in your self-pity while your bills add up and your kids starve and nothing changes the situation.  Next, get another job.  Stay at MQ if you must, but get another job, be it MT or whatever, that will pay your bills while you whine. Third, get some ambition and help yourselves.  Whining to each other will accomplish nothing. Why would I be MQ management when I am offering suggestions to help your plight.  I am sure MQ management is very happy with the way things are.  They have you whiners that are still there for them to scrape their feet on and not doing a thing about your situation.
LOL. I told you, it's a pet peeve. It was constructive
Personally, I don't like to have errors in any of my writing, personal MB or not, and I would rather have someone tell me on a MB than make a fool of myself elsewhere. To each his/her own.

FWIW, I was not proofreading, just reading. After seeing it the incorrect way umpteen times, I felt compelled to mention it.
Take constructive criticism and LEARN...
I worked for this company and the only reason I quit was I needed a job where i worked 4 hours and that was it.  I absolutely LOVED my job with them.  They were encouraging yet at the same time made me aware of what I needed to correct, as quality is of utmost importance in medical dictation.  I made notes and reviewed the corrections sent back to me in order to undo my errors.  The Editor (Rose) taught me so much by giving me these corrections cause it has helped me become a better MT.  It is so important in this field to be accurate and have good grammar and spelling skills.  Maybe this field isnt for you, but definitely even look into getting perhaps a used grammar/english textbook or the AMMT Book of Style to review, as that might be less expensive than going back to school.  I have talked to other MTs who have been in this field for 35 years and said they STILL learn something new every single day.  Keep an open mind on this job and learn all you can.  In the long run you will be a better MT for it.
Yes, thanks for a thoughtful and constructive comment. SM
Much too rare on this board. I'm shocked by how many people still don't use Expanders and use them very extensively. People need to understand and accept that today's much higher standard of production is set by those who do.
Yeah...let's not try to do anything constructive because everybody is contributing to the problem
I think most of us hear this all the time...let somebody else clean up the mess.
THAT is when constructive feedback helps, not being a jerk about it.
QA should remember how it felt to be MT and struggling to get it right.
I have found no matter how constructive my feedback is... SM

most MTs either don't read it or read and immediately send it to the recycle bin literally and figuratively.  So when I send feedback, it is basically a list of their errors, my corrections, and quoting chapter and verse from the BOS if necessary. 


Quite frankly, I'm tired of hearing MTs gripe.  I used to try to educate and mentor MTs, but it is a thankless job.  Someone below said that QA people try to insinuate their egos, but in my experience it is the MTs ego that is getting in the way.  So many MTs think they are "excellent MTs" and so many of them are not.  At one point, I decided to keep a running log of unacceptable errors that even the most remedial MT should not be making and start posting it here because I'm so sick of MTs posting that QA is unreasonable or big meanies.


So here is a very unacceptable mistake I've seen this morning and I've only been on the clock for an hour...


"pressure ulcer on the left heal"


Of course, when I sent feedback to this MT, she emailed me saying "ha ha, oh it's just a typo."  Problem was she did it repeatedly throughout the entire report -- not just once but every instance the dictator talked about the left heel ulcer, she typed "left heal ulcer."


Now, MTs, tell me that I'm not supposed to roll my eyes and be a little irritated that I had to spend fifteen minutes listening to her entire report because such a basic error sends up warning flags, when I should have just had to fill in her blanks.



Don't change. I had to change back to cable. SuddenLink DSL stinks! nm

nm


Change provider vs change to business plan

In your place, I would seriously consider changing providers if there were others available in your area, but I'd ask around about their service quality first.  It may not be any better.  If there are no other providers, then consider changing your service package to a business account rather than residential.  They're usually more expensive, but they also tend to get faster service if there's a problem.


Last summer, I had no electricity for 3 days due to severe storms, but there were some 600,000 in the same boat with me.  We just had to wait it out.  It's a downside of working at home.


Would it kill you people to give constructive advice instead of insults and insensitivity?!?
I understand your frustration. I think you just need to sit down and have a talk with your employer. Find out exactly what they want your status to be. As an employee, yes they do have the right to dictate your hours, where you work, etc., but they do not have the right to jerk you around. If they want you to work at home, then they need to provide for that, not you! Anyone who says otherwise is wrong! In any industry, if a company wants you to commute, they pay for gas/mileage. If they want you to have a cell phone/pager, they either pay for it, or they provide an allowance for it. If they want you to work at home, they provide equipment. It sounds to me like they want way too much and are giving very little. Just because a person/company is the employer, it does not give them the right to treat people like dirt, sending them on wild goose chases, interfering with their life, schedule, expenses, etc. I am sorry you have received such critical and insensitive comments. I hope this works out for you. Blessings!
She didn't say she put "no-no" in her feedback and used baby talk in her constructive criti
I wish she were on my QA team. She sounds wonderful!
change attitude, change life
The first thing you need to change is that defeatist attitude! I know that's hard at times like this, but that's when you need to most.
I won't go into detail, but my financial situation is also at an all-time low, we couldn't even exchange gifts., daughter in hospital twice, & no med insurance)..but then I heard about how much worse things were for others around me this season. Now I'm thankful instead!
Get out while you can. Things will *never* change unless you change them. (nt)

