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What? I am a low income MT, can't afford to travel anywhere.

Posted By: some random poster on 2008-01-21
In Reply to: You all must be the Americans sm - who go abroad and expect people to speak English

 I can't even afford to drive out of the state...gotta fix my motorcycle.


I am not taking all this too seriously but I think your post is a little inflammatory.


Nobody expects tourists to speak whatever the native language is.  I think it is reasonable for local medical professionals living and working here to be able to speak easily recognizable English since the accuracy and quality of the medical  record depends on it, not to mention turnaround time.  My time is valuable too. Forcing me to relisten over and over just to decipher simple phrases is not fair.  And that applies to the native speakers too (who tend to rattle everything off too stinking fast and IMO just as bad or worse than ESL).




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Fortunately on MT income, I can't afford a house expensive enough to be worried.
"As long as you live in your house for two out of the last five years and the proceeds of the sale are less than $250,000 for single filers and $500,000 for couples filing jointly, you don't have to pay capital gains taxes on any part of your house."
Not sure, I have deductions for federal income tax, SS tax, Medicare tax, and state income tax. ???
nm
You can travel while
There are no restrictions on that. Of course, you are expected to maintain the confidentiality of the records you work on while you are away. As far as a bare bones summer cottage, you would have to make arrangements as you see fit and necessary in order to make it comfortable for you to work in.
I do when I travel.....sm
I dock my laptop when I'm working from somewhere else (i.e. my elderly grandmother's house) and use my own keyboard and mouse.  If I'm just going to work a couple of hours I don't do all of that - only if I'm working all day.
Where did you travel to? sm
I guess my main concern is going overseas to England and for some reason not being able to work there.  The internet in the house I would be living in is high speed internet but I just want to make sure that my computer would work there and everything goes smoothly.
astral travel
Always thought it was hogwash until it happened to me too. I was working in a bank as a teller. On my fourth day as a teller a guy came to my window with a gun, couldn't believe it. It was like a rose above my body and watched this poor girl being robbed. To this day, 30 years later, I can still see the dress I was wearing, hairstyle etc. Back then they called it "out of body experience."
Anyone here travel and work (sm)
I am thinking I could work while I travel if I had a laptop computer and am wondering if anyone here does this and what is involved.  I know many motels offer free wireless internet now.  Is that all I need to be able to do this?  Thanks for any help!
Does anyone travel with their laptop
and use a Sprint broadband card for internet access, or one of the other company broadband cards.  Just wondered how it worked for you for traveling and if you can use it on the road?  I've been trying to research this but not really finding the answers. From what I read, if there is good cell phone signal you should be able to get service, but the guy from Sprint told me that his parents tried it down the road in Nebraska and did not work, and I asked why since it said on the site that you would get service if the cell coverage is there, maybe just not as fast as in a city such as Lincoln or Omaha, and he didn't know why but said I could try it out for 30 days.  Thought maybe some of you road warriors would have some suggestions.  I would like to stay with my mom and use something like this since she doesn't have internet.  Thanks for any suggestions if anyone has used this particular method for working.
Laptop travel
I take my laptop with me every weekend. If we go someplace besides our place in the mountains, I get my internet service to get me a dial up number of where I am going so I can connect with the internet service through dial-up. It is much slower than my DSL, but works like a charm. So contact your Internet Service Provider about numbers in the place you are are planning ongoing and so far I have had not a single problem. I have worked in Florida, in New York, in Oklahoma, in New Mexico, using the local numbers that my internet service provider gave me. I have SBC/Yahoo, now called AT&T. They even helped me set it up the first time as I could not figure out how to do it.
I prefer the CD. I can travel with my
job and used a laptop.  I am able to have all my references available because I have them on the computer.  Stedman's only allows 2 downloads though, so if you are one who may have lots of computer issues where you will need to reload your computer a coupld of times a year or if you  might want to resell then CDs wouldn't be the way to go.  The books you can find used on the classified board.

You can use www.drugs.com as a drug reference.

