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What a dumb comparison - apples & oranges

Posted By: Is he a QA MANAGER? on 2006-02-08
In Reply to: Not true! Hubby can't spell for crap and is a - CEO for a large phone company

Geez. A lot of people can't spell, and they sure as heck don't belong managing a QA department for medical transcription - correcting other people's mistakes!


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Apples and oranges. sm
Working in-house is quite different than working through a service (though I suppose I *could* hop a plane and fly halfway across the country to confront someone at my hospital). No, as an MT working for a service we don't have that opportunity.

Otherwise, I don't think we're in disagreement. As for the original poster, however, that's an entirely different situation.
But that's not comparing apples to oranges.
2000 55-character lines is about 1700 65-character lines. Take away some more lines for unpaid headers, footers, and demographic information, and I could probably do what you're doing. Ah, so! I need to find a better employer that pays for headers, footers, demographics, and by the gross line!
Or rather it IS comparing apples to oranges. LOL
.
I'm done trying to compare apples to oranges. sm
You are free to go on beating the dead horse, however. Best wishes.
You're comparing apples and oranges here, SandyGirl. SM
You're talking employee status in NYC. Some of us are talking IC status where we set our own rates and do the work we're most productive at.

I am settled into a comfortable routine. I know just exactly how much work I have and how long it takes me to do it.

You should really be careful about calling folks liars when you have absolutely nothing to go on but what YOU get paid. It makes you look pretty silly and uninformed.
No not from TTS. I am trying to compare apples to apples
Yes, you could do 400 lph with editing but if you got paid 4 cpl line you have to do minimum 3200 lines in a day vs 1600 a day with 8 cpl for straight typing.  So I am assuming to make more money line count would have to be higher than 3200 a day with editing.  I understand that most companies pay half of what they do for straight typing so that tell me you have to produce twice as much to make the same money???  I cannot figure out if VR is a way to pay the Transcriptionist less overall?  Even though she might be producing 400 lph if she is only paid 4 cpl she might end up making less than if she just did straight typing at 8 cpl.  Unless I have it wrong....
"How dumb am I" to lose a CD-ROM? Oh, about as dumb as the rest of us. nm
x
how many apples are red?
Who knows how many MTs are happy. and how do you measure happy? I for one, still enjoy my job after 30+ years of doing it, but i do make less money than ever.

There is some standardization in the field that was not there at all when i started MTing. But not all the standards are good ones, and it does not have the overwhelming respect of those in the trenches. Many of us now juggle the BOS (formerly AAMT) standard, a company standard, a client standard and the HIPAA as well as doctor idiosyncracies. Of course, the standards never touched the pay scale or schooling requirements.

In MTing, the appreciation seldom comes in a pat on the back; usually it simply is a self-satisfaction for doign a job well.

My thoughts? Keep doing what we do, better, with faster TATs and eventually the work may come back from overseas. It does not hurt to have a plan B though, esp in this economic environment.
You can't compare apples with
oranges as he had lost his job and who knows the real truth. Tragic loss of lives.

Suffice it to say, it's pretty scary out there these days with so much misery over job loss, home loss and no hope in sight. It's like the domino effect. It's all happened so fast and there is no stopping it. Certain people will act out. No doubt immigrants are much harder pressed in times such as these. Even doctors are suffering from this economy. Hard to believe but it is true.

Thanks for the comparison..
They sound one in the same.
A little comparison.

Option A: National: Two hours of emails, faxes, unpaid headers, using expander.  Total income $9.60 in two hours.


Option B: Small MTSO: One hour of straight typing with only one researched name and address.  No emails, no faxes, paid headers, no expander.  Total income $20.00 in one hour.  I just wish they had more work!!!!


Comparison
I think there are some variables here. Our company went to VR and there are some who are making more and some less. I am one of those who is making less, but I made a good salary to begin with and am a fast transcriptionist. If you do a lot of editing when you do straight transcription and put in lots of punctuation, and edit A LOT, changes are VR is not going to work for you. I love it, but then again, it all depends on what platform of VR your company uses.
Don't listen to the old sour apples...

However, if you are starting from scratch with no medical background and no training in transcription, you are 2-3 years from making ANY kind of money even IF you can find a job at home.  It's like learning another language, the language of medicine.  If you already have a medical background and have taken terminology, a way to more quickly get into the business would be to find a single doctor doing one specialty, saying the same thing over and over.  However, if you're inexperienced it might be hard to get a doctor to trust you with his transcription.  I don't know anything about your situation, so it's hard to answer.  Any more info?