58, AHP/self-taught, trained at hospital 5 years, now with 2 of my own accounts for 10 years, employ
Also worn out 2 keyboards in 4 years. I will never retire. DH will come home some day from work and I'll be slumped over my keyboard. I put in 14 hours a day 7 days a week.
Pack years = packs smoked per day x years of smoking - sm
25 pack-years = 25 years of 1 pack a day, or 12-1/2 years of 2 packs a day.

I don't think pack-years applies to someone who smokes only cigars. But I don't know for sure.
I worked for Cbay for 3 years. I was also part of their lay off back many years ago. sm
Even though I got stuck in a lay off era, I still love the company. They paid well then. The people were nice (exception of 1 person) and if I had the opportunity I would go back again. Fortunately (or unfortunately - depending on how u look at it), I have a great paying job right now, so I am not looking for a change. I do know that at one time, they asked management to accept late paychecks, but never sure of the reason why. My check was never late.
I know it used to be 5-10 years back, but the laws changed within the last 2 years. They can only g
x
6 years legal then switched to medical 17+ years ago. sm

I don't mind doing legal and will do it now from time to time, but be prepared to be totally bored out of your mind.


At least that's the way I feel.  I love to transcribe, learned legal in college, went on to get my paralegal degree, etc., etc., but I did temp work when the kids were younger, which was about 90% medical and I would never go back to legal except for once in a while.


Booooooring.


 


 


Only 3 years away from reaching total years for retirement
but if I had to do this and raise a family, would feel exactly like you do. The pay is terrible compared to what I used to make. I work 32 hours a week, hope to be able to continue even after full retirement age. I have worked on VR now and unless places get to where they really do not care about how their reports look, think they will need MTs. I very seldom do a report and it is 100%, just cannot remember 1 like that and most take a lot more editing. Working now because want to, not have to anymore, thank goodness!!
I dumped my ex 20 years ago, but got lucky 13 years ago

It would take me all night and pages and pages to describe what a bad person my ex-husband was.  After six years of putting up with his OCD, verbal abuse and alcohol, I left him the house, took the kids (5 and 1) and didn't look back. That was 20 years ago.


I wasn't looking to get married again, but I did.  After 13 years I only complain when hubby doesn't see things my way. :) 


My older kids, who were 5 and 1 when I left, are married and have kids of their own now.  My husband gets the Father's Day cards.  Their "real" father sits alone in the perfect little house I left behind and let him have and he drinks himself into oblivion every night because nobody is "perfect" enough, including his kids and his grandkids that he never sees. 


Sad, but true.  So glad I smartened up and got  out of there when I did.


We have been supporting other countries for years and years now.
What is the big deal.  Look at your clothes, cars, items in your house.  You will see mostly China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan etc., etc.  We have not supported our own people like we should have for years now!!!!
Only 2 in 13 years for me. First Edix for 8 and now Webmedx for nearly 5 years. nm
.
When I trained, back years and years ago
We did not have spell checking nor the internet (Google for instantaneous help). OMG, how did we do it? We used Correcting Selectrics with the lift-off tape to correct errors- you only had dictionaries, both English and medical, to look up things so yes we did have to learn to spell all those big longgggggggggg words.
MT: 24 years. Same company: 11 years same co. after buyout.
x
Grammar Question: 9 years' ago or 9 years ago? *sm*
I have a terrible time trying to remember this rule! HELP!
Worked inhouse for years and years
Inhouse transcription from 1973 to approximately 1992 and we had no downtime for answering the phones and when the physicians came into the room (or others) needing some assistance, just part of the job. I did not feel bad about doing it then and I dont see why you would either. You don’t realize that probably you are making right now more than if you are outsourced, right? You have hourly salary plus incentive. Guess how many of us have that now? Probably inevitable about outsourcing so I would say just enjoy while you can. The pay our here now sinks further and further. I make, for instance, 4 cents a line for voice recognition and 8 for straight. Now, more complaining?
Yes you need to change everything to

reflect GA as your residence.   In my state you have 30 days to notify DMV of an address change.    You don't have to be head of household to claim office expenses and can claim in GA if you meet the criteria needed for a home office. 