There aren't a separate set of books for clinic work, but I would recommend a book called Sloane's Medical Word Book by Ellen Drake.  It is a large book with all the specialities and while obviously not as thorough as the Stedman's books, the terminology used in clinic work isn't as technical as acute care and will probably be good enough for you.   I haven't looked at Stedman's lately but they may have a similar book. 
Travel and work
As my parents are getting older I would like to visit with them more often. I live in the south and they live on the West Coast. I would like to work from their house, but they don't have an internet connection. I have thought about wi-fi but this presents privacy issues and the inconvenience of having to drive to Starbucks every day. My parents are not receptive to getting an internet connection as they do not have a computer. Anyone have any ideas how I can get some work done and yet still travel to see them several times a year?
My dream job would be to just travel, (sm)
see the world, play, ski, go on mountain bike & hiking trips, and do all sorts of unusual outdoor activities, and indoor activities (drawing) that I enjoy, and then get paid to write about them.
working while you travel
May I ask what company you work for, that lets you take your work overseas? I think this is a great idea, to travel while you work (or work while you travel) :)
I travel quite a bit. I used to have satellite, but no longer
do.  Wireless is only good if you are in a place that has wireless service or you can get WiFi.   Most of the chain hotels now have free WiFi and there are lots of other places that have free WiFi if you are on the road.    It's always good to have a plan B too, just in case. 
I read it... does it mean US patients would have to travel - nm
.
they require your uncle to travel; thus, pay him to
nm
question for those who travel and work
Does anyone have to use a C-phone for their work and use a long distance plan that they can use while away from home?  I looked at Vonage, but I looked over previous posts and it sounded like the voice quality was not that great, which for obvious reasons I cannot have.  Thanks for all input/suggestions!
help me understand laptop travel
I'm a hard-wired girl but I got a good deal on a laptop and would like to know exactly how you travel and work.  I remember mention of air cards - where do you get these and is there a 1 time charge or do you have to sign up and pay monthly fees?  Now - I still have to figure out how to connect it to router at home - TIA.
Travel to Florida/Disney - experiences?

We are planning a trip to Florida for the Daytona 500 in February - we are having problems lining up a hotel in the Orlando area that includes suites with kitchenettes and also has shuttle service to the major parks in the area. We want something in the mid range, maybe 3 star or 4 star, and will only have 2 tweenagers traveling with us - the rest will be adults. Can anyone recommend a place to stay with some atmosphere, pool area, restaurant, etc.?


We've been there before when our kids were young and stayed in very basic motels which was fine. We hardly spent any time at the motel anyway. This time, with some going to the NASCAR race, there will be down time for others, so a nice pool/outdoor area would be a plus.


Why not just ask a local travel agent? You don't have to commit thru them. nm
s
I guess I should say who work for a company that has you travel
to different on-site facilities and work for a few weeks providing all travel expenses and then on to a different facility?
I travel frequently and I have not found this to be a problem.

You can either search on-line or go to store like Office Depot and look at keyboard trays.  They have them that will clip on.  You can clip one to a table.  Many times I've propped a pillow against a table and put the keyboard tray on the pillow.   I've worked at a picnic table with a folded towel on the edge of the table.   The height isn't the best and the towel kept the hard edge from pressing into my wrists.   I've used a bed tray and put my laptop on top of that and placed the keyboard underneath. 


I'd try a few things now before you go.   I found that if I had to work I found a way to get the job done.   I've even typed on the laptop keyboard with the laptop on my lap as we are going down the road. 


I travel with a laptop, printer, and keyboard - sm
My printer is small enough to fit into a backpack - about the size of a portable DVD player. So the printer, along with the laptop go on the plane with me. The keyboard and mouse go in my suitcase that gets carried under the plane. Now, if i have to take a transcriber with me, depending on where I'm going, I will either ship that ahead or TRY to take it with me on the plane, but it depends on where I'm going and how long I'll be gone. I have had to replace a transcriber because of security deciding to take it apart when it was packed in my suitcase. Lesson learned on my part.
oops... travel program should be LogMeIn.