I vote for Mrs. Prindable's apples!
They're not cheap but you can get a sampler box for a better price and they're individually wrapped. And QVC.com has them too. If you decide not to get them for the teachers, at least get one for yourself! Yummmmmm!

http://www.mrsprindables.com/store/index.asp?rectype=occasion&department_id=54

http://www.mrsprindables.com/store/index.asp?rectype=store&DEPARTMENT_ID=36

Please dont judge all by the bad apples
Some of us are happy with what we do and are happy to lend a hand. Not all, or even the majority of us are rude. There are just a few that like the attention on these boards i think.
what a perfect comparison
If I had pictured you as anybody that would have been the perfect choice, quirky, funny and cute in the boy next door way.
that is a ridiculous comparison!
dogs, birds, cats, etc are all different animals that required different diets and have different needs. You can't even compare 1 dog breed to another b/c every breed has its different needs, so that being the case, how can you possibly compare dogs to birds?? That is just ridiculous.

I posted a comparison...

within the last week here on the Main Board (MTSO ratings) that shows how the clients of some of the top MT companies who offshore rate the quality of both onshore and offshore transcription.  There really was not a big difference, according to those clients, between the quality of both. 


you're mixing apples and beans here...sm

Some of us are heavy patriots, sons and daughters of America, but do not like what's going on in D.C.  It's as simple as that.  They are tapping 100,000+ Americans.  Do you really believe that one-third of our country is involved with terrorists?  Doubtful.....not even half that number.  This administration simply TAKES advantage at every turn...in every nook and cranny that they can.


They are the reason the work force across the USA is highly upset, doesn't matter which state, which city, nobody is a happy camper in the regular work force today in the USA.  I blame D.C.


Yes, GOD Bless the men and women who would fight for us to keep us FREE throughout history.  And I will bless the men and women who are fighting today in Iraq


....but know it's over oil....do not delude yourself. 


Just one person's opinion......we were ALL duped...approval rating as of yesterday and this includes everyone, whether reps or dems, was 29%....


Cents pay comparison for VR editing
Non-VR (IC) at 10 cents/line x 200 lines/hr. = $20 / hr.
VR editing (IC) at 5 cents/line x 400 lines/hr. = $20/hr. (a 0% increase)*

Non-VR MTSO charge at 15 cents/line x 200 lines/hr. = $ 30/hr.
VR MTSO charge at 15 cents/line x 400 lines/hr. = $ 60/hr. (a whopping 100% increase)

If you deduct the $20 to the MT from $30, MTSO still makes $10 per hour per MT.
If you deduct the $20 to the MT from $60, MTSO now makes $40 per hour per MT.





(of course these figures do not include MTSO overhead and other costs)

*Note: VR editing requires MTs with extensive experience for detecting and correcting errors.
Looking for conversion/comparison chart sm

I'm getting paid gross lines right now and my company is going to be using new software which will use 65-char lines.  I'm looking for some sort of chart that shows the difference in $. 


Any help will be gratly appreciated. 


Thanks


office lighting comparison
Everyone's talking about the compact fluorescent lighting saving hundreds of per year in energy costs.  That's swell, but I have tried using these bulbs in my office, and the lighting is not at all adequate.  In my experience, the CFLs do not come close to light output of incandescent (standard) bulbs.  I'd have to buy extra lamps with CFLs to equal the amount of light I need and can get through standard bulbs.  I have my office lights on for 10+ hours a day.  I turn them off when I take a break, of course, and at the end of the day.  However, my power bill is through the roof already, as Ameren has dumped another rate increase on Illinois.    So:  Need the best lighting option for the lowest price possible.  Any ideas?
Wow, I did a line count comparison...sm
what one of my accounts paid me for and what my other account would have paid me for with their counter and only came up with a 15% difference.  A 50% difference is pretty hard to stomach.  I have no ideas except for some really crooked software.
Great comparison! Just like dogs, we have to train our men!!
It might take years, but it does pay off in the end!  Been training mine for 30+ years now, and he's about halfway there! But I would sure boot his butt out if he cheated - and he knows it!
I work for both ... my comparison (LONG READ):
HOURS/CLASSIFICATION:
MQ: You have a choice of FT with full benefits -- 39-40 hours producing average of 150 lines/hour minimum; FT with limited benefits -- 39-40 hours with less than 150 lines/hour average but more than 100 lines/hour; PT with limited benefits for 8-16-24 hour schedules all averaging 100 lines/hour.