From someone who has BTDT be sure you have a legal contract with your renters, even if family member and do a video of your house before you leave for your protection.  Also you might want to look at getting some additional insurance.  I had a trusted family member living in my house for a year, rent free in exchange for upkeep, and they practically destroyed the house, which is why I suggested the above. 


 


I once had a QA from HS change BMI to PMI sm

This was in vital signs.   The pt BMI was 35.  She/he changed that to PMI....... 


Anyone else have any QA mistakes they'd like to share?


DID MQ CHANGE THIS?
The very first QA notice I received when I started (January) was to double space at the end of a sentence. I felt like the biggest dummy for not knowing this. But, after viewing these posts, I guess it is not such a common knowledge thing. I NEVER, NEVER hear from MQ. I wonder if it is because I don't have their e-mail. I know they have my e-mail address, but NEVER hear from them. I wonder how many CHANGES I have missed?
change that from 375 to
365, but feels like 375.
Wonder if they will change
the offshore concerns board to the offshore board.
Actually no change at all...
just venting. Sorry to have gone on and on with being upset and angry all day and other family issues that have caused stress. I could state my personal life on here and all of my business dealings, but do you really need to hear every bit of a story? Should I recount every little detail about my work habits as an MT? Is that really necessary? Fine, I was crying and upset in the beginning thinking of ways to find work, what to do, then that turned to anger. Then that passed and I realized how businesses are run and that posting on a board and not editing my post and misspelling words and not using proper grammar (EMPLOYED AS AN IC) is just unfortunate I guess for me and I won't be posting on any boards any time soon. As far as the year of working as an IC (hope that sounds better for you) there were plenty of times when I made mistakes and yes, even the MTSO admitted to having made a mistake or two and overlooked a document and then paid me for it on the next check or found something she thought I hadn't turned it and I actually had and I covered for someone who was sick that day and did extra work and yes, I really made a few mistakes when I missed the TAT. I am not wanting to hear something terrible from anyone, like, yes, you should write a letter. I guess just a little venting and typing out loud and..wow, I hope things get better soon too. Don't worry, everyone, PLEASE don't worry!! I didn't do anything terrible, I didn't send a nasty e-mail to anyone, I didn't write a letter and I apologized again to the MTSO.
This is what I am saying. She isn't going to change.
I'd begin trying to drown her out with the stereo or a water fountain that is somewhat loud and runs all of the time. I'd not say anything at all but what you could do, in a kind way, is when you talk with her, say something to her that you overhead her saying and then mention that you didn't mean to be eaves dropping but that sound carries and it is impossible to not hear her. Keep it friendly. A neighbor who dislikes you makes life hell if they are the kind who act out.
Name change SM
They should change it to DEFUNCT
Does anybody change
just the first few reports to get the difference in price per line and just use the new rate figured to calculate for their font and margins?

In other words, if the difference is 2.4 cpl or whatever, you just add that to your rate and count lines with their font and margins without changing them each time. Would that be kosher?

I was wondering if you could make a macro to do it. Excellent idea!

Thanks everyone.
MY WAY TO CHANGE
If you have a "normal" set and you want to do another temporarily, you can add the font/pitch icons to your toolbar.   I always leave them there anyway.  Then you put your cursor at the top left of the document and click on the font and pitch you want and they will be good for the whole document, unless you bring in one from somewhere else (like Instant Text or another document) Be sure your default is set for any text you bring into documents to match the document you are on (the document you are on determines the font and pitch, etc.)  Or, if it is a permanent thing you are doing, set up a template for it.   You can set up in instant text too, if you save with the format on it. 
I have yet to see any name change

Everything that i have gotten from them lately has been AAMT and nothing else. 


We can now compete with China.  What a mess this is.


Change happens
Lots of jobs that existed in my lifetime do not exist anymore. Telephone operators were replaced by automated switchboards. Key punch operators are no more. And in the near future these jobs we do, too, will be no more. It isn't the Indian MTs that will eventually make them go away; it will be the improvement in voice recognition and all the blaming and complaining won't change it. The key punch operators and the telephone operators went to work doing other things, and we shall, too.
Name Change
The only way to change the name is to control T out of the document you opened and then start the document over and make sure the patient info is correct on your document info screen before you enter or say okay. Word pulls in the patient information through a template so you can't modify it once you're in the actual Word document.
change
I was reading your message with interest and an open mind, until I saw the word "dear," then realized the unnecessary condescension and patronization of your message.