oh yuck, I have to travel to NY next week for a hospital job - now I'm going to be cold!!
x
Any time I travel and don't have room for my keyboard I use a pillow in my lap or prop
it on the edge of the desk.  I find it also takes some of the stress off my wrists and I tend to sit straighter in my chair.  Takes a bit getting used to, but if you travel with your own pillows you can use your own and it won't be so bad.   You could also go to one of the office warehouse companies like Office Depot and look at their keyboard trays.  They may have some that slides or clamps onto a desk that would work for you. 
Thanks for sharing. I also travel A LOT..and the majority of the time things go smooth, but sometime
Last time we went on vacation, I forgot to pack my keyboard that I had just bought for $50 and had to run to Radio Shack and get another cheapo for $30. Then, the hotel internet was AWFUL and kept cutting me off so production was sloooooow..Overall, I just check ahead to see what the hotel offers in terms of internet etc..and I do end up having to pay anywhere from $10-12 a night at hotels but it is worth it so I am not missing work or using all of my PTO time. We're heading to Mexico next year and the hotel has wireless so I think I'll give it a whirl. We have a condo in Hawaii and I have sat out on the lanai all day looking at the ocean and working. It was the highest production I have ever had. The only downfall I have found is trying to remember all fo the time changes so I am starting and stopping when I am scheduled. Hawaii is 5 hours different from home so I had to factor that in. In any event, thanks for sharing and I agree. Vacation can be fun AND productive.. LOL
How long was the in-house training period? I'd be willing to travel for a few days for a decent
nm
Wish I could afford...
...to do that! I am SO SO SICK OF MQ!!! They are driving me crazy! I am on my 3rd MT Supervisor in three months and still have not heard one word from the latest one. They just don't care about us at all. I understand that's the nature of the biz, but my God, would it kill you just to drop an email and introduce yourself???
Wish I could afford...
my TC? sorry, what's that?
If you can afford it, go for it. sm

Just remember, if you work as an IC you may have a "nonconforming" loan which may give you a little higher interest rate.  If you can document your income with pay stubs and W2s as well as income tax forms, you may be "conforming" and be able to get the lowest interest rate possible.  


If your credit scores are high enough, you can always do 100% finance with an 80/20 loan which will eliminate PMI monthly payment.  Your credit scores need to be 685 or higher for 100% finance.


Shop around for the best interest rate, but DO NOT let everyone pull your credit.  Have one loan officer pull your credit report and ask him what your scores are.  When you shop to the next loan officer, tell them do not pull your credit report, but here are my scores.  Just give them your scores and ask what is the best interest rate they can give you.  The more people who pull your credit report, the lower the score goes.  It drops 2 or 3 points each time it is pulled by mortgage loan officers.


Also, you can buy down to a lower rate.  So, if they quote you 5.75%, you can buy that down probably to 5.3% for 0.375% of the total mortgage you are borrowing (which in reality is 0.375 of 1 point).


I hope this advice helps - good luck. I say go for it!  No better feeling than to own your own home.


I bought a new house last year and we just refinanced and closed on Friday.   That is why all of this information is so fresh in my mind.  Also, my sister is a mortgage loan officer, so she helped me a lot and explained how things work.


Always ask what your closing costs will be - different mortgage brokers charge differently.  One may be $4000 and another may be $8000.  That is a huge difference.   Some want more profit, others are reasonable.


Best of luck to you.


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Which can you afford more?

The emergency room bill....or the loss of your DH?


I'm not trying to be harsh, but money concerns should not keep you from getting medical help when it is needed and warranted.


It really sounds like some kind of allergic reaction.  But it may also be something harmless.  I agree with the other poster about calling your MD.  You cannot fool around with stuff like this.


Me too! I can't afford NOT to be an MT!