Spheris: FT is 37 to 40 hours a week, with 10,200 lines required by payperiod's end. PT is 20 to 36 hours a week, production is 5100 lines/payperiod minimum.

OVERTIME:
Both companies structure overtime the same way; averaged in the same manner; requires approval, must be in addition to 40 hours WORKED (PTO, DT do not count).

SCHEDULES:
Both require a schedule with the offer of "flexibility".

TIME:
MQ: Time sheets are used; MTs fill them in manually and submit.

SPHERIS: Galaxy is used -- you clock in and the system punches your time for you. Day's end, you see how much you've worked and allocate your time accordingly (productive time, PTO, meeting with mgrs, etc.).

BENEFITS:
MQ: You see the benefits in the Harmonization booklet. The employee's cost of insurance benefits is assigned by the state you live in (as well as which/if coverages are available to you).

SPHERIS: Med/Den/Vision are offered. Employees all pay the same amount for amount of coverages (EX: All employees wanting EMPLOYEE ONLY coverage pay the same; all wanting EMPLOYEE+ONE CHILD pay the same). It is available to all employees. Cost is not region-specific.

EQUIPMENT:
MQ: Use your own or they will provide. The current rental charges will no longer be effective in January; as well, the internet reimbursements will not either. I don't know if there will be a deposit for those just coming into the company after Jan 1.

SPHERIS: Must use their computers. No rental fee but there is a refundable deposit. You can pay it at once or have it taken out in 6 paychecks. Refunds to you when equipment is returned in good working order.

PTO:
MQ: You see the new PTO offered in the plan and can read online the PTO calculation formula.

SPHERIS: Same type of calculation formula; averaged quarterly and you receive a notice of what your new downtime/PTO rate is and what period it covers. Limit is $20 an hour tops for PTO. Lowest is $7.50. Amount of PTO depends on status and length of service and ranges for FT from 11 days to 21 days a year and PT 2.5 to 7.5 days a year.

HOLIDAYS:
MQ: You can read in the Harmonization booklet.

SPHERIS: Thanksgiving and Christmas are designated holidays. If you are scheduled to work on it, you can take PTO instead. If you work it you will earn double lines those days.

QUALITY:
Both require 98%.

PAY CYCLES:
MQ: Pay WEEK is Su-Sat; pay PERIOD is bimonthly 1-15th and 16th-end of month with paydates on 10th and 25th. Direct deposit available.

SPHERIS: Pay weeks are same as pay periods and are Su-Sat with every other Fridya as paydates. Direct deposit available.

BASE RATE:
MQ: With the new plan, you have your current base rate and it is the same on all work (unless you do part radiology or ASR).

SPHERIS: Your base rate depends on the level of the account you type on. If you type on a really easy account, you will get less pay; more difficult accounts, more pay. Each account level has a new-hire hourly associated with it. Levels go from level 3 to 10 with line rates 0.065 to 0.102. With Spheris, if your production earnings do not add up to at least minimum wage for the hours you worked, they will pay you minimum wage. However, you will not stay with them long if you cannot produce enough to keep you off the minimum wage payments.

INCENTIVE:
MQ: We know that incentive is achieved on a daily basis -- after you produce 1200 lines. Tiered so that you earn incentive ONLY on the lines produced AFTER 1200. It barely puts change in your pocket for mid-range producers. Only rewards high producers.

SPHERIS: Incentive is base on each week's production (Sun-Sat). So you can have a really bad week and only get your base and then next week have a great week and get incentive. Once earned, incentive applies to ALL lines typed and ranges depending on FT or PT status. FT: 5200 lines start at 0.002 and increases up to 7000+ lines getting 0.015 cpl incentive. PT: 2700 lines = 0.001 and increases up to 7000+ lines = 0.015 cpl. Whatever incentive you earn that week is applied to ALL LINES PRODUCED THAT WEEK. Spheris also has special teams that pay higher base rates.

SHIFT DIFF:
MQ: 11pm-7am = 0.01 and 3pm-11pm = 0.005

SPHERIS: 4pm-8am CST daily = 0.005.

NO WORK AVAILABLE:
MQ: This is not specifically addressed per se; however it is not listed under downtime definitions at all. I doubt MQ ever pays for no work situations.