Can't afford not to
I don't know how you've figured all this out. I have spent HOURS researching all this becuase when I started with learning MT, I barely knew how to turn a computer on, so I was completely in the dark. The only thing I've been able to conclude for sure is that you will pretty much get different information every time you go to a different site. I have tried soooo many different things and to be honest, I really haven't found any one thing to be much better than another, even the things I've started paying for.
I will definitly make a block of time very soon (tomorrow?) and try your group of programs and ideas and hopefully it will help.
Sure do appreciate all your time and thought into your post(s), btw.
Whether you can afford or not SM
you are going to have to see an accountant and/or a lawyer.  We cannot teach you how to be an IC or how to set up a company.  That is a job for a professional and I would never give advice on either (or take advice) on a message board.
unfortunately I can't afford $99 fee
.
One time I typed "Tp and his wife are retired and travel in their rectovaginal." Caught it tho
x
I hope I dont sound naive, can you tell me how you travel with a laptop and transcribe? I have neve
I have never done this but I'm trying to plan it so it is feasible for me.  I know to travel I'd need a laptop.  Does the laptop accomodate a regular foot pedal or does it take a USB and also do your headphones plug into it?  What do you do about internet when traveling?  Thanks, you can email the info if you'd like, I'd like to get these plans figured out and all the answers on this I could get would be great!
I need a workout! Can't afford a PT
Could not walk for a week afterwards!  BOY, what a workout! My thighs hurt so bad I couldn't even walk down stairs, and I considered myself in shape before I took the class!  HA!  Hang in there, it will get better, and the results will be amazing!
Like ER-MT, I cannot afford to not work
I have four sources for work now:

1. Local account I provide services for another MT who has the account.
2. A small local office that is my own account (2-3 tapes a month that are not usually full)
3. A midsized national MTSO in another state.
4. A small MTSO in another state.

The trick is not having everyone bombard you all at once.
there are ways to afford it

I had the offices to pay for some of it, such as their own recorders.  But if it works for you on tape - you have advantages too like the personal contact on pick up/delivery that breeds loyalty.  Being on tape makes them harder accounts for people to take from you too. 


If they can't afford books
It would take the same amount of time (actually less) to run a phrase through Google or one of the NUMEROUS online medical dictionaries than it would to post it on the Word Board. I, too, can tell on the Word Board which ones are a lack of knowledge in general, and it's kind of frightening those people are typing our reports.

I've seen helpful posters provide links to specialty websites, internet medical dictionaries, pharmaceutical site, etc., to try to help out but judging by some of the repetitive posters, I can't help but wonder if they ever even use the links the MTs have been kind enough to take the trouble to provide for them.

We all have times when we need help (or just a brief brain freeze where we cannot recall a word which I do once in awhile), but many of these posts (i.e., 'what is symphisis pubes?') make you wonder how much exposure to medical terminology a lot of these posters have even had.

Scary, actually.
How do you think they afford their mansions and
expensive vacations? Greed.
I'd love a vacation, but cannot afford it
Hi everyone,
thanks for your posts on this subject. I really cannot afford to take a vacation or even a day off. No one is around to pick up the work that will pile up if I take off and if I take off I don't get paid and since I just went through bankruptcy I really need all the money I can get, but it is nice to dream of the day I can take a vacation and not worry about the day without pay.
You also couldn't afford a breakdown - sm plz
I am a walking burnout factory...  it is so necessary to not be the "yes girl"... take a break at least ONE holiday, ONE weekend and spend it on YOU...  You cannot afford a mental meltdown, which will happen at this rate.  Take care of you, and the job will continue to flow... everyone needs a break.... as short as it may be, it can still be refreshing if you use a day wisely... just my opinion
If you can afford to make the switch
then I would go for it. You will not make $15 an hour with most of the companies out there initially. Research the companies. I would try it PT before quiting my job and going FT with a national. Good luck!
We can't all afford the luxury of "Finding another job"
It isn't nearly as easy to up and quit a job as you make it sound.  What about health coverage?  Most of us have children or medical conditions and need our insurance coverage.  When you start a new job, you have to wait usually 90 days before health care will kick in and, in some cases, if you have a pre-existing condition, they won't cover you.  That is why a lot of us stay.  MQ is very closed in the communication department, so this is our only means of communicating with each other.  And it doesn't help to get bashed by our fellow MTs.  We could use a little patience and little sympathy from our brother and sister MTs.  So you have to scroll down past our remarks, you could be in our shoes and that is much worse.  So next time you want to bash MQers, think about if the shoe was on the other foot.
Life is too short . . . if you can afford it,
xx
Law doesn't matter if she can't afford to take
him to court to fight it. He can do as he pleases and the burden will be on her to go after him and make him adhere to the court order.

Been there, done that. It's an expensive, exhaustive process and, in the long run, she will probably lose out if she runs out of money.

It's sad, pathetic, unfair, immoral, but true.
If you can't afford to work for a company and eat, it's IC all the way. (nm)
x