SPHERIS: Has a policy: "MTs will not receive compensation for "No WOrk Available" situations. If an MT runs out of work, the MT should immediately notify their Supervisor or follow th eout of work situation guidelines for their team."

Hope that helps.
My comparison of homeschooling to MTing at home.
"A full-time job isn't finished in 3 hours (like the abbreviated day many homeschoolers boast about). It's about being there on time, sticking to it even though you may not feel like it, and getting along with people you may not care for, and avoiding those who are not good for you."


DANG! And that's why I got into medical transcription. LOL I didn't want to work fulltime or stick it out in an office. And that whole getting there on time thing, oh, I've never been good with that one.
For saurkraut lovers, put apples, onions and pork chops in crock pot.
Wonderful meal. Some fresh rye bread with butter. Yummie.
Anyone using DirectTV- what are the pros and cons in comparison to cableTV? nm
nm
I have the most recent version of Corel WP, but it pales in comparison to (sm)

Microsoft Office Small Business 2000 (MSWord, Excel, Outlook, IE5.0. ) This software works as flawlessly as the day I purchased it.  Patches never required.  No hang-ups or crashes.  The only alteration I have made to it, is that I am running the most current version of IE.  However, most of the time I use a tabbed browser for my web experience. 



Editing at home is tough. No comparison to the office, and much, much harder
than transcribing at home, especially with kids.  Wish I could help, but I can totally sympathize with you!
Are you that dumb to know that there were sm
prisoners also at the Superdome in New Orleans. You act like everyone was a rapist, or trigger happy. As far as looters, if I had children and there was a bottle of water and bread in a store damn straight I would take it and feed my children. Many of those people worked and lost their jobs in LA, AL, and MS. You are just a bitter person.
not as dumb as you think?
Cabbage=CABG
Coronary artery bypass graft.
No, not dumb! Actually, yes, I did. None of
the buttons work though, just the calc/clear button (very top right on the bottom bottons) work.
DUMB-DUMB
Okay, I downloaded Express scribe, when I use the load button and enter the FTP address, nothing happens.  I must be missing an obvious step, so obvious I cannot see it.  I hope this is all worth it!
dumb me... but......
Applying for jobs that state much have WAV pedal....  USB will not work... so what now?  Am I screwed?  I have a laptop and went and bought an adapter for a 9-ping foot pedal.  Is there a web site that I can go to to do a test practice with?  Dumb-me.    trying to get a job......
Maybe a dumb
question but are you talking about the "Gab room" for the chat?


how dumb are you to even go there?: NM
.
ok, maybe I'm dumb but
what is an STM? "Something" transcription manager?  Are you by chance inundating her with requests or is it that she just does not acknowledge any of your e-mails?  I don't think I'd put up with being ignored for too long.  I'd seriously consider going over her head or looking elsewhere for work.
Count me as a dumb MT if
you want.  It made perfect sense to me.
This may sound dumb, but..
where is the chat room?
Dumb dictation
Review of systems was not obtainable from the baby, obviously, due to the baby's age of one month.  Review was obtained from parents.  DUH!!!!
dumb dictation
Don't you just love these..I had one with the 11 MO understanding the assessment and agrees with the treatment!
dumb as a box of rocks (don't ask me!)

dumb as a bag of hair (No, I don't get it either!)
NM
he's so dumb he got hit by a parked car

I'm gravida 0 and I have a dumb ?
If you are 9 mos. pregnant and in the hospital for induction, on abdominal exam, can your abdomen actually be *soft*?

I have felt pg bellies, and they are not soft. Why do they always say this? It doesn't make sense to me, but then I have no personal experience with it.
dumb question. sm

If you make a mistake while typing and you know it, do you correct it then, or do wait until you spellcheck to correct ?   I tend to correct it when I see it, but began to wonder if it would be more productive to wait until I run spellcheck to catch it.


 


What a dumb response.
...sheesh....
feeling dumb......
when the doctor says dig level in the labs is he meaning digitalis level? my Expander expands dig to digoxin and I never thought to change it. I know digoxin toxicity is dangerous.  I have never gotten feed back on this potentially dangerous (?) blooper.
There are also those that pretend to be dumb so they don't have to. sm
And those that call in sick every other day, that if they were really sick that often, they should be in nursing home.

Needless to say, I got out of supervising because I did not want to hate people anymore, and I could be petty like everybody else and get away with it like everybody else.

I've got wounds to nurse...

So why did she marry him, cause she's dumb, or it
was a coverup.